So this is a hidden gem for those of us that don't live full-time in Donner Lake. They just serve breakfast and brunch, but that doesn't include some lunch items. Very popular with the locals and food is very good. Highly recommend. read more

Best environment, best food, best service. All around the best breakfast spot in Truckee in my opinion.

I was Born and raised in Truckee and this is the Best breakfast in town! Kelley (the owner) is awesome and always so sweet! I love her huevos rancheros and appreciate that I can get a half order. And if it's snowing mimosas are half off, how cute is that!? read more

Donner Lake Kitchen - Huevos rancheros - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Truckee, California

Great breakfast food, atmosphere and service. This cozy little cafe makes you feel at home on Donner Lake. We had the biscuits and gravy with fried jalapeños on top and poached eggs in fried potato skins topped with hollandaise sauce and avocado. Fantastic! read more

Went for breakfast. Really good huevos rancheros and chillequilles. Pancakes were yummy too. Good service, nice little spot. Great all around. read more

the food here is the best the service is by far the best in tow. the ambiance is homey like a ski lodge with a warm fire. the price is great e compared to the other restaurants in tow. I would highly recommend this restaurant to locals and tourists alike! read more

Quaint mom and pop restaurant across the street from Donner Lake. Very friendly staff, fast service and delicious croissant breakfast sandwich! Locals spot! We will definitely be back! read more

Admittedly I have only been here for breakfast but MAN they have good breakfast. Like, good standard, lots of protein with potatoes breakfast. If you don't like wiggly bacon, just ask extra crispy and it will be perfect. With covid, we haven't been in due to the 25 minute drive for our place and it'll be cold as take out by the time we get home. BUT you better believe we'll be back when things start to calm back down. Seating can be crowded on busy weekends during the normal summer so go early. One star off just because there menu is a bit difficult for gluten free folks but doable. read more

The "Kitchen" is at a great location with even greater food. I have driven by this place many times not knowing it was there but thankful i finally stopped by. They have breakfast and lunch all day. Parking can be limited but worth finding some to eat here. I ordered the chicken sandwich (Swiss, bacon, lettuce, tomato and half of an avocado!) they were accompanied by some of the most golden delicious French fries I have had. Looking forward to trying more of their menu next time around. They were busy when I got there but that didn't stop them from giving me a warm welcome and offering me water. Did I mentioned Donner Lake is across the street ? read more

Donner Lake Kitchen - Chicken sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Truckee, California

absolutely amazing experience. environment is 10/10, food is 10/10, menu is 10/10. and the hot chocolate, is heavenly.

The food is soooo good! Home style cooking. Fresh ingredients. Love the home like feel. The hospitality is top notch! Every time someone walked by, they asked if I wanted more coffee or needed anything. Friendly and funny folks. Love it! Will definitely be back! read more

Donner Lake Kitchen - Kitchen / bar seating. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Truckee, California

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On our annual trip to Tahoe we decided to venture out a bit for breakfast and Donner Lake Kitchen did not disappoint. We waited about 20 minutes to be seated, but they have a couple sets of cornhole outside and planted of chairs, so the time flew by and before we knew it we were being called for our table. The restaurant has a great country kitchen vibe and the service was amazing. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. I love to try different variations on eggs Benedict and when I saw "Crab Eggs Benedict" on the menu I immediately knew I had to order this. Everything about this meal was perfect! The presentation showed effort and the balance of tastes was amazing! I cannot recommend Donner Lake Kitchen enough! We even stopped for a takeout order on our way home from Tahoe we loved it that much. read more

We came in for breakfast after we slept in the neighborhood and this place was highly recommended. We were told that it's the best diner in the area. They were not wrong. The food was really good. I ordered The scrambled eggs, with multiple types of veggies and it was delicious. It came with perfectly crispy potatoes, and topped with cheese. The French toast with cream cheese and blackberry filling was DIVINE as my friend said. I would order it again any day. We didn't need to order anything next to it because we had it next to the scrambled eggs. The coffee kept on coming and the service was super nice and pleasant. I would come back again. read more

Best breakfast, lunch spot in Truckee! Katie and the cooks know how to step it up. The atmosphere here is so cozy and home like. It's going to see my favorite aunt and cousins. Love you all read more

Friendly, comfortable, decent comfort food.we woukd definitely return. Enough tables to get you seated with a cup of coffee. Clearly some locals here. read more

Walked up to ask about a wait and possibly placing a to go order, an owner gentleman who appeared to be the owner laughed, slapped me on the back and said, "It wasn't going to happen and better luck next time. We are too busy." I said ok and went to walk away, he called after me saying, "All restaurants do that, haven't you been to one before?" Ive never been talked down to by such a condescending individual, let alone one in the service industry. Not worth supporting people like this No one likes being ridiculed and slapped for asking a question. read more

Great food right off the lake. We stopped here on our way home from Reno. Plates are pretty big a couple could share if your not trying to eat too much. We had to wait for about 30 minutes before we were seated. They were extremely busy, but it was worth the wait. If I was visiting the area I would totally stop. read more

This place is the bees knees!!! Period! Hands down the best breakfast in truckee. The staff is great. The food consistently delicious. Great mimosa and bloodies! Just amazing Now for all you out of towners. This is a "small" establishment. With a small kitchen. If you want fast food, go to McDonald's! If you come fri-sun with the masses plan to wait between 2-3 hours. If you come with a party greater than 6 expect longer as there is really only (1) table for larger parties. Patience is a virtue. Welcome to beautiful tahoe. Go for a walk by Donner lake. Breathe the fresh air. Enjoy an adult bevy or coffee. Talk to your party verse playing on your phone. And relax. This isn't the hustle and bustle of where you came from. If you want a great meal... this is that!!! Hope you enjoy read more

We had breakfast here Mother's Day Weekend. Everything we had was excellent! The eggs Benedict were by far the best I have ever had. Everything that was ordered was delicious. The staff was friendly and on top of their game. The place was slammed but even though, we had fantastic service. The atmosphere is rustic and what you would want and expect in this area. We will definitely make it a point to return if we visit the Truckee/Donner Lake area. read more

This is a great spot to fill up on breakfast! The staff is very friendly and adheres to all the safety guidelines when it comes to COVID. They have an option whether to sit outside or order takeout. And there's a small parking lot nearby. If you're passing through for Breakfast or Lunch, be sure to get a bite to eat here! The food is delicious! read more

Donner Lake Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Truckee, California

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Came here on a Sunday at 12. Pretty packed but they were moving people quickly. You come in and write your own name on the board with your party number. You can hit the bar while you wait so everyone was enjoying bloody Mary's, coffee, mimosas. Once we realized the bar seats were open for grabs we nabbed two seats. Our waitress got us our mimosas and menus quickly and with a smile. There was a great mix of breakfast, lunch, and brunch options. I had the BLT with fries and my friend had the half order of eggs Benedict which were both exactly what we wanted! We left stuffed and happy! If you're on the lake, be sure to stop in! read more

Donner Lake Kitchen - Mimosa and pomegranate mimosa - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Truckee, California

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I absolutely love this place! My family and i always have such a nice time. The staff are really nice and the food is so good! I get the crab benedict and honestly it's the best, you also can't forget the mimosas! On the weekends the wait is long but as long as you're with great company it flies by. My dad did want to say the pancakes can get a little dry but honestly it's a wonderful place to have breakfast/lunch! Will be going again very soon! read more

Good friendly service, especially on a week day. My husband and I split the Sierra eggs Benedict...plenty of food for the both of us and delicious. Next time I'll get the juevos rancheros which comes highly recommended. Staff was very friendly and attentive. read more

Hands down, my very favorite Truckee Restaurant. It has retained it's small-town ambiance. The food never disappoints.

Had a very good breakfast here. Feels like the old west. Stop by in ski gear and you are good.

Soooo glad my boyfriend and I stopped here at this cute diner!! They had outdoor seating and thoroughly cleaned the tables after each guests. The customer service was awesome and the food freakin DELICIOUS and satisfying :) If you're passing through Truckee, you gotta stop here... you won't regret it!! read more

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The wait is long for a table and for the food, however you can order beverages while you wait for your table and they offer shaded seating for 20+ people. We checked in at 11:08 and we had our food by 1:30pm. We were two with a baby. My husband loved his eggs benedict. We ordered a "small" pancake for our toddler which came out huge. I had a chicken sandwich and that was rubbery. We will definitely go back and I'll probably order breakfast next time. Our bill was $101, but our beverages totaled $55 so the food wasn't super expensive. The service from the bartender managing the waitlist was great and he was very personable. We'll be back! read more

Actually not too much to say about this place. Food was good, service was good too. Unfortunately the outdoor seating wasn't available, otherwise would be a perfect experience. read more

This is one of my favorite breakfast spots around tahoe/truckee. Right by the lake they have fantastic specials. Their blueberry cream cheese French toast is incredible, I highly recommend it to share over coffee (as a breakfast app). My go to is the 1/2 order of the huevos rancheros. So fresh and the tortillas to make little breakfast burritos are yummy. Finally they have a ton of different coffee mugs and each one is different, my family and friends all love coming here. read more

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A friend recommended them. I had. To reeducate her. We waited for 30 minutes. Others had been waiting for over 60 minutes. We watched them clear 3 tables but never fill them. After 30 minutes the server advised us they were too busy to seat anybody on the wait list. This place CLEARLY WANTS TO GO OUT IF BUSINESS!! PLEASE HELP THEM AND NEVER GO THERE!! They obviously PREY ON TOURISTS!!! RUN!!! RUN!!! RUN!!!!! read more

Old school diner. Good food may have to wait. Parking can be tight during winter. Had an old school Patti Mel was Delicious read more

Stopped by for breakfast this morning. The staff here, although short staffed like many places, worked very efficiently to serve everyone as quickly as possible. We had several different workers ask if we wanted more coffee or water. They definitely seemed to work as a team, which I certainly appreciate! The food was great! I had an old-fashioned flapjack. Was so big it wouldn't fit on the plate. They had to fold it over! Definitely one of the best pancakes I've ever had! Husband had some oatmeal (and some of my pancake!). Everything was great here! Stop by! You won't be disappointed. read more

This place is great! After spending a weekend eating at various places throughout truckee and donner lake area, it's the best food and service we had. I really enjoyed the biscuits and gravy with the added jalapenos! My husband really enjoyed the fresh tasting OJ as well. Service was impeccable. Not only was our waitress nice and prompt, but several other folks also stopped in to check on us throughout our meal. Family friendly place as well, I walked past some kiddos eating bunny shaped pancakes :) read more

Excellent service! I am glad we picked this spot for breakfast. The food was great and I love the atmosphere! If you are on your way to Lake Tahoe make sure to stop by! read more

Great place right on the lake. Food was good and service was fast despite being very busy.

We had a great family breakfast at Donner Lake Kitchen. The young man who sat our party was very friendly, our server was quick and friendly, and the bloody Mary's were a hit! I ordered the Huevos Rancheros (my first time having huevos rancheros with black olives, but it wasn't bad!), and it was great. This is a great place to take your family for breakfast or lunch! read more

What a throw back. The customers know the waitresses (and vice versa) - extremely friendly vibe. We were expecting an okay breakfast - but it was really great. The huevos ("best in the world!") didn't disappoint, really really good. We also loved that you could half order almost everything on the menu. If you are in Truckee - this is worth a stop. Good Food & Friendly Vibe - can't miss. read more

How can you not love Donner Kitchen? If you know, you know. This cozy spot has a line out the door every weekend and most weekdays during ski season, and for great reason. They fuse your typical diner expectations with a California flair and kick it up a notch. They're very well known for their Huevos Rancheros. I used to live down the street from them and to this day it's still my favorite - but they have plenty of other selections, and the specials are generally out of this world (think Chile verde and eggs or chilaquiles to die for, or perhaps a special pancake the size of your steering wheel). They also do mimosas. Coffee is definitely diner style, but don't let it fool you - it may seem thin but it's powerful and you'll be feeling it later. Always clean, super friendly, and handling Covid as well as anyone else - I love this spot, and hope you will too. Ps when the cinnamon rolls come back, I will do a happy dance. read more

Donner Lake Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Truckee, California

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Came here on our way to Truckee. There were plenty of tables available and the service was good. We ordered a cheeseburger and fries which we shared. Would definitely go back next time we're in the area. read more

Donner Lake Kitchen is the hands down best overall restaurant experience you can find in Truckee. Kelly and Katie are such beautiful people who are the real deal in there friendliness and kindness. The food is terrific with probably the value for the quality and serving size. We have tried almost half the breakfast menu over the last 6 years. The sandwiches are top shelf. Do make sure you also include one of their excellent Bloody Marys. Additionally we have a special needs daughter who is always treat like an MVP. Lastly the Donner Lake Kitchen also attracts some of the kindest patrons as we have our breakfast paid for us by others who were very kind to our daughter and our family. You can do no wrong stopping in to see the beautiful women of Donner Lake Kitchen. Mike read more