07/13/08

Loud, rude, and tasteless

by rickibobby

We came to this restaurant by invitation of another family member. There were nine of us. The atmosphere is great if your are hard of hearing and don't care to visit with your party. The service was terrible. Two members of our party ordered beer, which was brought promptly, but the rest of us requested water and had to resort to begging any passing employee for it since our server never did bring it. The menu is exteremely limited for those of us who prefer not to eat beef or deep fat fried something or other. The all you can eat crock of soup is a crock..nobody refills anything. Iceberg lettuce is not my idea of a salad. The steaks are salty and over cooked..great if you want to be a heart attack waiting to happen. Those of us who found limited items to eat were looking forward to the wine sundaes on the menu for hunger and nostalgic purposes, but were not offered dessert. Our check was brought to the table after not having seen our server since he delivered the food. With these kind of prices you would be much better off finding a restaurant where they are glad to have your business and show it!

• Pros: nice yard to let kids run off steam after dinner
• Cons: food, service, price, atmosphere

08/12/07

Great food without the pretentious "steakhouse" atmosphere

by jsnyder000

I am astonished at the negative review. We have been to Northwoods Inn serveral times and have never had a bad experience (though we did opt to go elsewhere once, when the wait was estimated at over an hour).

The somewhat quirky cottage cheese appetizer, served with Ritz crackers, sets the tone for Northwoods Inn. I am sure that the very sight of Ritz cracker is enough to send a food snob running for the door. But, for those who set aside their judgments and just try it, the combination is incredible. I don't know just what they put in the cottage cheese, but it tastes great.

My wife and I both enjoy a good steak on occasion, but we were never really attracted to overpriced, pretentious steakhouses, and the the best thing about the chains was often the peanuts. Well, Northwoods has the peanuts too, and yes, you can throw the shells on the floor. It also has some of the best steaks I have ever eaten, grilled precisely to order, and accompanied by simple but excellent sides. If you are not in the mood for steak, the fried chicken is so good that it could be the featured entre at most restaurants. The bread, served in a small, hot and fresh from the oven loaf, is worth the trip alone. I totally disagree with anyone who faults the soups. The bean soup tastes like it was prepared in grandma's kitchen, and while I am not usually fond of oyster soup, thier's is great. I have heard that the deserts are also good, but we have no way of knowing. There is simply no room for them. The portions are so huge that we have taken food home every time that we have been there.

There is only one real fault that I can find, and that is the noise. The dining area is one huge room, and I have found myself wishing that they would put in some walls and plants to baffle the sound.

08/08/07

Terrible service, below average food

by diggermaj

We recently had a fairly large family dinner at the Northwoods Inn (8 people plus two toddlers) and we should have turned around and went somewhere else the second the strench outside the entrance met our noses. I wish I could say that was the low point of the evening, but it wasn't. The atmosphere isn't bad, depending on what you're in the mood for. Wooden floors where you can throw peanut shells on the floor and drink draft beer out of big mugs is fine, but the main dining area is like one huge hall (think of the small town wedding reception at the local Elks club). It gets very noisy and kind of messy with all the stuff on the floor.

The food is average at best. They do dinner as a 4-course meal (cottage cheese, soup, salad, and your entree). The cottage cheese is pretty good once you get used to the unique taste and seasoning. The soup and salad is avg and what I'd expect at a cheap diner or something. The "filet" steaks most of ordered were overcooked with lots of fat and trim, not what I'd expect when ordering a filet for $25.

The worst part about this place by far is the service. We were seated promptly and got our drink order in and returned quickly, at which time we placed our dinner orders. After that, we didn't see our waiter once until we had to hunt him down to get our check. No drink refills, no "how's your meal" inquiries. The hostess was pretty rude as well. Very unprofessional staff all-around.

Very overpriced as well for the quality of food you receive.

This restaurant is a back-woods version of an Outback Steakhouse with worse food. Needless to say, we won't be going back.

• Pros: Peanut throwing contests!
• Cons: Bad smell, bad food, worse service

10/31/02

Mountain retreat in Littleton

by DenverDad

My daughter and son-in-law treated my wife and I to an evening here. I had heard on one radio talk show that the restaurant was not very good. Boy were they wrong. From the peanuts in the shell (then throw the shells on the floor), the 'all you can eat' crock of soup to the chicken fried steak and filet mignon, everything was outstanding! Absolutely delicious! Prices were fair and the service was excellent.

Beware of the wait. If you go when the rush is on, you can wait for an hour or so. Hmmmm, must be good to be that crowded.

Magnificent mountain decor with elk and deer heads as well as other decorations that are rustic.

• Pros: Food is great, Service excellent, Magnificent decor
• Cons: No reservations, can slip on shells, Few steak selections