The Southern Sierra Restaurants

Most small towns in the Sierra Nevada have at least one restaurant. Standard American fare is the norm, but you'll also find sophisticated cuisine. With few exceptions, dress is casual. Local grocery stores and delis stock picnic fixings, good to have on hand should the opportunity for an impromptu meal under giant trees emerge.

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  • 1. South Gate Brewing Company

    $$

    Locals pack this family-friendly, industrial-chic restaurant to socialize and savor small-lot beers, crafted on-site, along with tasty meals. The creative pub fare runs a wide gamut, from thin-crust brick-oven pizzas to fish tacos, fish-and-chips, and vegan black-bean burgers.

    40233 Enterprise Dr., Oakhurst, California, 93644, USA
    559-692–2739

    Known For

    • Craft beer
    • House-made desserts
    • Live-music calendar

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
  • 2. The Warming Hut

    $$

    Warm up by a crackling fire in the stone fireplace while fueling up on healthy, made-from-scratch breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes at this ski-lodge-style eatery. The flexible menu allows for lots of choice, including a DIY breakfast with more than 20 mix-and-match items, five types of hash, keto selections, grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, burgers, and soups. Come for bingo on the third Tuesday of every month.

    343 Old Mammoth Rd., Mammoth Lakes, California, USA
    760-965–0549

    Known For

    • Nearly everything made in-house, including ketchup
    • Build-your-own pancake stack (batters, mix-ins, toppings)
    • Family-owned and -operated
  • 3. Black Velvet Coffee

    $

    Start your day the way scores of locals do—with a stop at the slick Black Velvet espresso bar for Belgian waffles, baked treats, and coffee drinks made from small batches of beans roasted on-site. Then return in the afternoon to hang out in the upstairs wine bar (open 3 to 6) where tastings are offered Thursday–Sunday ($25). It's also a great place to come for a steamy cup of organic tea or to grab a craft beer and log onto the free Wi-Fi.

    3343 Main St., California, 93546, USA

    Known For

    • Small-batch coffee roasting
    • Small-lot wines by the glass
    • Belgian waffles

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No dinner
  • 4. Epic Cafe

    $

    Hungry travelers and locals feast on fresh, healthy, cooked-to-order comfort food at this casual café at Lakeview Lodge, near the Tioga Road and Highway 395 junction. The menu changes daily, but you can count on items like waffles and frittatas for breakfast; paninis, sandwiches, salads, rice bowls, and soups for lunch; and three special dinner entrées, perhaps locally caught fish, chicken potpie, or braised short ribs.

    349 Lee Vining Ave., Lee Vining, California, 93541, USA
    760-648–8044

    Known For

    • Local and organic food sources
    • Cozy indoor dining room and garden patio
    • Fresh-baked scones, muffins, desserts, and other goodies

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. and Nov.–early May
  • 5. Mammoth Brewing Company

    $

    Brewing since 1995, this Village operation lures hungry patrons with 14 craft beers on tap, elevated grub from the on-site restaurant, tasting flights, a contemporary vibe at two spacious bar areas, and a beer garden. The dining menu changes constantly, but reflects a locals' twist on pub food with pork belly tacos, black-currant-and-goat-cheese flatbread, or house-made sweet-potato tots. The burgers, topped with smoked gouda and kale, keep those lines long during ski season, but it’s worth the wait. You can pass the time in the game room on the bottom floor, or watch a match on the top level framed with big-screen TVs.

    18 Lake Mary Rd., California, 93546, USA
    760-934–7141

    Known For

    • Craft beer made on-site
    • Upscale pub food
    • Popular après-ski hangout
  • Recommended Fodor’s Video

  • 6. Mono Cone

    $

    Get soft-serve ice cream, burgers, and fries at this hopping shack in the middle of Lee Vining, but be prepared to wait in line. There's some indoor seating, but unless the clouds are leaking, take your food to nearby (and quiet) Hess Park, whose views of Mono Lake make it one of the best picnic spots in eastern California. The park has a playground and tennis court, too.

    51508 U.S. 395, Lee Vining, California, 93541, USA
    760-647–6606

    Known For

    • Tasty milkshakes
    • Soft-serve ice-cream cones
    • 14 types of burgers, hot dogs, tacos

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed in winter
  • 7. Sierra Subs and Salads

    $

    This well-run sandwich joint satisfies carnivores and vegetarians alike with crispy-fresh ingredients prepared with panache. Depending on your preference, the centerpiece of the Bull's Eye sandwich, for instance, will be roast beef or a portobello mushroom; whichever you choose, the accompanying flavors—of ciabatta bread, horseradish-and-garlic mayonnaise, roasted red peppers, Havarti cheese, and spinach—will delight your palate.

    41651 Sierra Dr., Three Rivers, California, 93271, USA
    559-561–4810

    Known For

    • Many vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options
    • Weekly specials
    • Wi-Fi

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No dinner
  • 8. Toomey's

    $$

    A passionate baseball fan, chef Matt Toomey designed this casual space near the Village Gondola to resemble a dugout, and decorated it with baseball memorabilia. Swing by pre–outdoor adventure for coconut mascarpone pancakes or soft bagels topped with smoked trout and chipotle cream cheese. Later in the day, fill up on buffalo meat loaf, seafood jambalaya, or a New Zealand elk rack chop. You can also get a taste of Toomey’s at home: its signature seasoning is sold online. 

    6085 Minaret Rd., Mammoth Lakes, California, 93546, USA
    760-924–4408

    Known For

    • Lobster taquitos and fish tacos
    • Wild buffalo meat loaf
    • Coconut mascarpone pancakes

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