Why Reno's Food Scene Is Worth a Road Trip

At Perenn Bakery, tables that spill out onto a sunny sidewalk are filled with locals catching up over towering cinnamon rolls glazed with brown butter, warm chocolate croissants, and fig and brie sandwiches made on golden housemade baguettes. The scene feels like something you’d find in Paris or Copenhagen, but the cafe is in the Midtown district of Reno, Nevada.

Owners Aubrey and Tyler O'Laskey moved from New York to Reno to become private chefs, and eventually started a catering company. The couple, who met while studying at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, originally opened the tiny bread counter and cafe in 2018 as a side hustle. Instead, Aubrey O'Laskey says, “We were shocked to find a line out the door the first day that never stopped.”

Perenn, which now counts three locations (including a grocery that sells gourmet goods and soft serve ice cream), is just one testament to how the northwest Nevada city has transformed in recent years. Once best known for its glitzy casinos, Reno’s thriving tech sector is among several factors drawing an influx of transplants. (Others include a lower cost of living compared to neighboring California and easy access to outdoor pursuits in the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains and Lake Tahoe.) The city’s population has grown by nearly 19% in the last decade, and it’s expected to keep growing. In the process, Reno’s culinary landscape is transforming, too.

“While the casinos’ $10.99 prime rib specials still live on, there’s a vibration of new talent trickling into the city that is contagious and exciting,” says O'Laskey.

Death & Taxes is known for its serious cocktails and extensive whiskey collection. Longtime Reno transplant Ivan Fontana and his wife Sadie opened the chic, low-lit bar in 2013 after noting nothing else like it existed at the time. Nowadays, though, the city “has many hidden gems that are reminiscent of establishments you might find in larger cities that visitors are pleasantly surprised to find in Reno,” he says.

Among them is Pangolin Cafe, where cardamom lattes and other coffee drinks are served with a Turkish delight. Choose among flavors like tart raspberry and vanilla rose — co-owner Travis Sandefur learned to make the gummy treat from a local expert while living in Istanbul. On the buzzy outdoor patio at Estella, the taqueria at the Jesse Hotel, patrons at picnic tables sip mezcal margaritas alongside plates of beer-battered lobster tail tacos. Co-owner Piper Stremmel was born and raised in Reno and, after stints in London and Shanghai, moved back to the city with her husband Chris Reilly. On the heels of opening the six-room boutique hotel in a restored historic building, the couple has thoughtfully renovated a trove of Reno’s beloved old spaces. (Their latest project is the midcentury Best Bet Motor Lodge, which includes the on-premise Reno Sauna Club, a steamy oasis with indoor and outdoor saunas and cold plunge showers.)

At the new Cosmo’s Snack Bar, order wood-fired pizzas topped with options like confit tomatoes and calabrian peppers, paired with natural wine and fresh salads. The burger and fries (in both classic and portobello varieties) at Royce Burger Bar are a community staple. The hip Kauboi Izakaya serves classic Japanese fare like yakitori and gyoza as well as delightful house specialties like the fried rice with duck breast and crackling. Originally from South Korea, TJ and Hani Cho started Arario as a food truck around the same time the Tesla gigafactory (located in the country’s largest industrial park) opened near the city in 2016, and it’s grown into a brick and mortar known for its excellent bibimbap and must-try Kimchee Fries.

These relatively newer establishments join a cherished old guard of classics that includes PJ & Company, an all-day diner serving a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast of corn beef hash and chili cheese omelets. Since 1967, Louis Basque Corner has served family-style staples like oxtail stew and roast lamb (a legacy from a wave of Basque immigrants settling in the city starting in the 19th century).

And some places bridge the gap between old and new. Dive bar Abby’s Highway 40 first opened in 1940, and after buying the bar in 2022, Stremmel and Reilly oversaw a painstaking renovation that preserved its appearance, while adding a few modern touches, like a beautiful backyard. The verdant space is home to a slate of live music and a food truck called Dumpling Queen (inspired by the couple’s time in Shanghai) serving soup dumplings, Dan Dan noodles, and ice cream from the local Biggest Little Creamery in flavors like black sesame and fortune cookies and cream.

“It’s really rewarding to infuse some of Reno’s classic, more historic buildings with new experiences that can connect with both travelers and locals,” says Stremmel.

As enthusiastic as Renoites have been about their city’s evolving culinary landscape, some visitors are still surprised by what they find, says Ivan Fontana. “I think people are finally realizing that Reno is not just a small Vegas.”