Owen’s Valley Recommendations

A bit north of your target area, but I always stop at the Whoa Nellie Deli in Lee Vining at the 120/395 intersection. Decent food and good beer selection.

In Mammoth, John’s Pizza Works is my favorite post-hike spot.

For me, no trip through Bishop is complete without stopping at Mahogany Smoked Meats. Great sandwiches. Great jerky if you’re into jerky. They even sell a fabulous local California wild buckwheat honey. No better place to stop in my opinion.

Mountain Rambler Brewery is a decent brewpub in Bishop – food’s okay (if a tad overpriced) and beer is pretty darn good, you can see the food menu on the website.

Edit to add: While you’re in Bishop, you should stop at Spellbinder Books – a small, independent, locally-owned bookstore – and buy a book. Nice people, decent enough selection to find something you’d read, and it helps independent book stores, which is a worthy thing to do, IMO. I’ve stopped there and bought a book each time I’ve been in Bishop. There’s also a small, local coffee shop attached to the bookstore.

WOW wild buckwheat honey sounds amazing!

Lone Pine:

• Alabama Hills Cafe — next to the laundromat.  Breakfast/lunch only. HUGE portions, and it’s pretty good.
• The Grill — across from McD’s.  Br/L/Din.  We had a very decent dinner there.  This is a “newer” place, I believe it was started by the former owners of Seasons.
• Merry-go-Round — center of town, main st.  I know, it looks weird, but if you’re in the mood for Asian food, Margie gives big portions of “American” Chinese food (non-authentic, but very nostalgic).
• Seasons — center of town, main st., dinner only.  This is, and always has been, the “fancy” restaurant in town, and maybe it’s my hiker hunger by the time I get there, but the food is good.

Independence:

• Owens Valley Grower’s Cooperative:  I think they opened in 2016. It’s basically a “health food store”, but they have a counter and several tables where you can order from a small, but tasty menu.  The portions are not hiker-sized, but it’s tasty and healthy.
• I am DONE with the Algerian/French restaurant in Independence.  Baseball rules: three strikes, and you’re out.  If you have only 2-3 tables occupied and you STILL can’t get me my food in under 60 minutes, I’m over it.  Last time it took about half an hour just to get our glasses of wine (pre-food).  No thanks.  I’ve been all over France multiple times, I’m 100% English/French bilingual, and waiting a ridiculously long time for food is NOT, in fact, a “French” thing.

I haven’t spent much time in Bishop, but I have eaten at Schat’s and the BBQ place, both very good.

Finally — NON FOOD RECOMMENDATIONS — if you have a bit of extra time:

• Lone Pine Film History Museum — If you’ve ever been a fan of TV/Film western genre, you’ll have a hoot here.  It’s a uniquely quirky museum that is just a lot of fun.
• Eastern Sierra Museum/Eastern California Museum — If you’re interested in some of the history of the area, including native peoples, mining, and exploring/hiking, this tiny place is quite a hidden treasure.  We liked it so much that we gave them a fair-sized donation just “because”!
• Manzanar (the Japanese Internment Camp), just north of Independence — My first visit was 14 years ago, when very little of the camp remained, and you had to really use your imagination to add meaning.  In the ensuing years, the Park Service has done a FABULOUS job restoring the site, and adding an informative and fascinating Visitor’s Center.

If you only have time for one — Manzanar should be it.

Love that whole area.

All Bishop:

Bishop Burger Barn is tiny, eclectic, very busy and serves killer burgers.

Wilson’s Eastside Sports is the classic outdoor shop. I worked there from 98-01. Sadly James Wilson passed a few years ago, but long time manager, now owner, Chris is carrying on in style.

The excellent Manor Market is the alternative grocer to Vons or whatever the big place is.

Schatz’s is okay. Mostly stays in people’s memory due to clever decor.

The Petite Pantry in Bishop is a great place for a good mexican breakfast before hitting the trail.

I’m sorry to hear Galen Rowell’s photography gallery, Mountain Light,  in Bishop is closing soon. It is well worth a visit.

Thanks for all of the suggestions!

Someone once told me, if you live in Southern California, Highway 395 is the Highway to Happiness.  I drove up and down 395 last week, so lots of refreshed memories.

Re Independence, I second all of Valerie’s detailed comments, especially Hi Life Cafe comments.  When Hi Life Cafe first opened in Olancha years ago, it was a surprisingly good stop; no longer.  Since Jenny’s Cafe closed a few years ago, other than Hi Life and take out at Subway (Chevron gas station), no daily dining options.  The Owens Valley Cooperative (old Mairs Market) is interesting, but I recall the restaurant has quite limited hours.

Big Pine has two decent dining options: Copper Top BBQ (open air picnic tables) and the Country Kitchen, which looks like and is a truck stop.  New owners from Southern California as of several years ago improved the food; serves breakfast all day and has some outdoor tables.

Bishop: Second comments re Holy Smoke BBQ and Mahogany Smoked Meats.  Astorga’s Mexican restaurant, west side 395, south of Mahogany Smoked, is ok.   Some Bishop locals tell me Sage Restaurant on West Line Street is their favorite dinner restaurant; I have not been to Sage.  Sad to hear Galen Rowell Mountain Light Gallery is closing.  By all means, buy a book at Spellbinder Books.

if it was 1989 you could simultaneously eat a very tasty burger and wash your clothes at “Burgers and Laundromat” in Big Pine.  Unfortunately this quirky little bit of Eastside history has been closed for a while.

and a question for those who have been up to Lee Vining recently …

I heard that the wonderful Gourmet eatery at the gas station has moved. Does anyone know where it moved to. This was a must experience place for the quality of the food.

The Mountain Light Gallery closed at the end of October 2017. The web site is still up. You can view many of Galen Rowell’s images on the site, but they are no longer selling prints from the site.

There is an OK Japanese Restaurant in Bishop that has a nice selection of bottled beers: Yamatani Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar.

McGee Creek Inn, http://www.mcgeecreek.com/ has great, healthy food and atmosphere.

Bishop:

Schat’s Bakery – Excellent for a sandwich, pastry and coffee. Very popular with tourists.

Amigos – Fantastic Mexican food, fast service, large portions, priced right.

Great Basin Bakery – Good for breakfast and lunch, fast service.

Jacks – Good for a hot breakfast, opens early.

Independence:

Owens Valley Cooperative – healthy food, small portions, limited hours.

Still life Cafe – good food, small portions. slow service when they are open.

Taco truck – Excellent for lunch and dinner when they are open.

Lone Pine:

Alabama Hills Cafe – good for breakfast and lunch.

Seasons – great food, a bit expensive, excellent for take out, only open for dinner.

In Bishop, I second the Burger Barn, and will also suggest Black Sheep Coffee Roasters, and the Thai Restaurant at Bishop Airport.

Dave

Lots of good suggestions here.  What Doug said and more.  Schaats is packed with tourons these days, and Mahogany Smoked Meats is where the locals go for killer sandwiches.  And then there’s that wild buckwheat honey.

The Bishop Cafe, right next to Amigos is, IMO, at least as good and less crowded.

Boulder Creek RV and Mobile Home Park just south of Lone Pine is a great place to stop for a shower and cheap ice cold beer.  We used to always stop at the Ranch House Cafe in Olancha, but the quality has gone down somewhat.  Worth a stop but not worth going out of your way for.

I will vouch completely for the Mountain Rambler brewery in Bishop.  Top notch beer.  I haven’t had their food.

As to food, I had a decent diner meal at Jack’s in Bishop.  I’ve also eaten at the bowling alley in Bishop; it was the only thing still open late at night when we got off the trail.  The food at the bowling alley seemed good, but I just got off the trail and had eaten 10 days of trail food, so I don’t trust myself in recommending it.