50 Best American Restaurants near Carnelian Bay

“One of our favorite places“

“Tapas style restaurant, so we tried several items - Bacon Wrapped Medjool Dates (favorite at the table!); Arugula Salad (mint was a delicious touch!); Lobster Sliders (lots of lobster!); Grilled Wild Alaskan Halibut Tacos (just scrumptious!).

This was actually a referral restaurant for us, and we were so happy to enjoy dinner there! Great food and drinks (Old Fashion and the Chocolate Martini)!

We’ll definitely eat at Bite again, whenever we get back to Lake Tahoe and Incline Village!“

“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!!“

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

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

“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.“

“Had a wonderful lunch with my friend yesterday! The food was so delicious, and our server (don't know his name...but he was tall with blond hair and glasses) was the BEST!!! 🤩“

“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!“

“Delightful place to eat!!!“

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

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

“Just had dinner and couldn’t be more pleased. From the moment we walked in with Kendra and Annie, the experience couldn’t be any better! We were fortunate to have Kira as our server and Merrin to help her, their service was fantastic. We enjoyed the tuna poke and the fried calamari. Thank you so much Keira, Merrin, Kendra, and Annie, much appreciated.“

“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.“

“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.“

“Phenomenal food, service, ambience and atmosphere. The menu changes and my favorite is the Tasting Menu. It is divine and I always feel like royalty when I go. 🍽️🧑🏽‍🍳👑🌊🌲“

“The best part of this restaurant is it's environment and it's dog friendliness. We always go with Ares our JRT and you often see other dogs, on the patio. Food is good too, but I actually like my own cooking of quality meat in general.“

“Best Cheese Burger I have ever had!“

“Greg is always super helpful and can order anything you need if not in stock“

“Dog friendly , nice view of lake“

“We sat on the porch with beautiful weather. Inside vibe is really cool also!
We had the mushroom tortelli and it was amazing. Savory but light. We are from bourbon country (KY) and had an old fashioned that was incredible! Owner was present greeting tables and so personable. Definitely recommend!“

“Mozzarella sticks and barbecue/medium wings were perfect and cheap compared to most restaurants and the entrees were great too. We had the $14.49 gyros, $22.99 fish and chips, and the $13.99 wagyu sliders (which tasted a tiny bit overcooked) but besides that all tasted great! Nice empty dog friendly outside patio by the creek with many picnic tables and a big table for 12. Service was very fast.“

“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.“

“Very good and creative Italian dishes. Service was excellent and thoughtful, decor was comfortable with soft green velvet booths. Seats near windows have good views of the mountains. We had eggplant parm and spaghetti bolognese with meat sauce plus split a mista salad. All were excellent. Wine a bit pricey, as are most places today. Overall a very comfortable and tasty experience in a relaxing setting.“

“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.“

“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 stopped to eat here before the fireworks at Commons beach on 4th of July and it was great. Awesome local vibe with good drink selection and classic American dishes. They had large TV’s with baseball on, so my son was happy. Parking was easy and the staff was friendly and kind!“

“Always a great experience at The Grille. Even given all the challenges associated with the pandemic, the service and food were top notch. Thank you to all the staff who are working so hard to provide customers with a great experience!“

“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.“

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

“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.“

“Beautiful dining room and bar area, with gorgeous views and window seating. Our servers were friendly and helpful and very knowledgeable about the food and sauces. The Chef made an incredible smoky blue corn appetizer served from a wooden smoking box. We shared a filet and fettuccine. The filet was amazing! Perfectly cooked and seasoned with a crusted exterior. The potatoes served with the filet were delicious. The fettuccine was flavorful and cooked very well. It melted in your mouth and the sauce was delicious. For dessert we shared a chocolate crème brûlée served with fresh fruit and a white chocolate ganache. Definitely a pricey dinner, but it was a wonderful dining experience for our anniversary!“

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

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

“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.“

“A must stop when in Truckee!!“

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

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

“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“

“This is my favorite restaurant in California. I’ve had there tasting menus twice, and each time it was a new, miraculous experience. Their food is exquisite, the service is nice, and the ambiance is as expected. It’s a hidden gem in truckee and if you have the time and money I’d highly recommend it. It is worth the price, without a doubt. I had a pine ice dish about 2 years ago as one of the dessert courses and it was like eating the best blue bird powder day ever, with a hint of cozy cabin glow.“

“Best patio in Lake Tahoe! It helps that the drinks and food are always fantastic. But also the service, we had a couple of little ones with us that ended up spilling a glass of water early in the meal. A complete accident but the manager reacted with urgency to get us dried off, a new glass of water and replaced the kids activity book before any tears were shed. Overall a great visit that we ended up going twice during our trip.“

“I don’t understand the lower ratings for this place. We had a great experience. Service was attentive and they were able to accommodate a special request. Menu had lots to offer and the food was delicious. Unlike some other restaurants at the resort, portions were generous. And Tipsy Tuesday offers 2 for 1 wine by the glass with generous pours. Please give them a try. You won’t be sorry!“

“We’re visiting from the Uk and can’t recommend Za’s enough. Amazing food, amazing view, amazing service, amazing food, amazing staff and amazing value. I can’t recommend this place enough, we loved it and the only negative is that we live a million miles away! Thank you for with a lovely experience xx“

“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“

“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“

“Nice kick back good beers 🇺🇸🇺🇸“

“Best experience over looking Truckee ! Sisters and I had a Wonderful and friendly experience ‘. Beautiful views and great food ! Sam our waiter was attentive and was there to make sure we were treated exceptionally well ! Thank you Sam for your friendly hospitality and wonderful service !💕“

“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.“

“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.“

“Excellent BBQ!! We will be back!!“