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For nearly 20 years, Yaks On The 5 has been a Northern California destination for "foodies," especially those who love one of the best burgers "on the 5..." and maybe anywhere elese. As with all reviews 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: It's about 11:30 in the morning on Tuesday, July 06, 2021, and I've arrived at Yaks On The 5, located in Dunsmuir, CA, to enjoy one of their legendary burgers. Yaks has been serving some of the best burgers in Northern California since 2003, and since then, they have become an icon and a "burger destination" for "foodies" like me who appreciate a superior burger. If the building looks familiar, before Yaks came to town, it was the Hitching Post Restaurant, and the sighnage, along with the "cafe" is still in place after all these years. I had the pleasure to visit Hitching Post Restaurant, back in 1999 and enjoyed breakfast with a co-worker, but I was at work, so I didn't get the opportunity to take photos and post a write-up. Too bad...
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll be greeted with a paper menu, along with a friendly smile. Yaks operates on what I call the "taqueria format" in that you make your selection from the menu, tell the counter host what you want, pay for your order, and then you're rewarded with a number, and when your order is ready, your name will be called. However, at Yaks On The 5, there is a "twist" which I'll talk about in a little bit...
Photo: The dining room at Yaks is long and narrow, but offers lots of tables and tall, "bar type" tables. It's not luxurious, but the dining room is clean, comfortable and inviting. Even as the COVID-19 was winding down, tables were still spaced to allow "social distancing," but nobody was wearing a mask.
Photo: If you prefer to dine outside, the restaurant offers a large shaded area with picnic tables behind the restaurant. There are charcoal grills, as Yaks does catering, and hosts parties outside of the restaurant. If you're a fan of cornhole, you've come to the right place as the game is always happening. The only disadvantage to the patio is there is no direct route from the dining room to the patio, as you have to carry your food outside, go around the back of the restaurant, and find your way to the picnic table of your choice.
Photo: Yaks serves breakfast in the form of their "world famous" sticky buns, which are at the order counter. If you take a peek over the counter, you can see the burger chef at work through the window to the kitchen.
Photo: The first page of the menu is "Yaks Burgers," which is devoted entirely to burgers, cheeseburgers and hamburgers. If you love burgers, you've come to the right restaurant!
Photo: The second page of the menu continues with more burgers, a few selections for kids, bbq, drinks, "wowzers," along with a "teasing" of the 20 rotating local craft beers on tap.
Photo: The amazing friendly order-taker/hostess, Cory, poses at the counter with another diner's order. The "taqueria format" works that when your order is ready, Cory brings it from the kitchen, places it on the counter, and calls your name. You pick your order up from the counter and enjoy your fine meal at the table of your choice.
Photo: Yaks On The 5 uses locally sourced products, and that includes the 20 micro brews on tap. On my request, Cory poured an "Irish IPA," which is brewed locally in Dunsmuir, at the Dunsmuir Brewery Works. Such a delicious beer!
Photo: I say "cheers" as I toast Yak On The 5, Cory, Dunsmuir Brewery Works, and the amazing cheeseburger I'm about to enjoy.
Photo: Meet Cory, my amazing hostess, who delivered my "Bacon Overload," along with the order of optional fries in only about 10 minutes after I placed my order. She was amazing friendly, loved my photos, and treated me like family. Note the "Mr Sizzle" sign she's holding. Previously I mentioned that Yaks operates on the "taqueria format," so after you pay for your order, instead of getting a number, you get a name. My "name" was "Mr. Sizzle," and when she called my "name," I was ready to enjoy my delicious cheeseburger, fries, along with Yak's in-house ranch dressing.
Photo: "Mr. Sizzle" is hungry, but I'm smiling, as Cory took my photo, as I hold my "Bacon Overload" cheeseburger, along with a delicious order of fries. Mmmmmmm.... I chose to enjoy my burger outside on the patio, as I always prefer to dine outside, when the weather permits.
Photo: From the "Yaks Burgers" section of the menu - which is 80% burgers - I ordered the "Bacon Overload" burger, with an upgrade to fries, which I'm goad I did! "Bacon Overload" is listed at the "top" of the menu, and when I'm visiting a new restaurant, I like to start with their "flagship" selection. I wasn't disappointed! The menu describes the "Bacon Overload" burger as, "Jack cheese, bacon crumbles, house-made fried onion strings, house-made ranch drizzle, aioli, onion and tomato." This is a prescription for one of the most amazing burgers that I've enjoyed in many years! Yaks On The 5 prides themselves with locally-sourced ingredients, and the large beef patty, which I'd guess is 1/3 pound, is sourced at Prather Ranch, located about 50 miles north at Macdoel, near the Oregon border. I ordered my patty cooked medium, and it arrived, lightly seasoned and cooked to perfection, as ordered. The delicious beef patty was sandwiched between a toasted and lightly buttered brioche bun. Such goodness! The goodness only begins with the beef and the bun, as the burger included crumbled bacon, lots of jack cheese, aioli, fresh red onion, along with diced tomato. No mustard or ketchup were needed for this amazing burger, as it was drizzled with ranch dressing. All burgers come with a bag of chips, which is "boring," so I paid a dollar extra and upgraded to amazing fries. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND when you dine at Yaks, you upgrade to fries, as the fries were simply amazing! The fries were perfectly deep fried to a tender white inside, and a crispy golden brown on the outside. As a bonus, Corey provided a cup of Yaks in-house-made ranch dressing to dip my fries into, which made for a delicious side dish to an amazing burger. Like my burger and fries, my "Irish IPA" beer was locally sourced, and at the "top" of their every-changing micro brew menu. It was a delicious beer! At $16.96 for the burger, and an extra dollar upgrade to fries, the lunch wasn't cheap, but considering the quality, the locally-sourced ingredients, the amazing flavor, along with the fast, friendly service.... the "Bacon Overload" burger at Yaks On The 5 was a bargain, and is truly a "destination burger" for those who appreciate a superior burger.
Photo: You get a good idea of what's inside the "Bacon Overload," and you get an idea of all of the goodness this fine burger offers. Check out the fries... the presentation was beautiful, but the taste was even better! If you're a "foodie," and you lust to savor one of the best burgers on the planet, Yaks On The 5 is a "burger destination" for you to visit when you're traveling on Interstate 5, in Northern California. The burgers, and the friendly service is so fantastic that Yaks is worthy of a detour from just about anywhere west of the Rocky Mountains. You'll love this amazing burger restaurant! For a superior burger experience, be sure to visit Yaks On The 5, located in beautiful Dunsmuir, CA. Yaks On The 5 Copyright(c) 2021 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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