The Best Casual Spots to Eat in Marin County

If you happen to find yourself in Marin county, California, the region due north of San Francisco and right across the Golden Gate bridge. Filled with a diverse ecosystem of forests, lakes, and waterways, Marin offers an immersive wilderness experience just a few miles outside of a major metropolitan area.

I lived in Marin for three years during college, so I never had the desire (or the bankroll) to dive into the ELITE tier of eateries scattered through the county. And there are a lot of them. For that reason, this list is compiled strictly of food establishments that I frequented when I was 18-20 years old. If you're more interested in the tucked-away $85 appetizer variety diner in Sausalito or Mill Valley, check out this list from Open Table.

Lastly I want to clarify that this list is not in ranking order and is simply a compiled group of good places to eat. Here we go:

Mauna Loa

Although I'm not ranking each spot, to me Mauna Loa is miles ahead of the rest you'll see on here. This place holds a special place in my heart; first Friday of the first week of Fall baseball practice my Freshman year a bunch of returning players on the team mentioned that they were going to Mauna Loa. I hadn't had Hawaiian food before, nor at the time was I even aware "Mauna Loa" was Hawaiian. After that first Friday of my Freshman year, I probably hit this spot up 25+ times in my three years at College of Marin. It's the type of place where the owners - just a husband and wife - cook and bring the food to your table themselves. The type of place where if I brought in a friend they didn't recognize, they would introduce themselves to my friend before we even sat down. My third and final year at College of Marin, my teammate was the nephew of the owners, and they'd often hook us up with $0 meals. Just good people making tremendous food.

Location: 810 3rd Street, San Rafael, CA 94901

Can't Miss Order (Price $): Big Kahuna Combo ($16.95)

Mi Pueblo (San Anselmo)

Another fan favorite of the Mariners. This spot is right up Sir Francis Drake Blvd from COM's campus. Now, in California we are so spoiled with best-in-the-world Mexican street food, mostly coming out of Taqueria and Taco Trucks. If you've been around the block with Mexican food you'll know that there's a distinguishable difference between Mexican street food and going to a Mexican restaurant. The biggest difference is hand food versus fork and knife food, and Mi Pueblo excels in the latter. Easily one of if not the best overall Mexican *restaurant* I've been to, they have it all; salsa bar, tequila bar, and pickle their own carrot/jalapeno/onion mix.

Location: 208 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo, CA 94960

Can't Miss Order: Pollo Asado Macho Burrito ($10.50)

Theresa & Johnny's

Primarily a breakfast/brunch/lunch spot, it's everything you'd want in a breakfast spot, plus a little extra. T&J's has the most extensive menu on this list. It's like Cheesecake Factory's menu cut in half with the extra half of the menu turning into confidence for you to know everything on this menu is a heavy hitter. And while I haven't been to Theresa & Johnny's a ton, that's a testament to how good their food is, as this place always has a wait time and line out onto the sidewalk.

Location: 817 4th Street, San Rafael, CA 94901

Can't Miss Order: Chicken & Waffles ($14.95)

Pizza Orgasmica

Upon googling Pizza Orgasmica, I was saddened to find out they've closed their doors since I was there in 2016. Still, it was such a unique and delicious food experience that I feel like it belongs on this list, as tribute. What was a decisively good pizza place, Pizza Orgasmica also had a full Brazilian food menu as well. Their menu was almost like a Venn diagram; on the left half, pizza. On the right half, Brazilian food. In the middle of the menu, pizza fused with Brazilian food. To this day, their Lemon Chicken Pizza is a flavor that's never been replicated or imitated by another food that's touch my tongue. A great place to watch a game and grab a beer. They also had an area of the restaurant that resembles Japanese dinner tables, in which people would sit on the ground to eat. Different, but different is usually a positive for food.

Location: N/A :(

Can't Miss Order: Serpent's Kiss Pizza ($13.86). RIP.

Joe's Taco Lounge

Nestled within the ritzy Tamalpais valley town of Mill Valley sits a champion of food for the people. Refer back to the introduction of $85 appetizers - that's not an exaggeration. Any and every top chef in the world has or at some point will open a restaurant in Marin county, which makes sense, as it's more or less a hive of their target customer market. So when my friend who grew up in Mill Valley told me I had to try the Street Burger at Joe's Taco Lounge, I had my doubts. Although the food is great, the atmosphere and setting of Joe's alone is enough to get me in the door. The entire interior wall is lined with various hot sauces, and if you know me you know I fetishize hot sauces like a nice foot to Micah Parsons. The wrap-around diner style centerpiece is a really classic touch, too.

Location: 382 Miller Ave, Mill Valley, CA 94941

Can't Miss Order: Mexican Street Burger ($9.95) & mix in the side order of black beans ($6) into the burger.

Woodlands Market

The market / restaurant I visited the most in my time in Marin and it's probably double or triple the next closest. The official food provider of College of Marin Athletics, unofficially. Located on College Ave essentially within COM's campus, Woodlands is the most boutique "boutique grocery store" I've ever came across. It wasn't somewhere I'd shop for groceries or really go to ever if not for it being so conveniently situated between the college and the athletics department. As far as market sandwiches go, Woodlands is top tier for what I've had. Nothing comes close to Colombo's Delicatessen, but Woodlands is in the next group for sure. Typically I'll build my own sandwich if I stop at a random spot, however the "Ricky's Rockin Chipotle" is the best on-menu sandwich I've had, and probably deserves the Guinness world record for longest-running special menu item. Woodlands has a chalk board with two special sandwiches listed; for the entirety of my three years at COM the #2 special (Ricky's) remained the same. The sandwich actually started to be known as just "Special #2" among my teammates and peers, which is thinking about it now, the sandwich had a fucking nickname. That's badass. I was driving north through Marin at some point after I had left COM, and sure enough that son of a bitch was still there. Also I think it's gotta be cool for the guy or gal that wrote the name of the sandwich up on the chalk board and it's been up there like 10 years or more.

Location: 735 College Ave, Kentfield, CA 94904

Can't Miss Order: Ricky's Chipotle Chicken ($12.99)

Ping's Mandarin Restaurant

Ping's was the first Mandarin restaurant I'd ever been to and while Marin isn't particularly known for it's Chinese food despite being so close to some of the best in US in San Francisco, I'm glad Ping's was my introduction to Mandarin cuisine. Szechuan reigns supreme as far as Chinese food for me, but I can't say I've ever had a bad experience at any Mandarin spot. It's not blow your socks off good and if you pass through SF and suddenly decide you want Chinese for lunch once you're in Marin City, that's your fault haha.

Location: 817 Francisco Blvd W, San Rafael, CA 94901

Can't Miss Order: Kung Pao Chicken ($13.50)

Scotty's Market

If you know me you know I'm a sucker for a good hot case section of a deli or market. Whole Foods is the most consistently good in the business for chain grocers. Scotty's is on a different level. I've only been through Scotty's a handful of times and every time is the same; I tell myself I'm gonna order a sandwich and something in the hot case smells so good it commands attention.

Location: 620 Manuel T Freitas Parkway, San Rafael, CA 94903

Can't Miss Order: Dry Rub Ribs (price varies)

Sol Food

Like Theresa & Johnny's, there's a constant standing line out onto the sidewalk at Sol Food, except this one lasts all day. There's multiple locations with the San Rafael location being the original. Although a very good restaurant I still think Sol Food is vastly overrated, but if you've never had Caribbean food and more specifically in this case Puerto Rican food, it's a must try for sure. It's certainly authentic and the vibe inside is pretty cool, but having been to Puerto Rico and eating the best chicken I've ever tasted on the side of a jungle road, as well as the best mofongo made at your table for you, Sol Food can't really hold a candle. That being said, it's close to the 101 (and 50 feet from Mauna Loa), so if you're passing through and have time to kill I definitely recommend it.

Location: 903 Lincoln Ave, San Rafael, CA 94901

Can't Miss Order: Ensalada con Bistec ($14.95 / $26.95)

I'm so sure there's one or two spots that are escaping my brain, but thank you for reading as always! Since we finished on Puerto Rico I figured it's appropriate to leave you with some drums and keys. Have a great day.