Spoon, Tahoe City

Reviewer: Foodnut.com Spoon 1785 West Lake Blvd, #5 Tahoe City, CA 96145 530-581-5400 Spoon Website

Spoon is one of those rare finds in the Lake Tahoe region. The food is simply really good. Its easy to pay a lot up here, but not easy to find a spot like this. We’ve dined at all the stalwarts that have existed for decades and none match up. “Spoon is a funky, off-beat and cozy restaurant with an eclectic american dinner menu.” Closed Tu/Wed
Gluten free and vegetarian options. Specials change daily. Last visit end of 2023.

Much of the seating is outside with heat lamps during spring/summer, so dress warmly.

Why did we dine here? – Spoon is a highly rated American restaurant on Yelp in this beautiful area. You dine outside under the trees. We’ve been back twice. Spoon is a very small restaurant (only 9 tables), so reserve ahead.

Insider Tip – Special Dietary needs? Call ahead to get custom dishes

Cuisine – American
Location – North Lake Tahoe
Opened – 2017

Service – Spoon had friendly and knowledgeable service. Better than expected.
Verdict – Spoon is one of the top restaurants in this area of mediocre high priced tourist traps. Give it a try.

Safety Pluses – Online menu, outdoor dining, takeout.

Is this restaurant worth a 5 minute drive? Yes. 30 minute? Maybe. 1 Hour? No

Spoon Signature Dishes – Fish, Pork Chop, Braised beef.

Spoon’s Menu changes all the time. Some items sell out. V, GF clearly marked.

Website Spoon Menu

Spoon Food Picks:

Winter Goddess Salad $15 (V, GF) organic greens, roasted cauliflower, dates, sunflower seeds, pickled onions, feta & Zhee Zhee’s Tahini Goddess dressing was decent but not spectacular. 8/10

Poached Pear Mac $14 (V) poached pears, macaroni, creamy emmental/white cheddar sauce, sage & parmesan sounds weird, but it works. Still a very cheesey heavy starter. 8/10

Shawarma Spiced Charred Carrots $13 (GF, Vegan) with citrus roasted chickpeas, sumac tahini, cilantro and toasted almonds is on the spicy side and not a big dish. 8/10

Rustic Vegetable Terrine $15 (GF, V) Layered eggplant, zucchini, caramelized onions, emmental, roasted pepper sauce & house made ricotta was unique and worth ordering. A lasagna style veggie dish. 9/10

Locotopos ($12 – V, GF) corn tortilla chips, topped with pinto bean puree, cilantro “crema”, pickled onions & ricotta salata was not as good as the other starters. 7.5/10

Zhee Zhee Chipotle Almond Hummus ($11 V, GF) has on the 2021 menu. 8/10

Soup of the Moment ($9) was saegy potato on our evening. Nice subtle flavor and warmth on a chilly evening. 8.5/10

Garlicky Sumac Shrimp ($17) with lemon, olives, shaved fennel, Moroccan Chickpea quinoa salad & gound sumac have ample quantity at this price. 4 fresh shrimp on a nice bed of quinoa. 8.5/10

Brined Organic Chicken Thighs $30 (GF) oven roasted with buttery mashed potatoes & pork belly cremini mushroom ragout had 2 large pieces.  The mushrooms are good but a bit salty.  Use the mushrooms on top of the Toasted Ciabatta extra side dish. 8/10

Thick cut pork chop ($34) GF brined & roasted with braised cabbage, fennel and dried apricot barberry chutney is one of their great dishes. Juicy and tender and had a great fruity chutney. 9/10

Braised Pork ($23 GF) was on the 2021 menu. Very tender, exceptional beans. 8/10

Coriander Roasted Organic Tofu ($22) V, GF on lentil & gray squash ragout, with Moroccan quinoa salad, roasted cashew salsa & ricotta salata satisfied our vegan. Lots of flavor in this dish. 8.5/10

Pan Roasted Fish Salmon $34 (GF) with cilantro pesto, bell pepper escabeche, cauliflower & fresh fennel sunflower sprout salad looks fantastic and is cooked just right. Lots of veggies on the side. 9.5/10

Linguini & Handmade Beef Meatballs ($26) with chunky roasted garlic tomatoes, parmesan & a drizzle of scallion parsley pesto is a carbo load dish for winter sports the next day! Huge meatballs and portion size. Cooked al dente. 8/10

Roasted Veggies with Parsley Pesto ($9 – V, GF) had artichokes, carrots, and more. 9/10

Moroccan Style Chickpea & Quinoa Salad with Sultanas & Preserved Lemon ($9 – V, GF) 8.5/10

Toasted Ciabatta with Herb Oil ($4.50) was fine. 7.5/10

Cheesy Toast- Ciabatta with Melted Gruyere & Sharp White Cheddar ($6.50) is skippable. 6.5/10

Vegan Chocolate Cake ($10) was better than most. About 85% the quality of a normal one. Huge. 9/10

Dark Chocolate Truffle Medallions ($10) (3) rich ganache medallions, with coconut almond crust & a touch of sea salt (GF, Vegan) are fairly dark and have a hinting contrast of spices. 9/10

Restaurant Map: