Guests staying at Ledgestone Suites Hotel Elko have plenty of options, whether you’re looking for a big Basque dinner after a day on the road, an old-fashioned breakfast before heading out, or something completely different. Here are 10 local restaurants worth knowing about during your stay.

1. The Star Hotel & Bar

Best for: A classic Elko Basque dinner

If you’re visiting Elko for the first time and want a meal that feels connected to the destination, The Star Hotel & Bar belongs near the top of your list.

The Star traces its history to 1910 and remains one of Elko’s best-known Basque restaurants. The dining experience reflects the boardinghouse traditions that became an important part of Basque-American culture in Nevada.

Dinner here is about more than ordering an entrée. Basque meals are traditionally generous and communal, with multiple accompaniments arriving at the table alongside substantial choices such as steak, lamb and seafood.

The old-school atmosphere is part of the experience. This isn’t a restaurant trying to recreate historic Elko for tourists. The Star has been part of the community for generations.

If you only have time for one distinctly Elko meal, this would be a strong choice.

Address: 246 Silver St, Elko, NV 89801
Phone: (775) 738-9925
Website: elkostarhotel.com

2. Luciano’s

Best for: Italian food, date night and a more polished dinner

Luciano’s has long been one of Elko’s go-to choices when the occasion calls for something a little more polished.

The downtown restaurant specializes in Italian-inspired cooking, with pasta, seafood, steaks and other substantial entrées accompanied by a full-service bar and wine selection.

It’s a particularly useful restaurant for couples looking for a date-night option or business travelers who want somewhere appropriate for dinner with colleagues or clients.

Luciano’s also provides a nice contrast to Elko’s Western steakhouses and traditional Basque restaurants. If you’ve already had a couple of hearty meat-and-potatoes meals during your trip, an evening built around Italian flavors can be a welcome change.

Address: 351 Silver St, Elko, NV 89801
Phone: (775) 777-1808
Website: lucianosnv.com

3. Toki Ona

Best for: Basque food with plenty of choices

The Star isn’t your only opportunity to experience Elko’s Basque heritage.

Toki Ona has been serving the community since 1990, combining Basque specialties with familiar American dishes. That makes it an especially good introduction for groups where some diners are eager to explore regional food while others would rather stick with something familiar.

Baked lamb is one of the traditional Basque choices, while steak, seafood and other substantial dishes round out the menu. Toki Ona is also open for breakfast, giving visitors an opportunity to encounter Basque influences earlier in the day.

If you’re interested in the local drinking culture, you’ll probably notice Picon Punch on the menu. This bittersweet cocktail has become closely associated with Basque communities throughout northern Nevada.

Come hungry. Generous portions are very much part of the experience.

Address: 1550 Idaho St, Elko, NV 89801
Phone: (775) 778-3606
Website: eattokiona.com

4. Odeh’s Mediterranean Restaurant

Best for: Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food

Odeh’s is one of the restaurants that demonstrates how much variety is hiding behind Elko’s reputation for steaks and Basque food.

This family-operated restaurant specializes in homemade Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes prepared with fresh vegetables, meats and traditional seasonings.

The menu provides plenty of alternatives to heavier steakhouse meals, with Mediterranean favorites alongside meat, vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and keto-friendly choices.

That versatility makes Odeh’s especially helpful when you’re traveling with people who have different dietary preferences.

It’s also a good example of a restaurant that doesn’t need an elaborate setting to be memorable. The focus is squarely on fresh, flavorful food.

Address: 282 11th St, Elko, NV 89801
Phone: (775) 777-0847
Website: odehsmediterraneanrestaurant.com

5. McAdoo’s

Best for: Breakfast, brunch and coffee

Not every memorable meal in Elko needs to involve an enormous steak.

McAdoo’s has built a following as a breakfast and lunch destination, making it a useful stop before a day of sightseeing, driving or outdoor adventures around northeastern Nevada.

The atmosphere feels more contemporary than an old-fashioned roadside diner, while the menu covers the kind of breakfast and lunch food travelers actually want in the morning. Egg dishes, breakfast sandwiches and other café favorites make it easy to fuel up without committing to a lengthy meal.

If you’re someone who would rather start the morning with good coffee and a thoughtfully prepared breakfast than a giant buffet, McAdoo’s is worth putting on your list.

6. Coffee Mug

Best for: Classic diner breakfast and homestyle food

For the other side of Elko breakfast culture, there’s the Coffee Mug.

The restaurant originally opened in 1987 and has the comfortable feel of a longstanding local diner. Breakfast is a major part of its identity, with pancakes, omelets, breakfast combinations and hearty plates alongside homemade gravies.

Unlike breakfast-only cafés, the Coffee Mug also serves lunch and dinner. Burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads, pasta and traditional dinner entrées make it an easy option when you’re traveling with a family that can’t agree on what everyone wants.

There’s nothing particularly complicated about the experience, and that’s precisely the point. Sometimes you want a locally owned restaurant where you can sit down to eggs, potatoes and coffee without turning breakfast into an event.

Address: 576 Commercial St, Elko, NV 89801
Phone: (775) 738-5999
Website: coffeemugelko.com

7. Ogi Deli

Best for: Lunch and a different take on Elko’s Basque heritage

Ogi Deli offers a more casual way to explore Elko’s Basque influence.

Located in a restored historic building downtown, the restaurant specializes in handcrafted Basque and American sandwiches, salads and pintxos, the small bites associated with northern Spain’s Basque Country.

That makes Ogi particularly appealing at lunchtime. Rather than sitting down for the full family-style Basque dinner experience, you can encounter some of the same culinary traditions through a sandwich made with Basque cheese, peppers or seasonings.

The menu also features Basque desserts, including Basque cheesecake and Gateau Basque.

If you’re interested in Elko’s Basque culture but only have time for lunch, Ogi Deli is an excellent addition to your itinerary.

Address: 460 Commercial St, Elko, NV 89801
Phone: (775) 753-9290
Website: ogideli.com

8. Garibaldis

Best for: Mexican food and seafood

Garibaldis brings another completely different flavor to the Elko dining scene.

The restaurant’s roots stretch back to a family restaurant business established in Idaho before expanding to Elko. Its menu covers Mexican favorites such as enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, burritos and sizzling fajitas, but seafood is one of the areas where Garibaldis really distinguishes itself.

The seafood menu includes dishes incorporating shrimp, octopus, crab and other ingredients, making this a good choice for someone looking beyond the usual combination plates.

There are still plenty of familiar options for less adventurous diners, which makes Garibaldis useful for groups and families.

Address: 1830 Idaho St, Elko, NV 89801
Phone: (775) 753-9122
Website: garibaldiselko.com

9. Machi’s Saloon & Grill

Best for: Burgers, drinks and a casual downtown dinner

Sometimes after a long day of traveling, you don’t want a culinary adventure. You want a burger, a cold drink and somewhere comfortable to sit.

Machi’s Saloon & Grill fills that role nicely.

The downtown restaurant combines the atmosphere of a Western saloon with a casual American grill. Burgers, sandwiches and other familiar favorites make it an easy dinner choice when you’re more interested in relaxing than studying a menu.

The saloon atmosphere also feels appropriate in a northeastern Nevada town where ranching, mining and Western culture remain important parts of everyday life.

It’s a particularly good choice for an informal night out with friends.

10. BJ Bull Bakery

Best for: A quick breakfast, bakery stop or something to take on the road

Travel days don’t always leave enough time for a sit-down meal, which is where BJ Bull Bakery earns its place on this list.

The locally owned bakery is a convenient stop when you want something you can eat immediately or bring along for later. It’s particularly handy before setting off on a road trip through northeastern Nevada, where your next meal might be farther away than expected.

Rather than treating every breakfast or lunch as a restaurant occasion, stop by the bakery, pick up something that travels well and get on with your day.

That’s also useful for guests spending several days in Elko for work who want an alternative to another sit-down restaurant meal.

Address: 208 Idaho St, Elko, NV 89801
Phone: (775) 738-0606
Website: bjbullbakery.com

What Should You Eat While Visiting Elko?

If you’re only in town for a night or two, we’d prioritize something you aren’t likely to find in every destination.

• For the classic Elko experience: The Star Hotel & Bar
• For Italian and date night: Luciano’s
• For another traditional Basque meal: Toki Ona
• For Mediterranean food: Odeh’s
• For a contemporary breakfast: McAdoo’s
• For an old-fashioned diner breakfast: Coffee Mug
• For a casual taste of Basque culture: Ogi Deli
• For Mexican food and seafood: Garibaldis
• For burgers and drinks: Machi’s Saloon & Grill
• For a quick bakery stop: BJ Bull Bakery

Why Basque Food Is Such a Big Deal in Elko

Visitors sometimes arrive in Elko surprised to find Basque restaurants playing such a prominent role in the city’s food culture.

The connection goes back generations. Basque immigrants from northern Spain and southwestern France came to the American West, with many finding work as sheepherders. Boardinghouses became important gathering places where workers could find lodging, companionship and large communal meals.

That history remains unusually visible in Elko.

Restaurants such as The Star and Toki Ona preserve the family-style dining tradition, while places such as Ogi Deli offer a more contemporary interpretation of Basque flavors.

You’ll also encounter dishes and drinks that may be unfamiliar if you’re visiting from another part of the country. Baked lamb is a recurring specialty, while Picon Punch has become a signature cocktail of Nevada’s Basque-American communities.

You don’t need to understand the history before dinner, but knowing a little about it makes the meal much more interesting.

Make Eating Local Part of Your Elko Stay

Elko is the kind of place where choosing an independent restaurant can tell you considerably more about the destination than stopping at a familiar highway chain.

You can eat in a Basque institution that’s been part of town for more than a century, have breakfast at a local diner, grab a Basque-inspired sandwich downtown, or switch things up completely with Mediterranean, Italian or Mexican food.

Guests at Ledgestone Suites Hotel Elko also have fully furnished kitchens in their suites, which gives you some flexibility during longer stays. Bring restaurant leftovers back for lunch, pick up something to go, or prepare your own meal on nights when you don’t feel like dining out.

But make sure at least one dinner takes you into Elko itself. The city’s Basque restaurants in particular aren’t simply places to eat. They’re part of a regional culture that has helped shape northeastern Nevada for generations.