We came with 4 kids and ordered 3 kids Mac n cheese and 1 grilled cheese. All were weird. The Mac n cheese tasted strange and spoiled. None of my kids wanted to eat it (they aren't Kraft obsessed kids either). I ordered a Cobb salad. What I got was a garden salad with egg on it. Plus you bus your own food after eating (after tipping). $90 wasted. The garden was beautiful though. read more

Great food! Beautiful outdoor area to eat. There's indoor seating as well. Large portions so definitely rec sharing unless you have a place to store leftovers. read more

We shared a chicken fried steak, twisted wedge salad, and butternut squash soup. The dishes were all quite flavorful, though a little bit too salty. The portions were quite generous and the sides went together well with the main. The night we went, the kitchen was super slow - so slow that they had to pause taking new orders for about 15 minutes while waiting for the kitchen to catch up. read more

Yesterday on our drive back to San Diego from Bridgeport we stopped in at the Basin Cafe in Lee Vining. It was our first time eating there. The service, food, and grounds were all wonderful! The two gals working were so friendly. We sat outside which was really nice. Beautiful grounds with lots of shade trees. I would highly recommend this place to anyone driving through Lee Vining. read more

Basin Cafe - Beautiful grounds - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

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4.5 stars - this was a great little find during our stay in Lee Vining. Actually, I can't really say that we found it since it's located on the grounds of the Lake View Lodge where we spent the Labor Day weekend. There aren't a lot of restaurant choices in town, and to be honest we didn't have high expectations during this short vacation. We decided to give this a try after reading the almost uniformly positive Yelp reviews and getting tempted by the 10% discount offered to hotel guests. What we sampled during our two days here: full rack BBQ ribs - tender, a little fatty, but well done in the fall-off-the-bone style that marks a properly cooked rib. It's topped with a blueberry BBQ sauce that was an original taste with both sweet fruit elements with just a bit of spice. It came with a baked potato and seasonal sautéed vegetables. Be aware that this is the rib rack from the ventral part of the hog (not back ribs), with the rib tips (cartilage) still attached. As such, it takes a bit of cutting/pulling to get the ribs apart. My only quibble with this dish is that it was served on a plate that was much too small. The ribs were piled on top of the vegetables, and it was a little difficult to work the rack without food spilling off the edges. A big oval platter would be a better presentation. Macaroni and cheese - white cheddar sauce, good flavor but a little salty. A little more cream or milk would have made for a smoother texture, but overall pretty good. Cheesy omelette - not sure how many eggs were in this, because it was pretty large. Four eggs? Five? With the home fries and sourdough toast it made for a filling meal for two people. Breakfast sandwich - bagel stuffed with egg, bacon, and cheese. A pretty standard item, done well but nothing special. Full stack of buttermilk pancakes - light and fluffy the way pancakes should be, topped with some fresh fruit and powdered sugar. I really should have gotten the short stack but I was certain that others would share this with me. But for only $2 more for twice as many pancakes, how could I resist? With regard to dining ambience, there are several tables outdoors in the garden that is theoretically a lovely place to enjoy a meal en plein air. However, the yellowjacket activity here, at least in the evening, was IN-SANE. No sooner did we get our food that we were beset upon by these nasty little beasties. We were able to mitigate the problem a bit by putting a plate of decoy food off to the side, upon which at least dozen of the evil critters began to feast. It bought us a precious few minutes of peace before they turned their attention back to us. We elected to pack up our meal and take it back to our hotel room to eat in relative safety. The next morning at breakfast we wisely chose to eat indoors, and were able to enjoy a leisure meal without fear. This is not a criticism of the restaurant at all, it's just a fact of nature that they have no control over. To their credit, they have put out a lot of yellowjacket traps in the trees, which were all pretty full but at the same time it's like throwing a bucket of water on a high Sierra wildfire. Prices here are mixed. The ribs and pancakes seemed reasonably priced, for example, but the mac and cheese and breakfast sandwich were more expensive than I would prefer. Service was pretty good, especially the woman who helped us at breakfast. read more

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What a great find! Looking for some great food with doggo friendly areas? Lee Vining's Basin Cafe is where you MUST GO. The entire restaurant was encased in beautiful floral gardens and wondrous shade (yes there are flies, but you ARE still on Earth). Save your road trip stop for this place- and of course dine Al fresco! I had: - fresh apple pie slice: not too sweet and so fresh - tri tip sandwich + Mac salad: tri tips a bit chewy but the sauce was just sweet enough. Maybe I should've gotten fries - mac cheese: creamy and delicious read more

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OMG this is a hidden gem in Lee Vining. 1) Food - Their burgers are the BEST burgers that we have ever had in our lives. Their patties are home made and they use the best tomatoes and vegetables ever!! Their burgers look like those famous celebrity chefs burgers!! Sweet potatoes fries are the bomb!! Cobb salad is so generous and great taste too. Ribeye steak is just ok given that their seasoning is very light. 2) Staff - super nice and friendly that you feel like home!!! Need to say no more!! 3) Environment - super cozy and super peaceful inside and outside - just look at the pics. This is such a wonderful experience for us! read more

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I drive through Lee Vining around once a month, and often stay in the area. There aren't many good options for food. There's two places just south of the Mono Lake Bookstore that are, well... awful. I won't name them. But I refuse to eat at either place. I wanted to give Basin Cafe a try. It's clean, with a nice garden area with picnic tables. It looked good. I ordered a chicken "Sierra Wave" burrito to go. I drove a mile or so, and pulled over to eat it. It was barely lukewarm. It was about 80% refried beans (with lard, I think) and rice. The chicken was gristly, and had two pieces of bone in it. The beans were borderline inedible, especially considering they were barely warm. I'd return just to see the beautiful smiles of the people behind the counter. But I probably wouldn't eat here again. read more

Great views! Country style dining! Food taste great and authentic! staff are happy and shares good vibes!

We had the tri tip sandwich and French dip sandwich. Both were yummy. The staff was pleasant and helpful. We will be back. read more

Basin Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

Cute! A Gem of a Stop through Lone Pine. Eat on the lawn, the prices are a bit high for a sandwich, but we hared it with the French onion soup, the soup for the day. Cole slaw was ok. the sandwich we had was a chicken breast with onion rings on top. lovely bread. Had their packaged cookies. read more

The place is very quaint as we came in September. We ate outside under the trees and it was great except for the bees. I had the Cobb chicken salad. The lettuce was good but the chicken was dry. The wife had the grilled cheese and liked it. Said it was a little shy on the cheese. The staff was very nice and food came quickly. read more

Delicious biscuits and gravy!! My friend had a breakfast sandwich and said it was good. We also enjoy lunch, especially the French dip. Beautiful spot. Locals who enjoy grabbing food here. read more

Basin Cafe - Biscuit and gravy - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

I have found the food taste and variety to be satisfactory here. But this time I am compelled to give a low rating purely for the store hours listing. This place is listed as open thought the day till 9 PM, but they close the kitchen between 2-5 PM ( actually earlier than 2 PM) due to which almost 80 percent of the menu becomes unavailable during this window. Nothing warm or cooked is available. No burgers, no grilled sandwiches ... basically for that duration this place is serving morning left overs like soup of the day or else all cold / ready to eat items. I don't know if this is an issue with the restaurant or yelp due to lack of options to mark kitchen closed hours, but someone got to sort it out. I am inclined to feel this is intentional, due to less options around the area, customers might plan and bank on eating here knowing it's open and skipping going to other places. And once they are here at 2 PM, they are left with not much of choice and end up eating whatever is available ... which is unfair. read more

Basin Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

The Food was good. The service was good. Clean restroom. Popular place for people to stop. Next to the motel. Food was cooked as asked. The price was pricey, but you have to remember where you are. The three ladies were friendly and accommodating. See you all next time in town. read more

I loved finding this little spot. I stopped by on a random weekday and I'm so glad I stumbled upon it. The cafe was located at a high point which offered views of the lake. There's a small garden outside too, which I enjoyed. The woman who took our order and served us was friendly and welcoming. I tried a salad and sandwich, which tasted great! The mac salad that came with it was refreshing and light! I would 100% come back here. I'm a bit sad that I wasn't staying in the area to come back and try more. read more

We had two chicken ortega sandwhiches for lunch. The food was great-- two chicken thighs per sandwhich with flavorful peppers that weren't too spicy. The shop itself looked spotless and they had s beautiful garden where we ate lunch. read more

Basin Cafe - Garden - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

This place is fantastic. I chose it for lunch for my family while on vacation, knowing nothing about it. The food was delicious, fresh and well made with good portions (not too much, not too little). There was a decent variety of sandwiches to choose from. The staff were very friendly and the seating outside was so relaxing. It gave New England vibes in terms of getting to sit at a table on beautiful green grass, surrounded by gardens and trees. It was calm and quiet. If you're passing through and are hungry, this is definitely the place to go. read more

The food was great and a lot. They are super friendly. The place is nice, you can sit outside in the garden or if you are afraid of birds inside ;) read more

Basin Cafe - Breakfast - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

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The Mt. Tom sandwich is SO GOOD! All fresh ingredients and is so big it makes two meals!!

Staff was great. Breakfast was awesome. Sat in the garden to eat has a great panoramic view of mono lake. read more

Basin Cafe - Breakfast plate. - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

We stopped by for an early breakfast. Beautiful garden with outdoor seating. Servings are generous and food is tasty. The food took a while but worth the wait. read more

Basin Cafe - Outside garden - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

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We ordered the mocha and some pastries. The mocha was great and the almond croissants were to die for.

First, they could not take our dinner order because we were 6 minutes early. Second, they don't make substitutions, fries instead of mashed potatoes. Third, my food was not hot, ribs were dry & tough. Vegetables were undercooked. Fourth, my wife's had fried but wanted mashed potatoes, they couldn't switch. Fifth, too many flies inside. The Epic Cafe before was much better. read more

Really wonderful restaurant next to the Lakeview Lodge. The food is great and the setting is perfect -- lots of outdoor tables in a beautiful garden overlooking Mono Lake. They have a big menu with really generous portions, daily specials and kids options. We loved the chicken entree and got it two nights in a row (chicken thighs with fantastic sauce and vegetables and potatoes.) Katy and Scott were the best, thank you for taking such good care of us! We loved Katy's paintings and drawings inside, and they made the beautiful wooden tables themselves! read more

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Just stopped by and it's closed. Saturday Oct 29 2022, 1pm Supposed to be open till 6pm. Mono visitor center is also closed for the season. read more

Awesome place to eat, they serve breakfast, lunch & dinner. They sell homemade honey beautiful place. read more

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A nifty burger joint with a lovely garden and outdoor tables, great chocolate chip cookies, decent coffee, and very pleasant staff. Come here and be content. read more

The perfect lunch stop on a beautiful day! Great menu options (even some for us veggie folks). I got the veggie burger and it was great. Not a house-made patty, but the fries, bun & veggies on the burger were SO GOOD! Great service & beautiful outdoor seating area. read more

Basin Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

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Great place, lovely outdoor seating and friendly service. Was a little pricey. The food was just okay. On my next trip through I will try another place. read more

Wow. I need to make this a regular vacation spot just so I can frequent this restaurant. Run by some of the coolest people I've had the pleasure of meeting. We showed up right at 12:00 and we couldn't have planned it better. We got a tri-tip sandwich and a French dip. We got fries and onion rings. Yes we saw the more healthy options, It wasn't that kind of party. The wedge sounds delicious, I'll be back for it!! Our sandwiches were heavenly, freshly sliced, perfectly cooked meats, the au ju was so layered... Salty, beefy, effing perfect. The tangy bbq sauce on the tri tip was perfect. I won't call it spicy because it wasn't but it was tangy as heck and perfectly applied. Not too much not too little. CM didn't need to ask for extra. read more

Current rating is for only the fruit pies. When Basin first started baking their own pies, they were amazing, perhaps the best in the eastern sierra. Wonderful, slightly browned flaky crust, jam packed with fruit, and only fruit. Now, they've added more sugary ingredients to both the pie and crust. For example, the apple pie has caramel inside and a sugary crumb topping. For me, personally, this is a huge turnoff, and I've ceased stopping in for an after hike pie :-(. If sugar bombs are for you, you'll love it. Despite this, it's a quaint addition to the 395! read more

Portions are huge! Fries were delicious. My only complaint is the bacon on my BLT was actually too thick. I know, it's crazy. We got there at noon on a Sunday and it was very busy. The line to order was to the front door. It took almost an hour from when we walked in til we got our food,so don't come if you're in a hurry. The staff was very nice and thanked us for waiting. read more

Basin Cafe - BLT on sourdough - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

Adorable place, delicious breakfast, large portions, and friendly service. So glad we found this little spot!

Adorable little breakfast joint! The seating outside is very cute and whimsical. I got to enjoy a breakfast sandwich and it was yum! Not sure what kind of sauce they put on it but it definitely elevated it from just a regular breakfast sandwich. Good stop while passing by! read more

Basin Cafe - Breakfast sandwich - Burgers Near Me - Lee Vining, California

Nice outdoor seating area. Friendly staff. I had the Brazin Burger and other person with me had the Basic Burger. We ordered them cooked medium but they came well-done. Still good, big burgers and side salad with balsamic dressing was tasty. We are visiting the area but will be back when we travel through again. read more

Stopped here to pickup a breakfast burrito for $17 yes $17 to go, it was huge!! couldn't finish it all. The burrito was double the size of other burrito's I've eaten along hwy 395. I was probably buying two burritos at that price, Some places do that to you, they sell you a larger portion at a higher price. This place was previously Epic Cafe and is still nice and clean or modern and better, it has that comfortable and peaceful feeling inside and outside for dining. The landscape is beautiful and well maintained for outside dining. From looking at other items on the menu and my burrito, I think the food is pretty good and the portions are above average. There's a few pies on the counter that are very tempting and you can't help but notice or pass on when you're ordering. They also serve Looney Bean coffee which is a local favorite in Mammoth. The cashier/order taker is nice. Prices must include tip cause they are a bit higher here. Double check the business hours before you make a long drive here. All good here! read more

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Such a charming little garden to enjoy a fabulous breakfast. I wish we had left room for their baked goods as they looked scrumptious! Looking forward to going back! read more

We stopped in hoping for a good bite to eat and took a chance on this little hideaway cafe. It was a walk up order counter and seat yourself. We ordered the Basin burger & the Mono burger both cooked Med Rare and the steak sandwich special, total was $65.00 with no drinks!! Expecting that these were surely going to be something special. We went back up to the counter to order drinks and were told they served fresh squeezed orange juice. So 2 of us ordered it...NOT the case. Hoping our food would overcompensate, we were greatly disappointed when both of our burgers came out Well done and charred. They were so hot that they were hard to eat. The onion ring on the Basin burger was cold and all of our fries were warm at best and dry. Disappointed and irritated but too hungry to send it back and wait, or to leave and find another place. We choked it down and moved on. We won't be back. read more

Highly recommend this cafe. The food, service and atmosphere is superb. There is outdoor dining in a beautiful garden and there are a family of turkey vultures that nest in the trees that were beautiful to watch while we dined. Pro-tip, get the dessert! read more