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The small eastern Sierra community of Olancha, CA is a "utopia" for outdoor enthusiasts, as the are offer unlimited outdoor recreation, including hunting, fishing, backpacking, exploring, four wheeling; you name it. During or after your outdoor adventure, you'll be looking for something to eat, and the snacks, canned food, and the limited selection of fresh meat at the only gas station/mini mart probably isn't what you're interested in. May I suggest a visit to Olancha Cafe for an outstanding meal? As with all of reviews that I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: Olancha Cafe is located in the small Inyo County community of Olancha, CA, and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Since Ranch House Cafe closed, they are the only full-service restaurant in the community. The restaurant is co-located with the Olancha RV Park and Motel, and caters to locals, travelers on nearby U.S. 395, RV park campers, and everybody who loves a great meal. It's early evening on Thursday, October 24, 2019, and I've arrived hungry, ready for a great meal...
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll notice the small, rustic dining room, but rustic is truly in keeping with the spirit of Olancha, since the eastern Sierra region of California is a rustic as it gets. There's a real fireplace to the left, but it's not lit, as heat isn't needed on the warm, early Thursday evening.
Photo: Rustic decor placed on the mantle of the fireplace. Time to "cowboy up" and enjoy a great meal!
Photo: Tonight's dinner menu is limited, and it printed on an a-frame chalkboard. There is no printed menu. The prices are very reasonable, especially considering the semi-remote location of Olancha, which is a long way from any major population center. I'm a sucker for burgers, so I went to the "top" of the menu and order an "Olancha Burger."
Photo: The kitchen is located in the extreme rear of the restaurant, and features an order pick-up window, but you don't really get much of a view inside of the kitchen.
Photo: Tonight's weather was very pleasant, so I elected to dine outside, under the covered portion of the patio. As shown in the photo, there are many picnic tables in front of the restaurant, should a tour bus arrive, or if you really choose to dine outdoors. In the background, the office of co-located Olancha RV Park and Motel can be seen, along with big rig traffic on nearby U.S. 395.
Photo: After I placed my order, I elected to sit outside, under the covered portion of the patio, and my server brought a glass of ice water - my favorite beverage at restaurants - along with a basket of condiments. I didn't use any of the condiments except for some of the ketchup to dip my fries into.
Photo: Meet Chris, my friendly server, who brings my "Olancha Burger" and fries to my seat on the patio with a smile. The burger and fries arrived in about fifteen minutes after placing my order, which makes for very fast service.
Photo: Thanks, Chris, for taking my photo as I prepare to enjoy a great dinner at Olancha Cafe. You get a great view of the patio, and the RV office in the background.
Photo: My choice for dinner was the "Olancha Burger," an amazing cheeseburger, that came with a side of fries. I rarely can resist a burger of any variety, especially such a quality burger. The menu simply lists this amazing dish as an "Olancha Burger," so I asked my server, Chris what the burger was all about and if it came with fries. (You have to ask these questions in many semi-remote areas, and especially in nation parks...) He described it as a "basic cheeseburger" and said it came with fries. Sold! However, when he presented this "basic cheeseburger" to me, I was in for a pleasant surprise, to say the least. The "Olancha Burger" starts off with a large - most likely a third of a pound - piece of beer, perfectly cooked, medium. When I ordered, I didn't bother to specify how I wanted my burger cooked, as "medium" seems to be the gold standard, but this beef patty was perfect. It was placed on a large, toasted, fresh bun, and I noted the burger featured the ideal meat-to-bun ratio, which is crucial for those who love a delicious burger. A large piece of melted cheese was on top of the meat, and the burger was garnished with fancy lettuce, tomato slices, white onion slices, and finished with dill pickle slices. There were no condiments applied, as they were placed on the table, so it was up to me to dress my burger to my liking. I did request mayonnaise, and I was rewarded with a small cup of mayo, which was just right to dress my burger. I simply applied mayonnaise, as this delicious burger didn't require any other condiments. Any way you look at, this is a quality cheeseburger. The meal includes a generous portion of fries, cut on the thin side, with potato skin on a few of them, fried to a deep golden brown. The fries were great, as they weren't salty or greasy, and the complimented my amazing burger. I must confess that I did pour some ketchup on the side for dipping, as ketchup brings the "kid" out of me. The "Olancha Burger" along with the fries were delicious! I noted the meat, cheese and bun were hot, and the lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle were cold, which is paramount to a great burger, and the "Olancha Burger" has it all. This is a great burger in every way! Olancha Cafe is family owned and operated, and they pride themselves on serving quality food at a very reasonable price, especially considering the relatively remote eastern Sierra location. When you're visiting Olancha, and you're ready to enjoy a quality, delicious meal, head over to Olancha Cafe. You'll love this fine restaurant. Olancha Cafe Copyright(c) 2019 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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