Clearly Yelpers don't give this place much coverage because they're busy gliding down the face of the mountain. So here's my "Piste rating" for the two courses at Hawks Nest ;) Usually when restaurants have a monopoly on your choices, they underperform because they're not incentivized to do exceed expectations...Hawk's Nest IS DIFFERENT...they actually try, which is why I'll give them a 4/5 in the review but a 3/5 on Yelp...but for the area, solid 4/5! The waitress walked us through the menu and the specials, as well as shared with us about her quitting smoking, but that didn't occur as an overshare, but she wanted us to apologize for her antsy nature. Out there, it was more endearing because she wanted to let us know that she's committed to doing her best, and I appreciated that! The drinks were tasty but certainly not strong, maybe that's by design so we don't die on the slopes, but I could do with a bit more kick in my drink to make that Double Black Diamond course look like it was a Green haha! If you're looking for something similar to an Irish Coffee, I'd recommend the Shred Zee Gnar! We ordered a medium rare 48 Oz steak (one of the specials) with a side of the Brussels and Mash and it was actually enough to feed 2 grown men after a day on the slopes. It was cooked at a good temperature, with some sections being more medium than medium rare but that's fine. The calamari appetizer is interesting... it's not what you'd expect, let me just say that! It wasn't good, nor was it bad...it just wasn't like any calamari I've ever had. All in all, I'd recommend it...but I mean you don't have many choices, but I do appreciate that they TRY even when they don't have to... read more

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A terrific restaurant for a special occasion. The chef is extremely creative and makes some seriously delicious food. The service is terrific and the setting is beautiful. Highly recommend. read more

I've faced it now that I'm 40 I can ski until about 2pm and then I'm done. I mean, I can still ski longer but why? I would rather sit down, relax and enjoy a cold beer. We always make a reservation the day before we ski at Mountain Creek by phone, then eat a big breakfast, throw a few snacks in our pockets and have a late lunch / early dinner ("Linner") at Hawk's Nest when skiing at Mountain Creek. When you step into the lodge at this god awful overcrowded resort and see folks eating at crowded cafeteria tables or sitting on the floor eating, you'll be glad you have a reservation to eat at Hawk's Nest. It's civilized and the service is "usually" (not always) good. Because of the surrounding environs, you'll feel like you're sitting in a 5-star establishment at Hawk's Nest and you'll be so happy you have a reservation. The appetizers, wine list, scotch selections and a cold beer will make you happy. The menu selection is also decent, but a bit pricey (which I'm happy to pay to avoid the rest of this resort's overcrowded facilities). Prices also keeps out most of the riff/raff this resort attracts on weekends. Large comfy chairs, a big warm fireplace, couches and booze after skiing most of the day. Life is good... Who cares if you have to wait a few extra minutes for your $17 burger, look at the poor chap sitting on the floor in the cafeteria :) read more

Hawks Nest - Beer and a happy kid - Diners Near Me - Vernon, New Jersey

Beautiful restaurant in the main lodge at Mountain Creek. Fancy vibes, nice decor and a great view of people skiing down the mountain. The food is somewhat pricey but nothing crazy and it was delicious. The food was tasty and they have a nice wine selection. I only had a Caesar Salad so that was pretty normal but everything else looked great. The staff was accommodating and their service was on point. If you're staying overnight, this is a great restaurant for a nice date night. read more

Fun bar and restaurant at the ski lodge. Located upstairs and seperated from the common area of the lodge this spot is a great place to unwind after a day on the mountain. They have TV's and a great beer selection. Large area with tables and bar seating. The bartenders are friendly and attentive. Drinks were string beer was cold and food was good. read more

Hawks Nest - the bar area of a restaurant - Diners Near Me - Vernon, New Jersey

I came here for a drink last ski season and was enamored by the look and feel of this restaurant/bar. I was glad to be able to come here again this ski season for a proper dinner meal. The restaurant is just as beautiful as I remember it with high wooden ceilings, antler chandeliers, plush cushioned dining chairs, and ski-backed chairs at the bar. It doesn't feel like you're in the main lodge at Mountain Creek! Each dining table is adorned with these cute wooden salt containers - 2 kinds of salt at the table - some pink flaky salt (Himalayan maybe?) and a white flaky salt. Okay... so our waitress comes to greet us with water, and then says she has a long list of things to tell us regarding the menu which is that basically 1/2 of the menu is unavailable for the dinner service. Luckily for us, she only named 2 things that we were thinking about getting, so it didn't make a huge deal to us, but it was a weird way to start off a meal. We ordered the octopus, 1/2 chicken, and a bone-in rib eye. She advised that although it is listed as bone-in on the menu, their rib eye for the evening's service was bone-out. WHAT? After thinking about the other options (no more filet, no more skirt steak, so that left me with sirloin or rib-eye....), I agreed to the bone-out rib eye; medium-rare. Octopus was cooked nicely, but the sauce was a little strange. It was nice that the octopus wasn't the "normal" iteration with olives, and although it was tasty it's not something I would necessarily order again. The 1/2 chicken was awesome! It was seasoned so well, the skin was nice and crispy , and the met wasn't dry. It came with a gravy that was pretty good, especially when paired with the fries. The green beans (technically, it was haricot vert, but server said green beans) were steamed in butter - they were a little over done to my liking and they still had the stems on! The real issues come with the steak. I ordered it medium rare, but the first plate that was brought out was cooked medium well. Not a huge deal, but paying $45 for a steak, I'd rather have it cooked the way I like. The 2nd plate that was fired for me came out black and blue / rare, so I hated to be a pain but asked for it to get cooked a little more. The 3rd plate was cooked medium rare (yay), but I noticed the piece I cut off to check the doneness was no longer there... oh well - I didn't want to be even more of a pain so I ate my steak. It stunk that my dining companion was already finished with his meal at this point, but I kept trudging on. Alas, the steak was yummy, I wish it had that bone-in though. When I was done we asked for the check. I was surprised we received no comps for the issues with the steak. We had ordered a beer and wine, so one of them could have been taken off, but I'm just glad they were able to fix the issue eventually. Overall an okay dining experience, but maybe I'll just come for drinks next time. read more

Hawks Nest - Food - steak! - Diners Near Me - Vernon, New Jersey

This was one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. The food was average. I got the filet and my boyfriend got the osso bucco, not great, but not horrible. What really ruined our night was the horrific service. Our waitress was friendly, but neglected to tell us about the nightly specials or bring us bread (which we only learned about by seeing and overhearing other tables). We also witnessed another waitress bring a table a soup, and then explain that the kitchen ran out of the soup they ordered, so she brought them a different kind instead (without asking). When asked what kind of soup it was, the waitress went back to the kitchen to find out. When she came back to the table, she explained that the soup was "turkey, orzo, and maybe like, some kind of cream?" It took FOREVER for anyone to clear our plates, and even longer for our waitress to come back and take our dessert orders. We then waited at least a half hour for our desserts (donuts were almost inedible once they finally arrived). We then waited at least another half hour for anyone to come check on us, and when our waitress finally appeared, she just dropped off the check and left. At the same time, a couple was seated next to us. They used their cell phones to time how long it took for someone to come over to greet them and take their drink order (19 minutes). That waitress let them order drinks that they were out of, and then brought substitute drinks that they did not order (because they were out of their second choice). Thankfully we had a good day skiing and left the restaurant laughing at the horrible service, otherwise our night really would have been ruined. read more

Went really downhill in the past 2 years. Made a reservation for party of 4, seated an hour later. Not apologetic. At all. We asked if we could at least sit at the open table in front of the fireplace bc we waited so long, they said No and sat us in front of the kitchen, though a couple w a baby without a reservation were seated at our choice table 30 seconds later. Menu selection stinks. Waitress was not accommodating (my friend asked for root vegetables instead of fries as a side and was told no substitutions...what?). Boo. We are all bummed bc this lunch used to be one of the highlights of our girls trip. read more

We took the kids snowboarding and went straight to the Hawk's Nest once the kids were on their own. The restaurant has the ultimate ski lodge feel with an enormous wood burning fireplace and cozy seating. The food and service were both excellent and I highly recommend for an afternoon or evening cocktail and meal which has also a picturesque view of the mountain. I will be coming back a few more times this winter! read more

The atmosphere here is great but that's where the greatness ends. Our server was pretty good until we received our food and then he pretty much vanished. The food was so so. I had the filet which was a little tough. A few items on the menu weren't available because it was "the end of the season." Not for nothing but I don't care when your season ends, order some fresh ingredients for those of us that come in March. read more

We had SUCH a great lunch here!!! I got the Hawk Burger and it was SO juicy and delicious! My son had the Hawk Pot Pie and said it was the best he ever had! My husband had the Chipotle burger and loved it. The brussel sprouts were bangin! Ask for extra horseradish sauce on the side and dip them in it! YUM! The only reason I gave it 4 stars was because the fries weren't good. They were thicker steak fries and really dry and tasteless. There was no salt or anything on them either. But everything else was very good! read more

This review and the rating is solely for the service receiced at this place. We (7 adults) were looking to get drinks after skiing, so we stopped by Hawks nest. The host said she cannot accommodate us inside due to the fact that we are not eating. Looking around, the place was almost empty. When I said that to her, she replied that the tables are for potential dining customers. Interesting way of conducting business!!! Instead, we were welcomed in the outside area where it was very cold and drizzling. I guess we were not good enough to stay inside. read more

Delicious food. The burgers and sandwiches (especially the duck pastrami) are the best. Service on the other hand was horrible. We waited 38 minutes before a server came by and the place was not full. We then had to ask two more times for a dessert menu and for another round of drinks. The ambiance is really nice the restaurant could be much improved with more attentive service. read more

Terrible management, horrible food and service . Have been there a couple of years ago and it was much better. I hear the new owners are bankrupt and just open for show . They should be ashamed to give people such a terrible dining experience and charge what they charge for school cafeteria type food . read more

Ummmm... I don't know where to start. I don't know if I hate the hotel more or this place. The staff needs training not only in the restaurant but, also the entire hotel. The cheeseboard had an assortment of cheeses on it that you could a got at Walmart or BJ's there was absolutely nothing special about it with thickly cut salami. Staff also does not know menu my girlfriend had asked for avocado on hamburger the girl said that they don't use avocado for anything there when they have a chicken club sandwich that has avocado on it. I don't know maybe I'm expecting too much from this place out in the middle of nowhere but they are supposed to be a fine dining restaurant. read more

Went here for dinner. When we arrived we found out they do not have tables for two. Only group tables of six or more. They sit you with groups of strangers. Not what I expected based on the price of the food here. No where do they mention this on there web site. We didn't stay. read more

Let's see, where to begin...let's start with... The Ambiance: high-end rustic, of which I'm a big fan: lots of dark wood and leather. Especially whimsical were the antique ski bar-stools. Loved watching the skiers through the extra-large windows, and was almost tempted to go sit outside by the fire pit, which was being serviced by the waitstaff. The Food: not cheap, but Oh. My. Goodness. Delicious, from the (special) Louisiana Grilled Octopus in a martini glass starter, to my Chateaubriand and my husband's RibEye, we savored every bite; there wasn't even one haricort's verts (green bean) left! We also had another special, the Seafood Salad marinated in a balsamic glaze, as our second starter, which, although I thought it was pretty good, was totally eclipsed by the octopus starter. We shared the donuts for dessert, which were quite tasty, but on the heavy side; light and fluffy would have been more to our liking, as we'd already become members of what my Uncle Freddy called 'the clean plate club.' The Win: I think I should get the ordering win for my Chateaubriand, but my husband isn't ceding because of how much he enjoyed his rib eye...we each felt like the winner, so I'll have to call this one a draw. They were both epic. The Cocktails: a tad pricey at $11, yet perfectly mixed, and very nicely presented. The Service: pleasant, friendly, personal and personable; we'll request Dana as our server from now on. I especially appreciated her wine pairing recommendation for my entree: the Malbec blend, although more dry than I usually enjoy my reds, went perfectly with my Chateaubriand. Recommendation: Go there. We had the two most expensive entrees, but they were worth it; if you go that route, expect to spend at least $100 for two for dinner, especially if you have starters and desserts. (That doesn't include cocktails!). Their menu also features sandwiches, and other less expensive entrees, so with different choices, or by having a soup and salad, you could enjoy the great food and lovely ambiance without breaking the budget. read more

HORRIBLE!!! This is usually a very good restaurant, very nice setting and food is very good most times. For some god unknown reason they converted it to a buffet. Now I will admit I'm not a huge fan of buffets in general, but this was one of WORST buffets I have ever been to and at $40 a head it's a total ripoff. Also, not a lot of fun having to get your own food in ski boots on a slippery wood floor. As long as you are serving yourself, save yourself $200 and go to the food court next door, they have a bigger selection and the prices are reasonable. I'm writing this 1 star review because I think the buffet was terrible but I generally like the restaurant. I'll revise it if they ever get rid of the buffet. Also, we used to go here every time we skied with my entire family which is at least 2x a month all winter long. I'll NEVER go again as long as it's a buffet. if I want crappy buffet food I'll go to a sizzler and pay $9 per person. read more

The hostess was very accommodating to our party, and that was the best experience of the restaurant. However the time management from the drink service to the food service was unacceptable. It took our server 17 minutes to take our drink order which we waited for an additional 20 minutes. Upon that finally took our food order. When finally received our portions were light and not worth full for the price. The mussels were frozen and unopened. Our beets salad was wilted and not edible. It is a disgrace that they would serve our food the way it was served. Overall, despite our disappointment in the food the ambiance and the drinks were satisfying. read more

First time here. Really nice looking restaurant that makes the lodge feel real. The fire place is extra cozy. We sat at the bar the first time. The bartender, Nicholas, was very welcoming. The service there was pretty quick. Probably due to the face time at the bar. The food was pretty well made. The spinach artichoke dip was not like ur typical. It had real spinach and artichokes! My bf had the braised ribs that were melt on ur mouth amazing. Loved the place will defintely come back this season read more

After a horrible meal at the restaurant at Minerals Hotel, we were relieved to find Hawks' Nest - its got a great ski-lodgy feel with a huge fireplace. We loved the German potato pancakes with homemade apple sauce. The burgers were excellent and so was the brownie dessert. Service was efficient and friendly. A good find for a lunch or dinner in the area. read more

I really enjoyed the food here 2 years ago-- the first time I came, but it seems a lot has changed. The first time I came, I had the half chicken, which was one of the best roast chicken meals I've had in a long time. I don't remember everything it came with, but it was really nicely presented and really good. It was obviously prepared by a kitchen team/chef that cares about their food. This time, I ordered a fish sandwich with fries. The bread was good, but the fish had a lot of bitter parts and seemed like it was taken from the back corner of the freezer where it was sitting since last season. The only reason this has two stars is because of my first experience and because the waiter was good. My fries were completely cold--like they had been sitting around for at least an hour. He offered to get me new ones. I said no, but he came out with them anyway. Unfortunately, they were so grease-logged, I am 99% sure these were more of the same cold ones in the kitchen that were put down in the fryer a second time. What does it take, like 3 minutes to drop some new fries? After, I asked if they had an espresso machine, which they do, so I ordered an americano. The waiter didn't know what it was, so I said it was espresso with a little hot water. I got basically an espresso, which was ok, but I would expect someone to know how to make an americano here if they have a machine. I was looking forward to eating here a second time, but now I won't be coming here again. read more

This is our 3rd year skiing at Mountain Creek. We have always enjoyed the experience at the Hawks Nest. Being able to sit down and have a proper family meal, after a long day of skiing, with a wonderful selection of food choices, was always something to look forward to. The ambiance has always been warm and inviting, for example leather couches, roaring fireplace, Faux fur blankets, American Indian Tapestry pillows and a flat screen TV playing a football game at the bar. Kind of a really relaxing place that allowed you to escape some of the crazy amounts of people in the main dining hall, a kind of oasis. But all that has changed!!!!! Someone made the horrible decision to change all of that. There is no more roaring fire (at least not today)! There are no more couches! There are no more blankets or pillows, and no more ambiance! The worst part I haven't even mentioned!!! They are obviously under new management and if you look online the menus are listed and they are not the same. The lunch menu is extremely simplified, no where near the type of food served in previous years. It was a little disappointing, but we made a reservation and decided to give it a try. While some of us were skiing, others were enjoying the fire pit on the outside terrace of the Hawks Nest. We spent considerable time and ordered plenty of drinks, including two bottles of wine. Our reservation was not until 2:30 pm and it was only 12 noon when we started. We did not occupy a table, we were seated around the fire pit. They had no food! None! No Bar menu! No small plates! We had already spent around $200 before our scheduled 2:30 lunch. Why did they have no food? Because unbeknownst to us, they were only serving a buffet and you had to purchase the buffet to eat and our reservation was two hours away! How do you serve people alcohol and not have any food? We were willing to spend the money! That is not even the worst part! We had one person in our group with a considerable amount of food allergies, which is why I check menus before going any place when this person is with us. We sat all that time, and checked with the waitress, who was kind and very accommodating (one star is for her, the other for the good wine and the beautiful glasses it was served in), that the kitchen would be able to accommodate the food allergy situation. The waitress spoke to someone who said they will make sure she would have food, allergy free. What happened next was the worst part, we sat at our table, at our 2:30 reservation, starving, and then we mentioned the food allergy situation again and then were told they would not accommodate the one persons food allergy. So we left Mountain Creek early, because we were starving, and spent a lot of money elsewhere. All of this, and there was no mention that the Hawks Nest would only be serving a buffet on Sunday's on the website. Epic Failure!! People take your good hard earned money and spend it elsewhere. Or just eat something quick from the self service cafe next door. The food on the buffet, at the Hawks Nest looked like crap, we noticed as we passed by on our way out the door. Your management should be ashamed. read more

Went in for dinner for a group of 7 Saturday night 1/10/15 with a reservation. Service was excruciatingly slow. We were there for over 2 hours and only managed to get drinks and entrees. We were never even asked if we'd like coffee or dessert when a worker came to the table to tell us we need to leave because they need the table to seat other people. They did this to many tables in the restaurant and although we agreed to leave other customers were rightfully appalled. Customers were fighting with the workers that they would not leave, they were staying to finish their meals and it was not there fault the service was so slow. What was suppose to be a peaceful dinner with friends turned into a dramatic sight of disgruntled customers, rude service, and a meal cut short. I suggest getting an early reservation to make sure your reservation is actually able to be kept and don't be surprised if you are rushed out the door and not allowed to finish your meals. The prices are not low enough to have such poor service and to rudely ask people to leave, end there dinner party, and go elsewhere to finish meals. Drinks are 12+ dollars and entrees range from 22-40 dollars. Food was good, presentation and atmosphere was very nice. read more

Love, Love, Love coming here when we ski in Mountain Creek. It's like stepping into a different world from the overcrowded lunch area (you also pay twice as much). The food is great, so is the decor. Love sitting outside by their fire pit. Can't wait to return. read more

HORRIBLE ! We are actually still sitting at the table now. We had a reservation at 8:00pm . The hostess basically told us that we are out of luck. We got seated at 8:40! We had three kids with us who were starving and the hostess was so rude and gave us an attitude for being upset about the wait. We then sat down and it is now 9:53 and we still don't have our dinner. The manager barely cared . Soon after the three tables around us started complaining. They were here before and still did not have dinner. This restaurant is is HORRIBLE. The service is horrible . Maybe the restaurant should invest some time in hiring a good staff read more

Beautiful restaurant but service was horrible. So bad it overpowered the better than standard ski lodge fare. The manager and waitstaff had us waiting 30 mins for menus and clearly hated having little kids in the place. We spent hundreds of dollars there and would've gladly spent more but they were so lame we just left for the burger king down the street. read more

Best things about our meal -- atmosphere and wine. Our waitress apologized, but listed the foods they were OUT of so we wouldn't get our hearts set on something they didn't have. As a result of the missing menu items, 3 of the 4 of us ordered filet. Every single one came out wrong. Overcooked and dry. Disappointing since our visit last year was entirely different and far superior. We were told the new owners are "getting the kinks out." Figure those out before opening the doors for a $250 dinner. Skip it. If dining in the mountain creek area, go to Smokey's Tavern. they had everything on the menu, service was great and their wine selection was frankly just as good. read more

Yikes... And ewww. Rancid shrimp, loooong-ass wait for food to arrive... and inedible steak. Waitress is great, view is fun, that's the one star. Never again. Who is in charge? Second time we're here and it is GROSS. Shame on the chef. Stupid us for trying again. read more