When driving along Highway 50 on the South Shore of Lake Tahoe, you'll pass by a nice expanse of grass in front of the Bear Beach Café which is just a stone's throw from the lake. What's interesting about this grassy area is that it's dotted with tables and chairs where lucky visitors have found the perfect location to eat outside and enjoy the view of the lake.
Bear Beach Cafe in South Lake Tahoe — Photo courtesy of Bear Beach Cafe
The Bear Beach Café is open every day from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the summer. During the winter, dinner is not served, but you can still pick up a great breakfast or lunch. The breakfasts are big enough to feed a bear: the Mt. Tallac Stack of pancakes is stacked 6 high and costs $6.99, and the Pancake Sandwich is $8.99 and comes with two pancakes, a fresh egg and two locally-made sausages or two slices of bacon. Along with pancakes, waffles and French Toast, the Bear also serves giant omelets like the Lake View Omelette with avocado, bacon, mushrooms and jack cheese or the Sand Harbor with turkey breast, avocado, mango salsa, sour cream and jack cheese.
Bear Beach is popular for its pancakes and waffles — Photo courtesy of TheCulinaryGeek
For lunch, burgers and sandwiches are popular. The Golden Bear Burger has BBQ sauce, grilled onions, bacon and cheddar cheese for $9.99 and the healthy Veggie Sandwich has roasted peppers, artichoke hearts and avocado with Swiss cheese and cheddar cheese for $9.79.
Dinners include items like Parisian-Dijon Chicken with the Bear Beach's famous garlic mashed potatoes for $15.99 and Thai Shrimp Skewers with wild rice for $18.99. Desserts include pies, brownies and a fabulous Devonshire Ultimate Chocolate Cake. The Bear also keeps it mellow with beers on tap and wines like Ravenswood Zinfandel and Coppola Pinot Grigio.
