Char-Pit

We have been taking g our kids here for 20 years. Now empty nesters we had to stop by and see if it was just fast and easy, or really that good. It’s really that good! The burger has that grilled flavor and the fries? Oh wow. Hot and super crispy. I felt like I was in Paris.

Loved the whole experience. Although we got it to go, the place is cool. The wait was short. The food was delicious. I mean look at that burger and heaping serving of onion rings. Yummy. I also ate their Mozzarella sticks and they were oh so good. Especially with their ranch.

Stumbled upon this restaurant after a trip to Tahoe City and very happy I did. It has a small but spacious dining room (as well as outdoor seating on picnic benches). The cashier and chef’s were very nice. The food didn’t come out super fast, but I did not mind it; It was very busy and lucky I’d gotten there before a huge rush of people. Sat at a very cool and unique table that is a decommissioned Pac-Mac machine by the window with a slight view of the beach. I highly recommend this restaurant for anyone thinking about it.

Mexi burger - fire and great portions too, a lil hole in the wall but worth stopping by, can't wait to come back.

It was nice to have an unpretentious place to get a burger in North Tahoe. And the outdoor seating is a nice option. I've eaten here twice and the food was good for what it is. The challenge is that I would like to eat hot fries with my hot burger, and both times the fries did not arrive until 15 minutes after the burger. They weren't busy, they just didn't seem to care. I wanted to pay in cash but they presented a screen that looked like credit card only, so I put the cash back in my pocket and used a card. To my surprise, there was a surcharge for using a credit card.

Went there during, Christmas week 2024! It was slightly busy, but the workers were in their element perfecting and creating decent burgers. Something I would like to see: Alternative buns such as pretzel buns, brioche, lettuce wraps, sweet buns Etc

some what busy, but more chaotic than anything, staff is disorganized and orders are made one at a time, so expect 30-40 minute wait for any orders.Food is overcooked and orders are often incorrectly called out. much better options in area, so only eat here as a last resort. Will not recommend this place if you have children.

Incredible burgers at a great price. After cross-country skiing all day, these burgers really hit the spot. We tried 5 burgers, and all of them were fantastic. You really can't go wrong ordering. With kind and patient service, this is a 5 star restaurant.

We continue to stop here when in King's Beach. It's an old school atmosphere which we like. Staff is cheerful $ friendly. Hot dogs are generous and my husband commented the best burger he's enjoyed in some time. For their selections prices are very reasonable.

I used take my kids here in the summertime when we go to Kings Beach. It's been a few years since eating here. I was driving home through Kings Beach and decided to stop. What I ordered: Double cheeseburger Large fry The place has changed a bit since the last time we were here . The char-pit is no longer there. You used to be able to see the pit and the hamburgers as they were getting charbroiled. The burger was a good burger. But it was not the char broiled burger from the past. The price however was exorbitant. $20 for a double burger and fries. That would've been fine if it had the char grill, smoky flavored that I was looking for. Also, the fries were different. They were hard and dehydrated. Not sure if overcooked or just sitting in the heat lamp far too long. I probably only ate five of the fries. It was Friday night at 6 PM. The place Was dead the whole time I was there, only one other person came in. Price and quality might have something to do with that...

A small, unique hole in the wall spot for pretty much anything fried, burgers, and soft serve. The burgers were really good. Whenever we drive by, it's always packed. They have a nice patio with a handful of picnic tables. Inside seating is minimal. Pretty reasonable prices as well! Giving it 4 stars because on the double cheese burger one of the patties was well done, compared to the other having lots of pink. Still edible though! The fries could have been better too.

Dissatisfied! ... have always passed this place and finally stopped in. Looking forward to what I thought was going to be a great experience. Total disappointment! No prices on paper menus, and wall menus are sketch. Overpriced menu for low quality food. Pictures in reviews are deceiving. Will not return. -And where is the "char" in the burger?! Do better with the high prices.

Was visiting the weekend of April 19th. While down the street playing at the park and beach we worked up an appetite. When we are away from home and in a new place we like to try places that have been around awhile and look it. I think it means they've stood the test of time and are worth a visit. So onward to Char-pit we go. Parking is small. there are tables outside and some inside. The inside of the place is pretty cramped but totally gave a vintage feel. Person who took my order was nice. Wasn't rushing me as I decided what I wanted. We were hungry so we needed these meals to do what they needed to. My husband, daughters boyfriend and granddaughter had burgers and fries. I on the other hand wanted some fish and chips. I also ordered some onion rings for the table. Burgers were grilled to well. Vegetables were vibrant in color and looked fresh. French fries were nice and fresh out the fryer. My fish and chips were "eh". I mean I didn't expect a fresh catch either. Onion rings were well battered and fried crispy. We didn't have room for a shake or soft serve but we'll make a mental note of it for next time!

Sad, This place used to be AMAZING. Order 2 Hula burgers and the wheat buns were stale and turned into mush with the rest of the burger. The other burger ordered was a regular double cheese burger and it also had some bad bread that was used. Onion rings were great! Fries weren't. I think if I try the food again as a local In Tahoe? Maybe I will try the Gyro again... no promise I'll be back with the strange buns they are using. The meat was just ok as well. Sorry Char Pit used to love you and your quality has gone down?? as a Tahoe native hope things get better!!

Usually this place is jam packed in the summer especially on a holiday weekend. I stopped in right when they opened so I avoided the worst of the crowds. Get here early! Burger fries and drinks were all we got, just a normal burger lunch before headed for our long drive back home. The prices are Tahoe prices so no surprise here. The burgers tasted good and juicy and the fries were just fries. Service was fine as they weren't in a big jammed rush mode that early. Good stop before ending the weekend, I'll come here again, but early!

Decent grill... would be even better if the food didn't take 45 minutes. Couple of hard working grill chefs, but even after 1pm, these folks are still in the weeds and people are waiting and frustrated. Also makes the table situation harder so you're less likely to find a spot. Overall, the place smells great, looks period and is an overall fun vibe. Food is decent - ribs over sauced but tender, burgers decent. Huge variety on the menu.

closes at 8:30 on 4th of July week... lame AF... Use to be a legend spot, now run by lazy close early kids....

We had caught a local concert a stones throw away at a venue. We were looking for a quick bite during a 3rd act, and wound up here. They have an Old school vibe like Burger Pit back in the days in San Jose. It had a Char boil pit and the Burgers looked amazing coming off the line. It did take a while for the Burgers to be cooked, but it was cooked to order and the fries were super crispy. There were a few people ahead of us and it took at least 15-20 mins for our Burgers, but it was definitely worth the wait. My son wanted a shake, but the cashier said they were out of milk. I had seen a few shakes made after our order, but it was the Burgers they stole the show. I had the Double Cheeseburger and my son ordered a single. It was pretty awesome and the Char grill made the difference and also the perfect of fresh produce and no mayo. I had tried the Onions rings and they were super crispy, too. Some seating inside and a few patio tables outside made it perfect for a picnic-like vibe. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the Kings Beach area.

They overcharged us and got our order wrong and argued when we tried to get the difference... and it's not cheap...nor is it fast... and nothing was incredibly tasty. We came for the char and got the pits. However, I would try it again because charbroiled burgers and fat fries. The menu is big and the outside picnic area is a nice place to eat.

They don't have many of the menu items. We got three baskets of fries that were way under cooked and super greasy. Can't get through to them on the phone.

Lackluster at best. The food was okay. Service was non-existent and blah. Not rude but you could tell they really didn't want to be there. The place could be charming if it was cleaned and the workers looked like they had even a little bit of pride in their jobs. The couple before us ordered and when the man went to get a fountain drink he said out loud " this soda tastes like crap" so I didn't get anything to drink but did notice they did not serve any alcohol, which may be a turn-off to some people. There was one high chair for the entire restaurant and it had 0 straps so was extremely unsafe for my 1 year old. Just a blah experience. I feel like this place must have been amazing at one point but is the definition of run down now.

Excellent burgers!Exceeded expecations...Good variety of menu items for a burger stand!

Tried the Mexican burger because of the reviews and was very disappointed. It was a well done Frisbee...! However everything else was delicious... crispy onion rings, fresh salads & Cole slaw, BLTs and grilled chicken sandwich.

I don't know man I grew up here and there has not been a single time I have ever visited this place and not had issues. Last time they gave our fries to someone else so we had to wait for the next group of orders while our burgers got cold. The time before that I got a someone else's order and they had given mine away. This time they messed up a burger and then said they would remake it but gave our whole order to another person while we were waiting? Then never actually started remaking it until 40 minutes later when we went back and asked for a refund. Honestly this place is always a wreck. Good for tourists who want the chaotic small burger vibe, but truly I would go ANYWHERE else. I've always wished they would replace this company with some other fun cuisine. Kings Beach is in desperate need for anything besides burgers, and I vote Char Pit gets out.

This used to be one of my all-time favorites. But yesterday, I ordered 7 cheeseburgers and 4 orders of fries. I drove 10 minutes to pick them up. I came home with only 4 orders of fries and had to drive back to get the hamburgers . They were cold by the time I got them home. $120 for cold burgers! WTF!

Me, my wife and daughter.Love going to the char-pit when we're visiting King's Beach. They have a good variety, and the food has always been delicious. We have never had a bad experience with the employees. Always very friendly.

I absolutely love this burger. A friend of mine took me there a few years back for the first time. And it's just become tradition to stop at char pit and get a burger before I go back to Reno when I go up to lake Tahoe for anything. Last week I took a break from camping at falling leaf, just to drive around the lake to Kings Beach for this burger. And I have since got my little brother hooked on it. The service is fast and helpful. It feels like a really good tight-knit place where the employees all get along. There are places for you to sit inside if you like, but I love sitting in there outside areas. There's very limited parking. But there's always spaces on the street. Other than that, hands down one of my favorite burger spots.

Our call in order was not accurate; had to drive back to reorder. The burgers were the tastier option there.

I was hoping for a bit more from Char-pit, but it was just okay. When I went, they were out of a lot of items on the menu such as fries, ice cream, onion rings, bacon, and ribs. These are staple items for any hamburger joint and to not have them was indeed a bummer. Though they have a good selection of various hamburgers, they weren't anything special. They were pretty small and basic.

This is not our first time here and I'm hoping it'll be the last. After numerous visits and each one being underwhelming I can say the negative reviews hold true. In our case we got 3 hamburgers and in 2 of them we discovered multiple hairs in each burger. While the prices are enticing it comes at a price of poor food. In addition to the hairs the food was entirely over salty. We've tried to give this place the benefit of the doubt but after numerous visits we remain disappointed. The business is for sale so I hope it will eventually have a bright future.

Absolute rip off. High school kids running the place who have no idea what they are doing nor saying. They tell you to look at the huge menu board inside. The prices are written tiny on small tape. Then when you get the bill, it's 3x more than the board says. We then asked why the bill is so much higher and were told by an employee that the board menu is way outdated and we were supposed to look at the paper menu hidden in a bucket. Moral of the story: don't waste your money nor time.

This place has been in operations for decades. We have been twice and the burgers do not disappoint. The burgers were filled with fresh ingredients. There was something for our vegetarian family too. Strangely the last time we went they were out of French fries but we didn't have any room on our stomach's because we were all very satisfied with the burgers alone. Side note we did see a bear run from the lake, cross the street and into the woods while eating out on the picnic tables out front. That was exciting.

This hole in the wall serves up the tastiest burgers and French fries. I ordered my bacon cheese burger with thousand island sauce. The ratio of meat to bun is perfect. With just the right amount of lettuce, pickles and onions. I personally like thin fries and these have just the right amount of crispness. I highly recommend the Char-Pit!!

Delish burgers. Char grilled. located in Kings Beach, Lake Tahoe. Perfect meal aster a day at the beach.

If I could've give them a zero I would, we came gave them a chance. My daughter got a raw hamburger she's 3 years old. About 10 minutes after she kept complaining about stomach pain and got diarrhea all the rest of the day and night. My nephew got a hamburger as well and got the same stomach pains. The shrimp was burnt and my mom got a fish sandwich and was ice cold, we told them and told them they didn't have time to remake it. Horrible place wouldn't recommend to anyone.

I think I'm sticking to the burgers. I orded the LA Hot Sausage (2 stars). It was not hot, a very faint spiciness, nothing near hot. The French roll was nothing special, standard grocery store "French" roll. The roll was grilled, so it was a little toasty, by still average. They added mayo, lettuce and tomato, no issue seemed fresh. I tried to add mustard from the table mustard container but nothing would come out. The bottle was full but the nozzle was blocked with dry mustard, not good. 2 stars Onion rings are still good, and I assume the burgers so I'll still come back when on town Until next time..

I ordered the fried chicken sandwich expecting it to be crispy and fully cooked. Unfortunately, it was undercooked and pink inside, which is a serious health concern. It was an older mexican guy cooking and then some high school kid came in and the guy left. I asked the kid if he could remake it and he remade it. The chicken was perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. It was cooked to perfection, with no signs of undercooking. The only reason i put 3 stars was because the highschooler saved my food. If not it would've been a 1 star review. I really recommend coming here if you see a highschooler cooking. He got many compliments after the other cook left. The kid really knows how to cook unlike the other cook.

Ok growing up in town , I loved eating here with my friends , we would walk here for a quick bite , the Swiss and bacon burger with avocado is delicious and their French fries are super crispy , when their icecream machine works their shakes are the best , my favorite is the banana Oreo , the service is good but sometimes they take a while because it's always busy which is reasonable , the ambiance gives burger shack , it's a mom and pop must , they allow dogs to sit in the patio , it's a self serve restaurant so you order in the front and then they call you to pick up your food and you seat and clean up after yourself.

The restroom was really clean, i can appreciate a clean restroom. the burger was basic but i did just get a classic single burger, not much to it. My husband got the Mexican burger, usually it comes with ham but instead it came with nopal, nopal isn't usually on a Mexican burger. even so, simple burger and fries. they were out of a lot of thing when we went, onion rings and ice cream being my two disappointments.

Awesome wonderful restaurant with equal awesome wonderful employees.I ordered a cheeseburger with fries and very very tasty.Very filling.I highly recommend this place

French Burger...here's what we got. $9.60 plus tax and $1 tip. So Sad... beware, times have changed for Kings Beach Charpit

I think we came to this place on the wrong day (i.e., on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend), so we waited much longer (45 minutes) than we anticipated. I assume this is not characteristic, though, I so do not hold this against the establishment. We ate outside on picnic tables, which was appropriate to a barbecue venue, not exactly cushy (e.g., our table was one of many that lacked shade). In terms of food, but my I ordered a teriyaki chicken sandwich, she got a burger and an Oreo milkshake, and a friend with whom we were eating lunch got the ribs. The sandwich and burger were both fine, unremarkable. The Oreo shake was pretty awesome, with cookie bits exceptionally well blended into the shake (so cookie chunks did not get stuck in the straw). The show-stopper was the ribs. As soon as they arrived on the table, I realized that this is what I should not have ordered. The serving size (even for a half-rack) was massive, it was slathered in sauce, and the meat was so tender that it was almost falling off the bone. Lesson learned: go on an off-hour and order ribs with an Oreo shake.

After an amazing morning of golf at old Brockway we were directed to the char pit for lunch. We were all hungry and excited and looking forward to good food. We were disappointed in the fish and chips, clam basket and Swiss burger. Even the french fries were lacking.we wanted to like it but unfortunately we were all left unsatisfied.

Terrible service, food taste like plastic. Cheap enough but terrible quality may not even feed such garbage to my dog if I had one.. Don't come here.

Yesterday I learned that it is actually possible for mozzarella sticks to be tough. I didn't think it was possible before. It was like biting into uncooked string cheese. The burger was ok, nothing special and didn't have that charbroiled taste. Would not return.

I live in Reno and had tried to support this place for years even though it is just mediocre. After the way we were treated by the employees and manager last visit I will never return with my kids or bring any friends ......as I did in the past. I thought the service was bad from time to time time but I am generally easy to please and prefer to just brush it off. Brought a friend here and we both have kids and so there were a lot of us. My friend has an intolerance to cheese. They accidentally put cheese on her burger - no big deal. When she told them they asked if they could just scrape it off and she said she was allergic and could they just get her a new one? They said sure and when she came back to get it they had lied and the burger still had clumps of cheese on it that they had tried to cover up with ketchup. She went back in and she told them she wanted a new patty and they told her to calm down among other rude things and coached her on how she should be more clear when she orders (she had been very clear and the person at the computer put it in correctly). They accidentally put a sweet BBQ sauce all over my food ( I asked them to hold the sauce) so I still had not received my food which I wasn't upset about nor had I complained about but when the manager noticed his error he became flustered and took it out on us telling us to calm down in a weird way with a weird voice when we were not mad. I was shocked at how they were behaving and told him how surprised I was and how I had always loved this place. He kept saying "go ahead call the manager, I dare you, call him right now" making me think he was the manager. It was bizarre. My friend is a really patient lady who ironically works in a SPED department with people that have behavioral issues (me too we worked together) and we have seen a lot of behaviors but this almost tops the list. WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?!? It was so inappropriate I cannot justify coming back here ever again. I went from going out of my way to try and support this place to leaving them a one star review. My kids started crying and we just left.

If you looking for a quick filling bite to eat, this is the place. Super impressed with the quick service we got and the young gal behind the grill running the show. She was a coach and a player. My burger was perfect and the salad was massive. This spot is great for kids, they get their food, drink and a frosty cone. They will leave happy. This is a gem in Tahoe. Good amount of seats but get there before 6pm or else seat may get limited.

Best burger in Kings Beach! Got the Yankee cheeseburger and as usual...I was more than satisfied. They toast the buns!!!!! Perfection. I love to see a small business owner killin it! Can't wait to go back in July!

This place has gone downhill. It used to be good. I was there today. The burgers were not good. The onion rings and fries tasted like fish. And the worst part. The guy putting the burgers together would touch the buns with his bare hands. He would wipe the sweat off his forehead and then touch the burgers. It was disgusting. He was so dirty. I'm surprised no one noticed. I'll never waste my money here again. There are far too many good places to go.

Service was fast and the food was delicious. Nice outdoor seating for large groups, burgers and sandwiches were on point, must check out if you're in the area.

"Just to let you know, food takes an hour to make." These are the exact words I've been greeted with the last two times I've tried to dine at this dive. The inside has almost no seating, is disorganized and in need of some major cleaning. The cooking area, where an order of fries takes 60 minutes to prepare, is similarly dirty and disorganized. The outside area is fine with several picnic tables and some astro-turf. The staff are unfriendly and only interested in one thing: communicating just how long it takes them to make food. Nothing is more important to a Char Pit employee than making sure you know they don't want you to eat there. It's a hassle for them and it'd be a hassle for you. So, do yourself a favor and give the Char Pit what it wants...for you to eat somewhere else. Thanks for the memories.

I have to be honest, burgers look great. I am not a beef eater, so I ordered fish and chips. My husband ordered shrimp and chips. Not sure why because he does eat beef. I thought ok well I will try it. We ordered at 2:07. We finally received our food at 2:46 with an extra order of onion rings because our food took so long. Fish and shrimp were obviously frozen and did not taste good. Basically I had onion rings for dinner. I would have requested my money back and head on down the road but my husband is in a wheelchair and after loading and unloading 6 times today, I was done. So my suggestion if you eat beef order the burgers, if you don't, pick another restaurant. ​

Ribs are great! We ordered family pack, which comes with chicken tenders, fries, and onion rings. Full slab was a decent amount, but definitely need to order extra half slab. Meat was juicy and tender. Root beer float was ok. Chocolate sake was great. Need a little customer service inside and outside. Napkins, spoons, and forks you need to request. There's a line when we got there. Tables are available outside, but need to clean your own found table. Not enough parking for everyone. Overall, it's a good experience.

I love this Kings Beach iconic beach eatery. Whenever I am passing through Kings Beach I stop for a burger and onion rings. Some days there are long waits, just ask and if you can't wait then visit next time. I had a very short wait on Saturday night. I ordered my favorite swiss burger and full boat onion rings. Less than 15 minute wait and my name was called. Seating outdoors is social distanced. Food was awesome. I took the onion ring leftovers home as a full boat is a lot of rings! The menu is full of options of burgers and other fried goodies. I visit no matter what the season. Its a messy place but that's the charm for me. Small parking lot so if you can park on the street, do it.

Just a big helping of nope! I've tried this place before it it was like 3 stars, but last time I went in it was really bad. We ordered some chicken burgers, which was very hard to do because the you g woman at the register told us we couldn't just have a chicken burger. The menu is really confusing and all over the restaurant. When we did get our food it was over salted (like a lot). The meal was hardly edible. Thank goodness for the amazing atmosphere adjacent to this place! But the memory of a bad experience lingers with me forever.

A local who often comes here and was very disappointed today! Ordered a customized burger and upon receiving order it was completely wrong. All that was requested was cheeseburger plain with bacon. Let the staff know and I was told I can't get the order as I thought. It is either completely plain or everything. They were being rude about it and I let them know I was not advised. Was more disappointing knowing orders are made as ordered expect with this one time J one workers unfortunately. They were all making comments and laughing in the back so I had to get up and say. I let it go so you leave it behind. I hope this reaches the owner and usually never have this experience with J ones as they are here to work but this young lady was very rude with other staff and I had to speak back. I ended up checking my receipt and it indeed said no lettuce and tomato although she didn't put no onion and mustard.

The most disgusting, rude place I have ever stepped foot in. The cook touched our food so many times I thought I was being punked. When telling us whose whose order was whose he literally put his entire palm on each sandwich (I know the difference between a grilled cheese sandwich, burger, and chicken strips, thanks). The women in the front without any teeth was miserable and one of the rudest people I have encountered. The kicker is that 2 of us shared the same burger and both got violently ill later. It's all we had that day and only happened to these two. Oh and we saw the cook touch his face repeatedly and wipe his nose with his hand. Then proceeded to touch another customer's food. Calling health department.