This review is for Ahles Point Cabin, because I checked in to the Lodge instead of the Ahles Cabin. Oops. This little bar is my favorite place at this McMenamins location (although that Cove Bar is running a close second!). The view of the Columbia River, the food service, the attention to detail of my doppio espresso (a freshly sliced lemon peel & two lumps of rock sugar!), and the very yummy rosemary nuts, keep me coming back here whenever I can. McMenamins locations are often adventures all on their own - Kalama Harbor Lodge is no exception - but this location has the added distinction of being right on the river where you can watch the river traffic go by as you relax with a beverage and a server who quickly takes care of whatever you're looking for. If you go, and I encourage you to go, make sure you spend some time relaxing with the view. It's worth it! read more

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I love visiting McMenamin's Harbor Lodge for dinner on the patio during magic hour! Golden light dances on the river as the sun sets, and it fills my heart with joy. This place is special. McMenamin's properties are always full of character and attention to detail as they usually choose quirky, historic buildings to renovate. What's special about Harbor Lodge is that they managed to achieve that charm in a new build. I love wandering the property taking in the landscaping, architectural details, and views along the Columbia River. One of my biggest criticisms of McMenamin's is that their menu is tired, and has long needed some new dishes to spice things up. I love that McMenamin's Harbor Lodge Pub has dishes unique to this property. The prawns are one of my favorites, served in a creamy sauce with garlic bread on the side. Yum! McMenamin's Harbor Lodge and the neighboring market are wonderful additions to the Kalama community, and definitely worth a visit if you haven't been. read more

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Amazing spot along the Columbia river, so many unique things about McMenamins! They have many rooms with a river view, this is a must if you enjoy sitting on the patio with a glass of wine , hoping to spot a bald eagle fly by! The restaurant has an awesome patio with a view of the river while you enjoy a few tiki drinks or food. This location has a number of hidden rooms with unique glow in the dark artwork covering the rooms! Well worth your time to explore the hotel , following clues to the hidden rooms and speakeasy!! Tip- book early before the rooms with patios sell out. Also, live entertainment is often available, check the website to see what fun events are upcoming! read more

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Food and service was average at best! Beer selection is poor! The view on the patio isn't bad so there's that. read more

McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge - Hotels Near Me - Kalama, Washington

We had a fabulous time staying at McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge and dining twice (breakfast and dinner) at the Pub overlooking the Columbia. This might be my favorite McMenamins location yet! We had a beautiful room with a spectacular view of the river. I'm already excitedly talking about when we'll return. At the Pub we had helpful servers and the food was delicious. We've been to many other McMenamins locations before but we never had breakfast at one before this visit! There's a lot of great variety on the breakfast menu, like benedicts, cheddar-jalapeno grits, and French toast. At dinner we loved trying out the location-specific menu items - the King Kalama burger and the Hawaii Five-O Pressed Sandwich, as well as the Saigon Kick Chicken Tenders. All was substantial and all was tasty. As always, we loved the dark, whimsical decor of the whole place. It set such a cool vibe during our visit and made our dining experience/stay fun and memorable. I highly recommend even if you're just stopping in for a drink! read more

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It's been a while since I wrote another review. I went back to read my old one to see if my opinion has changed. Nope, I still love this place and make it a point to stay here every year, at least once. I personally prefer the summer because I like to swim in the water in their little beach area. One thing that has changed since my last review is that they added the Cove bar. Please visit. It's just north of the hotel. It's a cute place and has games inside and on the other side they have a bar. You can order food but I believe most of it comes from the main restaurant. When we stay here, we take our eBikes and ride from one end to the other (Ahles). I will say that it feels like I am not in Washington when I am here (hence coming in the summer). I get my sun in, sometimes I'll catch a band on stage, I can ride my bike. I am not restricted to just one restaurant. I have plenty of options. Check out this place when you can. It really is great. read more

We've always been fans of McMenamins properties -- their eclectic charm, fascinating history, and the sense of discovery that comes with each visit. Over the years, we've explored many of their locations, stayed overnight at a few, ate meals, caught concerts, watched movies and attended special events. We still have our uncompleted McMenamins passports from ten years ago, when we lived in the Pacific Northwest. Knowing this lodge was in the area we'd be exploring, we made a point to stop during our trip. The property features 40 guest rooms, a main restaurant, a private lounge, and a rooftop bar, along with a gift shop and a small outdoor amphitheater for concerts. One of the things we love most about McMenamins is how they breathe new life into old buildings -- several are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. So we were genuinely surprised to learn that this particular property was actually a new construction, built in 2018. Despite being new, it still captures that signature McMenamins personality and sense of history. We walked around a bit taking it all in and used the restrooms. The urinals and plumbing in the men's room were really cool. We have seen plumbing like this at some of their other locations which included gauges and lights that work. We decided to grab something to eat at the pub and had a seat at the bar. We just happened to be there during happy hour which provided some discounts on some items. I ordered a beer as we checked out the menu. The menu is similar to what we have experienced at their other locations. We started with an order of their Cajun tots which we've always enjoyed. My wife ordered the blackened salmon Caesar salad and I chose a pepperoni pizza. We pretty much polished off the Cajun tots when our orders arrived. We enjoyed our meals and I even had a few slices left over. This was another cool McMenamins experience and will will return. read more

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Want a different taste of French toast? This with Irish coffee is a great beverage to complement the crunchy toast. read more

McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge - Come to McMenamins at Kalama. This is Angel's crunchy French toast. As you notice I ate several amazing bites before taking this photo. - Hotels Near Me - Kalama, Washington

If you've never been to a McMenamins restaurant, you'll be surprised by the quirkiness. The company takes old buildings, restaurants, hotels, and so forth, and converts them to these charming, interesting locations. Kalama Harbor Lodge is similar. From the interesting paintings and photos in the hallways, to the strange contraption of plumbing pipes in the restroom, these are weird and fun places. McMenamins sells Passport books, as well, and you can use these to discover new locations you never considered visiting before. That's the reason my wife and I visited Kalama Harbor Lodge. We were returning from a football game in Seattle and wanted to find someplace to eat dinner before heading the rest of the way home. We ordered Salisbury Steak, and were not disappointed. It was delicious and filling. To go with the meal, we each ordered a beer. My wife ordered the Pau Hana Gold, and enjoyed it. She said it was perfect for her taste, as she enjoys light beers. I had the McMenamins Irish Stout, and loved it. We're looking forward to our next visit! read more

McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge - Crazy pipes in the restroom - Hotels Near Me - Kalama, Washington

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The food is lifeless! With a million dollar view you'd think they'd put some passion and taste into their food prep. It's lifeless, tasteless and completely catatonic when it's served. Service staff are listless and exhausted with serving mediocre food. Patrons leave and dont return. Check the food it's what brings repeat business. Please hire a food taster before you serve the food. Remember to salt or just season. Serve hot dishes hot. Quality control is key and switch up the menu- it's old and tired. read more

Ashley, our server was phenomenal. She took great care of us and was very quick with suggestions of food and alcohol. read more

McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge - View - Hotels Near Me - Kalama, Washington

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Unfortunately forced to update my review after a very disappointing experience on my last visit - they left the stickers on the bell peppers in my salad, service was slow and unpleasant, and prices have gone up quite a bit (totally not supported by the quality either). I had such a great first experience here and went out of my way to return but never again! When we arrived, we were greeted by the hostess and she was very friendly and welcoming - but that's where the pleasantries ended pretty much lol. Our server seemed very annoyed when asked what the soup and dessert of the day was - so much so that we never found out the dessert bc we didn't want to bother him again lol. I tried to smile at several of the other servers only to be met with glares. What is going on here? For the first food disappointment- Our server said the soup of the day was a type of "creole" soup and that it was like gumbo. I grew up in Louisiana so heck yeah I want some gumbo lol. It was pretty much inedible. The portion was tiny (thank god lol). The seafood nonexistent and the tiny piece I did have was rubbery and so overcooked. The sausage was an Italian style - not andouille - so the flavor was strange with the broth. The broth was very citrusy with a weird spice blend that was so thick it was like slurping sand - totally didn't work at all. And there were potatoes in it?? In all my years in Lousiana I never had a Creole soup with potatoes in it . I don't know what genre this soup is supposed to be - but it's definitely not "creole" lol. Up next - the main issue that has caused me to never consider returning. I ordered their BBQ chicken salad. At first I was enjoying it bc the flavor was great and chicken tender - was initially very nice. Until I found that they left the stickers on the bell peppers in the salad - cut right through them - edges all shredded (see photo). Do they even wash their salad veggies?? How much of the sticker did I eat?? THOSE STICKERS ARE MADE OF VINYL!! Disgusting! Now I'll be scouring every salad I ever eat to make sure I'm not eating the dang stickers so thanks for that I guess. When our server finally came back to our table after an extended absence - he was completely unsurprised. His response was to laugh and say "yeah that tracks". That tracks?!! So the kitchen does this regularly? Maybe not something you want to admit to customers? No apology, nothing else - completely unconcerned. We couldn't get out of there fast enough lol. And to add insult to injury, their prices have gone way up. Totally unjustified. I was so excited to bring my hubby here - we drove like 20 mins out of our way - never again. read more

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Sat on the patio with a pretty good view. It is such a relaxing place no matter how long you stay. The covered patio was windy and chilly but we visited during a sunny spring day. The staff were friendly from the hostess to our waitress. We ordered the fish/chips and chicken tenders. The flavor was a delight but unfortunately all the fried food was cold. We will definitely try again in hopes for warmer food. read more

Very dark and gloomy room and hallway. I understand the vibe of McMenamins but they could use a light booster in their rooms for those wanting a lot more light. Even the lamps are darkly lit. That being said the bed and rooms were clean and comfy. Lots of room to spread out. The housekeeping is superb and actually met the gal who was going to clean my room. She loves working here which is a good sign:) So the reason for the two star is that for Kalama, I believe the Lodge to be way overpriced. I paid $273 including $20 worth is WA taxes for a single room. Also, I am a passport member and forgot my passport so I couldn't get credit for my stay even with my electronic passport. The clerk at the front desk said it wasn't possible. Hmm. I chose to stay here because I was a passport member. Enjoyed dinner at the pub and service was okay. I ordered prim rib which was good but the accompanying mashed potatoes cold. I should have sent them back but they were busy and felt I could live with it. Trying lunch here before I leave so will report back after that. read more

McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge - Front entrance of Lodge - Hotels Near Me - Kalama, Washington

A Cozy Christmas Eve Gem on the Harbor!" Our second visit to McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge was just as magical as the first! We were thrilled they were open Christmas Eve morning, making it the perfect halfway meeting point for a breakfast with family passing through. It's tucked just far enough away from I-5 to feel like a destination, and the harbor views are worth every extra minute of the drive. We were seated in a dreamy back corner right by a crackling fireplace with views of the water. Our server was fantastic--friendly, fast, and very attentive to our party of six. The Food: My husband and I split the Eggs Benedict. The eggs were poached to perfection, and while the hollandaise was savory and rich, the jalapeño grits stole the show! They were so creamy and flavorful that I think I liked the grits more than the main dish. The rest of the table raved about the Angel's Crunchy French Toast with its tart raspberry jam and the hearty Biscuits & Country Gravy. Everyone left happy and full. We've already decided to make this our annual Christmas holiday tradition! read more

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Been coming here for years, I don't know why I've never reviewed it! Love it here. Awesome food and much to see inside and out. I love the view they have of the Columbia river. The workers are always kind. I've been here on a hot summer day, cold winter night and all in between, and it's always a vibe here. read more

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I was told this location was in an industrial area, not to expect too much. I've worked for industrial ports before. This is not that. It's gorgeous. It's a brilliant use of space along the river. There are factories and train lines near by, but everything is clean and tidy as you drive up. There is also a small harbor tucked behind The Cove Bar. I thought the property was beautifully laid out and maintained. Kalama Lodge itself, the grassy lawns, and up the walkways to the satellite buildings, it was all great. Helps that it was a beautiful day with a creamsicle & coral sunset that went on forever. The staff was friendly, the fire pits outback were cozy, and the secret rooms were fun. Good food and drinks. I tried the sweet potato soup and a really great spiced hot buttered rum. Plenty of parking. Lots to see and do here other than a lovely sunset. Will definitely be back! read more

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We love staying at Mcmenamins . The weather was so nice and made the deck and view even better . The rooms always super cool , comfy beds. Fire pits alway bonus found the secret hidden rooms :) . Diana was working the small pub that was a nice walk to get to. She made me an amazing drink . So fresh and refreshing. Beers and whisky so good . We will be back . read more

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Glad I came back! I hadn't previously realized that there were 5 different bars here. This time, I checked them all out and had a very good experience. Service at the Pub still wasn't all that great, but I think they might be spread a little too thin at that bar. I'll likely be back in the future. read more

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Five stars for the views, vibes, food, rooms, and everything else in between. We truly loved everything about our stay at McMenamins Kalam Harbor Lodge-we just wish we could've stayed longer! This McMenamins location has cozy cabin rooms with stellar views of the Columbia River. Each room has a theme after a certain person/icon from the town of Kamala which I think is a sweet way to pay tribute to their town. I loved reading the brochures in the room about the hotels history and learning about the surrounding area. This hotel is pet friendly too which means you can bring along your furry friend and makes this location a perfect stop over when traveling between Oregon and Washington. Our pup loved the room and they even had a sterilized dog food bowl in the room ready to go in case you forgot to pack one. Such a nice touch! This location also has a bar on the top floor, a full on restaurant, another bar in the lot, and a brewery! Plus there is nearby walking trails, a park, food trucks, and a shopping market. What more could you ask for?!? We seriously cannot wait to come back to this location another night and stay the whole weekend! Hopefully we will be back soon! read more

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My husband and I decided to stop here for dinner one Tuesday night. We choose our own table and we were greeted by the hostess. She came, dropped off the menu and took our drink orders. The drinks came out quickly and we ordered dinner: Cajun tots, fish and chips and Aztec green salads. The food arrived quickly. The fish and chips were moist and good, the salad was okay but the Cajun tots were a bit salty. The overall ambience and experience was good! We will come back and try some other dishes in the near read more

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Beautiful views of you sir near the windows or on the patios from any of the restaurants! The food is great, consistent just like any other McMenamins if you've been. Can't go wrong with the Cajun tots and a side of the best ranch. Also tried the tuxedo brownie and that was delicious. read more

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After driving past this place a bunch of times, i finally stopped and tried it out. An absolutely terrific experience from the start. The ambiance is classic riverfront, tje service was great, and the food was top notch. We had the pretzels (excellent), i had the bacon cheeseburger (very good) and finished it off with the tangerine and cream basque cheesecake. (Extraordinary). Don't miss. read more

McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge - Tangerine & Cream Basque Cheesecake about 1 second after arriving. - Hotels Near Me - Kalama, Washington

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We stopped in to have a light dinner out. We got seated by the windows right away. The view of the river from here are fantastic. I got an Edgefield blackberry cider, it is my favorite coder right now. I decided to try the steak bites off the appetizer menu. This was a great light meal option. The steak was juicy and flavorful and the mushrooms were cooked perfectly! Great food, great service! read more

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Dropped by for breakfast on my way back from an early morning in Vancouver and got a half order of Eggs Benedict and I'm giving this place an extra star because I don't know who is in the kitchen, but that benedict was perfect. The hollandaise was a little cheesy which I usually don't like, but this was actually delicious and the english muffin was very toasty. It's the best benedict I've had in awhile, so it deserves that extra star. read more

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I decided to book a night here for my husband's birthday after a few of our friends recommended it. I made my reservation online through their website. They don't require payment upfront. You are charged for your stay upon check-out. When you arrive to check-in, they do require a $50 credit card hold for room damages. Both reservation and check-in processes were simple. The rooms are nice. We were pleasantly surprised at the amenities provided. We did wish we had a coffee pot and mini fridge in the room, especially for $310 a night, but we were comfortable and content with what we had. The decor was really cool and we liked the antique light fixtures. The rooms also had a couple throw blankets which was perfect for the balcony at night. The balcony chairs were really nice with their thick cushions. We saw so many cargo ships and tugboats go by. There's a lot of action along the river. I also made dinner reservations through Open Table for the Harbor Lounge. The food was great! We ordered the pretzel sticks and beer cheese fondue to start. Very fresh and hot. Our entrees were the blackened salmon Caesar salad and the Rock the Kasbah burger. Both were really good. The salmon was cooked perfectly. For dessert we ordered the strawberries and cream Basque cheesecake. So yummy! Our server wasn't the most friendly. No smiles. He seemed rushed and stressed. He said the most to us when he gave us our bill. We had the same service later when we went up to the Cloud Bar for a drink. Server was just doing her job. Not friendly or welcoming. She actually smiled and wished us a nice weekend when she handed us our bill. Pretty disappointing. Why are some servers only friendly when they're looking for a tip? If a server is just doing their job, they're earning their hourly wage. If they go above and beyond to make you feel appreciated for being a customer, then you are earning a tip. It's so frustrating lately. It seems tips are expected now and not earned. We work hard for our money and I don't feel comfortable giving a nice tip unless it's earned. Overall we enjoyed our stay and food here. They don't seem to do anything for special occasions in the hotel rooms or restaurant. Not a huge deal. We were more disappointed in the mediocre service. I'm sure we'll be back, but it would be nice if management would give their employees a pep talk and remind them that their actions represent the company and customers actually contribute to their wages, so they should be more welcoming and friendly. read more

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Now that I've been here twice, once for an engagement party and once just for lunch, I feel comfortable writing a review. Especially considering the thoughts of everybody I know. I love this place cosmetically. It looks great from the outside, has a huge parking lot along with great outdoor seating. Inside, it's a bit dull. I've only been to a few McMenamin's in my lifetime, and they're all that way...I guess I just thought it was because those were older. With this one being new, it'd be better. It still had the same overall appeal though. Their food was about average for this level of a sit-down restaurant. Which wouldn't have been a disappointment, had I not heard from many people that it was better than average. At least the menu was a decent size with some more unique options than expected. I also thought the service was amazing. Our waitress was great. Overall, this is about average for an establishment of this level. Food that tastes fine, great service to try and make up for that and for the slightly dull atmosphere. read more

This was our final hotel room of our 9 day road trip home for the holidays and I tell you, McMenamins did not disappoint! We opted for a river view room and it was absolutely perfect in every way! The room is exactly what you would expect in a PNW lodge, outdoorsy, wood everywhere, subtle lighting and darker colors. Everything was spotless in the room and the bed was super comfy. We settled in quickly and relaxed after a day on the road then headed over to the market to take a look around. We discovered it's relatively new to the area but we never would have guessed, all the little shops seemed well established and a perfect mix of boutiques, even a distillery tasting room! We headed back to the lodge for dinner and enjoyed our meals at the pub, service was nice and friendly and food was good. I'm not sure we'd head back just for the food but we'll definitely be back for a comfy night stay with amazing views! As we headed back to our room, we met another guest that let us in on the secret blue light rooms! SO COOL!! Find the blue lights on the 2nd & 3rd floors and give the wall a gentle nudge - SURPRISE!! read more

McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge - What secrets do the blue lights reveal? - Hotels Near Me - Kalama, Washington

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Staying in an air bnb in the Castlerock area and a friend recommended this spot. It's beautiful and in a weird way spookily romantic. The vibes are all there for formal to a casual hang out. You can lodge here or you can just come dine and check out the gift shop. Service was amazing. Server was extremely helpful, friendly and attentive. The food was delicious and didn't take long to arrive once we ordered. Ambiance was spot on. Perfect for our little girls trip. read more

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Neat Location, but food is very mediocre, not best. Ordered El Diablo chicken sandwich. Chicken was overcooked and the El Diablo sandwich at this location has no heat whatsoever. Just a plain old chicken sandwich. Serve frozen shoestring french fries, not the normal delicious McMenamin's fries. Everything is extremely overpriced. Almost $15 for a cocktail with well liquor. For a relatively new building, it is in terrible shape. Floor is uneven, and not even safe in areas read more

Waited 40 mins for the meal to come. When it came the rice was inedible and literally melted into slop as soon as you ate it. The fries and tater tots were both very stale and clearly left in the heater for a very long time read more

McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge - Rice - Hotels Near Me - Kalama, Washington

Fabulous salad from Mcmenamins. . 15 of us we're out celebrating a family birthday and descended upon this place to celebrate, laugh, and enjoy life together. The evening started out a little rough as the cushion seat was soaking wet. We weren't sure what it was, but the staff was very quick to address the situation. Down we sat. I don't think anyone of the 15 of us ordered the same meal. Our server was friendly, fast, and quite understanding of this slightly boisterous group. They have a good size menu to choose off of and a decent amount of specials. I may or may not have had a single libation? For dinner I chose the harvest salad special. Terrific salad, with quite a few toppings. On the salad, there was sweet potatoes, candied walnuts, berries, and goat cheese. Who doesn't love goat cheese?! For an added touch. I topped it off with grilled salmon. Every single bite was outstanding. Considering the fact that I was on East Coast time and I'm out here on the West Coast this was a pretty solid choice to eat at 10:45 PM Eastern time. The salad was topped with a maple vinaigrette that was absolutely outstanding. Cool place. Excellent vibes. Very decent food. read more

McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge - Harvest salad special with added salmon protein. - Hotels Near Me - Kalama, Washington

What a fantastic, relaxing stay for 3 days after our daughter's wedding in Portland. Great place to unwind, beautiful views and kind, helpful staff. Food was delicious too. Looking forward to staying here again on our next trip up to Washington! read more

Not only is this the most beautiful rustic cozy McMenamins we've been too ( much like our rustic home, so felt like home ) the views are outstanding and the food was superb!! We split the crab/ shrimp sandwich which was delicious, we had the BEST chicken noodle soup ever and the Tiramisu was the best we have ever had! We are elderly and we were very impressed . Nice cozy touch with the firepits as well. Although we live in Oregon we will be back!! read more

A fun spot to stop by in Kalama that features good meals and yummy cocktails. The pricing of the establishment is a little higher, but this is a fun touristy spot. I would highly recommend coming 15-30 min prior to when you want to eat food since there is almost always a wait. Good food but it does take quite a while to come out. read more

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Everything!! We absolutely love Mc Menamins but we will NEVER go back to the Kalama one. At least 7 tables not cleared. And it wasn't even lunch time yet. At the bar, employees were complaining about how they didn't have any help. They were 6 tables behind just for drink orders. We went over the menu for quite a while and there wasn't anything on it that said ( eat me ) your prices were outrageous just due to the location. We left without ordering anything! Went a mile down the road and ate at Flipside and it was AMAZING read more

Great drinks. Terrible food. Would go for the bar, would avoid at all costs for dinner

Sitting at the table waiting, again, to get staff to come to the table. We are just wanting to pay our tab. McMenamins was such a great experience, beer, food, service etc, 10 years ago, now it's all average. read more

Poor service as initially the hostess bar was abandoned and servers told us they didn't know where she was. this is the Kalama one and we have eaten at other locations. My wifes toasted bread on her sandwich could not stand up to the watery glob of tuna. Pieces began to fall off in wet chunks after the first bite. Ketchup smelled like it had rotted in the bottle. read more

Love this hotel in all the places we've visited. This one was right along the river and have beautiful views and a beach to walk along. The food we had at the restaurant was delicious. The drinks are so fun and also delicious. The staff are always attentive and friendly. We did not stay this time but stoped for a wonderful lunch. read more

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