If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

credit: Alvi on the road

Reno, Nevada isn’t nicknamed the world’s “biggest little city” for nothing. Known for the gaming entertainment of its casinos and its proximity to the outdoor adventures of nearby Lake Tahoe, Reno is a place where all different types of people may go for a good time. From the college-aged snowboarder who is too young to gamble to the elderly couple who have been vacationing in Reno every year for several decades, the city is a vacation spot for a truly diverse group. But there is one thing that all of Reno’s visitors have in common; they need to eat.

Those people who go to Reno for the gaming typically think of eating at the buffets in their casino hotels. There are some good ones to select from but those are hardly the only restaurants in Reno. In fact, recent revitalization of downtown Reno has brought a boom of new business to the little city and with that boom have come many new restaurants. Whether you get your appetite on the ski slopes or at the poker tables, here are some of the top restaurants in Reno to satiate your hunger:

credit: Marshall Astor - Food Pornographer

• Austin’s of Reno. Although there are many different types of cuisine in Reno, there are a few types of foods that you’re typically going to find there. Mexican food, seafood, steakhouses and Asian fusion food top the list. But what if you’re from the south and are looking for some good old fashioned comfort food to enjoy during your Reno vacation? Austin’s family-style restaurant will provide you with the best of the south in terms of both the American food that you’ll find there and the hospitality that will come along with the service.

credit: paul goyette

• Bertha Miranda’s. If you’re in Reno and get a hankering for Mexican food, you’ll have quite a few restaurants to choose from. The one that you want to select is Bertha Miranda’s. This is a family-style Mexican restaurant with food that tastes like it was cooked in Northern Mexico and brought fresh to the area. Despite how authentically Mexican this food seems, it’s definitely a Reno staple because it’s been a popular Mexican restaurant choice for Reno visitors and locals for more than two decades. In addition to the traditional menu, there is a brunch menu before noon on weekdays and all day on weekends and there is also a special seafood menu on the weekends. On Friday and Saturday nights, the place gets packed with people who are there to see live music while enjoying their Mexican food.
• Café Napa. This restaurant is located in the Harrah’s Hotel and Casino and is notable among Reno’s restaurants for a few different reasons. First of all, it offers some diversity in food with both Asian and California cuisine features strongly on the menu. More importantly, it’s one of the few restaurants in Reno that is open twenty four hours per day. This means that you can enjoy a meal here even if you’ve lost the clock to the slot machines and everything else has closed. That gains any restaurant big points in a gambling town!

credit: MR+G

• Chocolate Bar. Reno visitors that are coming from California, New York or other cities filled with trendy restaurants will be surprised by how hip a place in Reno can be. Chocolate Bar will be the place to surprise them with its urban upscale atmosphere and its delectable desserts. There’s food to be had here as well, of course. The menu consists of small plates like chicken satay or brie and fresh fruit. You won’t need any meal bigger than these because you’re going to want to indulge in the desserts. However, if you’re seeking a full meal and want to try out this trendy spot, brunch is the time to go. Their prime top sirloin and eggs or pesto chicken and grilled asparagus crepes will delight even the culinary snob in you.

credit: Zesmerelda

• Jazmine. The slogan of this Asian fusion restaurant is “where East meets West” and that’s what you’ll find happening on your taste buds as you treat yourself to their meals. The favorite aspect of this restaurant for many is the all-you-can-eat sushi bar. It takes the buffet-style dining that many Reno visitors are used to and drives it up a notch to something a bit nicer – and more exotic – than you’re going to find in the casinos. However, there is also a menu full of meals for those people who don’t want to dine buffet style. The restaurant is located in South Reno which is a growing area of the city that not many tourists take the opportunity to see.
• Men’s Club of Reno. Reno isn’t quite Vegas when it comes to gentlemen’s entertainment but there is no denying that a decent number of people come to the little city in search of some of that “what happens there stays there” variety. You don’t normally think of dining when you think about watching this type of show but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen. The Men’s Club, which has a location in Reno as well as one in Vegas, is a gentlemen’s restaurant that features both food and entertainment. Sandwiches and appetizers are the meals du jour and they’re up to par but the men who go here aren’t planning to rave about the plates.
• Mi Casa Too. Bertha Miranda’s restaurant is a leading Mexican restaurant in the area but if you’re a true fan of Mexican food then you might want another choice at your disposal. Mi Casa Too should be that choice. In business even longer than Bertha Miranda’s (over thirty years), Mi Casa Too is known for its consistently good Mexican food and terrific service. The restaurant, which has moved more than once, is located in the Franktown Corners Shopping Center.

credit: Zesmerelda

• Peppermill Fine Dining. There are too many different hotel casinos in Reno to mention them all and each offers a different set of restaurants for you to enjoy. However, if you’re only going to be able to stop at on place and you’re looking for some fine dining options, the Peppermill Restaurants are the ones to head towards. Their steakhouse offers fine dining with a casual atmosphere and a great American menu. The White Orchid restaurant provides a more intimate setting for people in Reno who are seeking out some romance. And the Romanza Ristorante Italiano is perfect fine dining Italian food whether you’re in Reno with family or a fiancée.
• Rapscallion Seafood House and Bar. People who love seafood need look no further than this Reno restaurant to meet every dining desire they might have. And even those folks in the group who aren’t passionate about seafood should be able to find a fish dish on the menu that suits them since there are more than twenty different seafood choices to select from here. Rapscallion’s is well-known in the Reno area by both visitors and locals and is one of those must-visit restaurants for people who want to go where others go in Reno.

If you’re wandering around Reno in search of some food, you have a great selection of restaurants to choose from. Any hotel casino will have something for you to eat and most offer more than one style of restaurant to satisfy your cravings. However, the savvy traveler will also get away from the hotels a little bit to enjoy the trendy restaurants of the newly revitalized downtown neighborhood or to see some of the outlying areas of the city such as South Reno. Let your nose find the way!

Tags: Casino | Hotel | Nevada | North America | Reno | restaurants | travel | United States