Nicely's

A really good local place to have breakfast. I ordered a breakfast combo with pancakes, eggs, and corned beef. The food was tasty and satisfying. The day before I got Fried Chicken and I loved it because the saltiness was just right and not too oily, yet crispy. I shared a Pastrami Reuben sandwich and it was also delicious.

Want to know what dinners were like in the 70s? This has that atmosphere, a throwback to the good old days 😋. The menu is what you expect of a diner, good old fashioned American comfort food: hamburgers, sandwiches, fried chicken. But there are some updates and more vegetarian options. Still Lee Vining is about as far as you can get from the snazzy metros of California, so don't expect farm to table here. We had breakfast here as well. The portions are gigantic. We didn't have to eat lunch that day. Pretty standard American breakfast. Filling and not fancy. Super nice service matching the name. And after a great day of skiing, hiking, climbing, or a few days camping or backpacking, the comfort food will fill your stomach nicely! 😀

I went to Lee Vining after a poor night's sleep at 9000 feet needing warmth and water. Stopped in the first diner that was open. Nicely's is a classic diner with classic diner food. What was special is the food was perfectly cooked. The hash browns were crispy. The eggs were just as I ordered them (over medium, whites set and yolks runny). The English muffin spent enough time in the toaster to get crispy and a bit caramelized. And the staff was kind and patient as I tried to wake up. I will admit the coffee was not good. It too was classic diner food. You can only take it so far. I was well fed for the hike up Mono Pass.

Nice outdoor space with a great view of Mono lake. Service was prompt and friendly. Had the biscuits and gravy, it was awesome! Great place to have a meal before heading up the pass and into Yosemite. It's about a 2-2.5hr drive from Lee Vining to the Yosemite Valley restaurants, so eat here if you are hungry.