Plan ahead to make the best use of your dining time when visiting Yosemite. Some restaurants require reservations, some have dress codes, and many are extremely popular, especially for that window table.
Ahwahnee
9005 Ahwahnee Drive
Yosemite National Park, California 95389
209-372-1489
Since 1927, the grand old dining room at Ahwahnee has been certainly the most famous restaurant in the Valley. Guests enjoy outstanding views of Half Dome and Glacier Point, picture-perfect in every season. Come during a light snow shower and you may feel like a figure caught inside a snow globe. This is the place to soak up every single drop of the atmosphere of your Yosemite Valley visit by candelabras glowing beneath 34-foot timbered ceilings.
The food rates high (some say prices do, too), as well as the surroundings, for chef Whatley has been recognized for his talents as king of the kitchen. Come for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or Sunday brunch at $39.50 for adults and half-price for children. California locally sourced produce means comfort food. Main courses at lunch are from $16. Choose from Angus beef burgers, free-range chicken with mango relish and tabbouleh, sauteed mountain trout, pasta, pizza, and more. There are vegetarian and gluten-free options. Dinner features a three-course rotisserie at $45. Holiday seatings for Easter, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are sought after, so book well ahead. There is also a bar menu from $6. Menus are online. Credit cards are accepted; reservations are required for dinner. Ahwahnee is a destination in itself for many Yosemite visitors.
Erna’s Elderberry House Restaurant at the Chateau du Sureau
48688 Victoria Lane
Oakhurst, California 93644
559-683-6800
Oh la la. Sureau” means elderberry in French, which grow here on the grounds of the stunning stucco property behind the wrought iron gates. Listed among the best dining spots in California, the Chateau du Sureau boasts both the AAA and Forbes Five-Diamond awards. Just 16 miles outside Yosemite park, it is an elegant small hotel of 10 rooms, spacious gardens with statuary, and a fabled restaurant. A mother-daughter team infuses European flavor reflecting their own heritage in three lovely dining rooms where chef Gunnar Thompson has achieved highest critical acclaim from patrons and from the discerning Relais & Chateaux. Serving dinner only, one might save this for a romantic visit to Yosemite Valley. Credit cards are accepted; reservations are highly recommended. Dress code.
Mountain Room Restaurant and Food Court at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls
Yosemite National Park, California 95379
209-372-1281
Kids are excited to sit by the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows at this dining spot overlooking the 2,424-foot Yosemite Falls, which is open all year round. Reservations are not required except for groups of more than eight. The dinner menu covers everything: soup and salad, pastas, steak, fish, chicken, lamb, duck, and vegetarian and gluten-free choices, so everyone will find favorites here. There is an emphasis on the organic, local, sustainable. Wine is available. Dinner only is served from 5 p.m.
If you’re getting an early start, there is also a food court for casual breakfast served from 6:30 a.m. Yosemite Lodge Food Court has pre-wrapped items for filling the backpack before hitting the trails. Lunch and dinner are also served.
Wawona Dining Room at Wawona Hotel
8308 Wawona Road
Yosemite National Park, California 95389
800-230-4134
Have you ever been to a restaurant with a signature turkey dish when it is not even Thanksgiving? Try the white turkey chili at this very pretty Victorian dining room, featured in cookbooks and awarded a prize by the National Turkey Federation. Pot roast is another firm favorite. The Wawona Hotel has been a Yosemite fixture since 1879, was a host to President Teddy Roosevelt, and is now a National Historic Landmark. Arrive in winter and sit by the cozy fireplace. In summer, relax on an Adirondack chair on the lawn or take a drink out onto the verandah. The Saturday evening outdoor barbeque is fun for families. This corner dining room’s sash windows look out at the Sequoias, right in the heart of Yosemite. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served when the hotel is open – from about the end of March through the second of January each year.
Savoury’s Restaurant
5034 State Highway 140
Mariposa, California 95338
209-966-7677
In the truly small, historic town of Mariposa, just outside the park, here is a local favorite for a change of pace. Savoury’s is highly rated and is considered the best for miles around, exceedingly convenient to Yosemite. Many area restaurants are closed on Mondays, but not this one. Savoury’s is open Monday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Parking is easy, children are welcome, attire is casual, credit cards are accepted, parking is easy, and it is good for groups. They added a liquor license in late 2011 and feature a wine list with lots of Central Coast California choices. Appetizers are from $8, salads from $14, entrees from $15. A child’s menu featuring penne, fish sticks, chicken strips, and shrimp skewers is from $6.
