Best burger in the area. It tastes just as good as it looks! Super juicy and flavorful, cooked to order and somehow the bun is sturdy enough not to fall apart when eating, which is rare to find in the juicy big burger business Definitely worth a trip out to beautiful Donner lake on old hwy 40, if not just for this burger read more

The Pub at Donner Lake - American Near Me - Truckee, California

Okay, it had been awhile since I ate in the Truckee area. Quite a sticker shock for menu prices. Not really a guy who looks for a $28 wagyu beef smash burger and then have to add $1 for cheese. Just couldn't do it. Some ordered the pretzel bites, very good and the duck gravy poutine, also very good. Both were good choices and under $20 each. The location is great, right across from Donner Lake, but I just can't see myself returning based on the prices. Service was okay, food delivery was slow and our choices didn't come out together. Very little interaction from the service staff. Looks like they have a good bar and there were several people having drinks. If you don't mind the expense, give it a shot. read more

The Pub at Donner Lake - Menu at Donner Lake Pub - American Near Me - Truckee, California

See all

I did not come here looking for a fight. I came with family, friends, and the simple expectation that a pub might understand the meaning of public. Instead, we were met with hostility before hospitality, contempt before conversation. Our party of 19 entered calmly and respectfully. At no point did we demand accommodation beyond reason. Had the establishment been forthright, had they simply said, "We cannot support a group this size right now", we would have thanked them and adjusted our plans accordingly. That would have been honest. That would have been professional. What we received instead was scorn. The bartender, who also appeared to be the waiter and owner, addressed my wife with visible irritation and barely concealed anger. The looks alone told the story: we were unwelcome before a word was spoken. Not because of behavior, but because of presence. This is a pub that charges $30+ for a burger and yet cannot afford basic courtesy. Let me be clear: capacity limits are understandable. Operational constraints are real. But rudeness is a choice. So is arrogance. And this establishment chose both. A restaurant is not judged solely by its food, but by how it treats people when circumstances are inconvenient. When tested, this place failed, loudly and without apology. If you believe hospitality is a privilege rather than a responsibility, you may feel at home here. If you value professionalism, respect, and transparency, spend your money elsewhere. I know we will. read more

What We Ordered - Island Style Poke Bowl - Fish and Chips - Clam Chowder Loveee the poke bowl so much we came back twice. I made the mistake of trying the clam chowder the 2nd visit. It was mainly bland milk in a bowl with little to no clams.. (just clam shells) and some minced veggies. Fish and Chips were tasty! Fish was crispy and moist. read more

See all

Pioneer Burger:Wagyu beef, secret bacon cheese sauce, onion's delicious,but $26? Added the curry gravy with the Pub frys both outstanding. Fry's are steak fry married to a seasoned curly fry, curry gravy=Tikka Masala sauce amaz. California Caesar: Good dressing, garlic crumbs The Pub Lagar on tap was light & refreshing. Split all this with the Mrs & it was plenty. Kiosk out front was a few minutes wait & it seemed the staff was overwhelmed. Our waitress did a great job,but it took 25 minutes for the main meal to arrive. Overall a delicious, spendy quick stop for dinner on a Thursday night. read more

The Pub at Donner Lake - Pioneer Burger & Pub frys - American Near Me - Truckee, California

See all

The food is overpriced and terrible. I ordered a brisket sandwich and the meat was all fat and very tough. I would never go back.

Nice bar. Big TVs. And a solid menu. Of course I has the Donner Dip and it didn't disappoint. Bread was fresh. Meat nice a warm. A little chewy and the dip. Perfect. Next time I won't wait for CalTran to close 80 to stop in! Thank you for being open and have great choices! read more

The Pub at Donner Lake - The dock outside the restaurant - American Near Me - Truckee, California

See all

A good, fun, and local pub. Decent food, good bar selection, nice staff, and good ambiance.

I would think that with all the poor reviews this place would up their game. It's so easy to be nice. Food was good but overpriced. Waitress was nice. 5.00 for a coke and no offer for refills!! I won't be back. Prices are way too much. read more

Hella expensive. Big burly man giving intimidating vibes. I couldn't relax the whole time we ate. He was constantly checking in with us but our server was already on top of it. Then this sweet lady looked like she was new and learning and he was just all over her. *slams round tray* "use a tray" It was so awkward and the employees just looked scared the whole time. read more

The burgers were delicious, with bold flavors that hit all the right spots. The service was excellent--friendly and attentive. We loved the outdoor seating, which was perfect for our dog, who enjoyed the vibe as much as we did. One hiccup: when I asked about the Taleggio cheese on the burger, the server described it as a spicy cheddar, which missed the mark. Taleggio is actually a semi-soft Italian cheese with a pungent aroma but a mild, creamy, buttery flavor with a fruity tang. That strong smell caught my attention, prompting me to look it up. Overall, a great experience despite the cheese mix-up! read more

I recently came to The Pub after not having been here since before the pandemic, and was happy that it's still the place I remember - with the best fries in the area. Honestly the spiral cut fries are what keep me coming back, but it's also a nice place to hang out with lots of indoor and outdoor seating. There's a really cool mural outside now too which definitely matches the vibe. I've never had an issue with the service or food, though will admit it's pretty expensive for what it is. I'd come more often if it wasn't hard to justify the price and other places I could go for what I'll be spending, however, it's not too different from other places around Tahoe. Overall it's a great place to have a drink or a quick bite if you're in the mood for an American style bar! read more

The Pub at Donner Lake - Burger & Fries - American Near Me - Truckee, California

See all

Staff are all very attentive and check on you frequently. We sat on the patio because I love the bear mural. Try the lugnuts at least once. Not my thing but my friends loved the concept of a tator tot & jalapeño wrapped in bacon then dipped in beer cheese. read more

See all

Cute pub by Donner Lake, bring cash to avoid cc fee. Expect resort town pricing. Enjoyed our lunch and beers. Impressive liquor selection. Some indoor seating and lots of outdoor seating. Right across from West End Beach. read more

Small place but great food. Service has always been great every time we go. Keep it up!

Overall, the staff and food were pretty good, however, there was significant confusion when trying to order a whiskey, and ultimately they charged us $20 for a whiskey that they didn't even have on hand. I called two different phone numbers left two different voicemails, never heard back and never was credited for the $20 drink that we never even saw. I'd have given a better rating except I expect a little bit better customer service when an error of this nature is made. read more

Came in on a Friday afternoon to grab some drinks and lunch. The hostess was super friendly and seated us quickly. Our server came to take our drink order and seemed slightly irritated about our questions, then we came to find that several of our drinks weren't available and had to find some other choices. We ordered tacos and fish and chips, the fish came out burnt and undercooked inside and as our tacos were placed on the table our server promptly picked them up and took them away, no communication with us as to why. We found out after asking that they had the wrong filling, would have appreciated communication prior to having to flag the server down and ask. A new plate of fish was prepared and brought back perfectly cooked and tasted great. While we had issues with our food and it was the kitchens downfall, our server came across frustrated with us and seemed annoyed or bothered by our requests to fix our meal. We spoke with the server upon leaving to express our concerns and how we felt uncomfortable during our visit. Overall the food was good however the server was less than desirable. read more

See all

Wonderful lunch right next to Donner Lake. Staff was friendly and the food was great. read more

The Pub at Donner Lake - American Near Me - Truckee, California

Absolutely the most dog friendly place I've ever been. The servers were super friendly and the food was really good! I had a side of Mac and cheese (yum) and a poke bowl. Hubs had a salad and side of o-rings that were exceptional. Not cheap ($100 with no drinks) but a very nice experience so worth it. Everyone on the patio had at least one dog. no drama, everyone just vibin' read more

The worst place I have ever been in Truckee. We have a vacation home and come to Truckee often, We have truly never been treated worse by their bartender. The rudest employees. I could not even sit down that is how rude they are. I have never been spoken to this way. DO NOT GO! Wish I could give 0 stars. read more

We stopped in on a Tuesday right when they opened as a pit stop between work visits. It was empty and stayed empty the entire time but that's expected when everyone is on the slopes. The server was quick and just the right amount of attentive. The pub was small but comfortable and since it was such a nice day the doors were open which was great. I got the pulled pork sandwich and it was delicious! I wish there was more sauce but that's just how I am. read more

The Pub at Donner Lake - Location - American Near Me - Truckee, California

Great selection of draft beers and they have Sunday ticket! Do not sleep on the brisket sandwich- thick slab of perfectly smoked in house brisket. My Jewish mother approved. We will be back for more. read more

Excellent service, delicious food and a nice view. What more do you want ? A clean bathroom ? They have that too!! read more

The Pub at Donner Lake - The tacos. Way too much food!! Took half home - American Near Me - Truckee, California

See all

We were greeted by a male host, who made the four of us feel very unwelcome when entering the pub. He could have at least faked a smile and been more welcoming. Considering we came to eat and drink beer there for our first time. Anyway, between the four of us, we had two burgers, two French dips, two beers and two sodas. Our bill came out to be approximately $150+ (tipping not included) for pub food. UGH!!! Food was pretty good and the service was adequate. Nice place by the lake, but due to our unwelcoming experience and expensive prices. We'll probably not return and go somewhere else next time. read more

The food was good, but $80 for 2 burgers, fries and sodas kinda made me choke. OK, it's Truckee, but dang!

Excellent place! We stopped here on our way home heading back from Tahoe and we could not have picked a better place to dine at for lunch. We were on the lookout for a place that was dog friendly that could accommodate our family plus our little guy that we took on vacation and this place seemed to have the most promising reviews. Love the casual, laid-back, nice atmosphere. We were seated outside on some bench tables under the shade. Our server was awesome. Super friendly and very attentive. Everything on the menu looked so appealing. I ended up getting a lettuce wrap burger. My husband got some pesto sandwich and the kids split a burger. Everything was absolutely incredibly delicious. You can tell everything is made fresh. And their house made fries were insanely good! I could've ate a bucket of those alone. Overall great spot and we would most definitely visit again on our next trip up. read more

The Pub at Donner Lake - American Near Me - Truckee, California

See all

This is a convenient location, just steps from the west end Donner lake park and just up the road from the boat ramp. The beers are cold and the food is satisfying. Our waitress had great timing. Sit outside to soak up the sierra rays! read more

The Pub at Donner Lake - Brisket sandwich with fries and Fig Mtn. hazy. - American Near Me - Truckee, California

They know how to make fried comfort food! Fish and chips came with 2 big pieces of cod, juicy inside and crispy outside, the fries were big wedge fries with lots of potato inside each fry, onion rings stayed crispy even after it cooled down. The burger was pretty good as well. Definitely recommending adding the caramelized onion on top. The service was friendly and food came in relatively reasonable time given they were quite packed on a Saturday evening on a long weekend. Don't recommend outdoor seating for dinner since it gets dark and cold pretty fast. read more

See all

Friendly local pub with cordial service. It's located at the west end of Donner Lake. You can sit indoors or pick an outside table to enjoy the fresh mountain air. They have a selection of microbrews on draft. The unusually shaped pub fries are good! You can get them with pub cheese dip (w/Guinness). Dogs are welcome at the outside tables. read more

See all

I'm from San Diego and this might've been the best poke bowl I've ever had. Got the Island Style

2/27/26. Food was ok, service good. Had a hamburger, my friend had a Greek salad. She had a drink, I had water. The bill including a 20% tip was $90. Outrageous. read more

Great food service portions and price! This place has it all. A must visit in Truckee.

Maybe this is new norm but $80 plus tip for lunch seems kind of steep to me. The food was great and i'm thinking you're paying for the view that comes with the food. There were several instances of bees nearing the seats. Service was quick and the food was fresh I just have a hard time spending so much for lunch items. I ordered the chicken sandwich which was great and beautifully presented and a Rubicon crawler, which was similar to a Rum runner. I guess next time I can nix the drink but paying $50 for my share was a tough pill to swallow. Part of the experience I guess. read more

See all

We walked in and were greeted and seated by the bartender/waiter. After he sat us he immediately brought us waters. He gave us a few minutes and took our drinks and food orders. Our appetizer (lugnuts are amazing by the way) was served and our meals followed shortly afterwards. We had quick and very friendly service and recommend this establishment to everyone. I am positive we will return! read more

The Pub at Donner Lake - American Near Me - Truckee, California

The best fish and chips I've probably ever had. And an incredible Cesar salad as well! We'll be back!

Service was great! Burger with bacon and grilled onion sauceKids approved too! Would def come back! read more

Don't waste your money. We got the brisket sandwich and the Donner dip sandwich. Both were basically inedible and the meal cost $80 for two people. Won't go again. read more

We went in for lunch just to get a few drinks and were disrespected by our waiter. Someone in my party asked for the credit card charge to be removed as we were paying with cash and when the waiter came back he threw the check at us onto the table. Obviously we did not leave a tip as it was extremely disrespectful. As we were leaving he leaned his head out of the door and called us a-holes. Absolutely ridiculous will not be returning. read more

Phenomenal bar and cocktails. Elevated pub food. Accommodating and talented staff. Welcoming and warm atmosphere. The best around. If you're visiting from the Bay Area have patience and pretend to be human. read more

if youre thinking about getting the prawns GET THEM. I like the prawns. Zac likes the prawns. read more

The Pub at Donner Lake - prawns. you can eat the tails and all. absolutely delicious - American Near Me - Truckee, California