Wawona Hotel Dining Room

Ying Liang

If you’re staying in Wawona to get to Yosemite, the town is so small you really just have this hotel restaurant and a local deli/convenience store to choose from for prepared food. Luckily, Wawona Hotel is a beautiful historic building that serves decent food for the price. The dining room is lovely but waits are long so reservations are recommended. Staff is helpful. We swung by for takeout - had to wait a little bit but we were comfortable. The burger and fries were surprisingly really good - burger was tender, fries crispy yet fluffy inside. And prices weren’t outrageous. Great pit stop to replenish your energy!

Savannah Pontiff

Food was delicious here! Open daily, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Menu changes slightly every day. Make sure to make reservations in advance for dinner! Reservations can be made at the front desk.

Stephen Lam

We stopped by for lunch here at the Wawona Hotel dining room. The food was very good. The service was excellent. We loved the atmosphere, the historical settings and the scenery. It was a wonderful lunch experience.

M J

An interesting pit stop on the way in or out of Yosemite. The Inn is very historic and the more senior staff are happy to tell you all about it including the various Presidents who dined here etc. Good food reasonable prices.

Rachna Parwani

Beautiful dining hall atmosphere Perfect for a romantic date Lovely berry cobbler desert Good vegetarian options The staff are just out of this world, so friendly and courteous.

Convenient if you're staying at the hotel. We weren't too hungry so we shared a couple appetizers. They were nice to offer to cut our wedge salad in half for us and serve on separate plates. The picture is just half the wedge salad.

Food is excellent, and the ambiance is just right. The restaurant captures the feeling one wants in order to experience the history of Yosemite. I'd say the building as a whole needs a bit of upkeep, noted by the surprising number of flies roaming through the dining hall. Don't let that stop you from giving it a shot, though. The food and friendly staff are worth the trip!

The food was excellent. Great service. Bot a very big menu but everything we tried was excellent. Neat old historic dining room..

Wawona Restaurant is a great stop for lunch or dinner, and one does not have to stay at the hotel to dine. The service was very friendly and attentive. The menu is rather limited and the food was just alright, but it was a good value. The location is great and the atmosphere is older but comfortable.

This restaurant will take you back to years ago in its decor and feel. The menu is comfort food and its prices didn’t seem out of line with how remote the place is. My partner had the pot roast and loved it. I had the stuffed trout which was also good but a little overcooked for my liking. The service was fine although the dining room was hot. Liked it but ate at Yosemite Village our second night here.

Vanessa Mills

Wawona Restaurant is a great stop for lunch or dinner, and one does not have to stay at the hotel to dine. The service was very friendly and attentive. The menu is rather limited and the food was just alright, but it was a good value. The location is great and the atmosphere is older but comfortable.

Jerry Lee

Convenient if you're staying at the hotel. We weren't too hungry so we shared a couple appetizers. They were nice to offer to cut our wedge salad in half for us and serve on separate plates. The picture is just half the wedge salad.

Renee von Behren

This restaurant will take you back to years ago in its decor and feel. The menu is comfort food and its prices didn’t seem out of line with how remote the place is. My partner had the pot roast and loved it. I had the stuffed trout which was also good but a little overcooked for my liking. The service was fine although the dining room was hot. Liked it but ate at Yosemite Village our second night here.

John Africano

Food is excellent, and the ambiance is just right. The restaurant captures the feeling one wants in order to experience the history of Yosemite. I'd say the building as a whole needs a bit of upkeep, noted by the surprising number of flies roaming through the dining hall. Don't let that stop you from giving it a shot, though. The food and friendly staff are worth the trip!

William Toulouse

The food was excellent. Great service. Bot a very big menu but everything we tried was excellent. Neat old historic dining room..

Scott Burgess

Stopped in while passing through. This is a very old and historic location. Was enjoyable walking around reading about the history. We didn't stay or eat here though people on the porch seemed to be enjoying themselves having a drink and looking at the views.

We stopped for breakfast and it was only a buffet. The eggs were old, and the potatoes seemed burned. There was pork sausage links and bacon, which were both good. We skipped the French toast and cold cereal options. Tea choices were good, and the server was helpful with hiking advice. The building is old and needs some work, but I love the feel of yesteryear. Plenty of parking. Lots of picnic spots if you need a place.

There was an hour waiting line for seating for dinner, then we accidentally heard the host say to another party that dinner can be provided right away in lunch boxes on the outside porch instead of inside the restaurant . The weather was still nice at the time on the porch so I asked to have dinner there. It took ado50 minutes to get the food after we order tans by then the weather outside has cold. Also not so pleasant to have a pricy dinner in a lunch box. Both of us had ordered the same dish- pot roast, one was good but the other one was terrible- only the fat was on the dish, with no meat. Service was so-so.

Not much variety to choose from menu, a bit pricey for what they serve, food was ok. Our waitress was a bit rude, could have made our dinner a bit better with a better service. The best part was my blended strawberry margarita, definitely not coming back!

Badly in need of a facelift. Peeling paint on the otherwise beautiful windows made me sad. The roof is in sad shape on the main building and the pool was closed. If you go for the historical experience you should at least be apprised of the current condition. Delicious wedge salad.

The dinner is buffet all-you-can-eat style (we can't Aug 2021 when there's still COVID). Choices included Caesar salad, garden salad, veggies with proteins of grilled lemon chicken, salmon, and tri-tip. Sides included rice, balsamic roasted tomato, and a mildly spicy marinara penne. The kids had chicken tenders and fries. Dessert was a small square of chocolate cake, lemon bar, and a pecan pie-like one. The food was warm but not hot. The flavors were decent but not spectacular. There was no AC and it was still hot in the evening, they had a bunch of fans blowing in an attempt to circulate air. There is limited outdoor seating as well. The staff was overall quite attentive. Expected a little more at $38/adult & $19/child (our 2yr old was free) but it is the only sit-down restaurant near the west end of Yosemite itself. The hotel had its charm but looking at the condition of the roof & deteriorating woodwork it looks like it's due for an update.

James L

The dinner is buffet all-you-can-eat style (we can't Aug 2021 when there's still COVID). Choices included Caesar salad, garden salad, veggies with proteins of grilled lemon chicken, salmon, and tri-tip. Sides included rice, balsamic roasted tomato, and a mildly spicy marinara penne. The kids had chicken tenders and fries. Dessert was a small square of chocolate cake, lemon bar, and a pecan pie-like one. The food was warm but not hot. The flavors were decent but not spectacular. There was no AC and it was still hot in the evening, they had a bunch of fans blowing in an attempt to circulate air. There is limited outdoor seating as well. The staff was overall quite attentive. Expected a little more at $38/adult & $19/child (our 2yr old was free) but it is the only sit-down restaurant near the west end of Yosemite itself. The hotel had its charm but looking at the condition of the roof & deteriorating woodwork it looks like it's due for an update.

keren colsten

We stopped for breakfast and it was only a buffet. The eggs were old, and the potatoes seemed burned. There was pork sausage links and bacon, which were both good. We skipped the French toast and cold cereal options. Tea choices were good, and the server was helpful with hiking advice. The building is old and needs some work, but I love the feel of yesteryear. Plenty of parking. Lots of picnic spots if you need a place.

sharon mor

There was an hour waiting line for seating for dinner, then we accidentally heard the host say to another party that dinner can be provided right away in lunch boxes on the outside porch instead of inside the restaurant . The weather was still nice at the time on the porch so I asked to have dinner there. It took ado50 minutes to get the food after we order tans by then the weather outside has cold. Also not so pleasant to have a pricy dinner in a lunch box. Both of us had ordered the same dish- pot roast, one was good but the other one was terrible- only the fat was on the dish, with no meat. Service was so-so.

marlene arellano

Not much variety to choose from menu, a bit pricey for what they serve, food was ok. Our waitress was a bit rude, could have made our dinner a bit better with a better service. The best part was my blended strawberry margarita, definitely not coming back!

Julia Derry

Badly in need of a facelift. Peeling paint on the otherwise beautiful windows made me sad. The roof is in sad shape on the main building and the pool was closed. If you go for the historical experience you should at least be apprised of the current condition. Delicious wedge salad.

I am copying this from my review of the hotel: This is the only restaurant withing a 40 minute drive, and for the two nights we stayed here (over the week, not even the weekend at peak times), we had to wait an hour for dinner. The food here is highly rated by critics, I expected none other than a delicious high quality meal, especially at the insanely high prices they charge. For example the pot roast is $22 and when I got it, it was a lump of meat with different consistencies, some parts were overcooked, other squishy and inedible. The second night, I had fettuccini which was fine except for the fact that they decided to throw some piece of baked cheese on it that is literally inedible (photo below). The honey chicken should have been good, but the outside was cooked to the consistency of a stone. It was rock hard when hit by a fork, and their was by comparison a small amount chicken in this cooked shell. They advertise it as coming with mashed potatoes, gravy, and vegetables but as you can see by the photo the chicken is actually sitting on top of a thin sliver of mashed potatoes coated with gravy, and a tiny portion of veggies on the side. Below I have attached photos of the food we ordered, the ridiculous prices they charge on the receipt, and the menu. The food on the second night made us both feel sick in our stomachs, so much so that on both days we woke up early and drove elsewhere for breakfast (the general store is quickest and has some quick bites). I was really disappointed by this and this ruined the whole "hotel" overall for me.

I had a very disappointing experience at this restaurant. The most glaring issue was the complete lack of urgency from the staff. Despite arriving before two other tables, we were consistently overlooked. It was frustrating to watch those other tables get served before us. To make matters worse, I requested milk for my coffee on three separate occasions, and each time it was blatantly ignored. As a result, my coffee got cold due to the staff's negligence. The quality of the food was equally disappointing. My French toast had a strange onion-like taste, which makes me suspect it might have been placed on the same grill as other ingredients. Overall, this was far from a restaurant experience I would recommend. It left me with a feeling of frustration and disappointment, and I would advise others to steer clear Doing this review while waiting for my family to finish eating. I'm still at the table impressed with this experience. I better go hiking quick to forget about this place. 😤 never let bad experiences to ruin your day!!!

Stinger GT2 tv

I had a very disappointing experience at this restaurant. The most glaring issue was the complete lack of urgency from the staff. Despite arriving before two other tables, we were consistently overlooked. It was frustrating to watch those other tables get served before us. To make matters worse, I requested milk for my coffee on three separate occasions, and each time it was blatantly ignored. As a result, my coffee got cold due to the staff's negligence. The quality of the food was equally disappointing. My French toast had a strange onion-like taste, which makes me suspect it might have been placed on the same grill as other ingredients. Overall, this was far from a restaurant experience I would recommend. It left me with a feeling of frustration and disappointment, and I would advise others to steer clear Doing this review while waiting for my family to finish eating. I'm still at the table impressed with this experience. I better go hiking quick to forget about this place. 😤 never let bad experiences to ruin your day!!!

Daniel

I am copying this from my review of the hotel: This is the only restaurant withing a 40 minute drive, and for the two nights we stayed here (over the week, not even the weekend at peak times), we had to wait an hour for dinner. The food here is highly rated by critics, I expected none other than a delicious high quality meal, especially at the insanely high prices they charge. For example the pot roast is $22 and when I got it, it was a lump of meat with different consistencies, some parts were overcooked, other squishy and inedible. The second night, I had fettuccini which was fine except for the fact that they decided to throw some piece of baked cheese on it that is literally inedible (photo below). The honey chicken should have been good, but the outside was cooked to the consistency of a stone. It was rock hard when hit by a fork, and their was by comparison a small amount chicken in this cooked shell. They advertise it as coming with mashed potatoes, gravy, and vegetables but as you can see by the photo the chicken is actually sitting on top of a thin sliver of mashed potatoes coated with gravy, and a tiny portion of veggies on the side. Below I have attached photos of the food we ordered, the ridiculous prices they charge on the receipt, and the menu. The food on the second night made us both feel sick in our stomachs, so much so that on both days we woke up early and drove elsewhere for breakfast (the general store is quickest and has some quick bites). I was really disappointed by this and this ruined the whole "hotel" overall for me.