Good home cooking, low key neighborhood spot. Their breads are awesome and they always use fresh ingredients!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jared Micklos
Excellent hospitality, quality food, great service, and good local ingredients. We made a quick stop on a road trip and it was ideal. Amazing soup and great care in the food and prep. They offer great recommendations and genuinely care about your experience. Highly recommend and will visit anytime we are passing through the area.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tyler Mitchell
The food was good and the staff was super friendly. The beers are affordable and the music was banging. One of the best places to chill in Arcata.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jimmy Smith
Interesting little out of the way place with an eclectic menu.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
mary wallace
What an amazing place!! We stumbled upon it and were so wowed we came back a second night. Jason was so welcoming, so cheerful- we felt right at home. Atmosphere was just what we wanted and couldn’t have enjoyed the delicious food more. We had the pulled pork sandwiches that were surprisingly served with popcorn- an excellent choice. Jason picked our beer- perfect. He asked our opinion on the next nights special and when we came in the second night it was exactly what we suggested- and exceeded our expectations. Homemade Butternut squash tortellini with brown butter and sage- served delightedly with a salad of green apples, lettuce, almonds and the perfect dressing. The tortellini was floopy doop good (best good there is) and each bite was better than the last. We were celebrating a 75th birthday and Jason brought out a simply delicious pastry with apples, strawberries and walnuts that finished the meal perfectly. My only complaint is that we live in Colorado and can’t indulge regularly at this amazing restaurant. Thank you team Kitchen for two amazing meals.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Susan Rodriguez
The Kitchen Arcata is a comfortable, friendly, casual spot to grab a light meal for lunch or dinner. Food is super fresh from locally sourced ingredients, so the menu changes often with a board of daily specials. The clam chowder was creamy and loaded with tender clams; the roasted red pepper and tomato bisque was bright and flavorful with just a perfect touch of heat. Sandwiches did not disappoint on in-house baked pretzel buns - we had perfectly tender bbq, pesto portobello, and a very decadent grown up grilled cheese generously filled with melty cheeses and perfectly divine ripe local tomatoes. The melon and prosciutto salad was refreshing and crunchy with just the right amount of tangy lemon vinaigrette and fresh mint. Oh, and if they have hand pies on the menu for dessert, save room for one! Trust me on this. The talented team at kitchen Arcata - Jason, Joe, Matt, and chef/owner Jake are super attentive, friendly, and do what it takes to make sure your experience is a good one.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Roquel Yeager
We had a great time, food was delicious, atmosphere was warming. And the dessert and banana bread were awesome too. Some nice live music to top it all off.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Uriel Sanchez
Server was drunk and the food wasn't good at all
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Ann Richmond
What a delightful place! Pluot and pecan salad was amazing. Lots of time to chat with my daughter. We met the owner who is very gracious and comes with a wonderful smile.
Wanted to love this place, but the food was bad. Tomato soup was so salty it was inedible. Sandwiches were mediocre. And serving popcorn as a side? It doesn’t make sense — it’s not local, seasonal, or organic, which is what they claim to be all about. Ambience is nice and staff seem friendly, but that’s not enough to make up for the food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Phil Williams
Halibut ceviche was off the hook! Salad was crisp and just the right amount of dressing. Pretzel pesto chix sandwich is a must. Staff was happy and delightful!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
sandy mitchell
Fun environment, and a place you won’t want to miss! The food was amazing and the service was friendly. An enjoyable experience!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael Lent
The Kitchen Arcata: A Not-So-Hidden Gem Worth the Trip
Mind-blowingly delicious, top-shelf, and creatively inspired—The Kitchen Arcata delivers a world-class dining experience with the heart and soul of a popup cafe. This charming spot has earned a fiercely loyal following, including discerning locals we met like Kevin, who builds tiny houses for low-income families and the unhoused. We were just visiting from Los Angeles and feeling sad to be heading home—until Chef Jason, along with boulanger Matthew made our departure a little more bearable.
From the first bite, Kitchen Arcata fires up the superlatives. As a New Englander, I can honestly say I’ve never had a clam chowder so chockablock with fresh, briny clams. And if you don’t order your sandwich on the amazing pretzel bread, well, that’s a culinary crime in at least three states. The salads? Local sourced, crisp, colorful, and bursting with flavor. And don’t get us started on the gluten-free banana bread—moist, tender, and gone in seconds.
The soul of Kitchen Arcata comes from its team:
Matthew (aka Mattie—who could moonlight as Richie from The Bear), Chef Jason, who also teaches at Cal Poly Humboldt, Jake, the owner, and another gentlemen we didn't get to meet. Together, they bring nearly 80 years of culinary experience, and it shows.
Bonus tip: take their advice and wander through the Arcata Community Forest after your meal. It’s the perfect digestif.
The Kitchen Arcata may just be Humboldt’s best-kept secret—but not for long.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Natalie's email
This is hands down the best restaurant in Humboldt! The Kitchen has fresh, locally sourced food that is delicious and soul satisfying. I’ve been let down time and time again as local favorites have cheapened their ingredients and cut corners on the menu as the economy here has softened, but this restaurant did not disappoint! It was a culinary delight and a real experience! Such a pleasant surprise to have found such a high quality restaurant so close to home! And the staff are amazing! Super friendly and accommodating to any dietary requests. Best restaurant in Humboldt, you’ve got to try it for yourself!
Good home cooking, low key neighborhood spot. Their breads are awesome and they always use fresh ingredients!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent hospitality, quality food, great service, and good local ingredients. We made a quick stop on a road trip and it was ideal. Amazing soup and great care in the food and prep. They offer great recommendations and genuinely care about your experience. Highly recommend and will visit anytime we are passing through the area.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was good and the staff was super friendly. The beers are affordable and the music was banging. One of the best places to chill in Arcata.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Interesting little out of the way place with an eclectic menu.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
What an amazing place!! We stumbled upon it and were so wowed we came back a second night. Jason was so welcoming, so cheerful- we felt right at home. Atmosphere was just what we wanted and couldn’t have enjoyed the delicious food more. We had the pulled pork sandwiches that were surprisingly served with popcorn- an excellent choice. Jason picked our beer- perfect. He asked our opinion on the next nights special and when we came in the second night it was exactly what we suggested- and exceeded our expectations. Homemade Butternut squash tortellini with brown butter and sage- served delightedly with a salad of green apples, lettuce, almonds and the perfect dressing. The tortellini was floopy doop good (best good there is) and each bite was better than the last. We were celebrating a 75th birthday and Jason brought out a simply delicious pastry with apples, strawberries and walnuts that finished the meal perfectly. My only complaint is that we live in Colorado and can’t indulge regularly at this amazing restaurant. Thank you team Kitchen for two amazing meals.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Kitchen Arcata is a comfortable, friendly, casual spot to grab a light meal for lunch or dinner. Food is super fresh from locally sourced ingredients, so the menu changes often with a board of daily specials. The clam chowder was creamy and loaded with tender clams; the roasted red pepper and tomato bisque was bright and flavorful with just a perfect touch of heat. Sandwiches did not disappoint on in-house baked pretzel buns - we had perfectly tender bbq, pesto portobello, and a very decadent grown up grilled cheese generously filled with melty cheeses and perfectly divine ripe local tomatoes. The melon and prosciutto salad was refreshing and crunchy with just the right amount of tangy lemon vinaigrette and fresh mint. Oh, and if they have hand pies on the menu for dessert, save room for one! Trust me on this.
The talented team at kitchen Arcata - Jason, Joe, Matt, and chef/owner Jake are super attentive, friendly, and do what it takes to make sure your experience is a good one.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a great time, food was delicious, atmosphere was warming. And the dessert and banana bread were awesome too. Some nice live music to top it all off.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Server was drunk and the food wasn't good at all
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
What a delightful place! Pluot and pecan salad was amazing. Lots of time to chat with my daughter. We met the owner who is very gracious and comes with a wonderful smile.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Remarkable dinner tonight.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Wanted to love this place, but the food was bad. Tomato soup was so salty it was inedible. Sandwiches were mediocre. And serving popcorn as a side? It doesn’t make sense — it’s not local, seasonal, or organic, which is what they claim to be all about. Ambience is nice and staff seem friendly, but that’s not enough to make up for the food.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Halibut ceviche was off the hook!
Salad was crisp and just the right amount of dressing. Pretzel pesto chix sandwich is a must. Staff was happy and delightful!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fun environment, and a place you won’t want to miss! The food was amazing and the service was friendly. An enjoyable experience!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Kitchen Arcata: A Not-So-Hidden Gem Worth the Trip
Mind-blowingly delicious, top-shelf, and creatively inspired—The Kitchen Arcata delivers a world-class dining experience with the heart and soul of a popup cafe. This charming spot has earned a fiercely loyal following, including discerning locals we met like Kevin, who builds tiny houses for low-income families and the unhoused. We were just visiting from Los Angeles and feeling sad to be heading home—until Chef Jason, along with boulanger Matthew made our departure a little more bearable.
From the first bite, Kitchen Arcata fires up the superlatives. As a New Englander, I can honestly say I’ve never had a clam chowder so chockablock with fresh, briny clams. And if you don’t order your sandwich on the amazing pretzel bread, well, that’s a culinary crime in at least three states. The salads? Local sourced, crisp, colorful, and bursting with flavor. And don’t get us started on the gluten-free banana bread—moist, tender, and gone in seconds.
The soul of Kitchen Arcata comes from its team:
Matthew (aka Mattie—who could moonlight as Richie from The Bear), Chef Jason, who also teaches at Cal Poly Humboldt,
Jake, the owner, and another gentlemen we didn't get to meet.
Together, they bring nearly 80 years of culinary experience, and it shows.
Bonus tip: take their advice and wander through the Arcata Community Forest after your meal. It’s the perfect digestif.
The Kitchen Arcata may just be Humboldt’s best-kept secret—but not for long.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is hands down the best restaurant in Humboldt! The Kitchen has fresh, locally sourced food that is delicious and soul satisfying. I’ve been let down time and time again as local favorites have cheapened their ingredients and cut corners on the menu as the economy here has softened, but this restaurant did not disappoint! It was a culinary delight and a real experience! Such a pleasant surprise to have found such a high quality restaurant so close to home! And the staff are amazing! Super friendly and accommodating to any dietary requests. Best restaurant in Humboldt, you’ve got to try it for yourself!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loading...