Like an old-time diner. Very clean including the restrooms. Run by the owner who does everything. She is an amazing cook. I got the double cheeseburger and that lasted me three meals. Absolutely huge. She only has American cheese, but if you bring in your own cheese she'll use that. The service was excellent. She is a one woman show. The dishwasher and a wonderful conversation as well. A friend referred me to come here and I was not disappointed at all. Next time I wanna get some breakfast. On weekends, she has gravy. She told me they had gravy bring your own biscuits. The regulars help out a lot. They bust the dishes. Get their own coffee and offer refills to the customers. Very cute decor. She is in love with moose. Next time I'm in I'll have to ask her. What's going on with the moose? You've got to go. read more

Topic: Alta's Burger Bar Date: 8/30/25 Quality: 7/10 Value: 10/10 Service: 9/10 Timeliness: 9/10 Atmosphere: 5/10 Total: 40/50 Mushroom Burger: 7/10 Very cool place, with some awesome history. The place has 3 inside tables with a small bar, and one gal serving and cooking for everyone. Very skilled at what she does! Pretty solid burger too. Would try if you're in the market for a good burger in the area. $36 for 3 burgers is a great deal. read more

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An amazing step back in time to an era of burger bars. The prices are old timey too! Relax at the bar and watch the owner prepare your meal while she catches up on gossip with the locals Don't blink or you'll miss it, there's only an open sign for signage to let you know there's a business here Not to be missed or even make a special trip, it's that good read more

Alta's Burger Bar - Cheese burger and fries - Burgers Near Me - Smith River, California

Do yourself a favor and eat here. One of the best burgers I've ever eaten. It's a small operation, but it's worth the wait.

Spotlessly clean, unfussy, and delicious... plus a truly amazing proprietor and short order cook with an attitude we're choosing to call quirky. This place is for the locals,and it shows - everyone knew each other by name. Customers came in and helped themselves to menus, silverware, and then coffee behind the counter. The owner (I'm presuming) somehow managed waitressing, bussing, and cooking all at once. Do yourself a favor and sit at the counter with a view of the grill. You'll be treated to a true ballet of cooking genius that puts most kitchens and diners out there to shame - the classic, efficient, taciturn short order cook who knows how to perfectly handle multiple orders at once without a wasted movement along the way. The food? Classic diner. A pancake the size of the large plate with a spatula size pat of butter melting on top. Sausage patties the size of a hamburger, and they tasted homemade. Slightly crisp but not over-cooked bacon. Real French toast grilled with that slight edge of puddled egg. And the best over easy eggs I've had in years (despite all ordering scrambled, she knew better! And this is not a place you send back an order) - whites completely cooked with perfectly runny yellows without a hint of cooked yolk. That is artistry. Do yourself a favor and stop at Alta's in Smith River. When you do, just give yourself over to the experience because places like these are hard to find. read more

All please read before you go to the greatest place on the Cali coast. #1.....don't expect great service: ...come in,find a seat .take in the locals Grab a menu and wait your turn to order. Remember your not in a hurry... Watch the local color work the crowd...might grab the coffee and offer you a top off. Or you might see the local cop bussing his own dishes #2....food is absolutely above epic! You won't finish the plate for sure. #3....price is great So if you land here.And like the vib. Help clear the plates to the wash sinks or pour a coffee...or don't..it's all ok! It's absolutely home grown d school dinner.. Being lost in this country Walk in with a clear and open mind...and plenty of time...Just enjoy the smth river adventure This is my BEST OF BEST places in the USA read more

July 11,2024 Back again, had cheeseburgers for three of us executed like none other, Alta's never misses. read more

Alta's Burger Bar - Lunch Menu - Burgers Near Me - Smith River, California

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Stopped at this place which was recommended to us by someone in GoldBeach, Oregon. We are so glad we stopped by. Great ham steak and Melt in your mouth pancake. Everything is cooked to order. read more

This restaurant was the perfect small town burger joint, locals obviously have this as a staple spot in their rotation. The owner is also the cook and she made some great burgers for us! read more

Awesome food cash or check only she's old school.... Really big portions. Vonda knows everyone & everything very good conversations. read more

Big burger! Mountain of fries! Great prices! The food was so good and the atmosphere was so welcoming and homey. Will definitely come back whenever I can! read more

It's like a home kitchen on a small commercial scale. Everything is made fresh, and it shows ... and tastes like it.

Great cheeseburger that tasted the way a cheeseburger should taste. You can tell by the non-uniform shape of the paddy that this is truly home made food. Deducting a point for cash-only, who carries cash nowadays!? read more

Best burger I've ever had. One woman show - she is a special person making the whole thing work alone. Be patient, take the detour, it's worth it. read more

Wonderful food amazing prices, hometown feel and one woman show making, waitressing and serving the food. Absolutely recommend this tiny unassuming place for their tasty food! read more

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Food is delicious Service is excellent.I highly recommend trying it out you will be satisfied

The best burgers I have had. It's a small little place but the quality of food is amazing! I had a the double cheeseburger and it was perfect. read more

cannot believe that I, who loves burgers, did not find this gem years ago. the burgers are hand made and cooked perfectly to your tastes. my wife and i entered this find and sat at the counter per our choice. and a great choice it was. a few of the locals were there and we were immediately welcomed into the chats. We both ordered burgers with the works. my wife opted for the fries and me the cottage cheese since the macaroni and potato salads had been gobbled up already. i'm assuming that the salads were home made. it did not take long to receive our meal, but we could have waited longer as the conversation was great. in all, we were there about an hour, made some new friends, and will be returning to try the pancakes which we were told are the best we will ever have. this has got to be the "Cheers" of ma and pa restaurants. read more

Super cute place with very considerate service. Parking on street for trailers and easy route from the 101. Food is filling and shareable. Great little place to find on a road trip, friendly locals too and sassy enough to be memorable. Thrilled we stopped by. read more

The food would of been way better if I had not been grossed out. I went here with a date he ordered a burger and me chicken strips.. everything is prepared with bare hands, no gloves. When my date went to ask for more ranch the lady who works there said I could just share with him, upon disagreeing- she got pissy told me I was just going to waste it. She walked off and got my ex more ranch but kept complaining about how I wouldn't eat it all.. The lady who works there is rude, doesn't prepare food with gloves and that bothers me. I also ordered chicken strips as mentioned and I am pretty sure they were still raw in some spots, as the chicken was soft, squishy and as you could put it soggy. The building is a 10/10 The food preparation is a 0/10 Customer service 1/10 You can go here and try it for yourself, when I went it was a horrible experience- I will not be going back. read more

Fantastic place for breakfast!! One lady show, hostess, cook, waitress, dishwasher, janitor, an of course, owner!! Only trouble is finding a place to set sometimes!! read more

Found this gem on the way to Oregon. Off the beaten path, you wouldn't know unless you yelped. It was so amazing we stopped on the way home as well. Burgers were awesome! read more

Alta's Burger Bar - a plate of fries and pickles - Burgers Near Me - Smith River, California

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Best burger and club sandwich around! An iconic small town business and a local favorite! The owner is the cook, server, cleaner -she does it all. This place is has the magic of nostalgia mom and pop stop with the best breakfast and lunch in Del Norte County. read more

Great food and plenty of it.Service is good considering its a one person show . Eating area is very clean so is the all gender restroom.There were times I had to turn around place was full including the bar seating.The place has a fifty/60ties atmosphere it seems everybody knows everybody.Most customers carry their used dishes and utensils back to the dishwashing area including me.Alta is a very nice person she knows most people by name she is straight forward , to the point no BS for one reason she is a very busy hardworking person.Visit the place you will be in good company with plenty of wholesome tasty fresh food. read more

A great home cooked meal on the road! 100% reccommend. I felt like my grandma was making me a meal and I loved it. I am a Missourian and this was a wonderful find in California! It's not for liberals. read more

I love this place! I had a mushroom burger with bacon and it was one of the best burger so have ever had. Fast and friendly service with great prices. Stop and have some breakfast or lunch, you won't be disappointed. read more

If you are looking for nouvelle cuisine, Altas is not the place for you. However, if you are looking for perfectly cooked eggs, crispy bacon, ham the size of of a plate, fluffy pancakes or just the best burger in town, you have come to the right place. One day Vanda will realize she works too hard for too little but in the meantime all of her lucky customers are winners. The town of Smith River will never be the same when Vanda retires. All of this explains why you might see a customer pouring their own coffee or busing their own dishes...we need to keep this one woman show performing! Furthermore, I'll go as far as to say she hasn't got a "regular" that minds waiting a couple extra minutes when she's slammed and would gladly pitch in. P.S. she caters to an elderly and working population, which is reflected in her prices. If you haven't tried Altas it's not too late. read more

hidden gem. No signage but amazing burgers and breakfast! Cash only. Definitely going back.

The owner, Vonda, is an absolute force of nature- she does it ALL. She waits the tables, cooks the food, and keeps everything so clean. You can sit at the counter and watch her prepare your meal. I've seen the local regulars help out by going behind the counter to grab the coffee pot to pour their own coffee, or to get their own ice water. You can also walk in the back and pick the soda you want. Regulars pitch in and bus their dishes back to the sink area in back. I so love the community feel. I've had both her breakfast and lunch plates and everything I've ordered has been perfect. I've seen regulars bring their own extra ingredients that they want added to their omelette. I travel from Oregon to visit family in Smith River monthly and I always dine at Alta's 2-3 times per week. She has the most reasonable prices in Smith River or Crescent City. I have dined at several local burger places and hers tops them all as far as quality and price. You can't go wrong with anything she serves. It's all delicious. She should be featured on Diners, Drive In's and Dives. read more

PHENOMENAL burgers! Juicy 1/2 pounders that hit the spot for any tired road tripper. This right here is the burger of life. 10/10 would come back next time I'm in the area. read more

I make sure to eat here every time I'm in the area. If you want excellent homemade food, this is the place! Vonda serves up delicious meals in large quantities at a fair price. If you need atmosphere, go somewhere else, Alta's is like going back to a better time in this world. Believe me this is a needle in a haystack, I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant! read more

We loved this place because she cooks and serves and busses all the tables with no sweat! And doesn't even need a pad of paper to remember your order! Food was good , but added up to about $60 for our family of 5! A little expensive for us! But we did love the home town vibe you don't see anymore these days! We would definitely come back! Limited menu - nothing healthy ! But if you want burger and fries this is your place ! Food isn't fancy or artisan , just down home American small town cookin' read more

So amazing! Went and got a hamburger with everything on it but tomatoes. Mouth watering goodness!!! Best burger this side of California! Highly recommend for those burger and fry lovers out there! read more

This was a delicious find. If you are craving a burger this is the place to go. Note: she mentioned that she does close for holidays (I.e. Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc). read more

I have literally grown up eating here since I was a little kid and Alta's is my absolute favorite place for a burger or breakfast! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND VANDA'S amazing food! read more

We are always in search of local, hole-in-the-wall eateries that cater to the locals, and will put up with a couple hungry strangers. Alta's Burger Bar is one such place, well worth a visit next time you're through northern coastal California. We showed up at breakfast time, and judging by other patrons' heaped plates, decided to split one of her breakfasts. A couple eggs, home fries smothered in a delicious gravy, a sausage patty the size of a small mattress! Wow! Portions were generous, to say the least, and everything was delicious. Instead of toast, we opted for a hotcake on the side. It showed up at the table overflowing a huge dinner plate -- thick and fluffy and mouth-watering. A tablemate to one side did justice to a huge slab of ham, then took most of it home in a to-go box. On our other side, a patron tucked into a "short stack" of hotcakes. I'm willing to bet most of it ended up on another to-go box. Next time through, we're going to sample the lunch menu. There are rumors of killer hamburgers and suchlike, and I am inclined to believe it's all true! This is, after all, the land of the tall redwoods. Paul Bunyan. Sasquatch, even. Things are larger than life in these parts, and I'm certain Alta's burgers are no exception. Be sure you go to this place hungry. read more

What a great find, some locals directed us here and we're glad we took their advice. It was amazing and the atmosphere was to die for. It was like eating in your moms kitchen and all your cousins are over for lunch. We made friends with the locals and they even washed their own dishes for the owner. Her burgers are amazing, you must have one read more

Alta's Burger Bar - Cute little spot. Might have to park across the street - Burgers Near Me - Smith River, California

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Don't pass the place up. It is small on the outside and big VALUE for your dollar on the inside. Local joint that I promise you won't walk away hungry from. Portions are huge and another customer might just refill your coffee for you. Pretty much just like visiting a friend's place for breakfast or lunch. read more

Alta's Burger Bar - Burgers Near Me - Smith River, California

Great burger. Great hole in the wall spot. Took the burgers across the street and enjoyed a draft beer at the bar. Not frozen patties, real burger, real people. Worth it For sure read more

Great little place we stopped at for lunch. I had the double burger and my wife had the patty melt. Very reasonable prices and I love the "at home" feeling. The owner cooked for us and served us. Felt like we were just sitting in her kitchen. Very cozy little place. Would definitely come back. read more