High Sierra: Highway 395

8 great and cozy spots in famously mountainy and snowy Mammoth Lakes, California

Whether you visit the majestic Mammoth Lakes area in winter or off season, you’ll want a spot to wind down from the mega activities so popular in the area.  Cozy spots--which aren’t always small--are found throughout the town, including at a distillery, a brew pub, and an environmentally-friendly coffeehouse.

landmark mammoth statue at Mammoth Lakes, California

1.  Black Doubt Brewing Co.  

“We don’t brew the same beer twice,” says owner Drew Wallace--a former home brewer.  There’s always a little variation at Black Doubt Brewing Co. because they are always tweaking the recipes.  This nano brewery produces just 120 barrels per year.  The brews are available only here, but it is possible to can a favorite brew on the spot to take home.  I tried a lager, a sour, and their most popular brew--the rich, nutty, and dark Peanut Butter Imperial Stout, which also became my favorite.  No food is served, but patrons are encouraged to bring in take-out and some local restaurants will deliver orders.  Monday night is open mike and very popular with locals, live music is scheduled on some other nights, and kids and dogs are welcome.

tasting flight at Black Doubt Brewing Co. in Mammoth Lakes, California

2.  Bleu Handcrafted Foods  

This large Bleu Handcrafted Foods boutique market offers restaurant and bar service as well as one-stop gourmet shopping.  You can taste California olive oils and vinegars while you view the glassed-in bakery that prepares breads and other goodies like shortbread cookies--all made with 100% organic flour milled in San Francisco.  You can pick up some house-pickled vegetables, deli salads (the Asia noodles and kale-quinoa are particularly delicious), and Fra Mani salami from Berkeley, as well as soups and sauces--all made with quality ingredients, and perfect to pack along for a picnic lunch at Yosemite or a trek to Devils Postpile.  And you can also dine on site.  One delicious lunch for two began here with the soups of the day--a carrot ginger and a steak chili--and continued with a tri-tip steak sandwich on housemade roll.  Drinks were a craft IPA and a glass of rose, and dessert was French-press coffee with beignets.

deli case offerings at Bleu Handcrafted Foods in Mammoth Lakes, California

3.  Devils Creek Distillery  

The entire grain-to-bottle process for this small batch craft distiller is handled on site by the Mendel family.  Bailey, their English black lab, hangs around Devils Creek Distillery offering encouragement.  White Mountain Rum is aged in used zinfandel barrels and in new oak barrels.  “The distillation process is all about leaving things behind,” comments son Clayton.  When I visited in June of 2018, the distillery was on the verge of opening.  The plan is to produce 1,200 gallons per year.  My rye tasting included a spectacular bourbon-bacon chocolate chip cookie.  State law requires that the distillery charges for a tasting.

barrel tasting at Devils Creek Distillery in Mammoth Lakes, California

4.  Mammoth Brewing Company  

Mammoth Brewing Company is the highest-altitude brewery on the West Coast.  Seating options include being tucked away on the main floor by the bar, upstairs in an expansive open room with a tree-line view and sports-tuned TVs, and outside in a giant open-air, semi-sheltered beer garden.  The way to go for first-timers is a flight.  Food is ordered at a counter inside, and options include the Chop Chop Chicken Salad, Damn Good Burger (though they were out of it when I visited), and the Holy $#@& Dog, which I opted for--it was made with kobe beef, over a foot long, and delicious, but I could only eat half.  Everyone raves about the double nut brown porter, and seasonal beers include Cherry Sour in summer.  And don’t forget the house-brewed root beer.  Unfortunately, and unbelievably, I tried none of them and will just have to come back again.  The brewing operation takes place partially outside, and this microbrewery produces 9,000 barrels each year.

beer garden at Mammoth Brewing Company in Mammoth Lakes, California

5.  Mammoth Tavern  

Appetizers and a drink are a great way to go at Mammoth Tavern--think fried chicken sliders, croquettes, warm spinach-artichoke-jalapeno dip--perhaps with a Moscow Mule.  Sandwiches (including a short rib grilled cheese), a popular burger, and both bigger plates (steak, fish, shepherd’s pie) and fondues are also available.  The Weak Wallet Wednesday special might be a salmon filet atop a kale salad plus a white wine or a beer.  The menu changes regularly.  The bar is inviting, and ‘most everyone gets a beautiful mountain view.

bar at Mammoth Tavern in Mammoth Lakes, California

6.  Petra’s Bistro & Wine Bar  

Looking like a Swiss chalet on the outside an assortment of welcoming flags, Petra's Bistro & Wine Bar carries through on the inside with an Old World decor.  Opened in 1972 and named for the owner’s mother, the structure has been added on to through the years.  The accomplished kitchen produces some delicious items.  Starters on the continental menu might include strawberry-arugula salad or cold gazpacho, while salmon filet, coq au vin, and butternut squash ravioli might be among the main courses.  Desserts fall towards the classics--banana cream pie, chocolate mousse.

exterior of Petra's Bistro & Wine Bar in Mammoth Lakes, California

Outside, around the back, and down some stairs, is the subterranean Clocktower Cellar wine bar.   But plenty of beers are on tap, too.  Don’t miss a stint on the outside ski lift chair swing before departing.

bar at Clocktower Cellar wine bar in Mammoth Lakes, California

7.  Stellar Brew  

This popular, cozy little coffeehouse features a cheery atmosphere and rustic decor.  Outdoor seating on a spacious patio is also available.  Former barista Andrea Walker opened it in 2009 when she was in her 20s.  Now a 36-year-old nursing mom with three kids, she manages to oversee her business and run several other enterprises as well.  The motto at Stellar Brew is “where the grateful are fed.”  The organic fair trade coffee is roasted in Bishop, and pastries and sauces are made on site.  And in consideration of the collective good, straws are made from corn starch and compostable.  I loved the giant, coconutty Homestead cookie (see my version of this recipe here), which I paired with an off-the-menu improvised iced hot chocolate, but the breakfast menu also offers an acai bowl, housemade granola, and smoothies.  At 11 a.m., sandwiches and salads join the menu. 

interior of Stellar Brew in Mammoth Lakes, California

8.  Whitebark  

Situated off the lobby of the Monarche resort, the nicely decorated Whitebark restaurant with a warming fireplace features a sushi bar.  Service is good, TVs are in the bar, and good views of the woodsy surrounds are an additional treat.

hotel lobby of Whitebark restaurant in Mammoth Lakes, California

More things to do in Mammoth Lakes.

More things to do in nearby Yosemite.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

images and video ©2018 Carole Terwilliger Meyers