This review isn’t easy to write, but if it saves even one couple the stress and heartache I went through, it’s worth it. First, I want to acknowledge Alexandra at Dawn Ranch, who was the only person who truly cared about us and went above and beyond to save our wedding day. She was so helpful and deserves a raise for doing what no one else there seemed willing to do. But beyond Alexandra, I can’t say much positive about our experience with Dawn Ranch.
What should have been the happiest time of my life became 12 months of pure misery and constant regret over picking this venue. From the start, there were glaring red flags that I ignored because I fell in love with the location. It took weeks of emails and follow-ups just to get a response, and I had to call the property directly multiple times to get basic information and lock in our date. Communication was abysmal throughout the entire planning process.
Staff turnover is a huge issue here—we were passed around to four different coordinators, each with zero background on our event and little willingness to help. Each time we met with a new person, it felt like starting over from scratch. No one seemed to care about our vision or even bothered to read up on our plans before meeting. Every question was met with indifference, and it felt like they were always guessing about policies or shrugging off our requests. Jesse, in particular, was unbelievably dismissive. When I introduced her to my father, it felt like we’d interrupted her day by simply being there - for a scheduled appointment. She was unprofessional, cold, and didn’t even try to hide her disinterest.
On top of that, the venue mishandled billing for our accommodations numerous times. They initially "forgot" to charge us, then months later, they realized they still needed to process it. When we checked in, they attempted to charge us a second time despite my showing proof of the first charge. Instead of correcting the error, they told us the wrong team charged us and that it would be kept as a “deposit” and that they couldn’t remove it until checkout. Even though we’d paid for our stay in full 8 months prior. This was unprofessionally handled and honestly felt like they were just grasping at any excuse to get additional charges out of us.
There was also constant confusion over what we could and couldn’t do, which seemed to stem from a change in ownership or policies. It became clear that they didn’t intend to honor the initial promises made to couples who’d booked under the previous terms. I had to involve the general manager just to ensure our day wouldn’t be ruined by their internal disorganization. On the wedding day, my friends and family who were helping with setup reported receiving attitude from the staff. While they managed to “fake it” during the event itself, it was disheartening to know that even on the day of, they couldn’t bring themselves to be courteous to my loved ones.
What’s even more telling is that I have a friend who got married here around the same time, and she’s expressed she experienced the same mess—maybe even worse. Dawn Ranch is stunning, but they are absolutely not equipped to handle weddings professionally. I can’t, in good faith, recommend this venue to anyone looking to celebrate a big moment. It’s truly sad because the property has so much potential, but if you want to enjoy your engagement and have a stress-free wedding, avoid Dawn Ranch at all costs.
Jonathan
We had a great experience at the Lodge. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and attention to detail of the various dishes. Meghan took care of us and she was a delight. We will come back to Dawn Ranch and the Lodge.
Heather
If you happen to be in the Russian River area then you need to book a reservation at Dawn Ranch. You will not be disappointed this I promise you. Let me start by saying the hostess knows her wines and pairings with the dishes the executive chef has prepared that evening. Our waitress was beyond lovely, so pleasant that you felt taken care of and not rushed. Everything is shared which allows you and your company to fully brace the tastes of all the dishes that come to touch upon your pallet. We had the sea scallops which were done in a cashew butter that was so light and airy which didn't take away from the fish. The second dish we had tried was the Rigatoni with light tomato sauce with fresh basil and burrata. Now I will say the waitress recommended having the fresh homemade sourdough bread to dunk into the sauce which she was not wrong about doing. Yum! Can only describe the tastes your pallet will enjoy when dining here. Oh, don't forget to reserve the outdoor deck when dining so you can enjoy the beautiful redwoods that inhabit this ranch.
Jessica
I had a beautiful dinner outside on the deck with my two dogs. I was seated promptly in a quiet area, which I really appreciated! My server knew the menu very well and have me personal recommendations - all absolutely fantastic. Everyone was very sweet, easy parking and beautiful surroundings. Can't wait to come back!
Beautiful setting but food didn't quite deliver. Small plates were amazing, as we had the ahi tostada, fresh sourdough and the heirloom salad. Entrees were a different story, the NY steak was two small pieces with a lot of fat. Loved the desserts and extensive wine and drink list, especially loved the large selection of mocktails.
Doug
Dined on the deck on a beautiful evening. Knowledge of server was impressive, both food and wine. Each dish was presented beautifully. Flavors were complex and and wonderful. The grounds are beautifully maintained.
Amazing dining experience with such amazing staff and chef. This made our anniversary so special. They took such good care of us. They even pushed the table together for us because they saw my partner was sitting next to me. Amazing and such diverse chefs with unique and astounding culinary journey and experience. Their work of art really shows it in ur cooking. Wonder place to dine and I am so glad I picked this dining experience. This is the spot to go to.
karen
What a wonderful experience! We dined here twice in our week visiting Guerneville-the second time with our family of 14! All the staff were wonderful and the food divine! LOVE this place!
Karen
This must be the best restaurant in Guerneville and possibly in the whole area. Absolutely amazing menu and wine list. We did family style and it was so fun. Get the Wagyu and share. (Very rich- you don't need more than an ounce or 2 pp). It is cooked to perfection. Everything is so fresh and creative. Good wine list- a little of anything you might want. I will return!
Wow! We have been coming to dinner here for years and the new chefs and new mgmt hav updated and upgraded everything! It's like a brand new restaurant. The food is absolutely delicious, every course too! The new chefs are incredibly talented. The space has banquets now that are so comfortable go sit in. Oh and Shout out to Tate our server!! We will be back!!
Such a beautiful space! Made a reservation for 5pm with 2 kids and the service was amazing. Food delicious and vibes awesome. Meghan was great! The entire property Is beautiful and worth a visit.
Jonathan
The best dining experience my wife and I have had in quite a long time. We came to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary and we had such an awesome experience. The wait staff was amazing and the food was excellent in preparation, presentation, and taste. We had such a wonderful time that we are discussing making this an annual tradition for our anniversary going forward. I highly recommend The Lodge at Dawn Ranch to anyone interested in fine dining at its best.
CONRAD1963
Every morning, we looked forward to our breakfast at the lodge. A perfect start to the day. Dinner was a civilized occasion, starting with cocktails in the bar and then collaborating with our server to create our dinner experience. Steak is a must, as is the sourdough.
Rachel
The food was very tasty. They have changed to a small plate style which seems to be en vogue and ups the price a lot. The flavors are pretty great, but you are really going to pay for it.
Steven
Delicious, elegant, comfortable. Not a bad dish or drink yet. Love the cheese bites, which are more like mini cheese timbers, the scallops, the tostada!, the salads, the sweets: all yum city! Jennifer & Tate were wonderful and uber welcoming. Reservations recommended. A great addition to Guerneville.
This review isn’t easy to write, but if it saves even one couple the stress and heartache I went through, it’s worth it. First, I want to acknowledge Alexandra at Dawn Ranch, who was the only person who truly cared about us and went above and beyond to save our wedding day. She was so helpful and deserves a raise for doing what no one else there seemed willing to do. But beyond Alexandra, I can’t say much positive about our experience with Dawn Ranch. What should have been the happiest time of my life became 12 months of pure misery and constant regret over picking this venue. From the start, there were glaring red flags that I ignored because I fell in love with the location. It took weeks of emails and follow-ups just to get a response, and I had to call the property directly multiple times to get basic information and lock in our date. Communication was abysmal throughout the entire planning process. Staff turnover is a huge issue here—we were passed around to four different coordinators, each with zero background on our event and little willingness to help. Each time we met with a new person, it felt like starting over from scratch. No one seemed to care about our vision or even bothered to read up on our plans before meeting. Every question was met with indifference, and it felt like they were always guessing about policies or shrugging off our requests. Jesse, in particular, was unbelievably dismissive. When I introduced her to my father, it felt like we’d interrupted her day by simply being there - for a scheduled appointment. She was unprofessional, cold, and didn’t even try to hide her disinterest. On top of that, the venue mishandled billing for our accommodations numerous times. They initially "forgot" to charge us, then months later, they realized they still needed to process it. When we checked in, they attempted to charge us a second time despite my showing proof of the first charge. Instead of correcting the error, they told us the wrong team charged us and that it would be kept as a “deposit” and that they couldn’t remove it until checkout. Even though we’d paid for our stay in full 8 months prior. This was unprofessionally handled and honestly felt like they were just grasping at any excuse to get additional charges out of us. There was also constant confusion over what we could and couldn’t do, which seemed to stem from a change in ownership or policies. It became clear that they didn’t intend to honor the initial promises made to couples who’d booked under the previous terms. I had to involve the general manager just to ensure our day wouldn’t be ruined by their internal disorganization. On the wedding day, my friends and family who were helping with setup reported receiving attitude from the staff. While they managed to “fake it” during the event itself, it was disheartening to know that even on the day of, they couldn’t bring themselves to be courteous to my loved ones. What’s even more telling is that I have a friend who got married here around the same time, and she’s expressed she experienced the same mess—maybe even worse. Dawn Ranch is stunning, but they are absolutely not equipped to handle weddings professionally. I can’t, in good faith, recommend this venue to anyone looking to celebrate a big moment. It’s truly sad because the property has so much potential, but if you want to enjoy your engagement and have a stress-free wedding, avoid Dawn Ranch at all costs.
We had a great experience at the Lodge. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and attention to detail of the various dishes. Meghan took care of us and she was a delight. We will come back to Dawn Ranch and the Lodge.
If you happen to be in the Russian River area then you need to book a reservation at Dawn Ranch. You will not be disappointed this I promise you. Let me start by saying the hostess knows her wines and pairings with the dishes the executive chef has prepared that evening. Our waitress was beyond lovely, so pleasant that you felt taken care of and not rushed. Everything is shared which allows you and your company to fully brace the tastes of all the dishes that come to touch upon your pallet. We had the sea scallops which were done in a cashew butter that was so light and airy which didn't take away from the fish. The second dish we had tried was the Rigatoni with light tomato sauce with fresh basil and burrata. Now I will say the waitress recommended having the fresh homemade sourdough bread to dunk into the sauce which she was not wrong about doing. Yum! Can only describe the tastes your pallet will enjoy when dining here. Oh, don't forget to reserve the outdoor deck when dining so you can enjoy the beautiful redwoods that inhabit this ranch.
I had a beautiful dinner outside on the deck with my two dogs. I was seated promptly in a quiet area, which I really appreciated! My server knew the menu very well and have me personal recommendations - all absolutely fantastic. Everyone was very sweet, easy parking and beautiful surroundings. Can't wait to come back!
Beautiful setting but food didn't quite deliver. Small plates were amazing, as we had the ahi tostada, fresh sourdough and the heirloom salad. Entrees were a different story, the NY steak was two small pieces with a lot of fat. Loved the desserts and extensive wine and drink list, especially loved the large selection of mocktails.
Dined on the deck on a beautiful evening. Knowledge of server was impressive, both food and wine. Each dish was presented beautifully. Flavors were complex and and wonderful. The grounds are beautifully maintained.
Amazing dining experience with such amazing staff and chef. This made our anniversary so special. They took such good care of us. They even pushed the table together for us because they saw my partner was sitting next to me. Amazing and such diverse chefs with unique and astounding culinary journey and experience. Their work of art really shows it in ur cooking. Wonder place to dine and I am so glad I picked this dining experience. This is the spot to go to.
What a wonderful experience! We dined here twice in our week visiting Guerneville-the second time with our family of 14! All the staff were wonderful and the food divine! LOVE this place!
This must be the best restaurant in Guerneville and possibly in the whole area. Absolutely amazing menu and wine list. We did family style and it was so fun. Get the Wagyu and share. (Very rich- you don't need more than an ounce or 2 pp). It is cooked to perfection. Everything is so fresh and creative. Good wine list- a little of anything you might want. I will return!
Wow! We have been coming to dinner here for years and the new chefs and new mgmt hav updated and upgraded everything! It's like a brand new restaurant. The food is absolutely delicious, every course too! The new chefs are incredibly talented. The space has banquets now that are so comfortable go sit in. Oh and Shout out to Tate our server!! We will be back!!
Restaurantji Recommends
Such a beautiful space! Made a reservation for 5pm with 2 kids and the service was amazing. Food delicious and vibes awesome. Meghan was great! The entire property Is beautiful and worth a visit.
The best dining experience my wife and I have had in quite a long time. We came to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary and we had such an awesome experience. The wait staff was amazing and the food was excellent in preparation, presentation, and taste. We had such a wonderful time that we are discussing making this an annual tradition for our anniversary going forward. I highly recommend The Lodge at Dawn Ranch to anyone interested in fine dining at its best.
Every morning, we looked forward to our breakfast at the lodge. A perfect start to the day. Dinner was a civilized occasion, starting with cocktails in the bar and then collaborating with our server to create our dinner experience. Steak is a must, as is the sourdough.
The food was very tasty. They have changed to a small plate style which seems to be en vogue and ups the price a lot. The flavors are pretty great, but you are really going to pay for it.
Delicious, elegant, comfortable. Not a bad dish or drink yet. Love the cheese bites, which are more like mini cheese timbers, the scallops, the tostada!, the salads, the sweets: all yum city! Jennifer & Tate were wonderful and uber welcoming. Reservations recommended. A great addition to Guerneville.
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