First of all, this eatery is open until 10PM. How incredible! The view of Mono Lake is a perfect backdrop to a nice umbrella shaded patio. The service was amazing: served drinks right away by the hostess and the waiter glanced over as he waited another table and said he'd be there soon. Literally 20 sec. later he was. And it was fairly busy. A salad bar with very crisp salad, tasty soup and other fixins set the stage for a delicious BBQ. The half chicken was tender and the sauce was wonderful. All through the meal every server was very attentive. They also have a nice looking bar that I think I'll hit next!
Review Source:The pulled pork had more bbq sauce than pork , the bbq chicken sandwich was terrible , and the fish and chips acceptable for frozen fish , worst thing as I was using the restroom when two of the servers came in to use there restroom and neither one washed there hands , complety unacceptable. The bill was 75.00 for 4 people and they charged us for items we did not order. Save your money and your stomach and stay away from bodie mikes
Review Source:The fish sandwich and BBQ chicken where not good. Chicken was dry and not fresh. Â The grilled salmon was ok. For the price I would expect better. Service was what cause me to write the review. The staff was not attentive at all. Long waits between the order and food and no followup after until we asked for check. Waited at register for additional 5 minutes for someone to show up.
On a positive note, the location and view are wonderful. Although that's not enough to make us go back there again on the next trip to Yosemite.
OVERALL:
Slightly overpriced BBQ joint with below average quality BBQ. Great porch, awful flies (Sept 15), standard "American bar" atmosphere. OK service.
FOOD:
When asked pork or tri-tip sandwich, the tri-tip (~$10) was recommended. It was not good, fatty and without much taste. The steak fries were under-seasoned. The 'side salad' was an option instead of cole slaw, and lettuce ACTUALLY came stuffed into a cole slaw container. It made me laugh, but I really did want to eat a large portion of salad/greens after hiking Grand Canyon of Tuolomne for the last 80 hours.The salad bar looked like mostly iceberg lettuce with some 'pizza hut' level of quality ingredients - so I didn't want that. The combo plate was reported as 'good', but I think my friend was simply hungry. The BBQ sauce was some of the worst I've ever had - it tasted like sweet ketchup - very tomato'y, with no acidic bite.
SERVICE:
We were greeted within 5 minutes. The server was friendly, and the food came out within 10 minutes. The sandwich was lacking in flavor, and I asked for a side of BBQ (hoping to save the damn thing from a life of mediocrity.) It took another ~8min for this to arrive. The check was presented when asked, and we went to the counter to pay.
ATMOSPHERE:
The patio was nicely laid out as you enter the restaurant along the highway. There was a view of Lake Mono, with ~10 tables. There was at least one fly on me at all times, and often two or three, and I couldn't wait to get out of there. The bathroom was bleak, and there was no paper towels, and no air dryer. The bar area inside seemed fine, with FOUR life sized cutout pictures of women in beer advertisements - I think it was an all-time personal best for me in a bar. The feel was casual..
I came here on a weekend trip to Yosemite as I was tired of eating the overpriced fair in the park and was doing some photography along Tioga Pass so I though "What the hell." Â As I was sick of paying ten bucks for a salad in Yosemite, Â I had no issue with the price of the food, however I immediately was disappointed in the salad bar. Â For someone who is on a lower carb diet, the offerings were slim, with only lettuce, onions, tomatoes, and olives. Â Half the salad bar were various forms of pasta salads. Â Then the barbecued chicken came, Â which was overseared in some places. Â As a barbecue connoisseur, I appreciate a slight char, Â not tasting ash in your mouth. Â The beans were okay, though nothing to write home about. Â Service was not good, with five passes of my table before refilling my ice tea. Â The atmosphere is good, with a great view and a very eclectic mix of people. Â The view and that I like this area of the world so much kept me from giving it one star. Â This is my first charity star on Yelp.
Review Source:Well, it's a great view, but sadly the overall quality has sunk a great deal since our last visit two years ago. We've liked it as a good barbecue place over the years. The salad bar soup (watery potato) was sad, the beans with the barbecue were tasteless, service was slow and inconsistent, and the desserts were awful (lemon merengue pie ): curdled)...maybe the barbecue chef has his/her act together, but all the rest needed to be avoided. We won't be back for a long time if ever, sadly. Whoa Nellie infinitely superior!
Review Source:After a really long day hike that ended at 10ish, we were totally exhausted and starving. Except for a stash of cliffbars, we got absolutely nothing else to eat, so we jumped into the car hoping to find a gas station for something to fill the belly. Boy, were we excited when we saw Bodie Mike's lights still on. We ran into the restaurant like hungry bears, but a waitstaff promptly stopped our stampede, and said "Sorry we closed 4 minutes ago.". :( Sad bears. May be it was our sad faces, or our ravenous looks, he gave us a second look and said, "Ok, let me check, maybe I can get you guys some pork sandwiches". And BBQ pork sandwiches he did deliver 10 minutes later. The BBQ pork sandwiches were absolute delicious, and did it totally hit the spot or what. We were the happiest campers that night. Thanks, Bodie Mike for the great service and going out of your way to help out some poor hungry hikers.
Review Source:This is funny but true. Â I will let you judge, I will just quote the conversation.
My Friend: Can I get a burger?
Me: Â Me too please.
Waiter: Â How would you like that cooked?
MF: Â Medium rare please.
Waiter: Â You want it medium rare? Â Will have to ask you to sign this piece of paper that you will not pursue us if you get sick. Â (It wasn't a legal document, it was just one of those pads you take an order on!)
My friend goes ahead an signs it. Â I guess he REALLY wanted it medium rare.
Me: Â I will take mine WELL DONE please.
End of story. Â BTW, no one got sick. Â :)
We ended up eating here after going to Mono Lake. We got to ML really late (about 5PM) and we were about to head back into Yosemite to get dinner, but it was already 7PM by the time we passed by this place. There is no parking near the place, but we found parking adjacent to the business right next to Bodie's on the left.
We came here two weeks ago, so I don't really remember what I got, but it was really good with fries and a small mac salad. We ate on the deck, and you get a spectacular view of the opposite side of a sunset on over Mono Lake. That means no blaring sun in your eyes, but a beautiful sky and lake to look over while enjoying your food. I will definitely come back if I ever drive out to those parts again.
After two days of failed campsite meals and living off peanut butter and jelly, we stopped off at Bodie Mike's, so be alert that this is reviewed from the perspective of hungry, dirty people.
Onion rings were decent, though the crust was a little hard.
I had the 1/2 pound burger with sauteed mushrooms and bacon. Really solid burger, though the bacon could have been not so carbonized. Came with an okay-side of cole slaw and a big heap of thick cut fries (that were tasty even cold the next morning). Tried a $3 mug of the local amber ale (Mammoth Brewing?) and it really hit the spot after a day o' hiking.
Waitresses have full tattoos on one arm, so we mused whether the employment policy was, "you pick the arm, we pick the tat."
Sure, the place looks a little dark and dingy, but the food was not all that bad!
We stuck with the easy stuff - burgers and pulled pork sandwiches - and made out just fine. The service was definitely slow, especially since it wasn't all that busy - I think for awhile we were our waitress' only table - but what can you do, I guess.
Rolled into Lee Vining after a busy Sunday of driving and exploring. Â We were thinking that we would stay overnight in town but this was the one night of the whole massive trip that we didn't really plan ahead thinking it wouldn't be hard to get a room in a tiny poedunk on a Sunday night. Â Wrong! Â We quickly discovered that we would have to continue on to June Lake so we were anxious just to eat and get on the road. Â Didn't have any phone internet to screen the dining options and Bodie Mike's looked OK. Â Plus, we had just spent the whole afternoon in Bodie so it seemed fitting.
We sat on the patio which was nice - it was a perfect evening for that. Â It really just felt good to sit down and relax. Â The food was pretty good - everyone including the little ones seemed to be happy. Â It's a little hard looking back almost a year after our trip but my husband probably had tri-tip because he always orders tri-tip and loves it at every BBQ place he goes to. Â I probably had pulled pork. Â It's hard to go wrong with pulled pork. Â And I think we had some kind of communal dessert. Â What I do remember was the waitress being a little slow but still leaving happy and satisfied. Â I have to remind myself that in small towns life moves at a slower pace.
Decent enough place for Lee Vining, although I wouldn't be making the trip to Bodie Mike's from any other town but Lee Vining. Â I came here while spending a night on the road after hiking a ton in Yosemite and crossing Tioga just before nightfall. I was in need of food and these small towns usually can put together some good BBQ slop for a fair price. Â Bodie Mike's won the "where do I eat tonight?" contest (there really aren't that many choices). Â The prices are actually pretty close to decent given how far removed you are from actual cities and the fact that it is a bit of a tourist town. Â The BBQ I had was alright, nothing too fancy, and the sauce was mostly sugary tasting. Â It was some sort of smoked meat combo thing, I think, and all the meat served was okay, but I was really hoping for better quality. Â From looking around at other peoples plates if I ever return I will go with more basic american fare (burgers and the like) as they are 1) cheaper, and 2) Basic burgers are more enjoyable than basic BBQ . In the end the beer was cold and that helped a bunch. Â Having only visited this place once I can say that if the salad bar looks as funky to you as it did to me I would avoid it.
This place is fine place to eat, you can't expect much from Lee Vining, but you can fill up on some alright food.
Stopped in for lunch and this place was pretty awesome. The setting is perfect the service is friendly. I ordered the tri tip sandwich and thought that it was excellent. It was thin cut and tender. I was stoked that my friend and I stopped here after doing some fishing. The prices are pretty reasonable as well.
Review Source:Damn good food.
I started out the morning early -- the pass across Yosemite had been open for a week and I was meaning to explore it. Â Five or six hours later (and more stopping than riding) I landed in Lee Vining looking for some food.
There really weren't many options and I was happy that Bodie's ended up kicking ass. Â
First off - the outdoor patio: relaxing. Â I got a table in the corner where I could keep an eye on the bike and rested my sore ass in the seat. Â I ordered a steak sandwich and fries -- a slice of carrot cake for desert. Â All of it was filling and welcome after a long journey. Â The service was splendid with pleasant waitresses.
Ugh -- after this meal I rode up to the valley overlook and just hung out for a while digesting.
Burgers are amazing here! I had the BBQ sauce burger...OMG! I'm dreaming of eating one while I'm writing this now.
At first glance of this place...you think to yourself "should I take a chance?" Honestly...we all thought that, but we were so hungry and this place looked like the best place around after visiting Mono Lake. I'm glad we stopped here...food was great. The BBQ sauce is delicious on burgers and fries!
Lee Vining is a touristy sleepy town with quaint shops. I love it! Right smack in the middle of it all is this very cute BBQ place.
Their BBQ is truly awesome . Request to sit outside during summer. U will have a view of Mono Lake right across  the street.
We had baby back ribs and the sauce is just the way I like it. Slightly spicy and not too sweet.The side dish of beans was a disappointment. It tasted like cardboard :(
They also have a bar inside and of course a sitting inside to enjoy your food.
I will definitely return next month on the way for more backpacking trip!
Parking is on the street but it was easy to find a spot.
O'RIGHTTEEEYYY~!!!! First of all, I highly doubt many of you fellow yellows and gooks would have any business in this side of town unless you are with me (likes traveling to obscure places).
This city "Lee Vining" is the town when you proceed east from Yosemite (Hwy 120), which is pretty much open for 3 months outta the year. Basically hwy 120 and hwy 395 (which is also where Camp Manzanar is located), is the primary location of the city of Lee Vining and Beautiful Mono Lake.
NOW TO THE RESTAURANT...
The service was excellent. Beyond good since they appeared over staffed for adequate service. On top of that, I was expecting KKK (WHITE POWER) folks, but, these white folks were chill although we got the "never seen chink eyes" stares.
I got the BBQ sandwich since it says "famous." What the hell could be so famous from a town with population 57??? The sandwich was good, the mac salad was unique, and the fries were crunchy. I must say the soda was well carbonated as well. Believe me ya'll, from someone who has digestive issues, soda is muy importante.
My 280 lbs gook buddy got the sirloin and i must say, it was a simple recipe of what appeared to be lime and salt. VERY DELISH~!!!!
There isn't much to write since this spot is like 350 miles north of orange county/la county.
Ya know, I'm amazed at how easy some bbq joints can make a menu, and how other places seem to fight internally.  MIKE's does BBQ right, and in a great way.  I had a great lunch here enroute to Tahoe. A simple tri tip sandwich w/ bbq sauce, coleslaw, fries w/ malt vinegar $8.75 plus  an ice tea
I became a fan, and bought a t-shirt (12.75, tax included)
rock on, Mike's!
Had dinner here last weekend. Â We would have preferred the Mobile Mart Whoa Nelli Deli, but the line there was too long.
So, Bodie Mike's it was. Â We were promptly seated. Â My hubby and I had the tri-tip bbq sandwich with fries and coleslaw. Â The food was good. Â The beer was cold. Â It satisfied our needs!
It was alright.
The food was decent, and the service was pretty good. Plus, the salad bar was pretty damned awesome and we had a lot of that healthy stuff. The BBQ ribs weren't the best, but they were pretty good and tasty after a day out.
It was nice to find a place that was jumpin' on a Wednesday night, and so nice to see that they were open until 10pm!
We decided to try Bodie Mike's BBQ because of some of the Yelp reviews. Â First time and thought it was ok.
You can sit outside out front or inside. Â I picked inside. Â Nice with A/C. Â They have a bar in another room w/ a pool-table, juke-box, video games, & TV.
We ordered:
BBQ Turkey sandwich $7.95-comes w/ steak fries & choice of coleslaw or macaroni salad. Â Friend liked it ok.
BBQ Pork sandwich $7.95-my order. Â I didn't want fries, so I picked coleslaw & macaroni salad. Â Macaroni salad is not very good. Â Coleslaw is nicely pickled & kinda crispy. Â I liked the coleslaw better. Â BBQ Pork was ok, too sweet for me w/ the bbq sauce they use. Â
A. got "Strike it Rich" I think it was the 1/4 lb burger for $7.95-he enjoyed it. Â Â
Piled with mushroom, Swiss cheese, bacon, & bbq sauce. Â Comes with steak fries on the side.
Hubby got: BBQ Half Chicken dinner (that's served All Day)! $15.95 - you get soup/salad bar, hot rolls w/ butter, beans, & steak fries. Â He enjoyed the soup (beef barley soup) & salad bar (make your own), rolls were ok. Â Beans not very good. Â Steak fries he liked. Â His chicken was good, not dry.
Bathrooms in the back in the saloon area.
I'd go back. Â Credit cards taken, pay at the front register before you leave.
We were returning to Tahoe after a whirlwind day trip to Yosemite. Couldn't find any fast food or pizza place along 120 or 395 without going 20 miles out of our way. Â So we decided to stop here. Looked friendly enough. There was a salad bar for the vegetarians in the troupe. We were seated quickly and the waitress took our order. Half of us decided on the salad, the other half ordered burgers and hot dogs. I also asked for a beer. 10 Â minutes go by, no beer. 20 minutes go by, no food, no beer. Other people walk-in, get seated, order food, get beer and food. 30 minutes go by, no food, no beer, no waitress. I finally asked one of the other waitress to check for us. Â 10 minutes later (40 minutes total) our waitress stops by to ask if everything was OK. We asked about our food. She turns around and brings back cold burgers and cold hot dogs. Still no beer. No apologies. No excuses.
I complained to the manager. He took $10 off the bill. But, once again, no apologies.
There aren't many dining options in this little town and this is a good staple with good solid food and a nice soup and salad bar.
Stick to beer or wine and don't venture too far into the mixed drinks... keep it simple because the wait staff mixes the drinks.
The BBQ chicken was good and hearty. The combination of the salad bar and the generous portions should not leave you wanting for more.
We ate here on our last night in Lee Vining. Every night it seemed busy when we drove by, that can't be a bad sign right? We arrived, promptly seated, drink orders taken, etc. We decided to split their combo sampler with a big beef rib, a St. Louis Rib, some Baby Back Ribs, a 1/4 chicken, beans, fries and salad bar for $22.95.
It was enough food for the two of us. I LOVE BBQ and this was very good, the pork ribs were the best, salad bar was very good, service was more than adequate and a awesome evening on the patio! I even bought a Bodie Mike's T-shirt! We'll be back................... After dinner we headed to the South Tufa's at Mono Lake for sunset.
After a long drive through yosemite and checking in to our Motel we were in desperate need of a beer. There aren't too many choices in Lee Vining so we settled on  Bodie Mike's. The service was good and while we didn't eat there we saw others being served  big plates of BBQ chicken and ribs.
The restaurant houses a bar as well as a deck which is a great place to sip a beer and watch the traffic go by on highway 395
A very nice setting looking towards Mono Lake. Lee Vining is a Main Street town with a nice local feel. You can still get an espresso as their are enough tourists coming over the hills from the bay area  to support this indulgence. I had a decent meal at Mike's on my way through town. It is a pleasant lunch stop after zipping up Highway 120 from Benton and flying over those whoops in the Mini Cooper S.
Video of CA 120 here: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DEq57iP0VrbM&s=11561687f0f9b443b05c1340a55aa79f3d3d1bbf35f5736dcd4b4faec3072d93" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>