Trout Lake Country Inn

I love the Trout Lake Country Inn. Its rustic, historic charm draws you in and helps you relax.
Trout Lake is remote and gloriously beautiful. Summers, one can sit out back with a full-​on view of Sleeping Beauty Peak or out front with a view of Mt. Adams. Trout Lake Creek gurgles nearby. The location is heavenly.
The everyday menu is very good. When I’m in a cheap and healthy mood, I have the knotty chicken sandwich, which is flavorful, juicy, and cooked to perfection every time. A bargain for under $ 10.
But the specials.. .. Man! Who would think we’d find this level of culinary expertise way out here. It’s not by accident. They drive to Portland for fresh seafood and the chef maintains the high standards he developed in top restaurants. His repertoire includes Thai flavors. Tonight’s marinated jumbo grilled shrimp served with a thai rice noodle salad with scallions, broccoli, carrots, show peas, thai basil and cilantro — together with draft beers, really hit the spot. (Oh yeah, they typically have a few really good beers on tap.)
When you arrive, make sure you check in and ask how busy they are. Like the best restaurants in Portland, sometimes there can be a wait during peak times.

Damn I wish Unilocal had a 3.5 option…
First of all, the atmosphere at this place is borderline 5 star-​worthy. Coming from a part of the state where everything is faux-​shabby, what a joy to find a place that is authentically well worn (and clearly well-​loved) by a crowd of locals. On the night we visited there was some sort of kids theme party going on in the main hall, with parents and kids alike dressed up in hilarious costumes (I’d never seen so many sequins in my life), and the bar was packed with an enthusiastic and eclectic mix of what I took to be farmers, out-​of-​season whitewater guides, ski bums, and absolutely zero confused tourists (other than us).
We arrived late (about 8:30), and the kitchen was closing in 30 minutes, so we eagerly reviewed the menu and put in our orders. I had the tavern burger and added locally made blue cheese, my wife had the Philly cheese steak. This is one of those places that clearly doesn’t have a fryer in the back because nothing comes with fries. Baked Beans or Potato Salad are the side choices – we had one of each. A couple of beers (one, «Country Boy IPA» from Everybody’s Brewing in White Salmon, was exceptional – the other was Rainier) rounded out our order.
Food took a while to come, but the place was busy so I am willing to give them a pass on that. When it did arrive, the burger was… well, not inedible, but just not quite what I was hoping for. Charred to within an inch of it’s life, I struggled to find any hint of blue cheesy goodness. My potato salad, on the other hand, was great. Wifey’s cheesesteak was also just ok. The meat was in that in-​between zone of portioning where it was cut too large to be cooked into oblivion (if you’re not going to shave it, you have to cook it properly – why can nobody understand this?), so the texture was on the chewy end of the spectrum. The baked beans were awesome.
Overall, from a food-​quality perspective, the experience rates somewhere between two and three stars – adequate, but not exciting. Yet we lingered after our meal, ordered another round (with some difficulty – as others have noted, service warm, but a little sporadic), and lingered on into the night. Maybe it was the live music, maybe it was the fact that the only thing waiting for us back at our hotel was the prospect of ANOTHER game of scrabble. Regardless, there is something down in my bones that resonates with this place in spite of it’s challenges. And that’s worth four stars.

I ate here twice while on a fire detail. The first night, I had the salmon dinner. Not a lot of food, probably a two inch by five inch chunk of salmon with some ratatouille and a small slice of bruschetta bread. Still, it was enough for me to be very satisfied. The salmon was cooked perfectly. Good service too. Was $ 18 and worth it! Five stars… Second time I came, ordered my standby, the Rueben. Not impressed. Not enough meat on it and what was on there was very fatty. Had to pick half of it off. The service was not the best. Our waitress, seemed like the owner, was watching children in addition to the restaurant. We weren’t asked if we needed anything until we were ready for our checks. So only three stars for that one.

Very friendly, inviting, and the view is perfect. The food is all fresh ingredients prepared just the way you want them.

Visiting for the holidays and came here with the group. Super casual laid back environment and I was so excited to see the place from the outside. Unfortunately the warm feeling you get from the outside didn’t match the experience. Nothing horrible happened but food and service were just really subpar. Not many options around here so beggars can’t be choosers. Is it me or did the lobster bisque taste like cream of mushroom soup?

I’m a local. It’s been a couple of years since I ate here. Much improved. They have a couple of vegetarian meals available. I had the chicken sandwich and the bread was almost as good as my home made chibatta. The waitress was wonderful. I’ll be back

This place is a step back in time. The décor is dated but the calibre of cuisine and quality of ingredients is anything but. From the local bread to the homemade chic pea salad, our lunch exceeded expectations. The view in the backyard of the meadow and mountain is stunning!

We were visiting family in Trout Lake on a Saturday night when the cousins who live up there suggested we come with them to see some live music. Such a fun night! Two good ol’ country bands, and two of the best local beers on tap. So many folks were dancing that we had to scoot our tables back from the stage twice to accommodate them. This place is a charming old-​school honky tonk in a beautiful setting. The back patio has great views of Mt. Adams and Sleeping Beauty. The service was sweet but sassy, the music was great, and the food looked and smelled delicious, but we were just out for drinks, hope to eat here next time we’re up in Trout Lake. Definitely the most «down home» place I’ve found in the Pacific Northwest.

A honkey tonk with a view! I have to say that our New Years getaway in which we stayed at the Trout Lake Country Inn was for lack of a better term… EPIC! The owner was very clear on what we where to expect. It is not, I repeat NOT a bed and breakfast. However, the 5 rooms are quaint and clean and a place to lay your head. They are located throughout the over 100 year old historical building. Ours was located to the right of the stage in the dance hall. Our friends right off the bar. But we didn’t mind one bit in fact it added to the whole feel of the establishment. We where there to celebrate, indulge in the great food and drink and dance our butts off to some awesome music! And that we did and then some! The history of the place is amazing and alot of the treasures from throughout the years are still hanging on the walls and on the crickety shelves throughout the building. From being a community center with a post office to an old movie house to a dance hall to a bowling alley to an airplane hangar and now a restaurant/​bar and dance hall this place has seen history and you can feel it to your bones. I can’t wait to go back and neither can our friends! A few tips is if you want alittle quieter room ask for either the cabin or one of the rooms upstairs. Also bring your own snack food in case the restaurant is closed as well as drinks. To state it again it is not a b&b.

If you’ve been through Trout Lake, you’ll understand why folks go here — it’s about the only place for miles to get food. It’s an old, historic home/​café/​hangout spot locals love. It’s a total homey, old fashioned dive spot where you can get a little of everything — just DON’T be in a hurry. The service is slow and poor, the food decent. All in all, it hits the spot for someone to eat out… and do something… while you’re in little Trout Lake. It is a cute spot.

This place has an odd mixture of glowing reviews and one stars. That’s usually a hallmark of a really bad restaurant writing themselves reviews, but I really don’t think that’s the case here. Trout Lake Country Inn serves perfectly good food. It’s not fine dining, but I don’t think anyone’s asking for that either.
When we were there, I got a nice grilled cheese sandwich on Dave’s Killer bread. Very grainy, which was nice, though on the whole, I didn’t find it terribly filling. Maybe that’s my fault for getting the side of fruit, which I did thoroughly enjoy. It included fresh blackberries, huckleberries and peaches, outstanding! My husband’s meal came with a side of very tasty pesto pasta salad, which I intend to replicate soon.
So why three stars and not four? The service. Service was very slow, and it took a long time to be acknowledged. And then there was the bathroom incident… having been in the car for a looong time, going down highways that at times weren’t even paved, through a lush old growth forest, I had gotten to the point where I desperately needed a bathroom. Upon arrival, I’d noticed the port-​a-​potties outside the restaurant. Classy!
Once we’d sat down, I ventured into the main hall to find the bathroom. And oh thank god, there it was, a door to a toilet. I needed to go so badly. As I approached however, I realized there was a brightly colored sign hung on the door. It read «port-​a-​potties are outside». Geez, I thought, this whole lodge really doesn’t have a normal bathroom? Maybe they’re renovating it… So outside I went to use the port-​a-​potties (yuk), which had no way to wash my hands, and I was about toe at a sandwich!
Back inside I went. No faucet at the bar in the front room, and no staff to be seen anywhere; the kitchen was the only place I could go to wash my hands. I peeked into the kitchen, where a woman was cooking. Before I could ask her anything, she asked me in a rather rude tone what I was doing there. I explained that I just needed to wash my hands. She looked very irritated, and like she was uncomfortable with me seeing her kitchen, and practically yelled at me: «Go use the bathroom!» I explained that I had, namely the port-​a-​potties, and that they had no sink or even anti-​bacterial foam. She gave me this «are you a moron» look, and pointed to the door behind me: «The BATHROOM!»
Not wanting to bother her further, I returned to the same door with the big sign on it that said nothing but «port-​a-​potties are outside», and cautiously turned the door handle. My god! There was a whole bathroom there, shower and all! I was flabbergasted. I didn’t dare approach the owner lady again, but to this day I have no idea why on earth there’s a big sign pointing people outside, when they have a perfectly functional bathroom that they apparently DO want guests to use. Makes no sense to me whatsoever. The whole kitchen experience was very off-​putting though, the woman was rude, and it made me suspicious that she seemed so anxious about me coming near her kitchen, as if she had something to hide.
In short, the food was 4 star worthy, rating it like the diner it is, but the service was off-​putting, the kitchen a bit suspicious, and the bathroom a flat out mystery. If they simply improved that, I’d give them four stars.

I have been to the Inn a couple of times whenever I run through Washington. Reading the negative reviews of this place I do not understand what they are on about. I have never had anything but a pleasant experience at the Trout Lake Inn.
For starters every weekend they have a live music show that has never disappointed. Usually leaning on the country/​bluegrass end of the music scene it is a very authentic experience coming from the whole ‘down home atmosphere’ the inn has going for it. This is not the Marriott by any means, make no mistake if you go to the Inn it will be a rustic experience. The rooms are very comfy, they all have little themes. I have only ever stayed in the «postal room» which has its own bathroom ensuite and a very comfy bed. It is right off the main room/​dining room which serves very good food. I cannot speak to how their breakfast is as I am a late riser, but I can say that the collard greens and Mac n cheese at this place are to die for.
The staff is very friendly and gets involved when a band is playing. It’s nice to see staff enjoying themselves at work. I was looking for something to do during the day and the lady at the bar was really great with suggestions. She pointed me toward hiking trails and directed me on how to get to the lake.
If you go to the Trout Lake Country Inn get ready to be treated as a local. If you are outgoing and like to meet great people from the area you will love it here. Highly recommended for a fun, involved weekend trip.

Poor food, poor service, and very dirty looking kitchen, It looks like no health inspector has ever steped foot in this place. Other than that very rustic looking.