California Burger Company — Restaurant in South Lake Tahoe

Our waitress, who we unfortunately did not get the name of, was very kind. However, our experience was ruined by the hostesses. My group consisted of Asian and brown people, and the hostesses themselves were East and Southeast Asian, but we felt that their treatment of ourselves and other POC patrons we saw was racist.

When we arrived, they asked if we wanted to be seated inside or outside, and we said outside. They pointed us to a table directly in the sun, although there were several tables with umbrellas open.

We asked if we could be seated at another table in an area where other patrons were sitting in the shade, and they refused. We understood this since we know there may be reservations or certain servers assigned to certain areas. We then asked to be seated at the shaded bench right next to our table, and the hostesses again refused, saying that only groups of 6 can sit there.

They told us we could only sit at the table pointed out originally, and as we were about to walk there, they also told us that we could not use the umbrella.

There were ~15+ tables available outside, and it was not busy when we arrived nor at any point during our time there. The hostesses would even play on their phones. Sometimes both of them would go to wipe down a singular table just to chat. It was not windy, and several other umbrellas were open.

When our waitress arrived to take our order, we asked again if we could be moved since the sun was directly on us. She looked surprised, and said she could open the umbrella for us, and did so immediately.

Maybe 5 minutes after this interaction, the hostesses from before seated a group of white men at the shaded picnic bench next to us— the same one we had requested but been denied due to our group only having 3 people. There were only 3 people in the group of men.

We observed this a few other times as well. The other shaded tables we had requested were filled by white people, and those that did not get a shaded table opened their umbrellas without issue.

A brown couple arrived, and the hostesses seated them at an unshaded table in the sunlight. After ~half an hour, I noticed they were looking at the umbrella and fidgeting (from their behaviour, I got the sense that they were told not to open their umbrella as well). After conversing quietly, one of them went to the hostess to ask if the umbrella could be opened. From what I could see, the hostess sort of grimaced at him, and a back-and-forth ensued (although, again, other tables had been able to open their umbrellas without issue) until another employee walked by and opened the umbrella for the couple.

I also noticed that the hostesses would clear the plates of others, but avoid our table. One went to the group of white men next to us and, all smiles, offered to take their empty plates. I saw her eyes dart over to my friend’s empty plate, as we were at the table next to them, and then she turned and walked off. Funnily, the only time they smiled at us was when we were leaving.

I will say that nobody in my party was drinking, and we were not yelling or causing a fuss. It was the middle of the day, and we were just hungry and looking to get something to eat.

I was uncertain about reviewing, but I read other reviews which emboldened me, as it seems there are many other POC who had similar experiences, although I have only seen the owner address the issue by insisting that the staff is not racist.

As I said, on the day we visited, it was not just my group that was treated poorly or I would just assume bad service. Instead, the only other POC we saw before we finished our meal received the same treatment. All other patrons we observed were looked after, with our parties being the only exception.

While nobody was actively hostile, I believe the experiences of myself and others at least show there are some staff who are, at best, subconsciously treating some patrons differently from others. It would be wonderful for this behaviour to be addressed, rather than dismissed or excused, especially when this appears to be a...

This place is great for a quick bite or sitting down and having a drink with friends or even going on a date.

The options however are a bit lacking especially for people with dietary restrictions.

The veggie patty has egg in it, and the only other suitable items for vegans were the fries and the salad. There's probably a soup on occasion thats also vegan but I can't say for sure.

There is also a menu item which is a bit insulting called the "Pretender." Directly implying that a veggie burger isn't a real burger, and no it is not vegan friendly. I really don't mind the crass name but as someone who has run a business for a good while, alienating or making fun of people for what they eat is not how you keep people coming back.

Aside from being a little tone deaf in that realm, I had a pleasant experience just having a drink and eating some fries with my date.

I expected a little more from a bustling and well reviewed eatery in the Heavenly Village but what they lacked in menu diversity and inclusion they made up for with service and atmosphere.

There was great live music playing during our visit and despite the hour being about 6:30pm there was also ample seating. Not too many open spots, but enough to comfortably choose.

The staff was knowledgeable about the menu and quick to help us get fries and drinks going despite us not being able to eat much.

The facility itself was also clean and charming. Definitely a good ambiance for a ski town and the Heavenly Village.

Prices were as you would expect from any Stateline area restaurant. Not cheap, but in line with what is being charged elsewhere.

The fries were good enough and the drinks were made well, the service was great and the atmosphere was excellent.

If you don't have dietary restrictions the California Burger Company would be a great option for your next dining experience.

Lastly, parking is not too much of a hassle as there are a number of free and paid parking options within a very short...

I had an incredibly uncomfortable experience at this restaurant. The meal was good, everything was fine until the payment. The server held out the POS terminal for me to make my payment, and was watching the screen as I was about to select my tip option. I felt very uncomfortable and asked her not to look. She told me this was their policy as they had issues w/ POS. I talked to the manager and she confirmed that ;

it was their policy, to watch over the customer as they input the tip amount on the POS terminal.

In all the years I have eaten out, I have never seen such a policy nor have I had servers watch the screen as I select the tip options. In all cases, the servers turn their heads as I input the tip to provide some semblance of privacy. Not only was the manager unapologetic, she asked me why it would matter if the server watched me select the tip amount. I am just an average tipper so the amount I tipped would have been the same regardless but this was extremely unpleasant. To the restaurant, please save yourself the trouble of replying to this comment as you have already made your position very clear ; i) having your servers watch you as you select the tip is your restaurant policy, ii) you don't have any problems with this policy, and iii) you don't understand why this should be an issue to...