Smoke Door - Lake Tahoe Saryo

Excellently delicate.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Just finished up with the 6-dish tasting menu, and wow… just wow. From the extremely kind, accommodating, and generous staff to the amazingly creative and delicious dishes, I can’t imagine it being any better. Having read about Smoke Door in the past, we sort of stumbled upon it after trying another local restaurant that had no open tables, and while they don’t normally host children under 10 years old, they made an exception for us with our 3 year old. To top it off, they offered our daughter some of their ice cream, and even brought her own bowl of it along with our final course. Just a really great experience between the knowledge of the chefs and staff, and the truly thoughtful environment.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Smoke Door’s food is very interesting, earthy, and inspiring. We enjoyed most dishes in the 10 course menu, and the restaurant made our anniversary special with an extra dessert, music box, and note. The Smoke Door lemon sour cocktail is the best cocktail I’ve ever had. While the food, drinks, and general atmosphere were exceptional, there were some odd miscommunications about what we were eating and the ingredients that made up the dishes - three different wait staff provided different names of ingredients for at least two of the dishes. This left us feeling a bit whiplashed with our experience. Additionally, there was a 22% gratuity added to our bill which based on the communications of the dishes served, we we were disappointed by - this auto-gratuity was not disclosed in our Open Table reservation, when we were called to confirm the reservation, or upon arriving to the restaurant.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 3

Fantastic prefixed menu. The wagyu At stake and the smoked halibut were amazing.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My family did the 10 course tasting last night and every course was excellent and a few were just exceptional. The cooking is creative and the presentations were aesthetic. The amuse bouche was a lovely presentation of snacks. The sea weed was out of this world, the crispy pork belly bun was the best I’ve ever had, the wagyu beef with fresh grated wasabi, yuzu, and some salt that I don’t recall now was unforgettable. The two desserts are just mid blowing, especially the pineapple, yuzu, and rice ice cream. We all thought it didn’t sound like much but each of us thought this was one of the best desserts we’ve ever had. We highly recommend Smoke Door! One of our favorites in the Lake Tahoe area!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

If you live in Lake Tahoe and want to go to Japan, take a trip here. Try the delicious cocktails, avocado toast, and whatever else you want on the a la carte menu at the bar. The cauliflower and many other veggies are great. Wagyu depends on how it’s prepared during the season that you’re visiting. They also have Toto toilets.

They are also very relaxed and laid back and not typical fine dining vibes. They will answer any questions and anticipate your needs. Try it!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Flavor combinations were delicious and service was excellent

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great food, Wonderful service very attentive accomodating & friendly staff.
Highly recommend it.👍

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Definitely hype with no soul or flavor. Waste of money.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 2

Service: 1

Great dinner, great service. Food was beautiful presentation and very tasty. The rice is interesting and delicious. We had the 6 course and definitely would go back and try the 10 courses.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Beautiful spot right on the CA/NV line. Food was good, although they ignored the instructions we provided multiple times re: food restrictions. Service was good - waiters were nice - but the 10-course tasting was...so....slow. Took an hour to get 2 of the 10 courses and ended up being a 4 hour meal, which is OK, but just felt like there didn't need to be such a gap for relatively simple dishes. I would definitely go once...just not sure we'll be back.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 3

came here for lunch, not sure what I’m expecting but the food is mediocre at best from a chef from Tokyo, I thought it’s from an intern. Mary’s chicken is way too salty, spare rib is over cooked and the outside was charred. We waited for 45min for the first course to be served, and after almost finish our course, we were told one dish was missed by the system and it would take another 25minute to cook the dish. A huge disappointment about this place.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 4

Excellent service, unique and delicious offerings, pleasant and exclusive atmosphere. Really cool to sit at the counter and watch the kitchen. Interactions with all staff were professional, friendly, and welcoming.
Recommend and would return.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Visiting from New York, I had the pleasure of experiencing Smoke Door’s Japanese-inspired 10 course tasting menu, thanks to my friend who treated me, and what a treat it was! Each course was incredibly creative, absolutely delicious, and surprisingly filling. The quality of the seafood is truly top notch, and the attention to detail in both presentation and flavor was remarkable.

Service throughout the evening was impeccable!! gracious, knowledgeable, and perfectly paced. But what really stood out was the care and attentiveness beyond the meal itself. After we finished dinner around 10:30 PM, the parking lot was dark, and a group of about ten clearly intoxicated college-aged guys were loitering near my friend’s SUV. As two women traveling alone with a dog, we felt understandably uneasy. To our surprise and deep gratitude, the owner of Smoke Door noticed and immediately walked us to our car. He stayed with us until we were safely inside and made sure we drove off without issue.

That level of thoughtfulness and concern embodies the spirit of Japanese-inspired hospitality. It’s rare and deeply appreciated. I’m already planning to return next summer with my husband so he can enjoy this unforgettable dining experience as well.

Tip: Make a reservation early!!! Smoke Door is a gem worth planning ahead for!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My eyes have been opened. Truly amazing experience I will never forget.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5