The CookHouse

Took my daughter and grandkids there for breakfast before spending the day on Lake Shasta. Great bloodymarys and fantastic views. Food is good but the kitchen is a little slow. They did however have two large parties that they were taking care of. We will definitely be back.

Let me start off by saying we didn’t eve eat here. There in lies the problem. We arrived yesterday June 25^th for dinner at around 6 pm. We were told by the hostess, who asked my name, it would be 5 minutes. I told her my name BOB… 10 minutes later I went back and she said, whats your name? I told her BOB… she said we dont have a Bob but we have a Ron… SMH…10 minutes later I go back again, and get the same BS 5 more minutes… after 30 minutes of this crap I ask her again… I said do you KNOW how much longer we have to wait? She said ummm no… thats when I said enough and left… HORRIBLE service… the blonde hostess was totally clueless, not to mention couldn’t remember my name after 3 times…
BY THE WAY… there were a LOT of empty tables both inside and outside… We went elsewhere and had a very good meal…

While the food is decent and prices good the service is not on par. Heres my recent experience. I was hoping to use the cookhouse for my upcoming wedding rehearsal dinner for ~40. Living in Redding\Shasta Lake most of my life this place has significant meaning to us or did. So I called to make reservations leaving a message which would be returned 2 days later by Manager/​chef/​event coordinator? Leo. He assured me they could accommodate me and promised to send over menus that evening. That night.nothing. The next day nothing. 3 days later nothing. I went ahead and called again maybe they had the wrong email address? No answer left a msg. he sent Me several silly texts stating he will send them he is busy or thought someone else had done it etc. No actual return call for another week so I decided to call again, no answer left msg. Finally a few days later Leo sends a text msg apologizing it will be sent today. On e week later nothing. I text, called emailed etc nothing. Finally Leo sends an email 3 weeks after initial contact with a few options which I reply immediately with my choices and request to meet later in the week to set it up. I’m a little annoyed and worried by this point about there ability to be organized enough to serve my party. Well you guessed it no reply from Leo until the night I requested to meet he appologizes and says we can come up right then if we wanted. Well Leo its 7pm on a weekday a few hrs notice would be nice. I called again to reschedule the next day no return call. Even had my mother call to make reservations for a weeknight dinner (we would surprise Leo) no return call. Just not sure how you can run a business like this. Maybe Leo is spread to thin or ?
Anyway I had enough of the run around and called Cheesecake unlimited and was set up in less than 15 mins by the owner him self. The service I expect! I’ve heard great things about the owner of the cook house so maybe he’s unaware but I won’t be giving them any business anytime soon.

My husband and I stopped by this restaurant coming back from Mt. Shasta during Memorial Day weekend. When we went to this restaurant, a lady mentoned that parking might not be available. Unfortunately, there was parking and what a mistake. We were told that the wait for table was 15 minutes. We actually waited 20 minutes. We got a table outside on the first level. The food was so bad it is not worth to mention here. All i can say is that it took 50 minutes to get our food. If i could i would give 0 stars but Unilocal requires at least 1 star. Stay away from this place. Hope new management acquires this restaurant.

This place is a diamond in the rough, but needs quite a bit of polishing. We have stayed at the motel and eaten at the restaurant quite a few times in the last couple of months. The food is really good, the staff is nice, BUT… it takes so long (breakfast or dinner) to get your food, and they are out of entrée selections almost all the time! There is not enough staff (and probably cooks) to really make this place work.
The bar is ALWAYS out of glasses, so you get served in a tiny plastic glass! Last night (Thursday of the Memorial Day Weekend) we stayed at the motel and the bar was CLOSED!!! Really???
We keep coming back, because the views are amazing, the people are nice, and the food is exceptional! I hope they will keep polishing that diamond!

It’s always a very long wait! Last time we had four in our party we started upstairs and while we waited for drinks they told us not to bother ordering up there because it was a very long wait. We went downstairs near the restaurant and ate outdoors on the back balcony. I had to ask for help many times explaining that an hour and a half is no way to keep people waiting. Once we got the message to the owner our food came right out. The Bloody Mary was so spicy we couldn’t drink them. I think they call what we ordered the Bloody Mary slider. It was terrible. The food on top was good but missing half of the stuff it normally comes with. To my surprise when we got the check it was outrageously high! Not even a discount for our wait! We will take our own drinks out to the lake next time. I would not recommend this restaurant. The service has gone downhill since the ownership change.

Food was just ok service was really slow. Had to wait for drink refills. Staff were walking around setting up for dinner but didn’t bother to check on us at all. Best part was the view and the weather.
We were there on Sunday afternoon May 15. Larry served us and was friendly. Requested crispy fries what we’re not crisp but due to how long it took to make 4 sandwiches we didn’t want to send the fries back at 4pm.
More engaged front staff (doesn’t matter who’s table it is!) and more prompt food prep would have made this a better experience.

We had our first experience and I loved it! The manager was phenomenal, the server we got was super sweet and efficient and our food… our food was oh so tasty! If you haven’t try this place, don’t miss out!

My husband and i went here today for breakfast… i did not read Unilocal first but i like to judge places for myself… we sat ourselves and were given menus right away… but…we waited at least 10 minutes before anyone acknowledged us… i hate that especially when they were not that busy… but we finally got our drinks and ordered. i had the French toast breakfast and my husband had the cook house omelette… the food was very good and it did not take that long to get our order… so overall i would say my biggest complaint was customer service… i think the wait staff need to be trained to acknowledge customers…

Just ate here this morning and had a view seat to look at the amazing FULL Shasta Lake.
The breakfast was amazing! We had the California Benedict and it was sooooo good!
Bacon, Tomato, Avacado, eggs on a toasted english muffin smothered in delicious Hollandaise
Sauce! Wonderful Breakfast and wonderful friendly service! Going back again on Friday to take our parents!

Place is getting better. The kitchen seems to be improving with more consistent good food
We enjoyed our last visit our last visit there. Keep up the good work
We stopped at the Cook House on April 23 for brunch with visitors that wished to see a full Lake.
Food was great. Eggs Benedict and Rancheros Service was very good.

We’ve been here many time and love the view. The restaurant is very slow. Food is good. So be prepared to sit back relax and enjoy the view. Your going to be there awhile…

So, I was already skeptical about going here because of the poor Unilocal reviews, but I thought I’d try it for myself. We arrived and there were approximately 6 couples there but the parking lot was packed. We found out later that there was a meeting upstairs of approximately 90 people. I think the experience at The Cookhouse is very dependent on the server you get. Ours was friendly, but obviously inexperienced. We only sat for a couple of minutes and we were offered menus and drinks. My spouse ordered the orange juice (it’s from concentrate) and I had an iced tea with lemon (it tasted brewed, I’d get it again). The menu had an array of items, more or less traditional breakfast fare.
People started trickling in (it was getting late and it was a beautiful day so we expected to see a lot of boaters, I think we were the only ones expecting it because this restaurant was sorely understaffed) and things started to get a little chaotic. The manager there, Larry, was pleasant enough, but not as attentive as I would have preferred.
I did a time study for my fellow Unilocalers (since time seemed to be an issue). It took exactly 20 minutes from the time we ordered until the food was presented on the table. To me, that wasn’t awful. I had a traditional breakfast to gauge the place — scrambled eggs, bacon (3 pieces), fruit (watermelon) in lieu of potatoes and sourdough toast (I wouldn’t really call it toast, it was bread that had been waved by a heating element and then buttered). The spouse had requested an omelette with green chills with the addition of bacon, country potatoes (that were probably the highlight of the meal) and an english muffin. I knew that there would be no bacon in that omelette. Call it a sixth sense, but it wasn’t going to happen. The food was fine and The Cookhouse was on it’s way to a three star rating (it’s eggs and bacon) until we had to wait 20 minutes to get our bill, dispute the $ 3 bacon charge and pay. Our server disappeared and I had to flag Larry down twice. Granted, the place was filling up — but this should not have been a surprise. There were two other waitresses there that were hustling, although one was on the phone a lot in the dining room (I’m sure she was fielding customer questions, it was a land line phone, but it still doesn’t look good). Our waitress was just not experienced enough to handle the crowd or the pressure. Had I not been so perturbed, I would have felt sorry for her.
It’s unfortunate that this restaurant isn’t better run because I would be a frequent visitor. The view is really breathtaking and it’s super cute inside (although the carpet is worn, I’d put in wood floors). It would be a great venue for a party. They need to realize their potential and live up to it, train the staff and give Redding and the surrounding areas a place they can really be proud of.

Waited 30 minutes for a table, once we were seated 15 minutes went by and we still were not given menus, silverware or even a glass of water. Got up to leave and caught the waitresses attention and told here we were leaving for the above stated reasons and she just smiled and said ok. Surrounding tables were busy but not with happy customers, most seemed irritated with the long wait for service. Very poor customer service, food didn’t look too exciting but will never know as we won’t go back. Staff seemed to move at an exceptionally slow pace, sure there wasn’t much in the way of tip income today. This place needs new management, wait staff that knows how to wait tables and a bus person as dirty tables were just left unattended. Really too bad as it has the potential to be a gold mine with that beautiful view.

Came here for breakfast at 11 on a Saturday. It’s 1 and we are still here. We waited for an hour and a half for our food. Our waitress was new (so we understand she’s still learning) but her basic knowledge of things and helpfulness was horrible.
We wanted the delicious Bloody Mary sliders we had heard about everywhere and our waitress told us that only one cook knows how to make them and the ones currently here didn’t so we couldn’t have them. And then 20 minutes later, a table right next to us have them!
But once we did finally get out food, it was cold. My eggs; cold. My hashbrowns; cold. Waitress also waited until they brought our food out to tell us they were OUT of potatoes. Don’t you think they should have said something before they brought food out, which by the time they brought the replacement item out, everyone was finished with their food.
I’m mad that I just waited two hours in here irritated when I could have been spending it on our houseboat on beautiful lake Shasta. Won’t ever be back here again.
Also, I work in food service myself, so I understand being busy or having a hectic day but this was a HORRIBLE experience. Place was a hot mess.

Larry C… Get it together or GET OUT!!! 5 people, ma and pa’s 50^th anniversary. Seated in 15 – 20 minutes, 1 bloody marry, and all the water and coffee you can drink for the next 1hour and 15 min. The whole bridge bay experience was a disaster.
Went the Orange Ball had GREAT SERVICE. You should check it out. Maybe you would learn something. Three stooges in the kitchen. Just go use the bathroom and watch these knuckleheads at work looking in the kitchen door. Comedy at it’s best.
How about an offer if someone would like another drink, or, some munchies while the splinters from your chairs wear on you. Or sorry for the wait.
NEVER, EVER, AGAIN… SAD, VERY SAD.

We hoped for a better experience, because it was inlaws a 35^th anniversary. We waited more then hour for our food! Granted, they weren’t prepared for how busy it was, but I had called for reservation! I indicated it was special occasion. They table was dirty, and we gad a limo waiting! Food was delicious, though, and cook sprung for wine.

The view of the lake is worth the visit. Food here is nothing complicated just good breakfast food, nice portions.

Tiresome bartender thought he was funny by insisting repeatedly that we buy cocktails if we wanted to eat in the bar area. Food was particularly un-​exciting. Very pedestrian.

This review is for the restaurant/​bar, had a horrible experience with customer service from server Andrenia on 12−4−15 at noon, her social skills were so bad and unprofessional we walked out without ordering. Being local residents we have been coming here for years, need to hire a mature customer service orientated servers, not just young girls that do not realize we pay their salaries. if we could have given a lower score we would !
To be fair Larry and Dan are the best !

Leo is the man! Came here for thanksgiving with our family. We made a 9 hour trek up north from Los Angeles to be here. …and it was well worth the trip! Prime rib, on the bone ham, and a big beautiful moist turkey! It was buffet style! Friendly staff and we’ve been coming here for years! We’ll be back!

Having frequented Shasta Lake often since the 1950s, I have also dined at Tail of the Whale many times. I visited the recently opened Cook House Restaurant at Bridge Bay, and was quite pleased with the quality, quantity and price of their food. The lunch menu has many delightful sandwiches, pastas, soups and salads, most of which looked well prepared and healthy as well.
The view has always been wonderful. The last visit I chose to dine outside on the shaded patio balcony that was very enjoyable in the cooler fall air.
With uncrowded facilities probably due to low lake levels, good food, and a panoramic view, Cook House Restaurant offers a quiet, unique, personal dining experience at a reasonable price. I’ll be returning soon.

Waitress were nice but argued with another one in front of us. They did keep my cup full though. We ordered the potato wedges for an appetizer, it was ok nothing special. Wife had mahimahi tacos, the tortillas were cold, fish was dry, onions tasted old. I hard shrimp cocktail which was the only decent thing, shrimp were very fresh. However for the price and flavor I don’t see myself coming ever again. If these guys would hire a good cook, with the location they have they could earn a lot of business. The only reason I’d go back would be to have a drink and a cocktail because of the view.

Went here as our first stop on a girl’s trip. This breakfast place is more like 3.5 starts. It has a great view and we were seated right next to a window so that we were able to enjoy the view while eating. We each ordered a Bloody Mary and I had the breakfast burrito with a side of hash browns and pancakes. The breakfast definitely hit the spot but wasn’t amazing. Plates and silverware could be cleaner but for the trip, it didn’t bother me TOO much.

My mom has been going to lake shasta since 1972, and I have been a annual summer visitor since I was 6 months old. We are deeply saddened to see the changes made to the Tail O the Whale at bridge bay. They renamed this restaurant the cookhouse and it has since lost all of its old charm (ropes and pulley’s in dinning area, old wood ships tables, ect). It is now plain and simple inside, but the views of shasta lake remain spectacular.
The changes did bring about a significant upgrade in the food quality, and I have enjoyed all of my meals there. My favorite part of visiting this restaurant is having breakfast and visiting with our server LARRY, if you ever frequent this place everyone KNOWS Larry. What a great guy, and truly the best part of Bridge Bay.
We have hunted down some of the old tables from the tail o the whale, had them refinished and I am currently writing this review from one of them! We are very interested in finding/​purchasing the old tail o the whale wood sign that was outside of the entrance, and the pelicans perch sign that was inside the building. If anyone knows where they are or if they are available for sale please contact me!

Was a bit skeptical about the entrees so ordered an appetizer which was the potato skins. It was pretty good (3 stars good). The nice bartender takes it up one notch to 4. Nice view of the lake and crisp beer. Maybe I’ll order an entrée next time.

Our server, David was very friendly and attentive. The food was really good and the view was amazing! Definitely worth the stop!

The Chicken Marsala is delicious! Served with real mashed potatoes & fresh sautéed garlic spinach. I was very pleased with the menu changes. For lunch I recommend the fish & chips.

visit today following Memorial day adventures. Major changes apparant, and now a for real chef in the kitchen, or so I was advised… i aint so sure, chef may have had day off on our visit. din for 4 was adequate… not a raging success but satisfied the need for feed following a day on lake. I would really like to see a poster or some advertisement of who chef is and what signature dish is.
Shanna, our delightful & pleasant server. exactly the attitude & wicked sense of humor that made dinner even more fun. pretty smile to boot. (can we even compliment anyone anymore… but then I am a papa, what they gonna do.)
I advise all out of towners I meet on the lake to visit this place. i keep my boat here at the marina, so am here often enuf to see the changes. I really want this place to be great, as I am a regular. pub upstairs is fine, with a tweek could be great… just would like to see Anchor Steam avail.

My husband & I stopped there for lunch on the way home from Mt. Shasta.
Dirty tables, people at their tables looking toward the kitchen for food. 2 men were working, if that’s what you call it. They were not experienced waiters.
Menu is boring.
We got up & left prior to ordering. We both could tell if we stayed for lunch we would have been there for a long time waiting.
Won’t be back… well, we will try it again if they hire real wait staff & make the food worth while.
Save your $

Yes, the name has changed to the Cook House, and the décor is more like a coffee shop, but our California Benedict was great, and Larry, who genuinely treats everyone as his friend and who always provides excellent service, is still on duty. My husband and I agree, you should consider the positive aspects of change – an open, airy dining room, for example – and give this place a try.