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Ernie's Coffee Shop
Categories: Restaurants Food Coffee & Tea Restaurants, Coffee & Tea [Edit]
1207 Emerald Bay RdSouth Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
(530) 541-2161
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 6 am - 2 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Molly F. said: "Yum! Found this little hideaway on our first afternoon of a long weekend. Liked it so much we returned for lunch the next two days. Big portions, friendly service, delicious healthy food. The sweet potato sandwich is not to be…" read more »
95 reviews for Ernie's Coffee Shop
Review Highlights
"Typical breakfast and lunch diner menu, but done right."
(in 8 reviews)
"...tortilla jam packed with hash browns, and eggs, melted..."
(in 11 reviews)
"The scram I had was most excellent."
(in 8 reviews)
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95 reviews in English
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Review from Nicole G.
1/7/2012
I freakin love this place. If I get into or leave South Lake Tahoe before 2 PM, then I ALWAYS stop here... and get the same thing. Build your own salad!! Sounds so "blah," but I am a salad freak and they are DELISH. It's such a home-y little place with a HUGE selection of food. My better half got the Reuben with hash browns and absolutely loved it.
The cool thing about the salads is that you get to pick 10 different toppings and everything is so fresh. I get a bunch of their fat free tomato dressing on the side... I asked our waitress if it was made in house and she even told me how to make it myself at home.
It's not CHEAP like a lot of little breakfast shacks, but it is well worth the $7-10 you will pay for your entree. The portions are huge and the food is great. -
Review from Taylor S.
San Francisco, CA
12/31/2011
Being born and raised in South Lake Tahoe, it is always a pleasure to come back for breakfast at Ernie's. A lot of the same faces (both eating and waiting tables), and it still has the local charm I grew to love. You can expect a wait - but they do have the capacity to take larger parties.
They also have a few tasty vegan options, and organic coffee on request.
Atmosphere: Woody, lots of big booths and caricatures of the staff on the walls.
Crowd: It's seasonal - Sometimes a swath of overdressed tourists, sometimes your good ol' Tahoe...ians, snowbirds, etc.
Cost: On the low end, your dollar goes a long way (especially if you go for their early bird specials).
Try: Ernie's Special Burrito (with linguica if you eat meat, no meat plus ortegas if you're veggie) -
Review from Tara T.
Meyers, CA
Updated - 11/26/2011
Was recently dragged to Ernie's (not quite kicking & screaming) by some friends who were visiting.
Took myself a big, deep breath before we went inside and tried to have an open mind. Which was a bad idea.
Everyone but myself ordered breakfast ( I? Have learned my lesson about eating breakfast here. See my past review) and I ordered grilled cheese, mostly because it's really hard to mess up grilled cheese. And you know what? The grilled cheese was good. Not too greasy, not overly cheesy, done right.
The one star rating? Is for the other five people I was with who ended up fighting over the bathrooms at home due to.... explosive digestive issues.
Like I said before, don't get breakfast here! Lunch seems to be pretty safe, but not breakfast. There are other breakfast spots in town that you can visit that won't leave you on the toilet for the rest of the morning.Listed in: Wombat Eats Things, Lake Tahoe Local, Epic Fails
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/14/2011
Let me make one thing very clear: If you are on vacation in Tahoe and ask me where all the locals… Read more »
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Review from Joe S.
South Lake Tahoe, CA
Updated - 2/8/2012 5 Check-ins Here
I hate to tell ya Ernie, but I'm taking ya down a notch. I've been disappointed one too many times with the inconsistent service and food. Most of the time it's good, but I need you to deliver all the time, like Bert does down the street. Bert's is now my go-to place, except for one thing only: when I crave a loco-moco, which I am wont to do on occasion, I still come crawling back to you...
Listed in: Best places to eat in South…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/4/2010
There's a million breakfast places in Tahoe, but when my wife and I (we're locals) have a morning… Read more »
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Review from Steve L.
Orinda, CA
1/20/2012
This is a small home town coffee shop with great food for the money.
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Review from Tim H.
Sunnyvale, CA
10/3/2011
Hey a great place to stop-when you arrive in so lake Tahoe. I have been a fan since my early days in So Lake lived here for 5 years.
Anyways the place can be crowded lots of locals here and touriods running around the lake come in for a breakfast or lunch both real good. I did notice the place had been renewed with a open dining area. New outside and inside.
Our food was hot, large portions. The JOE is real good here also its one of there top items. The service is slow even on a weekday. I had to light myself on fire to get her attention not a good sign for a small town stop.
The bathrooms were also OK not the best but safe!
I would say check them out when in So Lake. -
Review from Brittany C.
Gilbert, AZ
12/17/2011
My Grandfather would take me here growing up. Almost every week, I got to know all of the waitstaff, cooks, and the owner. Over the years they have changed location but I know that it is a wonderful piece of coming home. I love the food and they even have vegan options. I now have kids of my own and whenever I come to town I make sure to bring them in. Expect a wait on the weekends but it is well worth it!
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Review from Ralph T.
Stateline, NV
7/23/2011
Six of us ate here at 10:30am it wasn't busy.
We were seated promptly and went downhill after that.
It felt like we were in the Neutral Zone. Wait staff all around us but no one to wait on us. Finally after 10+ minutes we finally saw our server. He was polite etc. It also took that long to get coffee and water. Not acceptable when the restaurant was half empty and it appeared there was ample staff.
I ordered pancakes, friends ordered hamburgers, eggs, sausage, hash browns, breakfast quesadilla.
The pancakes were gummy, thick and dense. Not really what I would have expected from a breakfast restaurant that also has a good rating from others. Thinking about it, they were some of the worst pancakes I have had.
The hamburger was described as OK but bland. She didn't finish it.
The egg dishes were ok. The hash browns cooked a little too much. He made mention of the sausage being store bought and not of a very good quality.
The quesadilla was bland but it was a large portion. It needed salsa, sour cream and hot sauce.
The meal sizes were large and service once we got it was good.
We all remembered that this restaurant use to be a lot better. Seems to have slipped over the years. Breakfast isn't that hard to do right. It looks like they are working hard to do it wrong. -
Review from Bryan J.
Sacramento, CA
6/6/2011
Straight up as good as it gets diner. The family cabin is on Fallen Leaf Lake on the southwest side of Tahoe and every Memorial Day on my way in I stop at Ernie's for the requisite breakfast burrito. It's a heart attack in a tortilla. Really though, it's a diner. No frills, American diner. Eggs, sausage, bacon, scrambles, omelets, breakfast burritos, hash browns (the good kind-grated potatoes... but they have the home fries also) pancakes, oatmeal, biscuits and gravy and that's just for breakfast. They serve lunch too, but I've always eaten breakfast. Can't help myself.
Note: order the "fresh squeezed" OJ and the 'Organic" coffee if you don't like the watery stuff. There is a surcharge for the better quality product, but worth it.
Ernie's is just on the right when you come into South Lake Tahoe (from Sac on Hwy 50) on the right before the "Y" so, if you blink you'll miss it. If you are heading up that way and want to bulk up on some good grub before a hike or skiing, stop by. It's essentially a local place so you know it's good.
Thanks for reading. -
Review from meg w.
Chicago, IL
5/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
We were looking to escape the rest of the boys for an hour or two, and have a nice hearty breakfast before hitting Heavenly. The barista at Peets pointed us to either 1) Bert's or 2) Ernie's. They're like right across the street from eachother, that's kind of weird.
We chose Ernie, for no good reason really. The breakfast was average, nothing outstanding. Mimosas were a nice touch. The service was really friendly. -
Review from Julia E.
San Diego, CA
9/29/2011
I would've given this place 2 stars but the savory fresh squeeze orange juice saved this place from it. The hash browns were soggy and were from a can (the server informed us of this) and it was gross. My ham and swiss cheese sandwich was delicious but my friend's eggs, sausage, bacon and corn beef hash platter was nothing to brag about.
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Review from Rachel M.
Sacramento, CA
4/29/2011
Yummmm. I've been going to Ernies for years starting back when I used to live in SLT and they were in the old spot by the Y. I couldn't wait to hit Ernies up at their new location during this visit to SLT.
Parking was easy and we were seated right away about lunch time on Friday 4/29. Our nice server quickly got us our drinks and eventually we placed our order. My BF was a bit overwhelmed by all of the choices.
I had been dying for biscuits and gravy (B&G) and ordered Ernies Scramble with onions, bacon, and jack cheese, and instead of potatoes I had the B&G. It was a wonderful 'reunion'- my BF tried the B&G and said I was right- it is delish and he doesn't normally like B&G. There is something about the biscuits they make? They are soft and a little sweet- not crumbly and stiff like so many are. My scramble was good, although I could have done with less cheese. No biggie though, I pulled it away. The salsa they brought out with it was tasty too with a nice kick.
The BF went totally uncreative and ordered a waffle & bacon. It was good though.
The service was great. Wish I was closer. I hear there is an Ernies in Folsom? Not sure if they are still open though.
Good ol' Ernies Tahoe- you are missed. -
Review from Michele S.
South Lake Tahoe, CA
11/16/2011
If you are a local then you already know that this place is the best in Tahoe. Ernie's is amazing. The only negative is how crowded it gets on the weekend and the fact that it is not 24 hours. Anyone who knows anything about South Lake knows about Ernie's. I have never had bad food from Ernie's, everything on the menu is delicious. The biscuits and gravy are especially awesome, and their cup of chili is amazing when you dip your steak fries in it. If you get the chance go here...if the wait seems to long trust me it is worth it.
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Review from Jun L.
Hayward, CA
3/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Just like Dennys but has a more 'home' feel to it. Food was ok. Opens early. Free refils on coffee. lol. An ok place. Will eat here again.
This place gets a 'B'.
TIP: Try it out! -
Review from Kristine W.
Oakland, CA
12/5/2010
Do you like eating a hearty mountain-man breakfast under mountain-man vaulted ceilings? Then Ernie's your man. Your mountain man, that is. Everything about this place is homey and ridiculously...breakfasty. And most importantly, they don't try to rip you off--if you order a veggie scramble and want 2 eggs instead of 3--they deduct $0.50. What?!? Aaaaaand they don't charge you for egg whites substitutions! I'm in love already! Oh, did I mention that every breakfast comes with hash browns, home fries, or toast. Yeah, mountain-man breakfast! This mountain woman found her man!
Tip: 10% coupon for first time customers can be found on their website.Listed in: Ca+Su=Br
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Review from Mansi A.
1/31/2011
A great place to grab a homey and/or hearty breakfast while in South Lake Tahoe. We stopped in here on our way to the Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort, and it was just what we were looking for!
I ordered a mocha and a short stack of pancakes. Nothing spectacular, but a good, warm breakfast on a cold morning. Overall, a nice and cozy spot for breakfast. -
Review from Jennie P.
I remember coming here two years ago for my first annual Tahoe birthday weekend.. and it was DELICIOUS! So going off of that, I returned this past weekend and was slightly disappointed.
Service was friendly and portions were huge.. but for some reason, it didn't leave me satisfied like my last visit. Did something change since then? -
Review from Connie B.
San Francisco, CA
10/17/2010
I hate to be hard on a cute local place. However, while the service was very pleasant, fast, and friendly, the food was nothing great.
The breakfast we had was pretty much the level of a Dennys or IHOP - reminiscent of a school cafeteria - but I admit that our fourtop probably didn't test the range of the place with the special. The eggs were bland - cooked without salt or pepper, and the pancakes were floury carb bombs and overwhelmed the plate. Scrambled eggs were cooked to a sad dry crumble of tasteless curds, and the over easy eggs were very liquid. The coffee was watery (although refilled often and with a smile.)
The food was not overly greasy, which puts it ahead, but anyone with a hotplate and 10 minutes could do better than this. It was not special in any way.
Perhaps you might do better with the biscuits and gravy that many Yelpers recommend - that isn't my thing, so I don't think I would return. -
Review from Dave C.
Rancho Mirage, CA
9/16/2011
We were looking around for a place to eat breakfast and saw a coupon for a free cup of coffee with a breakfast purchase. We said, "why not?" The second we walked in the door, I knew I'd love this place. A man who turned out to be the owner (not named Ernie!) immediately came over and greeted us and seated us immediately. The wait staff was great, the food nearly as good as it gets for a breakfast/lunch place. I can guarantee that if I lived in South Lake Tahoe, I'd be eating here two or three times a week. It's the friendliest place in town!
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Review from Jeff S.
South Lake Tahoe, CA
9/14/2011
Typical breakfast and lunch diner menu, but done right! Real ice cream milkshakes. Great burgers (the avocosmic is my fav), reliable breakfasts. Typical Tahoe prices=kinda expensive.
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Review from Vickie D.
Castro Valley, CA
7/6/2010
Great place for breakfast! Fast and friendly service. Wait time was about 10 minutes, as soon as we got to our table waitress came over asking if we wanted some coffee and water this was about 9:15 am soon after that our waiteress came to take the food order. 7 mintues later the food came very impressed since I have two kids (boys 4 and almost 2).
I had ordered Denver scam w/jack cheese and hash brown. The hash was perfect nice and crispy on top. The scam had plenty meat , eggs and cheese. My husband had the omelette and the portion was quite a bit. The kids both had pancake I think the pancake could have stayed on the grill for a little bit more they looked so pale but it tasted pretty good cos' the kids both finished it.
If you are in the mood for some pancake go to Bert's across the street they have great pancakes.
Nest time I am in south lake tahoe, which I hope soon I will go to Ernie's every morning that we are there. -
Review from Derek N.
San Leandro, CA
6/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Good size portions and great prices!! Wish i could remember our waitress' name, she was GREAT!! We had a party of 10 with kids and she handled it like a pro!!
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Review from John C.
Citrus Heights, CA
7/16/2011
I was pretty much born and raised in South Lake Tahoe and i can say this is THE best breakfast place in town. ive gone here for years. Even now that i live in Sacramento, when i visit friends and family i make it a point to spend at least one breakfast at Ernie's. I rarly give out 5/5 starts. i woudnt change one thing about the place. if you like omeletts, get the pauls omelette.
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Review from Trevor H.
Las Vegas, NV
4/24/2011
Casual diner with very good food.
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Review from Laura A.
3/2/2011
Yum. sourdough toast, sausage, eggs over easy. a side of yummy biscuits and gravy (it had chunks of meat in it!). Coffee, fresh squeezed OJ... According to my friend, the breakfast burrito was da bomb. To top it off, we saved some cash and got the early bird specials. Will definitely be back when we come to Tahoe!
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Review from Anndora L.
Hercules, CA
11/18/2010 1 Check-in Here
Headed here based on a recommendation from a friend (thanks Pete!) before we headed back to the Bay Area.
Busy Sunday Morning, with quite a bit of a wait...but well, worth it. There was a variety of people dining here...from large multi-generational families to truckers to groups of friends.
Staff was friendly, efficient and quick on their feet! Food was great. We all ordered different things...don't remember what my girlfriends ordered but I had the bacon waffles...sounded intriguing - that whole salty sweet thing! OMG, it was fantastic.
My only suggestion is to wait to be seated AWAY from the area where they put the dirty dishes. Let's just say, they get a little over zealous when busing the tables and kinda toss or fling the dishes into the gray tubs...food and liquid kinda gets sloshed.. yuck!
Oh and on a funny note...Bert's is just down the road. No, we didn't find Big Bird or Oscar's though! -
Review from Danielle S.
San Francisco, CA
2/16/2009
I'm a whore for food. It creates the exciting markers of my day that help me pass time. Sometimes I dream about going back to places just so that I can eat at certain restaurants. I'm sick, I know. But I love it like that.
Ernie's, down the street from my South Lake homebase, is a great place to grab simple and tasty breakfast or lunch items, as long as you're up and out before 2pm. Many a nights I've been hittin' the tables at Harrah's or Harvey's and haven't made it home til 5am. Let's just say I that's how I found out that Ernie's (or Bert's, their sister restaurant across the street) serves only til 2.
I love my breakfast burrito there. I don't usually eat things like that, so it's a total treat for me. A toasty warm flour tortilla jam packed with hash browns, and eggs, melted cheese and avocado. It's great for on the run too, as I can just pick it up and eat it. I'm always pleased after munching this little pocket of goodness, and I look forward to my next trip from the Bay up there so I have a quality excuse to go and have breakfast.
Not greasy, well priced, with good service, Ernie's does me right every time. Plus, their fresh squeezed orange juice and organic coffee keeps me highly sugarized, highly caffeinated, and coming back for more.Listed in: South Lake Tahoe For Rockstars
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Review from Abbey S.
San Francisco, CA
8/10/2010
Ernies is my favorite place for breakfast in Tahoe. It's great wholesome food and great service. My boyfriend and I come up to Tahoe frequently for the weekend and this is a must stop destination. I always end up eating too much.
We like to get really fatty when we're there and order the corned beef and hash and the biscuits and gravy.Their fresh squeezed OJ is soo pulpy, you might as well drink it with a spoon.
You HAVE to stop here if you are in South Shore. -
Review from Eric G.
Mountain View, CA
7/8/2011
I think calling this place a coffee shop is a stretch, but I will say this. The service I got on the morning of July 5th was great. I was tired from being woken up early by my kids, looking forward to packing and a long drive, and in search of a cup of coffee for my (caffeine) loving wife... I felt bad for pulling the server from her busy section just for a cup of coffee but she was cheerful about it and it was a refreshing interaction.
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Review from Simone E.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2011
Service.
The lack thereof is what stands out when I think of Ernie's. Our waitress gave the impression of 'too busy to bother' from the moment we walked in.
I won't bore you with the list of missed tip opportunities. Suffice it to say, we found the smorgasbord of brunch we ordered tolerable, but we were not overly impressed.
One thing to note: you can't substitute ingredients in your omelette. They just charge extra for anything, so get the ingredient you omit on the side. Our toast was good with avocado on the side. Not sure how it would work with something like... cheese. You can build your own, but they charge by the ingredient.
Pancakes looked anemic (I did not taste, but did note the taster's review... 'they're almost bisquick-y, but not quite.'). The home fries, similarly pale, needed more time in the pan.
Find a different place if you want 1) what you ordered, 2) coffee refills, and 3) really good breakfast food. -
Review from Micaela M.
Sparks, NV
6/14/2009
The coffee here is GOOD! GREAT! People were coming in just for coffee to go and there is a Starbucks right down the street.
But good coffee does not make up for bad meals. I had the chorizo scramble and was disappointed. It tasted like hamburger. My hash browns were not great, but the country potatoes were. The hollandaise sauce was boring and uninspired. The toast was good, but really, who can mess up toast? -
Review from Cynthia C.
Alameda, CA
1/2/2007
Personalized cuisine, for finicky, health conscious, and fresh minded folk.
Compose omelettes and salads to your liking.
Sprouts are available.
Serves only until 2pm, prepare for a wait, but it's worth it, for this Tahoe breakfast institution. -
Review from S D.
San Francisco, CA
9/22/2011
classic diner food but the coffee is as clear as lake Tahoe. Go for food but get coffee before you get there.
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Review from Karen P.
South Lake Tahoe, CA
11/20/2008
I've been going to Ernie's since 1982, and it is just a great place to have breakfast or lunch. It's a real local's favorite, with a great coffee shop menu.
I especially love their new building, which is across the road from where the original Ernie's used to be. -
Review from Lou S.
1/11/2007
Ernie's does eggs in all the normal and some not too normal ways.
Despite the abundance of egg dishes, I opted for the "Country Special" which consisted of a biscuit, with two sausage patties, rich country gravy and a choice of home fried potatoes or hash browns (I chose home fries). That is exactly what was on the plate. The home fries were just potatoes, and had none of the other bits and pieces--nice, but very plain.
The portions are filling but not overwhelming, despite the grandiose descriptions on the menu. That was a good thing, seeing as we all hopped into a car and drove back down 3 hours to San Francisco after eating there.
The service was very friendly, except for a busboy who scalded me while pouring coffee and then was all confused when I asked for a napkin. Idiot. -
Review from Jenn G.
1/17/2008
Fine food, enthusiastic service (the staff come back every few minutes to refill coffee, and if you're not careful you'll leave *very* amped up), and they don't mind if you linger over a breakfast meeting (as I usually do). It's a bit larger and airier than its brother, Bert's, which I prefer.
Plus it's a local joint, and is probably less likely to explode (as the Denny's did this week). -
Review from Russell W.
Tolland, CT
10/19/2009
It's a little out of the way...but worth the extra couple minutes. As promised in my review of Heidi's...
Food:
The food was better overall. Not amazing, but good. Wouldn't be surprised if there's a better place somewhere, but the food was good enough that I'd probably go back if I'm ever in the area again.
Service:
Once we finally got seated (it was BUSY), the service was better. They definitely try to keep the place moving, as one other reviewer mentioned, but I didn't feel like I was being rushed out the door or anything.
Price:
Price was reasonable.
Insider Info:
There are real estate magazines by the door, which many tourists may find amusing, for several reasons. -
Review from Jennifer L.
San Francisco, CA
12/10/2010 9 Check-ins Here
I love their breakfast menu! I almost always get the same thing, Ernie's Breakfast Burrito. I think it's the best thing on the menu. You can order egg whites at no extra charge. The staff is always friendly. Stay away on weekends if you are in a hurry though.
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Review from James G.
Foster City, CA
1/17/2007
Excellent! Stopped in to Ernie's for lunch once upon a time in Dec. 2005. Great Sandwiches. Had a classic Rueben. Tasty.
Ernie's is a bright, clean, and friendly restaurant. Better than any of the chains like Carrows, Dennys, and IHOP, etc. Check it out!
Across the street is Bert's. One day we'll get around to trying it out. -
Review from Adri N.
Los Angeles, CA
8/9/2008
Awesome biscuits and gravy. My eggs overeasy were good. My corned beef hash was just what I wanted, but I forgot to ask for extra crispy, so that's my fault. They also have fresh squeezed orange juice.
My companions had a vegetarian omelet - I tried a bit. It came with mushrooms, peppers, onion, and a generous serving of avocado.
Service was fine. We sat outside on the patio. The murmur from the other five tables was just enough to cover the roar of Highway 50. All I could see were tall pines.
