Excellent food, great service, didn't realize it was an airport but nice surprise & ambiance!

Our server was abrupt, curt, and unfriendly. We arrived at 20 minutes to 11:00 and were immediately told to hurry up and order since breakfast service was to end at 11:00 to be followed by lunch service. No friendly greeting at all. After delivering our food, our server never checked to see how we were doing. We had to get her attention to ask for refills on our drinks. The unacceptable service went well with the poor quality food. The scrambled eggs we ordered came not scrambled but over hard. The bacon was undercooked and the English muffin was burnt. The hash browns, however, were properly cooked. Overall, this was a very disappointing dining experience, especially since the place was not very busy and there were at least two servers in the dining room. When the check arrived, I said thank you, but the server ignored me having immediately turned away. Either she was having a bad day or she doesn't like her job. Either way, she has ensured that we will not be back. read more

This is a great local spot. Definitely greasy spoon comfort food. It was good and if your in the area give them a try. I had the meatloaf sandwich and my friend enjoyed their patty melt. read more

Good food friendly service and its fun the see planes land and take off while you eat.

So here's the deal with this place. You won't find escargot on the menu, or anything with créme fraiche or the word "confit" attached to it. What you will find though, is a pretty solid menu with something to suit everyone's tastes. Decent food prepared well, and a relatively attentive wait staff (they get busy at lunch so you might have to get their attention). I work right around the corner, so I'm glad to come in every week or so and support a local business. The fries are KILLER, too! Made fresh in-house! read more

So I've lived in the valley my entire life and never been here. Not really sure why. But tonight decided to give it a try. The atmosphere was laid back, relaxing. Had two drinks. My husband had a few more. We ordered wings which were ok. Ordered extra crispy but definitely not crispy at all. Good flavor though. I can live with it. The issue is that when we went to pay, no beers had been comped. My husband played $80 at the bar but the bartender told us she hadn't seen him play and so hadn't comped any. We were there 1.5 hours. . I don't know where she was? There were 5 people sitting at the bar the first 45 minutes. Not a big crew. . Anyways, She said something about us saying we came to have a few beers. I guess she thought that meant we weren't playing? I really don't know. Anyways aside from not having awareness, she then told us that we were new there as if saying she didn't know us or our MO so couldn't comp anything. I thought that was really rude, unwelcoming and bad business. We are new here so automatically that excuses you from doing your job and having awareness? What if I hit big and decided simply to not tip you because "I'm new here?" It's just not nice or right or proper etiquette. I've never heard anything like this throughout Nevada. Very odd. I felt as if I'm not a regular so I don't matter. Luckily another patron made a comment and the bartender comped a few beers. . But that really doesn't excuse the unwelcoming note we left on. We like to play and it's not about the money, the prices are fine and can't complain, but it's the principle of the matter and the way it was handled. We like this place and on initial impression it was nice, but I don't know if we'll be back based on the comment about us being "new here," justifying why nothing was initially comped. read more

A Five Star on Yelp = a Woohoo! As good as it gets!.....WORD.... We spent three days at the Carson Valley Inn and Casino for the fourth of July for a concert, We had never been to the area and did a lot of pre-trip reviews and planning ...kind of. What we found was a place that interested us in a MOVE to Nv. We dropped in to this Spot by a yelp review...as we drove down the road there we realized it was really at the airport. I have had some experience with small Airport restaurants in Ohio, and they were always KILLER! I got excited, Great reviews, In an airport....we were ready....Did not disappoint. We actually returned for breakfast before we left town..At Lunch we had two dishes, My wife had a chicken breast on sourdough with a roasted Ortega pepper...and Amazing Tater Tots....I had the OUT OF BOUNDS FRENCH DIP! Also with Tater tots....But Ill tell you I know Beef, Roast Beef,Steak,WELL you get the picture.....this sandwich was OUTSTANDING!...The Roll was fresh toasted with a slight crunch along with the soppyness of the Dipped Fresh Roasted Beef, the Au Jus was Salty and Oily and FREAKING AMAZING! If you don't stop here and grab a bite your missing out.! And PRICE..... Forgetaboutit.....Best Value Ive seen in years!.. ...after that you know what we had for breakfast was crazy good, the sausage links fresh from a local pork producer and butcher....Ill take a thousand Please! The Biscuits...were Homemade, Heavy, a bit chewy DENSE.... JUST LIKE MOMS! and the sausage gravy...Artery clogging greatness! WE WILL BE BACK! read more

Taildragger Cafe - American Near Me - Minden, Nevada

Flew back in to the Taildragger for a quick bite to eat. Always great food and great service. Was a little disappointed to learn that they stopped serving breakfast at 11:00 AM on a Sunday (we got there at 11:30). But we should have checked first. I wish more airports had restaurants like this! read more

Taildragger Cafe - 1968 C320F - American Near Me - Minden, Nevada

The prices have sky rocketed and the food was greasy . It use to be good to come down here and watch the planes and have a breakfast. Now the food the hash browns and everything was horrible the portions were the worst not only priced high but portions cut to nothing . Will not return and let everyone know . One more thing we had to ask for silverware and jelly and ketchup. Sucked read more

Fantastic comfort food and great atmosphere and service! Very cozy place and fun views of the airport

I frequent the Taildragger all the time and the food is amazing for the price, kid friendly where they can watch airplanes take off and land. Make sure to check the board for daily specials! read more

Food is always better than you would expect. Has the atmosphere that is welcoming even when busy. Full bar. Alaska amber on draught. Yum. Amy working the floor and the bar kicks ass. And I am always surprised how in expensive it is. Our go to spot at least once a week. read more

Taildragger Cafe - American Near Me - Minden, Nevada

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We haven't been here in over 10 years because of a bad experience. I wish we would have gone back sooner. Our service was great, the prices are amazing and the food was great. My daughter had the meatloaf special for less than $10 and I had the wedge salad which was delicious and it was less than $7! We will definitely be coming back soon! read more

Just not friendly enough. Must be a terrible place to work? We always like the food but we must be the wrong party for the airport.

A pleasant surprise! Out at the Minden-Tahoe airport, but well worth the short drive. Good breakfast at great prices! Friendly service too!

This is the perfect spot for your $100 hamburger. The food is good and plentiful. My favorites are the Citation and the Bi-plane. Fun for the kiddies to watch aircraft come and go read more

My wife and I stopped in for a late breakfast. The location was way off on my iphone google map, which is unusual. Keep going down the airport road until the very end, and the Taildragger Cafe is right next to where the sailplanes are, by Civil Air Patrol. The place is not big, perhaps 15 tables. Great views of small planes and sailplanes outside. Made me wish I had my 11 year old grandson along! Food was excellent, the lady who served us was friendly, and our bill was under 20 bucks. We left happy and glad we had once again gotten off the beaten path. Mahalo. read more

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Really good food, cool watching the airplanes. Good service. The staff is always friendly and courteous.

We're in Carson Valley for a few weeks and discovered this place by accident. What a great find! They have a huge menu and their prices are really good. I had the mushroom burger and tater tots - everything came out fast and hot and tasted great. Our waitress was very friendly and came by often to refill our drinks. We also go t to see planes taking off and landing from our window seat. read more

Taildragger Cafe - View from our booth - American Near Me - Minden, Nevada

Simply the sweetest cafe. This hometown cafe is frequent by locals and visitors by air. We got nothing but smiles from patrons enjoying there lunch, while our two little girls surry around the restaurant. We came back on another occasion and was out of milk for our young daughters. They filled up our milk thermostats and refuse to take any money. Come for coffee, stay for the people. Thank you Tail Dragger Cafe! We will be back soon... read more

Ate lunch here today. Located at Minden/Tahoe airport with a great view of the runway. Get a window seat and watch the small aircraft and gliders take off and land. I had a burger and fries. The burger was great, the fries were good. The homemade iced tea was the best I have ever had. Simple menu of burgers and sandwiches and they also serve breakfast. If I ever work at that airport again, I'll definitely go back. read more

Taildragger Cafe is a busy place. The food was hot and the service is good. I have dietary issues and there was something to eat. The server was also helpful in getting something to eat. The place is a homey place. This is a place with friendly staff and hot food. It is like going to Denny type place. You are able to have a drink from the bar and there is an option to gamble. He restaurant is clean and the service is good. I will return in the future. Also located next to the airport. Fun to watch the planes take off and land. read more

Getting breakfast here now waiting for our Merlin to get ready for departure. Eggs, bacon, biscuit and coffee. Cool setting here at Minden Airport with view of ramp area. Real good coffee. Standard stuff but very good. Beautiful food here and even biscuit appears handmade. So...5 stars here. read more

Taildragger Cafe - American Near Me - Minden, Nevada

This is a cool place. It's your basic burger/sandwich place with a full bar. I had the philly cheese steak and my wife had the patty melt. Her patty melt was what you would expect for a traditional patty melt. The grilled onions were cooked excellent. My philly was great with nicely melted cheese. Very satisfied with the entire meal. Plus we got to watch airplanes. We will be back. read more

Wanted to try something new and quickly regretted it. The food was blah and nothing special. The fries that came with the sandwiches and burgers were over cooked and just pieces rather than an actual fries. The upside was the view but that was it. read more

Great atmosphere !!! Love watching the planes and seeing the local pilots they even have a little bar facing the window. Unfortunately the food is not very good. My omelet was not cooked , runny egg inside Dishes looked dirty. read more

Nice place and good food! Originally we stopped down the street at the Flight Restaurant but their hours were wrong on Yelp. So we opted for Taildragger and we were delightfully pleased! Nice to watch the planes take off and land too! read more

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All I can say is that people must really enjoy eating at the edge of the airport, because the food is not great. I had breakfast here over the weekend and food was on par with Denny's-generally very greasy. The coffee is about the same as Denny's as well. Overall, a very basic breakfast menu executed without enthusiasm. When you consider the high rating, it is clear that it is from people who enjoy sitting by airplanes to eat their breakfast...not because of the food. read more

We love the Tail Dragger! Local charm, friendly and attentive staff, great food and extremely reasonable prices. Quickly became our go to breakfast spot after moving to Minden, Bloody Mary's and Mimosas are to die for! I'm all about the California omelet and my man prefers the corn beef hash skillet. Lunch is great as well, great burgers and sandwiches! We haven't made it down for a dinner special but it's on the list, they have nightly specials for dinner and we've heard they are just as tasty as breakfast. Best spot around if you're looking for a great meal for a deal served by a friendly face! It's also super fun to watch the planes and gliders take off. Kids love it! read more

We always like to go to cafes at airports because they all have such character and usually good food. This one did not disappoint! The food was quality. Our waitress Amy was friendly. They even had tater tots. When was the last time you had tater tots at a restaurant? The hamburger was tasty, tater tots were delish and the dinner salad was huge with black olives, crutons, sliced tomato, cucumbers and mushroom slices. We're on vacation from Southern California. We come to Lake Tahoe every year and always look for new things to do. We will be back next year to try the chicken fried steak. read more

Went here after reading reviews. Most reviews were locals which now I understand the high rating. Had lunch as breakfast is only served until 11 a.m. Bummer. We shared the buffalo wings which were good but did not come with typical buffalo sauce so we used the hot sauce they had. Would rate them a 4 and 5 had they had better hot sauce on them. I had the french dip and fries. Really just plain and nothing special. I would not order again. My wife had the ham and turkey with melted cheese here again noting great. I rate the lunch food as 2. If we came agin we would have breakfast but with the cut off time of 11 a.m. it really makes you a clock watcher and I don't like to be rushed when not working. Kind of cool to watch and look at planes but cafe is really plain. read more

Taildragger Cafe - American Near Me - Minden, Nevada

I am a regular at the Taildragger. I always recommend it to people who fly in to KMEV. It's a real jewel to me. However, over the past couple months the service has gone downhill. Turnover & training seems to me to be the issue. Typical example is main breakfast delivered, but toast is forgotten or delivered 5 minutes later requiring a re-heat. Renee continued the "Frequent Flyer Card" from the previous owner, but the benefit slowly deteriorated. Latest issue was when I forgot my card & was given a new one to combine next time I came in (3 days later), I was told "we no longer combine cards". Really Renee? You can do better. read more

Went in for lunch, was stopped at the door because I didn't have a mask. I told the hostess I have an upper respiratory disability and couldn't wear a mask. She said I could get an order to go-ok acceptable, HOWEVER, she then said for me to come into the restaurant I had to have a mask. I said ok, and pulled my shirt up over my nose and mouth, to which she said, "that doesn't work, you have to have an approved mask" and pointed the the paper mask she was wearing that was stained with sweat and dirt. To which I said I have to have a mask to walk from here to a table(about 10 feet away), she said yes. I understand the ongoing overreaction to all this, and the "herd" lock stepping in line with what the Talking heads" spout out, but that is the last time I will patronize the Dragger. read more

We absolutely love this place! Love watching the planes go out and come in. The service is fantastic and the food delicious! Oh, and can't beat the price either!!!! read more

This place is awesome! I love the atmosphere of cozy restaurant/interesting bar. Prices are excellent, food is great and for someone (like me) that works in the area...it's a perfect place to pick up an order. They always have my order ready in 10 Mins and give me all the utensils, condiments, etc. I'll need. One of my favorite spots! read more

The breakfast and service here is great. I had the burrito and got my choice of meat and potatoes. This is a great local hangout so you know it is the best. Easy to get to. Marlena was a super server and never let our coffee get cold. Prices are normal for anywhere else. Very cool to see the planes come in and park for breakfast. We will definitely make this a hangout. read more

Taildragger Cafe - American Near Me - Minden, Nevada

This is a great place to hang out with friends and chat while having lunch or dinner. Little better than bar food good burgers and tater tot's. Sandwiches are good as well! Not to mention drinks nice place to relax after a long day of yardwork etc. read more

SINCE coming to Minden, we had heard about the Airport Restaurant and FINALLY tried it for Breakfast. REALLY, REALLY good breakfasts - doesn't matter which one you order, AND the prices are the best in Carson Valley area. I normally have the Huevos Ranchos Yummy and then found out I could order a half order (even better). The other night we just wanted a quick dinner and came here and had another Great meal. It was good to see the waitress that use to work in the mornings, but now works evenings. For Good Food and Good Prices, THIS IS THE PLACE. BUON APPETITO read more

What a nice surprise. I've now had 3 breakfast here and I'm 3 for 3 on The Happy Scale. I'm an egg a sausage patty guy. Each time my breakfast has been served hot and in good portion size. I love having breakfast out and I now have another restaurant to add to my rotation. Nothing fancy, just good food and friendly service in a clean environment. My only disappoint was finding that they stopped serving breakfast by 11:00am when I went there after church last Sunday. read more

Great food, Great service, Great being right on the airport, jets, classics, gliders and Parachutists!! Eat inside or out! read more