The food was SO good. I split the Big Z plate with my hubby and it was enough for both of us. Everything on our plate tasted amazing. The staff was friendly. They have indoor and outdoor seating (with shade). read more

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. read more

Basin Cafe - Ginormous Burrito - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

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Delicious food and great outdoor seating! The employees were all very kind too. Would definitely recommend. read more

Basin Cafe - Teriyaki Chicken Dinner Plate - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

Best pancakes in the world. Everything else was amazing too. A little expensive, but worth it. 10/10, especially with the view. Plus Free WiFi read more

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. read more

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We were looking forward to this ! Very disappointed that the cafe was closed. The hours posted on Yelp said it is open. However, it works out! Turns out although they have outdoor, they do not allow pets! read more

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. read more

Basin Cafe - Chicken - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

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 read more

Basin Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

absolutely one of the top 5 places to eat in the Eastern Sierra. The staff is 2nd to none read more

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

Basin Cafe - Plenty of outside seating - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

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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! read more

Basin Cafe - Tri tip w/ macaroni salad - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

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We were very disappointed with this restaurant. Went there for lunch. A few people were seated and eating. No one else was waiting for their food. We placed an order for Tri-tip sandwich with fries. While we waited for our food we had to listen to constant gossip from the kitchen with most of it coming from one loud young woman. We had to wait a long time for our sandwich. The tri-tip sandwich was only slightly warm and the fries were cold. Since we had already waited so long and were tired of the gossip we quickly ate and left. No excuse for the sandwich and fries not to be hot. This place is also very expensive for a lunch cafe. The sandwich was $19.95. read more

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. read more

Basin Cafe - Menu - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

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The food was delicious, service was fast, hot and fresh. The only problem was I wanted hot chocolate and they were out. Quiet little place to eat and enjoy a delicious breakfast!! read more

The food was good- Definitely more expensive than most places. The fries are well-seasoned and the burger was hardy. The service was good- very friendly staff. You are expected to buss your own dishes. They had adequate seating outside and some inside spots. They do not allow dogs and the actual door was a bit hard to locate as maps did not seem to know the exact address read more

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. read more

Basin Cafe - Ribs and elk burger in the back - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

Wonderful patio for outdoor dining. Grilled burgers and hot sandwiches starting at 12 pm - delicious veggie burger and BBQ pork sandwiches. Homemade coleslaw is strongly recommended as well. Friendly service! Will be back when visiting in June Lake read more

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Everything was amazing! My expectations were surpassed! We had the breakfast burrito: definitely authentic flavors and shareable! Avodado toast: so fresh and perfect crisp bacon on top. Pancakes: perfectly crisp edges, fluffy and vanilla warm with whipped cream and fresh berries. Coffee was piping hot and strong. Trust me you will not be disappointed!! read more

5 for the service - the girls at the counter were killing it on a busy night and still super friendly, helpful, patient. 5 for the oatmeal cookie we ate while waiting for our meal. Have a feeling all their baked goods are gonna be good 5 for the carne asada southwest salad, my only gripe being that the plate was too small (don't wanna say the salad too big because I finished every bite) so it was challenging not to make a bit of a mess 3 for my partner's cheesesteak - may have been end of night (they stopped taking orders a little after we placed ours) but partner reports insufficient cheese and veggies, and the meat in cubed form (which was disclosed upon ordering by our kind servers). Their burgers and sweet potato waffle fries looked bomb and they have mammoth beers - next time! read more

Basin Cafe - Philly cheesesteak - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

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Such a quaint cafe! Friendly service! We ate here before we headed to Yosemite for our camping trip. I got the tri tip fries and the tri tip was so flavorful and tender. They smoke all their meats in house. It was a large portion and I shared them. My fiancé got the basin burger with a side of onion rings and I'm still dreaming of them. When we are in Lee vining, we will definitely stop by and return. read more

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Absolutely loved this place! There is local honey, art and T-shirts!! Small intimate dining inside but ample outside. Staff were very polite. read more

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The FEMALE MANAGER was absolutely obnoxious - rude, argumentative, totally unprofessional. We arrived and Kris C. was lovely as she took our order at the counter. We ordered a blue cheese burger, a regular burger and Mac n cheese. The total was $73.79 so this is a pricey menu. We paid, gave Kris a nice tip, and said we forgot about the 10% discount for being guests of the motel. We asked for a cup of soup to cover the discount so the manager was called. The manager looked at the order for quite awhile and we explained we had forgotten about the discount. The manager barked at us saying we already asked for extra blue cheese for the burger! If we wanted soup we had to pay for it! We were so surprised by her answer as she was loudly barking at us. I said no problem, how about a cookie? She grabbed the bag of cookies and threw it at us. We were so shocked. Our order was served and it "looked" okay. The beef smelled as it was not fresh. The onion rings were probably heated in dirty oil because it had burnt bits stuck to it. The Mac n cheese had a strange grainy texture. We could not eat the meal. Hoping for something good, we opened the cookie bag to find the cookie so hard and inedible. All three of us have traveled around the world experiencing different cultures and cuisines. We have spent time in many different small towns in the U.S. This experience with the manager was by far the worst ever in our traveling history. THE WORST. We like the town of Lee Vining very much. We were happy after having toured Manzanar National Site, and a great travel day enjoying Owen's Valley and the beautiful mountains. The next morning we had breakfast at "Nicely's Restaurant" and it was wonderful. The people were lovely and the food was very good. We shopped next door and bought some nice jewelry. The store manager was very friendly. We left on our road trip feeling very happy with our morning in Lee Vining. Beware of Basin Cafe. Go to Nicely's for a nice time. read more

Swing by this restaurant while visiting Mammoth Lake; it's only a couple of minutes away from the visitor center. The restaurant has a big garden where you can enjoy your food under the shade. I ordered a burger and fish tacos. When the burger arrived, it was missing the beef patties. Luckily, this wasn't a to-go order, or I would have paid $20 for just a burger bun. The burger was average, and the fish tacos were okay. Service gets no stars because the staff made an unacceptable mistake, and the food gets 3 stars for being average. read more

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Really cute place with good food and large portions (which is especially good because it's a bit pricey). Happy to have found it because we were starving from the long drive up the NV/CA eastern border. Staff was efficient and friendly. read more

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Was staying in June lake and kind of exhausted all of their dinner options. I always look at the negative reviews first because they tell the bigger picture. In the case of Basin Cafe, the majority of the few negative reviews were complaints about price. What do people expect? The quality and quantity far EXCEEDED my expectations!!!! I had the rib dinner--held the sauce. The fresh veggie mix accompanying was fresh and well seasoned. The side of 'potatoes' was not a throw away. They were scalloped--so delicious!!! My husband had a burger---cooked perfectly accompanied by a side salad. We shared the carrot cake for dessert--a generous serving and delicious!!! You do place your own order at the counter but everything is served to you. Nice people and a quaint setting! read more

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Food and service was amazing! What a great find. We sat outside while we ate. It was a beautiful location. Clean bathroom. The staff working there were so friendly and sweet. It will be our new place we will stop by heading to Lake Tahoe read more

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Wow! Amazing breakfast!! We stopped by on the way to Convict Lake and thought let's give this place a try. Man, what a great place!! The chicken fried steak is so yummy. Probably the best gravy we have ever had. The eggs were cooked perfectly and the potatoes were tasty. Hubs got the bacon egg burrito and devoured it! It's also huge! The employees were super kind and happy to answer our questions about the area. The restaurant inside is very nice. Outside is gorgeous! Thank you Basin Cafe! What an amazing place! read more

Basin Cafe - Chicken fried steak is amazing and huge! - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

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Stumbled upon this place while taking a walk from our motel. Tucked away nestled amongst the lush and beautiful landscaping of the adjacent Lake View Lodge. We ordered the porterhouse cooked to a perfect medium rare, with fresh roasted vegetables that included squash, carrots, broccolini, cauliflower and asparagus, a baked potato topped with melted butter and cheese, a side soup bowl salad, and some fresh baked apple caramel and cherry pies. The food was delicious , service was friendly, atmosphere was serene. read more

We stopped here after driving from Lake Tahoe and we ordered their special of Barbacoa Burritos and that was the most delicious burritos I have ever eaten! The service was nice and so welcoming! The place I cute and it has outdoor seating with a great view! read more

The shareable burrito is massive, definitely shareable, and tasty, however they were.out of a core ingredient (Mushrooms) by 11am and the "bottomless" mimosas are capped at four (but they don't mention that until after you buy. The bubbles are Andre (Cost = $5 /bottle) read more

Just visited today for breakfast. Amazing food. Highly recommend biscuits and sausage gravy. Excellent. Price right, great friendly ladies upfront, carry on kind conversations, outside shade trees and lots of grassy areas, tables to eat at. Peaceful breakfast. Beautiful cafe, people, clean, honey all natural was something we bought too. Coffee tasted nice too. Thank you Basin Cafe for taking awesome care of our munchies. Will visit again for sure. AndrewJG read more

Everything about this place is great. Nice outside dining, great views from inside the restaurant, the food was great, great menu selection for being a small place, location isn't that bad, a little of the between path but not hard to miss. Order the breakfast burrito for a quick bite while at work and it wasn't bad at all. I definitely recommend this place for breakfast. read more

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I can see why this place gets all the positive reviews. I stopped in today for lunch and had a BLT outside on the lawn. The food was great. The service was great and a great atmosphere. Definitely a place to try while driving through read more

If the Eastern stretch of the Sierras, from Bridgeport to Lee Vining, is a culinary desert, Basin Cafe is the dreamed of oasis. Sometimes one has a good hunch about a place and my hunch about Basin Cafe proved accurate. The grounds were immaculate and the menu intriguing. My decision to begin with a glass of wine at an outdoor table with a Mono Lake view proved wise. As I finished that wine, the owner came out to see if another was desired prompting a fun conversation. The weather was changing rapidly so no further al fresco alcohol was needed. Inside, I ordered a thoroughly delightful Southwest-inspired salad made with my choice of protein (carne asada) and house-made Buttermilk Ranch dressing. Delicious. A Cheeseburger with fries received similar accolades. Basin Cafe - the food they're serving and the surrounding property - are lovely enough to have left me wishing I dined here for each meal during my stay in the area. They might not be quite 5-star worthy if found in a more densely populated area but in this area they outshine everything for miles around. read more

Basin Cafe - Southwest Salad is very good - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

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BRO !!! 6 buck for a drip coffee crazy expensive, fix your prices, wont be coming back.

My husband and I were here a few years ago when it had different owners and the name was Epic Cafe. The owners of the hotel next door bought it and are running it now. What we love about Basin Cafe is the outdoor seating area it's really pretty, grass and flowers. They also have indoor dining. We sat at their tall tall to look out the windows to the beautiful park like seating outside. I ordered the Pulled Pork sandwich with coleslaw on top and onion rings for the side, it was good, big portion. My husband ordered the Turkey sandwich. Had lots of Turkey, he said it was very good, he had French fries as his side. They also have great looking baked goods. We bought the brownie, it looks so good, will eat it later. The food took about 30 min, that was fine with us, their kitchen is small so they gave us a heads up. read more

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Best food in town with huge portions, great service, and delicious food! This place fed us while we stayed at the Lake View Lodge next door. Pro tip is if you stay there you get 10% off at the basin cafe. My favorite thing here was the breakfast burrito which I didn't get to take a picture of because I inhaled it! It was thick, cheesy, and delicious. Perfect for filling you up before a long day of hiking in the area. The service is also spectacular here where they were very accommodating to my partners food allergies. You can also order from the toast app for easier take out orders. Although it's better to order on the phone or in person as there were some mistakes when I used the app. I recommend this place whole heartedly! read more

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Food is really good!! Kids got burgers...they were gone in 2 seconds...so I guess they liked them. We just ordered the gobbler, we should had ordered something hot, but it was a really good sandwich!! My friend ordered onion rings....they were some of the best I have had. Not huge onions that fall apart and seasoned perfectly. Their baked goods looked delicious, but I'm already summer fat... Now the service...it is an order and bring to the table type of place. But dang they were so nice and competent- so very nice! Ambiance?!!! Out on a lawn with wildflowers and trees everywhere...yeah, that's awful... LOL. It is a beautiful spot, especially on the gates of Yosemite and Mono Lake. Thank you Basin Cafe for being apart of our Eastern Sierra! read more

I recently ate there with a couple of friends. The counter service was fine. The atmosphere sitting outside was fine. But the food was barely edible. And what was sad is that I had eaten here years ago and I thought the food was fantastic- which is why we returned. I made the mistake of ordering the chicken fried steak. It was pounded quite thin with barely any protein sandwiched between fried batter. One of the worst dinners I've had in the last decade! I would have sent it back, but we didn't have time to wait for a re-order . In addition, the vegetables that accompanied it were cooked to death -especially the asparagus and broccoli within the mixed vegetables which obviously were cooked earlier in the evening all night.. (If you're gonna cook vegetables early in the evening to serve all night, they need to cook them less and dip them in cold water immediately after cooking to keep them fresh and green). It was obvious they were pre-cooked because my entrée came out so quickly, and the overall condition of the vegetables. . My friends entrees were equally below average. Great outdoor ambience for breakfast or a sandwich for lunch perhaps, but I cannot recommend this destination for dinner based on our recent experience:-(. read more

Stop in this beautiful setting for big portions and great flavor. Tritip and apple pie were the highlights for sure! read more

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