Deetjen's Restaurant

Joe Boxer

I love reading the negative reviews, they provide such better information when trying to select a restaurant. You can tell who has never actually been here by reading the negative reviews. Ignore those haters. This restaurant is within the top three in the town, on any given day. I can’t imagine a day so bad to justify some of the negative claims listed before. I’ve been here many times, the worst of them was still great. Some people are just impossible to please.

Kaili Kinnon

Friends sent us to Deetjen’s for delicious dinner and a “quaint Old Big Sur” atmosphere. The space is a collection of four candlelit small rooms full of cute curiosities. Half doors remain open to the last of the evening light and each window is full of the leafy greenery of Big Sur. It’s a quiet ambience mostly unchanged from the way the original owner designed the interiors when she bought it in 1939. Deetjen’s prides itself on simple, hearty cuisine and it did not disappoint. The smallish menu is likely regularly shifting as they aim for locally sourced food where they can. There were about four appetizers and four entrées on offer and a further two appetizers and four entrees on their list of special items for the night. We ate like kings from their specials. The wines that our server Roman suggested to go with our main dishes were perfect pairings. To my surprise, most of the dishes on the menu were gluten-free. We were charmed and lulled into a quiet relaxation by the atmosphere and the food at Deetjen’s. We plan to go back for breakfast as we kept hearing from neighbouring tables that the breakfast is to die for. Update: we came back for breakfast and loved the sun filled space. We had the stuffed French toast and the huevod rancheros and coffees. Breakfast was good but not as fantastic as our dinner experience was. Will definitely be back for dinner when we are next in Big Sur.

Allison S. Maynes

The stuffed French toast is incredible. Such a wonderful dining experience. Love the atmosphere and the coziness of the restaurant. Can’t wait to go back again someday.

Trevor Allen

Beautiful ambiance, friendly & knowledgeable staff, great wine list with lots of local wines. Fig salad was great, NY Strip Steak was disappointingly tough and dry (ordered “medium rare” but was more towards medium to medium/well). For $55 I was hoping for a really juicy succulent steak.