JT Basque Bar & Dining Room

Dinner arrives in courses

At JT Basque Bar & Dining Room, an entree is part of a larger family-style meal. Soup, salad, stew, beans and fries accompany the main course, with red wine, coffee and ice cream included in the restaurant’s published dinner format.

The selection of entrees ranges from lamb and steak to chicken and fish. Sweetbreads, pigs’ feet and tripe also have a place on the menu, preserving dishes closely associated with the restaurant’s Basque dining tradition. Lunch offers an additional route through sandwiches, burgers and a la carte choices.

The Lekumberry family

Marie Louise and JB Lekumberry continue a family connection that began in 1960, when Jean, Pete and Shirley Lekumberry took over the business. Marie Louise and JB assumed responsibility after Jean’s death in 1993, and their children have also worked in the restaurant.

The building’s history reaches further back. It was moved from Virginia City to Gardnerville in 1896. The JT name came from the Jaunsaras and Trounday families, who established the restaurant under those initials in 1955, before the Lekumberrys became its owners.

Bar and dining room

The bar is known for Picon Punch, while the dining room gives groups a place to share the sequence of dishes that defines the meal. Independent accounts of the business emphasize that combination of food, family and conversation rather than a quick single-plate dinner.

JT remains on Highway 395 in Gardnerville. Its current website lists lunch and dinner service Monday through Saturday and provides the menu and direct phone number. Guests can contact the family-run restaurant about a visit or the day’s available choices.

Contact JT Basque Bar & Dining Room

1426 Highway 395, Gardnerville, NV
Phone: 775-782-2074
Visit the business website

Researched October 8, 2026. Source 1 · Source 2 · Source 3 · Source 4. Independent researched listing; not an owner interview. For corrections or removal, email cody@702alliance.com.