The 411 on Six Eleven #
Address: 611 Escobar St.
Martinez, CA
Website: https://www.sixelevenmartinez.com/
Phone: 925-387-8808
The Vibe: Six Eleven is an American bistro in Martinez, housed in what looks like a former mansion. It is situated close to the Amtrak station on the Alhambra Creek coming in from the Carquinez Strait, a scenic locale!
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If you haven’t been, like I had not until this last summer, Martinez has a charming downtown area and Six Eleven fits right into its aesthetic. It feels like it’s from the early 20th century, but the menu has strong modern preferences, including farm-fresh ingredients and thoughtful concoctions. The dark-wood interiors create an inviting English pub feel. Six Eleven also boasts a lovely covered patio with heat lamps.
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The fare leans Italian, however, not English, though they also offer plenty of American standards to please groups with differing palates. I’ve been twice now, and I haven’t managed to try their pizzas yet, of which they offer 5+, ranging from classic margheritas and pepperoni to more adventurous toppings such as the Chicken Club with chicken, bacon, tomato, red onion, jalapeno, and a pesto cream sauce. Other options include pasta, salads, and sandwiches.
Don’t miss the cocktails, a few of which have earned Six Eleven a reputation for expert craftsmanship. Seasonal options are offered, too.
My Take on Six Eleven #
The Food: On my first visit, I had not had pasta in quite a while, a serious condition that needed addressing. Plus, I had just hiked at Carquinez Strait Regional Shoreline, so I earned myself extra carbs and felt no guilt ordering the lemon chicken piccata.
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It was heaven, if heaven means you’re craving that classic Italian combination of acidity and butter and it appears on a plate in front of you. The sauce was vibrant with lemon tartness, and the grilled, tender chicken breast cutlet satisfied with bursts of salt and sweetness from the capers and diced tomatoes. The linguine had a perfect al dente bite.
A friend joined me on my second trip, and we opted to share a few items. The arancini starter burst with flavor.
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Fontina and parmesan are packed into the risotto rice balls, their boldness oozing out with each bite. Does creamy chipotle dip make sense to serve with them? Not authentically, but who cares when you’re eating arancini as light and fluffy as these? That’s quite a feat to pull off with such rich ingredients. Recommended.
We found ourselves both craving short rib and shared two entrees featuring it. One was a daily special, a short rib sandwich with tangy slaw served on grilled garlic bread.
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No, Six Eleven is not a restaurant to eat at if you’re afraid of calories. 😄 The short rib tasted great, and I enjoyed the slaw’s tang and boost of creaminess, though my friend scraped off the slaw. She relished the garlic bread as sandwich bread, though! Six Eleven may have inspired some at-home experimentation with that call.
We also upgraded to garlic fries, and wow, the garlic was plentiful! Be forewarned that you’re committing to fragrant breath if you opt for it.
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Our second dish is regularly on Six Eleven’s menu: braised short rib pappardelle. It’s served with a marinara sauce, Grana Padano cheese, and parsley. Once again, Six Eleven’s prowess with Italian cooking techniques came through. The pasta and sauce were beautifully flavored and prepared. Marinara and short rib can sometimes be too rich in combination for me, but I wanted more of this dish.
The Drinks: Six Eleven has had two “award-winning” cocktails on their specialty list when I’ve visited, though I’m unsure what award they’ve won. The Plant Mom is one, made with vodka, lemon juice, limoncello, cherry bitters, fresh mint, egg whites, and a rosemary-rose-lavender syrup. That’s a lot to pack into one drink!
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And the Plant Mom does so masterfully. I’d give it an award of my own for each sip of its smooth, elegant blend that hinted of herbaceous and floral flavors.
On my second visit, the Pecan Sandra was an unusual choice for me to start a meal with, as it’s solidly on the dessert side of cocktails. But I wanted just one drink, and the ingredient list assured me this was one I couldn’t miss: brown butter fat-washed bourbon, lemon juice, pecan syrup, black walnut bitters, chocolate bitters, and candied pecans.
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It was as rich and luscious as you’d expect from those ingredients. And filling! My friend had a sweeter seasonal drink that neither of us can remember the name of, but it sure did look pretty.
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Would I Go Back? I’m looking forward to it, though I’m not exactly in Martinez often—these were my first two times there! I should give other restaurants there a fair shake, but Six Eleven’s cocktail and Italian prowess is hard to resist. Not to mention the relaxing atmosphere … and I haven’t even tried the pizza yet.
Visited in August and November 2025.
