The signs had been up for a long time according to folks around the area: “Tahoe Burger: Coming Soon!” Yet despite the long wait, the new Tahoe Burger at the Robb Drive exit finally opened the first week of this August.
Tahoe Burger — it isn’t in Tahoe, but as their motto goes, “A Burger With Altitude,” they’re at least close enough. The extreme western edge of Reno sits about 500 - 800 feet higher than the rest of the valley, some of it in the tree line (although the railroad industry 100 years ago made sure the trees were gone long before any of us were around… hey, tha’ts just how it was) and is usually the first part of actual Reno to get real snow when it pops on over the Sierra Nevadas.
There isn’t quite a menu board up behind the wall at Tahoe Burger, but the idea is there, good pictures of what seems like good food, and at reasonable prices. We ambled in the place about half an hour before dining room closing (10:30pm), but noticed they’re happy to serve you through the drive through at much later hours (Midnight on weekdays, 2:00AM on Fridays/Saturdays). The staff was more than happy to serve us and help us through the menu.
The menu at Tahoe Burger is as expected. That’s right, shock above shock, burgers! I couldn’t help but notice there’s also breakfast items, ice cream shakes, chicken sandwiches, soups and salads… and evidently, more to come.
I couldn’t help but notice the friendly blond lady working behind the counter without the same crew apparel, who obvioiusly knew what was going on. Donna Eaton, was her name, and burgers were her game. Her and her husband Greg Peters, own the Tahoe Burger (and a few other to-be-opened-soon businesses attached behind the place), and came from Florida and Walnut Creek respectively about 4 years ago to Reno. What better thing to do in Reno than invest in it, right? The relatively new Nevadans certainly have their work cut out for them, and they seem to be doing it right.
The first thing I notice going into the place was not the smell of burgers and fries, but leather. Leather? Of course I joked that it couldn’t possibly be what the burgers were like. As soon as everyone allowed me to make an ass of myself, I looked around at the rustic “cabin kitsch,” decor around the place. It isn’t your typical log cabin fare, but a very clean-cut variant, restaurant-style, with hand-blown glass lamps, carved art, and yes, leather seats in the place. According to Donna, you should be able to get a reasonably-priced, quality burger in an upscale environment. Well, to tell you the truth, she’s pulling it off. I’m not aware of too many “upscale,” drive-through burger places around town, and this certainly is the first one I’ve been in, especially in Reno. It isn’t haughty, and there isn’t some sense of properness about the place. Me in my Pixies shirt, a Savers overcoat and my cutoff knickers, I was treated fine, and it wasn’t a plastic seat with clowns all over it. I actually appreciate that. A lot. An impish looking five-foot stuffed bear greats you as you come in. Name: “Kodi.” (That’s Donna on the left…)
I ordered a barbecue sandwich called the “King’s Beach BBQ Pork Sandwich,” had the combo (fries and drink). For about $8, it was quite a bit of food. The sandwich was a bit tomato-ey for my liking, but the pork quality, bun tastiness were both up to par. The fries are EXCELLENT. My partner went with a Truckee Bacon Burger, of which I had a bite, and it was great. I enjoyed it better than the BBQ sandwich, but its name is “Tahoe Burger,” not “Tahoe BBQ.” The burgers, while good, are not cooked to requested doneness (meaning, I couldn’t have mine rare and mooing), which gives it a one point off, but there’s enough flavor and freshness among it all that cooking it to the standard “medium,” didn’t leave me feeling left out of flavor town. Oh, who am I kidding? I don’t do points. I either like it or I don’t, and I liked that burger.
Interesting notes as I talked to Donna further about their suppliers and goals of the places, it is almost exclusively locally stocked. The beef is from Wolf Pack Meats, UNR’s own agriculture and processing facility, with all breads and buns provided by Franco here in town. New Nevadans, yes, but Donna and Greg are doing Reno proud by making sure they’re taking care of their new neighbors. Always a good Nevada thing to do! She mentioned that meat comes weekly and custom for them, so the cows you passed by on east McCarran at Mill on Monday you can have for lunch on Tuesday. That’s pretty meat! I mean neat.
Tahoe Burger can give you a meal for two between $10 - $12. It’s good food, too. I like the atmosphere, clean, new, comfortable, and inviting. The location isn’t too bad, especially if you’re a resident of the western half of Reno, but if you find yourself headed west out of town and needing to pick up a bite to eat, the drive through is open really late. Yes, it’s worth going.
Overall I wouldn’t call it “gourmet,” but it is a good burger. The price for what you get is very acceptable, and considering Donna and Greg won out over first a Starbucks, then McDonald’s, I’m pleased to have Tahoe Burger in that location considering the alternatives.
They’re located precisely at 6280 Sharlands Ave, Ste. 101, (…just take the Robb Drive exit, you can’t miss it…) and can be reached at 775-747-7333. They do have a website at http://www.tahoeburger.com, however, it isn’t quite ready to receive visitors quite yet. They are open at 6:00AM for breakfast, and are open until 10:30pm (dining room) and drive through at 12:00AM (weekdays) and 2:00AM (weekends). Give them a try, it sure beats a drive-through burger just about anywhere else.
GR
