The Ahwahnee Bar

  3.8 – 203 reviews   • Bar

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This stylish, stone-lined bar in the historic Ahwahnee Hotel offers elevated pub plates & cocktails.

The Ahwahnee Bar 95389

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Reviews

KHAIE
We dined at The Ahwahnee Bar on our last night staying at The Ahwahnee, and I’m so glad we did. We were originally just going to head to Curry Village, but after the disappointing experience the night before at Mountain Room Lounge, we wanted something better and we found it right here.

What surprised us most is that we had no idea The Ahwahnee Bar actually serves food. My girlfriend took a quick walk and happened to pass by the bar, overhearing the host mention that the wait time was over an hour. She immediately put our names down and texted me from the room, what a lifesaver! The bar isn’t very big, hence the long wait, so definitely check in with the host early if you’re planning to eat here.

The Ahwahnee Bar carries the same iconic charm as the rest of the hotel: warm lighting, rustic-elegant woodwork, historic touches, and that classic Yosemite lodge ambiance that instantly relaxes you. It feels intimate, cozy, and timeless, the kind of place where you could sip cocktails for hours. The decor blends lodge charm with understated luxury, creating a mood that feels both upscale and wonderfully unpretentious.

Their menu is small, but surprisingly perfect, especially for a pescatarian like me. And the cocktails here are outstanding! I ordered quite a few throughout our 4-day stay (no shame!) and every single one was excellent. Service remained impressively fast and efficient, even with how busy they were all night.

We were a party of 5 and ordered:

Gathered Greens Salad with shrimp – This was my dish. Simple, clean, and exactly what I needed. Very happy with it.
Black Bean Puree Soup – Not for me. It’s giving thick black bean dip than a soup. My boyfriend happily finished it for me.
Half and Full Racks of Ribs – Enjoyed by the other four in our group. Huge portions with leftovers to take back to the room.

Pro Tip:
Whether you’re staying at The Ahwahnee or just visiting, put your name on the waitlist early. The bar fills up quickly and seats are limited. But once you’re in, it’s absolutely worth it, especially if you can’t snag a reservation at The Ahwahnee Dining Room.

If you’re looking for a cozy, delicious, and slightly underrated dining option inside Yosemite, The Ahwahnee Bar is a fantastic choice!
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Edmund Lee
Very busy, but most customers wanted a drink for outside the patio. We were seated at the bar immediately. Bartenders were extremely busy, but took care of us shortly. We had a shrimp cocktail, meatballs, blond ale and a cocktail. Wonderful stop before the ride home!
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Ji Lee
After a long day, we came to the bar to get some food and drinks because the dining room is reservation only for overpriced food.
The host, Garrett said that we can only get drinks, and cannot order to go food, and did not mention a waitlist. He suggested that we go to the village store or eat at the sweet shop because there would be NO way we would be eating at the bar tonight.

Then we overheard Garrett tell the man directly behind us that he would put him on the waitlist because he “seemed cool”.
A few moments later, a black man asked if there is a waitlist which Garrett replied no.
As people continued to come in, he picked and chose which people he wanted to put on the waitlist, which the pattern I saw was white people on the waitlist and people of color – no waitlist.

As we were getting our drinks, we saw 2 white ladies get seated at the bar. I asked Garrett why he sat those two ladies and not us? He replied that he didn’t see the seats open (there was a total of 6 seats open at bar). Isn’t that the job of the host, to see if there is open seating? He did not tell us open bar seating.

He started apologizing and acknowledged he overlooked us and then put us on this magic waitlist and said it was 1.5 hour wait. He said he was only doing it for us and told everybody else no.

He also rejected a family with 3 children, didn’t offer waitlist or to-go orders.

We waited outside the bar for our name to be called. After several people didn’t show up for their reservation, we were seated after 20 minutes. We saw multiple white people leave with to-go food orders after we were told there were no to-go orders allowed.

After we were finally called and seated, we noticed that half of the bar had empty tables and empty seats at the bar, and the “cool guy” had already been seated and got their food.

After I got seated, I went to the restroom and Garrett happened to be walking in front of me. He walked over to the dining area to tell his friends that he was off in 10 minutes. He proceeded to leave the host area several other times, called somebody on the rotary phone. He seemed to be doing everything BUT his job to seat people (unless you are white and cool).

The bartenders were great, if it was service based on bartenders they would get 5/5 but Garrett’s service was based on how cool you are and made up this waitlist whenever he wanted to get people on it. We faced discrimination and only apologized for it when I confronted him about it.

This was the tip of the iceberg, there were several other things that happened at the Awahnee during our time here that were very odd, like an employee carrying romaine lettuce against her clothes from dining room to bar, uncovered.

We shared our experience with the manager at front desk, which he proceeded to do nothing about and told us that we can write a review online and somehow the dining manager will see it.
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Richard P
Short rib melt was delicious. The tomato shallot jam was a great addition. The pretzels were great too. Also, try the vegetarian chili – a little bit of a kick, and flavorful too. Incredible old fashioned; they really know how to make it!
Patricia was our server. Kind and attentive. We really appreciate her.
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Stephen Lam
This is a nice place to have a drink or get a quick bite in a relax comfortable setting. The service is very good. We had an excellent lunch here before setting out to the Mirror Lake. The food quality is good and at a premium price. We enjoyed the overall service, food and atmosphere very much. We’ll be coming back every time we come to Yosemite.
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Nelda White
We dropped by for a cocktail and light lunch. The Ahwahnee Bar is beautiful and the staff kind and thoughtful. Service was delightful and care was taken to help with menu changes to suit our needs. Ambience beautiful with the snow capped trees out of the tall windows. The lounge areas in the hotel have cozy fireplace seating and is very inviting.
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Florida Sunshine
They are not serving food at the bar at this time. Debby was a fun server. She’ll get what you need. They should really consider opening at 3:00pm. People arrive early before check in, so it would be nice if they could grab a drink while they wait for their room.
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Forrest “The Nordic Reviewer” Bloxham
Drinks and food are top-notch. The ambience and old feel make us want to talk for hours as we enjoy our beverages and delicious treats. Definitely a must do if you visit the valley floor. You won’t be disappointed
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Roman Rios
As a connoisseur of high-end spirits, nothing makes me more disappointed than going to a super high-end place and having a selection of just mediocre spirits. This is a great bar with great food. Rather small menu, the drinks they did make were great. Unfortunately, the selection of alcohol is just mediocre. All they have to do is get a few things that are slightly out of reach for most people. And that would satisfy any decent connoisseur. Amazing view,great service. Great place to be just get better spirits. Please, including one that’s so far out of reach that Most people wouldn’t buy it. side note. Everybody has the Louie, It has to be something other than a congac. Still a must stop destination for a nice hot drink.
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Joseph Sutorus
The Ahwahnee Bar was a fantastic find! I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of good food on the menu, especially since it wasn’t just the usual burger fare. Every dish I tried was delicious, with great flavors and quality ingredients. The drinks were equally impressive, perfectly complementing the meal. What really stood out was the cozy atmosphere—comfortable seating in a relaxed setting that made it easy to unwind and enjoy the experience. The prices were quite reasonable, too, especially considering the quality of both the food and service. I’ll definitely be coming back the next time I’m in the area.
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