We had breakfast here this morning and it was such a hidden gem!! We are staying in Kirkwood and there’s not much in the way of restaurants over here. This was a quick drive from the cabin and the staff were so friendly and helpful. Refilling our coffee before we could even ask and making sure we were taken care of. The food… everyone ordered something different and we were all vastly impressed! Their home fries are quite possible the best in all of Lake Tahoe!

Sorensens cafe is truly the best food we’ve gotten in the surrounding Tahoe areas. We’re foodies. We have never had a bad meal here. However, to add to the positivity, the staff is incredible. We can’t wait to come back

Amazing location, awesome food, friendly staff. Came here for lunch after a long morning of hiking and I’m so glad we did. Sat out on the patio looking out at all the beautiful scenery and old wooden cabins YOU can rent out. Took a walk around the property while we were waiting for our food and instantly fell in love with the area. Perfect place to bring family or a loved one for a weekend getaway. For lunch I got the pesto chicken sandwich. With a side of potato salad and a pretzel with cheese dip. by far it was one of the best lunches I’ve ever had ! Everything was made to order and FRESH. A hidden gem I will never forget. Thank you to all the staff who work so hard to truly make this place magical. I will be back. Very soon. Thank you for a great experience.

First time at Sorensons’s for Valentine’s Day dinner. The balsamic glazed wedge salad had plenty of delicious Point Reyes blue cheese, cherry tomatoes, bacon and brioche croutons. It was the best wedge salad I’ve ever had. My husband had the cream of spinach-tortellini soup and said it was excellent. We both chose the prime rib entree and our medium rare slices were perfect! The berry cobbler and brownie sundae wee the perfect finish to our Valentines dinner! We can’t wait to come back again to try the weekend brunch, lunch and dinner menus!

We had a 7 pm reservation and I was celebrating my 84th birthday with my daughter and her two 9 year old twins. Every thing was perfect. We were lucky to avoid the yellow jackets as the temperature dropped and they went back in there nests. The atmosphere was lovely. We had the salmon and beef stew. They were delicious. For desert we shared two berry cobblers that were comped to us for my birthday. Will definitely return.

Enjoy our lunch with our dog. Friendly staff and the cheese burger was done just right! Good recommendations for the beer from South Lake Tahoe.

Rob Nelson

Enjoy our lunch with our dog. Friendly staff and the cheese burger was done just right! Good recommendations for the beer from South Lake Tahoe.

Kalee Hart

Sorensens cafe is truly the best food we’ve gotten in the surrounding Tahoe areas. We’re foodies. We have never had a bad meal here. However, to add to the positivity, the staff is incredible. We can’t wait to come back

Marissa W

We had breakfast here this morning and it was such a hidden gem!! We are staying in Kirkwood and there’s not much in the way of restaurants over here. This was a quick drive from the cabin and the staff were so friendly and helpful. Refilling our coffee before we could even ask and making sure we were taken care of. The food… everyone ordered something different and we were all vastly impressed! Their home fries are quite possible the best in all of Lake Tahoe!

Noah Ramos

Amazing location, awesome food, friendly staff. Came here for lunch after a long morning of hiking and I’m so glad we did. Sat out on the patio looking out at all the beautiful scenery and old wooden cabins YOU can rent out. Took a walk around the property while we were waiting for our food and instantly fell in love with the area. Perfect place to bring family or a loved one for a weekend getaway. For lunch I got the pesto chicken sandwich. With a side of potato salad and a pretzel with cheese dip. by far it was one of the best lunches I’ve ever had ! Everything was made to order and FRESH. A hidden gem I will never forget. Thank you to all the staff who work so hard to truly make this place magical. I will be back. Very soon. Thank you for a great experience.

Brenda Harris

First time at Sorensons’s for Valentine’s Day dinner. The balsamic glazed wedge salad had plenty of delicious Point Reyes blue cheese, cherry tomatoes, bacon and brioche croutons. It was the best wedge salad I’ve ever had. My husband had the cream of spinach-tortellini soup and said it was excellent. We both chose the prime rib entree and our medium rare slices were perfect! The berry cobbler and brownie sundae wee the perfect finish to our Valentines dinner! We can’t wait to come back again to try the weekend brunch, lunch and dinner menus!

Mary Virdeh

We had a 7 pm reservation and I was celebrating my 84th birthday with my daughter and her two 9 year old twins. Every thing was perfect. We were lucky to avoid the yellow jackets as the temperature dropped and they went back in there nests. The atmosphere was lovely. We had the salmon and beef stew. They were delicious. For desert we shared two berry cobblers that were comped to us for my birthday. Will definitely return.

Les Day

We took a leisurely Sunday drive up SR-88 and stumbled upon Sorensen's Cafe at Desolation Hotel in Hope Valley. The decision to stop was a highlight of our day. My girlfriend and I opted for the 88 Burger with a salad. We practically had the place to ourselves, which made the meal even more enjoyable. The burger was delicious—perfectly cooked and flavorful—and the salad was remarkably fresh, enhanced by their homemade dressing. The serene and beautiful scenery added to the charm of our lunch. We left very satisfied and were glad we made the stop. I highly recommend Sorensen's Cafe for anyone traveling along SR-88 or exploring Hope Valley!

We took a leisurely Sunday drive up SR-88 and stumbled upon Sorensen's Cafe at Desolation Hotel in Hope Valley. The decision to stop was a highlight of our day. My girlfriend and I opted for the 88 Burger with a salad. We practically had the place to ourselves, which made the meal even more enjoyable. The burger was delicious—perfectly cooked and flavorful—and the salad was remarkably fresh, enhanced by their homemade dressing. The serene and beautiful scenery added to the charm of our lunch. We left very satisfied and were glad we made the stop. I highly recommend Sorensen's Cafe for anyone traveling along SR-88 or exploring Hope Valley!

We spent 3 days in kirkwood. We looked up where to have lunch and this Cafe popped up. Food was good not great. For the $$ it should have been delicious. Service was ok. Overall it was a ok experience but the location is beautiful.

Me

We spent 3 days in kirkwood. We looked up where to have lunch and this Cafe popped up. Food was good not great. For the $$ it should have been delicious. Service was ok. Overall it was a ok experience but the location is beautiful.

Paul Morgan

On one hand this is very beautiful, well maintained, quant restaurant with decent food. On the other hand the quality of food has dropped considerably in the last few years. When this was part of Wylder the place felt like it was getting worn down but the food was exceptional. Now the place looks spruced up but the food is more classic. This is especially noticeable in the signature burgundy stew (before and after pictures attached). It is now just a basic classic stew. It’s good but no where near the old quality. The kitchen was very fast and the dishes are still good. It’s just not matching expectations set by past chefs/owners. Otherwise prices are a bit too high but that might be worth it for the ambiance. Servers seemed stressed out but they hit all the right boxes. I’ll still be coming back if I’m staying at the hotel but it’s no longer a place to drive out of my way for.

On one hand this is very beautiful, well maintained, quant restaurant with decent food. On the other hand the quality of food has dropped considerably in the last few years. When this was part of Wylder the place felt like it was getting worn down but the food was exceptional. Now the place looks spruced up but the food is more classic. This is especially noticeable in the signature burgundy stew (before and after pictures attached). It is now just a basic classic stew. It’s good but no where near the old quality. The kitchen was very fast and the dishes are still good. It’s just not matching expectations set by past chefs/owners. Otherwise prices are a bit too high but that might be worth it for the ambiance. Servers seemed stressed out but they hit all the right boxes. I’ll still be coming back if I’m staying at the hotel but it’s no longer a place to drive out of my way for.

We stopped on Sunday on a whim. We wish we'd checked the menu before committing to ordering as the menu prices are high, we feel. The menu was limited for lunch items. We ordered a burger and specifically asked for the Beyond Burger as noted on the menu. The salad was large but honestly didn't taste at all like it had dressing. I asked the waitress after 2 bites of the burger why it tastes like a black bean burger? "Oh, so sorry, the vegetarian option is only black bean. We don't have the Beyond Burger and haven't updated the menu". She asked if I wanted to speak to a manager and I replied to her that if she'd told me there were no Beyond Burgers I would have ordered a regular beef burger. Overall our experience was such that we probably won't return there.

Kris Jennings

We stopped on Sunday on a whim. We wish we'd checked the menu before committing to ordering as the menu prices are high, we feel. The menu was limited for lunch items. We ordered a burger and specifically asked for the Beyond Burger as noted on the menu. The salad was large but honestly didn't taste at all like it had dressing. I asked the waitress after 2 bites of the burger why it tastes like a black bean burger? "Oh, so sorry, the vegetarian option is only black bean. We don't have the Beyond Burger and haven't updated the menu". She asked if I wanted to speak to a manager and I replied to her that if she'd told me there were no Beyond Burgers I would have ordered a regular beef burger. Overall our experience was such that we probably won't return there.

Such a disappointment. Having been to Sorensen's many times over the years and having enjoyed the food and ambiance immensely, our visit the other day was underwhelming at best. Specifically, the beef stew ($32!) had like 4 little chunks of beef and when I asked for additional bread I was told 'we don't do that' and some nonsense about 'the chef'. What!! It's stew, it gets bread. The waitress did relent and brought a few cold white bread rolls. But not without charging $10 extra. Huh? I'm more than willing to pay, and travel and dine frequently, but there was such a mismatch between price and quality that I literally felt ripped off. Shame on the new owners for having degraded this venerable spot. Can't recommend and won't go back. In defense, the chicken pot pie was passable. I wish I had looked at reviewer Paul Morgan (review below) before going - I might have skipped the stop and mediocre food. He is spot on in his assessment and the beef stew photos tell the story of the decline of a dish once revered.

I have been coming to Sorensen’s for years. As a vegetarian in recent years since they were bought by Wylder I’ve found so many delicious options- quite a substantial menu. However- they seemed to have changed management and their menu has barely anything on it, particularly no vegetarian main dishes (except a veggie burger upon request). Therefore all I could have was a pretzel, a small spinach salad, and a side of sautéed squash as I do not like burgers. For my family of three (including my daughter who has a small bowl of plain pasta and husband who ate a bowl of beef stew) our bill was over $100 and I was left feeling unsatisfied and slightly hungry. Moreover, the waitress was extremely rude. Even though I love the idea of this cafe, sadly I won’t be going back unless they seriously update their menu and have friendlier waitstaff.

michael waeiss

Such a disappointment. Having been to Sorensen's many times over the years and having enjoyed the food and ambiance immensely, our visit the other day was underwhelming at best. Specifically, the beef stew ($32!) had like 4 little chunks of beef and when I asked for additional bread I was told 'we don't do that' and some nonsense about 'the chef'. What!! It's stew, it gets bread. The waitress did relent and brought a few cold white bread rolls. But not without charging $10 extra. Huh? I'm more than willing to pay, and travel and dine frequently, but there was such a mismatch between price and quality that I literally felt ripped off. Shame on the new owners for having degraded this venerable spot. Can't recommend and won't go back. In defense, the chicken pot pie was passable. I wish I had looked at reviewer Paul Morgan (review below) before going - I might have skipped the stop and mediocre food. He is spot on in his assessment and the beef stew photos tell the story of the decline of a dish once revered.

Kate Schroeder

I have been coming to Sorensen’s for years. As a vegetarian in recent years since they were bought by Wylder I’ve found so many delicious options- quite a substantial menu. However- they seemed to have changed management and their menu has barely anything on it, particularly no vegetarian main dishes (except a veggie burger upon request). Therefore all I could have was a pretzel, a small spinach salad, and a side of sautéed squash as I do not like burgers. For my family of three (including my daughter who has a small bowl of plain pasta and husband who ate a bowl of beef stew) our bill was over $100 and I was left feeling unsatisfied and slightly hungry. Moreover, the waitress was extremely rude. Even though I love the idea of this cafe, sadly I won’t be going back unless they seriously update their menu and have friendlier waitstaff.

Jim Thomas

Went to Hope valley to see the color change and decided to go to Sorensons Cafe for lunch. After waiting 45 minutes and still no food we decided to let our server know we were leaving . They could have been more professional and acknowledged the slow service , but didn’t happen. Will not return , food, menu choices, price and SLOW SERVICE are not worth it.. 45 year Tahoe Local

Went to Hope valley to see the color change and decided to go to Sorensons Cafe for lunch. After waiting 45 minutes and still no food we decided to let our server know we were leaving . They could have been more professional and acknowledged the slow service , but didn’t happen. Will not return , food, menu choices, price and SLOW SERVICE are not worth it.. 45 year Tahoe Local

Food is absolutely horrible, and overpriced (frankly, the food is so bad that I'd have paid not to eat it, which is what I did). If I ever went to a restaurant and thought everything was either horribly made, or otherwise frozen or cheaply bought, it would've been this one. The people are warm and welcoming, and the atmosphere is quiet and pleasant. But here's more about the food: 1. Their "Classic Burgundy Stew" is watery, jelly-like, and it tastes horrible. In addition to that, given there were about 4 pieces of meat, which seems odd when it's priced at $29. 2. The rest of the food was more of the same. The desert which we were told is the "last one remaining", I wholeheartedly believe, was store-bought, and not from a bakery Surprised of this current 4.0 rating, but after scrolling it looks like it comes from local guides mostly, perhaps their review was not as authentic. I hate to leave negative feedback, I left this note about the food being horrible with one of the staff members since the owner was not there, I hope they try to make a real change.

Way over priced. Cook does not know how to cook. And a simple appealing presentation must not be known.. They need to go back to cooking 10 one, the atmosphere was nice, but the food was boring, the only thing they had a lot of was overpriced drinks, has potential but too many fingers in the pie or something

David Burdjanadze

Food is absolutely horrible, and overpriced (frankly, the food is so bad that I'd have paid not to eat it, which is what I did). If I ever went to a restaurant and thought everything was either horribly made, or otherwise frozen or cheaply bought, it would've been this one. The people are warm and welcoming, and the atmosphere is quiet and pleasant. But here's more about the food: 1. Their "Classic Burgundy Stew" is watery, jelly-like, and it tastes horrible. In addition to that, given there were about 4 pieces of meat, which seems odd when it's priced at $29. 2. The rest of the food was more of the same. The desert which we were told is the "last one remaining", I wholeheartedly believe, was store-bought, and not from a bakery Surprised of this current 4.0 rating, but after scrolling it looks like it comes from local guides mostly, perhaps their review was not as authentic. I hate to leave negative feedback, I left this note about the food being horrible with one of the staff members since the owner was not there, I hope they try to make a real change.

Mike Kelly

Way over priced. Cook does not know how to cook. And a simple appealing presentation must not be known.. They need to go back to cooking 10 one, the atmosphere was nice, but the food was boring, the only thing they had a lot of was overpriced drinks, has potential but too many fingers in the pie or something