Hi Guys!
On a weekly, sometimes daily basis, I get asked from my followers if I can recommend places to eat in Tahoe for their upcoming vacation. I've lived here on and off since I was 7 so by now I feel like I have a pretty good idea of which places are good to eat. These places are all family friendly as well, which can sometimes be tough to find a spot where the kids will eat too without fussing. I hope you find this post helpful for your upcoming trip to gorgeous Lake Tahoe. It really is such an amazing place to visit.
This place is so adorable. Their white mocha is delicious and I usually don't like any coffee other than Starbucks. It's super cute inside with a super awesome variety of baked goods, as well as drinks to choose from right in front. They have a small menu but what they do offer sounds delicious and what we chose, was delicious. I had the turkey panini which came with a salad and Jay and the kids chose their meat & cheese platter. It came with blackberries, grapes, cranberries, buts, crackers, digestive biscuits, a few different cheeses, bacon wrapped dates and salami. Really good selection on the platter and super yummy. The kids loved eating here because they got to pick and choose what they wanted from the platter.
The garden section of this place is ADORABLE! It's like the secret garden, Lots of trees and a pathway with different seating sections so it feels very private and peaceful. It's just a super relaxing spot to grab lunch with a friend or enjoy a nice coffee outside. They also have really cool barrel table out front as well, so there is plenty of seating. We went at 12 and it wasn't too busy at all. Everyone in there is super nice and friendly too, which I think is important.
#2. Best View for Lunch or Dinner - The Beacon at Camp Richardson
The Beacon has such an amazing view. It's in Camp Richardson, which has biking trails, beaches and so much more, so it's a great place to go to in general if you're visiting. The restaurant sits right on the beach, so the view of the lake is absolutely gorgeous. You can bring all of your beach gear down to the lake for the day and have lunch here or dinner before you head back to your room. My favorite is the Almond Crusted Chicken. It's so delicious and has a slight curry flavor which isn't mentioned on the menu, so keep that in mind when ordering. They do have a kids menu as well. The Rum Runner is their most popular alcoholic drink. I've never had one, so I can't tell you if they are good but all my friends say they are amazing but a little sneak because they are so good. It will catch up with you real quick so be warned haha! This is also a great place to watch the sunset while enjoying a dinner with your date. It does get a little chilly in the evenings if you are sitting outside, so bring a sweater and be sure to reserve a spot if you want to sit outside, as it does fill up quickly. We like to sit inside right by the window because the kids stay war, but you still have a great view of the lake & marina.
This is the pier at Camp Richardson which is always a great place for a good photo.
#3. Best place to get English Classics - MacDuffs
This is the best place to go if you're craving Shepherd's Pie or Cottage Pie. Good ol' English classics. They are so delicious and very good sized portions. They also have amazing salads for lunch, you can see a peek of the lake if you sit outside and it's just an overall nice place to eat. The Farmer's Market Stone Fruit Salad is my favorite. It's huge and so good and everything is fresh from our local Farmer's Market. Jay likes the Wedge Salad pictured below.
#4. Best place to get ice cream - Camp Richardson Ice Cream Parlour
The line here can get a little out of hand. Any time after 1, the line is out the door, so be aware of what day and time that you are going. But if you can get it without waiting for a while, the scoops are HUGE and the ice cream is delicious. My favorite is the Pralines & Cream. It's so creamy. I recommend getting kids scoops because even those are gigantic. It's super affordable too. Phoenix had a shake, and Jay, Lily and I and kids scoops with mine on a waffle cone and it was $15. There are picnic tables on the side to sit at which is nice, because you'll be eating those scoops for a while.
Kids scoop on a waffle cone.
I had to include a unicorn somewhere in this post.....
#5. Best Breakfast & best milkshakes in town - Ernies
Ernies has been a family fave for years. I went to Ernies starting from the age of 7 and I keep going back. It's laid back, friendly, everyone knows us and it feels like you're going to see your friends when you eat there. The food is always good and everyone is always so nice. The chocolate milkshakes are the best in town. They give them to you with the leftovers in the metal container which is my favorite. The soups are always amazing. My favorites are the Lentil, Split Pea & Albondigas. Ernie's Special Burrito is super yummy and they have the best steak fries I've ever eaten. The kids love the Child's Breakfast Special. Ernie's opens at 6am and closes at 2pm so be sure to go there before then if you want to try them out. It's our favorite place to eat in Tahoe.
#6. Best Pizza - Grand Central Pizza
I've been going here since I was in highschool because they have a super affordable pizza slice special for lunch. So it was the place to go for a poor high school student lol. I also worked right next door at the Tanning Salon so this was my lunch most days in my younger years. Nowadays, it's the kids favorite thing to eat for dinner. They love the cheese and I love the BBQ chicken. It's the best pizza ever. They also have a nice salad bar and yummy fries as well.
#7. Best place to eat clean, fresh & organic & best smoothies - Sprouts
My second favorite place to eat in town and it's only second because we have kids and they are picky. They prefer Ernie's which is why that's our #1. But if it was just me, I would always pick Sprouts. It's flavorful, delicious, and just makes you happy. My favorites are the ATOM bagel and the Classic Burrito. Great choices for people who don't eat meat. They just remodeled and it looks so awesome in there, so be sure to give it a go for lunch. It's super close to the lake too. Parking can get a little busy on the weekends, at the prime eating hours, so keep that in mind. They also have amazing smoothies, that are fresh and not jamba juice tasting, if you catch my drift.
#8. Best Mexican Food - La Promesa
This is by far the best Mexican food in town. Their California Burrito is insane. It has french fries and steak in it and it's so good and so huge. One will feed me for lunch and dinner. That's all I ever get there so I can't comment on anything else but I do know that tons of people I used to work with at the marina near by ate there and everyone loved it. No matter what time or what day, if you go in or call to pick up it's always 10-15 minutes.
#9. Best Indian Food - Nikki's Chaat Cafe
I love Nikki's. It's like my go to when I want something amazing to pick up for dinner. The kids love the curry and so do we. Our favorite is the Butter Chicken. I get it mild for the kids and I and Jay gets it Medium. It comes with rice and you can get Naan Bread as well. They do also offer burgers and fries and other American food, incase you have a friend or children who don't like indian food. The owner is really nice. Very friendly and he's always there.
#10. Best Romantic Dinner & best desserts - Chart House
Chart House is my favorite place to go when I want to go out for a date or something special like my birthday or anniversary. It's a little pricey, quiet and snazzy. They have a salad bar that you can have as your meal or add to a meal. I get mine as my main meal. It's amazing. The cream they have for the strawberries is my favorite. They have some pasta salad in it, fruit and lots of varieties of salad. But the main thing I love them for is their desserts. The Hot Lava Cake is so rich and chocolatey. You have to order it 30 minutes ahead of time though, so don't forget! It's so worth getting. They also have the best key lime pie I've had. It's so good and saves really well for breakfast the next day hahaha! Jay is always happy with the steak. I got the chicken dish last time and it was amazing as well. We've never been disappointed when we've gone and they do have a kids menu. This is another restaurant, that if you get the right table, you have a gorgeous view of the lake and it's beautiful at sunset.
Ok guys. There's my favorites spots to eat in Tahoe. I hope it helps when you come to visit our gorgeous town. Please feel free to share this, if you do know someone who will be making a trip up here soon. I'd really appreciate it.
I want to give a shout out to Jay for some of these pictures on this post, as well as driving me all over the place today, to get these pictures. What a good hubby. Plus, he's looking mighty fine over on his Instagram today ladies.... HOT STUFF ALERT HERE!
I want to give a shout out to Jay for some of these pictures on this post, as well as driving me all over the place today, to get these pictures. What a good hubby. Plus, he's looking mighty fine over on his Instagram today ladies.... HOT STUFF ALERT HERE!
Thanks for reading!
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Sam
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