Basecamp Pizza in South Lake Tahoe ranks #4 in National Yelp survey

No matter how you slice it, Yelp reviewers dished up mountains of praise on South Lake Tahoe’s Base Camp Pizza Co., ranking the eatery fourth out of 50 “Daytime Hot Spots” nationwide in a user-generated survey of places to drink and dine.

The gourmet pizza restaurant located in the heart of The Shops at Heavenly Village is known for its outdoor seating, daily live music, fire pits, patio area with corn-hole games, craft beer selection, and popular Thai curry pizza. It won over customers who turn to Yelp when looking to enjoy food, drinks and sunshine in a relaxed setting, according to Nightclub & Bar Media Group, which sanctioned the Yelp survey.

Nightclub & Bar is a nationwide trade website made up of independent bar, nightclub and restaurant owners and operators. Yelp.com is a popular crowd-sourced website and app that publishes reviews about local businesses. Yelp identified businesses throughout the country that received a significant amount of reviews praising the establishment as a spot to visit in the daytime. Those businesses were ranked based on both total volume and ratings of reviews, giving more weight to recent posts. Using this an indicator, Yelp leveraged their local experts to determine the top 50. The list featured restaurant and bar hotspots in New York City, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Portland and Fort Lauderdale. Base Camp Pizza has also received coverage in major travel outlets like Huffington Post.

“We are a casual, family friendly, dining and drinking spot with a philosophy built around amazing food, excellent live music and over the top service,” said restaurant managing partner Ted Kennedy. “We are in the people business. We just happen to sell amazing pizza and have incredible live music. We strive to be a place for locals and visitors to come and enjoy all for a great value.”

The restaurant offers an array of appetizers, dips, garlic chips, pastas, salads, and pizzas also with gluten free options. Popular pies include the Base Camp Pizza with pepperoni, Italian sausage, roasted peppers, onions, and portabella mushrooms or the Thai Curry with sweet curry sauce topped with roasted chicken, crisp yellow bell peppers, fresh tomatoes, red onion, and mascarpone cheese topped with fresh lime, basil and cilantro.

“Base Camp Pizza is a key part of Heavenly Village experience for our guests and we congratulate them for earning this National ranking,” said Gary Casteel, Jr., of Trans-Sierra Investments, Owner/Operator of The Shops at Heavenly Village. “They are one of many businesses adding energy to the Village. We’re at 100 percent occupancy and continue to offer the best mix of locally owned retail and dining as well as brand retail and dining, and entertainment. It is definitely one of the best places to be in South Lake Tahoe.”

Among comments from Yelp users:

“By far the best pizza I have ever had!” writes Chris H. of Manhattan, New York on June 18, 2015. “Great place that is always packed, which is a good thing. Sitting outside is always great watching the live bands. I visit this place every time I am in Tahoe and will continue the tradition.”

“The thing that sets this place from the rest is the ambiance,” said Richard B. of Sacramento in an Aug. 16, 2015 review. “It's popular, it's hip, it's affordable. I came in on a Sunday just trying to satisfy my appetite but I got more than what I asked for. They had a live band playing on Sunday evening…the band was great, eating delicious pizza, listening to good music, and having a beautiful date, I don't know what more I could have asked for on a Sunday evening.”

The owners of Base Camp Pizza have extended their successes recently with two new restaurants at The Shops at Heavenly Village — Azul Latin Kitchen, which opened in 2014 and California Burger Company, which opened this summer. The three restaurants are all located in the Shops at Heavenly Village, 1001 Heavenly Village Way, South Lake Tahoe. The center provides residents and visitors opportunities to dine, shop, relax and close proximity to outdoor recreation, nightlife, gaming and entertainment at the casinos across the state line in Nevada.