I've heard so many great things about this place. Excellent food, great history, etc. My husband, daughter and I decided to try it out this afternoon, hoping to beat the lunch rush. It was still extremely busy due to a large event some Boy Scouts were having, I get that. However, we waited for over 20 minutes on the patio (we had our pup with us) before I decided to go ask for a menu because we had yet to be greeted by anyone yet, even though we had gone to the host stand prior to sitting down and was told to seat ourselves on the patio. We got a menu, a hostess graciously brought us some water and that was it. Another 30 minutes go by... I see one server on the patio frantically helping out the Boy Scouts yet does not greet us or give us any recognition whatsoever.A simple, "hey, I'm sorry I'm slammed right now, I will get to you guys in a minute" would have sufficed. Believe me, my husband and I met years ago while both working in the restaurant industry, we know how it works especially when you get slammed. My husband waited a good twenty minutes until he decided he would get us a couple drinks from the bar himself, as no one has given us any recognition. When he got back, I asked a busser about how long it would be until our server was able to take our order, as my toddler was getting impatient and hungry at this point. She was extremely nice, said she'd grab our waitress for us. Another ten minutes go by.... nothing. My husband, daughter and I decided to pack up and go down to Kellogg to a local brewery that served us within minutes. I am extremely disappointed with the customer service with this place, I was beyond excited to try the food I've heard so many people go crazy about. But to me, this is an unacceptable way for a restaurant to treat their paying customers. read more

Can't say how the food was since we never received it. Ordered an appetizer and got it an hour later. Then had to ask to place our dinner order; finally some guy came out two and half hours later to apologize that somehow our ticket was lost but our own waitress didn't come out to tell us anything plus she was rude from the beginning. Wings and nachos weren't that great. read more

The Snake Pit...local icon...pretty much stops there...ordered the chicken fry, after 40 min wait...ordered chicken fry...got drinks (iced tea) 20 min after we found a spot...I was amazed at how busy this place gets for lack of quality and long wait times...back to my chicken fry, enough grease on this plate to change oil in my pickup...my server seriously wiped the gravy from her thumb which was on my chicken fry previously on her apron...saving the meal was a bubbly little gal named crystal...her personal touch to a lackluster meal and service helped a ton...I'm guessing the location is why this place is so busy...it's certainly not the food...thanks crystal for saving the meal... read more

Great food I had the chicken fried steak and buffalo chips, it was great, my Wife had the Rueben, it was probably the best one ever, nice thick cut corned beef. If in the area it is a must stop read more

A good find a ways off the interstate in a 100+ yr old building. Attentive and friendly service at lunch on Saturday. Good though not elaborate salad bar. Two-meat combo is big enough for two light appetites, with tasty barbecue, though a spicier sauce option would have been welcome. 6-8 beers on tap. Lots of old-time stuff on the walls. I'll stop again if i have the chance. read more

We're not from this area but a friend suggested we stop in the Snake Pit for dinner. This place has a history with a rustic cabin feel. The place was about a 3rd full. Not bad for a Thursday night. We were immediately treated very friendly. Although our intentions were to have steak, after reading the menu, I had shrimp my husband had chicken. The food was prepared to perfection. What I especially liked is the food came out HOT. Not just warm as in other resturants. When the chef had a moment she came out to check if our food was good. We would defiantly go there again. read more

Delightfully tacky . That's the best way to describe this place. If you want some good casual comfort food, this is your place.

Not great food, not great service. Come for the crap stuff on the walls.

The atmosphere is good. A true local dive that has been around since I was a child. Famous for the rocky mountain oysters. Steak was pretty good. Salad bar, just so-so. read more

The Snake Pit is an original Resto. I'd recommend the salmon tacos. Wow. They are loaded with meat and flavor. And the homemade apple pie is a great caboose to any meal! What makes the place is the atmosphere. Like I said, it is original and historic. I'd highly recommend it especially under its new ownership!! The costumer service is superb. Think of it like visiting your favorite uncle! read more

Just had a great lunch with family. The beers on tap were a nice selection mostly from the great pacific north west. The chocolate shakes were excellent. Had to grab a t shirt to remember the visit. read more

Was in Northern Idaho for a friend reunion and wanted to eat somewhere good for groups, so we went to The Snake Pit - and we're so glad we did! First of all, the history and decor are amazing. The owner Tom was awesome and took the time to explain where the decorations came from and the stories around this historic building. They had a great beer selection, and I loved the grapefruit beer they had on tap (others in the group really liked the cider on tap as well). The service was quick, and our waitress extremely friendly. We had the "Rocky Mountain Oysters" to start, which was an adventurous and fun start to the meal. We got a few orders of the Sweet Potato Nachos, which were a highlight of the meal (I would've never thought this combination of food would taste so good, but we learned it's a recipe the owner tried in Korea and brought back - do yourself a favor and order these!). Then got the pulled pork sandwich for my main - which I thought was delicious! Took some pie to go and enjoyed that for dessert! I know we'll be going back to The Snake Pit for the amazing atmosphere and delicious barbecue next time we're in North Idaho! read more

We stopped in for a quick bite to eat before floating down the river. Lunch was fantastic! Our server was very patient as our group of 9 (5 adults and 4 children) decided what to order. I had the mac and cheese and a side of tater tots (I don't eat meat) and the kids shared the nachos. Both were scrumptious. The service was friendly and the restaurant was clean and inviting. I especially liked the picture of dogs playing cards, I haven't seen on of those in a long, long time. I would recommend stopping in to anyone in the area. Thank you for the memories, from California read more

Just left this place and we had the most horrible service I have ever experienced. We were a group of 7 greeted by a very RUDE short haired blonde older woman. After watching her yell at a young girl she asked us what we wanted and we asked if we could take the long table that was open. She responded with "the one that has the reserved spot marked clearly on it" we were all taken back and my aunt with a brain injury asked her if we could push two of the taller tables by the bar together and she replied with "those are really heavy" then we asked to push two tables together and she replied with "you would be right in the way". I couldn't take it anymore and told her we were clearly inconveniencing her and we walked out and left. I almost asked to speak to the manager but instead I decided to leave a review so more people could read this and hopefully discourage them from wasting their time driving all the way out there. We are now eating at the hilltop which has awesome service and a great outdoor seating area. Bummer because we were really excited to eat at the snakepit as we used to go there when we were younger but we will now never come back and have decided to make a tradition out of the hilltop bar and grill. Awesome service! Sorry for your loss Snakepit! read more

This place was a cool and friendly respite from the heat of the day. After floating down the river I came in here to escape the sun and grab something to eat. I had a roast beef sandwich, which canlme acanthus as one would expect and tasted fresh. The service was very thorough, pleasant and fun. I heard them talking a lot about the history of the place which is really neat. There are all kinds of fun old things to look at in the restaurant. I world definitely come back! ! read more

Great food and amazing history. My husband and I had such a fun lunch here. It's a simple but delicious menu and even has some healthy options like a cute little salad bar. The building is over 100 years old and is so full of charm and you can almost feel the old souls still frequenting their favorite hang out. We also got to meet Alfie, the old fat ginger cat! We are glad we stopped and will again. read more

We love this place, I grew up in the Silver Valley and had many trips up the river for a good greasy meal. My husband and I had our wedding rehearsal dinner here a well 3 years ago. The atmosphere is homey and local and the food is great. We will miss Rose Mary and Joe greatly but the new owners seem to be doing a good job, just wish their hours were regular. read more

I visit several times a month. The chicken fried steak is outstanding. Burgers are excellent and staff is friendly and efficient! Hoping to see the menu expand with tasty items read more

Holy Portions!!! My family and I decided lets go somewhere new and unique. After getting on Yelp and seeing that "good food but poor service" we were skeptical. So glad we stopped. The sweet potato pulled pork fries we had for an appetizer was amazing!! Huge plates of burgers fries and chicken n biscuit was so filling and satisfying!!! If your hungry this is the place. Our service was amazing we never were without drink and our requests were meant with friendly smiles. Even the owner came to see how we were doing. We will definitely be back!!! Thank you Snake Pit!! read more

Worst service ever. Only go if you have 4 or 5 hours. Food is great if the waitress remembers to put ur order in. We have eaten there many times and it always good. Pick where u seat carefully as the service sucks in many places read more

The building itself is historical for local Idaho folklore. The BBQ house is well-known for his smoked meats and ever-popular rocky mountain oysters (bull balls). I've had a few of their lunch offerings and I tried breakfast this morning and I was delighted. The service but great, the dining hall was dark-kinda gloomy much like a miners tavern or run down roadside BBQ joint. The building owner apparently has an obsession with burl wood, the dining room is decorated with vintage western decor along with this homage to burl wood. The corned beef hash is scratch made and well worth the budget-friendly 10 dollars a plate. I was able to add a side of the sausage gravy to pour over my mess of a breakfast and I enjoyed every last bite. The corned beef is a bit smokey, and nice and flavorful and extremely tender-no fatty bits or grisliness hidden within the hash which is HARD to come by. The hash was cooked to perfection, crusty bits from the griddle are my favorite. My son ordered the french toast and added a couple eggs which was tasty as well. I read they have a breakfast buffet during the weekends so that might be worth a shot. read more

Had dinner on Tuesday and already craving again! Smoked salmon app was delish and a huge portion, 2 meat bbq beef ribs fallin off the bone pork belly crisp and tender mac and cheese that makes you want to slap your mama!!!-Fresh buttermilk biscuit with honey, yummy yummy!!! All I can say is go now!!!! Oh and our waitress was a peach too all was amazing along with a lovely women playing guitar and a nice melody. read more

After driving by this place dozens of times we decided to try it for lunch. The wife had a burger and fries, which she liked. The fries were really good. However, my mountain oysters were very disappointing. They were mostly breading, not seasoned well, and just not very tasty. I've had plenty of mountain oysters, calf fries, lamb fries, and turkey fries, so I didn't order these to say I did. They just weren't good. Not bad, just not good. The buffalo chips were disappointing as well. Sad when the best parts of my meal were the green beans and the salad. Might go back to try some BBQ, or a burger after fishing, but I'm not recommending the RMOs. read more

Maybe for a drink, because it's a unique place, but the food and service was awful.

Idaho's hidden gem On the border of Idaho and Montana, near the resort town of Coeur d'Alene, is an unexpected treasure of culinary delight. Known mostly to the locals, "The Snake Pit" isn't easy to find (due to a mix-up with Google Maps and a missing highway sign, both of which the new owners plan to correct), but it is a must stop who love good food and enjoy the character and history of a restaurant that has been around since the turn of the century. Enough about the history though, let me tell you about the food. Rocky Mountain Oysters. To be honest, these were a big surprise. I had to try them for the novelty, but after the first plate of them was quickly polished up by our table of 4, I was wishing there was more of them. Barbeque platter - amazing bbq. I've had a lot of barbeque over the years (NC, TX, WA), but this is the best I've ever had. The sauce wasn't too sweet (one of my personal beefs about a lot of sauce) and the meat was so tender it was practically falling off the bone. A lot of folks argue about whether vinegar or tomato based sauces are the best or whether people in the South make better BBQ than the North. They can argue all they want, in the meantime I'll be at the Snakepit eating their ribs... Huckleberry heaven pie. I don't how they make it, but the name says it all. Yum. Beer selection was really good as well. I had an "Irish Death", a dark smooth ale from a craft brewery out of Ellensburg, WA. Final note - the staff was very friendly which made the experience all the more enjoyable. Directions from Coeur d'Alene: 1. I-90 East to exit 43 2. Left across the highway 3. 1.5 miles up the Coeur d'Alene River road read more

If I was dying and was asked what I wanted for a last meal ... I just might pick the Western Burger at the Snake Pit. Unbelievable. Bacon? Delicious. The meat? Cooked perfectly. Oh ... and the fries? I could have had them for a meal in and of itself, and they came with some fantastic fry sauce as well. Word of caution: move the burger off to the side of the plate once you start eating. It's juiciness drips all over and will make your bun soggy. Great atmosphere. Friendly staff. An absolute must for anyone visiting the Silver Valley. read more

Great food, great historic ambiance. Will always come back when in the CDA area!!!

My girlfriend and I visited yesterday and enjoyed excellent service, great craft beer and good food. She loved the soup she had and couldn't believe the size of the large chicken fried steak - it filled the whole plate with the mashed potatoes and green beans on a separate plate. Wonderful atmosphere and the mystique of its history. Great back country stop. It will be a regular for us when in the area. Don Gumprecht read more

If you are on I-90 anywhere near Idaho you must stop here. You are just surounded by lots of interesting things & it just feels good to be here. The huckelberry icecream is the best anywhere & it comes with your meal. Who could ask for anything more? read more

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Worked with the owner Tom on setting up a retirement party! He was great to work with, food was hot and ready and service was great! Thumbs up for a great place to eat. Best beef brisket I've had in a long time. Thanks for all the servers and staff and the owners for a job well done and for making things go so smoothly! read more

Try the prime rib with a side of new red mashed potatoes! Also try the sweet potato nachos! A fun atmosphere and quite the history.

This was our first time visiting with the new owners. I really like the history and unique atmosphere of this North Idaho icon. They were busy which is to be expected on a nice sunny Saturday. However, they were grossly understaffed. The table was dirty and there were no napkins on it so we could wipe it down. We had to wait at least a half an hour to even order our food. It then took at least another half an hour for our food to come. During that hour our drinks were not refilled and we were not offered any water. I don't know if our food sat under the warmer for awhile or if it was cooked that way but my meal was not hot when it finally arrived. It was lukewarm at best. I mentioned it to the waitress and she took it back and they nuked it but the burger was still not hot when I got it back. She asked if I wanted them to cook me another one but since they were so busy and my partner already had her meal I declined. The one bright spot during the visit is that the waitress deducted my meal from the tab since I could not eat it. With the prices they charge I would have expected better food and service. read more

The Snake Pit is an experience to be had. It's eclectic, hometown restaurant vibe makes it a must-visit. We got acquainted with the owner after the cat snuck in and my husband put it on his lap. We are cat people, so we thought this was the coolest thing ever. However, apparently some people have complained, so the owner and server will put the cat back outside. But you can't blame a cat for trying or the owner for trying to do the right thing. I thought it was all charming. As for the food, my only complaint was that the food wasn't hot, and in the case of the mashed potatoes, barely warm. I let our server know, so she could pass it along to the kitchen. She was apologetic and offered to get me something else, and I appreciated it. My husband has eaten here frequently and he always gets a burger. That's what I would recommend, as I think that is where they really excel. We also had some huckleberry ice cream and chocolate cream pie. So good. All around a fun place to eat for reasonable prices. read more

I suppose it was a bad day. 3 servers, 5 tables with customers and we waited and waited...slow with getting table set, slow with water, slow getting our drinks, slow getting the order, slow with getting my over cooked hamburger(requested med rare, got well done) then couldn't raise our server. Slow with getting our bill. I was very disappointed. At least there's room for improvement! Great atmosphere and history! read more

Been going to the Snake Pit for thirty years now, and I'm happy to report it hasn't changed a bit! You know what you're gonna get when you ring the bell with the door. Not great food, but good. Not good people, but great. Beer is, well, beer. Priced right and you're always welcomed with open arms. read more

Took over 2hrs to get our food. The McRib is better BBQ. Drooled over the pies in the pie case. Unfortunately they looked better than they tasted. Our table tried 3 of the 4 kinds offered. We agreed that they all tasted like butter with coloring & whipped topping. The place itself is totally cool though. read more

The pit is cool to experience but the service does fall very very very short! Food, alright for the price! nice to eat while camping and not wanting to cook! Did take a long time for our server to get us drinks and a menu and did not get to that they have a breakfast bar. I would loved to have eating it, but it was never offered. I thought it was because it was about to end but I seen other people come in and eat it??? Boooooooooo on the service! fun atmosphere. read more

This was our first time coming in. We had heard about it from friends and we were really looking forward to grabbing some good food after back packing. We went in on a Saturday morning at 10:30 while they had self seating, no one seemed to notice us. It took at least 20 minutes for a busser to ask if we wanted something to drink and another 10 until we decided we were just going to leave. No one came up to our table to see if we had been helped. Maybe they were short staffed or totally missed us but we felt like it is extremely important to be on top of making sure everyone has been helped even if there is a wait. read more

Stopped in after 30 mile bike ride on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alene. We ordered Chili Burgers, Pulled Pork sandwiches, and Burger. Good food and service. Will make that a regular stop. read more

This business is being run by new owners as of May 2015. They have greatly expanded the menu and improved the food. If you visited previously, it is worth another chance. Both my wife and I had the BBQ where you can select 1,2 or 3 meats. All were excellent, as were the sides. Everything is made from scratch, ample portions and very reasonable prices. read more