Eat Near Chester and Lake Almanor

Water And Ice Safety: read this before you go

Visit Plumas, Plumas County’s visitor guide, lists restaurants in Chester by Main Street address and more around Lake Almanor and Canyon Dam. The listing prints no hours, so this page gives names and addresses and tells you to call ahead; Chester is also the fuel stop the National Park Service names for Lassen’s southwest entrance.

Checked November 3, 2026

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13Chester and Lake Almanor listings on Visit Plumas
1 hr 35 minChico to Chester, our Chester page
Main StWhere most Chester listings sit
0Hours printed by the listing

Read this first: the hours, fees, rules and closures on this page were taken from the sources named beside them; we read those sources on November 3, 2026. The Visit Plumas dining page (plumascounty.org redirects there) and the National Park Service Lassen directions page. This is not legal, medical or safety advice. They change, so check the agency or business named before you rely on them. Anything we could not read is marked Not Confirmed where it appears. The listing gives no hours, so none are given here.

Chester, Main Street

Visit Plumas listings, as the page words them
Place	Address	The listing says
Aslan’s Mediterranean Grill	163 Main St	Mediterranean-inspired food, fresh salads and meals
Bing’s Lake Almanor Bistro	300 Main St	Sushi, Chinese favorites and American comfort food
Cravings	278 Main Street	Traditional breakfast and lunch favorites made from scratch
Dids Donuts & Fro-Yo	433 Main St	Fresh donuts, frozen yogurt, coffee and breakfast treats
Koninkrijk Koffiehuis	240 Main Street	Dutch bakery and coffee house
Kopper Kettle Cafe	243 Main St	Hearty breakfasts and classic diner favorites
Mi Casita	686 Main Street	Mexican and American food
Mt. Lassen Club	173 Main St	Drinks, pool and games (21 and over where alcohol is served)
Pine Shack Frosty	321 Main Street	Burgers and hot dogs through a window

Lake Almanor and Canyon Dam

Visit Plumas listings, as the page words them
Place	Address	The listing says
Il Lago Pizza & Pasta	401 Ponderosa Dr	Homemade pizza and pasta, famous on the Lake Almanor Peninsula for over 40 years
Peninsula Market	309 Peninsula Drive	Deli to groceries to butcher shop
Red Onion Grill & Bar	303 Peninsula Dr	Steak, fresh seafood and elevated pub fare
Plumas Pines Resort	3000 Almanor Dr West	A variety of dishes

The listing also names a shop with espresso, Rusty Chandelier at 220 Main Street, which it describes mainly as a shop. The first column is the business’s name and street address exactly as Visit Plumas prints them.

On The Way to Lassen

The National Park Service says the closest fuel for the southwest entrance of Lassen Volcanic National Park is in Chester and Red Bluff, and warns that fuel stations near the park are limited. See Lassen Volcanic National Park from Chico and our Chester page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I eat in Chester, California?

Visit Plumas lists nine Main Street places in Chester, including Kopper Kettle Cafe at 243 Main St and Cravings at 278 Main Street. It prints no hours, so call ahead.

Is there lakeside dining at Lake Almanor?

Visit Plumas lists Plumas Pines Resort at 3000 Almanor Dr West and Red Onion Grill & Bar at 303 Peninsula Dr. Its listing does not say which is on the water.

Where do I get gas for Lassen from Chester?

The National Park Service names Chester and Red Bluff as the closest fuel for the southwest entrance and advises filling up before entering the park.

Sources

Visit Plumas, Dining and entertainment: https://visitplumas.org/dining-and-entertainment/ (read November 3, 2026)
NPS, Lassen Volcanic directions and transportation: https://www.nps.gov/lavo/planyourvisit/directions.htm (read November 3, 2026)

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On The Map

2 places named on this page are pinned. Tap a pin for the page and directions. Dashed pins were placed from the street address and are approximate. © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Safety Notice

Water And Ice Safety: Read This Before You Go

Lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, beaches and ice can kill, quickly and without warning. Conditions change by the hour and we cannot see them from here. This page is general information only. It is not a safety assessment, and it does not say or promise that any place, water, ice or activity is safe.

We do not inspect, test, measure or monitor water, ice, currents, depth, water quality, algae, wildlife, access, closures or lifeguard staffing at any place we list.
Posted signs, closures, advisories, flags and the directions of rangers, lifeguards and the land owner or managing agency always override anything here. A place being listed does not mean it is open, legal to enter, or permitted for swimming, wading, boating or fishing, and does not give you permission to be on private land or private water.
Children and weak swimmers: the CDC says to assign a responsible adult to watch children closely and constantly in or near water, with no phone, reading, alcohol or drugs, and to use life jackets for children in and around natural water. It also says inflatable or foam toys are not safety devices.
Open water hides hazards. The CDC names currents, waves, rocks, vegetation and poor visibility. As general guidance (not from a named source), also expect sudden drop-offs, very cold water even on a warm day, submerged objects, boat traffic and changing weather. Never swim alone, and never mix alcohol with water or boats.

Thin Ice: No Ice Is Guaranteed Safe

If you cannot be sure the ice is safe, stay off it. Ice thickness is not even. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says a lake can be "two feet thick in one place and one inch thick a few yards away", and that it does not measure ice thickness on lakes: "Your safety is your responsibility."
The Minnesota DNR's published guidelines are for new, clear ice only: under 4 inches, stay off; about 4 inches for people on foot, such as ice fishing. It says to double those numbers on white ice and to allow more for loads that sit longer than two hours. Those figures are one state's general guidance for average conditions. They are not a guarantee, may not fit this place or this winter, and a measurement in one spot says nothing about the next.
As general guidance (not from a named source): moving water, inlets and outlets, springs, docks, pressure ridges, snow cover, recent thaws and ice that is cloudy, gray or slushy are all warning signs. Another person saying the ice is safe, a social media post, or old footprints and tracks are not proof. Ponds and small lakes can freeze unevenly and can have thin spots near shore.
If you choose to go anyway, you do so at your own risk: tell someone where you are going, never go alone, and keep children and pets off. Ice rescue is dangerous even for professionals. Call 911 instead of going out after someone.

Emergency in the United States: call 911. Learn CPR, as the CDC recommends.

Not ConfirmedWe have not verified current water or ice conditions, water quality, access, swimming or boating permission, lifeguard hours, fees, rules or closures for any place on this page. The land owner or managing agency (a park, city, county, state or federal office, or the property owner) is the one who can confirm them. Ask them before you go.

Sources read on 8 November 2026: the Minnesota DNR ice thickness guidelines (dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice/thickness.html, no page date shown) and the CDC drowning prevention page (cdc.gov/drowning/prevention, page dated 29 September 2025). Guidance can change and can differ by state and by place: check the current text and your local agency before relying on it. This notice is general guidance only. It is not legal, medical, rescue or professional safety advice, and nobody on this site is a lifeguard or safety professional. You are responsible for your own safety and for any children and pets with you, and you use this information at your own risk. Water, ice, weather and local rules change quickly and differ by state, county and property. To the fullest extent the law allows, this site, its owner and its contributors are not responsible for any injury, death, loss or damage that results from using this information or from visiting any place, water or ice mentioned here. If you do not accept that, do not rely on this page (see the Limits Of Liability in our Terms Of Use).

Cite this page: It's Chico, “Eat Near Chester and Lake Almanor: Main Street and The Peninsula”, itschico.com/visit/where-to-eat/eat-near-chester-and-lake-almanor/ (updated 2026-11-06). By the It's Chico editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.

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