WOLF by Vanderpump: What You Need to Know Before Visiting

South Lake Tahoe seems to be working on its post-pandemic restaurant scene and has recently opened Wolf by Vanderpump. Wolf by Vanderpump is a restaurant owned by Lisa Vanderpump, a British restaurateur, television personality, author, and actress. Known for her appearances on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” and “Vanderpump Rules,” Lisa Vanderpump has a series of successful restaurants and bars. The newest is Wolf by Vanderpump, located in Lake Tahoe, which features a menu with a mix of modern American and European cuisine, a sophisticated cocktail menu, and Vanderpump’s iconic elegant and quirky decor.

We dined at Wolf by Vanderpump without a reservation on an early Friday night at Harvery’s near Stateline, Nevada.  The restaurant opened at 4:00 pm so we headed over around 3:30 which gave us enough time to find parking in the Harvey’s Casino parking garage.  We headed to WOLF by Vandepump which is on the main casino floor right next to the recently renovated Hell’s Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay.  For those going early, there is always a wait at the opening.  There are TWO separate lines, one for reservations and the other for bar seating.  We got in line and waited about 7 minutes for a table. 

WOLF by Vanderpump Decor

WOLF by Vanderpump is beautifully and uniquely decorated with lots of dark lush fabric, velvet seating, and wolf statues around the room.  Bold chandeliers take ownership of the dining room and large mirrors back the bar area.  We liked that the bar area has plenty of room between chairs and the bar itself is separated which makes it feel cozy even though you might be sitting next to a stranger. 

One thing to note is that if you do not have a reservation via OpenTable, you currently cannot sit at the tables in the dining room, you will be placed at the bar.  The entire two hours we were at the restaurant we saw empty tables all over the place so I’m not sure if that policy will change in the future.

The greenery and wolf accent made this restaurant made it feel more like an upscale forest and is a very stark difference from the drab decor that is prevalent Harvey’s Casino. 

WOLF by Vanderpump Drinks

We ordered the Pumptini and the Vanderpump Mule.  The Pumptini is a sweet martini with hints of berry and citrus. The Vanderpump Mules are their take on a classic Moscow mule.

We also ordered the Jalapeno Strawberry Martini has a bit of a kick and is not for those who dislike spicy drinks. It’s also the drink with the cotton candy on the side and gold flakes.  It’s expensive and decadent but I probably wouldn’t order it again.  The Pumptini just tastes better in my opinion.  The Smoked Manhattan and Espresso Martini were also popular and well-executed.

The drinks are pricey and start at around $18 and go up from there.

WOF by Vanderpump Food

YOU MUST get the goat cheese balls and wolf bread both were absolutely amazing.  The cheese balls aren’t heavy and come with a spicy honey drizzle and coleslaw to cleanse the palette.  The wolf bread is a cheese bread paired with whipped honey butter and a whipped gruyere.  Both were excellent appetizers. 

The Caesar salad was delicious and fresh, although it does come with anchovies on top they are easily removed if you don’t like anchovies. The Smash Burger, made with wagyu beef, was juicy and flavorful. The Heavenly Mac & Cheese was cheesy but a bit lacking in seasoning.

Service: We found most of the bartenders to be friendly and they didn’t mind answering questions about what’s in a drink or explaining a method as they mixed a drink.  I could tell towards the end of our visit they were more harried because the bar is so large and it seemed like there were three bartenders at most manning the entire space.  

So is WOLF by Vanderpump worth a visit? I would recommend at least once for an upscale celebratory dinner or for a bachelorette party meal. Some kinks still need to be worked out, mainly being that you cannot contact the restaurant directly to discuss allergy concerns or parking options.

FAQ’s

Is WOLF kid-friendly?

I would say no even though we saw children in the dining room when we arrived.  I didn’t see a kid menu and the restaurant notes that after 8 pm, the restaurant becomes 21+ only.

How much is to park?

Harvey’s charges $30+ to park in their garage.  The restaurant claims they validate so make sure to check with the hostess desk.

How can I make a reservation?

Head to OpenTable to make an online reservation.