Authentic, good food and service. Not sure why the neg reviews. Its not fancy, but it is what they advertise and I came for authentic Mexican. Had Tahoe burrito

Nina Serrano

Me and my husband visited from New York and we were referred here by a friend. Oh boy was we in for a delightful treat the food was amazing and the service was beyond our expectations. We loved it so much that we ate there 3 times in a row lol we couldn’t get enough of it. We would like to thank the owner and their wonderful staff for giving us an experience we will never forget. It made our visit so much sweeter. Definitely 10 stars rating for us. Thank you again.

Paul T

This restaurant serves typical American cuisine. The food was great and not over seasoned with salt even the chilli. The portion was very generous and delicious and you definitely won't be disappointed for the price that you pay for the food in this restaurant located in the middle of a tourist town. The restaurant itself is not very big so do expect to wait during busy time. However, the food and the service are well worth the wait. There are only two restrooms for both all genders so you might even see a line there as well. All in all, an awesome restaurant!

Devanshu Patel

Had a fantastic breakfast at Driftwood Cafe in South Lake Tahoe! The food was absolutely delicious, and you can really taste the freshness of the ingredients in every bite. While the prices are a bit on the higher side, the quality of the food and the friendly, efficient service made it worth it. The cozy atmosphere and mountain-town charm added to the overall great experience. If you're looking for a solid breakfast spot in South Lake Tahoe, Driftwood Cafe is definitely worth a visit!

Travis S

Stopped by for lunch. One of the more affordable options in the area. The club sandwich was tasty and filling and I liked their options for choice of side. Outdoor area was dog friendly and the wait staff brought over water for the doggy too. Want to come back and try the breakfast options next time

Chris Moreland

Brunch/breakfast was really good! Portions are big and the drinks are delicious! Service is very good as well. Friendly and fast.

W N

We visited Driftwood Cafe in mid-late July and had breakfast on a weekday morning. It was not crowded. The 3-egg omelet was great, the waffle with bacon was delicious, coffee was great. Service was great, atmosphere was nice. Price was on the high side but expected given the tourist location. I definitely recommend having breakfast here if you're vacationing in Lake Tahoe.

MJG

I enjoyed this place. Not too long of await for breakfast on a busy holiday weekend. Plenty of seating indoor and out. Rosaria, our waitress was nice. Got the veggie burrito no eggs and French toast full stack with blueberries. Both were filing and tasty. Nice higher end diner style place.

+5

Alcina Tejada

The Driftwood Cafe was amazing. The food itself is worthy of a 5-stat rating, additionally the service was outstanding. The waitstaff was very attentive to detail and polite. Rachel the owner was very hands on and customer focused. Overall a great experience. Will definitely be back the next time I’m in South Lake Tahoe.

Nikhil

We discovered this gem while searching for the top-rated restaurants in South Lake Tahoe. situated in the prime area of Heavenly Village and is always bustling with crowds, so we had to wait nearly 45 minutes for a table. However, it was well worth it - this is one of the best cafes we've ever dined at. Our server was fantastic, patiently addressing our requests and questions while providing detailed explanations. He even offered my son complimentary whipped cream as he was into the whipping cream in our Irish Coffee. We started with the Driftwood Chiller, Irish Cream Coffee, and a Screwdriver, and the Irish Cream Coffee was definitely the standout. I highly recommend it, although everything we tried was delicious. The Eggs Benedict was excellent and generously portioned, and the mashed potato pancakes were perfectly made, I couldn't stop eating them. Ugly fries are must have, loaded and heavy. We finished with the Grilled Chicken Melt, which was a bit bland compared to the other dishes, wish we had it earlier than others. Overall, we had a wonderful lunch. If you're in South Lake Tahoe, be sure to check it out!

+6

Driftwood Café at Heavenly Village in Tahoe is my go-to spot for a home-cooked style breakfast. The food is comforting, hearty, and tastes like it's made with care--exactly what you want to start you…

Driftwood Café at Heavenly Village in Tahoe is my go-to spot for a home-cooked style breakfast. The food is comforting, hearty, and tastes like it's made with care--exactly what you want to start…

Driftwood Café at Heavenly Village in Tahoe is my go-to spot for a home-cooked style breakfast. The food is comforting, hearty, and tastes like it's made with care--exactly what you want to start y…

Kyle was our server and he was absolutely spectacular! The food was delicious and tasted like a home cooked meal! The space is clean and orderly.

Kyle was our server and he was absolutely spectacular! The food was delicious and tasted like a home cooked meal! The space is clean and orderly.

Kyle was our server and he was absolutely spectacular! The food was delicious and tasted like a home cooked meal! The space is clean and orderly.

Kyle was our server and he was absolutely spectacular! The food was delicious and tasted like a home cooked meal! The space is clean and orderly.

The food here is ALWAYS delicious. The service is always friendly and excellent. The Mgr, Amy, is delightful and very attentive. Our servers, Octavio with help from Tasha, were very informative and…

Service with Amy was amazing this morning. The cafe was (as always) busy but she took the time to warmly greet us and make suggestions for us. Our food came quickly and was piping hot. Our coffee c…

We visited on 1/17/26 for breakfast and ordered the chicken fried steak & gravy. The portion was large enough for 2 to share and was DELICIOUS!!!! Serve and prices are great as well!!! Highly recom…

We visited on 1/17/26 for breakfast and ordered the chicken fried steak & gravy. The portion was large enough for 2 to share and was DELICIOUS!!!! Serve and prices are great as well!!! Highly recom…

We visited on 1/17/26 for breakfast and ordered the chicken fried steak & gravy. The portion was large enough for 2 to share and was DELICIOUS!!!! Serve and prices are great as well!!! Highly r…

Love breakfast here! Oddly hard to find gluten free breakfast in Tahoe but they have excellent gluten free French toast. Everything was great!

Stopped by Driftwood cafe this past weekend while up at Heavenly and it hit the spot. We ordered the chicken fried steak and waffles, and everything was so good. The chicken fried steak was crispy …

Stopped by Driftwood Cafe this past weekend while up at Heavenly and it hit the spot. We ordered the chicken fried steak and waffles, and everything was so good. The chicken fried steak w…

The food, service, and price were all great. We had basic breakfast. Great location. Coffee is great.

This is a family friendly restaurant serving delicious food. The service of the restaurant was also top-notch. The Prices were reasonable and portion were decent. Would visit again when in Tahoe.

This is a family friendly restaurant serving delicious food. The service of the restaurant was also top-notch. The Prices were reasonable and portion were decent. Would visit again when in Tahoe.

Enjoyed our meal at Driftwood cafe during our visit to South Lake Tahoe. The food was delicious and service was top-notch. The prices were moderate and portion were huge. Would recommend this place…

This is a family friendly restaurant serving delicious food. The service of the restaurant was also top-notch. The prices were reasonable and portion were decent. Would visit again when in Tahoe.

Enjoyed our meal at Driftwood cafe during our visit to South Lake Tahoe. The food was delicious and service was top-notch. The prices were moderate and portion were huge. Would recommend this place…

This is a family friendly restaurant serving delicious food. The service of the restaurant was also top-notch. The Prices were reasonable and portion were decent. Would visit again when in Tahoe.

Enjoyed our meal at Driftwood cafe during our visit to South Lake Tahoe. The food was delicious and service was top-notch. The prices were moderate and portion were huge. Would recommend this place…

Enjoyed our meal at Driftwood cafe during our visit to South Lake Tahoe. The food was delicious and service was top-notch. The prices were moderate and portion were huge. Would recommend this place…

Such a great place! Good breakfast and love the lunch. Service was good, even though our server had to “go on break” half way through our meal.

My husband and I came here twice for breakfast. Very good food and wonderful service. They managed our group of six when we came back a second time. Everyone enjoyed their food. Cute atmosphere and…

We really liked the quality and quantity of food at Driftwood cafe. The staff was really nice and attentive. Atmosphere was perfect to enjoy our meal.

Hands-down, the best breakfast joint in Northern California. Great coffee. Awesome menu. I’ve been here a few times and tried a number of food options. All have been outstanding. Service is excepti…

A very good breakfast restaurant. coffee was also excellent. We loved our omelettes. The portions were very generous.

Came for dinner. Ordered steak fajitas, steak taco, chicken taco, chips and salsa. Customer service was great! Food was cold when served to us. The chips and salsa are bland. Salsa is super watery, chips needed salt. Would not buy this again. The fajitas are decent, as are the tacos. We really enjoyed the handmade corn tortillas. Nothing was greasy which was nice. Not my favorite place to eat but we are spoiled with really good Mexican food where we live. But this is a solid food choice.

We went to eat here at 8pm, closing at 9pm. Quick service and friendly staff, and plenty of seating. Parking is an issue, there is no parking lot. Nearby parking is within a hotel or reserved parking spaces for another hotel. You will need to park 2 blocks down the street or just walk from your hotel. We ordered the Sopa plate which had 2 sopas, rice, beans, and lettuce. Also ordered a regular chicken burrito. If you want lettuce or extras inside you need to ask beforehand to upgrade the burrito. Quality was decent, but the chicken was a little dry. The portions were of decent size and filling. If i knew we had to park a distance away and walk within the 25 degree weather at night I would've chose somewhere else.

Good food, cozy indoors and outdoors seating. Food portion is okay, little less compared to American Diners, so a little expensive also. The grilled sandwich is a must! Super good!

Sorry for the mess but I forgot about my pic. We stopped here in the way back home from Lake Tahoe. My cousin said it was bahm so I should try it. I got the 2 taco plate combo plus an extra taco. Tortillas are homemade and you can taste it...the meats were cooked really well. Some could use some more seasoning but I thought it was fine with the salsa. I'll definitely return when I'm back in Tahoe!

Ate here it’s pricey but it’s good the fresh lemonade and the horchata home made was superb! 4 stars because it’s not the best but it’s lake Tahoes best. Also 15% gratuity’s charge added. Also I spent 70 bucks on 6 tacos that are street tacos size two big quesadillas and 1 sope 1 horchata and 1 lemonade.

Karo Karapetyan

Great atmosphere and service, food just shy of five stars. I really enjoyed my visit to Driftwood Cafe. The interior design is fantastic—warm, cozy, and full of character. The humorous and clever joke signs throughout the restaurant are a great touch and definitely add to the overall charm and personality of the place. It’s a fun environment and makes the experience feel relaxed and welcoming. The service was also very nice. Staff were friendly, attentive, and made us feel comfortable, even though the restaurant was busy. The only reason I’m giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is the food quality. It wasn’t bad by any means, but it didn’t quite reach the level I’d expect for a five-star experience. Solid and enjoyable, just not outstanding. Overall, a great spot with awesome vibes, good service, and a fun atmosphere. I’d definitely come back and would recommend it—especially if you value ambiance as much as the food.

+7

Felicia Asuncion

The restaurant is small and often very busy. I advise to make a reservation in advance. Otherwise, expect to wait over 30 minutes. The portions are large, enough for one person or even to share. The food tasted alright and the hot chocolate was delicious.

Ruam Pimentel

Great vibe. Classic American breakfast with a lot of style. Simple, affordable and with overall good food. I loved the mocha and eggs Benedict combo. My wife didn’t like French toast that much, more like dry bread and just a bit with sugar. Not the best. But overall, great experience and strongly recommend the eggs Benedict. Parking lot across the street. We arrived relatively early on a Sunday (8am), no waiting time. Good service.

Niccoles Robertson Sr

Today myself and my family visited Driftwood Cafe after hearing so many great recommendations, and overall, it was a good experience worth trying out. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the staff were friendly, even during a busy brunch rush. My wife and kids ordered the steak and eggs, and the steak was cooked beautifully and seasoned just right. The eggs were fluffy and tasty. I ordered the French toast, which was thick, soft, and had just the right amount of sweetness without being overly rich. I were especially curious about a the meal called “Ugly Potatoes,” since everyone seems to rave about them. Unfortunately, they were a bit of a letdown for me — they tasted slightly bland and could have used more seasoning or some sort of sauce to bring them to life. The biggest issue was the wait time. We ended up waiting nearly 45 minutes for our food, which felt extremely long, especially for brunch. However, once everything arrived, the flavors (aside from the potatoes) were satisfying enough that we still left happy. Despite the minor hiccups, I’d still highly recommend coming here, especially if you’re craving a solid brunch spot with delicious steak and eggs or indulgent French toast. Just make sure you’re prepared for a bit of a wait! Almost forgot loved the Dirty Chai

+1

Gatsby Lee

This was my first time visiting Driftwood Cafe at South Lake Tahoe. My wife and I stopped by for brunch around 10 AM on a weekend. As expected for a popular spot, there was a long line when we arrived. We were told the wait would be more than 30 minutes, but to our surprise, we were called in after about 15 minutes, which was a nice bonus. We ordered the Egg Benedict and the High Sierra Omelet. The portion sizes were very generous — definitely more than I could finish. If you don’t eat a lot, you might consider sharing a plate with someone in your party to avoid wasting food. As for the food, the Egg Benedict was just okay for me. It felt a little too simple compared to others I’ve had elsewhere. On the other hand, the High Sierra Omelet was much better — hearty, flavorful, and satisfying. If I visit again, I would definitely go for the omelets. The staff was very friendly. The service was smooth despite the busy atmosphere. In summary, Driftwood Cafe is a good spot for a casual brunch in South Lake Tahoe. It’s nothing extraordinary, but sometimes that’s all you need — a decent, friendly place to relax and enjoy a meal. I would consider coming back next time I’m in town.

+2

Jemellee Manaoat

First time coming here. Unfortunately they don’t have a private parking lot so you’ll have to park at the garage or find street parking. We had a 20 minute wait which is not bad. They have text communication, therefore we were able to shop while we wait for our table. The food tasted great. I love French toast so that’s what I ordered. It wasn’t one of best I’ve ever tasted it was ok. I lie that you can basically order one item and it’s shareable. So, my friend ordered a DIY omelette which I really like! 9/10 for the omelette. The place has a diner type vibe. Decors are placards with funny catch phrases. Which is enjoyable to read.

+5

Cozy diner vibe in South Lake. \n\nI got the chicken fried steak with hash browns and over medium eggs. The steak was pretty good! Fried well with good texture. The gravy was okay, a bit too …

Great food and prices. Service lacks sometimes. Seems like there is always a lot of staff but no one in charge. Needs better management.

Went to the cafe for a late brunch, waited 20 mins which was fine. Then they sat us all the way in the corner, very claustrophobic, and we sat for 15 mins, still no one bringing us even water. We t…

Very average and very overrated. Food bland. Ingredients from a can or box. Potatoes were mushy and not fully cooked. Would not repeat

Very average and very overrated. food bland. Ingredients from a can or box. Potatoes were mushy and not fully cooked. Would not repeat

Very average and very overrated. Food bland. Ingredients from a can or box. Potatoes were mushy and not fully cooked. Would not repeat

Very disappointing - arrived, we were told there was a 15 minute wait (no issue), then were finally seated at the bar for food. After waiting for roughly an hour since ordering we were informed…

We ate breakfast here on our last morning in Lake Tahoe. We had walked by it almost every morning during our stay and it was filled with patrons...both indoors and outdoors....every time we did. …

Great place to sit and eat a freshly cooked breakfast. Fast friendly service. fresh orange juice. Mocha was large and delicious. Portion size was large and plentiful.

For some reason a popular restaurant and we had to wait about 20 minutes on a Thursday late morning. We were seated on the edge of the outdoor area, and perhaps why service was so slow. Food did n…

Me and my family went there for lunch. After waiting a bit we were seated. Service was speedy so we don't have to wait much for our food. Food was simply delicious. We really enjoyed our meal.

We had a very nice visit to the Driftwood cafe this morning. It is a popular place, as evidenced by the long line to get a table. They take your name and phone number and then send you a link. You…

Bailey Ramage

My husband & our 3 kids came here for breakfast this Friday around late morning. We had to wait a few minutes for a table, solely because we asked for a booth. It did take a few minutes for our server to acknowledge us once we sat down but she was very kind & constantly moved with a sense of urgency (which we love in a server)! The restaurant vibe was relaxing & they offer a kid's meal coloring page with crayons, so that was nice. However, the food was mediocre at best. Our kids are still small so we opted for them to share the farmhouse feast plate (as well as picking from our plates, if needed) rather than getting 3 kid's meals. The waffle was very small (not the typical size we expected) & it was nearly burnt so it was super hard to cut up. Their scrambled eggs were dry too so they had a hard time wanting to eat those. My husband ordered the American plate which had 2 eggs & hash browns with toast- the over easy eggs were cooked well but he could tell they were cheap eggs (we eat pasture raised eggs on a regular basis, so our expectations were not super high anyways). I ordered a DIY omelet with hash browns & the omelet was alright but definitely undercooked the veggies that were in it. Both my husband's as well as my hash browns were terribly undercooked, they had zero brown color to them they looked like uncooked potatoes when the plates landed, haha. I guess we should have asked for them extra crispy? The table next to us had biscuits & gravy, which looked good, so we added on a side order after we had all started eating our food.. they definitely LOOKED better than they tasted! The biscuit was fluffy but my gosh the gravy was bland. It had no taste, we were so disappointed. On top of all of that, we asked for a latte to share but our server let us know they only had iced lattes (on a freezing cold morning in January? Wildin) so we had to get that instead. It was fine but not worth the $8 it costed. Our bill came out to be $68 if we paid cash, or $71 if we paid card. We will probably not return here since that is an outrageous price for the food we received! I assume they can get away with it being right there in South Lake Tahoe, but not worth it for us.

Larz

American breakfast and lunch with some Mexican inspired dishes too. We thought our food was too bland for our liking, took longer than expected and was lukewarm when served. I’m giving it 3 stars solely for the excellent service given by our waiter. He was very kind and attentive making sure we had water and coffee constantly while also helping us out with things we requested. The ambiance is your typical diner//café making it welcoming and cozy.

Rachel S.

We had breakfast here and tried the French toast and omelets. The food was decent, with generous portions, and the restaurant seemed quite popular when we visited.

+2

FENGYAN ZHANG

I visited this brunch spot in the morning. They offer both classic American breakfast dishes and some Mexican-inspired options, which I really liked. Overall, it was a good experience, but I ordered the biscuit and gravy, and unfortunately both biscuits had completely burnt bottoms. I could only eat the fluffy tops, the rest was not edible. On the bright side, the service was excellent—very quick and friendly even though the place was busy at peak time. I understand mistakes can happen when it’s crowded, but two big burnt biscuits were hard to tolerate. Still, I think the food has great potential because the flavors were good, and if not burnt, this dish would have been delicious. I’ll give it 3 stars. I’d still recommend the restaurant, just hoping my experience was a one-off.

4% customer service charge on card transactions. Breakfast burrito is ok nothing to rave about.

4% customer service charge on card transactions. breakfast burrito is ok nothing to rave about.

4% customer service charge on card transactions. Breakfast burrito is ok nothing to rave about.

Waiter 1st offered a tiny table crunched in corner that was reused, then gave a window bench seat. Notice he didn't offer that first to next 2, 2 party customers. Service good, attentive. Ordered…

waiter 1st offered a tiny table crunched in corner that was reused, then gave a window bench seat. Notice he didn't offer that first to next 2, 2 party customers. service good, attentive. Ord…

Garbage food. Way over charged. Super small portions. They charge service fees on food to go. They have prices on board that don’t match your bill. I ordered 2 tostadas de tinga 11.99$ each and on board it’s 10.99 it’s not worth it even for that price.(see pictures) also order 2 Plato’s mar y Tierra for 17.99 and again not worth it look at pictures 4 pieces of super small shrimp and flat dry pieces of meat. No consistency. Tortillas smaller than a dorito chip. Worst food I have ever had in my life. My bill was 74.71 plus sales tax 6.54$ and service charge 13.45$ Service charge for no service what so ever because it was to go. I feel like I was robbed and couldn’t do anything about it

Paid total of $42 for a wet burrito and chicken enchiladas served on plastic plates with plastic cutlery. Food was very poor, not very fresh. I will definitely not come back

Definitely NOT recommended!!!! The worst Mexican food we’ve ever had. The service wasn’t good either. Five people ordered a total of 5 super burritos to go. We paid around $90 which wouldn’t have been a problem except for the fact that after a pretty decent wait time, every single burrito was made incorrectly. None had beans nor sour cream nor cheese! We called to inform the restaurant that the whole order was wrong and that since the food wasn’t good anyway, we would like to return the food for a refund. Rudolfo was rude and arrogant, obnoxious & disrespectful. He said we could not have a refund but they could remake the food. He repeated this multiple times saying “Maybe you can’t hear me. Let me say it a little slower for you!” Bottom line, the food and the service are both nasty. Don’t eat here. Update: After returning to get our refunds, we were only refunded for half of what we paid for because we had eaten some of a couple of the burritos. It took a few bites to realize that ingredients were missing and that the food was actually not to our liking. We come from a city with amazing Mexican food and good customer service. But to finalize everything, the racist elderly woman at the counter threatened to call the police on us. Then she actually instructed another woman to call the police all because we simply requested a refund. The same elderly woman says to us, and I quote, “That’s why they don’t like you guys!” This then led us to also return $92 in souvenir jewels that we had purchased there also that we originally did not intend to return. We didn’t want to take any of the hateful and bad energy that this woman and Rudolfo had demonstrated. Whoever replies to this, talk to your staff about how they treat people! I’m sure you will lie and deny some more on the post. But you know it’s all true and you need to talk to them about the racist comments and rudeness. Nobody deserves the treatment that we received.

I ordered from this restaurant through door dash. I placed the order for pick up on a Tuesday night and the restaurant took my $80. When I showed up the door was locked and I could see someone in the restaurant’s kitchen. The hours are posted right on the door and showed they don’t close for another hour. I never received my food and door dash refused to refund me because the order was shown as “picked up”. Absolute scam artists

Jasmine Perez

I went to eat breakfast today and it was VERY BLAND… no salt or pepper on any food. I did not know you could mess up breakfast so bad. I got the trailhead over easy eggs, sausage, has browns and biscuits and gravy…. Everything tasted like it was cooked in water . I put salt and pepper (a lot of it) and still tasted like nothing. I look maybe 4 bites . The first 2 bites I thought I just had a bad bite but nope … NASTY! My fiancé got the strawberry and cream cheese stuffed French toast. The cream cheese tasted sour , like maybe 3 pieces of strawberries… not even fresh strawberries which I understand, also ham on the side and it was so bland .. HAM BLAND!!! I don’t understand how everything was so bland. My finances sister got a standard sandwich with chips and salsa and it did not looked like any mayo was on it resulting it in dry, and the chips and salsa ! Don’t even get me started cause the chips??? No flavor taste like it was cooked in water … not even a lick of salt on them it was horrible. The salsa tasted like if you gave a child the ingredients and told them to wing it.!.!!! We still payed and tipped 20% but I will never come here again. Food could definitely be better. Also the hasbrowns only tasted fine with loads of ketchup or hot sauce on it to mask the taste of it being super bland and cooked in boiling water with dust. Otherwise the coffee and lemonade was good. Everything else was horrible and I wish I didn’t pay but I know to not come again .