I'm sure the food was good, but never got to try it due to the incredibly rude service we received upon arrival. The place was freezing and whoever was making the pizza was no better. I was told that having my 3 month old in the restaurant made him a hypocrite and told I clearly didn't read the menu well... I wasn't aware that I needed to read rules on a menu before arrival. We will never be back - no pizza in the world is worth that experience. Clearly, we should have read more reviews before going. VPN certified doesn't make you that special that you can treat costumers horrible. Opted to eat down the road and had a great dinner (and finally got warm)
Kathi Sardy
So, I just finished reading all of the reviews and I’m trying to formulate my review to spell out our experience after dining at The Prospector last night. I was born and raised in San Francisco, and spent much of my adult life on the SF peninsula while working in Palo Alto. Once on the peninsula, I didn’t get to the City as much, so exceptional pizza was difficult, if not impossible, to find. Being Italian, I missed North Beach and the many downtown restaurants. I missed good pizza.When we arrived last night, the parking lot was empty, and I foolishly assumed that perhaps the food wasn’t good which explained the lack of patrons. My son was treating me to dinner, so as to not hurt his feelings, I said we could eat there anyway. I didn’t know what to make of the owner at first. I could tell this was not a typical restaurant. He seemed a bit distracted but I quickly realized that he was doing all of the preparations and cooking, and was solely responsible for ensuring that everyone had the gastric explosion they were hoping for. I also didn’t understand that reservations were necessary (my son made them), so the other patrons started arriving after us.Since we were the first ones to arrive, the owner, Robert, introduced himself to us. We learned that he is very skilled in multi cultural cuisine. His explanation and confidence in the quality of food he prepares sold me on the spot, and I looked forward to trying out the Caesar salad and our two pizza choices. We were not disappointed and almost ordered a third. The crust was not only crisp, it was delicious. The sauce and toppings were very well executed, and we were pretty blown away. I knew I was eating authentic gourmet pizza that was not going to be found in this county or any of the surrounding counties.So now let’s talk about the atmosphere. Nothing fancy as it’s in an old cabin, but charming as all get-go, umbrella covered tables on a large deck near the brick pizza oven and outdoor prep kitchen, nestled in the pines with lights strung above the deck. The smoky smell of the indoor fireplace and surrounding trees reminded me of my summers at Russian River as a teenager. The special ambiance wasn’t anything remotely expected when my son said he was taking me out to dinner.Robert was the perfect host. He was very friendly even though he was busy, and he took the time to make us feel welcome. Again, we were the first to arrive, so maybe he had more time for us.I went there with zero expectations. We weren’t in a hurry, and I prefer to take my time when I’m in such beautiful surroundings anyway, so the pace was perfectly stretched out. Because there were no other reservations for the night, we didn’t feel like we were being rushed out.What a gem of a discovery! I simply do not understand the few negative reviews I read. Any so-called negatives were in fact the things that I LIKED about the owner and the place - why would I want a run of the mill experience that I can get at 95% of the restaurants out there? Most people don’t understand what it takes to run a restaurant - the many hours involved each day, every day - sourcing and shopping ingredients, food prep, cooking, serving, cleaning. Sometimes there’s no time for pampering the one’s that need extra attention. I enjoyed everything, the food was amazing, and I advise that this restaurant not be compared to or categorized like any other restaurant. It’s unique, as is it’s wonderful and skilled owner/chef Robert. Don’t show up if you’re going to look for imperfections. When we got there, Sinatra’s “My Way” was playing on the outdoor speakers. Very appropriate, as Robert is clearly doing it “his way,” and it’s a formula that works. He delivered on his promise to give us the best food in town! Thank you Robert - we will be back!
Willy Hunger
Unique and personalized experience. We enjoyed our evening chatting with the owner and other guests. The pizza was perfect and paired with a good wine.
Gabe Carothers
Great place to eat. Clean, friendly staff, great food. The theme of the place is great and fits well.
Mike Layton
Amazing food and ambience. Owner should be proud.
mckenzie donato
Rude owner. I recommend looking elsewhere.
John Pampuch
Yup. All of that. And the food is good. Probably the best across Tuolomne county.
Nicolas Damonte
The best pizza ever!!!And we were delighted with a chef vegetarian dish which was beyond amazing!!!! We will be back for more! :)
Emily Fetcho Barclay
We were thrilled to stumble upon The Prospector during a recent trip through Twain Harte. So thrilled, in fact, that we ate there two nights in a row. Go with the flow, and be a good patron—fill your water, grab your utensils and plate, and settle in for some delicious food. The pizza is incredible and we were lucky enough to enjoy the Chef’s choice one evening as well.We plan visit every time we are in the area—the food and conversation can’t be beat!
Sheila Thulin
We have gone there several times. The food is good. Sometimes the owner is nice and sometimes crabby. We had a friend from out of town here. We enjoyed our meal and when we paid the bill we were charged for 3 glassesof wine. This is self serve. We each poured one glass each to the line on glass. There was a half bottle left when we walked away. We never left out seats till we paid. So we were no where near the wine. I checked the bottle on the table when we left and there was one glass left so someone else obviously had a glass and we were charged for. It’s not worth going there if you never know how you are going to be treated. Also you have to get your own plates and silverware and basically wait on your self. The only thing they do is bring the food to table. Very disappointed.
This place is surely one of the most pleasant place in the area. Every time I visit this place I am very glad. They preserve their very high level service and the topmost level of meals they serve. You no doubt will love this place. Highly recommended.
Sarah Hutchison
The food is really delicious! Very good pizza with a nice crust! The ingredients seem quality. Also, happy to see the noodles are homemade and cut with a knife. Reminded me of my mom's homemade noodles. Fresh noodles are far better than dried grocery store noodles. So I appreciated that touch. The service is counter service. So napkins, water, and cutlery are located on a table. You order at the front desk and food comes out periodically. This is similar to European dining. It allows customers to chat, drink wine, and relax between plates. It's a slow type of service and not for anyone in a rush. I found it just fine. This restaurant is about the food experience and not service type dining. Again it's counter service. So I expected that. After your meal payment is due on the way out by ringing the bell.I hear people saying it was expensive. I guess that is relative. Because I found everything fairly priced and the ingredients quality! But I come from the Bay Area where a tiny pizza from Blaze costs me $30 & a cheap American style pizza from Mountain Mike's costs me $35.The owner was really nice. It seems he knows a lot about flavors from traveling the world. He is really passionate about the food he serves and has put a lot of thought into the pairings... for that reason he does not substitute. He infuses a lot of asian flavors; which I can appreciate being part Filipina. He preps his food daily and therefore some items run out. Some people do not understand this concept because they think all restaurants have surplus frozen meals like the Cheesecake Factory. Lol. But I understand... fresh ingredients run out. This also prevents food from being unnecessarily wasted.Overall, I enjoyed my visit. Not a suitable place for loud bratty kids and their Karen moms. Lol
Liam Lowery
The place offers a fantastic variety of delicious food. I like eating here. The employees are always friendly, prices are affordable and the place is always well organised.
Steve Hopper
This place is amazing. The owner takes personal pride in his food and wine selection. It’s the kind of place where he is not there to cater to your every needs. He is there to offer high quality food.
Joe Morse
So happy to find VPN in the foothills! Great pie and very good salads!
I'm sure the food was good, but never got to try it due to the incredibly rude service we received upon arrival. The place was freezing and whoever was making the pizza was no better. I was told that having my 3 month old in the restaurant made him a hypocrite and told I clearly didn't read the menu well... I wasn't aware that I needed to read rules on a menu before arrival. We will never be back - no pizza in the world is worth that experience. Clearly, we should have read more reviews before going. VPN certified doesn't make you that special that you can treat costumers horrible. Opted to eat down the road and had a great dinner (and finally got warm)
So, I just finished reading all of the reviews and I’m trying to formulate my review to spell out our experience after dining at The Prospector last night. I was born and raised in San Francisco, and spent much of my adult life on the SF peninsula while working in Palo Alto. Once on the peninsula, I didn’t get to the City as much, so exceptional pizza was difficult, if not impossible, to find. Being Italian, I missed North Beach and the many downtown restaurants. I missed good pizza.When we arrived last night, the parking lot was empty, and I foolishly assumed that perhaps the food wasn’t good which explained the lack of patrons. My son was treating me to dinner, so as to not hurt his feelings, I said we could eat there anyway. I didn’t know what to make of the owner at first. I could tell this was not a typical restaurant. He seemed a bit distracted but I quickly realized that he was doing all of the preparations and cooking, and was solely responsible for ensuring that everyone had the gastric explosion they were hoping for. I also didn’t understand that reservations were necessary (my son made them), so the other patrons started arriving after us.Since we were the first ones to arrive, the owner, Robert, introduced himself to us. We learned that he is very skilled in multi cultural cuisine. His explanation and confidence in the quality of food he prepares sold me on the spot, and I looked forward to trying out the Caesar salad and our two pizza choices. We were not disappointed and almost ordered a third. The crust was not only crisp, it was delicious. The sauce and toppings were very well executed, and we were pretty blown away. I knew I was eating authentic gourmet pizza that was not going to be found in this county or any of the surrounding counties.So now let’s talk about the atmosphere. Nothing fancy as it’s in an old cabin, but charming as all get-go, umbrella covered tables on a large deck near the brick pizza oven and outdoor prep kitchen, nestled in the pines with lights strung above the deck. The smoky smell of the indoor fireplace and surrounding trees reminded me of my summers at Russian River as a teenager. The special ambiance wasn’t anything remotely expected when my son said he was taking me out to dinner.Robert was the perfect host. He was very friendly even though he was busy, and he took the time to make us feel welcome. Again, we were the first to arrive, so maybe he had more time for us.I went there with zero expectations. We weren’t in a hurry, and I prefer to take my time when I’m in such beautiful surroundings anyway, so the pace was perfectly stretched out. Because there were no other reservations for the night, we didn’t feel like we were being rushed out.What a gem of a discovery! I simply do not understand the few negative reviews I read. Any so-called negatives were in fact the things that I LIKED about the owner and the place - why would I want a run of the mill experience that I can get at 95% of the restaurants out there? Most people don’t understand what it takes to run a restaurant - the many hours involved each day, every day - sourcing and shopping ingredients, food prep, cooking, serving, cleaning. Sometimes there’s no time for pampering the one’s that need extra attention. I enjoyed everything, the food was amazing, and I advise that this restaurant not be compared to or categorized like any other restaurant. It’s unique, as is it’s wonderful and skilled owner/chef Robert. Don’t show up if you’re going to look for imperfections. When we got there, Sinatra’s “My Way” was playing on the outdoor speakers. Very appropriate, as Robert is clearly doing it “his way,” and it’s a formula that works. He delivered on his promise to give us the best food in town! Thank you Robert - we will be back!
Unique and personalized experience. We enjoyed our evening chatting with the owner and other guests. The pizza was perfect and paired with a good wine.
Great place to eat. Clean, friendly staff, great food. The theme of the place is great and fits well.
Amazing food and ambience. Owner should be proud.
Rude owner. I recommend looking elsewhere.
Yup. All of that. And the food is good. Probably the best across Tuolomne county.
The best pizza ever!!!And we were delighted with a chef vegetarian dish which was beyond amazing!!!! We will be back for more! :)
We were thrilled to stumble upon The Prospector during a recent trip through Twain Harte. So thrilled, in fact, that we ate there two nights in a row. Go with the flow, and be a good patron—fill your water, grab your utensils and plate, and settle in for some delicious food. The pizza is incredible and we were lucky enough to enjoy the Chef’s choice one evening as well.We plan visit every time we are in the area—the food and conversation can’t be beat!
We have gone there several times. The food is good. Sometimes the owner is nice and sometimes crabby. We had a friend from out of town here. We enjoyed our meal and when we paid the bill we were charged for 3 glassesof wine. This is self serve. We each poured one glass each to the line on glass. There was a half bottle left when we walked away. We never left out seats till we paid. So we were no where near the wine. I checked the bottle on the table when we left and there was one glass left so someone else obviously had a glass and we were charged for. It’s not worth going there if you never know how you are going to be treated. Also you have to get your own plates and silverware and basically wait on your self. The only thing they do is bring the food to table. Very disappointed.
Restaurantji Recommends
This place is surely one of the most pleasant place in the area. Every time I visit this place I am very glad. They preserve their very high level service and the topmost level of meals they serve. You no doubt will love this place. Highly recommended.
The food is really delicious! Very good pizza with a nice crust! The ingredients seem quality. Also, happy to see the noodles are homemade and cut with a knife. Reminded me of my mom's homemade noodles. Fresh noodles are far better than dried grocery store noodles. So I appreciated that touch. The service is counter service. So napkins, water, and cutlery are located on a table. You order at the front desk and food comes out periodically. This is similar to European dining. It allows customers to chat, drink wine, and relax between plates. It's a slow type of service and not for anyone in a rush. I found it just fine. This restaurant is about the food experience and not service type dining. Again it's counter service. So I expected that. After your meal payment is due on the way out by ringing the bell.I hear people saying it was expensive. I guess that is relative. Because I found everything fairly priced and the ingredients quality! But I come from the Bay Area where a tiny pizza from Blaze costs me $30 & a cheap American style pizza from Mountain Mike's costs me $35.The owner was really nice. It seems he knows a lot about flavors from traveling the world. He is really passionate about the food he serves and has put a lot of thought into the pairings... for that reason he does not substitute. He infuses a lot of asian flavors; which I can appreciate being part Filipina. He preps his food daily and therefore some items run out. Some people do not understand this concept because they think all restaurants have surplus frozen meals like the Cheesecake Factory. Lol. But I understand... fresh ingredients run out. This also prevents food from being unnecessarily wasted.Overall, I enjoyed my visit. Not a suitable place for loud bratty kids and their Karen moms. Lol
The place offers a fantastic variety of delicious food. I like eating here. The employees are always friendly, prices are affordable and the place is always well organised.
This place is amazing. The owner takes personal pride in his food and wine selection. It’s the kind of place where he is not there to cater to your every needs. He is there to offer high quality food.
So happy to find VPN in the foothills! Great pie and very good salads!
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