Where to Eat Near Donner Lake
A short walk or drive from the inn — an ice cream shop directly across the street, a lakeside pub, a half-century breakfast institution, and a deli for picnic provisions.
- Category
- dining
- Drive Time
- 1 min
- Distance
- 0.1 miles
- Season
- spring, summer, fall, winter
What to Know
- ✓Little Truckee Creamery — handmade ice cream directly across Donner Pass Road from the inn
- ✓The Pub at Donner Lake — elevated pub fare and a full bar at the west end, with lake views and outdoor seating
- ✓Donner Lake Kitchen — a beloved breakfast-and-lunch spot that has served the lake since the 1970s
- ✓Sticks Market — a deli with Boar's Head sandwiches on Truckee Sourdough, plus picnic and cooler provisions
- ✓Historic downtown Truckee, with its full restaurant scene, is about a 10-minute drive
Most of the dining closest to the inn sits right along Donner Pass Road, within a short walk or a few minutes’ drive. For a wider choice — fine dining, breweries, and cafés — historic downtown Truckee is a short drive east.
Right across the street
Little Truckee Creamery — A local creamery scooping handmade ice cream directly across Donner Pass Road from the inn (15628 Donner Pass Rd) — close enough to see from the porch. An easy walk-to treat on a summer evening after a day on the lake.
At the west end of the lake
The Pub at Donner Lake — A few minutes from the inn at the west end (15963 South Shore Drive, on the corner of Donner Pass Road), in the building that was once the original Mel’s Diner. Opened in 2019, it serves what it calls “elevated pub fare” — American lunch and dinner — alongside a full bar with rotating draft taps and cocktails. The house-smoked brisket sandwich, wagyu burger, and fish and chips are the regulars’ picks, and there’s a big outdoor patio with lake views and screens for game days. More at thepubatdonnerlake.com.
Along the north shore toward town
Donner Lake Kitchen — A Donner Lake fixture since the 1970s and one of the longest-running eateries in the area (13720 Donner Pass Rd, about a five-minute drive east). The rustic, timber-cabin spot does breakfast and lunch, roughly 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., and is best known for its huevos rancheros, crab Benedict, and hand-cut fries. Family-run, kid-friendly, with vegetarian and vegan options — and a reliable weekend wait, so go early or midweek.
Sticks Market — Right next door at 13710 Donner Pass Rd (Donner Lake Kitchen sits just behind it). A rustic-chic market and deli with handmade Boar’s Head sandwiches on local Truckee Sourdough bread, made-to-order poke bowls and grab-and-go breakfast, plus craft beer, wine, spirits, and groceries. The easiest place to assemble a picnic or stock a cooler for a day at the beach.
Beyond the lake
For the full range of Truckee dining, historic downtown Truckee is about a 10-minute drive, with breweries, cafés, and sit-down restaurants along Commercial Row. And every morning the inn serves a hot breakfast, so you’re covered before you head out. For everything else around the lake, see Things to Do Near Donner Lake.