Smoked Ribs and Mountain Views at Fox & Hound Lake Tahoe

A rack of ribs that pulls cleanly from the bone is a fine reason to take the uphill drive toward Fox & Hound near The Ridge Resort. This is a relaxed Lake Tahoe barbecue stop where smoked meat, cornbread and a choice of house sauces share the stage with wooded mountain slopes outside.

Fox & Hound has the scale of a neighborhood pub rather than a sprawling resort restaurant. There is a compact dining room, a bar, counter seating and an outdoor deck or patio, giving the meal a few different moods depending on where you settle in.

The barbecue menu is anchored by ribs, pulled pork and tri-tip, with the ribs standing out for their tenderness and smoke. They arrive as the sort of barbecue meant to be handled without ceremony: meat yielding easily, sauces nearby, sides filling out the plate.

Cornbread commonly accompanies the barbecue plates, and it is not an afterthought. Along with the smoked meat, it gives a plate the familiar, generous barbecue-dinner shape that calls for taking your time rather than merely grabbing a sandwich between Tahoe stops.

House-made barbecue sauces offer room to tailor the bite. Fox & Hound also sells its sauces by the bottle, a useful detail for anyone who finds a favorite and wants to take a little of the meal home.

Pulled pork has a busy life on this menu. It can come as a straightforward barbecue plate or sandwich, but it also turns up in quesadillas and tacos, making it easier for a table to branch out without leaving the smoked-meat lane.

Tri-tip gets similar treatment. Order it as a plate when barbecue is the main event, or find it worked into tacos and a salad. That range helps explain why Fox & Hound can suit a full dinner as easily as a quicker lunch.

The sides run from green beans and potato salad to coleslaw, macaroni and cheese, fries, chili and a house salad. A barbecue plate can stay classic with slaw and potato salad, while mac and cheese and chili take things in a more comfort-food direction.

For a shared starter, fried pickles with ranch dressing are a popular choice. There is also a Bavarian-style giant pretzel, which makes sense beside a beer and gives the table something to work on while deciding between ribs, sandwiches and tacos.

The broader menu keeps the kitchen from being barbecue-only. Personal pizzas, burgers, cheesesteak sandwiches and a smoked pulled-chicken quesadilla provide useful alternatives when a group arrives with different appetites.

The Lake Tahoe Platter gathers ribs, pulled pork and sides into a group-oriented order. It is an easy fit for a table that would rather sample several barbecue staples than have everyone commit to a single plate.

That sharing option gives the restaurant a nice middle ground between a solo sandwich stop and a more organized group meal. Fox & Hound has also provided barbecue for an event wedding, showing that the smoked-meat format can stretch beyond the dining room.

The day does not have to begin with smoke and sauce. Breakfast and brunch offerings include pancakes, eggs, fruit and hash browns, with notably ample portions and large pancakes for anyone looking for a serious morning plate.

That all-day flexibility changes the personality of the place. One visit might be a pancake-and-eggs stop before heading out around Tahoe; another might be ribs and a drink after a day on the road.

Outdoor seating looks toward wooded mountain slopes and the surrounding Tahoe scenery. The deck or patio is the natural choice when conditions cooperate and a barbecue lunch sounds better with fresh air than with another indoor table.

The location is uphill near The Ridge Resort, reached by a scenic drive from the main Lake Tahoe area. That setting gives Fox & Hound a more elevated, out-of-the-way feel than a roadside grill, though the mountain drive is best suited to people comfortable with uphill roads.

Outdoor tables are weather-dependent, so the indoor room remains important. Fortunately, the restaurant's bar-and-grill setup offers a distinctly different indoor option rather than simply a backup plan.

The bar carries local beer along with cocktails that include Bloody Marys, a Tahoe Mule and an espresso martini. A cold beer is an obvious partner for ribs and fried pickles, while the cocktail list gives the stop a little more range than a standard barbecue counter.

Sports programming runs on several televisions in the bar and dining areas. Gaming or lottery-style machines and casual gaming consoles add another layer of activity around the bar, making this a practical place to linger over a drink after eating.

Music and televisions can make the atmosphere moderately lively, particularly near the bar. Diners seeking the quieter side of the visit may prefer the deck when it is available or a table set back from the main bar activity.

Families have a kid-friendly macaroni-and-cheese option, while larger groups can work through a platter and an array of sides. The mix of barbecue, breakfast, sandwiches, pizza and snacks means a table does not need to agree on one narrow style of meal before coming in.

Parking is free in the restaurant lot, although finding a space can sometimes take a little patience. Once inside, choices include the dining room, bar stools, counter seating and, in suitable weather, the mountain-facing outdoor area.