Tahoe Dining

Dining at Lake Tahoe

So-with over 120 restaurants in Lake Tahoe-what’s worth eating? Many of the restaurants around Lake Tahoe cater to the high-energy needs of skiers, hikers, and adventure-seekers. So, if you come seeking French fries and ice cream, you’ll find plenty of options. And if you’re hungry for something beyond the typical ski-town fare of burgers and beer-fear not-Lake Tahoe is the place to be. Good food awaits you. The trick is in knowing where to look.

Thanks to the multi-cultural influence of Californian cuisine, Lake Tahoe boasts a score of eating options: tasty breakfast cafés, gourmet health-food establishments, seafood restaurants, fresh-made Mexican food, classic American, fragrant curry, Italian food, Chinese, sushi, and romantic French cuisine … the list goes on. If the most die-hard athletes and the most figure-conscious celebrities all dine regularly at Lake Tahoe (and keep coming back!), chances are that most tourists can find something to satisfy their palate. Just look around and choose before you feast.

Breakfast Restaurants at Lake Tahoe

When outdoor adventure is calling, you can’t grab a coffee and a pastry and call it breakfast. Whether you’re hitting the slopes, the water, or the mountains-serious thrills start with serious fuel. But that doesn’t mean you can’t savor every mouthful.

You can wake up to an avocado and bacon omelet at the Red Hut Café, or head over to the Sawtooth Ridge Café, where they serve buckwheat pancakes, latkes and eggs, or quiche of the day. Blue Angel’s Café is a favorite breakfast spot, with zesty offerings like pesto scrambled eggs, fresh fruit salad, or Blue Angel’s famous lemon French toast. You can opt for tasty but healthy at Sprouts, where they offer a dozen fresh-squeezed juices, and an energizing breakfast bowl (brown rice, beans, steamed eggs, guacamole, and salsa).

Beacon Restaurant

  • Location: South Shore Lake Tahoe
  • Brunch offered weekends only, lunch and dinner 7 days a week
  • American cuisine
  • Entrée price range: $8-$34
  • Kids’ menu: Yes
  • Reservations: recommended
  • Address: Richardson’s Resort, 1900 South Lake Tahoe, CA
  • Phone: 530.541.0630

Blue Angel Café

  • Location: South Shore Lake Tahoe
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner (8 am - 8 pm). They also do weddings.
  • Pretty Californian café cuisine, with tasty items like lemon French toast and frittatas for breakfast, or Blackened Mahi Mahi fish tacos, Butternut Squash Ravioli, appetizing salads, and gourmet pizza for dinner
  • Entrée price range: $5-$8 (dinner menu up to $15)
  • Kids’ menu: Yes
  • Reservations: Not required
  • Address: 1132 Ski Run Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, CA
  • Phone: 530.544.6544
  • Website: www.blueangeltahoe.com

Ernie’s Coffee Shop

  • Location: South Shore Lake Tahoe
  • Breakfast and lunch 7 days a week
  • Coffee shop and American cuisine
  • Entrée price range: $8-$34
  • Kids’ menu: Yes
  • Reservations: No
  • Address: 1146 Emerald Bay Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA
  • Phone: 530.541.2161

Red Hut Café (1950’s style diner)

  • Location: South Shore Lake Tahoe
  • Breakfast and lunch, 7 days a week (6:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. daily)
  • American cuisine (waffles with fresh strawberries, eggs and bacon, etc.)
  • Entrée price range: $5-$10
  • Kids’ menu: Yes (Mickey Mouse pancakes, cheese sandwich, etc.)
  • Reservations: Not accepted/not required
  • 2 locations in South Lake Tahoe: Red Hut Café California: 2749 Hwy 50 -or- Red Hut Café Nevada: 227 Kingsbury Grade
  • Phone: (CA) 530-541-2749, or (NV) 775-588-7488

Sawtooth Ridge Café

  • Location: North and West Shores
  • Breakfast & lunch (6 am-3 pm daily)
  • Breakfast burritos, quiche, buckwheat pancakes, omelets, corned beef hash and eggs, and for lunch, various sandwiches, salads, and soups
  • Entrée price range: $7 -$10
  • Reservations: No
  • Address: 877 N. Lake Blvd., Tahoe City, CA
  • Phone: 530.583.2880

Wildflower Café

  • Location: East Shore
  • Breakfast & lunch (7:00 am - 2:30 pm M-Sat, shorter Sunday hours)
  • American breakfasts, Reuben sandwiches, burgers
  • Entrée price range: everything under $10
  • Address: 869 Tahoe Blvd./Hwy. 28, Incline Village, NV
  • Phone: 775.831.8072

Dinner Restaurants at Lake Tahoe

Dining options at Lake Tahoe are endless… from the famous fries at the Burger Lounge in South Lake Tahoe, to the trendy tofu chili at Freshies Restaurant & Bar. And from the Mediterranean all the way to the lobster bisque soup at the French Mirabelle Restaurant. Well chosen, Lake Tahoe’s dining can be as unique and memorable as the sapphire blue water of the lake itself.

If you’re looking for something special, go for Graham’s at Squaw Valley-the view of the 6 Squaw Valley peaks is almost as satisfying as the aromatic French-Californian cuisine.

Graham’s at Squaw Valley

  • Location: North and west shores area (Tahoe City area)
  • Dinner (6-10 pm)
  • Exquisite Californian cuisine, with Mediterranean influences, served in a historic building. Several roasted meats, including quail, bison, and duck, as well as aromatic pastas, fillet mignon, and fresh wild salmon and seafood. Unexpected items such as couscous dishes from Northern Africa. Revolving menu keeps customers coming back several times a week. Master chef Graham Rock trained in Southern France. Extensive wine list (over 800 fine wines). Picture windows overlook rolling lawns, forest, and views of the 6 mountain peaks in Squaw Valley. Grahams also does weddings and special events.
  • Entrée price range: $25-$35
  • Reservations: Accepted by phone; call ahead for daily menu
  • Address: 1650 Squaw Valley Road, Olympic Valley, CA 96146
  • Phone: 530.581.0454
  • Website: www.dinewine.com

Kalani’s

  • Location: South Lake Tahoe, at Heavenly Village, shop #26
  • Lunch and dinner
  • Seafood, Hawaiian food and Hawaiian-influenced American food. Fresh Hawaiian fish flown in daily, full-service sushi bar, salads, soups. “Island Style” BBQ, Curry lime Lobster Tail, Big Island Filet Mignon with sautéed Chinese broccoli and potato cakes. Interesting twists on traditional favorites, such as their sirloin burgers with Manoa Lettuce, Kula Tomato and Avocado.
  • “Heavenly Endings” dessert menu worth coming for by itself: including Coconut Crème Brûlée, chocolate volcano torte (flourless), Mango Cobbler, port, and dessert wines. 100% Hawaiian Coffee (blend of Molokai & Big Island Beans).
  • Entrée price range: $15-$30
  • Reservations: by phone or email: info@kalanis.com
  • Address: 1001 Heavenly Village Way, South Lake Tahoe, CA
  • Phone: 530.544.6100
  • Website: www.kalanis.com

KIT CARSON LODGE RESTAURANT

  • Location: Carson Pass area, at the Kit Carson Lodge
  • Dinner, brunch mid-June to early October. Champagne brunch on Sundays from 10:30 am to 1:30 pm.
  • Casual fine dining, relaxed lodge atmosphere. American style cuisine, (including health-conscious menu items) steak, and seafood. Indoor and outdoor tables. Great for guests who’d like to escape the crowds at Lake Tahoe.
  • Entrée price range: $$
  • Kids’ menu: no
  • Reservations: yes, recommended
  • Address: Hwy 88 @ Silver Lake, Kit Carson, CA
  • Phone: (209) 258-8500
  • Website: www.kitcarsonlodge.com

Mandarin Garden

  • Location: South Lake Tahoe
  • Lunch and dinner, 11:30 am-9 pm
  • Voted favorite Chinese food in Lake Tahoe.
  • Entrée price range: dinner $6-$12, lunch $6
  • Kids’ menu: no
  • Reservations: by phone, or walk-in
  • Address: 2502 Hwy. 50, South Lake Tahoe, CA
  • Phone: 530.544.8885

MIRABELLE FRENCH CUISINE

  • Location: South Shore Lake Tahoe
  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
  • French. Roast duck, fresh fish, and grilled flat iron steak. Epicurean Menu and wine menu. Try out the chocolate Amaretto Soufflé for two. Chef Camille Schwartz is native to Alsace Lorraine, France.
  • Entrée price range: $18-$31
  • Kids’ menu: No
  • Reservations: Yes.
  • Address: 290 Kingsbury Grade, Stateline, NV
  • Phone: (775) 586-1007
  • Website: www.mirabelletahoe.com

The Naked Fish

  • Location: South Lake Tahoe, on the main drag in town, on the corner of Hwy. 50 and Pioneer Trail
  • Sushi, pan seared Halibut, Glazed tiger shrimp, teriyaki, sashimi, tempura, and dozens of other items.
  • Entrée price range: $7-$21
  • Kids’ menu: Yes, 2 choices, $7-$8 each
  • Reservations: No
  • Address: 3940 Hwy. 50 #3, South Lake Tahoe, CA
  • Phone: 530.541.3474
  • Website: www.thenakedfish.com

Orchids Authentic Thai Food

  • Location: South Shore Lake Tahoe
  • Lunch, Dinner (11am-10pm, except Sundays, when they don’t open until 3 pm)
  • Southeast Asian food. 70 + menu items. Orchids doesn’t look promising from the exterior, but the food is excellent: pad Thai, papaya salad, and a rainbow of curry food.
  • Entrée price range: $5-$15
  • Kids’ menu: no
  • Reservations: not usually required; call ahead in busy seasons
  • Address: 2180 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
  • Phone: (530) 544-5541
  • Website: none

Rosie’s Café

  • Location: North and west shores area
  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner (happy hour after 3pm)
  • American cuisine, steak, and seafood (Swedish Oatmeal pancakes, Huevos Rancheros, biscuits and gravy, smoked salmon omelets, Caesar salad, Chicken Parmesan, Seafood, vegan entrees, prime rib on weekends)
  • Entrée price range: $7-$17
  • Kids’ menu: yes, lots to choose from
  • Reservations: Accepted
  • Address: 571 N. Lake Blvd., Tahoe City, CA
  • Phone: 530.583.8504
  • Website: www.rosiescafe.com

Taj Mahal Indian Cuisine

  • Location: South Lake Tahoe
  • Lunch buffet 11:30-3pm and dinner
  • Authentic Indian cuisine. Chefs are from Punjab, India.
  • Reservations: by phone, call 916.541.0017
  • Address: 3838 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, CA
  • Phone: (530) 541-6495

Wolf Creek Restaurant and Cutthroat Saloon

  • Location: Carson Pass area
  • Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bar (no breakfast Mon-Tues).
  • American cuisine, steak, and seafood, and a full service bar
  • Entrée price range: $7-$24
  • Kids’ menu: yes
  • Reservations: by phone
  • Address: 14830 Hwy 89, Markleeville, CA
  • Phone: 530.694.2150
  • Website: www.markleevilleusa.com

Villa Gigli

  • Location: Carson Pass area
  • Exclusive yet affordable Italian, served on a patio. Open for dinner, Sat & Sun nights May-October. Winter & spring wine tasting, 2-5 pm Sat & Sun, $5 per glass.
  • Fine Italian dining for $15 per person: pizza on Fridays, pastas Saturday and Sunday. Tuscan-born Chef Ruggero Gigli serves to a small group of 20 customers each evening. Art gallery onsite features works of co-owner Gina Gigli, including posters, cards, and masks.
  • Entrée price range: $15 (flat rate; wines and drinks additional)
  • Kids’ menu: no
  • Reservations: not accepted. Come early-doors open at 5:00 pm.
  • Address: 145 Hot Springs Rd., Markleeville, CA
  • Phone: 530.694.2253
  • Website: www.ruggerogigli.com