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Cafe & Bakery

The Basin Cafe

Hearty breakfast and lunch fare with garden seating in Lee Vining

(239)
$$$$Lee Vining, CA

About

The Basin Cafe is a breakfast-and-lunch spot in Lee Vining that catches a steady stream of travelers heading to or from Yosemite's Tioga Pass entrance. It holds a 4.3-star rating from 238 reviews, with regulars calling out the friendly staff and the garden patio shaded by large trees out back.

What to Order

Reviewers keep coming back to the same handful of dishes: the bison burger, a club sandwich, chicken fried steak with gravy, and a bacon egg burrito big enough to split. On the breakfast side, the French toast gets called out by name, and the homemade pumpkin pie and salted caramel brownies are popular picks for the road.

Good to Know

  • Phone: (760) 914-4224
  • Price range: Moderate ($$)
  • Hours: Monday and Wednesday 7 AM–2 PM; Thursday through Sunday 7 AM–9 PM; closed Tuesday

The shaded outdoor seating makes this a good stop to stretch your legs before or after the Tioga Pass drive. Reviewers consistently praise the staff's warmth — one recalled a dish arriving a few minutes late and the kitchen making it right with an apology and a free cookie.

Frequently Asked Questions

What days is The Basin Cafe closed?

The Basin Cafe is closed on Tuesdays. It's open Monday and Wednesday from 7 AM to 2 PM, and Thursday through Sunday from 7 AM to 9 PM.

What's the most popular dish at The Basin Cafe?

Reviewers most often mention the bison burger, chicken fried steak, and bacon egg burrito, along with the homemade pumpkin pie and salted caramel brownies for dessert.

Is there outdoor seating?

Yes, the cafe has a garden patio shaded by large trees, a popular rest stop for travelers between Yosemite's Tioga Pass entrance and points east.

Reviews (239)

See all on Google
4.3

239 reviews

Write a review
Alyssa Scarbrough

So glad we took a chance on our road trip and stopped here. The food is amazing, service was great, and the seating is magical outside. There are about 10 tables dispersed across a beautiful lawn with gorgeous blooming flower beds, right out of a fairytale! I wish we lived closer, we'd stop here often. One note is that the prices are high. However the portions are huge and I'm more than happy to support a small business.

Ken B
Ken B

2 weeks ago

Beautiful outdoor atmosphere. Garden like. Menu had several things I wanted to try.

Nia Millán
Nia Millán

2 weeks ago

We stopped here on the drive from Lake Tahoe to Vegas, expecting to relax outside with our dogs. Instead, we were greeted by a giant sign: NO PETS ANYWHERE ON PROPERTY. Why advertise a big outdoor seating area if you’re going to ban the majority of people who travel with pets? It gets worse. We couldn’t even walk our dogs on the public sidewalk grass across the street — apparently pet waste “endangers children.” Meanwhile, there’s a bunny running loose in their garden. I guess bunny droppings are magically safe? The hypocrisy alone would be enough to skip this place. But then the takeout food we bought was genuinely bad. Between the absurd pet policy and the disappointing food, there’s no reason to ever come here. Skip it.

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