A great place for lunch in Calistoga is the Hydro Bar & Grill.
An inviting scene, the place welcomes you off the street with exposed
brick walls, high ceiling and large art nouveau prints graced with
beautiful, enraptured-looking women. Most of the food here is what
is sometimes described as “bar food.” For lunch, they
serve a delightful array of salads, including a house smoked chicken
salad that includes apples, toasted walnuts and crumbled blue cheese.
They also have a good beer and wine selection.
There are also a variety of sandwiches here, such as the choice ribeye steak sandwich that comes with chive butter and crispy fries. You can also get a fine quiche here, as well as a huge array of appetizers. The Hydro has everything from Italian fries with white truffle oil to grilles calamari.
Hydro Grill also offers live music on the weekends. It’s generally light jazz and blues, starting at 9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 7 pm on Sundays. Sunday night at the Hydro is especially fun.
What is really interesting about the Hydro are the patrons sidled up to the bar. Get lucky, and you might experience the northern California version of an Elvis siting: A man has who easily passes Jerry Garcia has been seen sidled up to the Hydro’s bar. So perhaps Jerry is still alive and well, hanging out in Calistoga!
Hydro Bar & Grill
1403 Lincoln Avenue
Calistoga, CA 94515
707-942-9777
Hours: Breakfast: 8:30 am to 11:30 pm, Lunch: 11:30 am to 4:30
pm,
Dinner 4:30 pm to 10 pm daily.
Following are a few local favorites: