Alexander’s

My buddy and I took a break from Rockcod shore-​fishing and had lunch here. The restaurant is located on the lower floor of Timber Cove Inn.
DRINKS: I just had two cups of their coffee and a glass of water.
MEAL: The Timber Cove Burger (cooked medium w/​o cheese) was surprisingly really good and so were the french fries! If they added a fried egg, it would get the full two thumbs up but I’ll have to give it a one and a half thumbs up!
SUMMARY: The service was good and the restaurant was clean. The atmosphere is casual and the views from even within the restaurant of the Pacific Ocean and parts of the Sonoma Coast is nice. There is also outside seating available. The Inn has a parking lot with an overflow to the side and it’s a short walk to the restaurant inside. There is FREE WiFi available from the Timber Cove Inn’s internet system, you just have to ok the terms of agreement. I’m sure that I’ll be eating here again on a future fishing trip to the area.

beautiful restaurant; unbeatable views. the food was amazing on Thanksgiving. Our server, Ilana was one of the best servers i’ve experienced, anywhere. She was attentive, but didn’t hover. She was so very sweet & made sure we had everything we needed. I enjoyed everything about this restaurant. We had a remarkable Thanksgiving dinner in Jenner.

Terrible terrible service. Food was bland and unexciting. Ate lunch before our bottle of wine arrived.

Great view but good views are plentiful around here. Service is very slow though. Good presentation on the food. Prices are high. Overall a mediocre experience

My husband, son, and I stayed a weekend at a beautiful coast house for our 3^rd anniversary out in Timber Cove. One of the nights we decided to go out to eat and fortunately Alexander’s has a children’s menu, since it is literally the only place to eat for like 30 – 40 minutes in either direction. The location is beautiful right on the cliff tops but when we walked in the joint it smelled musty and old… kind of a turn off for my sensitive pregnant nose. The staff was however very kind and attentive. The view was spectacular and we were seated in a place where we could watch the sun set without having to move. The dining room was nice but could use some updating. The food was only so-​so… we started with the crab cakes and they were good crispy and meaty but, and dont get me wrong here, they were just boring. The hubs pork chop was dry and my chicken was ok not off the charts. At least my son’s grilled cheese was ok (and they offer a choice of wheat or sourdough) and his french fries were good and crispy. One of these days I’m going to do a poll of all my friends kids and their diets. There is a collection of us who have children who actually eat some gourmet kiddified food. I’d love to have a restaurant that caters to healthy, gourmet kid food instead of your usual buttered noodles, chicken or fish strips, and grilled cheese. I’m not saying he eats bone marrow and pâté’ but he does eat some food outside of your typical child standards. Dessert, however, was pretty bomb, it was a gooey chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. My little bun and I were quite satisfied as was the hubs and the boy. We’d eat there again if we were staying out there or were beaching out there but I don’t think we’ll go out of our way to get there.

I’ve eaten here twice before, and both times were sadly disappointing. With the prices they charge you’d expect spectacular fare, but that wasn’t the case. The first time I was here I was only allowed to choose from the bar menu as there were no seats available in the main restaurant. The selection was pathetic. I chose a cheeseburger because it sounded filling and how can you really go wrong with that? It was dry, overlooked, and fairly small. Guess you can go wrong with a cheeseburger, lol. Not one to place a review after only one meal, I gave it another try almost a year later. I wish I wouldn’t have. I was sorely disappointed in the lack of options on the main menu. I chose the one thing I felt would be fantastic, the clam chowder, and eagerly awaited it. Unfortunately the chowder was thin and lacked any flavor. Pretty shocking for a place right on the coast. My husband had a steak, which he said was ok. It had a good flavor but it was very small. The ambience was very nice, but when little kids are running around the dining area, the ambience definitely takes a hit. What also ruined it a bit was the shades they have to keep the sunset at bay. Even with the shades down it was very bright and people were wearing their sunglasses at their tables. Overall, too expensive, food not up to par with the prices, and not enough selection. I won’t be back.

Beautiful location within Timber Cove Inn on the N. Calif. coast. The Benny Bufano sculpture, and iconic cliffside views go back 40 years or more. A visit here should be considered a right of passage for visitors to the Calif coast along with Monterey, Big Sur, etc.
Alexanders, the current resident restaurant, was a comfortable, relaxing experience. Our table, with a prior reservation, was inside but right by the window anticipating the sunset. Unfortunately, the typical Calif coastal fog had set in, so our view was of, well, fog. But for Californians this was normal for the summer. Another time of year this place would be spectacular.
Our meal was very good, but non descript. Typical steak, salmon. pasta, etc. Nothing creative at all, just predictable. Prices were tourist typical (i.e., entrée $ 20 – 28). Service was good, but not anything special.
I would recommend Alexanders for the experience of eating at an iconic location. Foodies should head further down the coast.

We stopped for lunch at Alexander’s. I was willing to pay extra for the spectacular views. Service was kind of spacey and slow. Our waitress was nice enough, but seemed distracted. they were not very busy. My wife ordered the crab cakes, which were excellent. I ordered fish and chips which were extremely disappointing. These tiny fillets, wrapped in a lot of overcooked batter, were so greasy that they left a pool of grease under them, soaking the french fries and rendering them inedible. I rarely complain, but when the waitress asked, I showed her the mess and conceded defeat for the meal. They comped the order and brought me clam chowder, which they charged me for. Unfortunately, there was about a half a clam in an otherwise bland and starchy soup. I won’t be back.

The atmosphere is nice since you can see the sunset from your table. The service and the food were terrible. It was not worth the price at all. If you want to dine in with the pacific ocean view I would recommend you come to this place BUT if you want to get delicious food and exceptional service I strongly recommend you go to somewhere else.

We spent two nights at the Timber Cove resort, and as such ate here 3 times plus room service. Our first meal started off really well, we shared the crab cakes and found the flavor to have depth, especially with the red bell peppers in the mix. From there it went downhill, my eggplant Parmesan was undercooked and the eggplant was tough. My husbands steak, while not terrible was not the medium rare he had ordered. The molten chocolate cake was all molten and no cake.
I like breakfast, it is easily one of my favorite meals of the day, and I was sorely disappointed by the offerings find here. Nothing served was terrible, it just wasn’t that good. It lacked flavor, and was ho hum (both days). We would have rather eaten someone else for breakfast the second day but as we were checking out that day, and heading down the coast we weren’t sure when and where we would find something. My husband pointed out that the meals felt like they were of the frozen quality. The food just didn’t taste all that fresh. The prices aren’t that cheap, and I feel that they can take advantage of the fact that guests are staying onsite and have limited dining options in the area.
On the plus side, our servers at each meal were courteous and friendly, and as accommodating as they could be given the constraints of the menu and the food offerings.

This reviee is solely about Alexanders room service. I am just hoping the cook was having a bad day… they need a chef like the bay view for their prices. The eggs Benedict tasted like fish, I took 1 bite and lost my appetite. My friend had a mushroom, cheddar and sour cream omelet, he took 2 bites and I have never seen him turn down food in the 15 plus years I have known him! Wow! The potatoes were so salty I gagged. Yep, no appetite left for sure. Orange juice for 5 bucks each was just normal, not freshly squeezed or anything… why charge freah squeezed prices… no water when we asked, burned and unedible toast… the latte was mediocre and the coffee the same… yeah, totally not worth even attempting… but you have very little to choose from and they charge you extra for the tiniest fridge in your room. After the experience at the inn, I’m not sure why we even ordered food from there… oh yeah, we were in the middle of nowhere with very slim options. I actually was shocked that even their restaurant is that bad. Really? Step it up… you guys have an amazing view and grounds. Maybe it’s time for a renovation, management change? I don’t know… something. I couldn’t possibly recommend this place to anyone!
Update: The owner said that he only purchased this place 5 months ago and has been back and forth between NJ and here, he is in the process of working out all the kinks and things should be 5 stars by January, 2016. I don’t know that I will ever go back… but I’d love to hear about the renovations and of its changed, when that happens, for anyone reading this. :)Thanks

Stacy was wonderful. The guy who made us the dollar art was also so friendly. The good was good tasting. It was not overly priced. However, when we mentioned they wouldn’t accommodate us to stay because we had a child, we were told we should have gotten a second room. Not the answer we were expecting for a baby. Also, the awkward blonde helper did not know what fresh pepper was and I had to wait quite awhile to get any. The food was overall well, they serve coke which is a plus and the smores idea was great.

My husband and I thought this restaurant was excellent! We sat outside in the fresh air, overlooking the ocean. Our waitress Becky was really nice. She gave us some tips on different places we could visit and talked with us for a little bit, She was very sweet and made sure we were taken care of. The food was UH-​MAZING! I had the Crab Benedict — i think i had a food-​gasm! lol I knew it would be good, but it was so much better than that. My husband had the fish and chips and was very impressed with the quality of the fish. The freshness of the fish being from the area is always a plus too! We had Miimosa’s as well. The only thing I didnt like was the amount of pulp in the mimosa. Idont like ANY pulp but it was quite heavy. Other than that, things were great! We will definitely be going there when we are in town again.

WONDERFUL view and ambiance within the building, but only average service without any real pizzazz. Never gave us a bread basket or kept our water glasses filled.

The restaurant is part of the Timber Cove Inn experience. It was not the best I’ve had, and not the worst either, however I was very unsatisfied by my experiences. I ate breakfast and lunch there, and had two dinners and a breakfast that was served in the Ansel Adams Room which were provided by Alexanders. The experience was fairly shocking for everyone, including the Bride and Groom that had chosen the venue based on the «amazing food.»
The first dinner was a catered fare for the rehearsal dinner. Burgers and fries were the menu option available, and a fantastic option for a casual meal. The burgers were undercooked. the amount of pink left in the meat was startling and left most to not eat their entire burger. The vegetarian option was a millet burger, which had about as much flavor as the bottom part of the burger bun. That leaves the fries, which were cold. This was just the start of many unsatisfying meals.
The next day my Wife and I ate separately with the Bride and Groom respectively. We both had similar experiences. We wanted the french toast, and wanted to substitute some eggs for the meat option. They don’t do substitutions. The server was willing to charge us the same price to NOT give us the meat, and charge more for a side of eggs. Not particularly helpful, but whatever, we both decided the Heuvos Rancheros looked good, and it’s under the heading «Two Eggs any style» which states that they come with potatoes and toast. The waitress does not ask us how we want the eggs, and we’d forgotten that, but they were happy to bring them out with one being easy and one being medium (you know, whatever quality they come out as right?). There is no toast, there are no potatoes. The waitress tells us that those are not included with the Heuvos Rancheros and we could order a side if we wanted. No thanks, we don’t want to wait any longer.
Then we go back for lunch. They have a Soup Du Jour which I ask about and it is Potato and Green Onion, with a Vegetable stock base. It sounds good, and comes with a piece of brioche (it’s listed under the soup itself so I know it comes with it). The waitress brings me a Minestrone soup with no toast. It’s not what I ordered at all, but by now I’m hungry enough that I’ll eat it anyway. Another fine dining experience.
The other meals were of similar quality. I spoke with several other members of our group and they all had similar issues. Even the Bride had the wrong food brought to her (ON THE DAY OF HER WEDDING! Yes, they knew she was the bride, we know because they greeted her as such).
After speaking with the Groom I found out that the main reason they chose the venue was that everything was so good they couldn’t imagine having their ceremony anywhere else. We’re not sure what happened between the venue wooing them and the actual event, but it was like bait & switch. The difference was stark and harsh, leaving the Groom to apologize for the venue to the entire wedding party.
Bottom Line:
Just like Timber Cove Inn, Alexander’s knows they have you stuck there with no real options unless you want to drive down Hwy 1 in hopes of finding something else. There’s no phone signal so you wouldn’t be able to find anything anyway. They know they have you stuck, so they just don’t try at all. «No Substitutions» and a «$ 4 charge for split plate» show they are trying to be something they are not. They just end up with a lack of quality and high prices.

While I was very happy with the hotel overall, I can’t really say the same for our experience with the food. My rating is based on the bar food and the breakfast.
I can’t really rate the restaurant for its dinner because the chef shut down the restaurant the night we stayed at the hotel. We were told he had some emergency. I was pretty disappointed because we planned our day around having dinner at the hotel, since there is nothing remotely close by the hotel. I had reservations to the restaurant. Now if I would have been informed earlier, I may have planned my day differently so that we ate dinner before arriving at the hotel. I understand emergencies come up, but it seems odd that a nice restaurant doesn’t have a second chef or backup options. My wife and I were disappointed because we were looking forward to a nice seafood dinner. I’m pretty sure most restaurants don’t normally SHUT DOWN when the chef calls in sick. So our options were to drive almost 30 minutes to another restaurant, have some fried food close by, or try their bar menu. At the end of the day, we decided to just stay at the hotel. The bar menu wasn’t horrible, but we were definitely disappointed.
Breakfast was complimentary. It basically consisted of scones, croissants, and fruits. They were decent, but I guess I was expecting something more.

Alexander’s is an upscale, quiet restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s the lobby restaurant of the Timber Cove Lodge, which as of July 2014 is in the midst of a two-​year renovation. Breakfasts range from $ 12 – 16 and dinner entrees $ 20 – 30. Wine list surprisingly affordable.
We stopped in for dinner on a quiet Sunday night in July. As our meal progressed, we noticed the all-​too familiar formula: Scenic spot, tourist trap, mediocre food. While it was OK, we saw, and tasted, the evidence that the chef is still learning on the job. Our $ 25 halibut was overdone and bland, the peach-​mango salsa trying but not quite enhancing the fish. Highlight of the meal was our orange crème brûlée, though I always want it to be served warm.
If you do stop in on an evening, there’s a firepit with killer ocean views and seating for ten. It’s a great place to finish off your wine!
Roundup:
Food: 2 — Needs to improve!
Service: 3 — You shouldn’t have to hunt down your server.
Setting: 4 — Ocean views, cliff trails nearby to walk off all that food.
Value: 2– OK, 3 if you count the view.
Date worthy: 4 — Between the view, the nearby cliffs and firepit, it’s a hit!
Dogs: Don’t think so.

Come for the view… but the food isn’t bad either.
Quick Overview: Get a table at sunset by the window. Expect the kitchen to be slow. The food is decent, but not excellent. It’s a great place to enjoy a glass of wine while enjoying the view with your special someone. Not ridiculous expensive, but not a great value considering the preparations. Get a reservation 45 minutes before sunset and after your meal bring your wine to the firepit outside
My wife and I stayed at the Inn for the weekend and ate here twice (dinner/​breakfast). We made dinner reservations for Saturday night at 7:45pm.
The hostess was very accommodating and generally pleasant. Even when I asked at 7:30 to make sure we get a table next to the window, which I’m sure she gets alot. She casually looked over to the tables and saw a couple circling for a landing and marked down the table for us. Even telling a few people who asked for the specific table after us that the table was reserved. We were seated at 7:50 to a freshly cleared table with a gorgeous view.
The kitchen was very slow at both meals, but the servers were really wonderful.
(Dinner)
Seafood Pasta:
The Alfredo was flavorful and perfectly cooked (al dente) with a handmade texture that my wife appreciated. My wife’s only complaint was that the amount of seafood was a little low. two shrimp and two mussels. The sauce’s flavor was very seafoody but not so much that it overwhelmed the cream. I risked a bite (allergic to shellfish) and I agreed with her. Perhaps some herbs would brighten the dish both flavor and appearance wise.
Lamb with Cous Cous:
The Lamb was a delight. The flavor and preparation of the meat was spot on, but the cherry compote and cous cous missed the mark by a mile and doomed the overall dish. The Cous Cous was unevenly cooked, with one bite being unpleasantly mushy while another was chewy bordering on crunchy. it was a simple preparation with stock, some peas and diced carrots in a bowl with the 4 ribs of lamb circling the mush. The Cous Cous wasn’t seasoned well, if at all. The Cherry compote tasted like canned pie cherries with very little done to it, the sweetness didn’t fully compliment the Lamb.
Dessert was brownie ala mode. Nothing special about it. A small portion of brownie on a plate with caramel drizzle and a sherbert cup of vanilla ice cream.
Total was $ 75 for two without wine (waitress knocked off our dessert for the slow kitchen so we paid $ 65)
(Breakfast)
Yoghurt Parfait:
Good fruit, but very tart yoghurt. Wife mixed in some jelly from the table to make it closer to her liking.
Brioche French toast:
The dish came with 4 halves of french toast with three sausage links and I ordered a side of two eggs to compliment a full breakfast. The Toast was delightful, crunchy outsides with a moist eggy interior. Sweetness wasn’t overwhelming. Very enjoyable. The sausage was a little old like it sat in a warming tray for an hour. Nice flavor with a strong rosemary bite. Eggs were under seasoned but acceptable.
Coffee was strong, a little bitter but good flavor.
Total was $ 30 for two with coffee.
Bottomline is that we enjoyed our experience with the restaurant on both occasions. The food is hit or miss and the view makes up for the time it takes to get your food. Will go again next time we stay at the inn.

This place is fancy and good. I got salmon and my husband got steak and we both loved it. Well, I didn’t love the rice that came with mine — forbidden rice, I think it was? Without the sauce that came on the salmon, it literally tasted like nothing. Like the blandest thing I’ve ever had. So thank goodness for that sauce, of which there was plenty for the salmon to share with the rice. :)
We showed up somewhere between 8 and 8:30 on a Friday night and got a table right away. We were staying at the Fort Ross Lodge down the road. Great views, but as the sun gets low they have the dimmer curtains down so you lose some of the view there. You kind of need those curtains though, because otherwise you’d be blinded. Once sunset starts to happen, they start raising them — they’re paying good attention to the windows because they know people are there for the view.
Good service, good food, romantic atmosphere… overall, it’s a winner.

My wife and I stayed one night 3 January 2014.
Timber Cove Inn is located on a scenic spot along the coast — but is well isolated (no or limited cell phone connections) from any other facilities. This means you are essentially a captive of the restaurant offerings — which fortunately in our case were good.
This review ids for the restaurant — Alexander’s at Timber Cove Inn, my corresponding review for the motel is listed separately under Timber Cove Inn.
For dinner my wife ordered the Bacon Crusted Cedar Planked Salmon ($ 28) with a soup starter ($ 10). She did not care for the carrot/​ginger soup as she thought it bland. However she commented the salmon was cooked perfectly and not at all dried from over cooking as often happens with fish.
I order the Sonoma Coast Cioppion ($ 25). If there is cioppino on a restaurant menu I typically order it — I also make cioppino at home during the winter months. The Timber Cove Inn cioppino was among the best I have had. There were ample amounts of sea bass, salmon, mussels and clams — more clams than I have had in other cioppino.
For breakfast my wife ordered the Eggs Benedict ($ 13) and I had two eggs with ham ($ 11). My wife liked the Eggs Benedict, but said the Hollandaise sauce had a bit of a spicy taste that she could have done without. Both dishes were served with country potatoes — in this case hand cut, seasoned and deep fried — quite different and tasty. My eggs were eggs, the slice of ham was rather thin, but tasted fine.
The service both at dinner and breakfast was very slow. This despite several servers and not many people in the restaurant. I think at dinner they intentionally limit the number of tables as to not overwhelm the chef. But we took an early breakfast — they open at 8AM — and there were only 3 other tables.
Despite the slow service, I give the restaurant food 3 stars.