Columbia Gorge Hotel

12/04/08

Worked hard to make it a night to remember!

by wuestr at Citysearch

I recently proposed to my girlfriend and when I called the hotel not only were they thrilled to order flowers in advance if I wished, they also arranged a private tour of the belltower to make sure everything was perfect. The meal was from the price fixe menu with an additional course thrown in for all the guests that night courtesy of the chef. The food was good, albeit a bit on the heavy side for five courses, but a bargain for a five course meal with this level of service. We got a window seat with a beautiful view of the river. The service was outstanding, our waitress was knowledgeable and friendly and she gracefully served from the right, removed from the left, etc. At the end of the meal a "bellhop" (actually a manger) discretely invited us to view the tower and suddenly my girlfriend had a ring on her finger! After leaving the restaurant we lingered on the beautiful grounds. Thanks to the staff for making the proposal perfect, it really was a night to remember and we will be back!

04/27/08

(restaurant only) Awesome view but still hungry after

by paintedsquare at Citysearch

I recall visiting the Gorge Hotel way back in the 80's for breakfast. From what I remember, it was a great meal. That's why I recently decided to pay them another visit for a Sunday afternoon brunch.

Even though the hostess was AWOL and there was no one around to greet us at 12:30pm Sunday, I was really looking forward to some delicious food and a good time. The only good thing I can say is the view was spectacular and the grounds were lush and immaculate.

On Sundays they feature something called a Farmer's Breakfast for $35 a person. That must be a joke. Not only would this meal fail to meet the most moderate of farmers needs, it barely provides enough nutrition to browse the local farmer's market.

Let me start off by saying we had almost no problem with the service. Our server was informative, professional and efficient at juggling the fourteen thousand plates that make up this four course meal ( a meal that could fit on a large plate). However, I believe the server forgot to offer my companion a side dish. That wouldn't be such a big deal if my companion had enjoyed her entree.

My main complaint was after finishing, I was not even close to full. Everything we ate was made with quality ingredients, no doubt. The fruit was fresh and good. The oatmeal, while bland, was not bad. The french toast was delicious but did not come with butter or sufficient maple syrup. My eggs benedict included one half a biscuit, some ham and an egg. My side dish included some yummy bacon strips. All very tasty, but again, this meal can only be described as niggardly in the satisfaction category.

I don't mind paying a lot for a meal. However, I expect to be full when I leave. The restaurant at the Gorge Hotel therefore should be avoided by anyone with an appetite greater than a parakeet.

02/01/06

Hesitate before dining

by ddnorton at Citysearch

We used to drive over from Portland for lunch or dinner a couple of times a year. The food was always excellent. It had been a while, so we thought we would give it another try for lunch.

We were very disappointed!! Besides the eye-opening prices, the food was terrible. Both my wife and I couldn't finish our dishes. There were only a couple tables of people and the waitress (straight out of a cheap diner) would be disappear for 15 minutes at a time. We literally had to flag her down whenever we needed anything. I had to go searching through the restaurant to pay our bill.

Not sure if they were having an off day, but we are not willing to risk it, especially for the very expensive dinnners. We will, at the very least, wait a few years before making this journey again...

• Pros: view, atmosphere
• Cons: food, prices, service