We stopped in here for lunch on our road trip. Â We were greeted and seated immediately. Â All of the employees we encountered were friendly. Â We all had the special which was fish and chips accompanied by a large amount of fries and coleslaw. Â There were 3 pieces of fish and they were pretty tasty. Â I thought the coleslaw was pretty good and I do not really care for coleslaw. Â The fries were okay, nothing special. Â I don't know if I'll ever come down this way again, but if I do, I will stop in here.
Review Source:A diner that must be little changed since the 70s - interesting. Service was spotty, seemed inexperienced. Strangely small water glasses. Ordered a Reuben Sandwich, should be an easy fix for a diner. Unfortunately the sandwich lacked flavor. The meat was unnoticeable and the sauerkraut lacked the tart pickled taste. Not bad, just nothing to order again. There aren't many choices in Lee Vining, but this isn't a 4 star anywhere. Sorry.
Review Source:Nicelys is the place to stop after coming out of the woods! We tried other places. Some are very pricey with mediocre food. Others are just plain wtf?!
Here good service, freshly cooked food, awesome deals and most of all terrific taste and enough portions to fill up an empty backpackers growling belly!
I had their special that day of half a fried chicken with perfectly cooked corn on the cob and mashed potatoes. Wait- it comes with a soup and salad too for $9.95! Score! Â An excellent home made bread pudding after was an awesome choice.
I was very pleased with our server, our food and the general ambience of family love.
A fan!
I'm giving Nicely's a 5 for their customer service! I left my Maui Jim sunglasses behind after dining there this Memorial Day weekend and was quite upset about it. A coupla phone calls later, I received them in the mail before the week was out. Thank you Nicely's!! It's great to know your customer service extends beyond the 1 hour spent dining. I truly appreciate your promptness in restoring my glasses to me!
The diner was clean and welcoming - we were a group of 7 and each liked what we ordered. I had Mike's favorite, a sandwich that came with a side of fries - enjoyed my meal, especially the fries, they were just the way I like them - crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside! My friends had the special - 1/2 fried chicken, which I sampled - it tasted great - wish I didn't have to count calories and could eat diner food everyday (sigh) I didn't try the hot chocolate myself, but my friend did and he really liked it. The portion sizes are pretty generous, which explains why I didn't have any dessert - they had a huge list of pies they were offering and I would've loved to have tried their pecan pie. Well, maybe next time I go to Mono Lake, I will!
The price is reasonable, the portion sizes more than generous, the ambience warm, clean and welcoming, the restrooms were clean and well-maintained - in short, Nicely's is a great find in a small town.
Meh...
Run-down diner feel, with run-down servers, and typical diner food.
We went for breakfast had the chicken fried steak and eggs with pancakes, kinda hard to mess up, so I can't really complain about the food. I was however pleasantly surprised to find that the sausage gravy was homemade, I think, although a tad too salty for my taste. One of our over-easy eggs was busted, but other that that the meal served its purpose.
Service was a little blah, they didn't seem to want us there, but then when it came time to leave, we had to go up to the counter ourselves to pay... I was getting mixed messages. Nothing out right rude, just... blah.
Bearing in mind it's remote location, we found the food and service at Nicely's very good. We had the chilli dog with a salad on the side. The chilli dog was very nice and plentiful. The diner was very clean and the waitress was extremely friendly and was keen to learn about our trip through California. Well worth a pit stop if travelling through Lee Vining.
We were in the region to visit Mono Lake, where the cover for Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" album was photographed. Whatever you do, don't miss it!!
Nicely's is your basic small-town restaurant, nothing that special but fine for what it is. Given that Lee Vining is basically out in the middle of nowhere, I can definitely forgive them for not having fresh veggies with my dinner, but overall the food was good (and portions were more than generous), service was friendly and efficient, and the price was very reasonable. I'd probably give it 3.5 stars if I could.
Review Source:Great small town dining choice when traveling to Mono Lake, Yosemite, Mammoth or Bodie.
The customer service is great, warm and friendly. Â They have wonderful homemade soups which were very welcoming on a cold, cold January day in the area. Â The food is priced right and, with the exception of their cinnamon rolls, the portion size is perfect (the cinnamon rolls are the size of a small child) :)
I will definitely go back to this restaurant when I am in the area and plan on taking my wife when she travels with me to the area. Â The burger, soups and salads were very tasty and I cannot wait to tackle their fried chicken on my next visit.
Fried chicken is the specialty. At $10.65 an excellent value. Flavorful beef barley soup and veggies. Finished half the chicken and ate the other half the next day at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. This was the best meal and value on a 10 day road trip through scenic California mountains, forests, lakes, etc.
Review Source:It was an unseasonably warm November, and it was the only place open in town, and it was packed for breakfast lunch and dinner. It was more than adequate, but nothing to rave about.
We had two meals here. Â It's a diner, you can't expect 4-star food, even if it get's 4 star reviews on yelp, things are relative, this is a GREASY SPOON DINER. Â For lunch we just got sides, and it was great as we were not very hungry. Â For dinner I got a $20+ steak when I should have ordered the $10 hamburger. Â I'm not complaining though, I was grateful they were open. Â It's not a destination place, but it can be a comfort destination if you are in the area. Oh, and they have a full bar, that always helps. Â Sadly, we didn't partake, we just went to the market a few doors down for drinks and back to our motel room.
I'll start off with my desert (because, honestly, isn't it the most important part of the meal?) I had the deep dish peach pie and I don't think I've had a worse peach anything. Because of this I don't think I'll trust this place with a pie again. The waitress referred to it has a pie filing with a crust like a cobbler. She was right about the pie filling, the peaches and sauce were right out of a can (or they mastered that out of a can flavor). The crust was a crispy wafer was stale and over salted. It was topped with a huge heaping pile of soft serve ice cream, the ice cream was good and that's the best part of the meal.
On the other hand both my wife and son had the milk shakes and loved them.
My wife and I both had the cheese burgers for dinner, the patty was really thin but the flavor was good overall and I'd have another the next time I come through town. They had a PB&J on the menu and it was perfect for my son at the time who was tired after being in the car for 6 hours.
Good food and wait staff. Â Can be a mad house during the busy tourist months, but in the fall staff are much more relaxed. Â Chili was mild and no beans which disappoints some, but tastes home made. Â Chefs Salad very fresh and crisp but had an overwhelming amount of cheese. Â Hamburgers, specials and breakfasts are awesome~
Review Source:Loving the Ortega burger and onion rings. Simple and delicious.
I'm into old, authentic diners. A friend of mine first introduced me to the scene in LA, and Canter's, the ultimate in famous diners. Â The menu usually includes taste of home and youth like jello, and bologna.
When rating Nicely's to similar, homey diners, Nicely's rates high in my book. Â The waitstaff if friendly and familiar with the restaurant business. Â It's like they grew up in it, and filling your coffee is their pleasure. Their menu has just about anything you'd expect from a diner.
A major plus is that it's surrounded with windows, providing lots of natural light. Â The restaurant was full when I was there, but wasn't noisy. Â
I'll be back! Â Nicely's gets four stars from me because I am comparing it to other homey diners in it's category. Â It wouldn't be fair to compare it to a trendy spot or steak house. Â It's just honest, good food.
Don't mind dining at a good restaurant at 7000f t, in the middle of nowhere, population: "where the hech are we"?.
Nicely's Restaurant, A 1950s micro eatery in the lego town of Lee Vinig, overlooking Mono Lake and 45 miles from the ghost town of Bodie, is the place (actually, the only place) to go. If you didn't blink and missed it while driving North/South on the 395, is a strangely savory place to eat for such a remote location.
Good service, food, specially breakfast is excellent, in a small setting way. Lunch and dinner's specials are limited all day, which is not a problem. Can handle families and groups. Good eats.
Caveat: Still missed it?. Then prepare yourself for a loooong hungry drive down/up to the next settlement, partner. Have your iPad/iPhone/Android GPS on a holster.
Bonus: Need to spend the night after a late dinner here?. Go to Murphey's Motel next door (see my review about them).
For a five-star, old school breakfast experience with a view and a taste of rural Americana, check out Nicely's overlooking Mono Lake in Lee Vining.
The only restaurant in town open year-round, Nicely's has satiated the taste buds of hungry visitors for more than 50 years. It is no surprise then that the rustic interior of this diner feels like something of a museum piece frozen in time since the heydays of Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe.
Of course, the hearty omelets and homemade pancakes lived up to my highest expectations. Given the bargain prices they charge here and the trickle of visitors in winter months, the value is truly impressive as is the fact that this place somehow manages to remain operational throughout the year.
A required stop for everyone spending time around the Mono Lake area or in nearby Mammoth.
A quiet diner, at least in the winter months. Typical small-town decor, including curved booths out of the fifties.
The service was good (though it was very quiet), but the food was very mediocre. I had spaghetti and meat sauce, and the sauce seemed like it came out of a Ragu jar--and the "garlic bread" was buttered toast with a garlic spread of some sort. And, while the prices aren't high, it isn't exactly cheap either.
So, fine rustic food for somewhere that's far away from civilization, but nothing to get too excited about.
Nicely's was a bad resteraunt when I was a child and still is a bad resteraunt. Only reason it's still in business is because the only thing the Nicely's don't own is Mono Cone. They also own Bodie Mike's, Wise Guy's Pizza, and several of the tourist shops. Basically, they've got the monopoly in Lee Vining.
They don't know how to properly season food. Beef is smelly. Fish always tastes old. I've had better fried chicken from KFC.
Basically, you're better off driving eight miles into June Lake or not eating at all then eating at Not So Nicely's.
Edit: Oh, there's a couple more things I want to share.
Now, these things happened when I was a child, so keep in mind that I was pre-puberty at the time and I'm 35 years old now. Plus Mrs. Nicely who was a well known skin flint died in 2001 so things might have changed a bit.
However - one of my mom's friends had two daughters who worked at Nicely's. Their fried chicken policy - any pieces that a customer that had not been eaten would be served to the next customer. That's right, they "recycled" the chicken! So you'd get served someone else's chicken that they handled and God only knows what was on their hands at the time. One time a person had actually taken a bite out of the chicken, but put it back on the plate in such a manner that the bite mark was hidden, so it was served to another gentleman with a big bite mark taken out of it.
One time when we were in there, a waitress ate straight out of the food containers. Right in front of all of us. Stuck a fork in, ate, stuck that fork back in, ate some more. That's right, the food that would be served to all the customers was being eaten straight out of the containers by the waitress.
Seriously, it's better to go hungry then eat at Nicely's.
Not a big fan of the mashed potatoes on the side, but they can FRY some CHICKEN.
The fried half chicken special comes with a "salad" (read: lettuce pieces and carrot shavings), corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and a small mountain of chicken. The whole deal'll run you about $10---which isn't bad considering how much freakin food they pile onto your plate.
Good, stout meals. Was gonna grab a colossal sundae too, but the fried half chicken put an end to that ambition.
They don't mess around at Nicely's.
We always come to Nicely's when camping in Yosemite. Â It's a great little diner, with fast friendly service, and a decent hot meal. Â The best things I've had are the hot wings and the onion rings - these guys definitely know how to do fried foods. Â Both items were hot, super crispy and seasoned just right. Â
I can't really say the same for the special I ordered one night - baked pork chops - yuck! Â Tough gray pork in thickened dirty dishwater as gravy, but I guess you get what you pay for - $8.99. Â However, it was one off night, so I'm not gonna hold it against them. Â Next time I'm gonna order the hot beef sandwich, there were some folks next to us that had every single person at the table order this sandwich. Â Must be good...
Lastly, the desserts taste exactly like McDonald's to me - especially the deep dish apple pie and the hot fudge sundae, but that's not really a complaint because I happen to like McD's desserts ;-)
I loved that this place is right out of the late 60s. Doesn't look like much has changed since then and I appreciate that. The prices are pretty good and they have all sorts of options, including a few vegetarian choices (thanks!). I had a Gardenburger patty melt (interesting) and the bf had a regular patty melt. The food was good. It's totally a small town diner experience so if you're into that (like me), you'll be happy.
However the service was pretty lacking. We walked in and were ignored. Had to go up to the cashier in order to ask to be seated. It took about 10 minutes after that for them to bring us water (in tiny, tiny cups... other diners had large cups... what gives?!) and take our order. The restaurant was mostly empty and they had several employees wandering around while we waited. It was kind of annoying. Once a waiter came over, it picked up after that. Probably just an off day or something. I'd come back next time I'm on my way to or from Reno.
Ps... check out the front sign. Classic Googie!
I think Robert U. said it best when he said, "Solid small town diner fare."
There's nothing here that will knock your socks off, but it's good, filling food. Â It will satisfy your hunger after a long day and warm you after watching the sunset on Mono Lake.
I came one evening and had their potato stew and onion rings and was intrigued by their eggs benedict special with hash browns, so I insisted to my friend that we return the next morning. Â The eggs benedict was good, not great, but it still made me happy. Â I am definitely a fan of a nice hearty breakfast. Â The hash browns came out soggy the first time, so I sent them back and they came out perfect.
The servers were friendly enough to get the job done, but certainly didn't make you feel like they really cared about you. Â Still, though, if I am ever in Lee Vining again, it's quite possible that I'll stop here.
Had dinner and breakfast here. Â Had the patty melt and some sort of special chicken sandwich w/ ranch dressing on it. Â They both really hit the spot! Â Also had the bread pudding for dessert.
Breakfast the next morning was equally satisfying, large portions, tasty hash browns. Â Good service...can't really ask for more at a small town diner.
A very old fashion diner restaurant along Highway 395. Â It's not a place you'd normally go. Â But when you're on a road trip and hungry, this is not the worst place to stop for a quick bite.
The Tuna Melt was descent. Â My Chicken Fiesta was not a fiesta at all. Â On the menu it says 'Diced grilled chicken..........' but what I got was sliced boiled chicken that was tasteless. Â I literally picked them all out. Â I was thankful at least the mixed greens were fresh and I was able to eat them after mixing in some ranch and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Â I left a comment card even though I don't think it'd make any difference. Â I really think it should have some corn and kidney beans to give it some punch.
If you're in this area. Â You don't really have a lot of choices. Â Nicely at least have descent food and friendly service.
I visit Lee Vining frequently and love the little town. Until this past Sunday morning, the last time I ate at Nicely's was about 3 years ago. Now I remember why. The place has gone way downhill.
My breakfast at Nicely's this past Sunday (7/26/09) was probably the worst restaurant experience I've ever had. Really. Even for a greasy-spoon diner like Nicely's.
Bad service: It took a long time for my party of 3 to be seated. The "hostess" briskly walked us to a booth and set down three waters with our menus. Once seated, I noticed that our silverware had spots on it -- the handles were dirty -- and the table was not as clean as it should have been. It took a long time for a waiter to take our drink order, and longer yet for the waiter to take our food order. Once we placed our order, the fun began.
Apparently, Nicely's does not have adequate staff to clear the tables when people are finished with their meals. There were dirty dishes on every table around us from the morning breakfast crowd.
What's more, a child, who looked no more than 12 yrs old, was the only person "bussing" the tables. This child-worker parked a large dirty-dish cart in front of our booth, as he cleared other tables of dirty dishes. As he threw dirty plates, bowls, and plastic drinking glasses into the cart in a haphazard manner, he inadvertently sent a glass of milk into the air, part of which landed on me. I don't fault the child --- this is something to be expected of a kid. The larger question is, with such a hefty morning crowd of tourists, why does the owner feel it necessary to employ child labor. There outta be a law -- oh yeah -- there IS a law against employing underage children.
Back to our dining experience: Once the milk was split, It took several attempts to flag down our waiter and explain to our waiter (apparently due to a language barrier) what had happened, to request that the dirty-dish cart be moved away from our table, and to bring extra napkins for clean-up.
My breakfast (2 poached eggs, toast, and hashbrowns) was luke-warm and greasy. What ever happened to those little packets of butter they'd give you for toast -- much better than what they do now, slopping margarine (or some yellow greasy substance) onto the toast before it arrives at your table.
One member of my dining party said she liked her scrambled "egg beaters" and bacon. Guess that's the bright spot. Difficult, but not impossible to screw up scrambled eggs, or egg beaters in this case.
Bottom line: We were all grossed out by the dirty dishes everywhere and the presence of the dirty-dish cart parked in front of our booth. The food was bad to mediocre. The restaurant is old and in need of repair. Quite unappetizing atmosphere, I must say. Then having to wait in line to pay the bill is always a "nice" ending to the dining experience at Nicely's.
Bad food. Horrible service. There's nothing nice about Nicely's. I'll never go there again. I'll drive to Mammoth if I'm there in the winter and need a sit-down meal.
When you're in Lee Vining, don't go to Nicely's. Instead, get yourself a nice cup of coffee and muffin down the street at Latte Da coffeehouse, or even a freshly prepared breakfast burrito from Mono Market, also just down the street. Or goto the Mobile Whoa Nellie Deli for a great breakfast sandwich.
A few people have noted that Nicely's is the only restaurant open in Lee Vining during winter. This may be true if you are looking for a sit-down restaurant. But it's not the only place to get hot food. The Mono Market, just a few doors down, is open ALL YEAR. The Mono Market has a small but tasty selection of hot food, from where you can get the above-mentioned breakfast burrito, regular burrito, and various other foods prepared at the Mono Market.
If I were only rating the food, Nicely's would receive 4 stars, but Nicely's is about much more than food. Â Are some of your fondest childhood memories of family road trips that involve lots of roadside diners? Â Sitting around a formica table in a semi-circular booth? Â Dad drinking coffee to stay awake while everyone else gorges on deep-fried goodness? Â Well, my memories aren't exactly like that, mainly just of me and my dad eating at many of these sort of diners during our bi-weekly visitations. Â But when you walk into this place, the atmosphere is potent enough to drag out those road trip memories even if you don't have them. Â This place is retro without being kitsch, comfortable without being sloppy, and delicious without being gourmet. Â It is just a genuine old diner that never got remodeled and never found a reason to change.
I have never ordered the fried chicken, but every time I see them bring it out, it looks fantastic and I am always sorry I didn't get it. Â I love their tasty, crinkle-cut fries and their nice selection of pies.
This is definitely the best place to stop for a meal between Reno and Bishop.
I very humbly and thankfully write about Nicely's for my 300th review.
Words cannot describe how happy this place makes me. Â It's as if God knew before I was born that my parents would take me and my brother and sister to Tioga Lake and Bridgeport every year and that we would have to pass through Lee Vining. Â God further knew that I would appreciate the decor that was dated fewer than five years after it was installed, the pseudo-seriousness of the story about wild mustangs on the menus, and the fact that during the summer you might as well be dining in Bremen for all the German being spoken around you. Â (Germans love Yosemite.)
And none of this is ironic. Â That's actually why I hate hipsters. Â They revel in their embrace of nothing and take it is as a badge of honor that the ideas to which they commit their lives are ultimately meaningless to them. Â I'm the opposite. Â I'm an earnest person, and when I say that Nicely's is my favorite restaurant in the Sierra Nevada, possibly in the world, I mean it. Â I understand that my fascination comprises equal parts wistful sentimentality and enduring memory of that childlike optimism that is all the more endearing because of its utter separation from reality.
If you ever pass through Lee Vining, do me a favor and stop by Nicely's.
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