A great roadside cheese shop that you should definitely stop for.Great selection. They have great gift assortments of their cheeses if you are looking for a variety. Very reasonably priced. Helpful employees. Great picnic area. Peaceful. Great for families.This place had a deli so you can order sandwiches or they also have pre made sandwiches if you are in a hurry to get to eating...They also have artisan desserts, salami, crackers, and lots or merchandise.

Great selection of cheeses and crackers. Very peaceful area to sit and enjoy with your girlfriend. Besides cheese, they also have some tasty cookies. Enjoy the view while you eat!

Expensive, but thats too be expected for what it is. Most is local merchandise, but do double check there were some products we could get in regular stores cheaper. Its definitely a tourist stop. They used to do cheese tastings but have stopped due to vivid so you have to pick your cheese based on descriptions from staff. They also have a good counter for sandwiches, but again its closed, not sure if its covid related also? Clean bathrooms but you need a code from your receipt so no using them off your just stopping to look. Theres a pond and picnic tables outside of you want to just stop and relax for a bit.

Had a wonderful visit❣Great cheese and great wine selection too. Lovely picnic area to set and enjoy nature.

I wouldnt dream of passing by this cheese mecca without stopping to shop. Petite wheels of double- and triple-creme brie, with truffles, if you wish, Laura Chenel marinated goat cheese and all the good things to accompany a great cheese platter. Highly recommend!

This shop was a fun drive in the countryside of Petaluma. The cheese is made right there at the shop, so we bought some small varieties to take home. It was a little pricey, but I expected that. The staff was very friendly, and the location was beautiful. There were picnic tables outside near the lake and also in the meadow on the side of the property. A nice way to spend the day.

Everytime Im in Marin, I make sure to stop by this fabulous cheesery. A delightful assortment of Brie, Camembert, Goat, and other varieties is available, at reasonable prices. They run specials from time to time (I got 6 small wheels for $20 today!). The store offers a wealth of other products to create the perfect countryside picnic -- meats, crackers, wine, breads, and spreads. Well worth a visit and be sure to arrive hungry!

Good place for family. They require you purchase $50 to be able to use the picnic table. They dont accept you buy less than $50 and then go back there to purchase the remaining amount later (as in if you want to bring cheese home, for example). The restroom code is in the receipt of the purchase.

Cheese realy good, it is nice to be educated on new things

I’ve never been to the store, but I’ve been a big fan of the cheese dating back to when they used to call it Rouge et Noir. The Bree is terrific, but the Camembert is the best I’ve had.

If I can only buy all of the different kind of cheese, I will, but my luggage going back to my state is already full of souvenirs. I love cheese, not just the plain one. I love wine and olives and your store just answered that craving

Great place to taste cheese and eat it near the grassy pond. Grave a variety and take it with you.

Super clean, well organized, kitchen to make sandwiches etc. Limited hot beverages. Plenty of bread and cheese and meats and wine for picnic.

Been eating their cheese for more than 50 years. Love it still.

Great little spot. They had samples of some awesome cheeses, that we ended up buying. So good! The lady who was working was super nice. She was the only one there, but if she was helping you, and someone else needed help, she told them she would be right with them. At this point, most people would rush. She didnt. She still took the time to make sure all of our questions were answered. She treats her customers like they matter. AMAZING customer service! Thats hard to find.We got 5 cheeses that we love. Some crackers, and some awesome jelly! The lady working (I wish I had caught her name) even gave us a taste of some jelly I was going back and forth on. Sold! It was delicious! Oh, and lets not forget the amazing hunk of brie in a pastry! Cant wait to bake that guy. They have the most amazing stuff!They have sandwiches and chips, and drinks. Just outside, there are restrooms, and lots of benches, and a big pond full of ducks and geese. Its the perfect picnic stop. Just a nice, relaxing place to stop and grab some lunch, or snacks, and enjoy life.

Dont waste your precious time on this place. They are rude, pretentious, and otherwise unpleasant. My family and I took a road trip to Marin County because we love the sea food and countryside provided by the area. My brother loves cheese so we decided to make a detour and stop at Marin French. We had been on the road, in traffic, for several hours. We parked in their lot and my seventy year old mother remarked that she had to use the restroom, so I went inside the store to get a key. The only person working inside was a cashier who could only be described as a heavyset, short haired blonde with a angry scowl on her face, whose name I did not get. My request to use the facilities was met with contempt. She told me that I have to purchase something to receive a code for the bathroom door. I mentioned that we were there to shop and intending to spend a healthy amount of money in their store, once our basic human needs were met. I then asked if she could just give me a code so Mom could use the restroom while we shopped. Im still puzzled by her response. She told me that she has an emergency door code but she wasnt going to give it to me because she didnt believe that our situation was an emergency!?!? I totally get the need to keep vagrants and vagabonds out of your facilities for cleanliness and insurance reasons but to deny access to a clean, properly dressed, polite family is just simply foolish and rude. Congratulations not only did you lose a customer on that day but forever. We proceeded to your nearest competitor and spent a couple hundred dollars.

Highly recommend!! Beautiful grounds with a large pond and picnic tables. Staff is very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. They will serve you free samples of cheese until you cant handle anymore. We picked up several different varieties while we were there and they were all fabulous! They also have a small cafe shop with sandwiches and offer a good selection of wine and other cheese pairing goodies.

This place is 155 years old. Oldest cheese-maker in the West. Cute little shop in an original farm house, with beautiful grounds on both sides. They offer plenty of free samples of their many cheeses, many Brie varities. They also sell Wine, jams, many types of butter (peanut, almond, etc.) and other little gifts, as well as a sandwich counter. You can enjoy the cheese (they keep it refrigerated for those taking it home, and they keep some at room temperature for immediate consumption) on site either sitting in a shady park-like area, or sitting next to a beautiful pond. I was there on a Thursday around lunch, and there were many people there, but no lines or waiting at the counters. The chefs are constantly setting out different cheeses to sample. I bought 5 small Brie varieties for $20, a special they had going. Great cheese, great shop.

Such a magical little spot! Just beautiful, and they have such a fun selection in their shop. Wine, cheese, books, deli, accessories, candy, etc. Absolutely everything we got was delicious. Cant wait to go back and eat a sandwich by the pond.

Such a beautiful picnic spot for customers. The shop has their cheeses plus other cheese board goodies like nuts, jams, bread, and crackers. They were lacking on meat options though. If you want to use the bathroom you need to use your shop receipt which has a code for the lock. My favorite is their breakfast cheese.

Nice selection of local cheese.Lots of other dairy products, honey, specialty spreads and memorabilia

We have been going here for over 20 years! It is such a wonderful place to go because of the beautiful scenery and Serene calm atmosphere. Not to mention the outstanding food! It certainly is worth the drive over. The staff are always friendly and helpful and considerate!

The absolute best chill date spot, or just a place to peacefully enjoy cheese while you contemplate life on the edges of a tranquil pond.

The place was very beautiful and well maintained. One of the staff members was very friendly and courteous with us, teaching us all about the cheese process and recommending us cheeses that we might like as well. The cheese itself was delicious, but wasnt to my palette. The breakfast cheese is the way to go!

I am a tourist from Africa and have visited here twice. Great picnic spot for kids and adults. Cheese, especially the Brie, is delicious. Olives are good too. Definitely worth a visit!

No ice place and friendly staff. We expected free samples but none were offered. Nice restrooms.

Wonderful cheese made in house. Bucolic outdoor setting. Great retail store !

I LOVE the drive to get there, the romantic pond and picnic tables, and the friendliness of the staff. But, the main attraction is the cheese. Over the years they have expanded their varieties and today, my favorite is the truffle brie. They also had a special 6 for $20!They also have a deli, coffee, and pastries, too.Worth a trip and have been going there for 30 years!

An outstanding brie and honey, also the sandwiches are top notch..!!

Nice place to have a picnic, bring your own or stop at their shop for delicious cheeses, bread, sandwiches and wine.

Always worth a trip for a good deal on cheese, not much of a pond during the drought. Hope you guys stay open in these difficult times!

Great place to stop and get cheese. Not only do they offer their own cheese, but also other local creameries, crackers, sandwiches, accessories, and wine. Make sure to check out their clearance bin for amazing sales.

Just a lovely place to be and a spectacular place to snack!

So much fun! Excellent cheese.

Like goat cheese? Not me but wife loves it. Large assortment to choose from and friendly staff. Bring $$$.

Great place for a lunch! Cheese and sandwiches are wonderful.

Lovely little shop and creamery between Point Reyes and Petaluma. Come with an empty stomach, buy a couple of their soft french style cheeses, and treat yourself to a picnic next to their cute pond.The creamery sells everything you might need for a picnic in addition to cheese, including wine and sandwiches, or bring your own olives, cured meats, fruits, etc. to add to your newly purchased cheese stash. Picnic tables are limited to paying guests so buy something. Great way to brunch.

Great little stop off place to eat some cheese and sit by a small lake

Cute little place definitely make the stop. Just a FYI a couple of their cheeses you can find at a grocery store near you. Had mixed feelings when I found that out since I stocked up before I left Marin. 😆

Locally made cheeses. Would like to see more offerings of goat cheeses. But its strictly cows around there.

A really lovely relaxing place to spend time in nature. The cheese shop is not only full of cheeses to take home but also cold and delicious hot sandwiches. I recommend the rueben! There is a pond, ducks, green grass and picnic tables all set to a background of beautiful northern California hills.

Nothing special. Its a long drive just for a fancy grocery store.

Great selection of house made and local cheese. Extremely informative and helpful staff. The property is a beautiful site to enjoy the view as well.

Always a fun time coming out to have a picnic! We played catch and soccer on the grass! Fantastic cheese, fantastic people, fantastic views!

Bucolic pond with resident ducks. Excellent covid protocol.

I grew uo coming to this place all the time. I visited this past week and would have to say Im a little disappointed. I hadnt been in a while, and I was sad to see they stopped making several flavors of cheese. It seems they stick to like 3-5 flavors. Please, please bring back your garlic brie, your pesto brie, or even jalepeno brie. It seems this place caters to a different type of crowd than it did years ago. Breaks my heart

Lots of cheese choices and staff happy to let you taste. Good coffee.

Idyllic place to have a picnic. Can get great cheese, wine and snacks here, or go with a delicious hot sandwich.

I have found my forever relaxing place to enjoy great sandwich and cheeses, while my kid enjoys a stroll around the small pond feeding g the ducks while trying to catch crawl fishes with fam also my four legged child to relax as well.

Delicious affordable cheese and wine varieties in a picturesque setting. Kids love to sit at the picnic tables and watch the ducks in the pond while they sample goodies from the creamery. I definitely recommend visiting this creamery.

What a lovely, delicious afternoon. Tasty cheese, fresh, warm baguette with a nice pond to view. Treat yourself to this mini getaway.

Free cheese samples!.....tasty in-house, french-style cheese varieties and deli foods, take out drinks and a lively pond right outside to enjoy a picnic

Great place for a relaxing snack. Lots of good cheese & samples.

Must stop in the area. Amazing cheese. Great place to sit for a drink and a snack.

Best picnic place in the area. Cheese is great and theres a good wine selection as well

Wow, got outta there with some amazing cheese. And as you can see its beautiful. There is food and wine also.

Nice place for a picnic. We went on a Saturday and they were very understaffed. Difficult to taste the cheese and or make a purchase. But the cheese is delicious and they have a nice deli.

Quaint little place to stop. Would like to go back sometime for a lunch overlooking the pond.

Good spot for a picnic. Cheese is good when fresh.Fresh off the Boat, I used to buy imported French brie or camembert but these days I buy it from Marin French Cheese (when I’m not splurging on Cowgirl’s Mt. Tam, that is). Marin brie is not as fantabulous as Mt. Tam, but when it’s fresh it can give it a run for its money – especially considering it’s about half the price. Their triple-cream brie won the only gold medal at the World Cheese Awards in London in 2005 – this was a kind of the cheese-equivalent to the “bottle shock” of Napa wine back in the day. I’ve bought their brie and camembert several times and I’ve learned that it’s important to do a little prodding to ensure that it’s soft – that’s the way I like it, anyway. According to their site, buying it 6 weeks before the ‘Use By’ date is best for those who prefer it on the runny side. (Now I have to watch Monty Python’s Cheese Shop sketch!) Stopping by their creamery (on a snowy evening) is a nice way to see their whole cheese range and choose your desired level of maturity; Dark Moon, their newest ash-rinded brie, is getting awards and good reviews. Their store is not snazzy like a Sonoma winery – it could do with a re-organization, but it’s functional enough and the wine section is nicely laid out. The pond and picnic tables are very cute and make for a nice place to eat before or after a Pt. Reyes hike. It’s of historical interest too as oldest creamery in the US that’s still in operation – in 1865 their breakfast cheese was transported by steamboat to the SF docks where workers had it for breakfast, washed down with Steam Beer. Breakfast of Champions!For social and environmental impact I think Marin French Cheese deserves 4/5 “green stars.” No, it’s not made from organic milk (like Cowgirl’s Mt. Tam) but it is made from grass-fed Marin cows and they use vegetarian rennet. Jim Boyce bought the creamery back in 1998 and is credited with encouraging sustainable practices amongst the growing number of cheese makers in Marin. He was an environmentalist, an organic farmer, and built his own solar energy facility. Their sister creamery (Laura Chenel, who make goat cheese) was awarded LEED Gold status for energy efficiency - they get most of their power from solar and recycle all their water. The most common 8 oz. cheese rounds come wrapped in cellophane and then placed in a little wooden tray (made from poplar) and the whole thing is wrapped in thin plastic. I’m not sure that the tray and plastic wrap are needed really, but I usually find a good use for the wooden tray (e.g., plant saucer) and the cellophane that covers the cheese is biodegradable. And I agree with them (check out Cheese 101 on their site) that wrapping cheese in cling film or plastic is just nasty. At the store you can pick up cheese without the wooden tray and outer plastic wrap.

Fun place, loved it in the store

I was so happy to find this place. My grandma used to bring me here in the 70s! The grounds look pretty much the same. Nice place for a stop on your trip to the bay. Tasty delu, wine and great cheese. Lovely picnic grounds too.

Great to come out to the source and be able to taste their cheeses as well as utilize their beautiful picnic grounds. Great stop if youre in the area.

Sweet pond and picnic tables. Lovely setting. Fun cheeses and much more

Friendly,relaxing place to visit great cheeses to go with a great bottle of wine.

This place was great. They had amazing customer service, a great selection of cheese and it was all just so cute. My wife and I saw so many things on our vacation and she said making this random stop was her favorite.

I love this place. Its a great stop on the drive to Point Reyes, a good destination for a bike ride in the countryside, a perfect spot for a picnic, and their cheese is amazing.

They have the best cheese and three service made me feel like I was a regular and getting treated with a little extra attention. Say by the pond with my wife and are lunch, shared a nice glass of wine. Great romantic day. Six stars if I could give them a bonus

Best cheesecake Ive ever had

Great grill cheese sandwich and cheeses..

The place and stuff is grate as well as the chess

Go here!!! Great cheese and get a bottle of wine to go with the cheese. Enjoy the outdoor.eating area with peaceful views

They have decided to price gouge the public . If you buy $45 in products then you can use a picnic table. Otherwise you are not welcome in their picnic area. My family has been coming here since 1970s when it was featured in Sunset Magazine. We made it a family tradition & now my adult children bring their families to continue the tradition. Not anymore. The French cheese is good but not $45 worth.

Excellent discovery on the way to Point Reyes National Seashore.. awesome selection of French cheeses.. specialty Bries are their forte. They also have a delicious assortment of sandwiches in their deli case...perfect for your picnic at the beach...

If in Marin County this is a MUST for any cheese lover. There are always amazing varieties in store that arent available elsewhere. The staff is always helpful.

Fond memories of this place growing up...love all the cheese!

Loved the truffle and camembert cheeses. Great place for a picnic

Awesome place to hang out for a while.

A great place, very Scenic and peaceful

Awesome grounds wonderful place for picnic cant beat the cheese and the addition of hot sandwiches and food is great

A great place to just take a break and social distance

Many, many different types of cheese and a nice cafe. There is also a pretty lake right outside the factory.

I did a mail order through online and called them to discuss it they were very helpful and got the package out on time to receive fresh cheese.

Cheese samples....nice to try before you buy! Bring (or purchase there) fixings and eat in the peaceful surroundings with outside tables, shade too!

Awesome people, many travelers passing thru...excellent cheese, wine and sandwiches. Outside fishing on beautiful lake..on your way to hwy.1, the ocean😀

Beautiful drive to get there. Gorgeous property! Very friendly, and knowledgeable staff that are happy to assist and educate. Prices are very high though for single parents or anyone.

Fun and unique place to visit. Also has a small lake to sit and eat.

Such a beautiful place for a little picnic on the bike ride through town! Sat by the pond and had an amazing sandwich from here. Would definitely recommend to anybody that wants a bite to eat, some fresh honey or cheese they got it!

Nice place for lunch, beautiful pond and delicious cheese!

With over 100 years of cheese making experience, this place is a real gem. Beautiful picnic grounds make it an idyllic way station for travelers. Do yourself a favor and drop in for cheese tasting and enjoy the lovely ducks gliding across the pond. A Marin county treasure. And the Laura Chenel goat cheese from Sonoma county is delicious too!

Cheese is just ok but setting is very nice for picnic

Absolutely love this place. Aside from having some of the best cheeses in the area, its a beautiful premise. They have picnic areas and a pond with great views of the country. The store also has lots of stuff, not just cheese. Its definitely a must when in the area. All of their cheeses are absolutely delicious and they have samples out for just about everything.

Beautiful pond in the Cheese Factory.

Beautiful place to stop on your way to or from the bay.

Good stop, great location. Love the cheese, and meat selections. The deli is now complemented by a full service restaurant and deli. Drinks are cold, coffees hot. The picnic tables by the pond are awesome on a warm spring day. We love to watch the ducks while we enjoy our own meal

Best creamery in the area.Their bries, schloss, and truffle brie are hard to beat. Get a bottle of wine and a box of crackers and sit on one of their picnic benches for an inpromptu lunch or dinner.....

Alot of cheese choices

I love their cheese. Ive gone here since I was a kid, but it never gets old. Nowadays I stop here on the way out to the beach to grab some sandwiches and brie. Sometimes I just sit by the pond and chow down on a baguette and their Truffle Brie, you can find a good bit of smalls on sale all the time. They also have a variety of crafted condiments and honey that I very much enjoy. Awesome staff too.

Mostly brie, not my favorite cheese

First off we both like cheese. Secondly there was a wonderful variety of Brie cheese cheeses to sample. Thirdly there was a wonderful pond with geese and picnic area to enjoy The View with. We were traveling and found it to be a wonderful place take a break from driving and to enjoy a picnic lunch

Great cheese.