The Rustic Lounge

Not much of a reviewer but this place must be talked about. Excellent service without being over bearing. Phenomenal food with the warm beat salad being top notch. The filet and duck are to die for. Will definitely be back for another eat euphoria inspiring meal.

Took my husband here for his birthday. We were both exhausted from a day of snowboarding. It’s a cozy restaurant with a seemingly laid back atmosphere but with a 5-​star menu. Kudos to our waiter who was able to rattle off the menu, listing all the ingredients to the specials of the day-«micro-green’s,» «humboldt fog,» «truffles $ 20 for 1.7grams.»
Bread with the butter was one of the best I’ve had. I am not a butter person but definitely recommend this one.
Warm beet salad was delicious.
So was the truffle and Mac — indulgent but memorable. Once again, not a fan of overly creamy foods but you only live once.
The day boat scallops were plump and juicy. A little too salty though.
Recommend the pan seared salmon. The «micro-green’s» were definitely not micro in flavor.
Finally, barely had room for dessert so we decided to pass. But, surprise! They brought us a little dessert amuse — lychee sorbet with graham crust.
Good night!

Went here last night for the new years prixe fixe, 5 courses for $ 140. Overall a very «meh» experience, especially at that price.
Only the first course, a beef carpaccio, actually lived up to the restaurant’s reputation. It was a fine quality meat. The second, cream of mushroom sauce, was fine but I’ve had better and filled perhaps an ¹⁄₈ of the large bowl it was served in. Then we were already into entrees. My date had clams, I had the duck on recommendation from our waiter. Both were firmly in the «just ok» category. The waiter mentioned the duck had been slow cooking for 20 hours, and it showed. The meat was dry and overcooked and the glaze whiffed of cheap Chinese take-​out. The fourth course was a small scoop of sorbet… is a palate cleanser a course? It doesn’t matter because they forgot to bring it out anyway. Finally, we had the banana flambé as one of deserts and requested the other, a carrot cake, to go. Our waiter said it would be no problem, but somehow we never got it.
Given the lackluster cuisine and service, I was disappointed. The Rustic Lounge’s reputation has the best reputation in North Lake Tahoe, but they were off their game last night. I’d give it one more chance, but not for a special occasion.

Best to get a reservation. The dining room is small, and just two world-​class chefs prepare everything. The salmon ($ 30) was remarkable. I ordered it medium-​well. This rendered and almost-​crispy outside layer of marinade and whatever wonderful herbs the chef used. Inside was tender and juicy. It was perfection.
The service is excellent. Even the bartender jumped into action to take our coats and settle us comfortably. The waiter seemed to know exactly when to ask if we needed anything. It was service fit for a king or queen.
You will spend at least $ 40 per person with drinks. Make that $ 50+ if you add the tomato bisque or a salad. Definitely worth it for a special night.

This small cozy restaurant is very special! Dinner with the family the day after Christmas — duck, scallops, french fries with poached egg — wow. Best gnocchi on the planet. If you are not a huge pepper fan don’t order those. They were good but good have been a little more done and didn’t need so many. Service outstanding — so friendly and welcoming! Oh. The bread is ridiculously good and the honey butter is mind blowing. All good size portions. If you are considering this place make sure to get a reservation!!!

Fantastic find on the north shore!
We LOVED the bread — it was tough not to order more, but we didn’t want to fill up. The beet salad was a nice starter, as were the scallops. We split a truffle mac and filet for the entrée, and they were fabulous! Perfect preparation, and great pairing. S’more was very tasty and a nice finish. The service was on point, and everyone was friendly. I definitely recommend reservations, as the place is small. You can try to arrive early, but don’t be surprised if you still need to wait (even if there are empty tables).
We’ll be back!

All we can say is ‘wow’! This is a very special place. Each time here is an absolute dining experience. Appetizers that are wonderful — truffle mac & cheese, scallops, heirloom tomato salad — just delightful! When in season, order the roasted tomato soup — sure to be on the menu in heaven!
We’ve enjoyed their shrimp & grits, polenta, filet mignon & a true favorite, duck breast with cherries, glazed carrots & celery root purée. Each dessert is incredible. Cheese platters, Fall sundaes, beignets & coffee & amazing bread pudding.
Service is stellar, chef is on point & Martha is adorable!

This place is only getting two stars because it took an hour to get take out. I really wish they would have been honest about how long it was going to take (they told me 25 to 30 minutes), as I was starving and would have gone elsewhere.
They are also getting 2 stars because I had the shrimp appetizer which was horrible. 3 small shrimp on skewers for $ 14 with what seemed to be poppy seeds all over it. No flavor at all and the texture of the seeds did not go with the shrimp. They were also pretty dry not moist as one would expect.
On the otherhand, if I was only reviewing the pea and mushroom gnocchi, this place would have received 5 stars. The gnocchi were so light and the veggies and light cream sauce paired perfectly. I could have eaten a double portion and been extremely satisfied.
For $ 44 take out, I was really disappointed and will not be back if I’m in the area. It would have gone a long way if they had thrown in some bread or a dessert on the house for the crazy wait.

Wow. What a great surprise. I headed here with a friend on the night before my birthday, where I was just looking for a decent meal. It turned out to be one of the most amazing dining experiences I’ve ever had.
The restaurant is located off the lobby of the Cedar Glen Lodge. The host welcomed us with a great friendly attitude. We were seated in the intimate dining room with only about ten tables. I highly recommend reservations. The menu was fantastic with both my friend and I wanting everything on the menu. We ended up over ordering, but hey we don’t get to Tahoe very often, and when I do I’ll be sure to stop by the Rustic Lounge.

Very good food and fantastic service. Beer and wine only which would have been fine if I wasn’t expecting a dirty martini.

The Rustic Lounge is pure bliss for my taste buds. The exact balance for the pure bliss my body experiences in Tahoe.
Now for starters, the Rustic Lounge is just that. Rustic. This quaint restaurant is located within the Cedar Glen Lodge and can seat somewhere around 25 people max, so do plan in advance and make a reservation.
For starters we ordered the tuna tartare and the truffle mac and cheese. BOTH were delicious. The tuna was fresh, but to be quite frank, my consumption of it was quite limited as my girlfriend claimed that appetizer. That just meant more truffle mac for me. AND boy was it good. The mac and cheese overall was delicious, rich and creamy. The bursts of truffle noticeable and fantastic.
Entrees. She got the gnocchi with mushrooms and other local veg. It was quite good. I got the scallops, four large scallops served with pea emulsion, bacon pieces, and wax beans. Every blended well together. The plating was nicely thought out and getting all of the pieces in one bite, while tricky, was magical!
Dessert. Boy we weren’t sure which direction to head here. We decided to get the s’mores. Best decision. The deconstructed s’more is a fun and playful idea on a classic and I highly recommend it.
Overall the Rustic Lounge is a great place for a quite personal meal. The food is fantastic, as well as the ambience and wait staff.

We stayed at Cedar Glen Lodge again this year and made reservations to eat here twice. Still stand my my opinion this is the best place to eat when we are in North Lake Tahoe.
We had to have the truffle Mac and cheese again — still amazing! I ordered the scallops again (forgot that I thought it was s little salty last time) and it was still a little salty for my taste this time. Second visit, I tried the duck and thought it was wonderful! Great flavors and also light. We had also tried Soule Domain two nights before (had great reviews on Unilocal and similar price range) and I also ordered the duck there. Hands down, the duck was much better at Rustic Lounge. They seared the duck very nicely at Soule Domain, but the sauce tasted too sweet snd just okay compared to Rustic Lounge.
My husband had the filet mignon. I can’t remember what the seasoning and sauce was, but it tasted great! We also ordered the potato and leek soup that my son devoured. My absolute favorite dish is their skinless heirloom tomato salad with fresh burrata. I had to order it on both of my visits this time.
Service is great. They are attentive and asked about any food allergies when we sat down. This restaurant is one of the things we look forward to when we visit Tahoe.

For such a high-​end restaurant, I had pretty high expectations. But… let’s just say the best part of this place was our friendly waiter and the ambiance. You’ll like this place if you care about the ambiance.
Food:
We started off with the delicious baked bread, with honey and walnut oil. It was so good we asked for more bread. Oh, more bread? $ 5. #FAIL.
Next, we had these «French Fries topped with a poached egg». These were tasty and creative! Fries were perfect.
For entrees, we had:
Scallops: The scallops were really good. Nicely seasoned. There were 4 large scallops.
Salmon: Salmon was pretty average. That is all.
Ahi-​Tuna: The Ahi was well crusted and the sauce went well with the tuna. The husband was still hungry afterwards.
Duck: The duck itself was perfectly seasoned. Delicious. The sides were a bit blah. And it was a bit cold. I bet it was sitting out for a little bit as it was waiting for the duck to finish.
Overall, this place was not our style — we expected better food to match the ambiance/​price.

Wife and I came here on a Sunday evening. We had a small bar table right by the window in the front room with a interesting spiral candle. Service was informative, but not especially friendly.
Wife had the salmon, I had the gnocchi. Both were incredibly great tasting. The gnocchi was rich, and had a great range of flavors.
We ordered a bottle of a 2009 wine, but received a 2010 bottle. My wife, the family sommelier explained that 2009 was a much better wine year in Napa than 2010. I explained this to the waiter, and he dismissed it as a problem with the menu. A bit disappointing, but it was still a great wine.
The main room was a bit loud, as it is fairly small and the tables are pretty close together to pack as many people in as they can. This is why I chose to sit in the first room as you walk in. Better view, much quieter, and you’re night fighting for elbow room.
All things considered, we’ll be back for sure.

Yes, a really great dining experience in north Lake Tahoe.
Definitely make a reservation early and try to get one of the tables at the window in the lounge — not the dining room. A lot less noise, fewer older people talking about the wine they brought to have corked, etc.
I had the wild caught salmon for an entrée. Husband had the gnocci. Both were rich and fantastic.
Waitstaff was on it throughout the experience. Only hiccup was that the wine we ordered was a year off from how the menu read. That’s going back to the comment about the veteran diners, but not a deal breaker.
Save up some dough for experiencing a Tahoe-​style fine dining establishment next time you’re at north shore. Definitely worth it!

We had dinner last night not knowing much about the Resturant. This place is a gem !
The setting a cozy and welcoming with the mountain resort feel. You feel like you are a guest at Martha’s (the owners) house. The service was friendly and professional. The food is one the best we had in Tahoe area. The husband and wife chef are Le Cordon Bleu trained and it show in their food peroration, presentation. We will be back!

Amazing service and the beer menu although small, has the best to choose from. Rick was our server and was very attentive and let us take our time with the menu. Would recommend this place if your in town and want a great bite to eat with additional chef specials not on the menu.

We did Valentines 2015 here with the pre-​fixe menu $ 150/​person
Everything was absolutely excellent!
–Chorizo croquette
–Tomato soup
–Salad (my only gripe was that the salad had blue cheese mixed).
–Filet mignon cooked medium — absolutely perfectly
–Sorbet
–Chocolates
Also enjoyed a bottle of their sparkling wine (complete with ice bath) and a half bottle of one of their reds (they were out of Justin Cab so we opted for the Pinot)

The world is a giant place. My recent trip to Europe opened my eyes to so many new and exciting flavors: cheese fondues, sauerkrauts and sausage, fancy cheeses and gelato, foie gras and escargot. But it’s funny how sometimes the most mind-​blowing experiences are NOT half a world away. They can be sitting quite literally in one’s backyard.
Tahoe rivals some of Europe’s most picturesque landscapes. After traversing through Tuscany and scouring the hills of Switzerland, hiking through the Black Forest and sipping Aperol Spritz’s on the Italian Riviera, I can say with certainty that Tahoe is truly one of the world’s most breathtaking places. And the way Tahoe is one of nature’s hidden gems, so too is The Rustic Lounge one of fine dining.
The Rustic Lounge is just adorable. There’s no other way of describing it. A giant stone fireplace dominates the tiny dining space, which only adds to the cozy rustic charm of the restaurant. Soft leather tufted benches and reclaimed wood chairs make for perfectly appropriate seating. Dim lighting and the faint scent of evergreens will pull long-​distant memories of family cabin retreats. And finally, a warm, knowledgable and inviting staff tops off the initial welcome.
If you’ve read any of my previous reviews, you know I’m Celiac. Our server accommodated my mother and I (also Celiac) with ease. Instead of fresh bread, he brought us roasted and seasoned chickpeas which were, much to my amazement, delicious.
Appetizers were prawns and grits for my mother and I. And truffled Mac n’ Cheese for the boys. The prawns were perfectly cooked, but it was the grits that made an impression. Creamy and tasty, with a sweet and earthy corn flavor. I must admit that this was my first experience with grits and I imagine I might be spoiled forever. The boys raved about the truffled Mac n Cheese, saying they’d order it as an entrée if they could.
Main courses for the table were the Duck, Scallops, and Petit Filet. Our waiter was a fervent advocate of the duck and raved about the flavor, enough so that my mother rescinded her scallops for the dish. Now, having just returned from France and the best duck confit experience of my life, I was dismissive of this duck. Something I now regret. Because this dish was ab-​so-​lutely fabulous. I won’t even try to describe it here. All I can say is… if you do ever come to this restaurant, at least one person in the party needs to order the duck.
The scallops, my choice, were divine. Absolutely divine. Perfectly seared and seasoned and placed atop a pillow of pureed cauliflower, bacon, and roasted brussles sprouts. My word, it was heaven.
The petit filets were… perfect. I… I can’t even go beyond that description. I’d never had a melt-​in-​your-​mouth filet before. I thought it was an overdone expression used to entice but never actually meant to be truthful. But, my goodness, this experience does exist. It’s served with roasted Romanesco which, if you don’t know what that is, I encourage you to google it.
I’ll end by saying this: want to impress a date? Want a romantic night out? Want to have your tastebuds blown off your tongue? Want to experience a meal that gives you a taste of the kind of up-​and-​coming culinary prowess that’s sure to make waves someday?
Make a reservation. :)

What a fantastic meal and attentive service.
The appetizers, 3cheeses plate, beets salad were perfect. The gnocchi was a great surprise, done the right way (Italian rather than west coast style). The duck and the chicken were perfect.
This is a 5 star dinning experience.