After a day of snowboarding in slush we randomly stopped here for some grub. I was pleasantly surprised!! Hidden gem. We shared the 35 cent sticky wing and the tri- tip quesadilla. It was yummy.. Tortilla was herb flavored and it was just the right amnt of crisp. Plenty of steak chunks and cheese was a great balance. For $8 I expected a lil bit more.... But it hit the spot. The chicken wings was delicious goodness... A little on the dry side... But I would order everything again and again and again. Oh.. and they have these oatmeal cookies... ate one there and one to go. I'm a cookie snob... won't eat it unless its yumminess factor is high. No need to waste my calories!! read more

Wonderful place for breakfast along the Truckee River. I had the Crest Waffle with a generous scoop of fresh fruit added. The outdoor deck provided the perfect setting to enjoy the river and the meal. read more

Great little 'hole in the wall' joint en route to Alpine Meadows. I was referred to it by the River Ranch Lodge nearby (which is a terrific joint, but wasn't open yet). The gals at the counter were nice enough, and you can tell this is a local's joint for the younger crowd that 'shreds on pow days' at the mountain. The tri tip quesadilla was massive, delicious, and hot. The 'serve yourself' beer fridge (think super market) had a great selection, and some great microbrews to drink out of the bottle in large sizes - hey, I was thirsty! Lastly, be sure to have super sharp vision as it doesn't have a massive sign, and you can easily drive right by. read more

Really good food! We stopped on our way out of Tahoe and had a great breakfast. Pancakes, waffles, breakfast sandwich, iced latte. Everything was fresh and far exceeded our expectations. We will definitely be back! read more

Awesome food, amazing service. I always stop here on my way to the lake or turning up to Alpine Meadows. Highly recommended.

A new favorite spot. Recommended by a local and so glad we gave it a try. Had the tri tip mango wrap and it was delicious and refreshing on a warm day. Seating overlooking the river is great. Excellent service. read more

I love this place. Everything on the menu is really good. The service is great and the atmosphere is pleasant. The prices are reasonable as well. I always stop here and get the bomb sando on my way to skiing at alpine! If I lived in the area I would be here at least twice a week!!! read more

This place is phenomenal! The staff is fantastic! Richard, Emily, the owner Kyle and Lisa, and the rest of the crew are awesome. Food is great and location is superb, with a great beer selection, what else could you need? Love it! read more

Amazing catering, great service, yummy coffee. All around great place!

We've been eating at this place for years through various owners. The current owners are doing a great job. The food is very high quality for a deli type operation. In the summer, sitting on the back deck over looking the river is a great experience. The prices are a little higher than you would expect at a deli. I balance this against the higher quality of the food. They usually close by mid afternoon except for a few wednesdays in the summer when they are open later for a deck party. read more

The Crest Cafe is an awesome place for breakfast or lunch, so if your in Alpine Meadows stop in and enjoy. During the summer the deck overlooking the Truckee River is hard to beat. read more

We love this place! Phenomenal wings and great hospitality. We swing through often for beers, breakfast or just coffee - every time we're met by the friendly staff and owners. Looking forward to the deck this summer! read more

My husband Jared and I recently moved to Tahoe City and the Crest Cafe has quickly become our second home for lunch, a quick afternoon snack or dinner. Our favorites are the trip tip asian wrap, the homemade soups, pizzas, and salads, but everything is tasty and best of all, everyone on the staff is super nice and welcoming. Crest Cafe rocks!!! read more

Love crest. Doesn't look much from the street, but try driving by river ranch and heading here. Good food, friendly service (thanks richard) nice deck, friendly to dogs. A good summer hangout or a stop for a post skiing beer and a bite. Much cheaper than the food at alpine or squaw. Way better than the summer food at river ranch. read more

Very nice spot to sit and have lunch over the truckee river. Sandwiches are very good, coffee is good. Nice sunny deck overlooking the river. The staff is always friendly and service is quick. The interior could use some attention, but still a great place to go for quick, good food. read more

I just had a stunningly bad experience- I've eaten here for years, more tomorrow when I gather my thoughts. I mentioned to the employee (I'm forgiving to a fault) that I'd probably be back, but I might have to say something on Yelp, and he said that they didn't really care about Yelp (in so many words)- wow! Stay tuned. read more

Crest Cafe did the catering for our wedding in July. Lisa was great with suggesting what items are crowd pleasures and we were very happy with our selections. The day of the wedding, the buffet food wasn't put out until right when we walked up to get our food. As fresh as it gets! The tri tip was tender and flavorful and the salad was crisp and not soggy. All the guest raved about the dinner buffet as well as all the delicious appetizers. Lisa also made sure my husband and i got a plate of appetizers as we were out taking photos during cocktail hour. We were very happy with everything. read more

We stopped at Crest Cafe for an ice cold beer after hiking 5 lakes in the blistering heat. Aly was behind the counter and was so friendly. She had a line of people, and was able to give us all great service. She made a perfect beer recommendation for me (try the Pilsner!), and we ended up ordering lunch too. Thanks for a great lunch and easy location. read more

Crest cafe? NO WAY. We are Reno locals and enjoy visits to the Tahoe-Trukee area every weekend. We have been to the Crest Cafe many times and had good experiences with the food and the staff. The boss however is a incredibly unpleasant, mean, and rude individual [blonde lady in her 60s] . She treated us with extreme disrespect and was openly condescending to her employees. This was going to be our new favorite spot....... But now it's not. Advice: Avoid going here, Avoid working here. And just go to Sugar Pine Cakery in North Tahoe. read more

Best place for breakfast, lunch, sushi night and to just hang out. Great food. Good prices. Great staff. Best view.

I've been here several times and normally the food is good, not great, but worth going again. I would give them 4 stars but I recently went there and noticed there was short white hair on my chicken salad. I was about to entirely ignore the situation until my coworker pulled out another 2-3 long white hairs out of his soup and salad. I'm not sure if an old person with white hair is not wearing a hair net or they have a white dog in there, but this is not acceptable. read more

Great spot. Perfect location. Yummy food. Pleasant space. Super nice staff. I had the breakfast sandwich on croissant. It hit the spot.

This is the most surprisingly good food in a perfect location right on Route 89 near the entrance to Alpine Meadows Resort and Squaw Valley resort. You wouldn't expect a gourmet cafe in this little mini-mall, but it is so good it is worth repeat visits. When we went it felt like a private party with wonderfully friendly gourmet chef and staff, delicious menu, and a huge-window view of the Truckee River. The kids even went out to play by the river while the adults relaxed and enjoyed the atmosphere, service, food, and drink. read more

This is a great little restaurant located at the entrance to Alpine Meadows in Lake Tahoe. They specialize in quick breakfast to go and sit down lunches located right on the Truckee River 3 miles to the north of Tahoe City. The coffee is locally roasted with several different blends to choose from. The lurch panini's are great. My favorite is a combination of 2 sandwiches--the Mexican and Turkey panini's seem to be the perfect combo. Another local favorite tradition in my daily life is the home made ginger brew. It is composed of brewed raw ginger root with lemon and honey that has a better lift than a red bull for those late afternoon slumps. It can be served cold, bubbly, or hot. Over all I give it a 4 star rating because of convenience, location, variety of fresh salads, food and great drinks. Alpine Meadows ski resort is located right up the street and in the winter they do a great after skiing happy hour not to be missed. read more

Can't say enough great things about this place. Every time I've been here the atmosphere and food has been incredible. Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a genuine gem. read more

This place is awesome, esp. after a day of riding at Alpine. They have sushi on Thurs. nights and it is amazing! Cheap beer, nice chill atmosphere and nice employees. Nice deck, too! read more

Lisa and her team were a fabulous asset in creating a tasty and stress free environment for our large family reunion in Tahoe. All the food was fresh and well prepared and they were very easy to work with. Many family members commented on how pleasant and professional, yet relaxed and comfortable they made our guests feel at our 4 casual events. Some even wanted to take them home! read more

I recently started going to the Thursday night Sushi Happy Hour at Crest and I LOVE it!! Not only is the sushi awesome the prices are just right. You cant get sushi this good at these prices in Tahoe unless you go to all You can eat and sacrifice Flavor and Quality! You put your order in at the register and they bring it right to ya, it sometimes takes a while cause it is made to order. Unlike the other blogger I always TIP!! If yer in a hurry grab a PBR & Handroll for $5 bux! Can't go wrong. Don't skip this GEM after a long ski day at Alpine, more fun and cheaper than the places at the resort, and by the way the sushi chef is really cute and enjoys sake! read more

Bombo Sando is a must try. Service is great and the view of the river is beautiful. Deck to eat outside in nice weather!

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G SANDWICHES!! Try their full veggie panini and nothing will ever compare to how delicious it is...seriously!! Came here on a whim one day while looking to buy a home in the area. Hubby and I were starving and stopped here for a quick bite on the way out of Alpine. What can I say...it's now one of our favorite go-to spots for lunch. Not extremely fast service, but hey, you're on lake time, remember?! The outdoor patio is lovely in the summer and spring and the food is amaze-balls. Just try it out. You won't be sorry! read more

Amazing atmosphere nice staff. All of the food is amazing and the decision maker is a must have!!!

i was here for sushi thursday's, which is only served from 3 pm-8 pm. i ordered their smoked salmon "philly" roll, aloha roll, surf & turf roll, and pbr & handroll. must try if you're a sushi person! read more

i am a fan! $1.50 pbr all day every day. $5 bux beer and handroll on thursdays for sushi. philly cheesesteak def a winner. good times fun people, its right on the river so its really pretty. read more