Re: restaurants to avoid?

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plawrence
In regards to place that I avoid, probably number one up in the Sierra is the Curry Village Pavilion buffet. It simply reminds me of BAD high school cafeteria food. Didn't help that I once attended a weeklong photography workshop in Yosemite where all of breakfasts and dinners were at the Curry Village buffet.

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mtn man
Love the Patty melt at Nicelys in Lee Vining after a long day of fishing or hiking. Better yet take it to go and take the turn off to the famous Mobil just out of Lee Vining and drive PAST the Mobil and go up the hill to where you'll come to a lookout parking area overlooking Mono Lake. Great views at sunset and great place to eat your food from Nicely's. The place (Nicely's) is a throwback to '50's diners and interesting to eat in.

If you are coming down from a hike out of Mono Village (west of Bridgeport) eat at the cafe there. Yummy and a nice view of upper Twin Lake! Great Patty melt also!

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The Other Tom

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mtn man

Love the Patty melt at Nicelys in Lee Vining after a long day of fishing or hiking. Better yet take it to go and take the turn off to the famous Mobil just out of Lee Vining and drive PAST the Mobil and go up the hill to where you'll come to a lookout parking area overlooking Mono Lake. Great views at sunset and great place to eat your food from Nicely's. The place (Nicely's) is a throwback to '50's diners and interesting to eat in.

If you are coming down from a hike out of Mono Village (west of Bridgeport) eat at the cafe there. Yummy and a nice view of upper Twin Lake! Great Patty melt also!

+1 for Nicely's. I always try to eat breakfast there after a back country trip. Never been disappointed.

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eeek

I've eaten at BBQ Bill's in Bishop once. That was one too many times.

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plawrence

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eeek

I've eaten at BBQ Bill's in Bishop once. That was one too many times.

What's your favorite restaurant in Bishop?
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plawrence

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eeek

I've eaten at BBQ Bill's in Bishop once. That was one too many times.

What's your favorite restaurant in Bishop?
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plawrence

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eeek

I've eaten at BBQ Bill's in Bishop once. That was one too many times.

What's your favorite restaurant in Bishop?
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tanngrisnir3

And coffee? I married a Starbucks worshipper, so there are, effectively, no other coffee shops in Bishop for us. Sigh.

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plawrence

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tanngrisnir3

And coffee? I married a Starbucks worshipper, so there are, effectively, no other coffee shops in Bishop for us. Sigh.

Then here's the perfect Christmas gift for him!



I had it demoed for me at a local store and it does produce excellent coffee, espresso and lattes. The machine costs $199 and the coffee pods cost about $1 each (cheaper than what Starbucks charges for a latte at their stores).

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hotrod4x5
The Mono Cone in Lee Vining serves a pretty good soft serve. Haven't tried their food.

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plawrence
Have you been to the Thai restaurant by the airport (Thai Thai). Have heard some very positive things about it, but have yet to try it myself.
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eeek
I've eaten at BBQ Bill's in Bishop once. That was one too many times.

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eeek

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eeek

I've eaten at BBQ Bill's in Bishop once. That was one too many times.

And now it appears they have gone out of business.

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chick-on
Whoa Nellie

Why it gets good reviews is beyond me.

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hotrod4x5

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chick-on

Whoa Nellie

Why it gets good reviews is beyond me.

I could NOT agree more! Over priced for what you get and the food is not that great.

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mtn man
It was open last month when I was in the area. However this is not owned by the Schatts in Bishop. Apparently the Mammoth one is run by the original Schatts' brother who branched out on his own.

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eeek
Avoid this one (wherever it is):

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mtn man

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eeek
Avoid this one (wherever it is):

Since the intials on the box in the background are PFK one has to guess that this is the Canada KFC? Plese tell me that isn't a breaded uncooked piece of chicken?

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ERICG
It looks like a Slug on a bun!

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mtn man
Plese tell me that isn't a breaded uncooked piece of chicken?

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qumqats

-1 for all food in Yosemite Valley! especially the pizza at Curry

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qumqats
+2 for the Whoa Nelli Delli aka Mobil gas station at Lee Vining
+1 for Alabama Hills Cafe in Lone Pine

-1 for all food in Yosemite Valley! especially the pizza at Curry

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tanngrisnir3

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qumqats
+2 for the Whoa Nelli Delli aka Mobil gas station at Lee Vining
+1 for Alabama Hills Cafe in Lone Pine

-1 for all food in Yosemite Valley! especially the pizza at Curry

The Pizza at Curry is the best in the Valley!

I find that people who opine otherwise are frequently those who burp loudly at cocktail parties and park over white lines in parking lots.

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chicagocwright

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tanngrisnir3

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qumqats
+2 for the Whoa Nelli Delli aka Mobil gas station at Lee Vining
+1 for Alabama Hills Cafe in Lone Pine

-1 for all food in Yosemite Valley! especially the pizza at Curry

The Pizza at Curry is the best in the Valley!

I find that people who opine otherwise are frequently those who burp loudly at cocktail parties and park over white lines in parking lots.

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parklover

If we go to the Ahwahnee it is for lunch because they have a good burger and sandwiches there plus you can't beat the ambiance.

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tanngrisnir3

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qumqats
+2 for the Whoa Nelli Delli aka Mobil gas station at Lee Vining
+1 for Alabama Hills Cafe in Lone Pine

-1 for all food in Yosemite Valley! especially the pizza at Curry

The Pizza at Curry is the best in the Valley!

I find that people who opine otherwise are frequently those who burp loudly at cocktail parties and park over white lines in parking lots.

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tanngrisnir3

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qumqats
+2 for the Whoa Nelli Delli aka Mobil gas station at Lee Vining
+1 for Alabama Hills Cafe in Lone Pine

-1 for all food in Yosemite Valley! especially the pizza at Curry

The Pizza at Curry is the best in the Valley!

I find that people who opine otherwise are frequently those who burp loudly at cocktail parties and park over white lines in parking lots.

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eeek

Oh the humanity!

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Ulysses61
In no particular order, my Hall of Shame from Yosemite and 395:

Schatt's bakery in Mammoth has the rudest and most inattentive helpers I've ever seen in the rear portion of the place. "Yelp" reviewers raved about their turkey sandwiches, but they were awful. And I waited 25 minutes for one when there was no one else in the place. Dry, miserable, over-hyped.

The Schatts turkey sandwich in Bishop is even worse and the crowds are horrific.

Whoa Nellie is overpriced and the food is average. I've gotten sick on their potato salad and gotten mentally ill at dishing out $9.50 for a piece of chocolate cake. Their Farmers Bros. coffee is the worst coffee on planet earth. Worse even than the Farmers Bros. coffee at the Indian Bingo parlor casino/gas station in Independence.

Curry Village Pavilion buffet: absymal. Have also become physically ill eating their slop.

The restaurant mentioned above in Independence in Jenny's. Have never stopped there, but have heard it's OK, no more.

• Alabama Hills Cafe, Lone Pine: The breakfast BLT is my favorite food on the planet. The Humphrey Bogart skillet is a close second (no hyperbole, I swear)
• Burger Barn, Bishop: Just tried this for the first time recently. Amazing burgers.
• Amigos, Bishop: sometimes it hits the spot, sometimes it doesn't. But if you want a big plate of americanized mexican food the enchiladas are lovely.
• Looney Bean, Bishop: My favorite spot for a coffee and pastry if I'm just passing through in the morning.
• Jack's, Bishop: I've only done breakfast here and it's always been good. Their side muffins and biscuits are huge. Good place if you have a bigger group.
• Petite Pantry, Bishop: Best chilequiles ever.
• Tom's Place: Yep, a bit rude but good for a quick sandwich
• Looney Bean, Mammoth: Same as Bishop. I rarely stop in Mammoth so don't have a lot of places there.
• Silver Lake Resort, June Lake Loop: Great eggs benedict. It's small though.
• Whoa Nellie: Mmmm fish tacos. Plus it's an awesome people watching place.
• Old Priest Station: Quiet but friendly crew. I once called to ask about closing time when we were in Oakdale. We were running late but they said they'd stay open for us and have burgers ready. And they did. Mmm.
• That 50's place in Knight's Ferry: Old school diner food but they are super fast and cheap. If I don't want to stop at Fast Food but still want a quick meal this is my normal stopping place. You get exactly what you'd expect here, from the liver and onions to the patty melt and fries.

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Ulysses61
Whoa Nellie reviews:

I actually rely on Yelp reviews on hotels and places to eat. It was solely because of people raving about the Schatt's turkey sandwiches in Bishop and Mammoth (yes, they are definitely still open) that I went to both places. A mistake.

The food at Whoa Nellie's was marginally better when Matt Toomey still ran the place and cooked the food himself. Now he has his own place in Mammoth Village called Toomey's, which offers basically the same food as the Mobile gas station but with even higher prices.

I'm no cheapskate, but refuse to pay $14 for two tacos at Whoa Nellie and $9.50 for a piece of chocolate cake. I admit I am no food connoisseur and am perfectly happy eating Dominoe's pizza in Mammoth after hiking. I also think the Deli sandwiches in both the Mammoth Vons or Bishop Vons are just as good as the food at Whoa Nellies.

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hotrod4x5
I admit I am no food connoisseur and am perfectly happy eating Dominoe's pizza in Mammoth after hiking.------I could not have said it better!

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Ulysses61
I actually rely on Yelp reviews on hotels and places to eat.

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Ulysses61
I am no food connoisseur and am perfectly happy eating Dominoe's pizza in Mammoth after hiking. I also think the Deli sandwiches in both the Mammoth Vons or Bishop Vons are just as good as the food at Whoa Nellies.

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parklover
Sorry to say this but we have see a decline in food, especially in the less expensive dining since DNC took over. The Mountain Room and The Ahwahnee has improved but have become too expensive. Degnan's has always been good and remains so. The cafeteria at Yosemite Lodge is horrible now and we stopped eating at the Curry Buffet a long time ago. One thing will be interesting to see is how the Curry dining will be after the change. Although there are many here who prefer Curry Deck Pizza, we like the Loft better. We got food poisoning some years ago after eating Curry pizza and this winter was the first time we went back. The crust was like some frozen pizza. I don't understand this since the pizza at the Loft has crust like you get at real pizza places. I do miss the Four Seasons that was at the Lodge that was a sit down place and served some of the same food , as it is now know as, the Mountain Room. I also remember when the loft used to serve all kinds of foods, even a good steak and some of the best burritos that I have ever had but that was in the late 80's, early 90's. As for your college fare, I like bread, cheese and salami but I hope that you had something different for breakfast.

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parklover
we ordered eggs over easy and only the whites were cooked enough and the yolk was slimy and running all over the plate.

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Hitech

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parklover

we ordered eggs over easy and only the whites were cooked enough and the yolk was slimy and running all over the plate.

BTW, in an over easy egg the yolk is not cooked. It is supposed to be liquid. That's the way I like them and it can be hard to get cooked correctly. Sounds like you got a perfectly cooked over easy egg.

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plawrence

Here's the pretty thorough list from Wikipedia about what each term means in the USA (and Canada) in regards to ordering a fried egg:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fried_egg#United_States_and_Canada

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"Over easy" fried eggs are also commonly referred to as dippy eggs or dip eggs by Marylanders, by Pennsylvania Dutch persons living in central Pennsylvania and those living around them, mainly due to the practice of dipping toast into the yolk while eating.

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parklover

Over easy to me means that the yolks are cooked to the point where they are a thicker liquid than when they are raw.

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plawrence

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parklover

Over easy to me means that the yolks are cooked to the point where they are a thicker liquid than when they are raw.

But that's an incorrect interpretation of the term as understood by most other people, including most cooks.

What you just described would be "over medium"

If "over easy", then only the very outer edge of the yolk should be solidly cooked, the rest of the yolk should be hot, but still very runny.

Next time at the Yosemite Lodge Food Court, order your fried egg "over medium" and see if it turns out more to your liking.

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plawrence
I never called them dippy eggs (being a California native), but I usually order my fried eggs "over easy" for the exact same reason: to dip my toast in the runny egg yolks.

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Hitech


Same here, on all accounts. Before I met my wife I though the toast dip was a family thing. Apparently lots of other people enjoy their eggs the same as "we" do!

The body betrays and the weather conspires, hopefully, not on the same day.

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parklover

I do miss the Four Seasons that was at the Lodge that was a sit down place and served some of the same food , as it is now know as, the Mountain Room.

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plawrence

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parklover

I do miss the Four Seasons that was at the Lodge that was a sit down place and served some of the same food , as it is now know as, the Mountain Room.

The Mountain Room restaurant always existed along side with the Four Seasons restaurant (which was adjacent to the Mountain Room restaurant). The Four Seasons Restaurant was converted over (either in 1994 or 1995) to the Garden Terrace (an all you can eat buffet restaurant). After the Great Flood of 1997 (which destroyed all of the Yosemite Lodge's cabins (with and without baths) and two of the three the Standard Room cottages, effectively shrinking the Yosemite Lodge from an over 500 room property to one with less than 250 rooms, the Park Service and DNC decided that extra dining capacity that the Garden Terrace provided was no longer necessary and the Garden Terrace buffet closed down. Now that space is just used as an event space for seminars, meetings and such.

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parklover

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plawrence

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parklover

I do miss the Four Seasons that was at the Lodge that was a sit down place and served some of the same food , as it is now know as, the Mountain Room.

The Mountain Room restaurant always existed along side with the Four Seasons restaurant (which was adjacent to the Mountain Room restaurant). The Four Seasons Restaurant was converted over (either in 1994 or 1995) to the Garden Terrace (an all you can eat buffet restaurant). After the Great Flood of 1997 (which destroyed all of the Yosemite Lodge's cabins (with and without baths) and two of the three the Standard Room cottages, effectively shrinking the Yosemite Lodge from an over 500 room property to one with less than 250 rooms, the Park Service and DNC decided that extra dining capacity that the Garden Terrace provided was no longer necessary and the Garden Terrace buffet closed down. Now that space is just used as an event space for seminars, meetings and such.

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I have been going to Yosemite since 1987 so I remember when the Mountain Room was much smaller and they had a patio (now part of the restaurant) that you could eat on. Rereading my post, it looks like I was saying that the Mountain Room did not exist. I was referring to the fact that at one point I think that the Mountain Room had a slightly different name but I can't remember exactly what but it did have Mountain in it's name. I could be mistaken since that was decades ago. At first the Garden Terrace was OK but then went down hill. We used to stay at the cabins without baths at Yosemite Lodge. I miss the Four Seasons because it was a sit down place with waiters, had better food than the cafeteria but cost less than the Mountain Room.

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mtn man

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parklover

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plawrence

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parklover

I do miss the Four Seasons that was at the Lodge that was a sit down place and served some of the same food , as it is now know as, the Mountain Room.

The Mountain Room restaurant always existed along side with the Four Seasons restaurant (which was adjacent to the Mountain Room restaurant). The Four Seasons Restaurant was converted over (either in 1994 or 1995) to the Garden Terrace (an all you can eat buffet restaurant). After the Great Flood of 1997 (which destroyed all of the Yosemite Lodge's cabins (with and without baths) and two of the three the Standard Room cottages, effectively shrinking the Yosemite Lodge from an over 500 room property to one with less than 250 rooms, the Park Service and DNC decided that extra dining capacity that the Garden Terrace provided was no longer necessary and the Garden Terrace buffet closed down. Now that space is just used as an event space for seminars, meetings and such.

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I have been going to Yosemite since 1987 so I remember when the Mountain Room was much smaller and they had a patio (now part of the restaurant) that you could eat on. Rereading my post, it looks like I was saying that the Mountain Room did not exist. I was referring to the fact that at one point I think that the Mountain Room had a slightly different name but I can't remember exactly what but it did have Mountain in it's name. I could be mistaken since that was decades ago. At first the Garden Terrace was OK but then went down hill. We used to stay at the cabins without baths at Yosemite Lodge. I miss the Four Seasons because it was a sit down place with waiters, had better food than the cafeteria but cost less than the Mountain Room.

Wasn't it called the "Mountain Broiler Room" way back when?

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hikerchick395
edit #2...we did treat ourselves to a small (pricey) pizza at Perry's in Mammoth last summer after a dayhike. It was excellent! (But we reminisce about the ole skiing days, when you could go in and buy good cheap pizza there by the slice)

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eeek

Got a pizza from Perry's last Friday. Still good but I remember it being better in the 80s.

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tomdisco
I've not eaten in Yos Val for several years because I haven't been there since 2008. All trips since then have been to the high country via Reno. The overall impression I get from this discussion is that there really is no great place in Yosemite Valley for all day dining in both terms of price and quality. It sounds like the Valley is in dire need of a good quality family style or bar & grill style restaurant that one's wallet can afford. I think if a really good facility put out quality meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) at a truly reasonable price they would embarrass the local competition with year round success.

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tomdisco
I've not eaten in Yos Val for several years because I haven't been there since 2008. All trips since then have been to the high country via Reno. The overall impression I get from this discussion is that there really is no great place in Yosemite Valley for all day dining in both terms of price and quality. It sounds like the Valley is in dire need of a good quality family style or bar & grill style restaurant that one's wallet can afford. I think if a really good facility put out quality meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) at a truly reasonable price they would embarrass the local competition with year round success.

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parklover

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tomdisco
I've not eaten in Yos Val for several years because I haven't been there since 2008. All trips since then have been to the high country via Reno. The overall impression I get from this discussion is that there really is no great place in Yosemite Valley for all day dining in both terms of price and quality. It sounds like the Valley is in dire need of a good quality family style or bar & grill style restaurant that one's wallet can afford. I think if a really good facility put out quality meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) at a truly reasonable price they would embarrass the local competition with year round success.

The old Four Seasons was not a bar & grill but it had good food at a pretty reasonable price. I wish that they still had that. Like hotrod4x5 said, DNC controls what is there in the park. It would be nice if a bar and grill went in El Portal but I bet the Yosemite View Lodge and Cedar Lodge would block a restaurant that would take business away from their eating places.

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parklover

The old Four Seasons was not a bar & grill but it had good food at a pretty reasonable price.

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mtn man
We normally camp (24ft. trailer) in the Valley so we bring our own food and the wife does most of the cooking. That way we get food we are used to and don't have to rely on the DNC to give us food. We do break away from the camp one night and go to the Curry Pizza porch, not so much to be looking for a good Pizza, but to enjoy the ambience of the Pizza Porch and the people watching. But there's nothing like a home cooked meal in the campsite. My favorite is a Southwestern Meatloaf cooked in a Dutch oven over charcoal. And then there's the bacon and eggs cooked outside on the picnic table in the morning. And those homemade sandwiches the wife makes in the morning before we take off on walks and bike riding. I don't think the DNC can replicate that!

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mtn man
We normally camp (24ft. trailer) in the Valley so we bring our own food and the wife does most of the cooking. That way we get food we are used to and don't have to rely on the DNC to give us food. We do break away from the camp one night and go to the Curry Pizza porch, not so much to be looking for a good Pizza, but to enjoy the ambience of the Pizza Porch and the people watching. But there's nothing like a home cooked meal in the campsite. My favorite is a Southwestern Meatloaf cooked in a Dutch oven over charcoal. And then there's the bacon and eggs cooked outside on the picnic table in the morning. And those homemade sandwiches the wife makes in the morning before we take off on walks and bike riding. I don't think the DNC can replicate that!

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tomdisco

In late August five of us ate supper at a bar & grill in Bridgeport called Rhino's. I think all of us were pretty pleased with the quality of the salad and sandwich plates available. I personally think it was better than anything available in Lee Vining.

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parklover
I am sure that some people are going to get down on me for saying this, but I would have to hike a very long distance to like Curry Pizza the way it is now. IMO it has not been good for years and the Loft has better pizza. In December, we had Curry pizza and the crust was like those cardboard like, cheap frozen pizzas you can buy in stores. We ended up throwing most of it away. The Loft's pizza crust is nice and puffy. I have never understood why there is such a difference between the Loft, Curry and the Lodge cafeteria pizza. The Lodge cafeteria pizza has a cheese mixture and some sort of herbs sprinkled on the crust.

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chicagocwright

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parklover
I am sure that some people are going to get down on me for saying this, but I would have to hike a very long distance to like Curry Pizza the way it is now. IMO it has not been good for years and the Loft has better pizza. In December, we had Curry pizza and the crust was like those cardboard like, cheap frozen pizzas you can buy in stores. We ended up throwing most of it away. The Loft's pizza crust is nice and puffy. I have never understood why there is such a difference between the Loft, Curry and the Lodge cafeteria pizza. The Lodge cafeteria pizza has a cheese mixture and some sort of herbs sprinkled on the crust.

Pure propaganda! Blasphemy!

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parklover

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chicagocwright

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parklover
I am sure that some people are going to get down on me for saying this, but I would have to hike a very long distance to like Curry Pizza the way it is now. IMO it has not been good for years and the Loft has better pizza. In December, we had Curry pizza and the crust was like those cardboard like, cheap frozen pizzas you can buy in stores. We ended up throwing most of it away. The Loft's pizza crust is nice and puffy. I have never understood why there is such a difference between the Loft, Curry and the Lodge cafeteria pizza. The Lodge cafeteria pizza has a cheese mixture and some sort of herbs sprinkled on the crust.

Pure propaganda! Blasphemy!

When was the last time you had Curry pizza?

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chicagocwright

Too long ago! (i.e. Not last night!)

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plawrence

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chicagocwright

Too long ago! (i.e. Not last night!)

Didn't you skip eating at the Curry Pizza Deck during your last visit to Yosemite this past year?

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chicagocwright

Are you trying to start a fight with my wife and I again?

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plawrence

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tomdisco

In late August five of us ate supper at a bar & grill in Bridgeport called Rhino's. I think all of us were pretty pleased with the quality of the salad and sandwich plates available. I personally think it was better than anything available in Lee Vining.

Was the dinner before or after your group's backpacking trip in August?

I ask because it's a scientific observation that the taste of food improves the hungrier one is. It's one reason why the Tuolumne Meadows Grill gets such rave reviews by people (who often have just finished a long day hike, or a multi-day backpacking trip). It's the same reason why the pizza from the Curry Pizza Deck gets rave reviews from a number of people too.

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plawrence
Where did you go and what did you have for breakfast and lunch during your stay?

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eeek
The only thing the Pizza Factory in Lone Pine has going for it is lack of competition.

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balzaccom
But there is one restaurant that stands out in a completely different way. We have eaten there at least five times in the last ten years, and every single time it has been worse than disappointing.

It's the restaurant at Grant Grove Village in SEKI.