Still Life Cafe in Independence

Excellent food and always consistent. All their ingredients are fresh and high-quality.For an excellent dining experience, be patient as everything is prepared to order. Call before you go and enjoy. Bon appetit!

Wonderful cafe! We always stop in when in the area. I recall one particularly delicious Easter meal with roasted rabbit....this restaurant is a true gem.

This is a family-operated restaurant. They manage to keep the place running AND serve good food. Support them!

An excellent human being serving excellent food in a lovely place, in the oddest place on earth to find such a gem. How does a Frenchman end up in such a place, and having done so why stay? I am glad he did, as I said a really nice guy.

The customer service is always prompt, lovely atmosphere, very nice staff members. Will visit here again when I arrive in the area.

Was only there for drinks. But the owner won us over with awesome conversation and friendliness.

Living with a French wife for 38 years, I really liked this place. Great food, slow service, grumpy server, 15 minutes to get a glass of water, I felt like I was back in Paris.......

Laid back diamond in the rough. French and everything that comes along with it. Relax and enjoy a meal you will be sure to remember if for atmosphere alone. Food is pretty good too.

One of the most special moments of a delightful trip to the Mojave with my husband, took us through Independence, CA and the doors of the Still Life Cafe. We loved the food ( we admittedly had been eating camp food and fast food for most of the week), and still talk fondly 2 years later about the chicken tagine. Go in with an open mind to try new things, don’t be in a hurry ( its completely family run and good things in life take time), and enjoy the ambience. We can’t wait to return this Fall!

I really loved their food. I always get excellent service there. The place is well organised and the workers are always super friendly. Will come visit again.

The food was delicious and I will definitely be going back there

Awesome place. Great food - like you would never expect. And Carlos the dog is really cool.

So good kind and friendly. Clean and classicly French.

Definitely a spot worth stopping by, the food is great and fresh, the cost is fair and it is regularly clean there. Great work.

I thought they were very sweet and the food was good! She apologized for the slight delay, but I had read the reviews, and they said don’t be in a rush! Its great to slow down and enjoy the meal and the company.

Waited 3 hours for sub-mediocre food and a fly in my beer. After a long hike in the mountains, I'd rather fast next time than eat here again.

Unwind from a long road trip day and transport yourself back to Old World friends charm. This place has a limited menu. How ever lite fresh fair is best when driving all day.

Tasty, good food. Very happy with the Nicoise (?) salad and Brie burger.However, service is atrociously stereotypically French: I sat talking to someone at a nearby table for fifteen minutes without being given a menu, and eventually I had to go ask the man tending the bar for one. This isn't the end of the world, at least not for me. But generally, if you want basic attention that would be a matter of course at any other restaurant, you'd better be prepared to make yourself heard.

Was driving by around lunchtime, found this place online and gave it a try. We weren't disappointed! Love the French style and atmosphere, along with the "French" dog. We ordered two burgers and both were delicious. Would come back here again.

6 visits-always great food! Small, but good wine selection.Yes, the owners are French-they care about the food--Ok, maybe a bit crazy, but you try to deliver Parisian quality food on the 395 highway. Every time, the food was perfect. Soup 100%, sausage special was great, salads have been fresh and lovingly made. They have always been gracious and fun to talk with. When there was time, the chef was conversational about the fare- VERY rare. I think you'll enjoy this little gem east of the sierras.

A lovely restaurant with good food. It's also the only restaurant left in town.

Tried this spot in the past with my friend and I am addicted since then. I enjoyed the excellent vibes and tasty food and beverages. Great work.

Don't go here if you're in a hurry. Excellent food.

Drove from palmdale ca, just for a good burger and found the best burger ever. Excellent customer service. Will be back for more even if it did take us 3 hrs to get there..

Absolutely a place worth visiting, the food is excellent and well prepared, the pricing is fair and it is always well organized here. Keep up the good work.

They serve large portions and for reasonable prices. welcoming owner. Never disappointing.

This spot is worth a visit. They have big portions for reasonable rates. Consistently well organized and with fantastic mood. Will come visit again.

Frustrated because I drove for an hour to come here the sign says closed so I call the lady and she said she has been trying to change the timea on Google maps. I told her how easy it was and she only needs a 12 to 25 year old that I could change the times if I knew what they were she apologized. However I'm stillhungry and there are no other options in this town I should have eaten in the town before inyokern there were lots of options. my suggestion to the business owner is to claim their business on Google maps or hire a digital expert any fifteen-year-old high school kid will do.

Been back many times. ..always great food and wonderful experience. Casual recommendation from local in the 90s has become a must stop on every trip.Sat with the owners several times and they are always welcoming and talented hostsAfter my first dinner I had to change my travel plans and spent several additional days enjoying the 395 guidebook recommend side trips.......and dinners at the still life.

The place is amazing and spacious, the meals was delightful and the prices were very fair. quickly, efficient service and very welcoming staff. Highly recommended.

I certainly enjoy their dishes and service, great location next to my home. The staff members are always nice. I highly recommend this place.

Tried this place once with a friend and I am hooked since then. I loved the excellent character and delicious dishes and drinks. 5 stars from me.

Absolutely a place worth stopping by, the food is great and well prepared, the prices are convenient and it is consistently clean in here. Highly recommended.

Food is great well worth the wait

One of my top favorite restaurants. I think about this place often.I remember one day a colleague was talking about a random restaurant that he likes to go to and I remember blurting with excitment "Still Life"?Realize that this place is about four hours away from where I live and I would definitely drive or ride there to eat.LOVE LOVE LOVE this place.Staff is great. food is great. Everyone is really really friendly. Love the art and the history all around.

If you are patient this place is incredible. Food is worth it. If not, you won't have a good time.

Great food! Service was a bit slow, but compensated for by the friendly and welcoming attitude. Worth going out of the way to stop here. Hours are unpredictable.

LOVE this place. Fabulous food, relax, and enjoy the experience, get off your phone and talk to the people around you. You will find they come from everywhere and have stories to tell. Your food will come when it’s good and ready. You may want to bring a deck of cards.

Stopped in just to get the French Onion soup. Interesting place. Interesting owners. The French Onion soup is the real deal. Loved it. I will come back the next time I am in the area.

Pricey but great people

This is a wonderful place, albeit a bit of a drive from the main metro areas of California. We stopped for lunch only so we didn't get to sample much, but the onion soup and the pine nut salad were both very good, excellent in face.The francophone staff were efficient and helpful. The walls are covered with still lifes, as the name of the place would suggest. Worth a visit if you are in the area.

I really love their food and service, great location close to my house. The workers are always kind. Will visit here again.

We came to this spot for lunch. This place was recommended to us by a friend. Well, it was very successful. The staff welcomed us with a smile and we felt good. The meal was tasty. We had a great time and we shall absolutely come back again. Keep it up.

The food is decent, a little expensive. The people waiting on you at this family owned place are very nice, but service is quite slow. I do appreciate that it’s the best (and only) place in town to get a nice meal.

Certainly a spot worth trying, the food is good and fresh, the cost is fair and it is constantly neat there. Keep it up.

Cool atmosphere, but the food is lacking. For a French restaurant, the menu is heavy on burgers (with dry buns) and light on anything French. No dessert menu, and the espresso tasted like the beans were burned and the brew was hasty - it had very little flavor.After being in Independence for four days and walking past the “closed” sign every day, I was eager to try this place when it was finally open. Unfortunately it was the day before Mother’s Day, so perhaps in preparation for the next day’s specials, Still Life didn’t put its best foot forward. All the same, it’s unlikely that I’d go back.

Be prepared to step into another world... do not be in an American rush. Enjoy the art, the smells, the conversation-- BE PREPARED TO MAKE CONVERSATION WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS. It's okay to walk up to the bar to order your drink. Be kind and delicious food will come. Still Life is there to give us more than a dinner.

A ok stop for lunch. The customer service is great but the food is a bit pricey for what you receive. The menu is limited. It might be a better stop for dinner with some beer.

A great surprise. Laid back dining, jazz or classical always playing, and a friendly dog to greet you. Nice selection of beer. Food can be hit or miss. If you order a basic burger, you get nothing fancy. If you order something nicer or more adventurous, the chef seemingly rewards you. Salmon burger and French onion soup where great. If you like a pale ale, you must try Death Valley pale ale. Not easily found, and absolutely delicious. And if you decide to order the "special" they may offer you while there, it may be wise to ask the price. Most items are in the $15-$20 neighborhood for a nice meal, whereas the off menu special may be over $30. Not saying it's not worth it, just be aware.