You can be sure you’ll come across three things when taking a trip to Lake Tahoe: ski slopes, crystal-clear water and expensive food. But for the hungry, cash-strapped college student, Lake Tahoe offers a variety of restaurants with reasonable pricing. From burger joints to authentic Mexican food, Lake Tahoe’s culinary delights won’t always lighten your wallet.

Tahoe Vista

El Sancho
7019 N. Lake Blvd.
530-546-7744
Mexican, $2 to $10
With its small, colorful restaurant, El Sancho offers a slice of authentic Mexican food amid all those fancy-shmancy “water-front grills.” Take your choice of meat: carnitas, lengua, cabeza or carne asada. Chose your preferred method of delivery: taco, tostada, soup or torta. Wash it down with one of seven Mexican beers. Enjoy.

King’s Beach

Char-Pit
8732 N. Lake Blvd.
530-546-3171
Burgers, $4 to $11
You haven’t eaten a burger until you’ve eaten at the Char-Pit. This Kings Beach burger stand has been serving their take on an American classic since 1962 with concoctions like the Mexican Burger, with green chili and BBQ sauce, or the Tiki Burger with teriyaki sauce and grilled pineapple. The Char-Pit also offers a variety of sandwiches and fried fish.

Crystal Bay

Café Biltmore
Inside the Tahoe Biltmore off Highway 28
775-831-0660
Coffee Shop, $7 to $25
It’s the only restaurant open 24 hours a day in Crystal Bay. It has a wide-ranging menu featuring traditional American fare to Mexican favorites.

Tahoe City

The Bridgetender
65 W. Lake Blvd, Tahoe City
530-583-3342
Burgers, $6 to $12
The Bridgetender serves a mean burger. Get any kind you want – BBQ or Swiss – just remember to order it with waffle fries. The wood-paneled restaurant near the Tahoe City Dam still remains a Tahoe staple after more than 30 years. Summer-time patio seating is a must.

Homewood

Pisanos Pizza
5335 W. Lake Blvd., Homewood
530-525-6464
Pizza, $13 to $21
Located on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe is Pisanos Pizza, a small pizzeria with plenty of gourmet toppings and combinations. Get a glass of house wine for $4.50.

The Old Tahoe Cafe
5335 W. Lake Blvd., Homewood
530-525-5437
American, $8 to $19
The Old Tahoe Cafe, a decades-old institution, is a cozy family restaurant with a knack for French Toast ($9.79) located on Tahoe’s West Shore. U.S. and Latvian flags fly outside the café, but the food is all-Americana. Burgers ($8.50 to $10), Reuben sandwiches ($9.50) made from scratch and plenty of American-style deserts – including three scoops of ice cream for $4.50.

Front Street Pizza Company
205 N. Lake Blvd. Tahoe City
530-583-3770
Pizza, $16 to $25
This pizzeria located next to the Truckee River offers a menu that is both unsuspecting and exciting. For starters: Spicy Thai Chicken pizza ($25 for a large) covered in sweet chili sauce, grilled chicken mozzarella and drizzled with peanut sauce. If gourmet isn’t your style, you can also snag a slice of cheese pizza and a Pabst Blue Ribbon for $5.

Jake’s On the Lake
780 N. Lake Blvd., Tahoe City
530-583-0188
Californian fine dining
Lunch: $11 to $17
Dinner: $17 to $29
While a meal at Jake’s might be a little more than what most students are willing to spend, the food and a panoramic view of the lake are worth it. The menu features waterfront classics like pan-fried crab cakes ($13.50) to new twists like Idaho trout stuffed with shrimp, lobster and Dungeness crab (22.50).

Sawtooth Ridge Café
877 N. Lake Blvd., Tahoe City
530-583-2880
American
Breakfast and Lunch: $6 to $9
Dinner: $13 to $23
What used to be a nightclub that featured bands like Sublime is now an all-American café featuring a wide breakfast and lunch selection. The Granny Smith is a must-try sandwich with baked turkey, Granny Smith apples, melted provolone, grilled red onion and a sweet mustard vinaigrette. Don’t forget the sweet potato fries.

Tahoe City

The Bridgetender
65 W. Lake Blvd, Tahoe City
530-583-3342
Burgers, $6 to $12
The Bridgetender serves a mean burger. Get any kind you want – BBQ or Swiss – just remember to order it with waffle fries. The wood-paneled restaurant near the Tahoe City Dam still remains a Tahoe staple after more than 30 years. Summer-time patio seating is a must.

South Lake Tahoe

The Cabo Wabo Cantina
Inside Harveys Lake Tahoe on Highway 50
775-588-2411
Mexican, $15 to $25
If you’re a fan of washed-up Van Halen singers or Mexican spring break trips, then Cabo Wabo is the place for you. Located inside Harveys Lake Tahoe, this Mexican restaurant doubles as a nightclub. A vibrant environment coupled with an extensive menu of Mexican classics makes for a fine meal after a day on the slopes.

Fire + Ice
4100 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake
530-542-6650
Improvisational grill
Lunch: $14.95
Dinner: $23.95
What started in Cambridge, Mass., in 1997 is now a growing franchise of quirky restaurants. Fire + Ice features a large Mongolian grill in the middle of the restaurant where customers can give cooks a bowl of meat (surf or turf), veggies, pasta, noodles and sauce to grill right before their eyes. Consider it dinner and a show. Perfect for a date or a large group.

Izzy’s Burger Spa
2591 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake
530-544-5030
Burgers, $5 to $9
After a long day of skiing, there’s nothing better than a cheap, American classic. Izzy’s offers a plenty of twists on the hamburger, including the Buffalo Burger made with hot wing sauce. Izzy’s also offers plenty of sandwiches and hot dogs.

19 Kitchen~Bar
Inside Harveys Lake Tahoe
775-586-6777
American fine dining, $25 to $40
If you really want to splurge on a good dinner at Lake Tahoe, 19 Kitchen~Bar is the perfect place to impress a date. Located on the 19th floor of Harveys, the dining room has a panoramic view of the lake with a menu featuring new takes on chicken, beef and fish. Reservations are recommended.

Incline Village

Crosby’s Pub
868 Tahoe Blvd., Incline Village
775-833-1030
American, $5 to $16
Tucked away in the Christmas Tree Village is a local’s favorite, Crosby’s Pub and Casino. Besides a generous drink menu, it’s kitchen serves anything from award-winning green chili to some of the best wings around – especially the doubled-dipped wings ($7.45) smothered in teriyaki and hot sauce.

This entry was posted on Monday, April 21st, 2008 at 11:41 pm and is filed under Food, Lists. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.