The Lodge at Big Springs

I purchased a Buffalo Chicken salad with Tri Tip and the only good thing about the salad was the tri tip. They only give you 3 pieces, too, for an extra $ 3.75 I believe.
The main problem with this salad was that they literally give you buffalo sauce with a side of salad. 90% buffalo, 10% salad. It makes your stomach curl. And, you want to go back and get it replaced, but you stood in line waiting for the salad for 30 minutes, not wanting to waste any more of your precious day on the slopes.
If there were other options for mid-​mountain food, I would definitely go else where.

At Northstar Ski Resort (mid-​mountain), the Lodge is located to the right after you exit the gondola lifts. The Lodge gets extremely busy during lunch hours so good luck finding a seat during that time. There are a couple of fire-​pits outside that people like to gather around and warm up. Many are taking naps while others are chatting amongst themselves. There are three floors with paid lockers throughout. Bathrooms are located on the bottom floor. There are lots of prepackaged food as well as food from the kitchen.
Menu 12÷7÷2014
~~ Breakfast ~~
Toasted English Muffin: Scrambled Egg and bacon /​Sausage & Cheddar or Pepper Jack Cheese
Breakfast Burrito: 12″ Tortilla, Shredded Cheddar & Jack Cheese, Scrambled Eggs, Home Fries, Sour Cream, Pico de Gallo, Green Chilies & Choice of Bacon /​Sausage /​Sautéed Spinach.
Pancakes: 3 Fluffy Pancakes served w/​warm syrup. Add Blueberries, Chocolate Chips or Pecans
The Groomer: fresh Biscuit w/​Scrambled Eggs, Bacon & Cheese smothered in Gravy and served w/​Home Fries
Joel’s Biscuits & Sausage Gravy
Steel Cut Oatmeal: topped w/​Caramelized Apples
~~ Burgers & Grill ~~
Grilled Chicken Sando: Fresh Herb Roasted Chicken Breast
Buffalo Chicken Sando: Hot Sauce, Blue Cheese & Bacon
California Chicken Sando: Caramelized Onion, Swiss Cheese & Roasted Garlic Aioli
Hot Dog: 100% All Beef 6″/12″. Add Chili & Cheese
1/​3lb Burger: Certified Angus Beef Patty
Epic Mountain Burger: Two ¼lb Certified Angus Beef Patties, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Pickle, White Cheddar w/​Signature Sauce
E3 Triple Epic Mountain Burger: Three ¼lb Angus Beef Patties
Big Springs Burger: 1/​3lb Patty, Caramelized Onions, Swiss Cheese, Bacon, & Dijoaisse on a toasted Pretzel Roll
Asian Braised Pork Sandwich: BBQ Pork, Asian Slaw on a toasted Artisan Roll
Southwest Veggie Burger: Black Bean Burger, Choice of Cheese w/​Chipotle Aioli
~~ Fresh Salads, Wraps, Soups & Baked Potatoes ~~
Caesar Salad: Fresh Chopped Romaine Hearts, shaved Parmesan w/​House Dressing & Croutons
Farmer’s Salad: Baby Lettuce, shredded Carrots, Purple Cabbage, Red Onion, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Chickpeas & Beets
Thai Noodle Salad: matchstick Carrots, Baby Spinach, Cabbage, Broccoli, Red Onions, Cilantro, Soba Noodles w/​Peanut Dressing
Buffalo Chicken Salad: Fried Chicken tossed in Hot Sauce, Romaine, Baby Spinach, Red Onions, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Blue Cheese w/​Ranch Dressing and Bacon
Thai Chicken Wrap: Romaine Lettuce, Shredded Cabbage, Spinach, Carrots, Red Bell Peppers, Grilled Chicken Breast, Coconut Peanut Sauce & Chopped Cashews wrapped in a Herb Tortilla
Loaded Jumbo Baked Potato: Served w/​choice of up to 5 toppings: Northstar Chili, Bacon Bits, Cheddar Jack Cheese, Scallions, Broccoli, Sour Cream, Pico de Gallo, Veggie Chili, Feta or Shaved Parmesan
Beef or Veggie Chili: served w/​Cornbread Muffin
Soup of the Day: served w/​Cornbread Muffin
~~Specialty Flatbread Pizzas ~~ Gluten Free, 8 – 10 min to cook to order
Cheesetarian Pizza: 5 Cheese Blend w/​House Pizza Sauce
Pepperoni Pizza
Meat Lovers Pizza: Cheese Pizza topped w/​Pepperoni, Italian Sausage & Bacon
Hawaiian Pizza: Cheese Pizza topped w/​Canadian Bacon & Pineapple
Green Veggie Pizza: Fresh Pesto, 5 Cheeses, Roasted Garlic, Black Olives, Feta, Red Onion & Baby Spinach
My purchase:
White Chocolate Starbucks Double Shot: ~$ 5.50
Note: Season pass-​holders get 15% off food/​drinks
Yes, I paid around $ 5.50 for a can of Starbucks but that’s to be expected at a ski resort =/​I badly needed the caffeine as I had no sleep the night before. Cashier was the one who told me about the discount for season pass holders and even offered me a Hershey’s kiss. I was surprised how cheery he was. Maybe because it was basically opening day for snow season?
Expect to pay $ 15 – 20 for a meal.

So the food is actually pretty good… Well at least compared to the pizza place in the village. $ 18 – 19 for a cheese burger, fries and drink. Yay resort prices!

It’s a nice place to take a break from the slopes. Seating gets pretty packed during lunch time of course, especially when the game is on: p Their bar drinks are pretty good but like everything else there overpriced, but that’s to be expected. They don’t have a menu for their drinks on the outside patio unfortunately so just know what you want. The inside bar on the other hand has a wide variety to choose from. Unfortunately, I went straight to the bar outside so I didn’t get to try out the concoctions inside, but maybe next time! Their food was alright. not really worth talking about. Like most overpriced foods at resorts. they’re not worth it. I overheard the chili as good? But my friend got it. and it tasted weirdly salty to me. Eh.

It’s 3 stars for the food, but the atmosphere is brutal enough to knock it down to two stars. Basically, it’s split across three levels and a lot of rooms, with narrow and dark stair cases and really low ceilings in the basement. Stairs in ski boots are not so much fun. Overall, it just needs to be completely redone so that the lines for food queue up easier and don’t cause confusion, and so it’s simpler to get from where you buy food to an empty spot to sit.
The food itself is kind… what you’d expect, and no better? Basic burgers, fries, drinks, all a bit overpriced.
Eat at the summit, or at the new Zeyphr Lodge, for better food and less bad seating (still not good at either, but better).

Terrible food. Not even the fries were edible.

I mean, I guess dining is not what one really ventures onto a mountain for… but still, this food is really underwhelming. Fries were soggy, burger was greasy, and it left me feeling sick for like two hours afterwards. My recommendation would be to take a bit more time and venture into the restaurants at the bottom, it will save you a bellyache and probably some dollars as well.

It’s resort food, what else can you say… food that’s a bit more expensive than it can or should be, with the convenience of being right there on the mountain.
Lunch time tends to be crowded with hungry people taking a break from the slopes. The food here is definitely good, it’s just pricey.

Simply stated, the food was cold and expensive. One star for location.

I don’t typically do lodge food if I can avoid it because it’s pretty expensive and usually not very good because it’s all stuff that they have to just be able to heat up. So in this instance, no, I didn’t eat here either. I went and had food a The Village in Northstar, but I do have to say their food looked pretty decent. I did have drinks here and I did enjoy. Pretty big area inside and out but it definitely does get crowded during season.

If you are at Northstar Resort in Truckee, CA and are hungry, I would recommend going to The Lodge at Big Springs, located on the west-​side of Northstar Mountain next to the Big Springs Gondola. The lines usually get long, however I recommend getting their chili-​cheese-​fries– it’s also big enough to share. Steak-​cut fries topped with their house chili and thinly-​grated cheddar cheese is a great combination (usually we’ll get a hotdog as well). Their chili is what takes center stage– Three different kinds of chili beans are used, along with chunks of beef, onions, corn, and the perfect amount of spices; It’s not spicy, however its got great kick and perfect to enjoy when looking to load up on carbs and protein/​fiber without feeling too heavy.
Their chili-​cheese fries is something I would definitely order again, when I’m up on the slopes @ Northstar!
NOTE: During the weekends during busy time (we went the weekend before Valentine’s day), it’s jam packed like a zoo in there, so plan ahead to eat a little early or later than 12. The service can be slow, especially when there’s a ton of people, but their service is always friendly and courteous.
Link to their Menu:
Link to Northstar’s Restauraunts: