Mission Inn Restaurant

Sitting outside on the Mission Inn Restaurant's courtyard patio is one of my
favorite places to dine in the Inland Empire. Set in the center of the Spanish
tiled courtyard sits a weathered fountain of monkeys with water spewing
from their mouths and bits missing here and there. During the day the
tables are shaded by green and white canvas umbrellas, while heat lamps
are accommodating on colder days. The 100+ year old architecture
adorned with well established Boganvillas and little white lights make me
feel as if I'm in some European county. As if there wasn't enough here to
overwhelm the senses, every half hour the resonating sounds from the bell
tower elevates me like no other restaurant, especially at five-o'clock sharp
when all the bells ring melodically together. The Courtyard Patio took a Gold
Award for the third consecutive year for it's exceptional food, ambiance and
service. Although I enjoy change, updating their menu occasionally has it's
disappointments, leaving me woeful for their Wild Mushroom Ravioli which
was topped with an herb cream sauce and chervil and served with a perfect
white rice. Also went the Tempura Shrimp, an appetizer that was served
with a killer Thai oil for dipping. Tell them to bring it back! To start lunch or
dinner they serve a loaf of fresh baked and sliced french bread with sweet
butter. The Bruschetta Al Gamberti was a great choice for an appetizer with
shrimps marinated with lime juice, fresh basil, tossed, chopped Roma
tomatoes, garlic and olive oil, served on sliced baguette. They make an
excellent tomato based Tortilla Soup topped with shredded chicken and
topped with fresh avocado, crunchy tortilla strips and cheese. The Linguine
Gambero was perfect to linger over with a glass of wine, the pasta tender,
topped with asparagus spears, shiitake mushrooms, sauteed gulf shrimp
and a flavorful cognac cream sauce. The Salmone Alla Romano was
marinated in extra virgin olive oil, garlic and lemon and topped with capers
then served on a bed of rice, another excellent entree. The Penne con Fungi
E Gorgonzola was also flavorful with wild mushrooms, asparagus spears and
little grape tomatoes. For dessert, the Tiramisu was a bit too soggy for my
taste, but judging from their "Afternoon Tea" they make serve up some
yummy sweets. The Mission Inn Restaurant is open 7 days a week serving
breakfast from 6:30 to 10:00 a.m., lunch 11:30 to 2:00 p.m. and dinner 5:30
to 10:00 p.m. Also on Friday nights from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. I've heard
many rave reviews about their Sunday Brunch which is 9:00 a.m. to 2:00
p.m. and on Friday nights they have their all-you-can-eat "Spectacular
Seafood Buffet". The Mission Inn Restaurant is also open on Thanksgiving,
Christmas Day, New Years Eve and New Years Day with specialty menus. If
you can't spend the holidays with family this is next best thing. Better yet
bring the family here!

Located at 3649 Mission Inn Avenue in Riverside.

Telephone (951) 784-0300