You might think I'm pulling your leg on this one. In our experience, the best food east of the Sierras can be found at the Tioga Gas Mart, near the eastern entrance to Yosemite on US Highway 395, in the town of Lee Vining. You could interpret this as an indictment of all cusine in the area, but it isn't.
A few years ago, chef Tioga Toomey took over the kitchen at the Whoa Nellie Deli and things haven't been the same since. Specialties include my favorite St. Louis Ribs with Huckleberry BBQ sauce, Kansas City Steak Caesar Salad and fish tacos with mango plum pineapple salsa and ginger coleslaw. We gush about it to anyone who will listen and we aren't the only ones,; the New York Times magazine called it "a shockingly gourmet oasis."
If the weather is nice, take your meal to one of the picnic tables out on the patio, where you'll have a view of Mono Lake.
This sounds like a great time I will have to make it an effor tto stop in next time i am in this area.