Tahoe residents and visitors selected their favorite places around the lake to eat, drink, shop and play in TQ’s 2026 Best of Tahoe Readers’ Poll. Due to the expansive size of North America’s largest alpine lake, the multiple-choice poll was separated into two categories: South Shore and North/West/East Shore, which includes Truckee. Here are the results.

 

EAT & DRINK—NORTH/west/east SHORE 

Best Family-Friendly Restaurant

1. Shadyside Lounge

2. Fire Sign Cafe

3. Zano’s Family Italian & Pizzeria

 

Best Upscale Dining

1. Christy Hill Restaurant

2. Wolfdale’s Cuisine Unique

3. Swiss Lakewood

 

Best Outdoor Dining

1. Sunnyside Restaurant & Lodge

2. Gar Woods Grill & Pier Restaurant

3. Jake’s on the Lake

 

Best Pizza

1. Whitecaps Pizza

2. Mofo’s Pizza

3. Village Pizzeria

 

Best Breakfast

1. Fire Sign Cafe

2. Old Post Office Cafe

3. Jax At The Tracks

 

Best Sushi

1. Drunken Monkey Sushi

2. Koi Sushi

3. Cloud Sushi

 

Best Burgers

1. Inclined Burgers and Brews

2. Bridgetender Tavern and Grill

3. Char-Pit

 

Best Sandwiches

1. Tahoma Market & Deli 

2. Full Belly Deli

3. West Shore Market

 

Best Coffeehouse

1. Tahoe House Bakery & Gourmet 

2. Drink Coffee Do Stuff

3. Wild Cherries Coffee House

 

Best Bar

1. Alibi Ale Works – Incline Public House

2. Bridgetender Tavern and Grill

3. Pete ’n Peter’s 

 

Best Brewing Company

1. Alibi Ale Works

2. Truckee Brewing Company

3. FiftyFifty Brewing Co. 

 

Best Wine Tasting

1. Uncorked Tahoe City

2. The Pour House

3. Glasses Wine Bar

 

EAT & DRINK—SOUTH SHORE

Best Family-Friendly Restaurant

1. The Red Hut Cafe

2. Sprouts Cafe 

3. Lake Tahoe AleWorX

 

Best Upscale Dining

1. Riva Grill 

2. Sage Room

3. Chart House

 

Best Outdoor Dining

1. Riva Grill  

2. Freshies Ohana

3. Brooks’ Bar & Deck

 

Best Pizza

1. Base Camp Pizza Co.  

2. Lake Tahoe Pizza Company

3. Lake Tahoe AleWorX

 

Best Breakfast

1. Heidi’s Pancake House

2. Tahoe Bagel Company

3. Driftwood Cafe

 

Best Sushi

1. The Naked Fish

2. Kalani’s

3. Off The Hook Sushi

 

Best Burgers

1. Burger Lounge

2. Big Daddy’s Burgers 

3. California Burger Co.

 

Best Sandwiches

1. Tahoe Bagel Company

2. Yellow Submarine

3. Sprouts Cafe

 

Best Coffeehouse

1. Cuppa Tahoe 

2. Drink Coffee Do Stuff

3. Clyde’s Coffee Roasting Co.

 

Best Bar

1. Lake Tahoe AleWorX

2. McP’s Taphouse Grill

3. Kalani’s

 

Best Brewing Company

1. South Lake Brewing Co.

2. Sidellis Lake Tahoe

3. Stateline Brewery

 

Best Wine Tasting

1. The Idle Hour 

2. The Cork and More

3. Tahoe Tastings

 

RECREATION & ENTERTAINMENT —NORTH/west/east SHORE

Best Music Venue

1. Crystal Bay Casino Crown Room

2. Sand Harbor Trepp Amphitheater

3. Commons Beach

 

Best Golf Course

1. Incline Village Championship Course  

2. Old Greenwood Golf Course

3. Coyote Moon Golf Course

 

Best Mountain Bike Trail

1. Flume Trail

2. Tahoe Rim Trail

3. Tyrolean Downhill

 

Best Ski Resort

1. Palisades Tahoe

2. Diamond Peak

3. Northstar

 

Best Chairlift

1. KT-22 Express, Palisades Tahoe

2. Granite Chief, Palisades Tahoe

3. Crystal Express, Diamond Peak

 

RECREATION & ENTERTAINMENT—south SHORE

Best Music Venue

1. Lake Tahoe AleWorX 

2. Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harveys 

3. Tahoe Blue Event Center

 

Best Golf Course

1. Edgewood Tahoe

2. Tahoe Paradise Golf Course 

3. Lake Tahoe Golf Course

 

Best Mountain Bike Trail

1. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride

2. Van Sickle Trail

3. Angora Ridge Trail

 

Best Ski Resort

1. Heavenly 

2. Kirkwood

3. Sierra-at-Tahoe

 

Best Chairlift

1. Heavenly Gondola, Heavenly

2. Cornice Express, Kirkwood

3. Dipper Express, Heavenly

 

RETAIL & SERVICE—NORTH/west/east SHORE

Best Outdoor Gear

1. Alpenglow Sports 

2. Tahoe Dave’s Boardshop 

3. The Village Ski Loft

 

Best Bike Shop

1. Olympic Bike Shop

2. The Village Ski Loft  

3. Paco’s Truckee 

 

Best Ski/Snowboard Shop

1. The Village Ski Loft 

2. Start Haus Ski & Bike

3. Tahoe Dave’s Skis & Boards

 

Best Home Décor

1. Tahoe Modern

2. High Camp Home

3. Alpine Home

 

Best Art Gallery

1. Piper J Gallery 

2. Gallery Keoki

3. The Eadington Gallery

 

Best Hardware Store

1. Ace Mountain Hardware & Sports (Truckee)

2. Swigards Ace Hardware

3. Tahoe City Ace Hardware & Lumber 

 

Best Mechanic

1. The Auto & Tire Doctor

2. Ward & Sons Automotive 

3. Big Bear Automotive Repair Inc.

 

RETAIL & SERVICE—SOUTH SHORE

Best Outdoor Gear

1. Tahoe Sports Ltd

2. Big 5 Sporting Goods

3. BlueZone Sports

 

Best Bike Shop

1. South Shore Bikes

2. Anderson’s Bicycle Rental

3. Shoreline of Tahoe 

 

Best Ski/Snowboard Shop

1. Tahoe Sports Ltd  

2. Rip N’ Willies

3. Powder House Ski and Snowboard

 

Best Home Décor

1. On Tahoe Time

2. DIY Home Center

3. Tahoe Home Consignment

 

Best Art Gallery

1. Marcus Ashley Gallery 

2. Pacific Crest Gallery

3. Twilight and Rust Gallery

 

Best Hardware Store

1. South Lake Tahoe Ace Hardware

2. Langenfeld Ace Hardware

3. DIY Home Center 

 

Best Mechanic

1. Norm’s Auto Repair

2. Lake Tahoe Automotive

3. Eloise Automotive & Alignment