The worn-out 1960’s-era golf course watering hole at Hidden Valley Lake has been totally transformed into a stylish destination restaurant and event center

^{Photos courtesy of Greenview Bar & Grill}

Tucked into a quiet corner of an even quieter county, Hidden Valley Lake is a fairly off-the-radar community, and residents generally like it that way. The self-contained gated community sits in Lake County’s idyllic Coyote Valley, and has almost everything residents could want: a golf course, a community center, a pool, a lake, a marina, horse stables, tennis courts, a park, grocery stores…the list goes on. But what it didn’t have until recently was an upscale restaurant. For that, residents had to travel to Middletown, Kelseyville or beyond.

With the complete transformation of Greenview Bar & Grill, Hidden Valley Lake now has a stylish destination restaurant and event center that draws patrons from all over the region.

Greenview previously functioned primarily as a golf course clubhouse eatery and watering hole. The food and drinks were good but not memorable, and the funky old 1960s-era decor was outdated and tired. Things started to change in 2018 with the hiring of a culinary director, who added some flair to the menu and wine list, and started to change the restaurant’s profile from “golf course snack spot” to “culinary hotspot.”

Although the first phase of the transformation was largely successful, the association ultimately decided that to become a true dining and function destination, the community needed an entirely new facility.

The journey to get there was long and sometimes contentious, but resulted in the construction of a brand new building. Started in early 2022 and completed in February 2023, the new 12,000-square-foot structure encompasses the reborn Greenview Bar & Grill, as well as the Greenview Banquet & Event Center.

“Back in the day, we had ‘the Country Club’ up on the hill, and that’s where we would do our special events,” said Teresa Cook-Jackson, Food and Beverage Director of the Hidden Valley Lake Association, and longtime resident of the community. “But that got torn down years ago, and there was no real banqueting facility anymore. So the idea when they built this new facility was to put it all in one place.”

One huge central kitchen, led by culinary manager Jon Fallon and kitchen manager Mayra Nava, now serves both the restaurant and catered events. The restaurant menu features a mix of gourmet
sandwiches, burgers and pizzas (a house specialty), surf-and-turf selections like pan-seared salmon with vegetable couscous pilaf and steak frites with sauteed baby spinach and rosemary demi glace, and beautifully plated desserts. The menu changes not only with the availability of seasonal ingredients, but also with the jam-packed special event calendar: Taco Tuesdays, weekly prix fixe dinners, and occasional winemaker dinners all bring tempting new menu items. Then there are trivia nights, Monday night football, jukebox bingo, DJ karaoke, twilight couples golfer dinners, and the list goes on.

The bar’s list of beers and cocktails also changes with the seasons. At the moment, signature summer cocktails like the raspberry lemon drop are in high demand. The wine list, which previously was limited to local wines, is now more comprehensive and includes selections from around the U.S. and the world.

The transformation, along with savvy marketing and the packed weekly event calendar, has paid off in spades for Greenview, which has seen a big uptick in both diners and banquet bookings.

“Before, we were lucky if we had regulars coming to eat once a month,” Cook-Jackson said. “Now we’ve got people coming at least once a week.”

The banquet facility, which includes two private event spaces, can accommodate a total of 350 people (the public dining room can be converted to an additional event space). Each event space has an
outdoor patio area that overlooks lovely manicured lawns. Cook-Jackson said that it has quickly become the go-to spot for weddings, birthdays, and corporate functions.

“We’ve had a lot of variety in the type of banquets and organizations that are coming in,” she said. “We’ve had some beautiful weddings, events by Sutter Health and Adventist Health, and even an Army Reserves ceremony. We’ve had people from as far as Lakeport and even Santa Rosa book weddings here. They’re finding a little bit more value here, not to mention it’s really pretty!”

The restaurant and banquet areas are not the only things going on in the new building: There’s also a new golf shop, new office space for staff, stylish public seating areas with walls lined with works by local artists, and a brand new parking lot. Most of the interior design work was done by Tyra LaMar, a resident of the community since 2012.

The building overlooks an expansive lawn area where outdoor events have really ramped up, primarily during spring, summer and fall. A monthly live music series takes place on a portable stage, and canopies and tables are set up so guests can picnic alfresco in comfort while listening to local performers.

Cook-Jackson, who started as the F&B director in November 2023, is thrilled with the success of the new facility, but has no plans to stop innovating.

“We’ve been moving at a rapid speed since I took on my role, but we’re going to continue to do more,” she said. “For example, we’re going to start focusing on romanticizing the dining room just a bit more for dinner service, to create a different ambiance in there for couples on a ‘date night.’ We want to have a little something for everyone.”

^{Greenview Bar & Grill and Greenview Banquet & Event Center are open to the public and located at 19210 Hartmann Road in Hidden Valley Lake. For more information, call (707) 987-3146 or visit greenviewbarandgrill.com}