Yosemite’s iconic dining room at The Ahwahnee Hotel with its huge windows and high ceilings is making a comeback.
The historic restaurant on the valley floor at Yosemite National Park in central California reopened Dec. 14 for meals.
It had been closed for about 11 months while undergoing a seismic upgrade that would allow it to withstand earthquakes.
But already the reopening is ruffling some feathers on social media as commenters criticized the park’s plans to reopen it with a temporary buffet menu.
The Ahwahnee Hotel (which was temporarily renamed the Majestic Yosemite Hotel during a dispute over trademarked names) was built in 1927. The hotel and dining room are considered a crown jewel of the park, nestled among Yosemite’s massive rock walls.
The property is in the midst of a $31.6 million project paid for by the Great American Outdoors Act. The project involved bracing chimneys and support walls, and replacing window frames and glass in the dining room. The heating and cooling system was also replaced.
The hotel closed for about two months earlier this year.
Reservations for dining are available now via OpenTable.com.
The dining room will be open for dinner daily from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The dinner buffet—which includes prime rib, seafood, salads, and a vegan option—costs $59 for adults and $29.50 for children.
A breakfast buffet will begin Friday, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. It includes eggs, smoked salmon, bacon and more and costs $32 for adults, $14.50 for children.
Kids age 4 and under eat free at both meals.
The Ahwahnee announced the dining room reopening on Facebook recently. Many of the two dozen or so comments groused about the restaurant reopening with a buffet, instead of standard table service where customers place their orders with a server.
Said Victor Tiscornia: “Not reopening in the true tradition of The Ahwahnee. Bring back REAL service, a buffet? Get real. May as well make it McDonald’s at The Ahwahnee.”
The buffet is temporary because the kitchen is still undergoing work, according to Yosemite Hospitality.
The kitchen restoration project is expected to be finished in spring or summer of this year. That’s when the dining room will return to regular a la carte menus and table service using waiters and waitresses.
