Red Hut Cafe

This place is boring, the food not so good and pricey. Breakfast is easy and this place does not do a good job of it. In the same shopping center I would suggest Joseph’s café or Lakeside bar and grill for a better breakfast spot. Red hut is high on itself as well. They have a really awful story on the menu about how they started the restaurant. The most enjoyment I had while dining in this place was reading that story and laughing to myself about how uninteresting it was…

I along 3 friends had lunch at the Red Hut Café on Lakeside Drive on Friday, January 8, 2016.
I really wanted to like this place. I have enjoyed malt shop /​lunch counters in many places and with a lot of the old Reno places (like Swenson) closing recently, I was happy to try a new place. Red Hut Café has five locations with the Lakeside one being their newest, opening November of 2012.
It wasn’t what we expected.
First, the positives — I was very impressed by the wait staff. Both the waitress and cashier were very friendly and seemed happy to help.
Second, the rest —
A) The location was dirty. There was brown sticky stuff on the wall next to the table we were seated at. The salt, pepper and sugar shakers were sticky to pick up. There was a glass ring on our table from a previous guest in the dust on the part against the wall.
B) The food was mediocre at best.
a. One of my guests ordered the Hamburger Patty and Eggs. The eggs were prepared correctly and fresh. The hamburger patty had obviously been made elsewhere and brought in. It was very salty. The hash browns were described by my guest as having a «strange filmy» consistency.
b. Another of my guests ordered a hamburger. He described his meal is about what you would expect at a diner. The burger was ok and the fries were actually very good.
c. My third guest ordered a Turkey sandwich. Again the meat had been prepared off site and was clearly not fresh. The sandwich wasn’t very good; you could get something much better at the sub shop.
d. I ordered a tuna melt. I asked for it with everything it would normally come with except cheese. The order was served wrong and was just tuna on bread. The kitchen forgot the tomato and Lettuce. Since we were there on a lunch hour I didn’t want to wait to remake it so I told the waitress I’d just take it as is. The tuna was clearly canned, a fact I confirmed with the waitress. It looked like the cheap canned tuna you would buy at the grocery store.
C) The menu specifically says that «we use only natural meats». I don’t think canned, brought in meat really counts as «natural». My definition of this is admitally subjective however it wasn’t anywhere near what I expected.
D) Finally, I figured we should try the dessert as the place is a soda fountain. Unfortunately, it also turned out that none of the ice cream was fresh or in any way special. It was, according to the waitress, the same thing you would buy at a grocery store. We didn’t end of having desert since we all know what premade ice cream tastes like.
I think my issue here is out of 4 different meals nothing was fresh except the eggs. (Not even the bread was fresh. I mean, what does it take to go to the bakery down the street in the morning and serve something really good?) It was all just reheated bulk purchased product that I could make myself with 10 minutes and my microwave at home — which is the other issue I had. The lunch came to over $ 55.00 which seems very expensive to me for food that isn’t fresh.
In addition, there was an issue with the timing of the service. All food was ordered on one ticket; however, 2 of the dishes came out about 15 minutes after the order was taken. The other 2 dishes took an additional 10 – 15 minutes. By the time the second dishes came out the first were cold.
I won’t be going back to Red Hut, which is sad to me. I do recommend the managers consider watching an episode of «Kitchen Nightmares» or «Restaurant Impossible» and take note of some of the basics, like a clean restaurant and fresh food.

Came here for the first time and that’s only because we were hungry and it’s the nearest place that’s open. First impression ~ it’s giving me the old-​fashioned café vibe. Kind of nostalgic and homey, even though the décor was all about outdoorsy sports and stuff. I liked it. The menu features quite a selection of favorites ~ omelettes, hash browns, pancakes, waffles, the sort. I wanted something a little bit different (at least for me), so I went for the chicken and waffles. Hubby had the french toast. Were they mind-​blowing? I can’t say they are, but they were good. Hit the spot. Service-​wise, it’s decent. There was a little bit of snafu on our bill, but no-​biggie. The server handled it like a pro. Based on the clientele there that day, I had an impression that this is a family favorite. I highly recommend for breakfast.

After 15 minutes I got a waitresses attention and myself and my 2 workers ordered. After about 50 minutes my workers burgers showed up. At about 1 hr the waitress told me my eggs benidect would be up soon and it would be on the house. I responded that my guys where done eating and our lunch hr was over.
How long does it take to poach an egg?
There was another couple that had left after about 40 minutes and jokingly said to me «I hope you get you food, ha ha». Don’t think I will be going back.

I have been here several times, and left great reviews, but this time was different. First let me say I don’t like complaining, but this was rediculous. This place failed on every level.
I entered the establishment and there was only one other guest in house, I was told sit where ever you want. I chose a table, sat then realized there was some coffee and cream spilt from the previous diner. The server then sat my silverware and water down right next to the spill, did not wipe it up, and walked away.
My order was taken and the spill remained. She brought my food and check at the same time, reached across the spill to set down my food and practically left the check in the spill. She walked away. No one ever came back to my table.
When I finished eating I went to the counter to pay, she was sitting at the bar with her back to me, so I whistled at her (I know that’s rude, but I was pissed at this point). She walked up with a big bubbly smile and said «how was everything» I replied just so so. With a cute little smirk she said as if surprised, just so so? At this point I kinda lost it.
Sternly I said look, first of all my table was clearly dirty. You reached across it several times and didn’t even bother to clean it up. Second you never came back to ask how I was doing, I ordered my eggs over medium and one yolk was broken and the other hard. And lastly after all this I’m sitting here looking at your cook in the kitchen wearing a tank top. I said who wears a tank top in a professional kitchen, that is absolutely gross. So yes my meal was just so so. She looked back at me horrified, mustering up her best fake smile and said I’m sorry.
I paid my bill and left. I don’t even know what to call this service, but the tank top wearing chef is enough to make me never return. Man what a disappointment.

Tahoe is always packed! So happy you are in Carson and Reno now :) I’ve been eating my way through this menu and they are just fabulous! They cook everything just right! Keep it up kids! We love ya!

My boyfriend and I have wanted to try this place for a long time but haven’t been able to due to their inconvenient hours. We finally were able to go today.
The service here was unbelievably horrible. We had 3 waitresses, and none of them seemed to have any clue what they were doing. Our tiny cups of water never got a refill. Tables around us seemed to wait nervously for service. They brought my boyfriends food after bringing mine out. We only ordered two things, a grilled cheese (meh) and chicken strips (even less desirable). We thought they would come out together. A waitress asked us if we needed anything and when we said no, she brought our check. I asked if we could have ice cream and she told me yes with an underlying hint of «duh». I asked her if that should be on a separate check and she said yes. When a different waitress came to take our ice cream order, she took the check back to add the ice cream. Wth? Figure it out, guys! One check or two? Also, it was a freaking frozen tundra in there. We get it, the theme is skiing and you serve ice cream, but I shouldn’t have to wear a parka to survive your restaurant. Friggin ICE cold in there!!!
The one saving grace was a young man who seemed to be working the ice cream counter. We saw him go above and beyond a couple times and the only reason we left a tip was because of him. Wish he was our waiter. Better luck next time, red hut.
Tl;dr — service was beyond horrible for less than desirable food at inconvenient hours in an ice cold environment.

I’ve now experienced Red Hut twice and both times it was just ok. This is definitely not the place to go if you don’t eat meat, or you’re watching your calories. They are also a little on the pricey side, which is fine if it was more than standard diner fare.
I settled for the pancake sandwich and I am pretty darn sure I could have made those pancakes better myself and cheaper at home. The service was good, the atmosphere was fun, I just don’t think there is value in their food, or selection for that matter.
I wouldn’t not eat here again but I certainly would choose the place right around the corner since the price range is the same and they have AMAZING breakfast.

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM!
Every once in awhile I get a big craving for a good banana split. This place has one of the best! They even let you customize it however you’d like.
My choice was chocolate, coffee, and vanilla ice cream. I only wanted chocolate toppings and marshmallow topping then whipped cream with a cherry on top. I was pleased as punch with my choices which amounted to a very delicious sundae. It was HUGE! This is definitely something you could share with a friend or devour all on your own like me!
If you are look for some swimming pool sized sundaes, this is your spot! Trust me.

I’ve avoided this place because it doesn’t look like much from the outside. Today we came in and it’s quite hip and charming inside. They have pancakes, waffles, French toast and an ice cream counter, but the real bonus is Blind Dog brewed coffee (as an option) and really good bacon. I made a custom, off menu order and they accommodated me with a smile. We’ll definitely be back.

Well… this sucks.
I was really excited about going to Red Hut Café on a whim when my husband and I were in the area. Based on the expereince I was thinking about giving it three stars but I can’t do it because it wasn’t really «A-​OK» — it was more of «Meh» and I hold true to the words the stars mean so two stars it is. Here is my expereince in a nutshell and how I came up with only 2 sad stars.
The place is adorable and has quite a bit of charm. History shows that it is an older diner with roots to Lake Tahoe and includes a «soda pop and ice cream shop». Old sports items (including an authentic scoreboard) grace the walls. They have soda pop shot swivel bar stools at the bar area and the rest of the diner is dotted with old red vinyl chairs and booths giving a nod to the 1950’s. I couldnt believe a place this cute was hidden in this shopping center and I was immediatley excited to move forward with the experience and try the food.
We were seated very quickly by a perky hostess who couldnt have been more than 20 years old. She also took our drink orders and brought them back fairly quickly. About 5 minutes later another waitress of about 25 came and asked if we were ready — we told her we needed more time. About 5 minutes after that another waitress (this one older 40’s maybe?) came up and asked if we were ready. I ordered the BLT and my husband got a turkey something with a «dinner salad» and the fries. What I did not love right away was that this particular waitress appeared to be coming down from last night’s high — she was twitchy and a tad off in space which worried us. I thought it was pretty apparent that all the waitress staff helps each other — it seems that they do not «assign» one table to just one person. If this is the case I like the idea because we didn’t have to deal with lag time waiting for one particular staff member.
Food was kinda a bummer. My bacon was not extra crispy per my request. My sourdough was not well toasted and cold. The fries were normal fries. My husbands «dinner» salad was served in a small soup bowl for $ 4.49. I was really upset that we got food that I could have made at home without using a toaster.
After meeting the questionable waitress and eating cold food I took another look around. This is when I noticed that the floors were not very clean — bits of napkin and straw papers were strewn about here and there and the floors really should have been swept. Then I noticed that the younger waitress staff was hanging out behind the bar counter just chatting away and eating — they should have been cleaning the floors and not eating when they are serving other people.
It was not an awful experience — as people were plesant enough — but it was not even close to «A-​ok». I won’t go back and won’t recommend. What a shame — it’s adorable and had potental. Maybe the Tahoe locations are better — I’ll probably never find out.

Well super cute décor, I can see its appeal…
However, we (party of 2) waited about 10 minutes AFTER being seated (very close to the diner counter and the servers station) before anyone came by to get our drink order. Then apparently that wasn’t really our sever. There were 4 – 5 girls all walking around serving someone, I don’t know who because there were quite a few empty tables around us.
We waited 15 MORE minutes.
We watched servers just walking by not making eye contact to get their attention.
And we still did not get even acknowledged that we were there.
We finally left after a total of 30 minutes after being seated without our server coming by.
To add insult to injury, their menu is a little lack luster for a diner specializing in breakfast and lunch. I have an attached picture of the ONE page of breakfast items. Their is also one page of lunch items that I didn’t get a picture of, but honestly I think you get the point.

Red Hut is the place I go to for breakfast with my in-​laws when no one really feels like looking for a new place or thinking too far outside the box. It’s just that – a nice diner with good food and good service. It’s also pretty sweet that it happens to be a block from my house; I can walk there and back to help work off breakfast.
You’re not going to RH because they’re going to push the envelope with regards to breakfast food. This place isn’t going to have that hip new food ingredient (I“m looking at you, kale). But, they have the standards and they do them right.
My go-​to is the rosti. Delicious hash browns, quoting Kiwi (from Robert S.) «they were mouth watering from the moment they touched my tongue.» They’re covered in cheese, sour cream, ham (or bacon), and onions. Add a poached egg. Not the healthiest of breakfast options, but it sure is deee-​licious.
My mother-​in-​law, who obviously eats healthier than I do, enjoys their oatmeal. I’ve also had the chili omelette, which is pretty tasty. I mean, really, it’s breakfast food.
The service is always really decent, though they can get a bit busy and this then slows things downs a bit. They’re always friendly, though, which helps keep people coming back again and again.

The greasy spoon lives!
Expanding from it’s original South Lake Tahoe location, Red Hut Café has a location in Reno with all the breakfast carbs and cholesterol that you can ever possibly want. There is a large selection of omelets, hash brown dishes, and waffles all at a reasonable working class price range to satisfy any number of large people (or people that just need a lot of energy to burn throughout the day).
Dig the retro ski /​mountain community vibe and the super friendly staff.
There is also an ice cream bar as well, but I haven’t tried that.
Better than a Denny’s any day!

I brought my daughter with me for lunch because we were working in the neighborhood. This place is really cute inside and decorated with pictures of Lake Tahoe and Reno. They have a ski lift as part of the décor also.
My daughter ordered a hamburger which came with a big helping of fries. She asked for no onions but they still put it on there. I mentioned we should tell someone and she didn’t want to, she just picked them off and enjoyed her burger.
I ordered the avacado tomato grilled cheese and a side salad instead of fries. The salad was loaded with tomatoes and cheese. The sandwich was just buttery enough and the fruit on the sandwich was perfectly ripe.
The meal cost less than $ 20 for both meals but we always just order water because I cannot bring myself to pay $ 2 – 3 dollars for a beverage that rarely sees any refills.

This was my first time here and I was pleasantly surprised. From the outside it doesn’t seem that big, but once inside it looked huge.
My husband ordered the banana waffle. It came with fresh sliced bananas and whipped cream. The waffle was a bit thin, but otherwise delicious. I had the avocado and cheese omelet. The avocado was fresh and the cheese was ooy gooy. But the eggs were a little overdone for me. I’m picky about eggs…
It is a bit pricy, but the service and coffee made up for it. Next time I’ll try the desserts.

I have been to the Tahoe Red Hut for breakfast and was amazed with how busy it was for breakfast because it wasn’t anything special.
Now, we have one in Reno, and breakfast is very standard, if your looking for something adventurous, this isn’t it. However, if you order your eggs over medium, they will be over medium, and that is impressive. Unfortunately, when I expressed my delight and ask the waitress to please share my compliments with the cook, I got an eye roll and «Yeah, she knows.» Hummmm, maybe, next time, «oh thank you, we are glad you enjoyed them and I’ll let the cook know,» would be a better response because, I have been left with the feeling that you guys are so awesome that you don’t need my business or my foolish excitement over a perfectly cooked over medium egg.
Silly me!

My first trip to the Red Hut and it was for lunch. I feel as if I should have ordered breakfast!
This is a cool little place. The décor is great — Tahoe throwback feel and very warm and friendly throughout. The staff was super nice, albeit young and a bit scattered, and did a great job. The parking is ample, although its a touch jacked up and always has been in this shopping center.
The meal was good. My compadre had the turkey chile melt (I think) and she wolfed that thing down like it was her first meal in a month. I had the Double Diamond burger and, while I didn’t lose any fingers while eating, it was delish. The burger looked like a 7 but definitely tasted like a 10. My compliments! She had a side salad, simple and clean. I had fries, a little over cooked for my liking, but they were all gone at the end of the meal (should say something). The portions were plenty and the cost was just over 20 bucks. I’ll be back, but next time for breakfast.

The first part of this review is written by Kiwi…
My dad and I were debating whether to go here or to the Truckee River Bar and Grill. Honestly, this place was definitely the right decision. I got ‘The Usual’: 2 Eggs, Hashbrowns, & a Biscuit with Gravy. Personally, the eggs were scrambled a little hard for my taste, but it was still amazing. The hashbrowns were mouth watering from the moment they touched my tongue, seeming fresh and homemade. My dad got the french toast combo, which was amazing. The french toast was very eggy, nice and fluffy. As for drinks, I got the hot chocolate. It was a little watered down, but delicious nonetheless. The experience was pure awesome. Of course, the place was a little loud, but that was expected. The walls were covered in some interesting black and white photos. Overall, I’d give this five stars.
The following was written by me, Robert S.
And she pretty much said it all. Except she wanted me to «Say something about the good service dad.» So I will say I really liked the service. It wasn’t over the top bubble and laughs, but it was good solid service that should bring customers back over and over again.
Also I noticed that they have an ability to upgrade to Blind Dog coffee. Nice touch! Totally worth it too. Great coffee. I also tried to have some soft scrambled eggs here for the first time ordering. It worked! They came out much softer and more to my liking! I’m gonna try this at more places.

I haven’t been to the original, but this place is definitely a bit of a throw back. The décor’s slightly kitschy and ski-​lodge inspired (think old school skis, chair from an old lift, etc) and has some items unique to Reno as well. They’ve got some bleacher seats and an old scoreboard — I’m going to guess these are from the old Moana Stadium that would have been just down the street. The feel of the place is where I’d expect there to be a bunch of old timers sitting at the counter sipping on their coffee (and if it was 20 years ago, smoking their cigarettes), some senior citizens scattered around, and probably some young families as well. Reality seems to align pretty closely, though doesn’t seem like it’s the neighborhood spot with the old guys at the counter. Probably a bit of nostalgia that we don’t see much anymore…
The space is large — there’s an old school soda-​fountain/​ice cream parlor taking up a good space on the west side, lots of tables and booths in the middle, and a counter with maybe 10 seats or so and a window into the kitchen on the east side.
Food is diner-​esque, or maybe we tend to stick to the diner style breakfast items. Decent biscuits and gravy, decent eggs, and hash browns that are in butter. They’ve got a «specials» whiteboard on the east wall. Once of us usually gets the «usual» — eggs, hashbrowns, and a biscuit and gravy.
I’m not sure what makes this place a 4 star over a 3 star, and what keeps us coming back here. There’s a certain je né sais pas — maybe it’s that it’s close enough to bike to (less than 4 miles, though no bike rack), maybe it’s the comfort and familiarity of diner style breakfast (definitely no farm-​to-​table mentality here), maybe we’re really senior citizens trapped in bodies half our mental age. .. who knows.
We keep saying we’re going to try out the soda fountain, but we never seem to remember it’s there when we’re looking for something sweet.
There’s something that makes Red Hut fit into our breakfast rotation. Not sure what exactly, but we go semi-​regularly. I debated between 3 or 4 stars for this place. On food alone, I’d go with 3 stars, as I think they lack any wow in their food, but on the other hand, every time we’ve had breakfast here, the food has been solid, the service good, and the prices seem fair. The fact that we’ve gone several times bumps them up to four stars — something keeps drawing us in, even if I’m not sure what it is. ..