Sorensen's Cafe

On one hand this is very beautiful, well maintained, quant restaurant with decent food. On the other hand the quality of food has dropped considerably in the last few years. When this was part of Wylder the place felt like it was getting worn down but the food was exceptional. Now the place looks spruced up but the food is more classic. This is especially noticeable in the signature burgundy stew (before and after pictures attached). It is now just a basic classic stew. It’s good but no where near the old quality. The kitchen was very fast and the dishes are still good. It’s just not matching expectations set by past chefs/owners. Otherwise prices are a bit too high but that might be worth it for the ambiance. Servers seemed stressed out but they hit all the right boxes. I’ll still be coming back if I’m staying at the hotel but it’s no longer a place to drive out of my way for.

Went to Hope valley to see the color change and decided to go to Sorensons Cafe for lunch. After waiting 45 minutes and still no food we decided to let our server know we were leaving . They could have been more professional and acknowledged the slow service , but didn’t happen. Will not return , food, menu choices, price and SLOW SERVICE are not worth it.. 45 year Tahoe Local

Such a disappointment. Having been to Sorensen's many times over the years and having enjoyed the food and ambiance immensely, our visit the other day was underwhelming at best. Specifically, the beef stew ($32!) had like 4 little chunks of beef and when I asked for additional bread I was told 'we don't do that' and some nonsense about 'the chef'. What!! It's stew, it gets bread. The waitress did relent and brought a few cold white bread rolls. But not without charging $10 extra. Huh? I'm more than willing to pay, and travel and dine frequently, but there was such a mismatch between price and quality that I literally felt ripped off. Shame on the new owners for having degraded this venerable spot. Can't recommend and won't go back. In defense, the chicken pot pie was passable. I wish I had looked at reviewer Paul Morgan (review below) before going - I might have skipped the stop and mediocre food. He is spot on in his assessment and the beef stew photos tell the story of the decline of a dish once revered.

We have been here for appetizers and lunch now, both experiences were great! In the tent, afternoon is appetizers and live music on weekends. Today was raining, so we opted for inside. The Cauliflower Soup was sensational! The Tuna Melt is a large Ahi steak with cheese and homemade potato salad. Beautiful surroundings and excellent service, you can't go wrong! Back again but this time for dinner. The service was exceptional!! Andrea is professional, charming and friendly, the epitome of service! The outside dining was wonderful! A great view, excellent food, and the ambiance! The manager has a small bouquet of flowers and lemon grass scented candles on the outdoor wood tables. This may seem like trivial items but they make all the difference. Truly another wonderful dining experience!! Another visit for appetizers and Bre took care of us this time and she made our cocktails. The 'Tanglewood ' drink she made is probably the best cocktail I have ever had, plus her outstanding service!! The view, the service, and the food were outstanding as usual!!

I have been coming to Sorensen’s for years. As a vegetarian in recent years since they were bought by Wylder I’ve found so many delicious options- quite a substantial menu. However- they seemed to have changed management and their menu has barely anything on it, particularly no vegetarian main dishes (except a veggie burger upon request). Therefore all I could have was a pretzel, a small spinach salad, and a side of sautéed squash as I do not like burgers. For my family of three (including my daughter who has a small bowl of plain pasta and husband who ate a bowl of beef stew) our bill was over $100 and I was left feeling unsatisfied and slightly hungry. Moreover, the waitress was extremely rude. Even though I love the idea of this cafe, sadly I won’t be going back unless they seriously update their menu and have friendlier waitstaff.

We took a leisurely Sunday drive up SR-88 and stumbled upon Sorensen's Cafe at Desolation Hotel in Hope Valley. The decision to stop was a highlight of our day. My girlfriend and I opted for the 88 Burger with a salad. We practically had the place to ourselves, which made the meal even more enjoyable. The burger was delicious—perfectly cooked and flavorful—and the salad was remarkably fresh, enhanced by their homemade dressing. The serene and beautiful scenery added to the charm of our lunch. We left very satisfied and were glad we made the stop. I highly recommend Sorensen's Cafe for anyone traveling along SR-88 or exploring Hope Valley!

On a beautiful summer night my friends took me to Sorensen's for dinner. We just missed the live music but caught sunset and enjoyed a wonderful evening on the patio. The food was so good and we tried some of the recommended specials for appetizers and sipped on some of their speciality cocktails and my favorite tequila with soda water and an orange slice. I ordered the steak and my friend ordered the chicken. Both were prepared wonderfully and full of flavor. After dinner we had their berry cobbler which was very good. It was served hot with vanilla ice cream. It is worth the short drive from South Lake Tahoe to enjoy a wonderful meal here.

Stopped off looking for a great eatery not far from Southlake Tahoe, hiking areas, and found this adorable place ❤️❤️❤️! This is a restaurant inside the Sorenson resort that houses 27 cabins and unplugging atmosphere in the woods with Try surrounding it and this farm to table restaurant in the middle.

We had breakfast here this morning and it was such a hidden gem!! We are staying in Kirkwood and there's not much in the way of restaurants over here. This was a quick drive from the cabin and the staff were so friendly and helpful. Refilling our coffee before we could even ask and making sure we were taken care of. The food... everyone ordered something different and we were all vastly impressed! Their home fries are quite possible the best in all of Lake Tahoe!

What a nice place to eat as the quaking aspen leaves all turn a myriad of Fall colors...! After sightseeing in Hope Valley and up to Kirkwood, we decided to stop in remembering how good their food is. Tonight we split a humus and naan appetizer and each had a delicious 88 burger with side salad. The restaurant service is not super quick, but they're periodically stopping by to check in on things. The roadside restaurant is surrounded by small rental cabins amongst a beautiful grove of aspen trees, which this time of year were bright yellow, green and some tinges of red. Highly recommend the stop in if you're headed on 88 to or from Kirkwood, Tahoe or the Carson Valley.

Service - Excellence. Very friendly, attractive server. Ambiance - Rustic setting. The window lookout with white snowy background was amazing. Food: Dorm food quality. Burgundy beef stew was like slow cooked for years. The curried cauliflower with chickpea was decent but why added msg?! Brownie sundae was like made from dried hard, old packaged cracker. Very limited food menu options versus huge wine and cocktail list.

We arrived right when it opened at 12 pm, but waited for 90 min (45 min to order food). Food never came. The venue is nice with fall colors so 2 stars. We also saw another group left waiting.

We down to Sorensen's for lunch today and was super please with out meal. I got their spinach salad and soup of the day, it was a mushroom and barley, and both were delicious. My mom got the pesto chicken sandwich and we split the Käsespätzle which was my favorite thing we ate! They have a seasonal menu that the will be changing soon so come in and get these items before they're gone! The inside of the restaurant is really cute and clean and couldn't be in a prettier location and our server Amy was wonderful. Can't wait to come back and see what new items they have next time!

Absolutely terrible. We went to enjoy the beautiful fall day on the patio at the once charming Sorensens Cafe. What a disappointment. The service was nearly nonexistent and the $25 hamburgers were like shoe leather. We had salads for our side dishes and those were minuscule. Over an hour and a half for a terrible and very expensive meal. We won't be back.

are you from the bay area? do you also struggle to find edible food in south lake tahoe? does someone telling you to "do stuff", just to potentially get good espresso resonate? then come to dinner here! it's fresh, delicious, and worth every other positive review that's already around for this place. the beats, salmon, fresh crab crostini, cobbler, and wine all excelled, and (i dare say) was better than most highly rated restaurants in san francisco. great service. great ambiance. great food. highly rated!

I so enjoy the drive thru Hope Valley to reach Desolation Resort and have a delightful lunch at their Sorensens Cafe. Their menu changes seasonally

Food is absolutely horrible, and overpriced (frankly, the food is so bad that I'd have paid not to eat it, which is what I did). If I ever went to a restaurant and thought everything was either horribly made, or otherwise frozen or cheaply bought, it would've been this one. The people are warm and welcoming, and the atmosphere is quiet and pleasant. But here's more about the food: 1. Their "Classic Burgundy Stew" is watery, jelly-like, and it tastes horrible. In addition to that, given there were about 4 pieces of meat, which seems odd when it's priced at $29. 2. The rest of the food was more of the same. The desert which we were told is the "last one remaining", I wholeheartedly believe, was store-bought, and not from a bakery Surprised of this current 4.7 rating, but after scrolling around it looks like they might not be authentic. I hate to leave negative feedback, I left this note about the food being horrible with one of the staff members since the owner was not there, I hope they try to make a real change.

Great outdoor space, great service and very friendly staff. Loved the Calmer Palmer peach cocktail, crab toast and burgers.

Super cute spot! Staff very friendly, views excellent, just in a very charming place. We stopped for a beer on our road trip. Enjoy!

Went here for dinner two weeks ago. No reservations just a spur of the moment decision. Prices were a little high but I have to tell you, it wasn't disappointing. I had the venison dish,buddy had the burger wife's had the soup and some sort of crab dish. Food was spot on, waitress was on her game. The waitress recommended desert, I do believe it was a berry cobbler and it was spot on. If you haven't been here you might want to take a drive out and try it. I'm thinking you won't be disappointed.

Had dinner with friends. Very casual atmosphere. Server was attentive and helpful with the menu. Had a Calmer Palmer cocktail which was refreshing and quite delicious! The burger was huge, secret sauce was just over the top. Husband had the stew...which was superb. The desserts! Berry cobbler was gobbled up! Ice cream was a bonus. Also fresh carrot cake added the right finish to a perfect night!

Always a top notch experience for food and atmosphere. Awesome spot for Apres skiing along Hwy 88

6 Star meal (out of 5). Freshest ingredients and locally sourced. Pasta and venison recommended and took a risk. Extraordinary flavor and tender Venison, which is usually an oxymoron. The adult Mac n cheese was addictive. Portions are huge. Extensive wine and cocktail list. Atmosphere peaceful.

My favorite is to drive to Sorensen's apres skiing at Kirkwood. Their margaritas are the best and if we're lucky we'll stay for dinner. I love the spinach salad and the berry cobbler. Actually any season is fun to visit. Wildflowers in the spring and summer, poplar color in the fall...

Highly recommend. Delicious dishes and crafted cocktails. The staff is super friendly and accomodating. Always leave Sorensen already looking forward to a next visit!

Sorensen's Resort Cafe, at the upscale Desolation Hotel, in Hope Valley, CA can be found nestled amongst the "quaking aspen's" (especially gorgeous in the fall) and beautiful Sierra Mountains. This Sierra special gem has crafted cocktails, and this fireside cafe is rustic yet refined, serving up fresh & seasonal classic favorites including the popular Sorensen's Classic Burgundy Stew and another of my favorites, the Spinach Salad with roasted beets. The staff are extra friendly and the resort has a lovely array of recently renovated cabins, yurts, and during the summer RV hook ups and spots by the river for your tents. A great get away for the whole family, even Fido gets to come along! Star gazing, fly fishing, roasting marshmallows by the open fire and a whole lot of peaceful tranquility! Sorensen's Resort Cafe, where conversation culinary delights, crafted cocktails capture the true "Desolation Hotel" experience.