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    Taildragger Cafe

    4.2 (112 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Taildragger Cafe Photos

    TAILDRAGGER CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Divey
    Casual
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Taildragger Cafe

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    View of the airport
    Robbie R.

    I'm spending some down time at Tahoe outta the heat, but I needed to take a important meeting with one of my big bosses outta LA, so I told him to land the plane in Minden. It's the nearest practical airport to me. South Lake Tahoe is too busy and at high altitude as is the Truckee airport. I takes more experience to deal with the high altitude. The Taildragger Cafe is right here at the Minden Airport. Basically walking distance from where you can park the plane. The food here is very popular breakfast food, but they do serve all day till dinner even. Service is super friendly and efficient. The inside has I good view of the airport runways and planes. The full menu is posted online on their FB page. We had some lunch and did our meeting. I had a cheeseburger with fries and my boss had the Citation sandwich, which was roast beef with cheese and caramelized onions. My burger came with fries and we shared an order of onion rings. My burger was pretty good, cooked med rare as ordered. Pretty standard burger. My boss liked his Citation sandwich with the caramelized onions. The onion rings were decent as well. He had coffee too, and it was kept full and hot by the server. I'm glad this little restaurant is out here at the airport, it's a good place to have if you fly in and need food right away. The little airport I have in Redding has a Chinese restaurant with a view of the runways! I'll take little airports over big ones any day!

    tons of filling in the omelet
    M L.

    I'd heard that this little airport located between Minden and Carson had fantastic breakfast. Just take Airport Road from US395 and go east. Follow it to the end and there you are. Lots of parking, at least when I went. The dining area has lots of light from the outside with views of the planes and tarmac. I guess if you have a plane you can land here and just park and walk into the cafe and go fly off to somewhere else to eat. The friendly server was right over and served coffee. Looking over the menu, I ordered a build my own omelet ($10.50) with cheese, spinach, mushrooms and sausage. $10.50 is a good price for any omelet these days and these here are FOUR egg omelets. I got hashbrowns and toast too. Wow, when my breakfast arrived, it was huge! The omelet was stuffed high and had lots of chopped sausage in it .... heavy on the meat ... OK! The hashbrowns were some of the most perfect and tasty hashbrowns I ever had! The toast was buttered nice, but you do have to request jelly as it's not on the table like most places ... maybe too many customers stealing jelly off the table! I'll say, people were right saying this Taildragger Cafe has some great breakfast and low prices too!

    This is only a half order of the biscuits and gravy?! I couldn't believe the size!
    Molly M.

    A tiny restaurant located at the minden airport. It's cool bc you can watch all the planes takeoff and land while grabbing a bite. It was busy when we arrived and I realized it's bc the prices are unbeatable! I haven't seen prices this affordable in a decade! Offers Basic diner fair but the great service set in a supercool location puts it up to 5 stars for me.

    Paige E.

    Good breakfast, bloody Mary's really good, friendly service!! We will be back and try lunch & dinner!!

    Full order of biscuits and gravy filled the plate

    The food is so good and the prices are great. Love that it's right off the airport runway too.

    Here it is... located at the Minden-Tahoe airport.

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    4 years ago

    Had a meeting for dinner here. Food was good, better than most airport restaurants I have been to. Very good service.

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    3 years ago

    Excellent food, great service, didn't realize it was an airport but nice surprise & ambiance!

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Good food friendly service and its fun the see planes land and take off while you eat.

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    4 years ago

    Fantastic comfort food and great atmosphere and service! Very cozy place and fun views of the airport

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    5 years ago

    A pleasant surprise! Out at the Minden-Tahoe airport, but well worth the short drive. Good breakfast at great prices! Friendly service too!

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    4 years ago

    Just not friendly enough. Must be a terrible place to work? We always like the food but we must be the wrong party for the airport.

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Really good food, cool watching the airplanes. Good service. The staff is always friendly and courteous.

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    Page 2 of 3

    Ask the Community - Taildragger Cafe

    Review Highlights - Taildragger Cafe

    I loved this little cafe located in the Minden airport and adequately decorated with a cool aviation theme.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Schat’s Bakery and Restaurant - Assorted Brittles

    Schat’s Bakery and Restaurant

    3.9(129 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    Schat's Bakery & Restaurant in Minden was a perfect stop when we came off the lake for a night from…read moreour local camping spot. We ordered the Reuben Stacker and the Tahoe Blue. Service was friendly and the food was excellent. The Reuben is a thick hot pastrami on grilled Jewish rye with Swiss, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island. The Tahoe Blue is a hot albacore tuna melt on grilled sourdough with cheddar. Both came with a side as advertised, salad on my plate and fries on my wife's with Ranch dressing to dip the fries in. Portions were generous and the bread is amazing and baked in-house daily. The bakery case is one of many reasons to come back....! Coffee cakes, croissants, cookies, fruit tarts, and packaged loaves were all out and labeled. We bought croissants and cookies to take back to camp and they traveled (and ate) well....! The one real drawback is the building. The bakery and restaurant share a door with C.O.D. Casino next door. When that door opens, cigarette smoke comes into the dining and bakery area. The restroom is also on the casino side. That does not change the quality of the sandwiches or pastry, but it is noticeable and it is worth knowing before you sit down, especially if you are sensitive to smoke or bringing food out for a trip. Note: they do have outdoor seating. We love having this place close to home and will use it again for lunch and bakery takeout for sure! Four stars because the food and service earned five and the smoke and restroom setup cost one.

    It's too bad they were about to close, so we only get their bread selections, which is still…read morealright. We always go to Schat in Carson, so when we were in Minden, its branch was our first choice for late lunch. We got what's available without the need for them to prepare, since they are closing. I got a ham sandwich and my two boys got pizza bagel -- everything is good, and although my sandwich is already pre-made, they still tasted fresh. I always love the ambiance there. It's always relaxing and the interior is classic. We ate in the park since they are already closing, but that's alright.

    Photos
    Schat’s Bakery and Restaurant - Schat's Burger

    Schat's Burger

    Schat’s Bakery and Restaurant - Custom Ordered Wedding Cheese Cake

    Custom Ordered Wedding Cheese Cake

    Schat’s Bakery and Restaurant - Ice Cream with freshly made waffle cone

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    Ice Cream with freshly made waffle cone

    Cowboy's Cafe - Eggs and Chicken Fried Steak

    Cowboy's Cafe

    4.1(326 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$

    Friendly service clean bathrooms and great food. What else would you want . The corned beef hash…read morewas cooked exactly how I like it "crispy" as it should.

    If you want a no frills, stick to your bones, simple kind of breakfast, you can definitely get it…read morehere. They have a pretty extensive menu. I wanted some breakfast without having to go to an IHOP or Denny's. The place is TINY. Mostly 2-top tables and a handful of booths and bar seating. If you are seated at a regular table, expect to be friendly with the guests next to you. It's such tight quarters that you can't help but start having conversations with the people next to you. I got the pork chops with eggs and hash browns. You get 2 decent sized bone-in pork chops. They were well seasoned and juicy. Really good. My son got a pancake from the kid's menu that was shaped like a Mickey Mouse head. It was huge. I got a sausage patty to go with it. This was the only sub-par item as it was dry and lifeless. I feel like it was sitting on the flat top or under a heat lamp for hours. It wasn't worth eating. Other than that, the food we had over all was good. The service was OK. The morning we went, it seemed like there was only 1 server for the entire restaurant. She was taking orders,serving, AND bussing tables. So, the quality of service wasn't the best. She was rushed. Glad I was able to try a local spot.

    Photos
    Cowboy's Cafe - Inside photo looking back at the commodes.

    Inside photo looking back at the commodes.

    Cowboy's Cafe - The best chicken fried steak anywhere.

    The best chicken fried steak anywhere.

    Cowboy's Cafe - Breakfast Burger

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    Breakfast Burger

    Cocos N Moes

    Cocos N Moes

    4.7(41 reviews)
    2.8 mi

    Hired Coco's n Moes for my husbands 75th birthday party for what started as only 60 people ended up…read morebeing close to 84. Ben was quick to respond to text and phone calls and was gracious to keep adjusting the amount of food to accommodate. He even added dessert on the house. We also hired his crew to serve. Everything was wonderful and delicious. Thank you Ben.

    What an amazing hidden gem in Minden! I came here on 8/4 with a group of girl friends (8 of us…read moretotal) and it was about a 30 minute wait for them to get a table that big together. Waitress were super helpful, kind and friendly. They were joking back and forth with us and in good spirits. Moe was very hospitable and joked right along with us. Another girl and I ordered a cold brew coffee, a couple other girls added that to their breakfast because it was so delicious and MASSIVE. All the portion sizes were also MASSIVE. I had the Traditional Eggs benedict. I have no complaints about the flavor, presentation or accompanying fruit cup. The sauce was the perfect portion for the meal and my food wasn't swimming in sauce. My one critique is that my eggs were a little too well done. I don't like my yolks completely runny, but these had absolutely no run to them. (see accompanying picture). If/when I go back, I'll definitely ask if that is standard and if so, to undercook them a bit so there's a little run to the yolk. Other than that minor detail this plaice is still 10/10. It's worth the drive out of Reno for this little gem tucked right off the main highway/street in Minden/Gardnerville.

    Photos
    Cocos N Moes - Cute!

    Cute!

    Cocos N Moes - Chipotle Benedict

    Chipotle Benedict

    Cocos N Moes - Inside

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    Inside

    Overland Restaurant & Pub - FRENCH ONION SOUP

    Overland Restaurant & Pub

    4.1(589 reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$

    So there we were. We…read morewanted to take a bike ride, have breakfast, and enjoy a beautiful spring day. We did all of that and we decided to have breakfast at the Overland. We knew it wasn't going to be crowded and the food will be fresh, but it was so much more than that. Overland is lucky to employ Tennessee, who might just be the best server in the Carson Valley. I grant you that we haven't been to every restaurant and we haven't had every server and so it could be hyperbole to try to tell you that he's the best, but we need to be sure to let you know that he is clearly in the top percentile of quality, local servers. Why you ask. He anticipated our every need, and so we always had water, always had coffee, and he cleared every single time he got near the table. His positive energy is infectious. Yes, I can hear you now, what about the food? My wife can, on occasion, high maintenance, and this was one of those mornings. She ordered the Eggs Benedict without the bottom bread plus one more whole extra Eggs Benedict, and Tennessee didn't flinch. I ordered the vegetarian omelette and I had side breakfast potatoes. All of it tasted great. I even tried the hollandaise sauce on my wife's eggs Benedict and it tasted fresh and tasty. So, I say give Tennessee a raise, and when you go to the Overland, hope that you get seated in his section because it will be an experience that you won't forget soon, and the food is very good. Somehow, this breakfast restaurant is flying under the radar on Saturdays and Sundays. They truly deserve to be packed as they have the formula for success, great service, good food, and a clean environment..

    Stopped in our way down the 395 from Reno, and overall had a pleasant experience. We were able to…read moresit outside with the dog on the small patio out back, which was very welcome as we were on our way to camp with the dog and couldn't leave her in the car on such a hot day. Bonus, we caught happy hour! Our server was helpful, clarifying some menu and general questions for us. We didn't realize that it was the same owners of Great Basin, but it was very reminiscent with pub fare, similar menu styles, and Great Basin beers on tap. We'd stop again, but wouldn't go out of our way since we have several Great Basin locations to choose from in Reno.

    Photos
    Overland Restaurant & Pub
    Overland Restaurant & Pub - Hamachi Crudo at Minden Mill dinner

    Hamachi Crudo at Minden Mill dinner

    Overland Restaurant & Pub - Lavender Cocktail

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    Lavender Cocktail

    1862 David Walley's Restaurant & Saloon - Bistro chicken w asparagus and linguine pasta

    1862 David Walley's Restaurant & Saloon

    3.4(321 reviews)
    4.4 mi
    $$

    I teter between a 3.5 - 4. Went on a Thursday evening at 7:30pm. Not busy at all. The dining…read morearea is beautiful. Definite cabin vibe. Hostess and waitress were very pleasant. Service over all was great. We ordered: - Fried Calamari - 2.5/5. It was the frozen kind you buy in bulk. Bread crumb coating was thick and salty. - Spinach Artichoke Dip - 3/5. Surprisingly kind of bland, but better than salty. The vessel it was in was very hot to the touch, but the contents inside was luke warm. Prime Rib w/ Rice Pilaf - 5/5 The steak was perfectly tender and served with au jus and horseradish. My only negative feedback was that the outer crust where all the seasoning was, was extremely salty. But delicious, nonetheless. The au jus and horseradish kind of helped balance the saltiness. The wild rice pilaf was delicious and went well with the prime rib. Potatoes Au Gratin - 3/5 Wasn't a fan enough to take more than 2 bites. I thought it was kind of dry. It needed to have more of a luxurious creamy sauce that au gratin usually has. Filet Mignon & Mac & Cheese - I can only rate the Mac n cheese - 4/5. Chicken Pasta - can't rate taste, but it was a big portion. Peach Cobbler- 4/5 interesting take on a Cobbler. It's actually a puff pastry that they put peaches on top and topped with cinnamon and whipped cream. It was served with vanilla ice cream. Presentation was beautiful. And the dessert itself was very good too. It was just difficult to cut through the puff pastry with a spoon. It was a dessert that was shared and each of us were wrestling with the puff pastry just to try to get a piece out. Some of you may think I'm too critical with this kind of stuff. But to me, a dining experience starts from the moment you walk in to the way a dish eats. So, yes, the dessert was difficult to eat which contributed to the overall experience. I WOULD go back to try their other items despite some of my low ratings. The prime Rib is worth repeat visits for me. Maybe they had an off day, I don't know. But the food has lots of potential. It just needs to be executed better. Portions are great, BTW.

    We arrived at DW on a Sunday afternoon just before 4 pm- check in time…read more We were given a list of local restaurants- at the top was 1864. The receptionist let us know that they are closed Mondays and Tuesdays. So we decided to try it out first night. We were ready to be out of the car for the day and just walk over. We were told by the hostess that the restaurant was closed to a large party for a family reunion until 7:30, but we could order off the full menu at the bar. We were very happy with our experience here. The bartender/server was very welcoming and friendly. He first said they were in the middle of changing over their wine and beer offerings and was ready to share today's offerings. He didn't rush us at all on ordering and timed out our appetizer, salad, then main course perfectly. We started with the stuffed button mushrooms- so yummy. Then we shared a ceaser salad with large grilled prawns on top- he had the kitchen split it in the back for us. Such a nice touch My hubby ordered the bison burger MR- it was cooked perfectly and the fries were hot and crispy I ordered the DWR veggie pasta- so, so yummy. I'm still thinking about it days later dnd hoping to get in here to eat again before we leave. The sauce is so lemony and perfect. It's a huge portion- so I was able to take more then 1/2 back to our condo with me and work on over the next few days. Our server took time to welcome us and visit with us when he wasn't busy. Also sharing some of his favorite other restaurants in the area so we had places to eat on the days 1862 is closed. The restaurant is tastefully decorated and clean. As was the restroom. We will for sure be back

    Photos
    1862 David Walley's Restaurant & Saloon
    1862 David Walley's Restaurant & Saloon - Strawberry Short Cake dessert

    Strawberry Short Cake dessert

    1862 David Walley's Restaurant & Saloon - The Perfect Martini

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    The Perfect Martini

    Woodett's Diner - Pork Verde Omelette

    Woodett's Diner

    3.7(296 reviews)
    3.8 mi
    $$

    Ok, first of all, there are a lot of little things that I'm going to pick at. however, none will…read morekeep me from returning. I am still waiting for a coffee refill. Not a big deal, I have water. My breakfast was served 10 minutes before the rest of my party. I waited a few moment, but eggs get cold fast so I ate those. Then waited for the rest. When the other dishes still hadn't arrived, I ate. My plate was finished by the time theirs got here. Then I waited another 10 minutes for my toast. When I went to butter my toast, it was frozen. Needless to say, not easy to spread. The other thing was that the tuna melt my daughter ordered did not mention green chilies, so she couldn't eat it. The menus sat on our table till the second round of food came. Dishes were never cleared. Waters were never refilled. all that being said, our waitress was lovely. The place was clean despite obvious remodeling in progress. The restrooms smelled amazing. And the food was overall good, slightly high priced for simple eggs and bacon, but good. Will still return at a later date.

    Had breakfast here this morning and my chicken fried steak was really good and my eggs were cooked…read moreperfectly! Prices are reasonable but they seem like they get really busy during the morning rush so prepare to wait a bit for refills and your order. We really enjoyed our breakfast here.

    Photos
    Woodett's Diner
    Woodett's Diner - Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich

    Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich

    Woodett's Diner - Biscuits and Gravy Combo - delicious!

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    Biscuits and Gravy Combo - delicious!

    The Pink House - The Carnivore pizza

    The Pink House

    4.0(364 reviews)
    4.8 mi
    $$

    The perfect spot when family comes to town!…read more The Pink House is my go-to place whenever I have family visiting--and it never disappoints! Located in historic Genoa (Nevada's very first settlement), this beautifully restored 1855 Gothic Revival landmark has that wonderful old-time feel that makes the experience special from the moment you walk in. The food is fantastic, with a delicious Southern twist that reminds me of New Orleans--big, bold flavors that make every bite memorable. We also loved the wood-fired pizzas, which are a must-try. And the craft cocktails? Absolutely yummy. To top it all off, they feature live acoustic music that adds such a fun, lively vibe to the whole experience. The service was great, and the atmosphere is warm and inviting. Perfect for a family visit or a night out with friends. Can't wait to come back! Highly recommend.

    This updated review is strictly based on food. Our service this time around was much better as far…read moreas timing. We got: Nippon Elote - Tasted nothing like Japanese flavors. I think it's safe to say they use frozen corn which is a shame because fresh corn is still very much in season. I had their corn as an accompaniment to one of my past dishes and the texture is the same. Completely over cooked, soggy, mushy corn on the cob with absolutely no flavor. And get this, it costs $18 or $19! It's literally one corn on the cob that they portion into 4 or 6 pieces. Fish Special - It was rock fish with a red pepper sauce, eggplant stacked with feta and herbed roasted potatoes. The fish was over cooked and really salty. Eggplant was dry and difficult to eat. I didn't even bother with it. Potatoes, no big deal. Margherita Pizza - Good flavor, just not a fan of their crust Tchoupitoulas- We've gotten this in the past and this seems to be consistent with flavor and execution. My husband said it was as good as the first time. Kid's Mac n Cheese - At $19 I expected a large portion. It's not. But it was the best dish we ordered. It's more of a macaroni with Alfredo sauce rather than a cheddar mac n cheese. My son enjoyed it as did everyone else at the table.

    Photos
    The Pink House - Part of the lunch seating available.

    Part of the lunch seating available.

    The Pink House - Tchoupitoulas

    Tchoupitoulas

    The Pink House - Porch

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    Porch

    Taildragger Cafe - tradamerican - Updated September 2026

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