Bones Roadhouse

Not at all surprised they closed. Last time we were there our server brought our lunch, then drove away in her car. She did not say she was leaving and that someone else was taking over for her. No one checked to see if our meal was ok and if we needed anything else
The one remaining server was also covering the bar which was a joke. He was standing behind the bar complaining about coming in early while his buddies kept going behind the bar serving themselves free booze. This server had one table to wait on. It took him 3 tries to get the order right but then got it wrong again when he brought it out. This was partly due to the server wining with the guy at this table about the last job they had were this server was fired and the other guy quit because they were actually expected to work at that job! !
My husband and I were fools for wanting to pay and get out of there. It only seemed to piss the server off by making him do something. He quickly snapped to us that he came in early, sorry we were tired of hearing this. His dead bet friends even told him to quit his winning and that we were only trying to pay before leaving!

So sad to report they are closed.
Owners just couldn’t keep up with it.
One of the fun places in the area. Good food with «atmosphere «to match.
A true roadhouse. My whole family will miss this place.

Well, honestly I haven’t been to Bones in a couple years, but I have eaten there MANY times, through their MANY location changes (FIRE!) and have always consider it almost reason ENOUGH to visit Gualala! Excellent BBQ always, amazing potato chips made FRESH (eat with the BBQ sauce!) and decent beer selection. Only negative is service quality varies at times. Never ate anything there that wasn’t great. (If locals avoid it as another review here says, which never appeared true all the times I’ve been there, then GOOD for the rest of us!)

This place has good barbecue and yet I order the grilled chicken sandwich and then smother it with housemade barbecue sauce.
The sides are tasty.
Suggestions: Add more salad options and pump up the sides with vegetables.

FOOD POISONING BAD… most locals stay away for this reason! I got ecoli from their Bones Burger a friend from their chicken recently!
Be warned!

Solid BBQ here.
We ordered a half order pork ribs St. Louis BBQ style and four fish tacos.
The fish taco’s were a plump, juicy cod variety breaded and deep fried, with a few shreds of green head lettuce and mild salsa wrapped in a soft corn tortilla. The fish meat was tastey, and at $ 3.50 each, it was ok value, especially considering the remoteness.
The ribs were very good and the stand out.
We had four excellent ales; for a grand total of $ 54.00
Customer service: ok.
Décor: customer signed one dollar bills decorate the ceiling and walls.
Music: 1960’s.
Views: the best.

This place was okay. The barbecue was alright, not the best but definitely not the worst I’ve had.
My friends and I came in here after a weekend of staying at a vacation home in Sea Ranch. Immediately, I was overwhelmed and disoriented by the décor. Way too much, guys! Thankfully, I have glasses to take off, but if I didn’t, oh boy!
I ordered the half rack rib dinner. I paid a little more than I usually do for this dish, but it wasn’t exorbitant. I felt as though the ribs aren’t as flavorful as I’m used to and that the sauce was rather runny. I also felt that the whole thing was a tad on the oily side, but not excessively so. I did like the home fried chips a lot, and I ended up enjoying the meal overall.
One thing I will say is that the service here isn’t the best. Well, perhaps it’s not that it’s not the best, but simply that everyone here looks and sounds depressed. No one seemed to want to be there. It was sad, really, but I have to wonder if the manager is treating his/​her employees right if everyone is so unhappy.
Anyway, it functioned as a dinner for me and my friends before we cleaned up the rental and drove the almost four hours back to the bay, but I’d probably eat elsewhere in Gualala the next time I’m there.

First beers were quick, but flies everywhere.
Second beer was forgotten with only 6 other people on the place, but 4 servers.
We ordered 2 sliders and 2 potato skins with brisket on them. Both were ok but not off the charts for high end BBQ.
WONT STOP HERE NEXT TIME WE HEAD UP THE COAST but we wish them well. It can’t be easy to satisfy all travelers.

3.5 stars. First time in Gualala and I decided to give this place a try mainly because it was within walking distance of our hotel, a nice sunset view could be enjoyed, and it seemed like more of a locals hangout than tourist trap. My girlfriend and I were greeted and seated quickly and when a window table (nice river/​ocean views) opened up, the served was happy to relocate us. The huge number of options on the menu is daunting for a first-​timer, but impressive. We ordered a basket of onion rings (good), a full order of St. Louis ribs (good, but a bit dry; a LOT of food!) and a 3-​way combo of chicken (good), pulled pork (great) and beef brisket (good), plus the sides: beans, cole slaw and potato salad (all good). The 3-​way combo was altogether great. They have a decent selection of craft brews and some good regional wines.
Reviewers who call this place «divey» are idiots. This is a roadhouse. It feels a bit retro. All the dollar bills posted on the ceiling and other idiosyncratic décor are part of the local flavor of this unique little town. A «dive» is where winos and skanks hang out. And maybe wannabe hipsters. This place seems fine for all ages and the servers were friendly and attentive. It wasn’t busy, so we didn’t wait long for our food. Past reviewers complained about the service. We had no complaints.
I’ll definitely be back. I’m curious to try breakfast.

Spent a whole day riding up the coast, where sleepy little towns and restaurants are few and far between. When we got to Gualala there were a couple options sowe decided that was the place. Barbecue sounded good, but I’ll admit we drove right on by when we saw it looked like a biker bar. But after we turned around and came back, it does have glass windows all the way around, so we thought at least it wouldn’t be dark in there, and decided to give it a shot. Glad we did. I had the smoked turkey, and my wife the pulled pork. Both were very good. The homemade potato chips were good, and the potato salad was amazing. Service is good, and the place is relatively clean. I would recommend a stop here.

Loved the smoked pulled pork sliders, hamburgers and the ribs here. The service was excellent paired with a casual vibe that’s busy with locals and visitors alike. A cool funky place with diner’s dollar bills decorated and pinned to the ceiling. The only downer was having to shoo off the house flies buzzing around our dinner.

This is not a white table cloth restaurant. Period. So don’t expect fancy dishes and white cloth napkins. You’re gettin’ down and dirty here.
I’m giving three stars (which even I think I’m being a bit tough) becuase I liked the food, the atmosphere and our server was very personable and on point. I was a bit bombarded by all of the choices on the menu. No pictures, just text from top to bottom, which made it difficult for me to choose.
I ordered the half order brisket meal: meat, 1 side and cornbread. I wish there was a green salad option for the sides because everything else seemed rather heavy: pasta salad, potato salad, macaroni and cheese, beans and coleslaw (which I’m not a fan of). I went for the potato salad which was pretty tasty, could have used a little more salt, but not bad.
The brisket was very tasty! Some of it a bit dry, others moist, but nothing that a little table bbq sauce couldn’t fix! I actually really enjoyed the flavor of the bbq sauce. The cornbread was a little muffin, pretty dry and crumbly and not warm enough for butter to melt in it’s crannies.
I liked the décor. I thought the dollar bills were fun to look at and read. The bucket lamps are fun. Unfortunately, the weather was quite a bit foggy, so I couldn’t see the view of the ocean, but I could tell the view would be beautiful on a clear day.
I would give this place another try. We didn’t have a bad experience what-​so-​ever.

Riding my motorcycle up the coast and stopped here for lunch. It’s a funky little place with dollar bills tacked up all over the place. I ordered the pulled pork sammich with coleslaw and it came with homemade potato chips. All the food was real good. Pork was tender and flavorful, coleslaw was nice… Chips were nothing special. Fries would’ve been more to my liking.
I’ll definitely stop here again. Service was good too.

I want to give more than three stars here. Just can’t. The food was most definitely good! The view over the ocean is awesome. The service? eh… The waitress came and took our drink and food order in one shot since we knew what we wanted. Then someone else (maybe the manager?) brought us our food and we never saw the waitress again. Would have loved a refill. Nope. She did show up to hand us our check though.

The photo sez’it all.
This WAS a pulled-​pork sandwich with homemade chips and cole slaw, followed by a pilsner. Wow. Wonderful to the end. My wife had the bbq-​salmon Ceasar. A Double Wow!
When we pulled into the parking lot and are greeted by this massive black smoke house, you get the feeling this place means business when it comes to bbq. They sure deliver. Great views and the wait staff were very friendly.
Previous post was correct about the fly issue, which is why it gets 4 out of 5 from me. Hope they address it before Mendo County Health does. None-​the-​less, it will be a destination spot and recommendation for anyone I know going to Gualala.

Appetizer chicken wings were awesome. Crispy, perfectly cooked, but unsauced. Ranch-​esque dipping sauce on side. Waitress was baffled when asked if available Buffalo style.
«Nachos» weren’t served over tortilla chips but instead over homemade potato chips. Potato chips just aren’t up to the task and turned onto a soggy mess. Even with tortilla chips, nachos would have rated a ‘3’.
Like an earlier reviewer mentioned, during our visit another patron brought his dog into the bar area. It was well-​behaved, but if you do not care for live animals in your food service area, be advised.
Service was 2.5. At 11:15 a.m. on a Saturday, the barkeep told us we had to wait 15 mins to be seated, even though they advertised opening at 10 a.m. for brunch with no one else in the restaurant. A hostess later offered us to sit «wherever we want.» Buckets at table had not been refilled with napkins nor silverware, so we poached those from another table.
Update Nov. 2015: Flies! Gads! Why don’t they have a bug zapper in this place!!!

This place was our dinner stop on night 2 of the CA Hwy 1 Road Trip. After a long day of overwhelming scenic beauty, glorious surf vistas, and hours of following indecisive and startled drivers, landing at Bones was heaven. We needed a stiff drink, frank and honest locals and comforting down-​home BBQ with a fabulous ocean view. Bones delivered.
Brian at the end of the bar told us the brief history of Roadhouse owner Bones who «is a pirate and biker» explaining the skulls and license plates covering the walls and counters. I was feeling indecisive about which of the awesome BBQ choices to try, and he suggested the New Mexico Chop plate (Brisket and pulled pork combined). I asked about portion size, and both he and the sweet, attentive bartender said a ½ plate was more than enough if I didn’t want leftovers. Really? We went out of our way to declare ourselves starving tourists who would order whatever they suggested, and they were both honest and right on. I ordered the half plate New Mexico chop & olé boy ordered the half chicken plate.
The food was fabulous. Some of the best BBQ either of us has ever had. The coleslaw was fresh, cool, light, and the perfect compliment to the meal. They were busy. We were appropriately attended to for a small town roadhouse. Meaning: if we flagged the bartender, she got us another drink, got our check, and helped us. If you want to be doted on, don’t go to a roadhouse of any kind. That would be a foolish misunderstanding of the term“roadhouse.“
This place also seems to serve as Gualala community center. We got to see cute toddlers passed around, friends hug, contractors and surfers back-​slap each other, and potential couples blush in each others’ directions. It was California-​Americana at it’s finest.

We ate here recently on a trip up the coast. Although the food was nothing exceptional, the staff was prompt and friendly.
If I ever stayed in this town again I’d give this place another shot.

I’ve been coming to Bones every time I’m in Gualala for years now and look forward to each visit.
The Pros:
— Best clam chowder ever, if you like a lot of celery and don’t mind bacon. It may not be traditional, but it is mighty.
— Great potato skins.
— Texas brisket is to die for.
— The homemade potato chips rock.
— Great traditional breakfast.
— Good bloody mary.
— They have Scrimshaw!
— Great view overlooking the beach.
— Fun atmosphere with friendly, energetic staff.
— Dogs allowed.
— The BBQ sauce is delicious (get some to go!).
— They give you serious napkins, not those token little bits of Kleenex.
— I’m pretty sure they’re open later and more consistently than anywhere else in town.
The Cons:
— They leave the door open so there are always flies. Try to sit away from the windows if you can or be prepared to swat.
— The place is mostly windows and can get pretty hot in the afternoons.
I’ll be back!

My family is really in love with this place. So much so, that it’s the only place we ate while we were in Gulala last weekend. It was OK, but I really wish they had been a bit more adventurous.
I’ll start with the good stuff. This is a Texas-​style BBQ joint, so there are lots of good meat options. The portions are huge, too. The most reasonable sized thing I had the whole time was a ½ order of potato skins. With 3 ½ potatoes, it was just the right size portion for one. The eggs benedict was also a good size, I was able to clean my plate and walk away satisfied but not overstuffed. Taste-​wise, I really loved the beans. We had the big red chili beans both nights and they were amazing, with a rich, smoky sauce and generous flecks of brisket throughout. BBQ-​wise, the New Mexico Chop (a mix of chopped and smoked meats slathered in sauce) is pretty good. I had it as a sandwich, but you can get it in everything, even in your breakfast omelet.
Now for the less than stellar part of things. The macaroni and cheese is pretty tasteless. There definitely wasn’t any kind of seasoning. I’m not sure there was even much salt. It was bland, bland, bland. the salads are pretty small, especially in relation to the rest of the portions. If you order one, you will need to have something else too, or you will go away hungry.
Service is inconsistent. Everyone is pretty friendly, but some of the servers are slow as molasses. And forgetful. Neither is a huge crime when you are at your leisure, but it’s a tad annoying if you want to be on your way. Getting that on track is probably an easy fix. I think they just need a bit of training.
A major plus is that an entire side of the restaurant faces the water. It’s really nice to be able to look out over the blue surf as you eat.
I know we will go back to Bones. I also know I will find something to like. I’m sure you can too.