Check Out Reno's Wells Street Dining Delights

Reno’s Midtown scene is spreading into the surrounding areas. As a result, Wells Street, once a bit of a rundown thoroughfare, has blossomed into the latest trendy area for dining, coffee and hanging out, both inside and outdoors. Here are the places to check out.

Reno Public Market

Wells Street’s status as a food hotspot has been solidified by the opening of Reno Public Market, sitting right at the start of Wells Street near Sprouts supermarket.

An indoor food hall, Reno Public Market bustles with takeout restaurants whose vast variety of food you can eat in the market’s food court. Honey Bar sits at the middle of the food court, serving up brews and cocktails during the afternoon and evening hours. The stage across from the bar is often alive with music, trivia and other forms of entertainment (see the Events page), but a large television is available when the performers are away.

Honey Bar in Reno Public Market

Uncle Junkee, which we wrote about recently, has just been moved to Junkee’s main location within Reno Public Market, making the already popular store even greater. Reno Public Market is the ideal location for it – giving you plenty of time to sift through eclectic memorabilia before or after enjoying some food and entertainment.

With Reno’s shoulder seasons often being extensions of winter and summer, there can be a lot of hours you’d rather be indoors during dinnertime, and the Public Market gives you all of the benefits of an indoor mall while retaining the quirkiness, charm and localism you get from downtown areas.

Entrance to La Condesa's outdoor area

Mexican Eateries on Wells Street

If you like Mexican food, Wells Street is the place in Reno to get it. A stunning range of options are in short walking distance of each other.

At the higher end and just footsteps away from Reno Public Market is La Condesa. It is more of an American-Mexican fusion than strictly Mexican, but that only means more options to please the table, and the ambience at this sit-down restaurant is second to none. If you’re looking for more casual and quicker daytime options, then Speedy Burrito is about as authentically Mexican as it gets. Anna’s Taqueria is another excellent option; it has a bit more of a hipster vibe to it as well as great seating areas inside and outside.

If you want purchase some ingredients for your Mexican home-cooking at rock-bottom prices, head to the Marketon right next to Speedy Burrito. It's an interesting place to cruise around and find unique foods you might not find at more typical supermarkets.

Anna's Taqueria

Newer Arrivals

Apart from its great Mexican offerings, Wells Street has a few new places that really stand out.

Von Bismark is a German restaurant, emblazoned with a portrait of its namesake above the well-polished bar. The food and drinks are true-to-form German and American spins, and both are top-notch, as are the surroundings.

The EP Listening Lounge is a coffee shop by day and cocktail bar by evening, with a focus on vinyl records that you can select to listen to while you work or relax. The aesthetic is unbeatable, as are the coffee drinks and cocktails.

EP Listening Lounge

And another local favorite, Walden’s Coffeehouse, has opened its third Reno location right on Wells Street, allowing another place to partake of its great coffee, pastries and small meals.

If you haven’t gotten the memo yet, Wells Street is already deep into up-and-coming territory and has no shortage of culinary delights that are sure to appeal to every taste. You should definitely check it out.

Von Bismarck German restaurant. All photos by Dan Bablinskas