List 14 Budget-Friendly Restaurants Near You in Novato, California (Part 2)

Gordon M. Came in to pick up an order for a late Sunday breakfast for my wife. The atmosphere was modern and cozy in a seemingly fairly new building. Many people seemed to be coming from the nearby neighborhood with their families and dogs to eat there too. The outside seats had chatting folks and happily panting pups and the inside was bright with lovely decor. We got the French toast with berries and a few of their cinnamon twists and they where both delightful. Good batter, good texture, great syrup and hot with fresh berries. Their pastry chef was on vacation so they only had some of the simpler pastries but I would love to try more. Go here for a casual boutique breakfast at a not too boutique price from a place that clearly cares a lot about what theyre serving.

M D Feeling like a nice Asian bowl that’s packed with meat, rice and/or veggies? Make a stop here and order at the counter (or online) and get an awesome amount of ingredients! The inside seating is comfortable and there’s also outside dining tables too with a really nice ambience. I reserved a couple of spots at the Sneak Peek event, day prior to Cindy’s franchise opening. We had the chicken breast teriyaki and steak bowls. Both bowls did not disappoint! The restaurant has a variety of selections from appetizers, sides and meals. I will be eating my way through this menu! Look forward to seeing them cater too. Glad to see Teriyaki Madness in Marin and Novato. ***visited again in August and had a smaller bowl. It hit the spot when you only want a slightly smaller portion. Rowan, behind the counter, had amazing customer service. ***

DYJ1948 Since the Firehouse restaurant closed last year, we’ve been looking for a replacement and decided to try this Italian delite. It’s been around since the 70s or more so they’ve got to know what they’re doing. We ordered a half tuna sandwich which was under $10 and the restaurant split the order for us without asking so kudos to them! The sandwich was hot and delicious!!! I think we found our new stop in Novato. They also had outside seating and a restroom so plus plus for cyclists!! The half sandwich was more than enough for the two of us as the full sandwich must be huge!!! Mostly locals come and the service is chill so a great new discovery!!!

Usha Dawn We were heading to Petaluma and decided to have lunch at this place. Its a small cozy place but a friendly staff and the first thing I noticed here is the sign, no cell phone use. We ordered a salad, BLT sandwich, matcha green tea latte cold beverage. The service was great and quick. The food was delicious and the atmosphere was homely. You can see more senior citizens spending time indoors and youngsters sitting outdoors. They have a clean unisex restroom with a clear message about which lock to use and to be kind with flushing with their old plumbing mechanism. I really enjoyed the experience and highly recommend it.

Molly Tuveson Same owners, super nice and polite. The food is fresh and delicious, reasonably priced. Our go to spot for take out Chinese food.

Ed Lee I had really good ramen here! It wasn’t necessarily the most authentic, but the portions were large, and it had a lot of fixins (in the chicken black garlic ramen). Kind staff, convenient location.

Gabriela Cadena Came for happy hour and had a blast. Thanks to Adam for answering our questions and making a great Brandy Press, cocktail of the day. We had the Reuben rolls, calamari and chicken dore (best of the three items we ordered in my opinion -- the vegetables and mashed potatoes were exquisite). Loved the local atmosphere. Will definitely return.

Dana Centeno Only popped in for a quick coffee during our drive but had to right a review! I got a dirty chai and it was MAGICAL!!! Absolutely delicious! My boyfriend got a black coffee and it was very good as well! Great place to stop for coffee! Didnt get a chance to try the food - next time! :)

Rocky I love this place. Used to go there often when it was in Marin at the mall. They moved to Novato so it’s a little bit of a drive now but I like to swing by every time I’m up there. Great food, super friendly staff, and relaxing atmosphere. OH YEAH! And now they have boba!

Nick Silva Amazing food. Great service. They are quick to answer the phone for pick up orders.

Loves Traveling We held our sons wedding rehearsal dinner here for the wedding party (18 people). We scheduled it for the late afternoon before the restaurant opened and worked with the owner, Munther, over the course of several months. He put together a great menu for the group with very little tweaking on our part. The welcome cocktail in the wedding colors was a big hit and everyone thought the food was amazing! For an event this special, we couldnt have been happier with how it turned out. Would love to return under different circumstances to just enjoy the speakeasy and restaurant. We cannot recommend this place enough for a special occasion.

Azucena I’ve been wanting to try Peruvian food for a while now, and I happened to go to the post office right before Chicha y Cafe opened. I was warmly welcomed by the man working behind the counter when I walked in. After talking over the menu with him, I decided to order a bowl with green rice, red beans, and Peruvian chicken stew. It’s absolutely delicious. The chicken is so tender and flavorful, as well as the green rice. I also got the medium spicy mayo salsa that packs a bit of heat, but is so good. I can’t wait to return again and try some of their other menu items. If you haven’t given them a try yet I highly recommend them.

Autumn Williams I love the spacious outdoor area, with stringed lights and covered outdoor seating. They have a large screen displaying their menu inside the restaurant and have kind, friendly staff. The tacos durados are a hit, in fact my favorite item on the menu. They pair it with a great medium salsa that doesnt over power them. No matter the meat chosen Ive liked crunchy tacos the best! They have at least 3 salsas as options at a bar with other fresh condiments. They have Great Chile rellenos, fresh Mexican rice and their soup is shrimp soup is awesome. It has a spicy kick and the perfect amount of prawns to veggies ratio. No skimping. They make the food fresh right then when ordered so its always fresh, hot and made to order. We have even took friends from out of town who know how to make this food and they thought it was awesome. Case closed this place will be on my list of favs!

Jo R Food was fantastic, service was fast and friendly, atmosphere was chic/elegant. Loved this place! We ordered all appetizers: beef medallions, salmon salad, quiche, scallops, calamari, ceviche, chicken empanadas and then for dessert had the churros and chocolate volcano. All the food was excellent! Highly recommend, will definitely go back!