"In a world of doing, doing, doing, it's important to take a moment to just breathe, to just be." Damn, that's freakin' hard to do these days! When was the last time I actually breathed and "just be"?!? Then I thought about the time my man invited me to tag along with him and his daughter to June Lake. I had to work so it wasn't a true vacation for me, but I had some moments when I breathed in the beauty of the lake and mountains. Ahhhhh... that felt soooo good! Before settling in our hotel, we had a pleasant dinner at this old fashioned diner called Nicely's. The Chinese Chicken Salad was delicious with the fried wonton, Chinese noodles, and sesame dressing, but I wasn't a fan of the water chestnuts. It was also in a weird-shaped bowl, and I had a hard time digging into the bowl without everything spilling out. Plus, it rocked back and forth that it was frustrating to eat the damn thing. But I was super hungry and enjoyed the salad, so I just sucked it up and ate with annoyance. I also had the Cheeseburger with Bacon that was satisfying. But the most delightful dish that night was the Hot Fudge Sundae! I haven't had a hot fudge sundae in years... I think it was from McDonalds!!!! The one at Nicely's was definitely wayyyyyy better! What a great pit stop for refueling our bodies! We came during closing time, but they still let us dine. The service was excellent!!! It's been such a long time since we dined inside a restaurant, and what a treat! For a small moment, I was able to just breathe. What a nice way to just be. read more

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Had a bacon cheeseburger with fries and cherry pie A la mode-everything delicious and service was excellent. I love a good diner.

This place is an average diner with average food. Nothing bad about it, but also nothing to really make it stand out in any way. I know it's a small town but the menu could have a little more variety. I do have to say the staff was so friendly and welcoming. They are what gave this place the home town charm. read more

Hours must've changed. Yelp says 9pm closing but we got there at 8 and restaurant was closed. Large singing on top also said closing was at 8. Sad I wasn't able to get some ice cream. read more

There isn't a lot of choice for sit-down food in Lee Vining so I was pleasantly surprised when I left Nicely's. It's an old-time family restaurant/diner. Due to C19, no one is sitting at the counter, but Nicely's has one. I hope it's bad in service soon. I try to eat vegetarian so usually the family restaurants are a no-go for me. I can say that Nicely's exceeded my expectations. As with most places, the veg. options are not many but at Nicely's they options are good! I had the veg sandwich with fries and a salad. All three were very good. The sandwich needed a healthy dose of mustard, but that's usual for many things that I eat. When I'm back in Lee Vining again and need food, Nicely's is going to be my stop. read more

Nicely's - Veg. sandwich - American Near Me - Lee Vining, California

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I always look forward to Nicely's when I am in Lee Vining. It's got Americana diner decor, and it's not fake, it's authentic. Everything on the menu is good. Pay attention to the specials, they are almost always a great choice. Servings are pretty large and the prices are reasonable. The pies and deserts are awesome. Service is always great and friendly. When you eat here it just feels good. read more

Been coming to the Mono Basin for 30 years. Generally Nicely's was always good for a basic family type meal. This last time I was there I was very disappointed. The lunch and dinner menu is mostly sandwiches served with fries. Dinner food was either cold or over cooked and generally very bland. I would recommend just going for breakfast. Sorry but they really need to find a better chef. read more

Fresh, good homemade food. The chicken noodle soup is amazing. Homemade with lots of chicken. Salad was crunchy and fresh. Fried chicken dinner was delicious! Not dry or too greasy. Meaty pieces definitely homemade. read more

Nice little joint we didn't expect to ever discover, but car troubles forced a detour to Lee Vining and while waiting we ran over and had breakfast. Even with Covid-conditions, the staff still make the visit pleasant and professional and the food was really good with sizable portions. read more

Nicely's - Biscuits and Gravy - American Near Me - Lee Vining, California

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Nicelys is an institution in Lee Vining I have stopped at many times Open the years. Unfortunately, the wait staff has turned into the rudest I've ever experienced, in particular the chap in the photo. I have never been sworn at and told to f*** off by a waiter, but I guess there is a first time for everything. read more

Nicely's - The waiter who told me to f*** off. Not nice(lys) - American Near Me - Lee Vining, California

This place takes advantage of weary, hungry travelers! Over $8 for a child's portion of Kraft Mac & Cheese! You can buy 3-4 boxes for that price. Talk about a ridiculous mark up! read more

Nicely's - American Near Me - Lee Vining, California

Nicely's was one of two dinner options in Lee Vining when we rolled into town around 8:00 Saturday night on 06/26/2021. This establishment is your basic, hometown diner that you find in most small, passerby towns. The service was very attentive and friendly, however the food was a little mediocre at best, especially for the prices. I ordered a Jack & Coke ($4.50), which was rather weak. I think they cheated me out with the Jack which really annoyed me because it's a cheap liquor and it probably only cost them $0.50 to make. Whatever. I had a delicious French Dip (pastrami, roast beef or baked ham with lettuce, crinkle fries and au jus, $10.25) to look forward to. Turns out I wasn't really waiting for anything special. While the sandwich did come with a generous amount of meat, the roast beef tasted old and tasteless. Even drenched in au jus I was unable to enjoy it. I tried adding my husband's abandoned onion slices. With that I was able to finish the sandwich. My husband's Bacon Cheeseburger ($11.25) was a joke. The patty was paper thin, definitely low-end, freezer patties. The poor quality did not support the burger's high (IMO) price. We both agreed the fries were good but not good enough. If I wanted just fries maybe I would have left a much happier customer. Two stars at best for the food, however I will add another star for the friendly service. I think this place sees a lot of foot traffic because it's 45 minutes from one of Yosemite's park entrances, so it's very convenient. But I would suggest trying other options if they are available. read more

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Lee Vining (Mono County), California. Hours: Everyday 7a-9p Location: Hwy 395 / 4th Parking: Street Parking Décor: 70-80s diner. Estimate Cost: $20 Service: Full Service Eatery Type: Dine In Food: American/Mexican The menu is straightforward, common diner food. Eggs, omlettes, meats and the such for breakfast. Sandwiches, burgers and salads for lunch. Dinner has low key steaks, meatloaf and related. The spot is next to Bodie Mike's BBQ and the bar separates both restaurants. There isn't too much game in the area so pricing tends to be a bit much. The food is commercialized. There is nothing special with the meals I have eaten over the years. It's not terrible and it's not jaw dropping. The food does come out hot and tasty for weary travelers though so that's always a plus. Nothing good ole tabasco or salsa picante can't fix. Service has always been pleasant and the joint is clean. A comfortable place to rest and refresh for an hour plus before hitting the road again. Eat Responsibly My Friends. www.cleeshyun.com @cigarcpa @cleeshyun read more

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This is a wonderful diner place. Favorite Americana dishes from the grill. And 50's music playing in the background.

Excellent comfort food, helpful cheerful staff, convenient location and perfect for visiting over a meal as the music is low enough to hear my family. We plan to stop again !! read more

Genuine home-cooked food. Enjoyed a delicious Denver omelette with hashbrowns well my wife had the best tasting blueberry pancakes along with perfectly cooked easy over eggs. Customer service is down to earth and top notch. Great view of Mono Lake from the retro diner. Totally recommend it. Solid five stars for great food and wonderful customer service read more

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Sadly I won't be coming here again and I was a regular for 3 years. Yesterday I ordered two club sandwiches at 10:55 in the morning. Only one person was even inside the restaurant as a customer, the place was empty. I waited until 11:35 for the food, which is absolutely intolerable. It doesn't take 40 minutes to make two small sandwiches with fries. They weren't busy, the waitresses couldn't have cared less and were unfriendly and borderline rude. It's also a health concern that babies are inside the food prep area and that the cooks haul garbage out to the cans without gloves and then go back in to cook (I watched them). read more

Nicely's done a nicely job at satisfying this bob. The trout was, without a doubt, presented with no redoubt. Delicious! The Mac and cheese, if you please, made the grade with lots of cheese. And the hotdog, oh the hotdog, with ketchup and beans, really made the scene. Service was fast and friendly. We really like being here at Lee Vininig's center getting something to eat for a little momenta! read more

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The fried chicken is awesome! I love it and go there often just for the chicken. However many other dishes are very good too. Home made pie and ice cream cant be beat either. Give them a try! read more

Nicely's has really good homemade Chili! I remember eating here 30 years ago. Brought my family and we ordered the chili to start. We all tried it and wanted our own bowls for dinner. It was so good I wish I could have brought some home with me. read more

Nicely's - Bowl of homemade Chili. Delicious! - American Near Me - Lee Vining, California

Cutest little dinner! Employees were absolutely the sweetest ever! Food was very delicious and the dinner itself was so unique and cozy. Perfect spot for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Hope to come through town again someday and stop by here for more yummy food. Next time I would really like to try one of their pies. read more

Great food and service! Classic diner vibe and friendly staff. When we stay in Lee Vining for our annual hiking trip to the Yosemite area, we always have our breakfasts and occasional dinners at Nicely's. I highly recommend it if you're passing through Lee Vining. read more

Normally, before heading up the hill to Yosemite to do some hiking, I'll stop at Whoa Nelly Deli for a pre hike fix of carbs. This day, I decided I would break away from my usual and head over to Nicely's to give them a shot. Truth be told, I wasn't impressed. The interior of the restaurant comes off as old and very outdated and the food is just ok. Nothing special to speak about. I'm not saying you should avoid it, I'm just saying that this is one of those places that you're either going to like or not like and as I'm far as my preferences go, I just simply didn't like it. read more

This place is all about good home cooked food. The menu is very large with a wide spectrum of choices. The service staff is eager to serve you. The inside reminds me of east coast diners and the play 50's-60's music. Nothing fancy booths and separate tables with a good view to the kitchen. My wife had a burger & fries and I had roast beef French dip and fries. Everything tasted great and the ice tea was exceptional. Although I was stuffed I could not resist their bread pudding for dessert. I can to the table hot and flavorful. I rolled out of the place so cannot do it everyday. The service staff was very attentive which is a nice thing. We ate her during the COVID period but everything for safety is in order. read more

You really get your bang for a buck at Nicely's. It appears this place is always busy. We didn't have to wait too long till we were seated at a booth. Our waitress was a lot of fun. She was open to swapping my fries for a baked potato. I no longer can eat fried food, so this was a happy moment for me. This is a diner, not a gourmet restaurant. I've looked at some other Yelp reviews that were harsh. If you want more, drive up a mile or so to the Lee Vining Mobile gas station, there you can pay $20 for a meal that should be to your liking. As for me, I'm all about my childhood and going to a quaint establishment. For $10, we had a full meal, salad, bread w/butter, and our meal. Parking is along the street, you'll find something. Attached to the restaurant is a bar, if you are staying local, you have a chance to wet your whistle. read more

Very delicious fiesta salad!!! Very juicy chicken and filling! Full afterward, and happy! read more

Nicely's - American Near Me - Lee Vining, California

Hefty meals! Sometimes you just need to load up the calories before you hit a hiking trail or go on a day long fishing expedition. On those days foofy meals just don't cut it! On this day I was going to hike up and around the rim of Panum volcanic crater near the lake and I needed calories to burn. Nicely's turned out to be the right choice. The food was good and there was plenty of it, the service was nice and the coffee kept on coming! read more

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1) Staff - lovely folks and attentive 2) Food - it's a typical American diner. Nothing special. We ordered breakfast and cold sandwiches to go for lunch for our all day hike. 3) Environment - very cozy with early ages of rock-n-roll songs. Not too loud. Very clean restaurant. read more

Two stars because the food was hot. But it wasnt good. I have eaten there years ago and dont remember it being so blan and tasteless. It was crowded so that probably didnt help the food quality. The server never came back to refill our drinks. The beef dip had no dip which would have helped with lubrication because it was very dry. read more

We thought of stopping at Nicelys long before we arrived. It sounded like the perfect place to eat since we were also checking out the upside-down house in Lee Vining. Parking wasn't bad. The lot was right across the street. We were also seated very fast, even though the restaurant was packed. We sat down, ordered our drinks, then waited close to fifteen minutes for our server. To be fair, our server was training someone else. However, being seated in the corner of the restaurant made us feel overlooked, despite the fact that we were right next to the kitchen. I ordered the BLT with a side salad. The salad and the dressing looked store bought, and to be honest I didn't eat much of it. The BLT was pretty awesome though. The sandwich is simple and delicious, which is why I love it, and they made it pretty well here. Service could have been better, but the food (half of it) was pretty excellent. read more

Nicely's - BLT - American Near Me - Lee Vining, California

Hot chocolate and breakfast Benedict's.we also got ham and eggs.service was so quick and attentive... we are out of towners and love to try local food! read more

Staff was very friendly, food fresh and great value for price. Besides the salade they standardly serve vegetables. Desserts looked great however we were full from the meal read more

I don't like being a hater, but the meal we had here stood out as one of the worst I have had in many years. The waitress recommended the fried chicken which was awful. The portion was generous but most of it stayed on the plate. It is really difficult to mess up mashed potatoes but they succeeded in that as well. The gelatinous blob of gravy did nothing to enhance them. As I would have expected, the side of green beans were boiled, tasteless, and inedible. I will give a shoutout to the "homemade" navy bean soup with ham which was delicious. I had high hopes for the fish tacos, but they were the worst I have ever had, even with a healthy does of Tapatio. I don't care how hungry you are, I would completely avoid this place. read more

We ate here three days in a row. The vegetables tasted fresh. Portions are generous two, active fit people can definitely split plates. They make fresh cinnamon rolls from scratch on site. Definitely grab one to go and take on your hiking boating adventures! They also have a full bar. read more

Nicely's - Restaurant area. - American Near Me - Lee Vining, California

My wife's toasted cheese sandwich was raw, ie toasted outside with unmelted cheese. The service was beyond slow. There are probably better options elsewhere! read more

I have serious concerns about how the meat is handled here. The cook who makes the burgers touches every single patty with his bare hands and without watching his hands, he also handles raw meat. This happened over and over again within the 20min we were there. read more

The small town of Lee Vining, California, population, doesn't offer many dining choices, and there is only one sit-down, full-service restaurant in town, and that restaurant happens to be Nicely's Restaurant, located near the center of town, along U.S. 395. Although Nicely's has a virtual monopoly on the town, the restaurant offers delicious, diner fare, great service, and very reasonable prices. I actually visited this fine restaurant a couple years ago and am only getting around to posting a Yelp review. Vegetarians would be proud of me, as I ordered a "meatless" breakfast, simply because I wasn't really hungry, but I was craving a delicious breakfast. I enjoyed two fried eggs, hash brown potatoes, toast, and endless cups of wonderful coffee. There is nothing fancy about Nicely's Restaurant, including the diner cuisine, but there's nothing fancy about me, so you can believe that I enjoyed my dining experience at Nicely's. Nicely's offers a retro-diner experience, as it reminds me of many diners that I remember as a kid, back in the 1960's. The atmosphere is "old-school," complete with naugahyde upholstery, pie display case, and Formica breakfast bar, and a menu to match. However, I love it! I rate this restaurant somewhere between three and four stars, but since they're the only full-service, sit-down restaurant is town, and they don't exploit this status, I've giving them four stars, and I look forward to my next visit. read more

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We passed through on our little road trip. Food was good and bathrooms were clean. Staff is very friendly and attentive. read more

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We got food to go and it was a life saver, great for our picky kids and a fantastic value for the big portions.

Cozy , good service , good size meal for breakfast. Glad to have found this place. Highly recommended.