Nicely's Restaurant — Restaurant in California

My dad and I were pretty disappointed with our meal here last week. We came for breakfast and were seated right away. After awhile a guy took our drink order, and (some time later) brought them, but just set them down and walked away with no word. We had been sitting with our menus closed for at least 3 minutes. So we waited. The guy walked by a few times with other drinks, but still ignored us. I guess he was only 'drink guy' that day. There was someone on the other side of the diner, assuming a manager, having a grand conversation the entire time with another couple. Never once looked our direction, or noticed that more tables are filling up.

Finally a lady comes to take our order and the food came surprisingly fast, which made us really happy because I'm not exaggerating when i say we sat there for like 10-12 minutes before the waitress bothered coming over. Anyways, food was prompt, but my bacon was EXTREMELY overcooked. Like to the point where all you taste is that charcoal-y, burnt grease flavor. My dad's hash browns were way over cooked, as well, and he barely touched them. And I think they toast their bread on the actual grill rather than in a toaster, because IT was partially burnt and tasted like the onions that were in my dad's omelet. 🤢

Unfortunately we couldn't ask for new bacon, hash browns or toast because not a single person came to our table while we were eating. Not Drink Guy, Chatty Manager, or Missing Waitress. After finishing, we again just sat - with empty drinks that were not once refilled- waiting for the check. And waiting. And waiting. We noticed the register up front and sometimes saw Drink Guy up there, so one of the times Missing Waitress rushed by (again without looking at us), my dad flagged her down and asked if we're supposed to pay up front. She kinda huffily said that she'll bring the check in a bit. Needless to say never coming back and telling all our family that do regular treks to Tahoe to...

Nicely's was one of two dinner options in Lee Vining when we rolled into town around 8:00 Saturday night on 06/26/2021. This establishment is your basic, hometown diner that you find in most small, passerby towns. The service was very attentive and friendly, however the food was a little mediocre at best, especially for the prices.

I ordered a Jack & Coke ($4.50), which was rather weak. I think they cheated me out with the Jack which really annoyed me because it's a cheap liquor and it probably only cost them $0.50 to make. Whatever. I had a delicious French Dip (pastrami, roast beef or baked ham with lettuce, crinkle fries and au jus, $10.25) to look forward to. Turns out I wasn't really waiting for anything special. While the sandwich did come with a generous amount of meat, the roast beef tasted old and tasteless. Even drenched in au jus I was unable to enjoy it. I tried adding my husband's abandoned onion slices. With that I was able to finish the sandwich. My husband's Bacon Cheeseburger ($11.25) was a joke. The patty was paper thin, definitely low-end, freezer patties. The poor quality did not support the burger's high (IMO) price. We both agreed the fries were good but not good enough. If I wanted just fries maybe I would have left a much happier customer.

Two stars at best for the food, however I will add another star for the friendly service. I think this place sees a lot of foot traffic because it's 45 minutes from one of Yosemite's park entrances, so it's very convenient. But I would suggest trying other options if they...

Lee Vining doesn't have many restaurants operating at the moment I was ready for lunch (mid-July 2021). A neighboring mini-mart where I obtained some supplies suggested Nicely's located a few doors north.

I was greeted by a friendly staff member, and seated at once. It was just ahead of noon, but the front tables & booths were filling up.

Quickly I was provided their menu. A wide selection of breakfast, lunch and dinner entrées were available. The Daily Special was listed on a note above the salt & pepper shaker tray.

The Reuben Sandwich beckoned, as did a glass of lemonade. I agreed that French Fries would be a great side.

Shortly I was provided my cold drink. It was just right, Goldilocks right. Not too sweet, sour, or cold.

The Reuben was killer. Great toast, a nice serving of meat and 'kraut. A good portion of crinkle fries, also just right. Pickle slices topped it off.

A hungry guy, I single-handedly caught up with the table of 5 beauties next to me. They were still getting their drinks as I was first seated, but I beat them to the cashier!

The sandwich was good, the fries were good, the lemonade was good. Friendly, courteous and prompt, the staff was good. Stop in on your next Eastern Sierra, Mono Lake, or...