Evan's American Gourmet Café

Evan's came with a great recommendation, and it didn't disappoint. Everyone was welcoming and attentive. My wife and I split the heirloom and watermelon salad, which was very nice. My entree was a homemade saffron fettuccine with seared scallops in a white vodka sauce. It was a great choice and perfectly prepared. The dining room is small, so you'll definitely need a reservation ahead of time. I'm visiting from out of town, so I won't be back anytime soon; but for the locals, you have a gem. Hope they appreciate it.

What a great place! The food was divine. Intimate setting with the most delightful staff. Loved it here. They had so many options to choose from and everything was made from scratch! Only 11 tables so make reservations! Even their desserts were all homemade on site.

This hidden gem will not disappoint ! Had the pizza appetizer with an explosion of flavors and the Halibut special was mind blowing! The banana bread pudding and blackberry crème brûlée was like no other I have ever had. Not to mention the service with a huge smile and great knowledge of their specialties was right on point. We will definitely return,

Everything here was great! The food was fantastic and the staff were very friendly. It is a small restaurant so not many people can fit which makes it have a cozy atmosphere. It is good to make a reservation a few weeks in advance especially if you are planning to go on the weekend or near a holiday as they tend to fill up. All of the staff are long time locals and are very knowledgeable about the area. Would recommend to anyone who hasn’t been there!

This is a real house turn into a restaurant. 3 lady's are the hosts, they are the waitress and they all run the front of the house. Great hospitality. The food was incredibly delicious!! The savory cheese cake made with fish and lobster was really nice and yummy. Our scallops were great the sauce and pasta were delicious the fillet mignon also. Big selection of wines. The atmosphere is very nice, I love the small restaurant quite and peaceful. We were here to celebrate my husband birthday and we all have an amazing time. The lady's will make sure there is not crumbs on your table.. very fancy, I love the attention. If you are in Tahoe you must stop by this restaurant!

In my 25+ years of providing service to customers, this experience ranks in my top five worst for condescension and lack of respect — and it was from the host alone. We did not have a reservation, but the way it was handled was unnecessarily dismissive and unwelcoming. A simple, courteous explanation would have gone a long way. Instead, we were met with an attitude that made it clear our presence was an inconvenience. First impressions matter, and this one ensured we won’t be returning.

Tried Rack of Lamb with Raspberry Wine on recommendation and liked it very much. Also tries very other dishes which were also delicious. Service was quick and attention to detail. Atmosphere was casual and relaxed, and we enjoyed our meal.

We reserved a table at Evans for our Elopement night dinner. It is a beautiful quaint restaurant where people go to celebrate. The ambiance was great not too loud, tables were distant enough for privacy but close enough you could have a conversation with other guests (which we did multiple times throughout our meal) The wine was fairly priced and the service was spot on. If you want great food look no further. This was definitely the best part about this perfect restaurant. Perfectly cooked, the right temperature and a great blend of flavors. We will go back to Tahoe just to eat at Evans.

Came here last night for my birthday dinner! We didn't tell them it was my birthday so nothing special was done, but another lady did and she got a small dessert! It looked amazing from what I saw! Onto our meal, I had chicken and my husband had the NY steak special! We also got the dessert sampler (missing crème brûlée in photo because we ate it) and brought our own wine in! Was absolutely amazing and so flavorful! The three women working were a great team and very collaborative. We had friendly and amazing service we felt well taken care of by all of them! We come to Tahoe often and stay nearby often and never been here or knew it existed! We definitely will be coming back each virit

Very welcome and nice staff. Small and intimate place in a quiet part of Tahoe. The food is basically like good home cooked meal. Stuff I would have made a couple years ago before using cook books. It's a solid meal, but in the pricey side. Not really gourmet, just like a good home cook type of food.

We went to Evan's for a Saturday night dinner reservation and it was absolutely amazing! We're usually hesitant to order the daily specials at any restaurant, but the specials looked interesting and server assured us that everything they served would be amazing so we decided to take their word for it...and everything was indeed absolutely delish. They also have a great selection of wines. Evan's was probably the best dining experiences we had in the area. The service was top notch and the food great. Can't wait to go back next time we're in Tahoe!

Not sure why this place hasn't received a Michelin Star, or at least a Bib Gourmand. It's easily as good as any 1-star restaurant, maybe 2-star. Probably the ambience. Not snooty enough.

The previous reviews said it all. The chef is excellent, creative and very tasteful. Every bite was well balanced and cooked perfectly. We had a shrimp appetizer with the best "coleslaw" I've ever tried. It was beautifully plated and delicious. The Halibut came with a mix of vegetables a very unique blend. The Venison and duck were also wonderful. The desserts are described well elsewhere. All very good. The ambience and service were great too.

We just recently went to South Lake Tahoe after being absent for 5 years. Evan's did not disappoint. The food, service and ambiance were excellent. We started with the shrimp appetizer, it was outstanding. For entrees, we had the filet mignon and the pasta with scallops, which were excellent. We finished with the delicious banana's foster. In my opinion Evan's is the best restaurant at the Lake! Enjoy!

We were so fortunate to drop by and were able to get an early table. Beautiful restaurant,absolutely wonderful food and service. A very special place to eat! The presentation of the food was outstanding and beautiful. If I could give it six stars, I would.

We loved this place!!! Such a cute little place so it felt very intimate. Service was great and food was even better!!! My boyfriend got the New York steak special and he said it was the best steak he's ever had. Being vegetarian i didn't have a lot of options.. well they did but i am super picky so i just got a salad but the salad was soooo good and refreshing! They had a lot of dessert options and they all sounded yummy so we got the dessert sampler and I'm lad we did because the crème brule was amazing and so were the cheesecakes!

Top of the notch restaurant as far as service & food! Tammy our server is great and the halibut and homemade scallops fettuccine are Excellent!! Will definitely make this place be our annual visit spot!!

This meal was delicious. My husband got the venison and the potatoes with it was so delectable, seasoned perfectly! I got the salmon which was slightly over cooked and just kinda meh. Cute little spot that was warm and cozy while it was snowing. Called ahead to get reservations for our anniversary dinner. We finished the meal with the dessert sampler and omg that was the best dessert I've had from a restaurant in a long time.

To give Evan's less than a five star would be a travesty. It's not very good, it's great. The small dining room is well appointed. Our table for 2 had a duck and chicken pare with crackers. The service was incredible. Attentive and they care! I had the rack of lamb and Yan had the roasted quail. We both had the house salad. Just excellent! Drive here and enjoy. They are closed on Thanksgiving. We will

Worst upscale dining in Tahoe. Wait staff were terribly clueless regarding the wine selection. The food was not good. We didn't finish our meals. Skip this place.

I came here with a group of 8 on a Saturday and had a wonderful dinner. The restaurant is on the smaller side but the food was exquisite. The restaurant is small and intimate, perfect for a gathering of close friends. It's nice to have conversation in a restaurant and be able to hear everyone. All the dished we ordered came out beautifully presented and tasted so good. Definitely my new favorite restaurant in tahoe!

My husband I went for our wedding anniversary. Food was delicious. Staff was awesome. Would definitely recommend this restaurant!

Been awhile since I updated my review but this place keeps on getting better each time we come here. Just love the chicken mousse free appetizer. Had a beautiful venison chop dinner which I'm going to have again next month when we come back. Got to meet Evan and he is so likable!

Truly one of the best meals I've ever had. We went to Evan's for our one year anniversary. The service was wonderful. It's a small place (maybe 8 or 9 tables) and two servers worked all the tables perfectly. The food though was amazing. We had the chili cheesecake and fresh pasta with scallops for appetizers and the rack of lamb and confit duck for entrees. All of them were exceptional. We had a great bottle of wine with us and the $30 corkage seemed fair. What an amazing meal!

I visited this establishment when I was passing through SLT in late May. I had made reservations earlier but when I arrived they didn't have me down for a time. I was only one of two parties there at the time and they seated me without any problem. The food was good but not extraordinary. The staff came across as pushy, rude and a-bit off putting. Will make a point not to return.

Somewhere around Lake Tahoe today there is probably somebody having a conversation that sounds like, "What is the best restaurant at the lake?" I must confess right now, I don't know, I've not been to them all, but last night I enjoyed a meal at Evans that makes me sure that it must be included in that conversation. Now, mind you, I've been eating at Lake Tahoe for over 30 years; everywhere from The Lone Eagle Grill, the Sage Room, Friday's Station, Llewellyn's (back in the day at Harvey's), The Summit (even older than Llewellyn's and at Harrah's), Edgewood, and more recently at the Chart House. I understand that everybody has an opinion and there is a time and place for them all, but, simply put, Evans needs to be in the conversation. Again, I ask, what do you want and need in a fine dining restaurant? For me, it's a special combination of environment, service, and food, and Evans achieved all three at our recent visit. I'm really wondering what has taken me so long to find this establishment. First, the food was outstanding. We had the halibut special and the rack of lamb. Both were presented well and proved to be very tasty, and I know this because I ate all of my meal and most of my wife's. I'm not proud, it was irresistible. We also enjoyed the fois gras, a salad (which we shared), the lobster cheesecake (zoinks...), and a cocktail. We had brought our own bottle of wine, and so we only had the one cocktail, a very nice Manhattan. The service; spot on, consistent, and thorough. Every time the course changed, I had every piece of used silverware replaced and always had a complete set. My water glass was never empty, and they were even proud of the quality water they were providing. It's refreshing to have staff proud of the work they do and the memories they help to make. Lastly, the environment was excellent. Do you like white linen tablecloths? Formal place settings? An intimate environment? Cloth napkins? Real glass glassware? There were no shortcuts here, all done well. Are there conversations about the best restaurant at Lake Tahoe? I know I've had many, and now they will always include Evans....

Great food and relaxing atmosphere. The cheesecake appetizer was wonderful and I'd highly recommend it.

OK so I moved here from San Francisco a few years ago, and I finally tried this restaurant which is one of the few fancier options here. My expectations were not very high going in, but it blew me away. If you watched the Last of Us, remember Nick Offerman's character in season 1 episode 3 and how his house was decorated and the type of food he was cooking? That's the kind of vibe this place reminded me of. Very old-timey but thoughtful and because I'm not from that era, all the dishes were very unique to me. (Not pictured) My boyfriend got venison chops and not only were they delicious, they came with surprisingly a lot of veggies that were also super tasty. For appetizer, they had foie gras on their specials of the day. It came seared with a grilled pineapple on the bottom and a curry ice cream on top. Sounds weird but the combination was great! Also the dessert was *chef's kiss* Already looking forward to coming back!

Worst service I've received in my life! Completely ruined my wedding dinner with terrible waitstaff, slow kitchen, and forgetful owner. I cannot believe our waitress speaks to people the way I was spoken to. It got to a point where my 19-people wedding party almost all walked about before we were even told the evening's specials. Attached is a detailed rundown of the night which I emailed the owner - who I had been communicating with up until the day of. The only saving grace was the food quality. Turns out we were mistaken for another party and somehow that could not be figured out by the waitress - instead she insisted I was lying and insultingly stupid.

We're from Southern California and were looking for a restaurant that is not part of a resort. We are so happy that we found Evan's online! It was a charming and elegant experience. Everything we ate was delicious. My husband had the butter lettuce salad and I had the seasonal grilled watermelon and tomato starter. For entrees I had the pork chop which was moist and accompanied by a sweet sauce, and my husband had the charred lamb NY steak that was cooked to perfection. We split the fruit crumble with vanilla ice cream...scrumptious without being overly sweet. Our only suggestion would be to diversify the wine list. Other than that, the ambiance, food, and service were outstanding!

One of the best American food I've ever had. We recommend anyone to try this lovely place .

We love dining at Evan's. All of the staff was friendly and most important the food was great. We really enjoyed the daily pizza and appetizer specials. Everything tasted great.

We had a huge family dinner (18), including 7 children (1-15 years old). The food was delicious! The servers we had were amazing! They were very attentive and went out of their way to make sure we felt welcome. The only disappointment was that they didn't have cucumber for the Hendricks martini!

Love this restaurant! It is a 45 minute drive from our home and worth every minute of the travel! The dining room is beautifully decorated and the ambience is quiet and pleasant for an intimate dinner with friends. The service is excellent, friendly and knowledgeable. The menu is not overwhelming with too many options and each selection has mouthwatering accompaniments. My husband and I shared a Caesar salad which was beautifully presented on separate plates. For the main course I had the delicious pork chop and he had the duck. Our friends had duck and a Pacific halibut. The portions were generous but we all made room for one of the creative scrumptious desserts. I highly recommend Evan's for that special occasion dinner.

My friend who moved to south Tahoe took me here saying this is one of the best restaurants in south Tahoe. This season here, it has snowed so much, snow walls are so high, and it was raining hard, we couldn't see the place but we finally found their drive way. The place is small but cute and there was only one other couple finishing up their dinner, the server lady told me because of the severe weather, many reservations got canceled so there was only us in the entire restaurant, it was very intimate. We started with an amazing bottle of wine and today's special foie gras which is one of my favorite food. First I was a bit skeptical because of the preparation with coconut curry ice cream, but the presentation was very pretty and it tasted amazing better than the one at Edgewood, I think it's the best foie gras dish I've ever had!! For entree we had bacon wrapped lobster stuffed wild caught salmon from today's special and Veal dish from the regular menu. Both were very good, I can't say which was better but the mushroom risotto on the veal dish was very tasty especially with added parmesan cheese. We didn't taste their dessert because we were too full but I bet it is fanatic as well. I hope to go back here next time I'm in Tahoe. My friend told me Edgewood and Evan's are the best restaurants, Edgewood location is great and the place is spectacular with great cocktails but the food wise Evan's is better in my opinion...

Ripoff. It has taken me years to get around to trying this restaurant. I wish now that I hadn't. I feel incredibly ripped off. This place is overpriced, average-quality garbage. I just got the feeling that I was paying more for pretentiousness than actual good food. Avoid.

My fiancé and made reservations for Saturday evening because we had heard good things about this restaurant. It was the perfect place to enjoy a wonderful dinner. The staff was top notch. Not pushy but attentive. The food was excellent and arrived just as ordered and delicious. We will be back whenever I am in the Lake Tahoe area.

Unique spot in South Lake Tahoe. Food and service were fantastic. Veal chops are a must to go along with the watermelon salad. Friendly environment, at a venue that feels out of time.

Elegant understated, wonderful flavors and eye appeal. Everyone was attentive but allowed us time to really enjoy our experience. Don't let the understated facility fool you, this is a vey classy scene

We dined at Evan's on a recent trip to South Lake Tahoe and had an exceptional dining experience. The food was very good - their salad's are fresh and tasty, and the entrees we tried got very high marks - I particularly enjoyed my pork chop :-) Tip: Save room for dessert - they've got a cheesecake that will knock your socks off! Oenophile's visiting Evan's will note and be pleased by their surprisingly broad and reasonably priced wine list. It offers some good options for several different varietals (not just chardonnay and merlot) all across the pricing spectrum. The service at Evan's is excellent; you should also note that the venue is fairly small, so it's a good idea to make reservations, especially for weekend evenings.

Great spot for a date night. Great wine selection. Recommend a reservation as the restaurant is very small. Service is friendly and always willing to make recommendations. The lamb is incredible. My husband loved the scallops. Highly recommend

The 4 starts is for the service and ambiance. The food is probably a 3.5. Why, you ask. When I am spending $19.00 for a bowl of soup it better be the best soup I've ever had. Was it good yes, was it great, no. We went for my husbands birthday. It was our last night in South Lake Tahoe. We started with the soup and then my husband had the salmon wrapped in bacon with a lobster filing. He said it was tasty but over cooked. I had the scallop appetizer for my dinner. The scallops were cooked nicely but the pasta was very al dente. I make homemade pasta and mine is much more tender. $26.00 for this appetizer is a bit much. There was no mention of a birthday dessert so my husband got a $17.00 slice of torte. It was good but not great.

There were some cons regarding the fine dining experience in my opinion, but definitely more pros overall. Evan's American Gourmet Cafe scored 5 stars. I had the idea to reserve a table somewhere in Tahoe for Mother's Day. My parents live in South Lake and we get funny about dining out with crowds and everyone else with their mother's on Sunday morning, so I called around for a Saturday night dinner reservation. Every nice restaurant was fully booked through the month of May and I almost gave up. Evan's doesn't open until 5:30, so I emailed them from work early in the afternoon to make a reservation not knowing anyone would receive my message. Thinking they'd be full too, I was surprised to have a voicemail on my work phone a few days later. It was Evan himself confirming my reservation for three people at 5:30 pm on Saturday, May 11, 2019. They take reservations via e-mail! After I had the reservation set in stone, I told my parents I was treating them to dinner at Evan's and they were so excited! The last time they dined at Evan's was ten years ago for their 25th Anniversary. My dad started studying the menu and they were counting down the days. We pulled up right about 5:30 and they were more than ready for us. Steve was our server, host, greeter, photographer, everything. He called me by name when we walked in, assuming I was "Tara: party of three" and he was correct. Steve offered to take our picture once we sat down and asked my parents their names too. I brought a bottle of wine I'd been saving for a special occasion and didn't think $20 was unreasonable for a corkage fee. Other mediocre places in Lake Tahoe have been known to charge upwards of $25-$30 (psssh). Once the wine was opened and our chicken liver paté along with a bread basket was placed on the table, we could look over them menu and decide on our appetizers. My dad has always loved sweetbreads and my mom has always loved scallops, done deal. I had seen the savory cheesecake on Yelp and was intrigued. The scallops were weird. Apparently they puree the scallops and put them into a poached egg and smother them (3) with a heavy creamed lobster sauce. We agreed that the flavor and texture was unappealing. The three of us would prefer biting into a sexy seared scallop. I think my dad's sweetbreads were the best of the appetizers, they were served atop a crispy polenta cake with exotic mushrooms. The savory cheesecake could have had more lobster on top but nonetheless, it was savory. One of my peeves for the evening: the staff was constantly lurking, filling up water glasses even though one sip was missing, taking away and moving plates around, offering to pour wine, etc. No! We can do it. I know it's a nice gesture and some people probably insist on that kind of service but we wanted a little more privacy. There e are only 11 tables in the place and they probably have to be attentive or they're just bored. It just got to the point where it seemed intrusive. We were there for the food, not the interaction with the servers. They can also hear everything, so no secrets and don't dis anything :) Something I thought of after the fact was there wasn't an in-between sorbet or palate cleanser before our entrées were served. It would have been nice considering all of the flavors going on, what with the paté, scalloped egg whites, and sweetbreads. But boy I must say the presentations were out of this world! I was blown away when they brought out my pistachio crusted halibut on top of spinach and a sweet potato hash with bacon. The fish was flaky and white as snow. My dad sucked his lamb chops dry to the bone and my mom scarfed down her layered pile of scalloped potatoes and filet mignon. Yum, yum! To end the night, we made the decision to skip dessert and asked for the bill. To my surprise, for one of the first times treating my parents to dinner, I wasn't shocked at the dollar signs within the booklet. This ensured a slightly better tip (cash). One other thought that may have been a nice way to display the bill would bring it to the table with some truffles or chocolates, nothing fancy. Heck, we buy the truffles in the gold box from Trader Joe's and people go nuts over them. That's a small touch and is needed at such a quaint restaurant, it should be customized to create an everlasting memory. Instead, I remember the hard starlight candies in the basket at the hosts table. The end.

This by far is the best upscale restaurant in town!!! The ambiance is amazing. The food is delicious from the appetizers to the spectacular desserts. The servers are attentive and friendly. Our favorite fine dining restaurant. We love to bring family and friends along so they can have an amazing meal by the incredible chefs. Thank you Evans!!!

Small little cafe in South Tahoe. It's very quaint and cute. We went here for my partner's mother's birthday. The staff were helpful and patient. Food is on the pricey side but it was good. The liver pate that they put out with bread at the beginning is especially tasty. We enjoyed our meal overall and was very full towards the end. We would return for another occasion.

What a wonderful dinner at a fabulous restaurant! Each venue was better where each course was better than the next. Great service in such an amazing environment.

The venison (medium cook) was really good and worth a try. The prime rib (medium cook) was a bit dry and hence the 4 star.

Very good restaurant and the ambiance and food were great. The staff was very attentive and we were treated like valued customers.

This place is incredible. My wife and I went there for Valentines Day dinner and enjoyed a fantastic meal and great bottle of reasonably priced wine. The service is impeccable and the staff is very friendly. If you want to celebrate something special or just enjoy fine dining, Evan's is a fantastic place.

We have been here twice and really enjoyed it both times. Excellent service and great food. We have tried the scallops, lamb, venison, veal, and halibut, and all were delicious.

Abosolutely one of the best dining experiences our group of nine has ever had. The halibut, steaks, venison and pork chops entrees were superb. The appetizers were were plentiful and delicious. Highly recommend the Hoisin shrimp, scallops and tomato bisque first courses! Chef Oscar's creations ate wonderful and attractively presented. Desserts by their pastry chef are first rate! Will be back!!!!!

A hidden gem! Discovered this place while vacationing with friends in Lake Tahoe, they're only open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday. It's a very small fine dining restaurant so make sure you have a reservation. A perfect location for a romantic dinner. For appetizers we ordered the asparagus bisque, the scallop quenelles with lobster sherry cream, house salad, warm spinach salad with duck sausage. Our main course two of us had the daily special wild salmon Mignon, grilled fillet of beef with horseradish and for dessert we had the sampler of crème brûlée, pumpkin cheesecake, and chocolate mousse cake. We also had the banana foster. Every course was delicious cooked to perfection with lots of flavors. Our server was very knowledgeable and provided excellent service ensuring each course came out at a good pace with no overlapping. We will definitely be visiting this restaurant again on our next trip to Lake Tahoe and I highly recommend if you're in the area and want a gourmet dinner check this place out.

Best Tahoe dining experience! Best servers and food. Very classy and elegant! Full bar and wine selection! Never disappointed !

Incredible dining experience- the food and the service and the ambiance are spectacular

Some chefs are artists ! This is one of them . Top on the world from my perspective ! A must eat when you are in Tahoe the best in Tahoe

delicious. great service. fresh food and great quality. Nice diversity with their menu. Wine was reasonably priced. about $150 per person with wine. Perfect for my special Birthday dinner. Thanks so much.

Always excellent service and food .... but if u make the last table of the night don't be surprised if they are out of the pistachio crusted halibut! It's the best in SLT... don't miss their a restaurant right here in tahoe that would succeed in NYC, Napa. Anywhere people appreciate the best