The food here is consistently good. The milkshakes are wonderful! They were busy, and service was good as well. The larger dining room is cool with covered wagon tables and neat antique items to view. Joe has been at the bar as long as I can remember. He's kind of quiet, but won't argue and is a good listener. They also have a 100% health score consistently. No "suggestions" and re-visits from the health department. They care enough to get it right the first time. read more

Stopped here on our way back to Boise from cascade . Was a perfect little Hole In the wall breakfast stop for our mountain drive . Definitely lots of regulars and a homey / small town feel :) I had their breakfast sandwich on their homemade biscuit , pretty good . And my guy is still talking about their chicken fried steak he had haha read more

Great breakfast and service at Cougar Mountain Lodge. Have always enjoyed eating here. read more

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We stopped on a whim on our way to McCall and so glad we did. To early for the prime rib special and that's ok. Hubby got the Ruben with tots. I got a triple club with onion rings. Our server was Teresa she was very friendly and a great conservationist. We sat out back on the porch with a warm breeze and beautiful scenery. Place was clean and Mickey decorated. Great place to grab a bite either to stay or to go. read more

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I've been visiting this establishment my entire life on my way up to McCall from Boise and love the scenic setting, the historic buildings and, of course, their milkshakes. It's a great halfway point on the drive up but I will no longer be supporting them because I discovered today that they sell MAGA merchandise. Why on earth would a business take a controversial position that could turn customers away?!? Needless to say, I purchased nothing, even though I fully intended to after using their restroom (though my friend did). Going forward I will stop in Cascade instead. read more

We were in Smith's Ferry scouting the woods nearby for Christmas trees. We decided to stop for burgers on the way home. My daughter remembered the burger she got there last holiday season. She said I would be happy. She was right. My daughter, daughter in law, and I all had the bacon and blue cheese burger. We all agreed. Best burger ever. It's worth the drive from Boise just for the burger. I'm sorry I don't remember our waitress' name but she was stellar, as well. Very comfortable vibe. Beautiful views. Great experience! read more

Stopped in with a colleague for lunch on a business trip. Our food was delicious! Hot and very quick. I think our waitress was Maddy and she's a total ray of sunshine She kept our ice teas full and even offered go cups for the road. I love the old lodge and was quite comfortable. I'll definitely stop in again and let my coworkers working in the area to stop in for great food! read more

Incredibly disappointed. We stopped for late lunch on our way back to Boise. As soon as we were seated we were told they were out of the fish and the prime rib. Okay, no problem. The menu is primarily variations on a burger, so no big deal. Then we both decided to order the Reuben sandwich. One with fries, one with tots. Waitress returns to say they are out of fries. Okay, make it tots on both. Oh man, the sandwiches arrived and we just stared at each other. Thin sliced sandwich bread with 3 shaved slices of pastrami, 2 tablespoons or so of sauerkraut and one slice of cheese. The entire sandwich was less than an inch thick. I received exactly 12 tots, my husband got a few more. It would have been funny had we not paid $38 for those two "sandwiches" and two sodas that were served in small Mason jars holing approximately 4 ounces of actual soda around a full cup of ice (2.69 each). I'm sorry, I just can't let it pass without letting others know. I'm sure the owners are trying but this was so sad. read more

Good Reuben sandwich. My wife has a great chicken sandwich and I heard they had pie after I ate. Going back when I am visiting McCall.

My husband went inside and asked if we could eat here if we had a dog outside. The lady told my husband as long as we sit at a table on the grass. I then went inside and asked if I had to order inside first. I was told a waitress would actually come out and serve us. We waited 30 minutes outside and not one person came out to us. So we left. There was another couple with food on the grass and they told us as we were leaving that the service they received was the worse service they had ever experienced anywhere. We were really looking forward to 4 prime rib dinners. read more

We enjoy cougar mountain! The food is amazingly good! The atmosphere is a wonderful rustic mountain eatery. I've read some of the soured reviews and am disappointed that some of these folks are not understanding of a small business located in a mountain town cannot keep a large inventory on hand. What they do is amazing. We grateful that they are here. And of course, the staff makes for a very enjoyable meal. Thanks cougar mountain! read more

It's the only game in town for Smith's Ferry. We camped in our RV for several days to watch the eclipse. They cleared some extra land near the main building to accommodate campers that wanted to watch the eclipse. We had an awesome site right on the river. We had breakfast at the diner inside the lodge on our last day and it was pretty good. Lots of locals eating there which is a good sign. They have a general store in front that sells beer, ice and food essentials as well as various tourist items and traveler related items. The staff did a nice job of catering to the eclipse watchers. They had a local brewery on-site pouring fresh draft craft beer. Also music and outdoor barbeque options in addition to the regular food menu. They have a few rooms and I may try that out the next time I'm passing through. Overall, a great experience. Not because everything was perfect, but the owners and staff really tried to make everyone welcome and to accommodate the fairly daunting large number of people. They probably needed a vacation after handling all the eclipse viewers that week. read more

Not the best. I was craving a huckleberry shake so I decided to stop and have dinner too. From the moment I walked in the waitress didn't wait on me so I had to ask for a menu. I ordered a huckleberry milkshake, a cheese burger, and fries. I asked if the fries were hand cut daily and she said they were, which they were not. The milkshake was amazing but the cheeseburger was drenched in mustard that was too messy to eat. I asked for a plate and fork to eat the patty....that was over done. I'd have to say that my experience was really bad. If I stop again it will be just for a milkshake. read more

The tots were nice, crisp and yummy. The buns were very fresh. The burger itself was juicy and great! They make their own patties there. Highly recommend. Great spot between Boise and McCall. Family owned- the daughter of the owners waited on us and was fabulous. 4 stars because the prices are a bit high. Portions are huge so you better be hungry. read more

Under new management as of March 2017. New owners seem great and are working to improve facilities. We recently stayed at the Lodge- basic, cheap, adequate accommodations- but ate elsewhere because the Yelp reviews made us skeptical about the food. While watching the Orange Bowl and enjoying $2(!) micro draft pints in the restaurant, the food coming out of the kitchen smelled wonderful and everyone dining around us was raving about it. read more

Worst food ever, hash browns were cold. Never go here, unprofessional and rude. Left the place feeling gross, anways

We stayed one night in room five. We ate dinner and breakfast. The food is not bad. I especially liked the onion rings. The service was below average. This place has loads of potential. I noticed it's under new management. Perhaps this new management is in the process of making it great. One thing that needs immediate attention is the room had a lock that was worthless. Not a safe place to leave your personal belongings. read more

Cougar Mountain Lodge - Nice view! - American Near Me - Cascade, Idaho

Terrible food. My well done burger was still bleeding and salty. They had no seating open and the food was so slow. The service was good and friendly but lousy food. read more

This place is fabulous, good service, good food, the rooms are clean and well taken care of. Right on the Payette River. You can bring your water sports and launch right here. Excellent place to stay read more

Best burgers I've had in a long time. Cool old lodge with very nice people. We raft the Cabarton every year but this is the first time we ate here. We will definitely be back! read more

Normally the food is fantastic. We recently ordered milkshakes and it was obvious the ice cream mix was sour. When I informed the staff they didn't seem to care nor were they willing to reimburse us. We paid $15 for 3 milkshakes that were spoiled. Again...normally a great place to eat. Just disappointed in our last visit. read more

We've een twice now when visiting the area. The breakfast has been spot on both times. I left shaking my head as the service we received was amazing. Don't overlook this place as it is truly a jewel. read more

Not the best. Service was extremely lacking. Had to get up to find server when we were the only ones in the place. Food average but nothing around the area so this is probably the best option if hungry besides Subway. Just don't expect a lot or good service and it will fill your stomach. read more

Neat looking and friendly place but the food sucked. I had a pastrami on rye and it literally had 2 slices of pastrami on it. We had their chili and it was ok but the beans weren't cooked. This wasn't just me. It was all four of us. read more

Cougar Mountain Lodge - a man sitting on a motorcycle - American Near Me - Cascade, Idaho

ABSOLUTE TRASH, DO NOT GO HERE UNLESS YOU WANT TO WASTE YOUR MONEY AND TIME. I went here two years ago and it was amazing so we decided to come back. When we arrived it wasn't really busy. We were beyond disappointed we paid almost FORTY dollars and waited for almost an hour for a small hamburger, a small portion of finger stakes that were not breaded and mozzarella sticks. The lady who was our server was rude and kept sitting down to talk to someone for a while. We waited for thirty minutes for cold food only for her to "forget" part of what we ordered, she also almost gave away our food to another table. When i asked how much the mozzarella sticks would be to add as a side to the small hamburger, she told me it would be 4.00 however when the ticket was brought out she charged us 6.99. When i mentioned the price she was snarky then informed me "The prices were on the menu, Honey." We will NOT BE RETURNING. ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE read more

Disappointing. My wife and I went in and sat down, 5 minutes later a waitress dropped off some menus it was just down hill from there. The young waitress just looked like she couldn't careless about her job. Our moods instantly changed and we realized we just didn't feel like being there. I thought we'd enjoy our coffee and get lunch somewhere else. I simply asked the young lady for the WiFi password and she said "it was for guest only" really? What the hell!!! I really needed to get onto to WiFi for 5minutes to complete a transaction and this person won't give me access? That's insane not to mention EXTREMELY bad for business. This business put us into such a negative mood, we will never stop there again and will continue to just drive right on by as we pass by there weekly. Change your attitudes put smiles on your face and for crying out loud make WiFi readily available to your customers, welcome to the 21st century! Per your response Patrick, Well now I see where everyone gets there attitude from. I guess it starts at the top. Maybe you should focus more on your relationships with your customers and not mine and my wife's. For your information it was a simple piece of business that needed attending ASAP. Maybe you should look into a more updated infrastructure to accommodate a larger bandwidth. How dare you tell me I should put my phone down and talk to my wife! Your arrogance is only surpassed by your ignorance and assumptions. May I suggest you focus a bit more on customer satisfaction. I am a very successful business owner because I listen and respect my customers, maybe just maybe you and your business could benefit from a bit of humility. Try not to put so much focus on being right but instead being human. Trust me, it will pay off for you and your business. Now stop waisting my time and go enjoy your life...and your wife. Lol. read more

The service was barely adequate and the food, well I guess it did make a turd... but In all fairness I have tried to go back and try the place again. I could accomplish a redo if it was ever open, it always seems to be closed for some reason. read more

On a recent trip from Meridian to Mc Call, we stopped at the Lodge for lunch. Great service and delicious lunch. I highly recommend this stop. read more

Top notch spot. The food is amazing at any time of day. I tried breakfast, lunch, and dinner and all three were great. Staff is super friendly and thoughtful. Adorable rooms to rent on the upper floor. New owners are doing a great job! read more

I went in with my husband and kids to check the place out and maybe come back later for dinner. Very unfriendly feeling as soon as you make contact with the people who work there. I had this feeling that I just couldn't wait to leave. So I did. I will never enter through those doors again. Negativity so thick you can cut it with a knife. read more

Don't be temped by the advertising of buffalo burgers at Smiths Ferry. I guess technically they might be made of buffalo in some time or place but the buffalo burgers we had were dried up hockey pucks made of some kind of meat tasting like they had been resurrected from a deep freeze after a zombie apocalypse. Quite possibly the worst $13.00 buff burger I have ever experienced. Pack a lunch, or just keep driving, McCall is only an hour up the road. read more

Wow, what a jewel. My sister and I were on a road trip from SoCal to Eastern Washington, with no reservations anywhere..just looking for interesting places to stop. Passed by the Cougar Mountain Lodge, immediately turned around to check it out. It was early evening, and they let us go upstairs and check out the rooms. We picked one with a private bathroom, but come to find out we didn't have to. We were the only ones there, the Manager locked up the little store and left, leaving us with the run of the place. Okay...no television reception, and the VCR (yes VCR) in our room ate the first tape we tried to load, but no biggie, we had books. We thought it might be a little creepy being the only ones there, but it was GREAT. Our room was right next to the door to the upstair balcony, so we dragged our ice chest out, opened a bottle of wine, and had dinner watching a Cow Bird feed her babies worms, and watching rafters go by on the river. Took a walk out over the bridge, quiet and green and wonderful. Slept great, and we were gone before the manager returned the next morning. Restaurant was closed when we checked in, so can't attest to the food. If you're looking for huge flat screen TVs and all kinds of cable choices and phones in the room, this isn't your place. If you're looking for quiet beauty, please stay here! Our room had a queen size bed on the bottom with a twin size bunk overhead, we just took the twin down and placed in on the floor so one of us didn't have to climb up the very sturdy log bedframe. Alll and all a very good experience. And of all the places we stayed on this 10-day road trip, we never came close to another $45 room price. read more

Cougar Mountain Lodge has great homemade food and very large portions and thank you for being the only place open on the weekends in the winter between Horseshoe Bend and Cascade very appreciated by many read more

This place is great, and it's run by a great group of people. We didn't actually stay in one of their rooms, but we rented a camping spot for the total eclipse, and on the basis of that experience, I can predict that just about anything they do, they do well. Setting up a campground where one has not existed before is not easy, and these folks thought of all kinds of details that made the experience very enjoyable, including sanitation, safety, security, and a well-planned layout. They dealt with a lot of people in a friendly and effective manner, and I'm looking forward to the chance to actually try out the Lodge accommodations on another trip to beautiful Idaho. read more

Nice service I guess. Gross bathrooms. Gross food. There is stuff to buy if you just need a snack.