50 Best American Restaurants near Carnelian Bay

“One of our favorite places“

“Such a gem! A must if you are in the area. The menu has a good variety of options for all tastes and you can go wrong with any of them. Highlights include the jimica tacos, bacon wrapped dates, and the chicken sliders. Atmosphere is okay but on the loud side so maybe not great for a first date.“

“The food is exceptional, try the Halibut, you will love it! Joey did a wonderful job and the entrire staff is very welcoming and helpful. Perfect place to kick back and have a delicious meal and/or a cocktail.“

“This was the most delicious and beautiful vegetarian restaurant meal we have ever had!! Compliments to the entire staff. We will definitely be back!!“

“One of the best restaurants I’ve ever experienced! The staff were amazing too!! Definitely tell all my friends that travel to Tahoe that this is a must try!!“

“The food was delicious! The coffee was amazing. And the service was excellent!!“

“One of the best restaurants in Lake Tahoe! We’ve been coming up to the lake for over 30 years. Many of the restaurants are overcrowded, overpriced and underwhelming. This place is outstanding. The service was impeccable, the heirloom tomatoes & fresh mozzarella salad was well presented and delicious- a new take on caprese. The halibut and the rack of lamb were top notch. And it was a lovely setting along the river. Can’t wait to go back for another truly memorable dining experience.“

“Another of our favorites when visiting the North shore of Lake Tahoe. Cozy, Cabin-ey feel, right on the golf course in the woods. The meals have been delightful, the wait staff does a great job with probably too many tables/customers. The bartender is knowledgeable and experienced. Lots of good wine info. We'll be back!“

“Amazing meal every time and owned by incredible people ❤️“

“Absolutely the most delicious perfectly prepared provisions you can get in Truckee!“

“Delightful place to eat!!!“

“Almost didn't walk in because the entrance didn't look very inviting. I took a chance and was happily surprised. Had an amazing omelet and when I requested extra crispy home fries, they delivered! The waiter was friendly and the service was fast. Food came out hot and delicious. I wish I lived in the area so I could return for more.“

“This restaurant is fantastic! Lukas was one of the best servers I have come across. They have unique and flavorful twists on traditional Scandinavian dishes. And the manager Jeff sources local foods. The ahi appetizer in cones was a recommendation from Jeff and did not disappoint. Our Schnitzel was fabulous and so was the elk pot pie. It was quiet at the time we happened to be there so we got to chat a bit. We learned that the owner’s daughter is the pastry chef so we had to try the cheesecake. Also delicious. It was just a great dining experience.“

“Greg is always willing to help out and answer questions - amazing service. If you live in the area you should be buying all your gear & parts here. If you don't live in the area you should still be buying all your gear & parts here!“

“Today was our fourth visit to Manzanita. Every visit here has been exceptional. The staff is amazing, some of the best service we have ever experienced. The food is always very fresh and full of flavor. The portions are great and the price is very reasonable considering its premium inside the Ritz. We love the overall warm, comfortable feel and ambiance of the dining room. Multiple beautiful fire places and a few different seating options for small or larger parties. A great place to bring the kids as well. I highly recommend giving Manzanita a try next time you’re in the area. You are sure to be impressed.“

“Best Cheese Burger I have ever had!“

“If you are looking for the locals spot, this is the place. Great food at a reasonable price. Not much more that a hungry human could ask for.“

“I ordered the hash browns and there was some ham in it, I’m a vegetarian so I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t eat my hash browns. Everything else was good but it’s important to keep meat out of non-meat dishes. Although, the staff was very nice and took it off the bill. Would recommend for breakfast.“

“The Sawyer is a lively and fun place to dine. Service is excellent. We had the beef stroganoff, portobello mushroom on brioche bun, cheesy loaf were all made to perfection. Yum! Special shout out to the cheesy loaf— we would go back just for that. It is that good! While the room was full of energy, the entire experience was relaxing and we got to enjoy our meal and have nice conversation. Our server did a great job! And we were never rushed. We had a wonderful night. We will be back!“

“Dog friendly , nice view of lake“

“This is a good place to stop and have lunch during your Northstar ski experience. However, I can't give it five stars because the prices are at least double the normal cost. That applies to everything sold here. Options for vegan or vegetarian guests are very limited. All that aside, it's a nice ski lodge, and the food is fine if you like burgers, fries, pizza, chicken tenders, etc. Lines are usually short, and the staff is friendly and helpful. It is clean and tidy.“

“You are paying for the outside scenery. It is truly beautiful. The service was attentive and met the owner who was very polite.

However, the food I had was very usual bar food. Wings tasted like cysco frozen wings. However, EVERYWHERE in incline seems to have same run of the mill food. Enjoyed their fries alot.

I would come here for a beer and the outside anytime.“

“Stopped by Cutthroat's Saloon for an after dinner drink and some dessert to bring back to the room. This establishment is located within the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe, so it makes for a very convenient spot to pick up food if you're staying at the hotel. The restaurant is due a refresh, but I will say that our carmel fudge sundae tonight was out of this world!“

“We had a large party, the patio was closed off, and Christian and Leticia set us up outside even though they were understaffed. They accommodated our requests and went above and beyond!! They are AMAZING and the restaurant is just as great!!“

“Always a favorite. From the moment you come in to meet Christina or Brook you know your evening is going to be fantastic. Janice Aron Britteny Carsten and Stephanie always do a great job I'm making you feel like you're the only one in there even though it's always very busy because the food is so good. Lynn is new, but she was not an exception to the great experience we have gotten used to. The views are also amazing.“

“Great place rode the gondola up from North Star village. Our server Max was amazing! Food was great, atmosphere amazing. Definitely good place after a long day of skiing kids loved it too. Drinks were amazing too. Don’t let the negative reviews scare you off. Definitely come here and enjoy good food, drinks and atmosphere. It’s pricy but it’s the Ritz sooooooo.

Kid-friendliness: My kids loved it. They also know how to behave in a nice restaurant.“

“Phenomenal. Brussel sprouts, fries, and the biscuits to start. Chicken thighs main: toughest decision I’ve made in a while but it was the right one. Top 5 dish I’ve ever had in my entire life, zero exaggeration. The chicken melts like butter and is complemented perfectly with the crunchy/savory potatoes below. If you’re looking for flavor, dine here. Thank you kindly.“

“Great Food and Service! Wow! Thank you!“

“Enjoyed a leisurely lunch here during the recent snowstorm - we'd had plans to hit the mountains but with everything closed due to the high winds and absolutely dumping snow we opted for a day in town.
Ended up here for a nice lunch with tasty food and some good cocktails.

The special was a pastrami chili that my partner enjoyed but said the cotija cheese was a bit salty for their taste- but it didn't stop them from devouring the whole bowl!
The Naan flying bird was fantastic - very flavorful with juicy chicken, bright tang of the pickled red onions and the salty flavor of the feta - i opted for no aioli on mine and it was still delectable.
The service was a bit slow so if you're in a hurry I wouldn't recommend but if you're alright with Tahoe Time you should be just fine enjoying a meal and drink here.

They also have some board games to play - a couple nearby had a spirited game of battleship going and it seems they encourage a good hang here.“

“I ordered the Swedish pancakes, absolutely delicious! Friendly staff, great service! I will return“

“I ate there and the burger and onion rings I had were awesome!“

“A must stop when in Truckee!!“

“Big kudos to Northstar and Zephyr Lodge! You're leading the way in reducing single-use plastic. I was so impressed to see that Zephyr Lodge has eliminated them. It's a fantastic example of how ski resorts can make a difference in protecting our precious mountain ecosystems. This makes me even happier to bring my family to Northstar.“

“We had a private party at this venue. The service was excellent and the food met our high standards. It took us a while to make the reservation because the place is not always open and it took us several messages before getting a call back. We agreed on the menu and beverages ahead of time. Everyone in our 20+ people group enjoyed the food and atmosphere.

Vegetarian options: When we reviewed the menu, it offered vegetarian options“

“Pleasant dining experience at Truckee Tavern. Central location in downtown Truckee, with a view of the train station and the surrounding downtown area. Fast and friendly food service, and the baked chicken was a very good dish to share. Parking can be hard to find in downtown Truckee, so be prepared to walk a bit (5-10 minutes).“

“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Staff was friendly and able to pivot quickly when a small meetup changed to a larger gathering.“

“Nice kick back good beers 🇺🇸🇺🇸“

“Excellent BBQ!! We will be back!!“

“I Went here on Thanksgiving and was able to get in and seated under five minutes which o was surprised by. The Service was fast and waiters and waitresses were friendly. We really enjoyed our Thanksgiving breakfast here and we will come back next year again for Thanksgiving breakfast“

“We had the most incredible experience at Sunnyside Restaurant Lodge for our wedding! Our guests who stayed in the rooms couldn’t stop raving about the exceptional quality of service and the delicious breakfast. Allie, our coordinator, was an absolute gem—super personable and fantastic at making game-time decisions, especially during our unforgettable blizzard wedding in May!

Chef Christian truly outdid himself with an entirely gluten-free menu that everyone could enjoy. The food was a hit with all our guests, and we loved that it catered to different dietary needs without compromising on flavor. If you're looking for a beautiful venue with a dedicated team and amazing food, look no further than Sunnyside! Highly recommend!“

“Southern fried chicken sandwich was great. Anja made our experience over-the-top. We learned of a pet loss as soon as we ordered. Her kindness and compassion are appreciated and will always be in our hearts. She is a beautiful soul ❤️“

“Exceptional! We made reservations for my boyfriend’s birthday. We got the price fixe menu and the wine pairings. Every single dish was fantastic and we learned a ton about the wine we were tasting.Wine pairing = 2.5-3 glasses of wine matched with the courses you choose. I wish there would have been more California wines on the menu (I’m biased!) but the wine did not disappoint.Price fixe menu = four choices with two special treats from the chef. Exceptional flavors and presentation.There were at least five different wait staff we interacted with, and the host, all lovely and helpful.Total cost of the meal including tip and tax came to $635.00 for the two of us. We spent about 2.5 hours dining at Trokay and most of the next day talking about it. Highly recommend for a special occasion.“

“This place was sooooo good! Amazing food, beers, and service.“

“I got the 1/2 tritip plate with coleslaw and rice with tortillas. Very tasty and fills you up. My daughter got the 1/2 chicken (which is literally half of a chicken) with coleslaw and rice with garlic bread and she brought half home. it was all tasty.“

“Although advertised on their website to be dog friendly, they are not. Saying there was an incident that caused them to no longer allow dogs on their outside patio. So we ordered to go and sat out in their picnic tables with a view of the lake. The server even brought the to go bags out to us“

“Great classic sports bar with tons of space. Drinks are well priced. Only had the wings but they were very good. The Truckee Style (teriyaki AND buffalo mixed, not half and half) were much better than I expected. Rest of the food looked good too.“

“Wow just wow (food wise this is not a review of casino itself) usually when i go to eat and see something with a single burger around 12$+ i just know I'm gonna be ripped off but no the burgers here we're genuinely good the price felt worth it, not to mention the Tacos were genuine Mexican tacos even my mother was surprised when she realized a white guy cooked them since he really captured the Mexican spirit in tacos and salsa overall u will be back when i visit reno“

“We enjoyed the outdoor dining and the weather was awesome. The staff was very friendly and helpful“

“Food was great - everything we had was good. Service was great - our server was really moving! Just know when you go that this is a bar, and really has a bar atmosphere, not a restaurant. If that’s what you’re looking for then this is the spot. But sitting outside with some questionable people milling around (some of the residents next to the place have an outside couch where they were smoking and drinking), having to listen to other rowdy guests, etc., changes the feel of the place.“