Service here was pretty non-existent for ordinary breakfast food. Our Sunday morning wait was 45 minutes; only to be served 4 plates of not-difficult breakfast food 40 minutes later. DLK serves scrambles instead of omelets and our potatoes tasted like they sat under a heat lamp. The cheese on top of our scrambles was not even melted. We ordered all non time-consuming dishes. I put two-and-two together why wait staff here do not wear name tags when we had wave someone down (anyone, please!!!) for refills. We asked one person if they were short a cook as to why our order was taking so incredibly long. We were assured they were not short a cook. read more

Best place ANYWHERE to eat breakfast! Everything from the hot chocolate to the mimosas/ bacon bloody Mary's are off the wall! They have a variety of everything from breakfast to lunch served all day! My favorite is the Chicken Taco Salad!! Definitely recommend anyone to go there!! read more

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

Really friendly, large portions so split one or ask for half order. Food was delicious, very nice

I love this place. It has a very small town diner feel; the kind of place where the waitress knows the names of most customers, as well as what they usually get. I'm from a smaller town in Michigan, and grew up eating at places like this. There could be more around and I haven't found them yet, but this is the only one I've been to in Truckee that I feel does it right. It wasn't too expensive, the food was great, our server was incredibly kind. We had a small breakfast business meeting there, and weren't rushed or made to feel like we were taking up a table. Plan to go back soon. read more

Been here 3 hours and haven't got my food yet, by far my least favorite way to spend my morning which soon turned into lunch. Kinda disappointing especially since it was a Tuesday. read more

Amazing atmosphere with great, friendly staff. Portions are pretty big so come hungry! Eggs Benedict, Quesadillas, and French toast are some of our family favorites here. read more

Best huevos rancheros I've ever had easily. Be prepared to wait for a seat, but the wait is well worth it!! Amazing staff and food!!

The food actually wasn't anything to die for, but it tasted good, the waitresses were nice, and the atmosphere was great. A major issue we had was how long we had to wait for everything. It took forever to get someone to bring us drinks, then forever to take our order, not too long to actually get our food, but then I think that might have been the last time anyone came to our table on their own. We had been finished with our breakfast for quite a while and still nobody came to refill our water, ask if we wanted anything else, or just let us pay and get going with our day. We had to go find a waitress, then waited a while for her to bring the check. This place is very cute and had good food, but they definitely need more staff. read more

This review may be a bit biased as we just finished up a long weekend of camping and were hungry for some real cooking and a place to wash our hands with soap and water :) Place was packed around 9am on a Sunday but we only ended up having to wait about 20 minutes for a table for 5. Good breakfast selection with plenty of options for everyone! Our waitress was SUPER friendly and attentive. I'm not a coffee drinker, but others in the group claimed the coffee was a plus. Large portions of everything we ordered and the hash browns were crispy! Great rustic atmosphere and a gem right by Donner Lake. read more

Donner Lake Kitchen - Scrambled omelette with bacon, spinach, tomato, and mushroom - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Truckee, California

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Usually dont resort to posting bad reviews but this was just WAY TO ABSURD not to. So here it goes, on January 21st 2018 my friends & I (a group of 5) visited for the second day in a row, we had such a good meal & experience saturday we decided to go back the next day. However the next day was a vastly different experience with a vastly different waitress. We waited at least an hour to be seated ( no big deal they were busy ) when we were finally seated we all ordered coffee. We all had finished our coffee & waited another 20 minutes motioning for the waitress for a refill she didnt pay attention until my friend spoke up. When she finally did bring a fresh pot of coffee out she refilled the table next to us coffee first who had not asked for it & were apparently "Locals" so when she came to us she didnt have enough to refill everyone's cups. We got our food & that was the last time we saw our "waitress" Kelley until after we left & she decided to run out to the parking lot & scream "screw you" because apparently she didnt like the fact that we didn't leave a tip for the horrendous lack of service. Well to make matters worse my friend who had paid for the meal on his card informed me the next day that Kelley had given herself a $25 tip, thats called FRAUD & ILLEGAL!!! She even commented on my friends post saying "she was going to report us to the authorities" (which doesnt make sense at all) & that "in her 30 years she has never had such a problem with a group" how can a group be a problem if the only time you saw or interacted with us is when you sat us down & took our order, when you refilled our coffee after way to long of us tracking you down & when you ran out to yell "screw you". She also said "she was going to fight it All the way". How immature can a grown woman get? This review is in no way about the food here, just a horrible Experience with our "waitress" Kelley! Will not be returning! read more

My wife and I have been coming to Donner Kitchen for over 24 years. The current owner, Kelly, was a waitress when we first stopped in. The atmosphere has a homey, local feel, the food is outstanding and Kelly and her staff make everyone feel welcome. A must for Donner travelers. read more

Best huevos rancheros I've ever had in my life. Great cafe, friendly service. Reasonably priced! Large variety of menu options.

My family and I ate lunch here after boating all morning. The selection and food was great, and the people were friendly. I found myself laughing with the waitress more than I was eating. It was a fun atmosphere for sure! read more

Neighbor and I went to the Kitchen this morning. As always, service was great. Omelets (my favorite) were excellent. Warm, friendly family atmosphere. Always my recommendation for friends and visitors. read more

Rudest waitresses. Simple as that. Food was 'okay'. We came in with a party of ten and they refused to allow us to all sit together at the bigger table that sat 10! So instead the waitress told us we had to stay at separate tables even when that larger table was available! So unprofessional and not customer friendly read more

Really good food and the portions are very big... I got the huevos ramcheros and I would highly reccomend it! All their food and friendly staff are amazing, just wish it wasn't so far from tc :) read more

Awesome staff and great food. Super family friendly, the kids love the bunny hotcakes and why wouldn't they, the food is delicious.

Mouth watering food! Soooo delicious! Seriously this is my #1 choice for breakfast, I go all the time, probly almost once a week. They have the best food for breakfast in town. Perfect for the whole family, and their drinks are amazzzing! All the staff are pretty awesome, the most recent experience we had was with a waitress Rose she provided excellent customer service. Highly recommend and of course I will be returning! read more

This place is great. Local character and charm. Say hi to Pixi when to ate there.Great food too.

I was really hoping to not have to resort to complaining on this site. On Sunday the 21st, a group of 5 of us went to this restaurant for the second day in a row, we had a great experience the first day. After an hour long wait to sit (it was busy, no big deal) we we're finally seated and was able to get some coffee. We sat there for 30 min before we got up to get someone to even offer us a refill and take our order. Another table was served twice before we got our refills. Not once did anyone come check on us or at least ask if we needed anything. There are 15 tables Max in this place with 2 wait staff working. Once we finally got our food (which was tasty) we decided as a group that, after being ignored and having to fight to get any attention, we we're not going to leave a tip. It was what we saw as the best way to convey we didn't appreciate the service we received. Once we left the restaurant after paying our bill, the lovely wait staff "Kelley" decided to come out to the parking lot and yell "screw you!" To us. Unnecessary and unprofessional. I thought that was the end of it. Today, my friend who paid on Sunday called to tell me that "Kelley" decided to give herself a 25$ tip on his credit card. This is not only just wrong, but also illegal. Yes, we are taking the necessary steps to correct the issue but, I felt the best course of action instead of ending in an argument over the phone was to mention something here. I've been going to Truckee for my whole life and used to love going to this place for a great breakfast. Never again. read more

I prefer vegetarian options and the veggie omelette was very good. Cauliflower and broccoli were cooked nicely. Not too cheesey but still flavorful. The best part about this place is the crunch associated with how they cook on the griddle (I'm guessing.) The whole wheat pancakes - delicious and with great crunch. They grilled the corn bread for a bit - yum! And, you get some of the other flavors that have been on the griddle. There was also no wait. read more

Came in on a Sunday morning with my family of 7, had to wait about 30 min understandable. Then we were sat and waited over an hour for our food, while tables who were sat way after us had received their food and left before we got ours. Our server never came to check on us and give at least some explanation for the late arrival of our food. As a server myself I understand that the kitchen can get backed up but ignoring your table is not okay. The food was okay and definitely not worth the long wait. We will not be going back. read more

I have been here many times. Always a great experience, with great food, and wonderful service. The people in there from employees to customers are always pleasant. If I was to criticise it in any way, it would be that they are enjoyed so much, that I have to wait for a table almost every time I go there, but it is worth the wait. read more

Highlight of our visit today: Our waitress, Kelley, came out and yelled, "Screw you!" when we were in the parking lot. Yesterday, we had a different waitress and she was great and got a good tip. We are a party of 5, but we got seated promptly. She didn't even ask if we needed a refill on our coffee, she kept our cups full. Today was our second time coming for breakfast this weekend. It was a longer wait, but it made sense, it was super busy! When we finally got seated, we all ordered coffee and ordered our meal. We are talking, and sipping on our coffee until there was none left. We look around, Kelley is talking wtih other people. Helping other customers. It's 20 minutes past when we all finished our coffee, we trying to wave her down and she doesn't look and just turns the corner. She's talking to regulars making sure that they are good and settled, and we start to hold up our mugs and play around with them, because there's no coffee in them, so why not? Half an hour later we finally wave down Kelley and asks her for more coffee. She comes out with our food and she brings out a fresh pot of coffee and refills the table next to us (who didn't ask for any) before coming to refill ours. She runs out of coffee half way through the 4th cup. She comes back and asks us how everything is, when we haven't taken a bite. We finish our meal and she comes and asks if we want water or coffee, we politely decline. She gives us our check. We are waiting for her to come by and pick it up and my friend decides that he's going to stand at the end of the counter so we can get out of there. She walks by him and says that she'll be right with him and walks over to a different table with their check and chats with them. The waitress that we had on Saturday walks by and said that she will take care of it. We decided that Kelley didn't deserve a tip. The fact that after we left she came out just to say "Screw you!" solidified our decision. It is sad to say that we will not be returning to Donnor Lake Kitchen when we go back to the cabin in the future. read more

If you are ever in the area this place is the best breakfast I've ever had in my life.

We just ate at this café. The food was wonderful! The service was excellent, we are staying here for a week and plan to return before we leave! read more

Fantastic breakfast. While there was a big wait, it was well worth it. The cinnamon roll was to die for and the staff was super friendly.

Omg, don't even bother stopping here. I was so hungry I could have eaten my own arm, and these ladies couldn't have been anymore incompetent if they tried. There is a reason why they take your money first, the $3 tip I left was way too generous. read more

It was a happy day in Truckee when Kelley came back to the Donner Lake Kitchen! She and Billy owned it for many years until they were forced out, and luckily they had an oportunity last year to buy it back. The food is fresh and delicious, and the staff is fun and friendly. The huevos rancheros are legendary, and portions are generous. They are serving beer, wine, and cocktails, and barbequed oysters outside on Saturday nights in the summer. If you need immediate service, come during the week or early in the morning, if you come later on the weekends, it will be worth the wait! It's such fun to have this great family owned restaurant back in Truckee! read more

This is my favorite breakfast place in Truckee!! The eggs Benedict is by far, the best in town. We always have great service and the staff are always friendly! And I can't eat breakfast here without having one of their delicious mimosas! read more

This place deserves a 5! This is the perfect mountain cafe. The steel cut oatmeal was fantastic and a great bowl of fruit. My husband's scramble omelet was good as well. Potatoes good but a little on on the salty side. I asked for a big mug for coffee ND they had that too. I'm guessing that when it's really busy it could be a little less than a 5. But really good food and waitress was really nicetoo. Not a long wait on the food either. read more

We waited for almost an hour to be seated. I was Leary that it wouldn't be worth the wait, but by then we were committed. It was so worth the wait! There were 4 of us and we all got different items. Everything was hot and delicious! I only yelp when I am blown away by how good something is, and this definitely was a great meal! We live in South Lake Tahoe, so we'll definitely be back! read more

It is a small place and the wait is always long but it is worth it. Food is amazing and huge portions. Friendly service.

This is a good place for breakfast or lunch. We always make a special effort to eat here when staying in the Tahoe area or passing through. Always crowded and noisy but worth the wait! Friendly staff and great food! The only negative remark I can make is this: STOP SERVING WATER UNLESS IT IS REQUESTED. NOT ONLY IS IT OFTEN UNTOUCHED ON THE TABLES, WATER IS REQUIRED TO WASH THE GLASSES. CONSERVATION REMAINS CRITICAL!!!! read more

This place is the real deal. Great comfort food and local hospitality. I always head back to the kitchen when in Truckee

Just had the best huevos rancheros this side of the boarder! If ever near the beautiful Donner Lake, in Northern California, you must stop in and try it. read more

Well the word is out, that the Donner Lake Kitchen is back. Gave them a second try on Wednesday. Not so good!! Order the half huevos rancheros. It looked pretty, till I went searching for my over easy egg, that had been microwaved to melt all the cheese. So my egg came out more like a scrambled hockey puck, then runny. The owner said "that's been happening a lot" suggested that I ask for my egg on top. Maybe cut back on the cheese and serve the Huevos with the eggs over easy on top, that's my suggestion, not for the customer to be served a horrible plate of food. I tried the Eggs Benedict a few months back and I already knew I wasn't going to order that again. Hollandaise tastes like it's out of a can. No fresh squeezed juice or expresso drinks. OUCH! I knew I should have gone to The Fire Sign Cafe. read more

I would drive out of my way to get this food! Love Kelly, Love the location, love the food! THANK YOU for coming back to Donner Lake.

Great food... Get the extra cheese and onions well worth it...!! Great service... Thanks Kelly!

We went here this morning for breakfast and loved it! The staff is really helpful and friendly, and the breakfast was great. The menu has breakfast standards as well as some yummy unique plates. Portions are huge; we didn't need to eat any lunch even after a bike ride. read more