Redwood Palace, Miranda

There is a particular kind of hunger that comes from spending a morning among the redwoods. It is not the sharp, urgent hunger of exertion — the Avenue of the Giants is flat, its trails easy — but something slower and more contemplative. The scale of the forest produces a kind of stillness that follows you back to the car, and by midday you want food that matches the setting: honest, generous, and without pretension.

Redwood Palace delivers exactly that.

The Setting

The restaurant sits at 6735 Avenue of the Giants in Miranda, roughly at the midpoint of the 31-mile route. The building is unpretentious — a roadside dining room that has been feeding travellers and locals for decades. The interior is warm and casual, with the kind of décor that accumulates rather than being designed. On warm days, the outdoor seating is the better choice.

The Food

The menu is built around the region's ranching heritage. Steaks are the main event, and the Redwood Palace Ribeye is the dish that earns the restaurant its reputation. It arrives thick-cut, well-seasoned, and cooked to order — the kind of steak that reminds you why the format exists. Order it medium-rare. Pair it with a local draft if you are not driving onward immediately.

Lunch is a simpler affair: burgers, sandwiches, and soups, all made with care and served in portions that acknowledge the appetite of someone who has been walking through ancient forests all morning.

Practical Notes

Reservations are recommended for dinner on summer weekends, when the Avenue sees its heaviest traffic. Lunch is generally walk-in friendly. The restaurant is the only reliable fuel stop for a proper meal on the Avenue itself — the next options are in Garberville to the south or Fortuna to the north.

Parking is ample in the lot directly off the Avenue.

The Stable Take

Redwood Palace is not a destination restaurant in the way that the Benbow Inn is. It is something more useful: a reliable, well-executed midday stop that lets you refuel without leaving the Avenue. The ribeye is genuinely good. The setting is honest. On a drive defined by humility before ancient things, that feels exactly right.