Aaron’s @ McCloud River Lodge

Hahaha! Gross. Flies. Lame food. Super expensive. Bill doubled on «accident.» not that there are many other options…

It’s closed so I’m reviewing to get rid of the nagging «review me» note.

The food was amazing! Service top notch, Charles (our server) took care of every one of our needs.
The ribeye steak cooked by their amazing 19y old chef (patrick) was impressive. Definitely not what I expected when I came into town today.
Mashed potatoes (with country gravy) were recommended by Charles and they did not disappoint. In fact, they had so much flavor I couldn’t wait to get back to them after each bite of steak.
They honored the one free drink perk from the Unilocal app. Which was a nice surprise find.
Charles has a band called Night and Day that has won awards at local festivals. It’s a reggae-​esque band with a lot of heart and great lyrics/​poetry.

We were greeted by our very attentive waiter named Charles. He impressed us throughout our stay with his politeness, and his ability to take our drink and dinner orders without writing anything down, and serving us without mixing our orders. I ordered the 9 layer lasagna, my friend ordered the fried shrimp special, and my husband ordered the steak. Everyone enjoyed our meals. It was seasoned well and very hearty. Charles continued to make sure we did not want for anything. We definitely enjoyed our dinner here at the McCloud River Lodge, and recommend it to others. We will return.

Quick earnest service, great food wide array of beers on tap. Fairly nice pool table to have a friendly match, the juke box is a definite plus too.

I want to reply to the man who says his friend got sick from eating a burger at Aarrons. Some people just want to complian. Seems strange to me that NO ONE else got sick from ANY burger that day, including the kind they ordered! And that he didnt atleast call the business and tell them if he believed the food made him sick… wouldnt you warn the kitchen so no one else gets sick. I believe this man has somekind of personnal grudge, and having had a «worse case senario» case of food poisening myself years ago… I know this man would not have been sent home from any hospital if he had food poisening that lasted more than a day. YES, it was the flu.
Myself, my husband and many family members have enjoyed Aarrons dining, and have had a fantastic time here. The owners are very nice people and do everything they can to insure a good time for all. Shame on the ones who choose to mean. We don’t believe you!

Extremely sick after eating the blue cheese bacon burger. Stuck at home for 3 days recovering. Won’t be back. Yikes!
Update:
I see that the owner replied below. To clarify, I took an out of town friend to Aaron’s for dinner so we didn’t have to cook. I ordered the bacon cheese burger and he ordered the blue cheese version of the same burger. Immediately after arriving home (4 minutes away) he was in the bathroom repeatedly for the rest of the evening and the next 36 hours. It was so bad that I was concerned that we may be headed to the hospital for deydration. Although that was not required, it did keep him at the house for 4 days unable to leave as it took that long to finally heal the body enough to eat normally and strong enough to leave the house.
These were NOT flu symptoms. Not planning to come back

We got into McCloud before the restaurant opened and went into the bar to have a drink and wait. The bartender, Daniel was very pleasant and told us that he would ask the kitchen to open early for us. They opened a half hour early and prepared two perfectly cooked NY steaks for us with all of the trimmings. We’ve been on the road for the past 5 days and this was the best meal of the trip.
The drinks were prepared with finesse and flavor and we will definitely return here on subsequent trips through McCloud.

We checked in at our Inn in McCloud around 5pm, and were looking for a restaurant.
Someone suggested this place, and so we went.
My husband had a sirloin steak, and I had a cheese hamburger.
The quality of meat was pretty good in both,
but french fries that came with my hamburger were not crispy hot at all.
They may have sit on the counter for a while, waiting for my husband’s steak to get ready.
But overall, it was a good dinner.

Started with fried zucchini and mushrooms Hot and tasty. The bartender took the time to wipe a table outside so we could enjoy our appetizer and great margaritas in the sunshine. Didn’t seem to mind that we came inside and dirty another table when it got cold outside. Had a great burger. Great service. Great margarita Can’t wait to come back and enjoy another meal outside in their patio area

3÷8÷12 — Just had Easter Sunday Brunch at the McCloud River Lodge. WHAT a disappointment. They only thing that was hot was the omelet you ordered from the cook. everything else was cold. Ever try eating cold eggs Benedict with under cooked eggs. Everything was pre-​cooked then placed in chaffing dishes to keep warm, no covers and only on sterno flame. It appeared that the brunch was way over the head of the chef (I use the term loosely). Cereal and toast would be better than 99 percent of the food served. They should stick to dinner, they do that well.

My boyfriend and I loved this place (both the lodge and the restaurant/​bar).
We went there for St. Patrick’s Day weekend with the Living Social deal they had for the lodge. We arrived around 9.30pm and they were serving food until 9pm only, but the lady (later we found out she was the owner with her husband) told us to order whatever we want, they will prepare for us! How nice is that?!
The food and the drinks were great, they had good specials. I am a big fan of soups, especially when it’s cold so one day I got clam chowder and the next day some red pepper with gouda cheese soup — both great!
We had a unpleasant experience while going to the Ice Cave tour (which is 2h drive from McCloud!), we were late, driving faster then we should so the police officer impounded our car and we had to stay until Monday and bring someone with the driver’s licence because they suspended my bfs licence and I had international that they wouldn’t let me drive with. So, we had to ask someone from our lodge and the guy that works in the restaurant (Patrick, owner’s cousin) helped us out and went with us on Monday (his day off) to help us get our car from the towing place… Another amazing gesture which we found more than helpful since the towing place was 1h drive from the lodge and we were far from home (Oakland) and couldn’t call any of our friends…
To make the long story short — our experience was bad with the police (very bad!, be careful, they love giving tickets to tourists) but great with the people from the lodge and the restaurant, they were so helpful we will never forget it!!!

We LOVE Aaron’s River Lodge. Great service, fabulous food, fun atmosphere. Best dinner in McCloud and I don’t have to cook!

The Lodge changed hands in early 2011. The food does not have a good reputation among the locals, and the prices are high for this area. I have eaten there several times and will not return. Many of my friends feel the same.

McCloud river lodge and grill sold and is now Aaron’s at the Lodge.
The steaks and asian chicken are just ok, the sallied is half the portion it used to be and not crisp. The bread is hard and creates a mess when you go to eat it. The new owners are very gracious, but the chef is very pretentious. The wait staff is very knowledgeable.
The above was written three months ago just not posted.
Had dinner there on saturday night… bread was better every thing else worse. They need a new cheff.

Huge portions, quick friendly service (Hi Ruth!) We had Prime Rib (large cut) and Caesar (watch the dressing, its potent) with grilled chicken. The food was good, salads fresh, Clam Chowder hot — not Chez Panisse, but not their prices either. Very good — especially for not having much competition nearby. My guess is they count on the local population, not just the tourist trade, and so we out of towners benefit. They could do a little more with the décor. . I’m just sayin.

It’s actually called «Aaron @ the lodge» now. Mediocre food but attentive friendly service.
See photos

Such a great find! After driving for over an hour, we finally came across the small town of McCloud. We were told that the lodge was the only restaurant still open, and the Unilocal reviews kinda looked like they were written by employees. But geez, did it end up being awesome?
You know the two opposing stereotypes of the country: «How y’all doin’ sweetie?» vs. «Ma, get yer gun, thar’s a yankee up in here!» Well, if the convenience store across the street was the latter, the McCloud River Grill and Bar was definitely the former. The staff was super friendly, service was great, food was delicious, and portions were generous. My friend and I each got pastas and really enjoyed them. Maybe next time I’ll split something and try to save room for dessert.

I was dining with my «chunk of meat» Italian family. They loved their steaks & even mentioned they had more flavor than Jack’s in Redding. One ordered meat ravioli with meat sauce and she said the sauce was the best she’s had in a long time (she’s picky with sauce). I had the cheese tortellini with pesto cream sauce… it was good and fattening.
FYI, the portions are ENORMOUS! I’ll split something next time. Also the interior is atrocious, I can’t stand the lighting. Sit in the bar area, it’s a bit darker. The dining room has bright glaring porch lights.
Full bar but no campari… booo.

We’re giving it a solid 5 for their FOOD. Service is average but the food is out-​of-​this-​world! We love taking Sunday drives towards McCloud, and this is always a must-​stop for us. Try their Steak sandwich and fries, unreal! They have a small patio and yard — ideal for families. TIP: Be hungry, their portions are huge.