Vladimir’s Czechoslovakian Restaurant

Great spot after a 9 mile hike to Tomales Point. We were greeted warmly with traditional Czech musicians and free house made bread. We ordered oysters (10 for $ 20) that were as fresh as they get. Shared a really good garlic rabbit entrée. Definitely a fun quirky spot with filling food for after a long hike!

Seriously, this is the worst restaurant I have been to in 27 years of living in Bay Area. Way overpriced and only takes cash. No ATM for 5 miles and no sign that says «cash only.» All the food was gray and tasteless and the overpriced beer was flat. Something called a «dumpling» came with dry «rabbit» that tasted like paper mache. Thankfully, they let me give them all the cash I had and allowed me to come back tomorrow to pay the difference. Of course, if we get sick, I will not return. Only time will tell.

Visited Point Reyes over the long weekend. Saw Vladimir’s when we passed Inverness and my boyfriend wanted wiener schnitzel so when we saw this place we decided to give it a try. Note they only accept cash. They should have put a note outside that it they only accepted cash coz it would be a pity to eat your meal and not have any cash on you.
Limited menu lunch prices were $ 17, for dinner they charge $ 27 because they give you Goulash soup and old, wilted salad which were not very good at all. The main plate with your choice plus potato salad, pickle, red cabbage, and dumpling all not appetizing at all did not look fresh. Our mains:
Braised Lamb Shank — tough, mostly fat, I barely touched it — I left this place hungry
Wiener Schnitzel — dry, small portion, substandard
Apple Strudel — was looking forward to ending on a good note but another disappointment to an already lack luster meal
Food quality less below expectations with small portions. Nothing I ate here tasted good. Place was dirty, there was food crumbs all over our wobbly table. When the waitress was clearing dishes she put the dirty dish box on our table while we were eating while she was clearing the other table. EEEW! Food is overrated and expensive. It is a family run business serving authentic Czech food with a restaurant interior reminiscent of early 20^th century Czech republic.
It has a bar which is probably a nice place to grab some beers and wine. Service was awful, the waitress had to ask for our order twice. We ordered two sodas, only one came and they charged us for 2. We just wanted to get out of there so we left. I read this place has been around for ages in Marin County it really looked cute and promising with the cozy vibe but my boyfriend and I left hungry and let down. I don’t like rating a restaurant so low but I did not have a pleasant dining experience here. Hope they improve!

NOTE: ONLY CASH, NO EXCEPTIONS
This is a nice place to stop by and grab some food when exploring the Point Reyes area. Much overpriced (lunch course is $ 17, dinner course is $ 27) but they don’t sacrifice any of the food’s quality.
I can definitely recommend the Rabbit and the Cabbage Wraps! Each comes with potato salad, purple cabbage salad, salad with ranch, pea split soup, and unlimited bread & butter.
Staff was nice and let us split two dinner courses between 3 people: D

Inverness, CA: good comfort food!
This restaurant was the first that shouted out to us to stop and take a look, after spending the earlier part of the day at Pt Reyes National Seashore headlands. We were the only customers, arriving at the end of their lunch period. Warmly greeted, we were shown the menu and invited to pick our choice of either sitting indoor or outdoors. We were both hungry and interested in something more than just American cuisine.
FOOD
KLOBASA: a single large Moravian sausage with red cabbage and larger portion of potato salad in lieu of bread and dumpling as gluten free subs
MORAVIAN CABBAGE ROLL: two cabbage rolls with sides of light rye bread, red cabbage, and potato salad.
Both entrees were ladled with a just right amount of a delicious mushroom and paprika sauce. The sausage was wonderful. Although a touch too well done, the cabbage rolls were seasoned nicely. The ice tea was appreciably strong, while the Kava Mit Schlag («coffee topped with whipped cream and chocolate») was a very weak, tasteless coffee topped with whipped cream dusted with chocolate powder.
We had to ask for napkins and forgot to ask for water during our meal. It was promptly brought out after it was offered at the end our meal. Very cordial service, but a bit slow.
Turns out the daughter of the original owners is now at the helm and is also the chef. The food is good but over priced for the quantity served. Another couple had followed us in but left after discovering the price ($ 17 a plate for lunch), at which point staff sincerely wished them a good rest of the day. We supported local business this afternoon and did leave with happy tummies.
Located on the main road through Inverness, at the north end of town. There is a small parking lot in front.

Fast service, good food and nice fun Czech atmosphere. The braised lamb in particular was great, very tender. Nice place for a cold import beer as well.
Unfortunately it’s pretty overpriced for what you get. Portions are small and the lunch dishes have too many little sides without much substance to them.

I just happened to in Inverness last week and dropped into Vladimir’s for dinner. Wow! The Pilsner Urquell on tap was good as beer gets. I was torn between the schnitzel and Hungarian goulash, so I had both. The goulash was as tasty as any I’ve ever enjoyed, including in Budapest. The schitzel breading was crisp and light, not greasy like at too many restaurants. The potato salad brought back memories of the potato salad my grandmother made 50 years ago, when she was 90. The red cabbage was firm and flavorful, obviously not store-​bought. I couldn’t remember the last time I ate such wonderfully chewy rye bread and a crunchy, fresh pickle. My only regret, I didn’t have time for the strudel, which I heard other people raving about.

Really liked this place. The sausage was awesome as well as the cabbage. Very friendly waitstaff!
However, the fresh baked bread was off the hook.

Solid place. Came here on a whim after hiking around Point Reyes. The prices are a bit steep ($ 17/​plate for lunch, $ 27/​plate for dinner). But the restaurant owner/​waitress was kind enough to let us order off the lunch menu after 6pm.
We had the roast duck (delicious, moist, tasty), Klebasa (very good, not overly salty), the paprika chicken was a bit dry for my taste but my companions seemed to really enjoy it. My friend is half Czech and he said the dumplings were spot on, reminded him of his childhood. The apple strudel was also very tasty, although the portion was a bit small. Overall a great stop for some unique cuisine. Plus the tavern looks really great with the dim lighting, red leather boots and various wall decorations.

Vladimir’s is genuine Czech food and for me, at least, a little on the heavy side. They have lots of meats, potatoes etc. I have not been here for a number of years but do remember that the food was heavy for a vegetarian. There were not a lot of choices of heartier non meat dishes when i was last there. I do not remember if they are also open for lunch or just dinners???

This place (and most of downtown Inverness, from what I gather), seems to be set-​up solely to take advantage of unsuspecting tourists. The prices are outrageous, portions minuscule, and food mediocre/​lukewarm at best.
As others have mentioned, they don’t take plastic (They actually seem offended that you would have the nerve to ask!) – so if you don’t happen to have any cash or checks on you (because the latter is such a relevant form of payment these days, right? Welcome back to the 20^th century), your only option is to go across the street to the grocery store where that establishment will gladly charge you $ 5 to receive cash back as they are obviously in on the whole thing or at least in the know. No thanks.
Do whatever you can to eat before leaving civilization or bring food in with you. This place has Kitchen Nightmares written all over it.

Fresh food! Cold and real Czech beer ! Awesome interior ! Great customer service !
I love this place!
P. S. Bring your cash with you or check book. Card payments not accepted.
Enjoy !

There’s no sign telling you that they only take cash or checks! I liked the food although it’s my first time trying Czech food so I can’t compare. I’d call it ‘peasant food’ and not as an insult. The prices are crazy though. Two dinners, two beers, one coffee and two desserts was $ 92 !!!

Awesome food & service!

After a lovely day at coast, we thought it would be cool to try something new. $ 17 per lunch… Really? And no credit cards (only noted in tiny print on the menu)? I don’t think so. Oh, and I had a kid with me, so she was offered a grilled cheese sandwich. It turned out to be a $ 14 grilled cheese sandwich. Yes, $ 14. It came with fries. The portions were small, but the food was just okay, so the portion size should really be inconsequential. The service was seriously lacking. She was so busy hovering over the table of drunks slamming Anchor Steams, that she never offered to refill my $ 3 iced tea.
In a nutshell: overpriced, inconvenient payment system, meh food, and crap service. Not going back.

We discovered this restaurant on our way to Point Reyes. Since we are from Czech Republic we definitely wanted to try it. We went there, get a Pilsner Urquell which was good but here comes the disappointing part. The food was nothing like Czech food. Goulash didn’t taste like a typical goulash and the teeny tiny dumpling was really funny… In Czech you get goulash with 5 dumplings … Probably it was the worst we ever tried. We expected much more. Other than that the portion was tiny, food was overpriced and the service wasn’t very good. Only good thing was the bread which they give you before the meal and also the decoration was nice.
I am sorry but We will never come again.

We were looking for a decent restaurant on Tomales Bay or in Point Reyes Station, and I remembered having had an enjoyable lunch at Vladimir’s many years ago. The atmosphere was boisterous, the food was good, and the pricing was affordable, if a little high. *Note that they only accept cash or checks*
Tonight’s meal was amazing. Having learned not always to trust Unilocal reviews (this being my first in years, and only being written as a response to the high number of negative reviews), we walked over from our B&B, seated ourselves at the bar, and were promptly checked in on by the owner /​waitress. I should say that this place is very charming and the food is great, but it is family run, informal, and the staff do things in their own time. If you are a high maintenance diner, this is not the restaurant for you!
We started off with pilsners and oysters (not part of the 3-​course $ 27 dinner), which were followed by a barley and vegetable soup and a delectable homemade rye bread. The salad was your basic chef’s salad tossed in a vinegarette, but the out came our two delicious main courses: the Hungarian Goulash and veal schnitzel. The red cabbage and potato salad were on point, and the dumplings were moist and plump. The veal was tender & the stew was at that perfect point where the meat has started to break down and become one with the liquid.
The portions were moderate, but more than ample when taking into account all of the courses. The apple strudel was tasty, but nothing to write home about. All in all, a solid restaurant as fun for the atmosphere as for the food, just make sure to bring cash or checks!

We traveled out to West Marin to catch the sunset into the Pacific and stopped here on the way back. Vladimir’s is a cozy, warm, comfortable and friendly place. We walked in a little past 9 PM and there were only two other couples in the restaurant. The server could have turned us away, as dinner is served until 9, but we were welcomed in and really enjoyed the beef tongue dinner, which we split. I’m not sure about the other comments regarding small portions, as this meal was more than enough for my wife and me to share. Service was perfect and though I’m certainly not a connoisseur of Czech cuisine, everything was very well prepared and tasty. This is good, hearty food that might especially be nice on a cold night. I especially like the fresh homemade sourdough rye bread.
The only drawback is that Vladimir’s is a bit pricey. But we had a great meal and wonderful service in an unusual little place with some colorful history.

I agree with most of the reviews here
While the food is delicious and authentic, the portion is a bit too small for the price tag plus the service is pretty slow :(as much as I love their food I don’t think I would come back for a second time

9÷27÷14: After taking a zillion pictures at the lighthouse, I was super hungry. Just walked into this place. Intimate and cozy restaurant. Food… well…
1. Bread: Good hearty, warm bread. They might have microwaved it as it was moist but had that type of feel, but it was still good bread. Looked beautiful too. ⁷⁄₁₀
2. Kava Vladimir $ 7: The coffee itself was very good, and I like the toppings on top. But the Slivovitz (Czech spirits?) was completely overwhelming. I’ve never tried that type of spirit before, but it tasted pretty harsh to me (and I drink lots of whisky). I think it could do with a lot less of that – maybe just a splash for spice. Pretty expensive, but I guess it qualifies as a cocktail because after my hiking at the lighthouse I was pretty dehydrated and this was enough to give me a slight buzz. Definitely avoid having the Slivovitz if you don’t like a strong alcohol taste (they will make without). ⁴⁄₁₀.
2. Baked Garlic Rabbit $ 17: Looked home-​cooked, which could be good or bad depending on what you’re looking for. Comes with pickled red cabbage, cooked bread, potato salad, and Czech dumplings. The cabbage was good. The Moravian bread was a little strange for my palate I guess – I didn’t finish it. The potato salad was pretty typical. I don’t remember how the dumplings tasted, but I don’t think they were too awesome. Now, the rabbit… was just okay. It was covered in a good sauce that had plenty of spice in it (not the hot kind), which should have been great, but somehow it tasted pretty bland. Wasn’t good tasting at all. ³⁄₁₀.
3. Apple Strudel? or Pie? $ 7: A little sloppy looking, but that’s okay. But the crust was different than I’m used, in a not so good way – it was thin and didn’t really add much taste. Texture tasted like eating papery and thin soggy pie crust. The filling wasn’t great either. Small chunks of apple with little sauce, and not really tasty. ³⁄₁₀.
The waitress was really nice to me. I was the only person eating there at first and she was very warming and showed me places to visit on a map. Unfortunately, I go to places to eat, and I feel bad, but honestly the food kinda sux here.
Oh, and as previous reviewers noted, they DO NOT TAKE CREDIT CARDS. The food is not cheap, and for a restaurant charging that much in a touristy area, this is pretty outrageous as I would think many people would be caught off guard when the check arrives.
Despite the very nice people there, I can’t rate them highly for sub-​par food. ²⁄₅.
#Czech #Czechoslovakian #rabbit