The Tahoma Market & Deli has been a landmark on Tahoe’s West Shore since 1943 and it’s seen many iterations over the years: roadside lodge, convenience store, and video rental shop. Now, a recent renovation turned this sleepy outpost into a thriving artisan market with everything needed for a picnic outside in Lake Tahoe — beverages, snacks, and, most importantly, a deli counter. The sandwiches give the Tahoma Market its cult-like following. Puffy slabs of white bread are smeared with pesto, or sprinkled with cheddar cheese and jalapeños, baked until golden, and layered with deli meats and cheeses. The building and the market are entirely new, but the sandwiches are the same foot-long classics they’ve been for decades. That’s why locals still call them PDQ sandwiches, a deep cut reference to the old convenience store and the roots of Tahoe’s West Shore community.

Established in 1875, Chamber’s Landing is the oldest waterfront bar and restaurant in Lake Tahoe. The restaurant is quite literally on the water — the bar is located inside a boathouse on a pier — and it’s known for a slushy, boozy cocktail called the Chamber’s Punch, which may actually knock you out in that high-altitude sun. So don’t forget to order a lobster roll or the pulled pork sandwich, alongside that cocktail. Chamber’s Landing is a popular stop-over for those criss-crossing Lake Tahoe by motorboat, sailboat, or the iconic old-timey wooden boat, but it’s easy to access on foot, too. Its location is adjacent to a public beach, also called Chamber’s Landing, on the West Shore.

Fire Sign Cafe is a breakfast and lunch institution on Tahoe’s West Shore, loved by locals and visitors alike for more than 40 years. It’s situated inside a cozy and charming single-story building with wood paneling, a fireplace, and, in the summertime, a sun-drenched patio. The menu serves classic brunch fare, but many of the items have their own tried-and-true variations, such as the veggie eggs Benedict with avocado and tomato, or the Rhonda, a grilled sandwich similar to Fire Sign’s Reuben, but with turkey instead of pastrami. The fresh-squeezed orange juice is tasty, too.

If there’s one person who forged the path for upscale dining in North Lake Tahoe, that would be chef Douglas Dale, who opened his Tahoe City restaurant Wolfdale’s in 1978. More than 40 years later, Wolfdale’s remains one of the top restaurants in the Lake Tahoe Basin, with a seasonal menu that’s anchored by a few mainstay dishes, such as the green Thai seafood stew, the braised lamb shank tagine, or the ahi poke cones. The stunning view of Lake Tahoe just beyond the south-facing windows is the finishing touch.

At Moe’s Original BBQ, smoked meats with finger-licking sauces and fried catfish platters, with a long list of sides to choose from — slaws, potato salad, mac and cheese, baked beans — are the comfort food needed after a long hike or a day on the beach with family. Throw in the lakefront setting, live music in the summertime, and an outdoor patio, and this place is a must for every visit to North Lake Tahoe. Its casual welcoming vibes, plus the full bar with curated beer list, are the reason why Moe’s is a local hangout as much as it is a place for visitors from all over.

The name says it all, really. Drink Coffee Do Stuff is the creation of professional snowboarder Nick Visconti, who, on a snowboard trip to the Swiss Alps in 2012, realized that great coffee is the fuel for good days spent outside. Drink Coffee Do Stuff is a mountain-centered coffee roasting company, meaning they source all their beans from high-elevation growers across the globe and roast their signature sweet, rich coffee at elevation 6,000 feet, in nearby Truckee. Their Incline Village shop — bright and airy, with a convenient location inside one of the main shopping centers in the heart of town — is the original of their three locations.

Après is a ski town tradition typically affiliated with the wintertime, but in Tahoe, it’s a year-round pursuit. Nothing quite caps off a great day of outdoor adventure — be it skiing, biking, hiking, swimming, boating, climbing, and so on — than a crisp brew sipped in the shade beneath towering trees. Alibi Ale Works brews a wide-ranging selection of craft beers with water sourced straight from Lake Tahoe. Alibi’s Incline Public House has more than 18 beers on tap, a menu with pizza, sandwiches, and salads, plus plenty of seating indoors and outside. If the day’s adventure ends in Truckee, Alibi’s Truckee Public House is a great option, too.

The Lone Eagle Grille’s view — beyond the upscale restaurant’s oversized south-facing windows, looking all the way down Lake Tahoe’s nearly 22-mile north-to-south length — makes an unforgettable first impression. But that’s just the beginning. The Lone Eagle Grille more than lives up to its view: Its seasonal menu includes sustainable and humanely raised meats sourced from regional ranches, fresh seafood, and vegetarian options, paired with a highly curated wine list, craft cocktails, and desserts made in-house by the pastry chef. Located at the Hyatt Regency Incline Village, inside the restaurant, the towering stone fireplace creates an intimate and warm ambiance. The Lone Eagle Grille’s perch at the true northern tip of Lake Tahoe is also one of the best vantages for the sunset in the Lake Tahoe Basin.