Carlsbad, NM This is located inside the Stevens Inn. Small area but clean. Ordered off the menu instead of eating the basic buffet set up. Coffee cup was delivered with hands, on the lip of the cup, instead of by the handle. (Don't they teach that in the Food Handlers course?) Pet peeve for me. Also big thumb touching my food as she set it on the table! Other than those two things, the waitress was pleasant and I got a laugh out of her when she asked if "are you ready " and I replied, "ready for what?". Menu prices were reasonable. Don't know the buffet's cost. The parking lot could stand cleaning; flattened beer cans, coat hangers stood out on the walk into the lobby. read more

We ate at The Flume for Easter lunch. The service was great, but the buffet wasn't great. The turkey, ham, and roast beef were all dry even with gravy. The mashed potatoes were dense, and the gravy disappeared right after I added it because they were dry too. The restaurant was clean, and the staff were friendly. read more

$100 for 2 with tip. No cocktails. Just food & 2 coffees. Service was poor. Coffee & waters were never refilled. Didn't even check. Hubby dropped fork and asked for new fork. Never brought. 3 servers stood there and just kept talking. I got a soup. No spoons. I asked for a spoon and again servers standing there said spoons on salad buffet. I said no it's empty. She was miffed that I was correct. Food was mediocre. Soup was spicy but tasteless. My salmon was meh. Chablis Sauce was just watery, not much taste. Husband's steak was ok. His shrimp were barely grilled. Almost squishy raw. Salad bar was ok, fresh, fairly pedestrian items. But edible. Overall - we probably won't return. This place isn't offensive just not worth the price. Hubby just wanted a good steak. read more

Food was cold, taste like ass and we sat for 15 minutes in an empty restaurant with no drinks

The food was great our waitress was Kayla and she's just awesome I request her every time she's a great server and she works hard for her money. read more

Always fresh salad bar! Surf and turf always delicious! Wife had the large rib eye she was very happy! Full bar! Excellent service! My go to in Carlsbad! read more

We sat in the bar for dinner; to have a couple of drinks then dinner. We both decided to order wings. They were served hot. Mine was Korean and his was Honey Sriracha. Both delicious. Not spicy at all even though I prefer spicy. Ranch dressing was homemade which is my fav. We will definitely be back. read more

See all

We came here on a day or two notice with around 25 people. They were only able to give us one or two staff members and they handled the party unbelievably well. read more

This restaurant is hidden in the Howard Johnson's. Awesome CFS, salad bar, soup and Key Lime Pie! Our server, Harley, was so friendly, professional and proficient! Next time we're in town, back to The Flume, no question! read more

I love this restaurant and the hotel. We go here every year because it's special to my husband and I and we live out of town. It was our first real date. Good food. Great salad bar. read more

Visited The Flume during a work lunch and I must say I been hearing about this place from locals to give it a try. It is located inside the Stevens Inn off Canal Street. Tucked into the motel, we were quickly seated during the lunch hour. Place wasn't busy and the service was great! Our waitress was very attentive, informative and assured our needs were met. Now to rate the food, the salad bar is what really won me over, plenty of vegetables, toppings, fruit as a bonus and soup of the day available on the salad bar. The entree I got the 8oz medium well sirloin with a loaded baked potato. The steak was undercooked on one end and the other just right and as for the quality was more chewy than meat with more fat than expected not worth the $30 for lunch. Overall hidden gem for the salad bar and steakhouse style environment worth a try. read more

See all

Such a great place! We went on an Easter holiday and had the buffet. We were told Buffets are on special occasions. Food was good and service was excellent. Such a night and day response from the last restaurant we had went to the day before in Carlsbad. I would definitely come again. read more

The Flume - Dessert Bar - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

See all

I had a smothered burrito with the green chilie but there was so much oregano that I scaped the chili off and asked for the red sauce. This too had lot's of oregano so I only nibbled on my food and left most of it. I would not order this again. read more

Great little find. Dining room was very cute. The restaurant is actually inside a motel lobby so it was kind of hard to spot. You have to really be looking if your not familiar with it. It looks like it's been there awhile but is very well kept and clean. The waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable. We ordered chicken fried steak, a burger and the Flume chicken. Everything was very good and you couldn't have gone wrong with any of these dishes. The salad bar was very tempting and I would definitely give it a try. read more

The salad bar is PHENOMENAL! I'm a ranch freak, and their ranch is homemade and divine. The prime rib is wonderful on the weekends... but the staff is less than attentive, and the hostess every time we have been is rude and condescending. It's off-putting, to say the least read more

We came for dinner after a day of hiking. The restaurant is in the Steven's Inn on the main road. It was a well run place with friendly hostess and server. It was a quiet Saturday with a steady flow of customers. The dining area was comfortable and had either families, couples or small groups. It had a homey feel which was nice. We had two cheeseburgers freshly cooked Medium on a tasty yeast bun. Both raved that it was the best burger they had in a while! We also had the salad bar which was a real gem like the other reviewers have mentioned. Fresh lettuce, many fresh cut veggies, fruits and side salads. It was fresher than many salad buffets that we have been. The homemade chicken dumplings soup was amazingly delicious! We had seconds because it was that good. Our server was very nice and attentive. Don't miss this place for a wonderful food and dining experience! read more

Water tastes nasty. That slice of lemon is not covering up the taste of the worst water Ive ever had in a restaurant. It is the same water feeding the soda machine because even those taste off. Great food. Above average diner food. Chicken fried steak, fried shrimp, burgers are all great. Salad bar is pretty nice and looks fresh if your into that kind of thing. read more

Stopped at the Steven's inn here in Carlsbad NM on our way home to texas. The inn has a great restaurant called "the flume". What a delight!.. The salad bar was incredible! So many choices! My husband had the Friday Fajitas special that included a free margarita. He said it was the best Fajitas he has ever had. I had the 8oz rib eye cooked to a perfect medium rare with a delicious baked potato, I have a feeling that this is a popular locals favorite. I can see why. Great service, great food! BTW, I wish other reviewers would get off the "Covid" nonsense in their reviews and stick to strictly to an evaluation of the food and service. read more

Two medium rare steaks. 1 well done, 1 medium. Chicken was freezer burnt. Butter was actually margarine. Waitress could've cared less. Awful experience. Won't go back. read more

Great chicken fried steak. Great fiesta chicken. Very friendly waitress. Well seasoned broccoli. It's in a hotel, so we didn't see the name of the place from the street but not hard to find. Well patronized by locals and we can see why. Glad we went. read more

This place was awful. Chicken was chewy. For a refill, the waiter put his hands on the top of my husband's glass during Covid pandemic. Also the wait staff did not wear masks. Prices were high but food was fair. read more

The Flume restaurant is a wonderful getaway from the craziness of working on the road. The atmosphere is quiet and semi-formal. It is completely dated, but I think that's part of the charm. Or maybe it's the local radio station playing Supertramp, Helen Reddy and Rolling Stones - where do you get that? It is housed in the Stevens Inn (Best Western). The dining area is quite large with plenty of tables covered in tablecloths. The menu has something for everyone, but the steaks are by far the most popular option. Most recently, I had the chicken marsala which was okay. But with the soup and salad bar that come with each entree, you are practically full from that. They had cheesy green chili stew which was fantastic and quickly became a sauce for everything. They also serve a delicious mini loaf of bread for a starter. The service can be slow, but the servers are very friendly. read more

The Flume - Flume interior. - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

Eeeh, last few times I been here was a little disappointing. They say they are discontinuing their spicy pasta but let me have it for that night. The mussel shells were fragile so I had some crunchy surprises in my pasta, not good. Tried their grilled chicken and it was just all right.. Tried their chicken bolloco and I thought Trinity's was better. Not so much of a hype to come here anymore for me but it's okay. read more

I really like the idea of this restaurant and how the buffet eating works. We have gone to the brunch and really enjoy the omelet station and the other little buffet stations they provided. We went before this last thanksgiving as well and they had a thanksgiving themed buffet which actually was really good. The service staff is always ready to serve their guests. The food is convenient and doesn't sacrifice too much quality with that in consideration. I wouldn't want to pay any more than they charge as then I would really have to weigh out some pros and cons but as of now I believe they charge a fair price for all you can eat buffet. I plan to go again in the near future while we are still staying in Carlsbad as I would like to try some of the different meals they have on the dinner menu. read more

The dinner here is good, especially the steak. Generous portion and it includes the salad bar,just in case your inner being needs balance. Being that dinner was well prepped,I attempted breakfast. Horrible mistake. The chicken fried steak,was tasty, however the homemade gravy had an appearance and flavor of that from an instant package. The potatoes with the breakfast were soaked in oil and definitely not palatable. read more

I nearly always check in on yelp when I eat somewhere new. I rarely go back and leave a review unless they are exceptionally good or really bad. In this case they knocked my socks off! Both my boys socks were knocked off too! One ordered shrimp and the other chicken fried steak. Both were amazing as well as my turkey avocado sandwich!!! Great service and we were there after closing!!! Btw, we devoured a piece of chocolate cheesecake too! read more

My burger with sweet potato fries was delicious. Eight-year old son burst into tears. His burger was served on Texas toast which it had said nothing about in the menu. The bread brought to our table was dried out. Had to steer my daughter away from the more suspicious looking items at the salad bar. Husband's chicken fried steak was meh. SIL's shrimp pasta was VERY oily. Pricey for what it was. Service was extremely slow and distracted. read more

Real nice restaurant located just past the front lobby within the Best Western Stevens Hotel. Great attentive service with genuine hospitality these folks make you feel welcome and at home. Food is very fresh and the complimentary bread with honey butter is served soft n warm...Mmmmmmmmm Salad bar is very generous with much farm fresh selections including 6-8 different dressings and delicious fruit /veggies and desserts. House wines are from the highly respected Woodbridge by Robert Mondovi vineyards, delicious! read more

I feel like I have to give this place 4 stars because its really one of the best places in town... service was good and the decor is actually updated. It's inside the Best Western (which is so old) that I expected a much dirtier place... but no. Stuff from the kitchen was good, get the hot salsa for sure and they even made us a fresh batch of unsalted chips when we asked! That's a plus... when we got them we realized the damn salsa was seriously salty... oh well. Fried pickles were meh, artichoke hip has whole artichokes in it... tasty but a little hard to eat. All in all not a bad spot for a bite and beer. read more

We ate here while staying at the Best Western it is located in. The food was very good, I have no complaints about that. However, the portions were small while the prices were outrageous. Two of us got a $16 meal each and drinks and it somehow came out to be $48; I'm assuming the drink prices are high. The biggest complaint I have are the size of the tables. We were sat at a small table for two, and the waitress had to take our unfinished bread once she brought out our food because there wasn't enough room for all of it. In my opinion, the service wasn't near as good as this restaurant tries to portray with its high prices and fancy interior. Our waitress never once asked to refill our drinks. I actually noticed her at another table refilling their tea and as she refilled the glasses from a pitcher, she spilled ice all over the place and just ignored it. She also didn't really seem like she knew what she was doing. We told her we'd need a few more minutes to order and she came back more than ten minutes later. Overall: the food was good although the prices were a bit high, but the service we received kind of ruined things. read more

They close at 2:00 on Sundays, and their hours are not listed online. We tried to go for dinner after visiting the park on a Sunday evening, based on the other reviews that said the Sunday buffet is so good. So I can't actually leave a review of the food or service, but I want people to know it is not an option for dinner on Sundays. read more

If you are in Carlsbad and are looking for somewhere to eat this is the place you want to be!! It is a laid back, family friendly environment and the service is wonderfully fast and friendly. The servers here are very knowledgeable of the menu and know very well how to match the perfect glass of wine with your steak, fish, or pasta dinner!!! The food is exceptionally good, you definitely get what you pay for here at the flume restaurant in Carlsbad, New Mexico! The salad bar has one of the biggest selections of fresh cut vegetables I have seen anywhere while traveling and dinning out and it includes two home made soup choices as a bonus, and don't forget to save room for dessert their house made cheesecake is to die for!! read more

Don't eat the fettuccine chicken Alfredo, i don't know if it was just bad timing to go but my food was super greasy and I just was not satisfied :/ read more

Wonderful place for lunch. Largest salad bar in lCarlsbad. Fish. Mexican food. Plus much more read more

The Flume - Taco plate - New American Near Me - Carlsbad, New Mexico

See all

I wish I could be more positive about the restaurant. The food reminds me of eating at a holiday inn restaurant.

First, an obligatory note about Carlsbad, NM. Your dining options are limited. Many of the promising ones are not open on weekends. Seriously. The busiest parking lot is Chili's. Seriously. The woman at the hotel recommended Chili's and some other place that gets a 4 (of 30) from Zagat. Now, as for the Flume, it's okay. The salad bar looked pretty sad to me, with flabby greens (at least they had romaine and not just iceberg) and not-very-appetizing soup. I got the turkey avocado sandwich, and it was all right. Not what I would call the highlight of the trip, but passable. Service was very good, the restaurant was clean. In my experience, that's about all you can ask for in Carlsbad. read more

Best salad bar in town. Prime rib is usually very good as well. Sunday lunch buffet is excellent--ham, pasta, roast beef, and turkey and dressing (my favorite). Service is consistently good, at least for Carlsbad. I usually eat here at least 3x a month. read more

Great place to eat. Extensive salad bar, delicious entrées, excellent staff/service. Best place in town for lunch, supper and/or Italian food. Highly recommended. read more

Located in the Best Western hotel, The Flume served the best Sante Fe Chicken I've ever had, with melted cheese and green chili sauce served with buttered corn and rice. Entree came with salad bar and soup. Delicious!! read more

I am so glad I relied on Yelp reviews to find a restaurant. The food is made to perfection. I had the Shrimp Scampi - so good! I added the salad bar to go with it. The salad bar is a meal in itself. You have a a variety of choices. You can have a choice of two soups to go with it. Fruit is included in the salad bar. Both of my daughters who are usually picky agreed that we picked a great restaurant. The service is also great! Thank you Kayla H. you providing us a pleasant experience. read more