Loved the grilled cheese and salad special offered all weekend. Had it Sat and Sun after working early morning shift in mill valley. Loved it so much invited a friend to join me for it monday. Really laid back and friendly staff. Some of the surrounding places tend to put on typical M.V. attitude but not depot.

Awesome food&music, great people and a seriously well-stocked bookstore. Best café in Marin. Go check it out!

Love this place. Owned by a local family. Always get the special. Prosecco on the secret menu. Coffee is terrific. Staff goes above and beyond. Don't have to mortgage your home to have a beautiful meal. Wifi for people who are tired of working from home alone. Also, books! This is the only bookstore downtown. Please support them.

With cookie cutter coffee shops popping up over the city it's nice to have something that stands apart from the rest. The history, the ambiance and even more so these days the food, coffee and wine all make for an exceptional experience. Time slips away as you watch people about the square. Hands down a one of kind spot.

Always a pleasant to spend an hour just sitting outside with a coffee and a brownie or whatever your choice may be. The service is efficient, the quality of what they serve is excellent. The location at the centre of Mill Valley is perfect. Also the prices are very reasonable.

What a lovely outdoor seating area!

Great coffee and delicious food located right in the middle of the square downtown mill valley. The cafe is connected to a little bookstore. Easy parking with both indoor and outdoor seating.

Nice surroundings. Great place for friends to get together and catch up.

This place is absolutely adorable. One part "Friends" to one part nerdy bookworm store. Centrally located in Mill Valley's adorable little square. Stop in for a yummy treat or a hot cup of Joe while perusing the stacks. You won't be disappointed.

A little crowded on Friday nights, but great music! Burgers and tacos and beer and music!

Great little Café/Bookstore in this small village not very far from San Francisco. Good food, friendly staff. The Internet/Wifi is quite unreliable, so enjoy the moment, and don’t focus on your phone I guess.

I love this small But Mighty bookstore. I stop in whenever I'm in Mill Valley. Actually went there yesterday looking for Ursula Le Guin's book, No Time to Spare, and I was happily surprised that they had it! I also picked up a couple of great used books. They have a good selection of magazines. While you're there stop in the cafe and get a croissant and espresso and enjoy your new book at a bistro table out on the patio.

Wonderful little bookstore with a terrific cafe and outside dining, too. Located smack in the middle of Downtown MV- ( the few blocks that are considered 'downtown") Love to order coffee and desserts...Sunday NY times avail.

The original bus depot for Mill Valley and now the center of downtown. Hangout, have breakast, lunch or a coffee. A nearly perfect place for meeting friends over a bite to eat. Not the coolest coffee hangout in MV but there is something about going against the grain with regard to the crowds of people clamoring to be 'seen' across the street. It makes this place, more authentic and in fact, the coolest place to be. Also, free Wi-Fi.

Cool place; great atmosphere. Dank cold brew ☕️

Nice people nice food, France think about you guys

My wife and I had lunch: crispy chicken sandwich, chop salad and Chalk Hill Chardonnay. Delicious!

Really great food and seating areas

Only $14 for a delicious open face toasted NY bagel with cream cheese, capers, sliced tomato and red onion - what a great deal! This would easily be twice the price in the east bay. Great service and casual Sunday morning ambience - great fun to eavesdrop on the opinionated book store argument background noise punctuated by the espresso machine.

Italian soda & Chicken Noodle soup next to a warm, open fire🔥…the best in NorCal…right in the heart of Mill Valley ❤️

We love it here. The food is great, the bookstore is a real treat, and there is often music on the Square. What’s not to like?

Favorite place for a quiet peaceful breakfast in the heart of downtown mill Valley. Friendly staff too!

+2

Great place for a quick coffee or a relaxing experience indoors or out. Exotics not just good food and service but great history in and around this building.

I go here regularly. Staff are friendly. Food is middle of the road. Atmosphere is great. It's lively and buzzing. Music at the weekend is great. And the wine isn't expensive. Great outdoor area with fire pits

Great affordable community gathering spot. Small but wonderful bookstore. Dont miss! Free music on fridays and Saturday evenings with some terrific talent.

Super cute place in Mill Valley, a old fashion town square. I even saw the old mayor. Sitting there enjoying a drink you feel like you are in a quintessential slice of how life in America should be. The only small complaint was the chia was a little weak.

This place is completely on-top of their game for drinks, food, service, and atmosphere. I love coming here for the vibe, the excellent coffee, and sometimes, a really delicious lunch. Prices are good, and the people watching is excellent. There's always a seat to be found, and everyone working there is friendly. It's been like this for decades and decades and decades, and I love that.

Peaceful, got books, sandwiches, teas(my fav), coffee and then evenings are pleasant too.

A bookstore, cafe and coffee shop in one place… what else could you ask for!? When we visited there was live music out back, people dancing and having a blast, local families arriving with their kids in the bucket of their cargo bikes, good coffee brewing… we were pretty sure we were living in a utopian dream. Felt like a favorite community gathering point and quickly became one of ours!

We loved this place. Great for a late breakfast or brunch. Nice to sit outside and watch the world go by.

They should turn off and remove the tvs. No one ever watches them. The TVs are on and making noise that no one wants to hear. TVs in restaurants are an instant downgrading of atmosphere.

One of the best! Books, good food and drinks, great service, and it's in wonderful Mill Valley!

Great place to meet friends for an outside snack and frequently a bit of live music.

Great coffee, folks, and book selection what more could you wish for! It is on the pricey side but it is Mill Valley so 😊

Quiet little shop for quick and delicious food.

Solid food, nothing to get crazy about. But the atmosphere and service is top notch. The cafe has re-invigorated down town

Always a pleasure to meet up friends for breakfast or lunch. The best pastry in the town.

Great little cafe and coffee shop. There is also a small bookshop. I had a Porchetta Sandwich (one of 4 daily specials) and an IPA. Wife had the Avocado Toast, which was rich and flavorful. Challenging to eat without knife and fork. But that’s OK.

Excellent place to get some work done, I like the location, and good coffee.

Amazing cafe with great ambiance and friendly and fast service. There is ample seating inside with access to a bookstore. Plus, they have patio seating with fire to keep the customers warm.

Very chill brunch vibes! Loved the coffee and food.

The menu is strong and the people possessed a type of brilliance to their look. It's artsy; at times refreshing.

Cute little bookstore and coffee shop. Has oat milk options. Outdoor seating area is very cute with heaters for warmth, if you, like me, get caught biking in the pouring rain.

Really cool unique shop. Enjoy some great breakfast and coffee, then head over to the bookshop to browse and maybe pick up something to read.

+1

Matt zebroski

Great have and bookstore! Amazing coffee and food. Great service. Friendly.

vasileia sp

Lovely place in mill valley! We randomly went there and they happened to have a live that night :)

Steven Straus

The lunch I had here was amazingly delicious. I had the Mediterranean chicken plate . The chicken was cooked to perfection. The rice and the hummus was good too. I highly recommend this place. I give them 5 stars

Nellie Hughes

It's a bar where walls are covered in books you can enjoy...how have I never seen such an awesome idea in my 45 years?? Very cool place, the vibe and setting are 10/10. Wish I lived closer so I could enjoy it regularly.

Brittny Bottorff

Tasty salads, sandwiches, and breakfast fare. Easy to order at the counter. Lots of outdoor seating. The food is top notch, and the atmosphere is friendly, fun, and feels like a community in the heart of downtown Mill Valley.

Anton Piklyaev

Amazing atmosphere, food is 4.8/5 (I’d have my burger a little more spicy, but it’s a matter of taste). Their strawberry cheesecake was really soft and fluffy.

Claire Petersen

Amazing community space. Very open with large windows and a nice outdoor patio area with live music occasionally. (Don’t forget to tip musical artists!) 😊🎻☕️🍪

Richard P

Good food and a great beer selection. Really enjoyed the fried chicken sandwich and fries. The ice cream was delicious too. Sitting outside was so relaxing.

Harsh Gupta

Loved this place Tried the depot eggs and the Mediterranean gyro and they were really good Their coffee was amazing as well Would highly recommended going out for a walk to the redwoods around this cafe They is a hidden creeks which is 5 min walk from this place which is gorgeous

Armen Forget

Beautiful atmosphere, great food (it took me a while to realize they serve full hot meals and not just coffee + pastries). The ambiance inside and out is terrific. They also have live music and games in the evenings. The service is also excellent, the staff are always smiling and pleasant. Iconic part of Mill Valley. Couldn't recommend this place more.

Nicholas McNamara

Awesome spot right in the heart of downtown mill valley. The place combines a cafe / restaurant and a cute little book store with a highly curated selection of books. My last time here I only got coffee beverages. All of the coffee drinks were good. No complaints. But it’s nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing wrong with that. The food has been reliable, but nothing to travel from out of town for. Where the place really excels is the service and atmosphere. Staff are all very friendly and helpful. The place is situated right in the heart of downtown mill valley. It’s just a great spot to be. It feels like you’re literally in a valley full of trees. Air also always smells nice and fresh. Additionally, the place has great out door seating and it often has live music (see video clips). Another benefit is that it’s open latter than a lot of places in Mill Valley. For instance, today it was the only place open after 6pm in the area serving coffee. This is a spot I frequent - and will continue to do so.

+1

Nice meal, but the staff are not very friendly. With the outdoor seating, your food is overwhelmed by yellow jackets, making it impossible to eat.

The location is extremely convenient. The service is not so convenient. You wait in a line to order, and because this is a good and popular place, the line can be pretty long. After you order, they give you a number, but should you happen to sit outside there is no way to know if they are calling your number, so you have to get up and check from time to time to see if your food is ready. The food I had was solid. My boys liked the peppered bacon. I liked the tuna sandwich. The gluten free bread was in the top 1/3rd of gluten free bread I've had. The scrambled eggs were OK -- not quite salty enough in my opinion, and there are no salt & pepper shakers at the outdoor tables. My friend had some sort of cheesy eggy bagel concoction that looked great.

Some mornings are meant to grab a book or a newspaper and some breakfast, and to sit outside in the sunshiney plaza or the interior seats with the gorgeous windows at the Depot Cafe in downtown Mill Valley. With tasty breakfasts not overwhelmingly large, whether one is topping off an exhilarating morning or about to start some vigorous activity such as a hike or mountain bike ride, this is a great place to spend some time. Sipping delicious coffee while relishing the tranquility of the morning by oneself among the hubbub circulating around you is a delightful way to refresh oneself. Every time my husband and I are here from Corsica, we go to my old stomping ground and converse  over coffee in the convivial cafe atmosphere enjoying being a couple.

Very cool. Didn't get to try the coffee, but we met the author of Love Is Love and bought a signed copy for our toddler. Good selection of current and classic novels and trinkets. Small and quaint.

I have been going to The Depot since I was a kid. They have a great but unique menu selection. Great coffee drinks. Best place to sit outside and enjoy Mill Valley, and let the kids play in the square.

Busy little café with a tiny bookstore inside. You may not find some specific item but it may wake up and feed your literate mood. The tasty bakes and breakfast plates compliment the nice atmosphere. The terrasse is large and very enjoyable in the morning sun.

Dear Depot, We really love all the treats you make and your hot cocoa! And it’s so fun to play outside while eating! Thanks, 3 Little Happy Customers

Great place to hang out with great service and good food, but The Depot bookstore needs to be remodeled.It is an excellent location....in the heart of downtown Mill Valley, California!

Excellent vibe, heavenly croissant! Plenty of space to sit outside and inside.

I have been a patron for decades. When I sit outside I am transported to Europe. However, the wine selection is dreadful (as was the bean soup). I had been promised by the new savvy owners the wine selection would improve. I'm still waiting.

Good location and atmosphere. But please guys, don't call your chicken sandwich Banh Mi.

Nice little book store like we used to have in most towns. Good selection of books complemented by a traditional cafe.A place to browse and munch. Located Mill Valley's Town square.

Very nice vibe, great place for a comfort break ☕

+1

A great place to hang out. Located in the old Mill Valley rail station you can grab a coffee or search for a gift or book. Prepare to spend a few bucks, but you would expect nothing less if you are in Mill Valley.

Chappu III

I had fish tacos, it was a bit pricy but food was really good.

Jimena Reg

Nice place to have breakfast at Mid Valley downtown. The coffee space is really nice with outdoor seating and a cute little bookstore with good book selection. Food is good.

Town Traveller

Good food and fast service. Its nice to see this historic building be repurposed as a cafe and bookstore. They have a variety of choices of what to eat and drink. Seats are limited inside, but outside, there are more seats available. I order the one with eggs, bacon, and bread, the bacon is a bit overcooked.

+8

Nuria Seriñá

This place is very nice and has good ambience and sometimes live music. The bookstore is cute but small and expensive. The food is good but they don’t have a large variety for lunch or dinner. It is better for having coffee, a pastry or an appetizer

angie san.

Cute little coffee spot. We had the lemon blueberry cheesecake and cranberry tea.

+10

Pedro Vicente

It was BBQ day at The Depot, so we went for it. The ribs where on point and the sauce and red beans where not bad at all. The corn was cooked to perfection. The rib eye on the other side was just meh and not worth it. I don’t even know how to describe it but felt like a missed opportunity. They had Pliny so that is great! Plus the live music was just amazing.

Nina V

On a Monday morning there were couples grabbing a morning cup, friends catching up, retirees hanging out, collaboration meet-ups and laptop-focused singleton employees gathered at the cafe. The menu was inspiring and very reasonably priced for the Bay Area. The mocha was delicious as was the almond bear claw pastry. Love the high ceilings and bright and light environment here.

A seasoned establishment with welcoming indoor and outdoor seating. A friendly staff, though they could benefit from learning the differences between vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free. How only one person behind the counter knew what was vegan-friendly was surprising, and when we opted NOT to get the veggie burger since it wasn't vegan, the cashier said she could make it bun-less so it's gluten-free. A friendly hint to the cashier: Vegan <> gluten-free.

Lovely spot to grab coffee and a bite with a friend, but how about some vegan options? There are so many pastries, it wouldn't hurt one choice there! Even on the menu, it would be nice to see some inclusivity for people who want to respect our planet.

Ordered a cup of cappuccino and tiramisu to dine in. However, cash only rang up the coffee. Also, cashier asked "for here or to go". I already mentioned for dine-in. Cashier is not concentrating on her job and needs to retrained.

Michelle Blair

It's a small place in a touristy location, which i believe is its biggest draw. The food was trendy but just average in taste. Seating: expect to sit outside in the elements due to little indoor seating. Crochet tree decor is creative. Restrooms are either outside and around the building or possibly located inside in a different part of the building. I think if it had competition, it would have to step up its game. I know it's not a repeat dining location for us when we're in the area. Parking is limited and hard to find a spot.

+1

Horrible front counter service from the lady with the indistinguishable accent that is hard to understand. Food was too expensive and portions were not acceptable size.

Cashier is not friendly. He is not flexible with my order. Cannot make a milk tea that is cold or with ice. Offered the pitcher iced tea instead and just told me to add milk from the coffee station. Barista’s cappuccino is not good. The foam is too heavy (looks like from an electric milk frother). Also when my niece made an additional order for an omelette, the cashier made a sarcastic comment (not jokingly) “You didn’t have breakfast yet?” Location is superb. But will not go back there again.

Really nice location and vibe, very good. Unfortunately, my espresso was overextracted and extremely bitter. (I make espresso at home, so I have an idea of what it could be like.). It's a great location so I'll try it again someday.

1. The person taking the order was giggling straight on our face as we were discussing what to order more than she could tolerate 2. The drink came with chocolate sauce on the outside of the cup, my kids had chocolate sauce all over their hands & the car seats

For the 21 years the Depot was my favorite hangout for lunch, breakfast, coffee or visiting the plaza. While visiting I had a craving for one of their ham and white cheddar grilled sandwiches, and I was heartbroken to see the place virtually empty at 1pm, the choices truncated, ambivalent staff who couldn’t tell me if the tomatoes were local, greasy awful BLT (with TORTILLA chips? Since when did that go together?), paintings that used to line the walls gone. Tables filthy, etc. With a little research I found that new owners who took over approx 2 years ago have been at odds with the community over plans for this city-owned landmark. All I can say is that right now, the transition phase is horrid and I will never eat here again.

I'll update as of Jan 2018. No mystery as to why this place does a fraction of the business of the other 2 coffee shops here. (1) it is filthy. All 9 of the empty tables are dirty. The ones that are cleared have food on them. No one seems to be cleaning up. Service is abysmal. I asked a person working the bookstore counter what the wifi password was. She was more occupied eating her bagel. She wouldn't respond verbally but instead just pointed to the other edge of the counter making me walk over to read the easy password, "bookstore". The person working the 1 register for beverages and food was occupied buying a tshirt from someone who had walked up. Food looks blah and of course prices are at high end. $10 for an egg sandwich - no sides. Idiotic way of serving coffee. You order and they put your coffee down through an opening onto a counter that is out of your site when ordering. They put mine down in the midst of a bunch of old ladies who were reaching over it to grab condiments. I couldn't get to it for a few minutes. ----- prior review: 5 star location with outdoor seating on the main mv plaza. 1 star ordering with a ridiculous system that takes forever. 3 star food. Slightly overpriced - but so are most things in mv. 1 star bathroom that often has a long line. Especially a problem when your main business is coffee.

The location for this coffee shop is great, right in the centre of town. Staff are not trained in social graces. Asked for a spoon, a young man pointed out the cutlery to which I moved to get a spoon. A rather aggressive individual refused to let me access the spoons and instead pointed me in the direction of plastic cutlery which included a fork a napkin etc. Rather then using environmentally unsafe products I decided to withdraw and will ensure never to return to a rude and environmentally thoughtless establishment. As a visitor from overseas I was truly surprised to see Californian warmth and hospitality completely lacking in this establishment. Go across the street to Equator. They may be the better place for coffee......

Poor customer service. Employee at the register didn’t smile at me, didn’t greet me, didn’t welcome, didn’t appreciate me for my business. No warmth in the voice, no friendliness. It made me feel like I was inconveniencing the staff for my business. I don’t understand why. I’m a paying customer. I should be treated with warmth and appreciation. I will not come back to this place again.

Wow! Went way down hill! Had lunch today and the food and service were truly terrible. The service staff really messed up our order. But it was the manager, Victor, who made it so much worse. Didn’t care that there was a mistake, didn’t apologize until I really expressed how frustrating the experience was. Didn’t take care to right the error. Something happened to this restaurant and I hope it gets back on track. We asked for ketchup and were given a disgusting empty bottle. Asked for a second bottle - same, another empty disgusting bottle. Ordered the Hippie salad with chicken - greens were not fresh and chicken was chewy. The whole place has gone down hill. Sad cause I loved the location, quintessential MV. I hope the owners read this and fix it so we can enjoy it again in the future.

Clover Cicoletti

I went to the Depot for breakfast about a week ago, and it’s been heavy on my mind ever since. I ordered the most basic meal — an egg, toast, and bacon — but both the toast and bacon were burnt. For nearly $25, I expected better quality. It feels like the only reason this place stays busy is because of its location, not the food.