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Gar Woods Grill and Pier Restaurant, Carnelian Bay, CA

Gar Woods Grill and Pier Restaurant

4.6 (4840)
$31 to $50
Californian
5000 North Lake Boulevard, Carnelian Bay, CA 96140

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 271 times today

About this restaurant

  • Great for scenic views
  • Great for outdoor dining
  • Great for creative cocktails
Since 1988, Gar Woods Grill and Pier has been the premier waterfront dining destination in North Lake Tahoe. Floor-to-ceiling windows, large deck and balconies provide breath-taking views of Lake Tahoe and the Sierras. Gar Woods Grill and Pier is an upscale casual restaurant that accommodates groups of 160 just as easily as groups of two. Our Chef has created a menu highlighting California cuisine, hand cut steaks and fresh Pacific seafood, served in a fun-in-the-sun atmosphere. The wine list is a collection of best-known California vintners featuring more than a dozen wines by the glass. Enjoy the waterfront deck while sipping on Gar Woods world famous Wet Woody®. With nearly four million sold, you will be in good company! Or thaw out with a Warm Woody or a Heavenly Bottom. Lake Tahoe sunsets are our specialty.
Service dogs/bunnies/parrots welcome- with appropriate credentials under the ADA.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Californian, Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch (Mon - Fri) 11:30 am - 5:00 pm (Sat & Sun) 11:30 am - 5:00 pm Brunch menu served Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 am -3:00 pm Dinner (Sun - Thurs) 5:00 pm - 9:30 pm (Fri & Sat) 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm Easter - buffet brunch served from 9:30 am - 2:30 pm Thanksgiving- dinner served 1:00 - 9:00 pm Christmas Eve- 11:30 am - 9:30 pm, dinner starts at 5:00 pm Christmas Day- 11:30 am - 10:00 pm, dinner starts at 5:00 pm Bar The bar is open during lunch and dinner hours and never closes before 12:00 pm (Sun - Thurs) and 1:00 am (Fri & Sat)
  • Phone number
    (530) 546-3366
  • Website
    http://www.garwoods.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Dean Lennon
  • Private party facilities
    Private party space available for groups of 15 guests up to 450 guests. Gar Woods Grill & Pier is available to close for private functions.
  • Location
    5000 North Lake Boulevard, Carnelian Bay, CA 96140
  • Neighborhood
    Carnelian Bay
  • Cross street
    Center Street
  • Parking details
    Plenty of complimentary on-site parking. Visit by boat in spring, summer and fall and enjoy our complimentary valet boat parking, or dock at our handicap accessible, deep water 130 foot pier.
  • Public transit
    All local bus lines drop off and pick up in front of Gar Woods Grill & Pier
  • Entertainment
    Rustler's MoonSteve and TomAcoustic Guitar Duo8:00pm-11:00pmFriday and Saturday Evenings70's through Today
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

Menu

Gar Woods Grill and Pier Restaurant's menu was last updated on 7/6/2025.

View menu on restaurant's website

What 4,840 people are saying

Gar Woods Grill and Pier Restaurant reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.0Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Tahoe / Reno Area

    Great for scenic views

  • Tahoe / Reno Area

    Most Booked

  • North Lake Tahoe

    Best Overall

  • North Lake Tahoe

    Best Food

  • North Lake Tahoe

    Best Ambiance

  • North Lake Tahoe

    Good for groups

  • North Lake Tahoe

    Hot spot

  • North Lake Tahoe

    Great for outdoor dining

  • North Lake Tahoe

    Great for scenic views

  • North Lake Tahoe

    Lively

  • North Lake Tahoe

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Gar Woods Grill and Pier Restaurant offers a "classic Tahoe experience" with "breathtaking views" of Lake Tahoe. Renowned for its "outstanding food" and "friendly, professional service," this spot is perfect for special occasions. Guests rave about the "lobster deviled eggs" and "wet woody" cocktails. While occasionally pricey, the "atmosphere is second to none."
4,840 Reviews

  1. Bibiana

    Austin9 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    We visit garwoods every time we have out of town company. This was the worst. First, they tried to seat us in front of kitchen. We asked for a different table and told us, cheerfully, we have a table with a view upstairs. So they stick us in a corner table with no view. We asked if we could sit in a different table closer to the windows and they said, no. Those are for reservations. Never mind that WE had reservations. Furthermore, there are no vegetarian options at lunch except for a veggie burger. They wouldn’t even make tofu for me because it wasn’t 5 oclock yet. So I had a side salad which was covered with so much feta cheese I could barely see the lettuce. Luckily , the drinks were better than they’ve been recently, so the bartenders were on point that day.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Disne

    Phoenix / Arizona9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We go to Gar Woods multiple times while in Lake Tahoe…one of our favorites…it’s also nice since they’ve been able to retain the same wait staff from previous years…We also love the Wet Woodies!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Barbara VIP

    Tahoe / Reno Area135 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always delicious, fantastic view, the staff was so accomodating.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Barbara

    Sacramento / Sacramento Valley1 review

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food, service and ambience were spectacular! We had a great time.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Linda

    Las Vegas5 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great service. Good Location. Food was good. Our anniversary was fun.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Kristin

    California Central Coast1 review

    4.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was a beautiful place to sit on the patio and enjoy the lake view. The chicken quesadilla was pretty good and my husband enjoyed the French dip and Wet Woody. The NA Ritual Margarita tasted like lemonade and was quite tart. Our waitress was excellent and we enjoyed this special place on the lake.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Patricia

    Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill8 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Tables were too close together. Customers and wait staff constantly bumped into our chairs. Bathrooms were not regularly cleaned and inadequate for size of restaurant and amount of customers. We learned upon departure that there were additional bathrooms upstairs? Signage would have been helpful.

    Is this helpful?

  8. jessica

    Las Vegas4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Got the prime rib and Spanish seafood pasta, amazing

    Is this helpful?

  9. Jennifer

    San Francisco Bay Area1 review

    2.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    The main thing going for this restaurant is the location. Dining with Lake Tahoe in the background can’t be beat. Warning- parking is very challenging! We enjoyed the breadsticks and butter, but dinner was mediocre. I paid $42 for a piece of chicken, a spoonful of rice and 3 pieces of broccoli. I’m aware this is a “tourist trap” and I don’t mind paying tourist prices, but it’s disappointing when the food doesn’t measure up. We did enjoy a walk on the pier though. If you do decide to dine here, reserve a spot lakeside- literally lakeside!

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  10. Mary

    Atlanta1 review

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We got very lucky and had a table right on the water. It was so intimate and peaceful! Our waiter was one of the best I’ve ever had - Christian.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Gar Woods Grill and Pier Restaurant is rated 4.6 stars by 4840 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Tahoe / Reno Area
  4. North Lake Tahoe
  5. Carnelian Bay

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 271 times today
Google Map for Gar Woods Grill and Pier Restaurant

5000 North Lake Boulevard, Carnelian Bay, CA 96140

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Center Street
  • Neighborhood
    Carnelian Bay
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch (Mon - Fri) 11:30 am - 5:00 pm (Sat & Sun) 11:30 am - 5:00 pm Brunch menu served Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 am -3:00 pm Dinner (Sun - Thurs) 5:00 pm - 9:30 pm (Fri & Sat) 5:00 pm - 10:00 pm Easter - buffet brunch served from 9:30 am - 2:30 pm Thanksgiving- dinner served 1:00 - 9:00 pm Christmas Eve- 11:30 am - 9:30 pm, dinner starts at 5:00 pm Christmas Day- 11:30 am - 10:00 pm, dinner starts at 5:00 pm Bar The bar is open during lunch and dinner hours and never closes before 12:00 pm (Sun - Thurs) and 1:00 am (Fri & Sat)
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Californian, Seafood, Steak
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Plenty of complimentary on-site parking. Visit by boat in spring, summer and fall and enjoy our complimentary valet boat parking, or dock at our handicap accessible, deep water 130 foot pier.
  • Public transit
    All local bus lines drop off and pick up in front of Gar Woods Grill & Pier
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Dean Lennon
  • Entertainment
    Rustler's MoonSteve and TomAcoustic Guitar Duo8:00pm-11:00pmFriday and Saturday Evenings70's through Today
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.garwoods.com/
  • Phone number
    (530) 546-3366
  • Private party facilities
    Private party space available for groups of 15 guests up to 450 guests. Gar Woods Grill & Pier is available to close for private functions.

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