YAKS on the 5: Delicious Artisan Burgers in Dunsmuir
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Since its opening in 2003, locals and visitors alike have flocked to Yaks on the 5 for their variety of hearty artisan burgers stacked high with unique toppings, sweet sticky buns and an array of other American-fare dishes.
I finally had the opportunity to try it for myself and I have to say, I wasn’t let down. It lived up to hype and some. After-all, its been named one of the best restaurants in America on Yelp’s top 100 list.
Looking at it from the outside, you might think it doesn’t look like much. Once you’ve tried it for yourself, though, I have no doubt you’ll be singing its praises along with me. It’s pricy, which is the only negative at Yaks. However, you get your money’s worth for sure.
Quick Stats
Location: Dunsmuir, California
Type of Food: Artisan burgers, BBQ and other American fare
Alcohol: Yes
Cost: $13 - $26 pp
Seating: Inside and outside
My Visit(s): May 2025
Getting to Yaks and Parking
There are two Yaks locations - one in Shasta City and another in Dunsmuir. This post pertains to the Dunsmuir location, specifically. It’s located directly off of Intestate 5 (hence - Yaks on the 5).
You can see it from the freeway and the restaurant’s exterior is bright red, so there’s no getting lost. From either direction, you’ll exit onto Dunsmuir Avenue and go right. There’s limited street parking out front and additional parking in the back.
If you drive an EV, there are two ChargePoint stations behind the restaurant. There’s also additional seating back there, which is nice because the inside is fairly small and often fills up quickly.
The Restaurant and Food
Yaks’ menu mostly consists of unique, artisan burgers. A couple examples include the OMG!, which is a burger topped with jack cheese, fried onion strings, beer battered jalapeños, lemon-ginger marmalade, cream cheese, garlic aioli and red leaf. This is one of their most ordered burgers.
By the way, if you don’t say anything, your burger will be cooked pink. Which typically means “medium” doneness. If you want REALLY pink, no pink or hockey puck (if you’re anything like my mom) be sure to request this when ordering.
There’s also the Bacon Overload, which is what I ordered. This burger is topped with jack cheese, bacon crumbles, house-made fried onion strings, house-made ranch drizzle, garlic aioli and red leaf.
In short, it was delicious. The flavors of this burger blended well and exploded with every bite. I’m normally not a ranch guy, but their house-made ranch was amongst the best I’ve ever tried.
If you don’t upgrade, your burger will come with a side of chips. I decided to upgrade to their house-cut fries, though, and I’m glad I did. They’re salted and fried perfectly, and come with a side of their house-made lavender ketchup.
Two more popular menu items at Yaks include their famous sticky buns. The buns’ flavor of buttered bourbon and warm caramel sauce comes together as decadently as it sounds. If all you want are sticky buns, they let you skip the main ordering line.
Their most ordered appetizer is the Scott’s Tots. Their crispy-fried tater tots smothered in their sweet and spicy brown sugar-cajun rub and topped with bacon, jack cheese, gorgonzola, house-made chili-lime aioli, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
To me, there’s nothing better than a burger and beer after hiking. I asked the cashier for her recommendation (since they have twenty beers on tap) and I ultimately went with the Blackberry Blonde by Fall River Brewing Company. It was perfectly refreshing.
All told, Yaks on the 5 is a great place to eat. Whether you’re hiking in the area or just passing through, it’s the perfect meal to keep you going. It is definitely pricy but do your best to look past that because the food really is top notch and worth it.
By the way, if you’re looking for outdoorsy things to do in Dunsmuir, I recommend checking out Hedge Creek Falls, Castle Crags State Park, and the enchanting Mossbrea Falls hike.
PSALM 121:7-8
