Reno Restaurants

I sure most will agree with me that Reno has never been a city to be considered on the cutting edge of the Espresso culture. Still, I have always found it a bit odd that I have never been able to find a Cappuccino that was anything even more than mediocre - until Aroma Club. Aroma Club has classic Italian (1/3, 1/3, 1/3) caps at very reasonable prices and the best part...they are great tasting. This place is definitely worth the visit for the Caps alone. However, this little shop has a further uniqueness (for this area) and that is the Russian and Russian inspired dishes on the menu. Soups, Vegetarian Borsht, dumplings, etc. If that isn't enough, the owner is a Vegetarian, making this a great place for a cap, breakfast, or lunch.A I know I will definitely be back on my next visit to Reno..

The restaurant is currently closed for expansion which will include a upper deck, balcony and lounge and is slated for re-opening in Fall 2006.

This has always been a favorite of students and fans attending games and for families near Rancho San Rafael Park.

The employees have been there many years and treat customers like family (a good thing).

A wide variety of food and beverages and a soda fountain atmosphere.

Favorite Dish: Jamaican Jerk Chicken sandwich. One of the few places in Reno where you can order this "specialty-spiced" meat.

Great, thick milkshakes.

Huge, fluffy pancakes.

My final meal on the trip was to be one last buffet - many of the buffets in the area have a seafood theme on Friday nights, which is right up my alley. So, I sauntered over here around 7:30, to find out that it was a 90 minute wait. With nothing better to do, I took the buzzer and went to play Video Poker for a while (thankfully, I didn't have to entertain the kids on this trip - others waiting weren't so lucky.) I don't know if this is standard or not, but I was surprised by the long wait. Once I finally got buzzed, I took my seat, then headed around the buffet. Sadly, the Lodge is not a top-tier buffet. The food wasn't bad, but the choices are very limited. From a seafood standpoint, really the only items I saw were peel and eat shrimp and cold crab legs. You can take the crab legs over to someone who will quickly steam them up to warm them up. There was a pizza station and a small salad bar as well - the rest was pretty forgettable. The dessert bar was also lacking - they had a few cookie/brownie items, and a lot of cheesecake and soft serve ice cream.

Now, what I had was quite good, but the selection just wasn't there for me to give a high recommendation. I definitely got enough seafood, but I tend to like more variety than what the Lodge has to offer.

The waitresses were pleasant, although with it being so busy, plates weren't always cleared when I was out for more food. The atmosphere was nice as well.

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The Great Basin Brewery is one of a handful of microbrewerys in town. I went on a Thursday night, and was seated quickly, although the restaurant was mostly packed. The greeter was also my waiter, and he was friendly and attentive, making sure I had what I needed, getting the bill and my credit card back to me quickly. This is a fun atmosphere, so expect a little bit of noise. The menu consists of what you probably expect - sandwiches, burgers, salads, and other pub foods. Of course, they have about 6-8 microbrews to choose from as well. I went with a pint of Nevada Gold, a cup of the Clam Chowder, and an order of the beer battered fish and garlic fries. This came with a small cucumber salad on the side. The fish was good, and the fries were interesting - they only have a subtle garlic taste while eating them, but a stronger aftertaste. Portions were generous - I was unable to finish the fries. I was very pleased with my choice for this meal!

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Just down the street from the Peppermill is another giant casino, the Atlantis. Toucan Charlies Buffet is often cited as one of the best buffets in town. Having just arrived from my flight, I knew I could fill up on a good buffet. This one does not disappoint. The first stop you need to make is over at the slot club, which can get you a few bucks off depending on what level of card you have. From there, it's a feast. The buffet has a number of the standby stations - Italian, Chinese, Mexican, a carvery, and of course, peeled shrimp. Just sampling a little of everything took me two trips through the buffet line, because there was a lot to try. I found some of the vegetable dishes (including brussels sprouts with bacon) to be fantastic. They also have a "gourmet" salad station where they will make a salad to order. Finally, there were a number of great cakes and ice cream to polish things off. The dirty dishes are cleared quickly and the drinks are filled routinely. This is indeed one of the best buffets, not only in Reno, but in my experience period!

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The Cal-Neva Casino is known for its low-priced food. They have five restaurants all with great specials such as the $8.95 prime rib at the Copper Ledge and Top Deck Restaurants.

We were hungry, saw the sign, and decided to give it a shot. We quickly found the restaurant and were seated. The decor, booths, and even the waitresses gave the restaurant the feel of a big diner or truck stop somewhere along the interstate.

Our prime rib with potato arrived quickly and was better than I expected. The meat was a pretty thin and relatively small cut, and the fries were in a large mound on the side. The meat was tender and well-flavored, seemingly the only good thing about this restaurant.

This is a very nice brew pub/restaurant. The atmosphere is great so is the beer and food. They have a rooftop dining area with great views!
They are open 7 days a week from 11 A.M to midnight.

Favorite Dish: How does Pepper crushed Ahi and Rosemary Flat-bread sound? They have good meat dishes, salads and Pizzas.
They have 20 different styles of beer (from ales, Ipa's to lager)

While I like the location and atmosphere of this coffee cafe, the milk based espresso drinks are just a step above mediocre. Weak drinks. Free internet and free wireless connections. The usual fare of sandwiches/treats. Its proximity to the river and the multiplex theater ensures it is always busy.