Wine Country Times

Trillium Cafe is a modern restaurant and inn located in Mendocino, California offering a seasonal menu focused on locally sourced ingredients.

The restaurant is one of few establishments in Mendocino offering table service at this time. Trillium Cafe is owned and operated by proprietors Sandra McElroy and her husband Saul McElroy.

"My husband and I started the restaurant because that was what I had experience in locally," Sandra told Wine Country Times. "I love gardening and cooking. I have a business degree, and worked at Albion River Inn for 15 years and Cafe Beaujolais for six. Saul was working in construction, it seemed like a fun business venture we could do together, and include our kids in."

The restaurant has been a family business for over seven years.

"I run the operation, I am basically the manager," Sandra told Wine Country Times. "He takes care of cleaning, fixing things, landscaping and he helps with lunch. We also have our 16-year-old twins helping out, they do prep in the kitchen and bus tables. I cook sometimes, but now we are so much busier because of COVID. I mostly host at night, as well as all the scheduling, accounting, website and help our talented chef with menu development."

Last spring, Trillium Cafe added outdoor garden dining with 15 tables available for diners.

"Before last spring, when we added our garden dining, I felt like we were a restaurant for a meal, but now I feel like the garden setting with the fairy lights, tent, ocean view and amazing local food, it’s become more of an experience, something to remember," she said.

The restaurant complies with COVID-19 health guidelines. The staff wears facial coverings, sanitizes all the tables, chairs, and menus in between guests and hand sanitizer is available at each table and at each entrance. Facial coverings are required anytime guests are not eating or drinking and are required when interacting with staff.

Trillium Cafe is open Friday through Tuesday and offers lunch service 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and dinner service 5 to 8:30 p.m. Customers are strongly encouraged to make reservations and specify whether they have indoor or outdoor dining preference.

The inn normally offers lodging accommodations, but rooms are currently unavailable because of COVID-19 restrictions.