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    Basin Cafe

    4.3 (136 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    Basin Cafe Photos

    BASIN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Romantic
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Basin Cafe

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    Ginormous Burrito
    Adriana F.

    Mono Basin Cafe was such a pleasant surprise during our stop near Mono Lake. The café sits on top of a little hill right near the lodge area, and it has a really cozy, relaxed atmosphere that immediately makes you want to slow down and stay awhile. We went there both for dinner and breakfast, and one thing became very clear very quickly: the portions here are absolutely gigantic. We learned fast that sharing was the smartest strategy unless we planned to spend the rest of the day recovering from a food coma. The breakfast burrito deserves its own monument. No exaggeration, that thing could probably feed four people comfortably, and somehow it was also excellent. Huge and delicious is a dangerous combination. The night before, we had enchiladas that were also very good and satisfying after a long day of driving and exploring. The staff was friendly and helpful, and the whole place had an easygoing mountain-town charm. They also serve wine and beer, which made dinner even more enjoyable. One of the best parts of the café is the outdoor garden seating area. It is really lovely, peaceful, and has partial views toward Mono Lake, which makes the experience feel even more special. Overall, this place felt warm, relaxed, and genuinely welcoming. Great food, enormous portions, beautiful outdoor seating, and exactly the kind of spot you hope to find on a road trip.

    Cobb salad
    Jennifer N.

    We came here for dinner after camping in the Eastern Sierras for a week and were not disappointed! Service was friendly and professional especially for such a young staff--we were genuinely impressed. We ordered the country fried steak which came with grilled veg (asparagus, squash, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower) and potato wedges, and a Cobb salad. Great value for a small mountain town. We sat outside in the garden patio and enjoyed all birds flying past. Definitely recommend if you're ever in town.

    Beautiful outdoor seating area.

    We had wonderful service, HUGE portions, delicious food! We had the breakfast burrito, a breakfast sandwich on a , and yogurt parfaits for the kids. Everything was fresh, came quickly, and was very tasty! Indoor and outdoor seating. Outdoor seating has the vibes of a beautiful country Inn. Pine Trees, Blue Jays, and flower gardens. Clean restrooms and cute little items for purchase including fresh honey. Highly recommend this stop in the lovely Lee Vining.

    Tiffany T.

    This place is super cute. You order at the front then you find a table. We had the Philly cheesesteak and taco salad, both were good. I absolutely loved the outside seating. The service is friendly. You do clean up your table when you're done. Don't forget! Great spot to stop at! Unfortunately no dogs so I'm leaving that here just in case you wanted to bring your furry friends.

    Chicken
    Paola H.

    Omg. This was so yummy. The chicken fried chicken was A+! the potatoes were okay, I wish they were more cheesy but the star was absolutely the chicken. I was here 4th of July weekend but our service was still great and I loved eating in their beautiful outdoor patio. It was so magical.

    Rebecca M.

    Omg what's not to love about this super cute cafe with delicious food !! Everyone working there was super sweet,the inside was so cozy and clean, even the bathroom.. omg the outdoor front seating was AMAZING . 1st time here but not our last , so glad we came here . HIGHLY RECOMMEND . Thank you so much Basin Cafe

    Plenty of outside seating
    Colo C.

    Great little cafe in a little quiet town. Food was delicious and the location is serene

    Tri tip w/ macaroni salad
    Justin K.

    Basin cafe was such a welcome surprise! Definitely the spot to eat at Lee Vining. Friendly staff with a nice outdoor dining area. We stopped by after leaving Yosemite and had such a great experience. The tri tip sandwich was delicious and the tostada salad was perfect. The menu offered a lot more variety than one would expect, but the quality still exceeded expectations. Very unassuming spot that will deliver you a smile. Definitely worth a visit if you're passing through and need a bite. Would visit again!

    Menu
    Christie S.

    The food here was very overpriced, especially for what you get. Our salad and bbq chicken sandwich were each $20 and were bland. The cafe itself was very cute and their garden was lovely, but that doesn't make up for below average food.

    Ribs and elk burger in the back
    Juanna F.

    Went here for dinner with my husband and the food was solid and flavored well. The servers were friendly. My husband ordered an elk burger cooked medium rare with a side salad. I ordered the half ribs plate. The portions are huge but my husband and I finished all our food pretty quickly as we enjoyed both. The elk burger had an interesting taste since it was elk and not beef. It was slightly gamey but less gamey than lamb. It had onion rings in it and the overall flavor was really good with all the toppings in it. My ribs were sweet and also had an interesting marinade - blueberry and blackberry sauce. The ribs came with cheesy scalloped potatoes and vegetables. Yummy food and big portions.

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    4 days ago

    Mono burger at $22 is huge and very filling. Clean and open with outside seating under the trees.

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    Tierra Antigua Cafe

    Tierra Antigua Cafe

    5.0
    (17 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    My husband and I live in the East Bay and stopped in while on a camping trip. We ordered breakfast…read moreburritos that came with a SALSA... First, the staff and owner were incredibly warm and welcoming. Since we had our dog with us, we ate outside in a lovely little shaded courtyard. Then... I took my first bite of the burrito with the SALSA and immediately died and went to heaven. My husband and I both froze mid-bite and looked at each other in complete disbelief. This salsa, I swear, is magical. The burrito itself was fantastic, but this salsa? I can't even find the words. After I finished eating, I went back inside and asked for the owner. She came out from the kitchen, and I explained that I simply had to have more of this salsa. Unfortunately, she doesn't sell it in bulk yet. She kindly gave me a few to-go containers and said, "Yes, I'm working on getting it set up to sell to go." I asked what was in it, and although there was a bit of a language barrier, I gathered that it contains several unique peppers--some roasted, some fresh--and then, at the end, she added, "And... I also make it with love." I believe her. Kudos to this place. I literally just told my husband that we need to drive all the way back down here just for another burrito and this salsa!

    Beautiful patio! I've been here a few times. Great coffee, friendly staff and a great little patio…read moreto get some morning sun and people watch.

    Photos
    There she is, making my mocha frappe
    There she is, making my mocha frappe
    Drip Coffee and Strawbery Matcha Latte
    Drip Coffee and Strawbery Matcha Latte
    20 Oz. white chocolate mocha! BOMB!

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    20 Oz. white chocolate mocha! BOMB!
    Pino Pies

    Pino Pies

    4.9
    (157 reviews)
    12.3 mi
    $$

    What a great spot! All the pies and pastries we tried were incredible, including the refrigerated…read moreones we took home to re-heat ourselves. We tried the breakfast, apple, lamb, and butter chicken pies plus a sausage roll. All were delicious, balanced, and obviously rich but never greasy or heavy. Coffee was also good though of course the baked goods are the stars of the show. Once you get your order, take a few minutes to enjoy the mountain air and views from the patio, too. Doesn't get much better!

    This place is amazing! We came here on a Friday after hearing about this place and we liked it so…read moremuch we came back on Saturday and also bought some frozen pies to take home. The crust is perfectly flaky and buttery, not too flaky and not too buttery and is the perfect thickness and texture for accentuating the fillings inside. But what makes these standout is the fillings. They're an explosion of perfectly balanced flavors, and you can really tell that they were made with care. We talked to the owner and he says he sources his ingredients locally which we really appreciate, he says the beef is from a ranch near Bishop and he also gets bones to boil the beef stock to make the gravies. We tried pretty much every flavor they had, every single flavor was superb but personally here's how I rank the pies: 1) Lamb - Lamb is often tough or gamey, but this lamb was neither. Each chunk was moist and tender and perfectly seasoned. The gravy it was in was phenomenal. If you like lamb or are even just okay on lamb this is a must try. 2) Steak - Besides just meat, the inside of the steak was more like a shepherd's pie. There was peas and potatoes, and the meat was perfect. 3) Ground Beef and cheese - The beef had a really nice deep flavor, you can taste it's high quality ground beef. 4) Butter chicken - This is a hot take because I think he said butter chicken is one of their most popular flavors, and I can see why. The chicken is perfectly cooked and the flavor is great. 5) Lentil - Okay this one was actually really good, I'm just a meat eater so of course it's going to be bottom of my list but if you're just going to get two I think this pairs well with the lamb. The sausage roll was also really good, the sausage was not some cheap sausage there was real meaty flavor to it. If you have the room in your stomach I would definitely add on a sausage roll. Unfortunately they were out of apple pie and the potato top when we were there, but I definitely want to try that next time.

    Photos
    Lounge sitting area
    Lounge sitting area
    Apple pie
    Apple pie
    Fresh pies out of the trailer. Order inside the building

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    Fresh pies out of the trailer. Order inside the building
    Bee’s Bakery Cafe

    Bee’s Bakery Cafe

    4.5
    (327 reviews)
    52.1 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Outdoor seating

    Bee's Bakery Cafe is hands down one of the best breakfast spots around! I ordered the Sweet Heat…read moreBreakfast Burrito, and it was absolutely incredible. It was packed with fresh ingredients, perfectly seasoned, and had just the right amount of kick. The homemade salsa paired perfectly with it and took the flavor to another level. I also tried the steak, eggs, biscuit, and potatoes, and everything was cooked to perfection. The steak was tender and flavorful, the eggs were spot on, the biscuit was fresh and buttery, and the potatoes were crispy and delicious. The service was friendly, fast, and welcoming, and the atmosphere made you feel right at home. It's clear they take pride in serving high-quality food and providing excellent customer service. If you're looking for an outstanding breakfast with generous portions and amazing flavor, Bee's Bakery Cafe is a must-visit. I'll definitely be coming back. Highly recommended!

    I don't usually post things like this, but I feel like I need to share my experience…read more I've been a regular customer at this coffee shop for months. I used to go almost every day, I've supported them consistently, bought drinks and beans there regularly, and it was part of my daily routine during a really difficult time in my life. My usual drink isn't available on their online ordering system, so I've always called ahead to place my order. That has never been an issue before. They knew my order so well that they referred to it as "the Amy Special," and there were times my drink was prepared ahead of time for me to pick up when I arrived. Today I called to place my usual order. I was told the person on the phone was the owner, and I was told they had been discussing my drink and that it was "very unusual," and that I would need to come in to order instead. I asked for clarification because I've always ordered the same way for months. I was told again that I would need to come in, and that my drink was too complicated to order over the phone. I explained that I've been ordering this drink the same way for a long time and that I've always been able to call it in before. After I said I was going through a hard time and wasn't really up for coming in, the call ended. When I called back, the phone was hung up on multiple times before I was able to briefly speak with someone again. When I did finally speak with someone I recognized, my reaction was emotional because I was confused and hurt by what was happening, and the interaction didn't feel like the experience I had come to expect from them. What I'm upset about is not that a business can change how they operate. What I'm upset about is that there was no clear communication that a policy had changed, and no explanation that made sense of why something that had been routine for months was suddenly not allowed. I'm sharing this because I genuinely thought I had a good relationship with this place as a customer, and today's experience didn't reflect that. This was a place I supported daily for a long time, and it became part of my routine during a period of my life when it genuinely mattered more than people probably realize. That's why today's experience felt so disappointing and hard to process.

    Photos
    Front entrance
    Front entrance
    Pork Belly Hash
    Pork Belly Hash
    Mixed berry danish

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    Mixed berry danish
    Tom's Place Cafe

    Tom's Place Cafe

    3.5
    (295 reviews)
    36.3 mi
    $$

    I have been to Tom's Place too many times to count. It is one of those few surviving old school…read more(literally ... it is over 100 years old) roadside cafes that are precious little gems. The food is very good. Not spectacular, and not gourmet, by any means, but very good American fare. The service is also very good, and the current owner is an asset to the community in many ways. But it is the ambiance that really makes it special. It dates back to 1917, and looks it. The dining room has a big fireplace and is paneled with knotty pine. There are a lot of doo-dads about which give the place a lot of character. Next to the dining room is a small bar, similarly festooned with a lot of entertaining doo dads. Tom's place is an official watering hole of ECV, and that alone tells you something about the place. They also have a small general store with convenience food and supplies, as well as simple souvenirs like t-shirts and coffee mugs. Have a look there while you are at it. To give you a sense of the place, consider the attached photograph. It is of the stairway to the restrooms downstairs. That doorway is low enough that a tall person might possibly hit their head, hence the admonishment. That's it in a nutshell. This is either your kind of place or not. But it is surely mine!

    Upon arrival to Tom's place, I let my service animal walk around for second before picking her up…read moreto carry her into the restaurant. I was immediately met on the porch by the owner? A short, portly, long blond/ grey hair lady who instantly barked that pets were not allowed in Tom's place. I informed her that my dog is a service animal, and she immediately raised her voice and started accusing me of lying. She demanded to see paperwork that would prove that my dog is a service animal, I asked her to wait a minute while I pull it up on email and she would not stop raising her voice and basically yelling at me. I had lost my reading glasses the day before and could not see well, I was trying to pull up the email while she was yelling at me. She said she had reading glasses she could sell me, but I needed to show her the proof that my dog was a service animal before she would let her in the store. My dog was now shivering profusely because it was coldish and windy, she pointed it out and I informed her that my dog is shivering from the cold, and we are just hungry this is a huge waste of time, because she is a legal service animal, but I am now under too much stress and cannot see without my glasses to pull up the digital proof that she demands before we enter. I informed her that this was illegal, and she started berating me, telling me I don't know what the law is. She than started being condescending and asking me if I know what ADA stands for. I told her that I am a RN, and that just made her louder and more unruly. If anyonlie from the state wants to talk, I allow YELP to release my email address to them. I have had my service animal for years, and never a problem. I have actually had her in Tom's place before without a problem. I have no idea why a small restaurant owner would rather cause potential litigation and undue stress upon potential customers and break the law and demand proof of service animal legitimacy than just let people with service animals live their best lives in peace. I did not need this experience and neither did the friend that was with me or my service animal . WHO THE HELL CARES IF SOMEONE HAS A SMALL DOG THAT IS SILENT. Unfortunately for you, she is a service animal. I have paperwork. In this day and age in California, they are letting many crimes go unpunished, as it is now racist to prosecute anything. So to all the small restaurant owners out there that give people undue stress about service animals which are not a crime, just shut your mouth, take our money, and obey the law.

    Photos
    Tom's Place Cafe
    Bathroom flooring lifting
    Bathroom flooring lifting
    Scary stairs to bathrooms 10/7/23

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    Scary stairs to bathrooms 10/7/23

    Basin Cafe - burgers - Updated July 2026

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