Pine Tree Restaurant

The restaurant is part of the Best Western breakfast deal, but I was impressed with their dinner, the the portion sizes and the quality of the food.
The breakfast offered as part of the hotel deal (complimentary) was honestly one of the better that I have had at a Best Western. It was above and beyond anything offered anywhere else, service-​wise and portion-​wise.
Hotel-​goers can also opt to get a breakfast offering from the menu or a special at a discount.
The waitresses are really nice, and the hotel owner is super-​friendly. The service is quick and the food and coffee refills are fast and hot.
The interior is the usual diner/​American Sierra restaurant style decorating: somewhat sparse with beige, country muted rose, dusty blues, moss greens and wreaths, pine cones, bronzes, landscapes of barns, fields, paintings on saws, saw blades, and framed canvases by the restrooms. There is counter seating and lots of booths. The customers were a lot like us, lots of kids dressed in their winter clothes ready to hop into the car to go to Dodge Ridge or take the Ski Bus or to play in the snow, or retired folk having breakfast at a leisurely pace. Relaxed setting, not a lot of rushing here. Outside, the building rests on pillars and interestingly enough, there appears to be a small rivulet of water running underneath it.
Good parking, easy to find. A stone’s throw away (literally) is the Best Western Plus, which I’m covering in a separate review. Thanks for reading.

Very good, right next-​door to the best Western motel which is also a good place to stay. We ate breakfast at this restaurant two days in a row it was very good both days no one had a complaint .
They do have a gluten-​free bread that they will also use for a hamburger bun if requested

One heck of a breakfast special, ate here on our ride up to Reno. It was right in the motel we stayed at. We actually had two meals here and both were just fine. The prices are ridiculously low. The service could of been better, but the waitress was probably in shock when ten guys in biker clothes walked in.

I like there Greek authentic salad they will make if you ask, other food is good. I forgot about the restaurant

Five stars because Stella, the momma, is simply amazing.
I was staying at the hotel for my best friend’s wedding. We were lucky enough to receive complimentary breakfast from the Pine Tree restaurant. I woke up early to get mine because it was going to be a long day. I chose the best one obviously; two eggs, two strips of bacon, toast, coffee, and home fries.
My eggs were just how I like them, over easy. The bacon was also just right. I can’t stand crispy bacon and this was just right. My sourdough toast came buttered. And I love home fries. these also weren’t over cooked.
The service was prompt and everyone was friendly. Stella came by and chatted with me and she even has family in Castro Valley.
Another reason why it gets five stars is because they were nice enough to allow the other girls who had yet to eat, order over the phone, and get it delivered. Stella brought it to the room herself and brought the bride a little bottle of champagne! So thoughtful.
Thanks for everything Stella and Pine Tree restaurant. Next time I visit Tiff and Adam, I’ll be sure to grab another breakfast meal there.

Very nice inside. Good service. Décor is inviting and the entire staff friendly and helpful. I had the morning special and loved every bite.

The restaurant was used as a breakfast place for a hotel we’ve been near Yosemite.
For hotel guests the selection is limited to three menus. I had the oatmeal both mornings we’ve been there and it was good enough.
My girlfriend had the meal with the hash browns and eggs. They were good enough, but not spectacular.

So we came just for food one day and I would never go back. It was way overpriced for the quality/​quantity. We got breakfast food and it was like Denny’s but smaller portions and worse quality than what I could make at home. Also we got a cheesecake slice for like $ 7 and it was the smallest thing I’ve ever seen (like, smaller than my hand and I’m a small person) with no toppings and really not good. As in we each took a bite then literally gave it away to another table because it wasn’t worth finishing. It was busy so maybe that just happened to drive the quality down that day but I’m never one to want to leave a bad review and for me it was that bad I felt I wanted to warn people before they go and have the same experience of feeling like I completely wasted that money.
The one note I do want to make: The staff was great. Or at least the woman who was up front doing the seating and ringing people up was very lovely and kind we very much appreciated her.

This is a coffee shop. The food is «C» quality. The waitresses work work very hard to please. The restaurant works seamlessly until the hostess arrives. She is in the way. Very grouchy to the waitresses. She shows favor to the regulars. The travelers she makes wait, sits them far from her. She is hugs the locals. Spends time with them. Rude is a word I would use. She needs to go. This is a step below Denny’s.

Only a snotty, unappreciative self-​entitled person would give this place anything less than 5 stars. Great food, great wait-​staff and very down-​to-​earth homestyle food. And I’ve lived In San Francisco for 10 years. I will keep coming back to this place when I visit!

We were dubious about this place given the low ratings but we liked this place. Service was friendly and nice by the mature ladies working here. We had breakfast and all of us liked our meals. Scrambled eggs and poached eggs were done right. The bacon and sausages were good. Quite liked the pancakes, it was nicely browned. Overall, it was better than a lot of other small town diners we’ve been to and was happy to come back a second morning!

Great meal, have been here a dozen times since moving close by and it’s great for breakfast and dinner but they clearly shine for breakfast. Love it!

If you’re going for traditional American fare, this is a good place to eat. The staff is super-​friendly and the dining room is always clean. Don’t expect fine dining; that’s not the kind of restaurant it is. Good, satisfying food in good, satisfying portions at reasonable prices.

Not sure what people are rating this place so low for. I’m from Los Angeles and I’m here for work, so I decided to use the coupon my hotel provided me with for breakfast. I didn’t like the choices they gave, so I decided to order the steak breakfast. My choice of ribeye, New York or ranch? Not sure, but I went with the New York. (Picture).
The meal was excellent. Steak was cooked to my order, eggs perfectly sunny, country potatoes were very good.
The service was very good too. I sat at the kitchen and saw all the waitresses in action. They were on top of things, including my coffee refills. They seemed busy but getting business done. The cooks looked like they were in the zone too.
This place caught me off guard, very satisfying. Although not 5 star worthy, I will be coming back tomorrow!

I can understand why this place is not getting more stars and positive review. The food was just okay and nothing I’d come back for. Honestly, If it wasn’t for the free breakfast coupons we got from Best Western Hotel (which is next door), we wouldn’t have come here. It’s your average diner that serves basic diner food like breakfast, steak, sandwiches, Mexican food and etc. The savory food we had was bland, but man their pancakes and Belgian waffles are awesome!
They have the best customer service. Nothing beats the friendliness and sweetness of the servers. They are quick, on top of things and really made us feel welcomed. The place is also very clean. It’s a bit outdated, but it’s clean and didn’t have that old diner smell.
We had.
–Mushroom omelette– Large portion, but bland.
–Hash Browns. They were perfect. Crispy crust. Soooo good!
–Belgian Waffles. Light, Fluffy and the fruit topping and whipped cream is not too sweet.
–Pancakes — They were awesome. Huge, light and fluffy.
–Steak and eggs– meat was cooked right, but very bland. I added tons of salt and pepper.
–Buttered toast — It had way too much butter
–A small side of fruits– Very fresh and delicious
This place gets very busy in the morning so I suggest coming early right when it opens at 6am. At 8am, there’s a line out the door of people mostly guests from the hotel.

I’m seeing some positive reviews recently, so i’ll stipulate that maybe things have changed since my visit about 5 month ago.
But if they haven’t, boy oh boy is this place bad. The place is clean. Prices were reasonable. And the staff was actually really nice. But, when it comes to restaurants, you’re obviously coming for the food, and in the case of Pine Tree, it was just terrible. I was staying at the Best Western, which hands out some coupons for this restaurant. Being my first night in Sonora, and having a free coupon for a beer w/​dinner… I went.
But I won’t be going back.
I’d give this place a 1 Star, but again, the staff was great.

Saw the weighted-​average 2 star and these guys must have changed ownership, because it was FANTASTIC!
Walked in, and the place is super clean — pictures of the owner’s family near the cash register, so you know they value family. They have a business card holder for supporting/​referral businesses in the lobby, so they believe relationships and networking is important.
Awesome salad bar, not a huge selection mind you, but everything we ate was very tasty. In fact, I went back twice, something that rarely happens.
Entrees ordered by my family of 4 included — turkey sandwich, a hamburger, and the popcorn shrimp. All of it was decadent and we were more than satisfied, both in belly volume and taste buds.
Restrooms kept in immaculate condition, even had granite — wow!
Receipt was hand-​written on of those old-​fashioned type receipts. Classy.
Could not believe a place like this exists practically in the middle of nowhere. People need to know about this restaurant.

I am sad this place hasn’t been given better reviews. I am visiting my grandparents and we came here and really enjoyed their food. It was a tiny salad bar, however it was really fresh and delicious. We came after 4pm so dinner was being served and they offered an entrée, salad bar, French bread and dessert (pudding varieties). Everything tasted great and was very reasonably priced. I wouldn’t knock it until you’ve tried it yourself!

If you get the blue slip from Best Western next door for the free drinks or bread pudding, DO NOT CHOOSE BREAD PUDDING. Bleh! I only took two bites and the liquid lemon flavoring was disgusting. Nana’s Old World Bread Pudding should be put to rest. RIP!
The items we ordered were: senior dinner pork chop w/​mashed potatoes and salad bar, senior teriyaki chicken w/​baked potato and salad bar, & the fiesta chicken wrap. Our entrees were great & were served quickly… only strange thing was our neighboring table kept staring at us… made us wonder of they were trying to figure out what planet we were from. LOL

Good thing its free…
…free with a stay at the Best Western. I’m not sure how they’d survive if they didn’t give out so many free breakfasts’.
As you live and you learn, sometimes your second time does do the trick. Our first stop here was on Saturday morning. If I based my visit on this it would be a one star for sure. The food is average diner food, but it lacked any kind of service. The only employee with service seemed to be the (who I think is) owner. A nice older lady, with an accent. The little sister spilled her entire waffle on her lap as she tried to cut it. Pops tried to flag someone down, who happened to be the owner. She came over assessed, brought a towel to help out, and then scooped up the mess with her hand and plopped it down on the plate. Don’t worry, she brought Lil a whole new plate.
However, our server brought the wrong dishes and had our food cooked incorrectly. When you are getting free food, you don’t really complain… we just ate. Somewhat contently, but knowing it was free we didn’t see the need to complain.
Thanks, again, to the BW we had another coupon to use before we checked out. We had our judgments from the day before, so we didn’t care too much. But low and behold, the same staff, but with renewed attitudes. Everyone was friendlier and in better spirits. Literally our same server, but it was like she did a 180 from the day before.
The food is decent, nothing to write home about, but not horrible. I got the same meal twice — the Home Run meal. Bacon was decently cooked, the hash browns were starchy good, the eggs were seasoned well and cooked as ordered. I enjoyed that I was allowed a juice selection and coffee/​tea as well.
We all have our good and our bad days… apparently so does the Pine Tree Restaurant! Go at your own risk. But when its free, I think your risk to benefit ratio will lean towards FREE FOOD!
One for two… that’s only 50%, but in Sonora those odds are pretty good!