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Today I am going to profile The Warming Hut, located at 343 Old Mammoth Lakes Rd in Mammoth Lakes. The Warming Hut serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner made with fresh ingredients right there in house. It is family owned with friendly staff and is a great spot for any occasion – I especially love it après ski.
The Quick Details
Hours: Everyday: breakfast/lunch 9:00 am-3:00 pm, dinner 5:00 pm-8:00 pm.
Happy Hour: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm daily, drink specials and a limited snack menu.
Events: Once a month “Not Your Grandma’s Bingo Night” to benefit a local charity.
Kid Friendliness Level: Has highchairs, a kid’s menu with games and crayons, and a real change table in the bathroom.
Dog Friendliness Level: Dogs are welcome on the patio.
Vegetarian options: The regular menu has many vegetarian options.
Gluten Free options: GF dishes are available and are noted on the menu.
Drinks: Great coffee/warm drinks, wide selection of beverages available.
Price point: breakfasts range from $8 to $18 with a “do it yourself” corner; lunches range from $10 to $18; and dinners range from $15 to $40.
Parking: There is a parking lot, but it fills up quickly. You can park across the street.
Reservations: Call to make a reservation - 760-965-0549.
Ability to accommodate large parties: I would call ahead for a large party.
Take out available.
The Experience
I think everyone I know in Mammoth has a go to on Warming Hut’s menu. It is that good; you try something once and go bonkers, and then it becomes your thing at Warming Hut. And if you go enough, the staff will remember your order too.
My most recent visit to Warming Hut was for lunch with a girlfriend, just us girls. No husbands and no kids. We sat on the outdoor patio, which is lovely. Many of Mammoth’s decks are known for not being sunny, either in the shade of tall pines or the shadow of a mountain, but somehow the patio at Warming Hut always has bright sun. It is a treasure on a nice day, including this day. The patio allows dogs, and they have water bowls spread out between tables.
The indoor dining area is divided into two rooms, the front dining area that is large and spacious with plenty of big tables, and the back room with a bar, TVs that play surf and ski videos, and high-top tables. Warming Hut has local art on the wall that is for sale, and they also sell bottles of Jake’s Vermont maple syrup that they serve with their breakfast dishes. I will note that the women’s bathroom has a real, sturdy changing table for babies, not one of those folding down ones that make me nervous every time - especially as my child gets older and squirmier. It is a small thing that makes a huge difference for Mamas.
I always order the Hot Vanilla, which is like a hot chocolate but is vanilla flavored. It comes is a big mug with a load of whipped cream that makes the kid in me giddy. But today I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried the Butter Coffee because it always intrigued me. It is coffee mixed with butter and MCT oil, which I had to look up. MCT oil is a healthy fat that is quick to break down and turn into energy and may have detox benefits. The result was a warm and creamy coffee that may rival my hot vanilla obsession. My friend ordered an Arnold Palmer that came in a tall glass with a personal sized carafe on the side for refills. A very nice touch.
My go to on the lunch menu is The Surfside Sandwich, which is a generous portion of seared ahi tuna on a brioche bun with sprouts. I have a coworker who swears by the ahi tuna salad, which is probably also amazing, but I can’t deviate from the sandwich version. It comes with a jalapeño-wasabi cream sauce and a squirt of lemon that just rocks. It isn’t spicy, which can go either way for people, so fair warning. I always get sweet potato fries for a side, but I know the soups are a delicious option too.
My friend’s go to order is the Chicken B.L.A.T. salad, except she substituted steak for the chicken. B.L.A.T. is of course smoked “B”acon, romaine “L”ettuce, “A”vocado, and “T”omato with a house made ranch dressing. It is a big salad with lots of fixin’s, one that will leave you full. She loved it. Throughout our lunch, our waitress provided quick service but at no point rushed us – a couple of gossiping ladies enjoying their break in the day.
If you are looking to end sweet, Warming Hut serves Pie in a Jar, made by the local bakery Dessert’d. These are homemade pie layers baked in a mason jar topped with ice cream. Every day they have a few different types of pies to choose from. If you have room, go for it.
This is not relevant to the quality of ingredients or the friendly service, but in the front window of Warming Hut there is a clever neon sign that reads vertically "NOPEN." When they are closed, it reads "NOPE" and when they are open it lights up "OPEN." Every time I drive by I read the sign and it makes me chuckle.
Warming Hut is a fun, casual, and delicious place to choose whether it is a work date, friend date, family date, or actual date. As always, please comment with any questions, thoughts, or your own experiences.