Driftwood Cafe is a welcoming American restaurant in South Lake Tahoe that brings together the comfort of a classic neighborhood eatery with the quality and energy of a favorite local destination. Known for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, this family-friendly spot has built a strong reputation for serving meals that feel both satisfying and memorable.
Guests come for the locally roasted coffee, stay for the homemade soups, and return for the warm, approachable experience that makes every visit feel easy and enjoyable.
With a 4.30-star rating from 2,374 reviews, Driftwood Cafe has earned the trust of locals and travelers alike as a reliable place to enjoy great food in a relaxed, inviting setting.
The menu offers something for nearly every kind of appetite and occasion, whether you are stopping in for a quick bite, settling in for a full meal, or looking for a comfortable place to dine solo or with family and friends.
From comforting favorites and healthy options to happy-hour drinks, beer, cocktails, and a thoughtful selection of coffee and local specialties, the cafe delivers variety without losing its sense of quality and care.
Fast service and a strong coffee program make it especially appealing for busy mornings and midday breaks, while counter service, table service, dessert, and seating options help create a smooth and flexible dining experience.
The atmosphere is casual, cozy, and trendy, making it just as suitable for a laid-back breakfast as it is for a relaxed dinner or an unhurried brunch.
Driftwood Cafe also makes convenience and accessibility a priority, with wheelchair-accessible parking, entrance, seating, and restroom facilities designed to welcome more guests comfortably. Outdoor seating adds another layer of appeal, especially for those who want to enjoy the South Lake Tahoe setting while they eat.
The restaurant supports multiple ways to order and enjoy a meal, including dine-in, takeaway, kerbside pickup, delivery, and on-site services, and it accepts reservations for added planning ease. With credit cards, debit cards, and NFC mobile payments accepted, paying is quick and straightforward.
Located at 1001 Heavenly Village Way #1a in South Lake Tahoe, Driftwood Cafe offers the kind of dependable, high-quality experience that makes it a standout choice for breakfast, lunch, or dinner in the area.
Popular Items
Frequently ordered and highly recommended items at Driftwood Cafe
Our Story
Welcome to a place where great food meets warm hospitality. We believe dining is more than just a meal - it's an experience to be savored and shared.
Our kitchen is dedicated to creating dishes that bring people together, using recipes that honor tradition while embracing innovation.
Photos
A glimpse of our restaurant experience
Food & Drinks
Two eggs any style, served with choice of potatoes & toast. Add bacon, sausage patty, ham or chicken apple sausage.
Breaded ground sirloin topped with our country gravy. Served with two eggs any style, choice of potatoes & a buttermilk biscuit.
Toasted english muffin with smoked ham or turkey & two poached eggs, topped with hollandaise or cheesy herb sauce. Served with choice of potatoes.
Tortilla chips topped with grilled potatoes, mushrooms, two over-medium eggs, salsa, melted cheddar, sour cream, & green onions.
Old fashioned oats served with cinnamon, raisins, roasted almonds, milk & brown sugar.
Two potato pancakes topped with grilled ham, two over-medium eggs & country gravy. Served with a buttermilk biscuit.
Top sirloin steak (7oz) grilled to order. Served with two eggs any style, choice of potatoes & toast.
Two buttermilk biscuits smothered with country gravy. Served with choice of meat, potatoes & two eggs any style.
Cheddar cheese, green onions, topped with sour cream.
Start with our three-egg omelet & add your favorite items.
Three egg whites & one yolk, fresh garlic, sliced turkey breast, fresh spinach & parmesan cheese. Served with fresh fruit & your choice of toast.
Bacon, turkey, avocado, tomato, fresh spinach, and swiss cheese
Diced ham, bell peppers, onion & cheddar.
Bacon, sausage, smoked ham, avocado & jack cheese.
Add bananas | blueberries | strawberries | chopped bacon | roasted almonds
One stack (1 giant cake) | short stack (2 giant cakes) | full stack (3 giant cakes) • add blueberries | strawberries | bananas | almonds
Short stack, french toast, or waffle with two eggs any style & choice of meat.
Thick sourdough bread dipped in our homemade cinnamon egg batter & topped with powdered sugar.
Two-egg omelet with avocado, tomatoes, zucchini, green onions & parmesan cheese. Topped with alfalfa sprouts.
Bowl of fresh fruit topped with vanilla or strawberry yogurt & granola. Served with choice of toast.
Grilled potatoes, green onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms, topped with cheddar. Add two eggs any style +4
Sautéed veggies, black beans, salsa, & hash browns rolled into a whole wheat flour tortilla. Topped with guacamole & sprouts. Add two eggs or chicken +4
Sautéed veggies, scrambled with black beans, hash browns & salsa. Served with fresh fruit & choice of dry toast. Add two eggs or chicken +4
Toasted English muffin with two poached eggs, spinach & tomato topped with hollandaise or cheesy herb sauce. Served with a choice of potatoes.
Spinach, tomato, zucchini, mushrooms & swiss cheese. Served with a cup of fresh fruit & choice of toast.
Scrambled eggs, your choice of meat or avocado, cheese, with hash browns & homemade salsa wrapped in our jumbo flour tortilla.
Two eggs any style with choice of meat or avocado & cheese. Served on choice of fresh bread.
One egg, applesauce, choice of toast. Add bacon, ham or sausage patty for $3.50
Choice of French fries, or cup of fruit
Served with applesauce or cup of fruit.
Choice of French fries or cup of fruit
1/4 pounder with cheddar. Served plain/dry. Choice of French fries or cup of fruit.
Served with side of applesauce. Add bacon, ham, or sausage patty for $3.50
Served with milk.
Served with M&M smiley face. Add bacon, ham, or sausage patty for $3.50
Bacon, lettuce, tomato served on toasted whole wheat with mayo.
Grilled chicken breast on rye with grilled red onions, spinach & melted Swiss.
Thinly sliced top sirloin steak grilled with onions, bell pepper & cheddar cheese stuffed into a grilled French roll.
Build your own sandwich. Choose meat, or avocado, choice of cheese and fresh bread. Served grilled, toasted or cold.
Grilled chicken breast, avocado, & jack cheese on a grilled French roll with lettuce, tomato & mayo.
Bacon, ham, turkey, lettuce, tomato & mayo stacked to perfection on toasted sourdough bread.
Applewood smoked bacon, avocado, fresh spinach, tomato & jack cheese on grilled sourdough.
Carrots, zucchini, sprouts, avocado, spinach, lettuce, tomato and onion, tossed with garlic vinaigrette. Served on toasted whole wheat bread.
Bacon, guacamole, jalapenos, pepper jack, lettuce, tomato, and red onion.
Bacon, Avocado and Swiss. Served with lettuce, tomato, red onion & choice of thousand island or mayo.
BBQ sauce, beer-battered onions rings, lettuce & cheddar cheese.
Served with lettuce, tomato, red onion & choice of thousand island or mayo. Add Swiss, cheddar, jack, pepper jack, blue cheese, feta, avocado, guacamole, green chilies, sautéed mushrooms, bacon, or our homemade black bean chicken chili.
Plant-based ingredients in this mouthwatering burger with lettuce, tomato, red onion & choice of thousand island or mayo.
Two grilled steak, chicken or fsh tacos served in steamed white corn tortillas with fresh cabbage, carrots, cilantro & lime. Served with our roasted tomatillo sauce on the side.
Large four tortilla stufed with black bean chicken chili & cheddar cheese, topped with green onions & sour cream.
Chicken, bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato & ranch dressing wrapped in our jumbo four tortilla.
Tortilla chips loaded with black bean chicken chili, salsa, green onions, black olives, melted cheese, sour cream & guacamole.
Fresh iceberg & romaine lettuce served with grilled chicken breast, chopped bacon, green onions, avocado, carrots, tomatoes, hard-boiled egg & blue cheese.
Fresh mixed greens, tomato, cheddar cheese & croutons. Add grilled chicken +4
Blackened chicken breast, served on fresh romaine with black beans, red onions, diced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, & carrots. Topped with jack & cheddar cheese with ranch dressing.
Fresh mixed greens, blueberries, strawberries, roasted almonds, & feta cheese. Tossed with balsamic vinaigrette. Add grilled chicken +4
House cut top sirloin served on mixed greens with blue cheese crumbles, red onion, tomatoes, sliced avocado & balsamic vinaigrette.
Grilled yellowfin served on fresh romaine tossed with tomato, avocado, Swiss cheese, green onions, almonds & fresh lemon.
Our house made recipe, served with sour cream, cheddar cheese, and green onions. Add Texas Toast or sourdough bread bowl.
Our delicious, house made recipe. Add Texas Toast or sourdough bread bowl.
Our delicious chai latte with a shot of espresso for that extra kick.
A smooth, creamy blend of espresso, cream, a sweet touch of vanilla, topped with whipped cream.
Hear from our valued guests
Brunch/breakfast was really good! Portions are big and the drinks are delicious! Service is very good as well. Friendly and fast.
One of the best breakfast - brunch place in Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe. Loved the food, the ambience and the service.
We discovered this gem while searching for the top-rated restaurants in South Lake Tahoe. situated in the prime area of Heavenly Village and is always bustling with crowds, so we had to wait nearly 45 minutes for a table. However, it was well worth it - this is one of the best cafes we've ever dined at. Our server was fantastic, patiently addressing our requests and questions while providing detailed explanations. He even offered my son complimentary whipped cream as he was into the whipping cream in our Irish Coffee. We started with the Driftwood Chiller, Irish Cream Coffee, and a Screwdriver, and the Irish Cream Coffee was definitely the standout. I highly recommend it, although everything we tried was delicious. The Eggs Benedict was excellent and generously portioned, and the mashed potato pancakes were perfectly made, I couldn't stop eating them. Ugly fries are must have, loaded and heavy. We finished with the Grilled Chicken Melt, which was a bit bland compared to the other dishes, wish we had it earlier than others. Overall, we had a wonderful lunch. If you're in South Lake Tahoe, be sure to check it out!
Me and my husband visited from New York and we were referred here by a friend. Oh boy was we in for a delightful treat the food was amazing and the service was beyond our expectations. We loved it so much that we ate there 3 times in a row lol we couldn’t get enough of it. We would like to thank the owner and their wonderful staff for giving us an experience we will never forget. It made our visit so much sweeter. Definitely 10 stars rating for us. Thank you again.
Driftwood Cafe is a great spot for a healthy breakfast. We stopped there before heading to the mountains and loved it. The food was fresh, delicious, and the perfect start to the day. Highly recommend!
Came to Tahoe with my fraternity and ended up falling in love with this place. By place I mean driftwood, not Tahoe. Although I’ve made a ton of money at Ballys casino this food and service has a special place in my heart and is much better than any financial victory I could have. Me and my homie canyon (sick name) finished every last drop of food on our plates. How could you not!! Delicious food, great beer (I’m 21), and even better friends to share it with. I think this place is a true testament to friendship and enjoying the people around you while you can. That is the driftwood experience. Get out there, eat good food, order a beer, and love thy neighbor. #ferda #cleanplategang
Very cute little local cafe. Wait was about 30 minutes during “off season” but the food , coffee, OJ, and staff were worth it. Our server, Kyle, was very friendly & gave us lots of recommendations for activities and restaurants in the area. Was a great first place to eat on our trip!
This restaurant serves typical American cuisine. The food was great and not over seasoned with salt even the chilli. The portion was very generous and delicious and you definitely won't be disappointed for the price that you pay for the food in this restaurant located in the middle of a tourist town. The restaurant itself is not very big so do expect to wait during busy time. However, the food and the service are well worth the wait. There are only two restrooms for both all genders so you might even see a line there as well. All in all, an awesome restaurant!
After speaking with Samantha, I was sold on the salmon and avocado eggs Benedict. I was not disappointed. The smoked salmon was perfect balance of smokey tenderness with the slightly tangy hollandaise sauce. Of course I opted for the fruit over potatoes. Great food and outstanding service provided by Samantha. I'll be back!
I’d actually give a 4.5 star review only because I couldn’t get on the waitlist via phone or laptop tho I was able to call and they took care of it. My breakfast was 2 eggs, bacon and hashbrowns with sourdough bread and it was fantastic. Another huge plus is that they had flavors to add to your coffee. He mentioned Vanilla, Hazelnut and Caramel. He had me a Hazelnut. Service was a 10 as servers stopped by multiple times to refill coffee, Water and just check on you. Definitely will go back while we are here.
Common questions about Driftwood Cafe
Driftwood Cafe is located at 1001 Heavenly Village Way #1a, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150, United States, South Lake Tahoe, CA, United States.
You can reach Driftwood Cafe by calling +1 530-544-6545.
Driftwood Cafe has a rating of 4.3 out of 5 based on 2374 customer reviews.
Driftwood Cafe features the following accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible car park, Wheelchair-accessible entrance, Wheelchair-accessible seating, Wheelchair-accessible toilet.
Driftwood Cafe features the following service options: Outdoor seating, Kerbside pickup, Delivery, On-site services, Takeaway, Dine-in.
Driftwood Cafe features the following highlights: Fast service, Great coffee, Serves local specialty.
Driftwood Cafe features the following popular for: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Solo dining.
Driftwood Cafe features the following offerings: Alcohol, Beer, Cocktails, Coffee, Comfort food, Happy-hour drinks, Healthy options, Quick bite, Vegan options, Vegetarian options, Wine.
Driftwood Cafe features the following dining options: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Counter service, Dessert, Seating, Table service.
Driftwood Cafe features the following amenities: Bar on site, Gender-neutral toilets, Restroom.
Driftwood Cafe features the following atmosphere: Casual, Cozy, Trendy.
Driftwood Cafe features the following crowd: Family friendly, Groups, LGBTQ+ friendly, Tourists.
Driftwood Cafe features the following planning: Accepts reservations, Usually a wait.
Driftwood Cafe features the following payments: Credit cards, Debit cards, NFC mobile payments.
Driftwood Cafe features the following children: Good for kids, Has changing table(s), High chairs, Kids' menu.
Driftwood Cafe features the following parking: Free parking lot, Free street parking, On-site parking, Paid parking garage, Paid parking lot, Paid street parking.
Driftwood Cafe features the following pets: Dogs allowed, Dogs allowed outside.
Business Features
We look forward to welcoming you. Make a reservation or stop by - walk-ins welcome!
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