As soon as we entered we were greeted and everyone was friendly. The food came out quick and tasted great. read more

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

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45 minute wait on a Saturday wasn't too shabby. They don't take reservations ahead of time, you have to go in and write your name your name on a white board. My boyfriend put our names down but didn't realize we left a small gap between us and the name ahead and when we checked on the board 10 minutes later, we noticed someone snuck their name in that small gap and they got to be seated first. It's a small issue but rubbed us the wrong way so just be wary of that since it's all manual and the servers/hosts aren't checking it often. After 45 minutes of waiting in the parking lot, we were starving. It took us 10 mins for them to take our order and an additional 20 for the food to come out. It's a small local restaurant but it seemed like there was only 1 chef in the kitchen. The food finally came out and thank god the portions were huge - that's what essentially saved the rating from tanking. I got their tuna melt and it was a 7.5/10. Solid tuna melt, it could have had a little more tuna but I liked the flavor and bread was soft and toasty. Fries were good as well, they gave quite a bunch and they were crispy and had good seasoning. Their bloody mary however, was delicious, perfect balance of vodka, tomato juice, horseradish, and not too spicy at all. The perfect kick of tabasco and it came with olives and a banana pepper. Honestly this was my favorite out of the entire meal so I highly recommend this. Service was mid, after waiting around 30 minutes I asked the waiter a simple question of how long she'd guestimate it'd be our turn. She rolled her eyes a bit and said they go by the honor system in order of the names written and I said thank you. 5 minutes later, another server comes over and seats a table of 3 with their names under ours, so that definitely rubbed me the wrong way. Overall I probably wouldn't come back if I had to wait over 20 minutes but it's a solid local diner. read more

Great bacon Bloody Mary and chicken Benedict! Cute restaurant and friendly severs. We will go back read more

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

Cute tiny place. Mimosa or Bloody Mary while you wait outdoors to be seated. There is inside dining only. Great table service. Extensive menu.Everyone had a delicious meal. Coffee was superb! read more

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We came on a Sunday, so there was a longer wait, maybe 30 minutes. But they allowed us to order some drinks before seating us, so that made the wait easier. The parking gets a bit tight on weekends, so you'll have to get creative. Also, there's no cell signal, at least for AT&T, so bring a book or be prepared to make conversation. Once inside, the service is good and attentive. I ordered basic bacon and eggs breakfast. The portions were generous and everything was good and prepared how I like it. It's bacon and eggs, so it's hard to mess up besides overcooking/undercooking. Over all, it was a good experience and I'll be back with friends or a book. read more

This is one of my favorite places for breakfast in North Lake! It is definitely one of those places that you have to know but once you discover it, you will never stop returning! Donner Lake Kitchen is the definition of charming. Their quaint diner is decorated with mix-and-match wooden tables and chairs with winter accessories lining the walls. Even the mugs are a mismatched collection that reminds you of your grandma's house. It instantaneously makes you feel at home. Everything on their menu is phenomenal! My personal favorites are the benny skins, huevos rancheros, eggs benedict, and the blackberry cream cheese french toast! Pro tip: get the blackberry cream cheese french toast to share at the table! It is not too sweet, but super filling eating only a half a slice. I also cannot forget to mention the staff, they are amazingly kind and helpful. I adore Donner Lake Kitchen and look forward to breakfast here every time I come to Tahoe. read more

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the food was excellent here, but the noise level was HIGH. the servers were very nice and very competent. i would come back; hopefully not be seated by 6 LOUD women talking over each other. read more

Good food small restaurant, convenient that you can order drinks while you wait. We waited for 2 hours for food and it was worth it as their food is great and the portions are awesome. read more

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I enjoyed a morning walk along Donner Lake and worked up a tremendous appetite. Well walking by the Donner Lake Kitchen you couldn't miss the wonderful smell of bacon coming from the little restaurant. It was time to give it a try and enjoy a good breakfast. The menu had lots to choose from but I stayed with the traditional Denver Omelet with bacon added. Wow..... the 3 egg omelet was huge and filled with all the good stuff ...including lots of bacon. Thank goodness I had a nice long walk. Needless to day...... I ate the entire meal and boy was it good. Plenty of food for a reasonable price. It was our waitresses first day and she was a hit. I hope to have her serving us next time we are there....lots of fun, great family atmosphere. Sorry, I was so hungry I forgot to take pictures. read more

We lucked out big time when we went here. We heard there is always a line! There was no line this time. There were 6 of us, and they had a table already ready for us. The inside was cozy. The only thing I didn't like, was how the entrance was right by tables. There wasn't a hostess area to give space between the entrance and dining area. So I would hate to have one of the tables by the door. Especially on a cold day. Other than that, everything was great! The staff was friendly and engaging. The food was delicious. read more

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

While the wait is usually at least 30min for brunch, it's ALWAYS worth it. The berry, cream cheese stuffed French toast is always my go to, with bacon of course. The bacon is cooked to perfection and the mimosa juice selection is incredible. My favorite is raspberry but they have options which include watermelon, kiwi, blackberry, etc. Perfect local place and always worth the wait!! read more

Donner Lake Kitchen - Blackberry, cream cheese stuffed French toast with bacon - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Truckee, California

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

Favorite breakfast in Truckee, no matter what age you are. Can't get enough of the huevos rancheros. read more

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

Excellent food and service. There can be a bit of a wait since it's a popular place with locals, but they try to make their patio as comfortable as possible while you wait. read more

First of all, the food was good, really good. Whoever was at the kitchen really know what he/she was doing. The poached eggs were done in PERFECTION (just right, not too running, not too solid). The ingredients were all fresh, the flavors were not over-powering or too little -- JUST PERFECT. The prices were decent. The waitors/waitresses were mostly attentive. However, it was not worth waiting for 2 hours. There were only 7 parties ahead of us and we waited 1.5 hours just to sit down, and another 40 minutes from ordering to getting the food. I've never seen anything so slow. If there was a disclosure or notice regarding the long wait (despite only 7 parties ahead), then we'd be more prepared, but 2 hours? That is just ridiculous. I just want to point out that the few waitors/waitresses that worked there, seemed completely overwhelmed. I don't blame them for the wait, and this is where I point fingers at the management. If you can't handle the amount of customers, then you need to either hire more/pay more, or cut down on the number of tables that you have. By squeezing the life out of your employees, you're pissing off customers like me. I'm willing to increase the rating here if the owner starts implementing a policy of providing wait estimates, or add a disclosures at the front door. Until then, a high 2 stars (for the food). read more

Great little spot for breakfast i found on google while i was up at Donner Ski Ranch a few miles up. Looked like everyone was locals in there which meant the food must be amazing and it sure didn't disappoint! We got the Fruit bowl Regular breakfast simple hashbrowns sausages toast eggs which is my favorite Also a vegetarian dish which was delicious also Definitely coming back when im back in tahoe snowboarding read more

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

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This place is great the servers are friendly! The only issue I had was that they have a sign out front that says to please wait for an available staff member and no one pays attention to the door we stood there for 10 min before anyone acknowledged us. I have purple hair and am pretty hard to miss and other customers did the same. This is a cute little hole in the wall. It's kind of pricey but the portions are huge so definitely worth it. The mimosa was excellent and the orange juice was better than most places. The food was fresh and absolutely to die for soooo good!! We ordered the Cowboy and the Chicken Fried eggs Benedict. We had to wait a while for our food but the place was packed and definitely worth it!! They also setve beer for you hair of the dog drinkers. There is a little store in the front where you can get your last minute supplies for the lake. They have outside seating available as well. They are only open for breakfast and lunch until 2 pm so if you are going on a motorcycle ride start your day ere!! read more

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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

My brother-in-law treated us to lunch at my favorite Donner/Truckee restaurant, the Donner Lake Kitchen. Always welcoming and inviting, great food and atmosphere..can't be beat. If you are looking for that home-cooked taste, like you were at your grandmas house feels, this is your spot. I look forward to it every year on our annual Truckee vacation. Hope to sneak in another meal (like breakfast) before we leave. Thanks for all you folks do for your customers... We certainly appreciate it! read more

Donner Lake Kitchen - Mexican omelette..house jalapeño salsa..Yum! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Truckee, California

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Great breakfast and huge portions, good prices for Truckee- highly recommend you go here for breakfast!

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

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

Love this traditional breakfast diner, very warm environment with a good touch of family ownership. We always had our coffee checked on and refilled. If you're in the area, come check this place out! read more

Donner Lake Kitchen - Does it get much better then this, dipping toast in this was phenomenal. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Truckee, California

We didn't even get a chance ... after we were finally able to get a place to park we were looking for a place outside as we had our little dog with us... No service outside,...you have to order inside ( basically "to go" ) and take it outside yourself... and we were told it'd be 45 minutes to an hour for food ... needless to say we left and found breakfast elsewhere ... sorry read more

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

Great breakfast/lunch spot in Donner! Food is all really great, and there's seating inside and outside. One of my favorite things is that you can order drinks outside while you're waiting for your name to be called. We came up to Donner to stay with some friends for Father's Day weekend, and the dad's decided they wanted to go out to breakfast vs. having the moms cook and clean up (thank you!) I got the 1/2 order of biscuits & gravy with scrambled eggs. Sooo delicious! Others got crab eggs Benedict, pancakes, ham/eggs, and all had rave reviews! Hubby had the Irish cream coffee while we waited, and said it was delish! Service was wonder (even though they had a sign that they were short-staffed). Hoping we'll come back for lunch sometime! read more

Best diner food in the greater Lake Tahoe area. Not even close. Huevos rancheros. A+ Stuffed French toast. A+ Atmosphere. A+ Our server Kelly was kind and very professional. She was awesome and took great care of us. Come to find out later. She's the owner!!! And has owned the place for decades!!! What a humble and awesome lady. This place is a must visit for breakfast if you are in the greater Tahoe area. Thanks Kelly and Peter. You guys were awesome! read more

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

We went for breakfast on a recommendation from a local. A little off the beaten path from Truckee but worth it. Very friendly staff, full compliment of menu items and excellent food and portions! My wife had the Eggs Benedict and one waffle (they are big!) while I had the Scrambled Omelette. Both were excellent----highly recommend going here! read more

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

Incompetent employees with bad customer service. Walked in at 930AM and stood around for over 5 minutes while half a dozen employees walked by and ignored us. After about 5 minutes we were told to ask Katie about the wait. Wtf?? Who is Katie? They looked at another employee who I guess is Katie who walked by and ignored us. Never coming back to this place, this diner is a joke. Update 5/30: this person Kelley who responded is lying. None of the employee were wearing masks when we walked in and none of the tables were spaced 6 feet apart. The fact that you think COVID changed anything in today's experience is total BS. Incompetent: when you're a server or a waiter your main job is provide a satisfactory experience for the customer. You couldn't even do that which is why I'm saying you're employees and business model are incompetent. They lack what makes a business successful. You're a breakfast diner in the middle of nowhere with no competition, this is your only success. You could say you're somewhat a monopoly. read more

Donner Lake Kitchen - This is how the owner treats their customers. With retaliation. Don't support this business - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Truckee, California

I was craving a diner breakfast and this place did not disappoint. First off the service is top notch. All the servers were beyond kind and on top of my water and coffee even though the place was packed. I ordered the classic Eggs Benedict. The Canadian bacon was stellar and the eggs perfectly poached. The hollandaise was a little buttery and lacking in flavor, but still I didn't regret my choice. The home fries, on the other hand, were some of the best I had. With just the right amount of spice and salt, and crispy while cooked through, I can't wait until I can get back here to get these again. read more

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

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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

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

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

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

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

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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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