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Did you know "back in the day" the gold mining town of Columbia, CA was a candidate for the state capitol of California? Sacramento won out as the state capitol, but the town of Columbia is "capital" when it comes to fine dining in Tuloumne County, especially when you enjoy a fine meat at The Columbia House Restaurant, located in historic downtown Columbia, CA. As with all of reviews that I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: It's a little past the 08:00 morning opening time on Sunday, April 30, 2023, and I've arrived at The Columbia House Restaurant, located in Columbia, CA, to enjoy some fine dining in the gold country.
Photo: The "To-go" menu and daily specials are posted outside the restaurant on an "old school" blackboard. My personal preference is to "dine-in" and if I want takeout, I stick to "fast food" restaurants. Call me an "old school" diner any way you look at it.
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you're greeted with a "Please Wait to be Seated" sign and a black board that advertises desserts, and another board that lists daily specials. No worries, as you'll be seated immediately by a member of the friendly staff. The Columbia House Restaurant, I assume, is owned by next door Bella Union Restaurant, and co-located Angelo's Hall, as Bella Union Restaurant seemed to have a strong presence in the dining room, and on the menu.
Photo: The main dining room is pure rural "country," any way you look at it, and offers lots of table seating - with not a single booth - in a gold rush, historic atmosphere. Back in 1850, the town of Columbia was a viable option to be the capitol city of California, when the state was being formed, but lost out to Sacramento. Today, the "downtown" section of Columbia is a state park, but the town is alive and well, and is located near Sonora, the county seat of Tuolumne County. Mandy's Breakfast House is located in Columbia, about a half mile from The Columbia House Restaurant, and offers an amazing breakfast and lunch. Yep... I've enjoyed breakfast at Mandy's!
Photo: The restaurant offers a second dining room, separated from the main dining room by a low partition. Like the main dining room, it offers comfortable seating and an "old school" atmosphere.
Photo: The "House Specialties" section of the breakfast menu. After careful debate, I decided to dig for gold, and went for the "Gold Digger." Click on the image to view THE COMPLETE MENU.
Photo: My friendly hostess, Ashley, takes my breakfast order with a smile. Hmmm.... does the Apple Watch she's wearing really go with the period dress? Oh well... it's April 30, 2023!
Photo: After I placed my order, I had the chance to look around the restaurant, and check out the small bar, that serves mostly beer and wine. There is a modest selection of craft beer on tap, along with other brands of bottled beer in the cooler.
Photo: Friendly Ashley takes my dining neighbor's order. Since I "opened up" the restaurant at 08:00 in the morning, she was the only hostess working, but she provided super friendly and efficient service to everybody.
Photo: My neighbor at the table near to me pets "Gemma," the dog, who belongs to one of the gentlemen at the group seated at the large table. I asked my friendly hostess about Gemma, and she said Gemma is owned by one of the regulars that dines at the restaurant nearly every day. I loved the "Mayberry R.F.D." atmosphere at this fine restaurant!
Photo: My neighbor ordered a breakfast of New York steak, eggs and hashbrown potatoes, along with a side of bacon and breakfast sausage. This gentleman must have had quite an appetite on this Sunday morning!
Photo: Meet Ashley, my amazingly friendly hostess who brought my breakfast to me with a welcoming smile. Columbia is a historic mining town that dates from the California gold rush of 1849. At Columbia House Restaurant, the hospitality staff dresses in 1850's period fashion, to add to the rustic, historic ambiance of the restaurant, and the town of Columbia. I think the historic clothes also add a little "spice" to the amazing cuisine.
Photo: I'm a happy diner, as I'm digging for gold, as I get ready enjoy my "Gold Digger" breakfast. Thanks, Ashley, for taking the photo.
Photo: From the "House Specialties" section of the breakfast menu, I went with "Gold Digger," which truly seems to be a delicious and exclusive dish of this restaurant. ] The menu advertises he "Gold Digger" as, "Bacon, jalapeņo and cheddar waffle, with sausage gravy and two eggs." Naturally, the eggs are cooked to your liking, and I chose my eggs to be fried sunnyside up. My friendly hostess asked me if I wanted maple syrup on the side, as I declined, as the gravy was what I was after. This amazing breakfast began on a full-size waffle - made from scratch and perfectly grilled - which was cut into four squares. This was not your "mom's" waffle or the waffle you recall enjoying at the diner around the corner, as this waffle was infused with bacon, jalapeņo pepper and Cheddar cheese. This is a "Columbia unique" waffle! This delicious waffle definitely had a "Mexican" slant to it... The waffle was topped with a generous helping of thick, "country gravy" which added a total WOW factor to the breakfast. Think of thick, rich, in-house made country gravy with lots of chunky sausage and sprinkled with black pepper. And... this amazing breakfast of waffle and gravy was topped with two perfectly fried eggs, sunnyside up, as I ordered. The steak knife served with the breakfast was simply "window dressing" as the waffle was fork-tender. Alright, I confess that I added a sprinkle of salt to my eggs, along with a dash or two of black pepper. This was simply a delicious and unique breakfast and I loved every bite. The thought of a waffle topped with sausage gravy might sound a bit weird, but throw in the jalapeņo pepper and Cheddar cheese to the waffle, and you have a "griddle classic" breakfast, at The Columbia House Restaurant. The Columbia House Restaurant serves amazing "gold country" cuisine, served by friendly staff, in a historic and comfortable dining room. "Gold country" fine dining is alive and well at The Columbia House Restaurant, located in historic downtown Columbia, CA. The Columbia House Restaurant Copyright(c) 2023 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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