A Lake Tahoe breakfast tradition for more than 50 years

The scene: The 1950s were a huge decade of change for South Lake Tahoe, with the proliferation of casinos on the Nevada side and the creation of the one-chair Heavenly ski resort on the California side. But the main attraction, then as now, was the lake itself, its shore dotted with mom-and-pop motels, vacation cottages and souvenir shops. When the original Red Hut opened here in 1959, South Lake Tahoe was becoming popular but the tourism infrastructure was nascent. The next year the Winter Olympics came, then gambling and golf boomed, and today, most of that Dirty Dancing-era vibe has disappeared, replaced by luxury boutique hotels, multi-million dollar waterfront estates, and large brand-name casinos. The tiny Heavenly ski resort is now the largest in the region with 28 lifts. But one thing remains largely unchanged in the past 56 years – the Red Hut Cafe.

The tiny original still occupies its former doughnut shop location on the California side of town, the parking lot typically jammed and patrons often waiting to get in. Inside is a single square space, with two counters topped with worn black synthetic surfaces, each with just six red-topped chrome stools. In the middle is a block of tables and booths, maybe a dozen in all. Behind one counter is the server's window into a semi-open kitchen, behind the other milk dispensers and blenders, and everything, from coffee pots to the soda machine to racks of mugs, is displayed in plain sight. The walls are covered with children's crayon drawings and old-time area photos. Everything about the Red Hut is quintessential greasy spoon – the kind everyone wants in their town.

The current owners have been at the helm for more than 30 years – and were loyal customers for 20 before that. They have expanded and there are now five Red Huts, three in South Lake Tahoe, and one each in nearby Reno and the state capital, Carson City. The second, 25 years old and on the Nevada side of town, is a near-clone of the original. The newest of the South Lake three, on Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly, is much bigger, a wood timber, stone and glass mountain–style structure that also has an old-fashioned ice cream shop, soda fountain – and substantial Red Hut gift shop....Read the Original Story >