Volcano Union Pub + Inn

Wow!
Best lunch here! My boyfriend and I came here yesterday post camping with our yorkie.
We were looking for a cute and quaint spot that had outdoor seating to have our yorkie join us.
VUP was everything!
We ordered the lamb burger and fried chicken. Everything was delicious! Union mac and cheese and steak fries also on point.
I would love to come back again for lunch if we ever pass through the area.
What a gem!
I’m a fan!

I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to write a review on my favorite hometown restaurant in all of Amador county. At the Pub you will find seasonal, affordable and simply great food. Whether it’s rainy days by the fireplace or summer on the patio, there is such a warm and comfortable atmosphere here. Do yourself a favor and order a side of the Union Mac, even if it’s to-​go. And try the fried chicken! Moist with the perfect amount of crunch and flavor.

We will be back. While not as great as their other place, Taste, still great. While the service could have been better (like bring the right wine, remember our boxed food, and be a little more present), we were in too good a mood and happy with the food to criticize. The place was busy for a Monday (PreFix and Warriors game). Servings are normal size, so we were both happy to have ordered appetizers. Husband also go the PreFix 3, I got an unexciting salad, but the Gnocchi was outstanding. We ate every last bite.

Went here last night for dinner. We ordered the chicken which came with two large breast. It also includes a side of mac and cheese. The batter for the chicken was very good but I am not a huge fan of breasts. Wish we could have had a wing or thigh like that. The mac and cheese was just okay in my opinion. We also had the duck wings and they were good but had never had duck in a long time and remember why now. Not my thing. They have a good wine list but just had a beer last night. Very crowded for a Monday night. Would try something different next time.

We stayed in Volcano June 10 – 12, which was my first time back in about six years. In the past, the Union Pub was fine for lunch but I preferred to eat at other places. But this weekend… WOW. We had the MOST delicious food and met friendly and amazing people, both employees and fellow patrons.
The first evening there we had just arrived after spending almost six hours driving a 2.5 hour trip through traffic. The bar staff took great care of us, and recommended some fantastic wines. Two other guests gave us more recommendations on where to visit, and the bar tendress (Marissa) gave us a lot of advice on places in Sutter Creek to eat and go wine tasting. We ended up staying for dinner and had the Grilled Veggie Sandwich which was way beyond expectations. It was absolutely delicious! When we went back to the Whiskey Flat Saloon later, Marissa showed up with another bottle of wine from home that she poured for us! It was a great first evening.
On Saturday night we decided to go back to the Union Pub for dinner (after wine tasting all day) and had one of the best meals I’ve ever had. We started with the Shaved Squash Salad, and the Grilled Apricots with mozarella, cherry tomatoes and pesto. AMAZING. We move on to the Roast Chicken and a dish of homemade Gnocchi with grilled corn, tomatoes and pesto cream. We were just expecting a nice meal but once again the food was SUPERB. My friend raved about the chicken, and I have never tasted gnocchi so delicious. After dinner we were stuffed, absolutely stuffed to the gills, but our waitress Mitzi convinced us to have Apricot Cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert. We only got halfway through it, but it was only because it was so delicious that we got anything down at all. I don’t know how we managed to get up and walk back to our Inn.
When the weekend was over we agreed that some of the best times we had were spent at the Union Pub. Six years ago I never would have spent more than one meal at the pub, but now it’s a wonderful place filled with very friendly employees and seriously some of the best food I have ever had. I absolutely LOVED my time at the Union Pub and cannot wait to go back!

An amazing meal! Their chairs and tables are a little uncomfortable but omg who cares. Duck wings were killed. Shishito peppers were seated to perfection. Every dish was better than the one before. The menu rotates so there’s always something fresh.

Dining review (not the inn)
–Molasses-​slow service (and… not quite sure why?)
–Very tasty dinner (roasted chicken /​lamb burger)
–Low ice cream: fruit cobbler ratio.
–Beautiful patio, with cheerful/​whimsical decorations and lots of greenery.
Reservations for 6:30 on a Sunday, seated right away. The gorgeous patio was near full, but the inside was almost empty – evidence of the lovely day. With dinner (no appetizers) and dessert, we didn’t have our check wrapped up until after they’d closed at 8pm. We weren’t in a hurry, but the lags were long.
My husband had the… Pan Roasted Chicken, I believe it was called. Heavy on the meat, as is common (and dine by him). He thought it was great, and rates it as 4 stars.
I had the Lamb Burger. So, so good. I’m not generally much of a lamb gal, but the overall taste was fantastic. The chèvre was so good on it – note to self. The green salad that came with it was fresh, plentiful, and delicious. The house made pickle alongside packed a peppery punch. Five stars.
For dessert we ordered the apricot cobbler. I really like cooked apricot but this was not my favorite. Strong essence of lemon zest, perhaps? End result was both very tart and very sweet. Crust was yummy, but the crust and the rather small (compared to the cobbler) scoop of vanilla ice cream weren’t enough to balance out the punch of the apricots. Three stars.
I’ve eaten at their sister restaurant, Taste, and both times had amazing service. If Taste’s service (assuming my two experiences were typical) is a 5, this was maybe a 2.5. Kind, but often absent – and not in the giving-​you-​time-​to-​enjoy-​your-​meal way. Ten minutes waiting for a water refill and a dessert menu. Not terrible, but also not on point. I would not recommend bringing kids or elderly family here, for this reason. But since we were not in a hurry, I won’t reduce the rating because of it.

We had the best dinner ever tonight at the Union in Volcano! We sat outside where it was nice and the shade was perfect with pretty flowers around. I had the fried chicken with union Mac and cheese and a salad, my boyfriend had the lamb burger! We enjoyed it so much! We had beers and dessert and it made an awesome anniversary! We will be returning!

Five stars isn’t enough! Golly was this wonderful. My son and I got the word on this place from a young woman who worked at Scott Harvey Winery (beautiful zins). We drove up the winding 12 mile road from Sutter Creek to the odd and mellow little historical settlement of Volcano. Here’s what we had: a craft beer and glass of Amador County Barbera, an order of (5) duck wings that were fall off the bone delicious, a half order of terrific mushroom bruschetta, a crisp romaine salad to split, and a fried chicken entrée to split with bacon/​broccoli mac n cheese.
All was superb. The bill: $ 53 for everything. Fun atmosphere, friendly service. Just a winner in every way.

Love this place! Every dish I have gotten is delicious. Make sure to get the crispy duck wings when you go.

Manager Adam was so professional and welcoming! We stayed in the Mocha room. Private and quiet. They have plenty of snacks, DVDs and books all available to you right outside your rooms.
Dinner was good. Buffet breakfast was delicious and morning staff very sweet.
Will return for sure!

I’ve been hearing about the burgers here for the last few years and now I kick myself for not making it here sooner. We started with Arianci Risotto Balls and asparagus soup which were both fantastic. Though, I should have just waited for the burger because it was amazing. House made pickles, YUM! Soft butter bun, YUMMMM! Patty cooked to perfection and oh so YUMMMMMMMMM!!! And I can’t not mention their libation selections because they’ve got a wonderful list of local an imported wines and beers. Truly a wonderful experience. The staff was very friendly and have great recommendations.

Had a wonderful dinner with my family at this local pub. Atmosphere is warm and inviting. The The staff was very polite and helpful. Along with the interesting menu items, they have great specials. We ordered the the crispy duck wings (on the menu) as an appetizer. Awesome! I had the ‘special’ steak entrée which was cooked to perfection. Went great with the beer our waitress recommended for me. Although they have a terrific dessert menu we were too tired and stuffed to eat anymore. Maybe next time. Thoroughly enjoyed eating here and hope to come back here again when I’m back in town!

I live in the area and we love to go for a drive in our beautiful foothills to Volcano to this restaurant, great sandwiches and burgers and everything else on the menu.
I recommend you do the same I LOVE the quiet, outside seating. Our kids gave us a gift certificate for our Anniversary a couple years ago and that’s how we found it. Thank you!!!

The Union Pub is hands down the best pub I have ever been too. My husband and I have been coming hear for the past 3 years and we have never had a bad experience ever! From the food, to the wait staff, the manager, kitchen staff and the owners there is a perfect chemistry that is second to none. The food is off the hook or as one of my young friends told me its Hella good! from the Gourmet burgers, vegan, gluten free, options salads, homemade pickles, Mac and cheese seasonal fair and fresh herbs from their gardens make the Union the best place to eat in the gold country. I have waited a long time to write this review because I don’t like the idea of every one going to «our» favorite place but after the New Years we had I needed to share. Thank you to the Union staff with a special thanks you to Mark, Tracy, Ed and the Union girls for always making our time with them a special one. Love the Robinson’s

Dinner and a movie — our table of 5 was more than satisfied —
Everyone was making yummy noises and the grandiose group uttered little else until our plates were clean and the dessert menus were in our hands —
Farm to table juicy pan roasted chicken with a hint of smokiness, creamy yukon mash potato, green beans, cherry tomatos, atop scallion sauce — only complaint — nothing to soak up the sauce —
The vegetable napoleon was served as an art piece —
Pork loin special with and amazing cucumber salad —
Love eating in the beautiful garden —

Alright, I’m going to get the negatives of this place out of the way first. I had made reservations earlier that day to sit on the patio. When I arrived, I was seated inside, and when I asked to sit on the patio like I had MADE RESERVATIONS TO, the guy seating me refused, saying that area was too full. He didn’t even make an effort to apologize. Not a huge deal, but not the greatest way to start a meal, either.
The patio of this place is gorgeous, featuring a beautiful garden and plenty of space between tables, among other wonderful things. The inside seating, however, is noisy and somewhat cramped in areas. You can see why I wanted to sit outside.
OOOKAY. Enough negativity. Other than that, our waitress was friendly, and the service was pretty decent, despite the large crowd that was present.
I got the Union Burger with a side of the Union Mac & Cheese. Everything was delicious. For dessert, I ordered the Union S’mores, which was fantastic, in terms of both flavor AND presentation. It was like everyone’s favorite campfire dessert was served in a gourmet restaurant. It was both creative and delicious. :)
Overall, this place is alright, save the little, ahem, *incident* we had regarding seating. If you’re from out of town and in the area, and have an appetite, definitely give this place a shot. I doubt you’ll be disappointed. As for the locals who have never eaten here, I strongly suggest it. You might just find a new favorite place.

Where to start, great food and great atmosphere! The staff is always so wonderful. A true gem in the Gold Country of California

After having lunch today, I’m not sure what to think. I have heard good things and the San Bee even recently raved. Service was friendly but slow at times. Started with cream of cauliflower soup, which was okay, but most of the flavor was from salt and toasted almonds. Ordered the Union burger, and wife the gluten-​free fried chicken. The fried chicken was juicy enough, but was two chunks of chicken breast dipped in a bland rice flour blend and deep-​fried. Mediocre presentation and taste for a $ 17 lunch entrée.
The burger was perplexing. It was a perfect medium rare, but was completely cold. The bun was slightly stale, but since it was out of a bag and not toasted, it fell apart and made a mess of the half inch of mayonnaise slathered on both sides. Part of the reason the burger was cold was that the produce was straight out of the cooler. Since the tomatoes were refrigerated, they lost all their flavor and had the consistency of soft watermelon. THIS IS BASIC STUFF any kitchen should know! I heard that these are the people from Taste in Plymouth. Clearly that chef is not spending any time in this kitchen. Refrigerated tomatoes and cold untoasted burger buns? Come on, any quality kitchen knows this stuff.
Almost forgot to mention the garlic fries. I was told they were made with fresh garlic. Not so, it was like the disgusting canned or frozen stuff that ballparks and everyone else uses. It is possible they do chop it themselves, but if they store it in the refrigerator like the tomatoes, it’s going to taste canned. The fries themselves are the common frozen «steak-​cut» variety from a bag. So-​so.
Even after the frustration, I give them 3 stars. Nice setting, and staff tries to please. Get the real chef back in the kitchen for awhile and it could be much better.

Food first: I ordered the fried chicken which is locally sourced with Union mac and cheese. The fried chicken was okay, it was juicy but the flavor wasn’t spectacular or anything. The mac and cheese was just okay even with the addition of the broccoli and salty bacon. The place was packed and service was friendly. Prices are reasonable, especially the special they were having that night (which I didn’t have), a sandwich and beer for $ 10!
Now for the 4 room historic hotel… The building is historic and some of the interior décor is and isn’t. The biggest turn off for me at this historic hotel was the flat screen tv. I know, I know, you don’t have to watch it, but it just takes away from the historic feel. The bedding was very warm, especially because it was cold at night and I loved all the pillows. The shower was nice and hot, which can sometimes be a problem in historic hotels, but not this one! The carpets really really could use a cleaning! My room had a nice balcony and view. Room price was reasonable. Staff was friendly.