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Eating in the valley

PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 3:56 pm
by engineco16
I was curious why the restaurants are not open later. It seems that a lot of people may not get off the trails, or finishing enjoying sunset until around 9pm. Then getting to a restaurant by the time they close is nearly impossible. So then you can't keep food in your car, well what the heck to you do to survive! LOL

PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 4:30 pm
by Nacci
You can keep food in your car during the day or in one of the many bear lockers at trailheads.

I think it's odd that the casual eateries like the Tuolumne Meadows Grill are only open 8am - 5pm. Wouldn't 10 am - 7 pm serve more people?

PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 5:27 pm
by engineco16
Yeah I would think the Mountain Room and Degnan's Grill would stay open until 11pm or so.

During my trip next week I'll usually be within distance of my car, but the tiimes I won't I'll be parked in Curry Village or at Yosemite Lodge. Then at night I'll either be at my hotel just outside the valley or with my car once again doing night shots. I'm not hiking anywhere after dark, well except the road back from Mirror Lake or a jaunt to the base of Yosemite Falls.

But I degress! LOL I just hate having to plan to make sure I get some food in me cutting down on my photography hours. But I guess I do feel safe having some food in a cooler, in a lockbox in my Jeep. A bear may destroy my eep, but will never get anything out of that box! LOL

PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 2:22 pm
by engineco16
What's the hours of the Cliff Room? I can't find the hours or what they serve food wise.

PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 3:52 pm
by dan
engineco16 wrote:What's the hours of the Cliff Room? I can't find the hours or what they serve food wise.

The Cliff Room is a meeting room and serves no food (unless you're arranging a group meeting, conference, wedding reception, or likewise).

I think you mean the Mountain Room Bar next door? It's open later than any restaurant in the Valley. For current hours for anything in Yosemite, follow this link for Yosemite Guide, which has hours and other park information:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/guide.htm

PostPosted: Sat Apr 23, 2011 5:33 pm
by engineco16
So what is this room exactly?

Image

PostPosted: Sun Apr 24, 2011 2:56 pm
by dan
engineco16 wrote:So what is this room exactly?

The Mountain Room Bar at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, Yosemite Valley. The Cliff Room is next door, immediately to the south.

Nice photo. If you look at the fireplace, the art deco tyle iron bas reliefs of various skier turns was originally part of the fireplace of the old Yosemite Lodge. The lodge was razed in the 1950s and replace with the current (rather boring) lodge. Fortunately, they saved the iron work around the fireplace and used it in the circular fireplace in the Mountain Room Bar.

PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 8:44 am
by engineco16
So I just got back from my trip. I had a good time, took lots and lots of photos. I ate two breakfasts at the food court at the Lodge, good meals, a tad pricey.

I had four dinners to eat. Day one I ate at the Mountain Room, it was an average meal at best, and expensive at $60 for one by the time I left. I had the Prix Fixe Flat Iron Steak dinner. I give the meal a 3.5. Day two I ate at the Cedar Lodge Restaurant at my hotel. I had the Ahi Tuna Steak, a bit overdone, but the meal oveall and the sauce were very good, I gave it a 4. The next night I ate at the bar at Cedar Lodge and had battered Halibut Filets and Fries and a coke. Very good and I walked out the door for under $20! I gave it a 4.5.

The last night it was back to the Cedar Lodge for Prime Rib. Here's my review from Yelp,it's not good! LOL

So back to the restaurant, I had a different waitress on this night, bummer! So I ordered the 140z prime rib with mashed potatoes, veggies, salad bar and a bottle of wine. I'm gonna say right off the bat, my waitress pissed me off tonight. So I go to the salad bar, disappointing tonight, the salad was turning brown, that's a turn off for me, but I ate some anyways. I was basically though with my salad before my waitress arrived with my wine. She had not been on the floor during that time doing anything. So I get the wine. A few minutes later another waitress, the one I had the first night, brings my prime rib to me. OK it looks OK, except I realize, there's no way this is 14oz! See the photo. So I dig into the edge of it, tasty, but it's not even warm. It's like it's at room temperature and the plate is cold. 5 minutes into it the waitress appears and asks if it's alright and I say yes. Why had I done that? So I wanted to correct myself with her but never saw her again until my meal was done and she brought the check. The whole time I was there she was in the waitresses cubby hole talking with someone, overall they seemed unprofessional and not paying attention to her customers. So as my meal goes on my food is cold, the meat is getting tougher and less tasty and I'm fuming more and more. The potatoes and veggies were good though! So basically I had a bad/small prime rib, poor service, old salad. All this reflected on her tip believe me!

Would I eat there again? Yes, but chose what I get carefully and make sure everything was done right or complain. Also get the young blonde, cute waitress, she's friendly plus nice to look at. And not the older inattentive brunette. I would have given a 4 for my overall experience, but the last night dropped it to a 2.

I'll post some photos later, including my bear shot.

PostPosted: Sat Apr 30, 2011 11:14 pm
by Marmot
the restaurants in yosemite are expensive, it's better just to bring your own food. i usually pick up a few groceries in oakhurst or mariposa on the way into yosemite.