Forks Over Foliage: A Foodie’s Guide to Eating Your Way Through the Eastern Sierra Between Fall Colors Stops

I’m the Hungry Mountaineer adventure guide and snack sherpa and I’m here to help you discover, well yes, all the fall colors that the Sierra has to offer but also where to snack. Walk with me through the hiking trails of Mono County and also discover where to eat in California’s Eastern Sierra. Take a break from chasing fall colors at Bishop Creek, North Lake, and beyond. Grab a bite at and discover Highway 395 good food. From pizza in Lone Pine to elk in Mammoth Lakes, this is Anthony Bourdain, the High Sierra edition, foodie guide, Highway 395 foodie guide didn’t know it needed.

Yes, as you drive Highway 395 good food awaits!

You’d think that a region filled with hikers, anglers, and people who can pronounce “acclimatization” before coffee would be crawling with great restaurants. Spoiler alert: it’s not. Somewhere between Lone Pine and June Lake, your options for a decent meal can start to look bleak—like, “Do I want another protein bar or get brave and try gas station jerky?” bleak.

But fear not, weary leaf-peeper. Just because you’re wandering the Eastern Sierra with wind-chapped lips and pine needles in your socks doesn’t mean you have to eat like a survivalist. This rugged stretch of California—where mountain air meets small-town charm and everyone’s Subaru is caked in dust—actually hides a few culinary gems. You just have to know where to look (and where not to stop, looking at you, Copper Top BBQ).

So grab your Pumpkin Spice Latte, your best flannel, and your stretchy pants. We’re road-tripping up Highway 395, from Lone Pine to Mammoth Lakes, in search of good eats, strong coffee, and maybe—just maybe—a salad that isn’t iceberg lettuce in disguise. Between chasing fall colors at Bishop Creek and pretending you’re in a Patagonia ad, you’re going to need carbs. Lots of them.

Lone Pine: Pizza, Elk, and the Spirit of John Wayne

Our first stop, Lone Pine, sits 8,000 feet below the jagged peaks of Mt. Whitney, the crown jewel of the Sierra. This dusty little hamlet is equal parts old Hollywood Western and outdoor athlete recovery zone. You can practically smell the cowboy ghosts and the IcyHot.

Start your carb-fest at Pizza Factory, the official post-Whitney summit food group. The place is perpetually packed with hikers whose faces are half sunburned, half euphoric, and fully covered in marinara. Order the Western BBQ Chicken Pizza—it’s smoky, saucy, and pairs perfectly with altitude exhaustion.

If you’re staying for dinner, do yourself a favor and go full mountain chic at Season’s Steakhouse. Their elk medallions are so tender, they’ll make you question every boring steakhouse you’ve ever been to. Add the blue cheese salad (trust me, I’m a ’90s kid raised on Bob’s Blue Cheese), and you’ll have a meal worthy of all that sweating you did at Cottonwood’s Lakes this a.m.

Stop for a Schatt

You can’t talk Highway 395 without mentioning Schat’s Bakkery in Bishop—the carb capital of the Eastern Sierra. Their jalapeño cheese bread could single-handedly end most world conflicts. It’s full of carbs, spicy, and exactly what you want to shove in your face after a crisp fall color-filled morning hike at Bishop Creek.

As a person who has a real issue with gluten, I don’t inhale baked goods very often. When I do give in to everything yeast, sugar and gluten, I expect it to be high quality. I think I’m just not a fan of the Dutch style of baking, sorry Sem, but Dutch Butter Brickle Cookies are just not my thing.

Now, everyone raves about their sandwiches: I’ve had better. You could grab fancy meats and cheeses from Grocery Outlet and make something twice as good at half the price. Still, I’ll give credit where it’s due—Schat’s chocolate cannolis and milk chocolate honeycomb are worth every glutenous regret.

Rock Creek Grill: The High-Altitude Hidden Gem

At 9,700 feet, Rock Creek Grill is where mountain food dreams come true. Owned by the same family for decades, this place turns smoke into art. Their secret weapon? Locally made Miller and Son’s BBQ Sauces.

Their BBQ bowls are legendary. It doesn’t matter what protein you pick—the real magic is the combo of their honey mustard dressing and house coleslaw. I’ve actually taken their dressing home in my cooler, which says a lot because I don’t even like honey mustard. (Rock Creek Grill changed me.) They even make a killer housemade bean burger that’s vegan-approved, which is practically a miracle at this altitude.

Skip the Hype: Copper Top BBQ Isn’t It

I know, I know. You saw Copper Top BBQ on Food Network. You saw the line stretching into next week. You thought, “This must be amazing.” Wrong.

Their barbecue is fine—if “fine” means “overhyped and under-seasoned.” Instead, keep driving 24 more miles north to Holy Smoke BBQ in Bishop, where they serve actual Texas-style barbecue that’s smoky, spicy, and topped with a ghost pepper sauce that’ll make your taste buds see Jesus.

Pro tip: grab some brisket to go and take it back to your Silver Lake Campground fire pit. Roast up a few potatoes, drown them in ghost pepper sauce, and add a hunk of smoked Barron gouda from Grocery Outlet. It’s camping cuisine that would make Gordon Ramsay weep.

Mammoth Lakes: Elk, Poke, and a Beer Garden Break

It’s October. You may be under the golden aspens of the Eastern Sierra, but your heart can be day drinking in a beer garden in Munich. By the time you roll into Mammoth Lakes, you’ve earned a hot shower and a real meal that doesn’t involve camp food. Start at Austriahof, the cozy German restaurant that’s weirdly known for its poke salad. Yes, poke at a German restaurant. No, I can’t explain it. But trust me—it’s chef’s kiss.

If you’re more of a carnivore, the rack of elk will absolutely ruin you for regular beef. Wash it down with an Elderberry Sour from Mammoth Brewing Company, preferably while sitting in their outdoor beer garden pretending you’re at Oktoberfest in the Alps. When it comes down to Highway 395 good food, you need a great beer to wash that down and Mammoth Brewing Company has you covered.

Need a grab-and-go picnic for a leaf-peeping hike through McGee Canyon? Swing by Bleu Market and Kitchen, where everything is organic, locally sourced, and priced like it’s flown in from Paris. Pick up some artisan meats, fancy cheeses, and one of their housemade salads to eat trailside while judging everyone who didn’t pack lunch this well.

Carbs; Because vacation

Let’s face it; You hiked twenty miles in the cold this week. Also, you are on vacation. Put down the treeking poles and pick up extra ranch to go with these legendary pizza rolls. If you’re craving comfort food, John’s Pizza Works in Mammoth Lakes is your carb haven. Order the pepperoni rolls, which are basically little spirals of molten meaty happiness. I’ve burned the roof of my mouth every single time, and I regret nothing.

Highway 395 good food doesn’t have to be fancy. You may be on vacation but perhaps you are staying attentive to your healthy dietary needs. I’m not going to lie, in a pinch and a hurry, I have been known to stop for a quick and spicy El Diablo protein burger from Carl’s Jr in Bishop but there are better options throughout the high Sierra than this keto favorite!

The Looney Bean & Bishop Grocery Outlet

Every good Eastern Sierra foodie road trip ends with caffeine and snacks. Grab a Pumpkin Spice Latte from The Looney Bean in Bishop or Mammoth, because you’ve earned it (and because pretending you’re not basic is exhausting).

Before heading home, stop at Grocery Outlet for all your charcuterie cravings. This place is an unsung hero for hikers and snackers alike—think Barro County aged gouda, mole-smoked sausages, pumpkin tortilla chips, and salt & vinegar pumpkin seeds so addictive they should come with a warning label. These little flavor bombs have fueled me through more than one fall hike at Bishop Creek and Sagehen Meadows.

Calories Don’t Count at 10,000 Feet

Whether you’re hiking for miles through the fiery aspens of Bishop Creek or just leaf-peeping from your car with crumbs on your lap, remember this: calories burned in the fall colors of the Eastern Sierra are automatically forgiven.

So eat the pizza. Order the elk. Get that second sour beer. You’re chasing fall colors, not a diet plan—and honestly, you can’t leaf-peep properly on an empty stomach.