Lake Crescent Lodge

I will start with I hate giving this place a one star rating, HOWEVER my most recent visit was one to definitely be forgotten. Being locals we visit the lodge lounge area regularly and have always had a great experience. On Fathers day this year we decided to go with some friends to celebrate the occasion and have breakfast in the dining area, we arrived at 10 and got seated and were immediately and rudely told to hurry up and order because the kitchen was closing. That was shocking in itself considering as our party of 6 quickly ordered as other people were sat and were not informed of the same thing. Then we watched for the next HOUR as they were served and we sat and sat… finally at 1115 all but one of us (the pregnant one) got our breakfast, the waiter then took notice and said hers was coming right up… another 15 minutes later still no breakfast for a pregnant girl needing her food. We spoke to the host and the waiter quickly emerged with an apology and offered to not charge her meal which came out another five minutes later. We finished our ‘meal’ and eventually the check came, charging us for the meal that took an hour and a half! We were so tired of waiting at that point we paid and left. All with a sour taste. C’mon people we are local! We will NEVER step foot in that restaurant again. Extremely disappointed.

Easily my favorite lodge in North America, we stayed in Roosevelt’s cabin aptly named because he drove around the forest, looked at the clear cuts and started kicking ass and taking names. Nowadays we would have to send the USFS chief to post traumatic stress training following the surgical procedure undertaken to remove FDR’s foot from his ass, following a little sensitivity training for the hole FDR ripped in said ass. I believe FDR, and I am paraphrasing, said he was going to «kill the motherfucker», or something like that, who did that to the forest. Thus, the Olympic National Park was born. And I have to tell you, the crab cakes from the grill are amazing. Compare that to Obama who presides over the most pro oil and liquefied natural gas development program of any president even as he failed to confront the oil industry corruption in the Gulf of Mexico after the worst environmental disaster and cover-​up in our history. Not very inspiring. Of course FDR was dealing with Hitler, the Japanese Emperor, Stalin, Churchill, the Great Depression. Industry bosses, and physical ailments that confined him to a wheel chair, but hey, who am I to say the right wing is an impenetrable fortress of ideological realism.

Atmosphere is lovely, especially in the sun room. The food is just OK for the prices. Clam chowder was nothing special. Fish and chips were very heavy on the breading. Caesar salad was good. Staff was very nice!
We stayed in a Roosevelt cabin which I would come back for! They are quaint, have fireplaces and the best view of the lake!

All right, here is an update from my previous review.
This past weekend we stopped for dinner here. We ordered a bowl of chowder (which was good), and two plates of mussels (the same dish as we tried one year ago). The mussels, $ 16 each plate, came very spicy and overcooked. The places were very hot and I guess they over cook it. My husband said, we’d never order mussels here. We left very disappointed.

This place is a 5 star location and a 3 star facility.
But it gets 1 star because it has zero star service.
Let me clarify. Housekeeping is none-​existent. Bed was never made up. Room was never cleaned. Housekeeping consisted of someone coming in and putting fresh towels either on the sink or the cabinet in the room of our cabin. First day they left the door unlocked and second day we came back to find they just left the front door open all day! as a result bugs got in the room. Don’t leave valuables in your room is all I can say.
Also, was promised fresh firewood each day and never got it.
Told the front desk and they acted shocked. But that was it.
Shame, with just a bit of effort this place could be so much better.

I thought this place was surprisingly good given the bad experience I’ve had with National Park food before (e.g. Yellowstone). The menu had healthy and vegetarian options, perfect after a day of hiking. We ate both dinner and breakfast, and all the food was good, with the exception of a cobbler with a gelatinous bolus of sugar in the center. The service was great and the setting couldn’t be better.

I am really not quite sure why this place has so many negative reviews. Let’s keep it real here:
1. Lake Crescent is in the middle of nowhere. They do a fantastic job on the food and it’s probably expensive because they are having to haul food and shiz up 20 miles from Port Angeles. This isn’t South Lake Tahoe that has a built up industry. It’s a quaint, rustic, beautiful lodge with a long history and really great food for a restaurant that’s close to nothing.
2. Quit making judgments on the service. Seeing as it’s a seasonal lodge, it’s probably hard to recruit folks to work there when it’s on call or they are working only a handful of days a month or part time. Think about the staff before whining about inattentiveness.
Other than that, the place is great. We stayed in the Roosevelt cabin for Christmas and it smelled deliciously smokey. The view can’t be beat either. Highly recommend booking cabin 36.
Food, drinks and staff were fabulous as well. We had a great time and will definitely be back.

Classic National Park Lodge located on beautiful Lake Crescent. Recently was rated in the top five National Park Lodges in the US by readers poll in USAToday. Just completing its 100^th operating season. Book Roosevelt or Singer Tavern Cabin, if available!

The bartenders are always fantastic. Travis was working last weekend and he was charming, funny and no-​nonsense. He created the most perfect hot toddy for me and was nice to my kid. Take a day trip to Lake Crescent and stop in for a Travis toddy: rosemary lemonade and a shot of Jack Daniels with a good swirl of honey and touch of nutmeg, served HOT. Drink it in front of the fire with someone you love. Take your time. Look out the windows. Turn off your phone and breathe.
The Lake Crescent experience is definitely 5 stars. Natural beauty and lovely architecture create an unpretentious and welcoming environment. Everyone who works there is charming and sincere and I wish I could visit on a weekly basis.
We’ve stayed in the modern annex, the «motor inn» rooms, and the Singer Tavern Cottages. Each is a different experience, each is delightful. The cottages allow dogs, which was a huge plus for this trip. The Lodge doesn’t allow dogs, but it’s a fantastic place to hang out & play board games/​do puzzles/​read in front of the fire. There’s no sense of needing to rush or a minimum purchase expectation. Come as you are and hang out. Kids are welcome and treated with warmth.
The concession is operated by Aramark. The food is okay to good. It’s not great and the menu lacks variety. If you stay more than 36 hours, you may be bored of what’s available. That’s on you. Bring a cooler and pack snacks. Drive into Port Angeles and get a meal. You’re in a National Park, for crying out loud – it’s one of the most beautiful places you will ever visit. Enjoy it. Figure out how to feed yourself. I’m not going to take off stars because I’m rating the experience – the experience is awesome. The food doesn’t detract from it, but I wouldn’t head there for the food alone.

Lake Crescent Lodge is a lovely, historic lodge, situated on the edge of one of the most beautiful lakes in America. It’s a destination spot for fishing, hiking, biking, kayaking, boating, etc.
I’ve not stayed at the lodge, but my recent dining experience was not a great one. It’s really obvious the menu at this establishment was created by a chef who knows what he’s doing. Considering the remote location, the offerings strike the right balance between comfort food and fine dining, without getting too ambitious. Unfortunately, the day my girlfriend and I dined there, the execution of that menu, by the kitchen was poor at best. And our waiter, while he did try to be helpful, was clearly annoyed that we were less than satisfied — as if it was our fault that the chicken wing appetizer was distinctly undercooked, that the salmon on the salmon salad was more like jerky (dry & hard) than good smoked salmon, etc.
The waiter could have offered to take the chicken wings off the bill, but I had to press that request.
All in all, not the prime experience that this lodge is capable of, and I don’t think it’s what the people who run it are shooting for either. It’s a good thing the views are five star. I’d certainly go back for drinks, or to stay overnight, but not sure I’d dine here again.

We did not stay there we just ate. Star taken off for lack of staff and wait times to get services. We went around 3 knowing lunch was over but they serve lunch menu at bar. Only one bartender and she was hustling but they were a little busy. I had a glass of their house wine which was ok, my friend had the Lake Crescent Amber which was wonderful.
The view on the patio was great while we had drinks. We ordered the Shrimp Salad and Rib Meat Grilled Cheese. Both were great-​the salad was a little small for what we paid and expected but delicious. The sandwich was amazing. Staff was still kind just busy. Great place to stop.

My review of the Lake Crescent Lodge is a difficult one to write. This amazing place should be a clear cut leader for 5 stars but unfortunately its Aramark lodging accomadations are farthest from the truth. Ofcourse in such a rustic & serene setting one can’t expect too much as to lodging but the rooms really are worn down and outdated. My wife and I stayed for two nights in one of the marymere rooms and I gotta say besides the location & views, the room itself was quite disappointing.
Few details: The bathroom tub appeared to have some rust/​mold around the borders and the overall cleanliness was way below par. The tolet didn’t work properly for half our stay and after a few attempts to notify the front desk it was later fixed almost 24 hours later to our dismay. No apologies. The bed was ok. There was a brown blanket not folded in the closet when we first entered the room. The turndown service was rushed and poorly done when we revisited our room in the afternoon. I don’t even know if they did anything. At night, we could hear our neighbors talking outside. The room positives though are that you are so close to the lake. Sights, sounds and everything to being outside in nature. For some, that might be enough to overlook everything else, but for 200 a night, I personally was expecting alittle more especially for my wife & I’s special anniversary. Besides that, everything else is quite nice about this property. The lodge itself is absolutely stunning & beautiful. The cozy fireplace and lodge amenities are highly desirable. The lodge restaurant was also a nice surprise (Suggest getting smoked salmon) The plates are what one should expect for a property of this stature. Would be nice if they changed up menu on a daily basis for people staying for more than one night. The bar was also nice & inviting but could use a nicer selection of bourbons & scotches. The staff at the property was all very inviting and professional. The surroundings are absolutely as nice as it gets. Whether sitting on the chairs watching the lake move or walking on the small pier, the Lake Crescent Lodge is though a very special place.
So like I said, a tough review to write. If you decide to stay here, you must have realistic expectations about the accomadations. So this is why I rated this place as 3 stars. Would be nice to come back some day, but hope they make certain changes first… Come on Aramark — Listen to your followers.

My filet mignon was okay. The grilled squash was tender but so so in flavor. The pork shank was very good, the mashed potatoes were good. The halibut was excellent and the green snap beans good. The bread pudding was good and tasty. The New England clam chowder was excellent. The bread was alright. The service was slow but the waitress was polite. It was not crowded.

This is undoubtedly a beautiful lodge and location, located picture perfect on the shores of Lake Crescent. Unfortunately the service for the restaurant was severely lacking and dinner here was a terrible experience after an otherwise great day in Olympic national park.
We called ahead and made reservation for 4 at 7oclock. We checked into the hostess early at 630 since we arrived early. Our table wasn’t ready. No problem, we walked around the lake and came back to get a drink at the bar and look over the menu. 715 rolls around and we finally get seated. Not a problem. we know it was pretty busy that night and we already had time to look over the menu. Now we were served our water and bread but that was the only attention paid to us until we had to flag our hostess down almost 45 minutes later to ask where our server was. Lo and behold it was the guy serving several other tables next to us, but paid no attention to our table. We made eye contact with all the servers waiting on tables around us until we couldn’t wait anymore. I guess all the servers here have the mentality that its «not their problem». Apparently the server «forgot» we were his table.
We order and it takes another 45 minutes for our food to arrive, semi warm. This guy also forgot to pick it up from the back. The soup had been plated but not served for a little white, you could tell it had been sitting for a little while. The server knew the food had been out for a while and offered to serve a new bowl of soup if it wasn’t hot enough, but after 90 minutes of waiting and only bread to eat, I was hungry and accepted it.
The waiter threw in a free dessert for the table for our wait but that was hardly enough to save our dinner. The food was decent but the experience was horrible.

Lake Crescent Lodge’s location is perfect for someone who wants to spend quality time admiring the beauty of Lake Crescent in the Olympic National Park. It is just half an hour drive from Port Angeles and is along the road between Port Angeles and Hoh Rainforest.
The lodge offers different types of accommodation and you’d need to book it through the National Park’s website. The rooms are scarce and on the expensive end ($ 200 or more esp during peak season), compare to other motels within the 30min drive vicinity, but the atmosphere and the convenience of being next to the lake probably pays off if you have a relatively high budget.
For us, we didn’t spend a night at Lake Crescent Lodge, but only stop by there for lunch and some kayaking activities at the lake (the lodge is adjacent to the lake and the place offers single or double kayak and canoe rental for $ 25 an hour or $ 35 for 2 hours, so you can just park at the lodge and stop by and eat/​enjoy the water activities there). I saw on the notice, the lodge also offers weekly lake kayaking tour on Fridays as well, so if you are around that area on that day, you may want to call to find out more information or stop by to see if you could join the tour.
The lodge has a gift shop and restaurant attached to it. The restaurant offers PNW food selection and has pretty good quality service. Prices are about $ 11−20pp for lunch, so it’s not overly expensive either. The lodge is beautiful and unlike many accommodations around the Olympic Peninsula area which tend to fall along the line of motels, offers more a beautiful place and a higher quality of stay.
Do consider a stop at Lake Crescent Lodge, especially if you are already traveling from Port Angeles to Hoh Rainforest.

5 stars for the location and view, but only 3 stars for the food. This place has amazing views of a remote lake from the lodge and many rooms combined with being near some great hiking, but the lodge food is truly mediocre. That would be more forgivable if there was anything else within 20 minutes, but there isn’t.
My wife and I stayed in a room in one of the newer buildings not attached to the main lodge. The room was large and nice if a bit spartan. The view from a large window looking out onto the lake was stunning though. Seriously, the lake is probably only 50 feet away. There’s even a little shared porch with chairs to look out over the lake.
The room would have been nearly perfect if not for a few small things. First, there was no shampoo or soap in the room when we showed up. They fixed this really quickly when we asked though. Second, one of the half-​n-​half cups had spoiled which ruined some of the morning coffee. That being said, the coffee in the room was surprisingly good if you brewed it double strength. Much better than what they served at the lodge.
The only really disappointing part was the lodge restaurant. We had breakfast there and it was really just OK. I got the smoked salmon omelette and my wife got the sausage scramble with potatoes. The omelette and scramble were fine if uninspiring. They were passable diner food. The potatoes seemed a bit soggy and wilted as if they had just been frozen for too long.
In the end, come here for the views and the hikes, not the food, and you’ll be happy.

We stayed here for a friends’ wedding.
Booking through the website was a real challenge — and they have this strange $ 25 cancellation fee even if you cancel 72 hours in advance.
This was in early August, so it was 80 – 90 degrees out, and there isn’t any A/​C on the premises.
No TV, No Internet, Fringe mobile coverage. Maybe a perfect get-​away for some — I wasn’t impressed.
The grounds, lake, and lodge are beautiful — so come visit during the day and enjoy a meal! (The food for the wedding, provided by the lodge was good, but VERY expensive)

We stayed in the Storm King rooms — we had a groupon — thank goodness — so save a little.
The rooms are very bare bone — which is fine — but they are also painted the worst color ever. It reminds me of a hospital. Anyways — the bed was decent, the shower seemed to have some mold on the ceiling and it would have been nice to put a small table in the bathroom for toiletries since the sink was just a pedestal instead of putting it on the floor.. .not sure when the rooms were last updated, etc — but I would have some suggestions.…
The walls are apparently very thin — good thing there were only a few other people staying in that section when we were there as they were pretty far away and you can definitely hear more than you want!
Restaurant — food was alright — overpriced — in line with the other Aramark run lodge at Quinault. Not really impressive, but again they have a more or less captive audience and they definitely aren’t shy about overcharging you because of that. I get that it’s in a NP, etc — but it seems to me to be a little ridiculous.

Hubby and I toured some of the Rain Forest in Olympic National Park and decided to have Lunch in the Dining Room at Lake Crescent Lodge. It is a great location in an interesting old Lodge building but the Dining Room at lunch time is bright with sunshine and beautifully appointed. We were seated by a window with the added advantage of overlooking the sunny porch dressed with red, white and blue bunting swags.
Our waiter was Stacy and he was a personable, friendly person who was very good at his job. He made sure we were comfortable and was attentive throughout without being intrusive.
Hubby ordered what turned out to be one of the absolute best Burgers of the whole trip! I had an exceptionally tasty Turkey Club sandwich with the turkey stacked high. Both were served with one side and we chose fresh fruit with a wonderful mix of berries, two varieties of grapes, melons and pineapple and citrus. We had each sandwich cut in half and thus had a change to try both in one meal. The menu also offered Lavender infused Lemonade and it was really delicious.
It was a bit more pricey than our usual lunch but was such a lovely setting with good food that, when we strolled back out into the sunshine, I was just happy we had made the effort.

What do the adorable Audrey Tautou and I have in common?
Very little, and frankly I wish more. Ah, to be a gamine movie star, speak fluent French and have my younger boyfriend stare at me adoringly. Do you think I’ll be asked to host Cannes next year? Probably not.
The one thing we do have in common is we both stayed at the Lake Crescent Lodge last weekend. Now we were already having a great visit, my family and I, but upon seeing her there, I realized I need to appreciate my own backyard more as a world class destination. The Olympic National Park is incredible (but hello, Paris!) and its good to be reminded of that. Plus, its always fun to see someone you recognize and admire, and then pretend you haven’t seen them, so they can enjoy their vacation too.
Lake Crescent Lodge boasts classic Americana at every turn. They still had the red, white and blue decorations up from the Fourth of July on their porch., when we arrived. The building and hotel is owned now by the National Park Service and managed by Aramark. The main property has about ten rooms, with shared baths, which can be booked online. There are also several historic cabins right off the main house overlooking the docks and nearby water. Further afield, there are more modern cabins and rooms that are far enough removed to, on the one hand, to provide privacy, and close enough to offer a quick walk to the main house, with its ornate wood carved lobby with fireplace, perfect sun deck with wicker chairs, old oak bar, restaurant, and gift shop.
Dinner managed to be better than breakfast, not hard to do because breakfast included terribly overcooked and over salted eggs. Ugh. Hopefully lunch is closer to dinner in its quality. I wish Aramark’s food could live up to this legendary location (It doesn’t) but at least the good news is that its really okay at dinner (skip the earlier meals) and there are good wines, drinks and desserts and a sensational waterfront view.
In my mind, so-​so food offerings should not detract (at least here) from what is a once in a lifetime setting, a beautiful dock, a pebbly beach, turquoise waters and mountains carved by glaciers. Oh, and if you are lucky, the occasional adorable French movie star.

Pour le restaurant: L’emplacement est superbe au bord du lac Crescent mais la salle est tres laide, basse de plafond, style «maison de retraite», comment peut on faire aussi laid dans un aussi beau cadre
Le service est assez moyen mais souriant
La cuisine est correcte mais la carte assez restreinte et le prix trés eleve pour les prestations
Cependant, difficile de prendre ses repas ailleurs à moins de 15 miles…