Nice selection on the menu, select recipes, fair to poor service with a group of 20, small to normal portions, side dishes are not offered, priced a bit high, the only dinner available in the immediate area, does not include cheaper or plainer entrees for children . The citrus salmon is very different and quite good, the ravioli and prime rib looked wonderful. The only problem with the seating arrangements unless you are at a two person table is that the wide, comfy chairs are so close together that it is very difficult to get in and out of a chair without everone at the table having to get up.
Review Source:Stay away like the plague is present!
We contracted to have our wedding here last year. Â The Brookroom, where our wedding was scheduled to take place, was closed due to asbestos contamination, as well as other issues we later learned. Â Unfortunately, the owners did not inform us that the venue was forcibly shut down by the county authorities. Â Instead they acted like everything was ok. Â
We learned that the venue was closed when my stepmother read an article about it in the newspaper, while researching online to make reservations for our wedding. Â I was horrified that the owners hadn't told us that they were unable to perform on the contract we had signed with them! Â We had to contact the reporter who wrote the article. Â He then referred us to the local authorities who provided us with a letter stating that Brookdale Inn Brookroom was closed and was expected to continue to be closed on our wedding date. Â They had no other venue space that was open other than the small bar, so no possibility a wedding could legally be hosted there.
The worst part was that authorities shut down the venue in January of 2011 and we didn't find out about this until six weeks before our wedding, approximately two months after the venue was shut down! Â Shame on the owners! Â We had to move our wedding to another venue at great cost and stress to us. Â Brookdale has never returned our $2000 deposit!!!!! Â We have learned that the owners face criminal charges for their conduct regarding use of the venue, while it was shut down by court order. Â I spoke personally with the deputy district attorney handling the case. Â I've also read that they face a host of other civil lawsuits. Â With the long line of creditors waiting for money, we'll probably never see our deposit even with a court order.
This experience was heart breaking as my husband and I believe that with responsible ownership and management, this historic venue could be an absolute jewel. Â What a loss for the SF Bay Area...
The place is closed do to many, many, many health and building code violations now, which is a good thing for anyone thinking of visiting this restaurant. Lets start with the rat feces all over the kitchen, the filthy, moldy carpeting in the dining room and the crooked owners! Then lets look at the unpermitted "UPGRADES" This place is better off closed for your safety!
Review Source:I was so excited to eat out at this place last week, however to my dismay it is under renovation. I have never tried the food but because of the indoor creek environment, I'm raving it as 5star!
I'm glad the lady allowed us to look at the place even though it was close cause then at least the drive wasn't so much of a waste!
But one day, I definitely want to come back here and try out the food along w/ enjoying the atmosphere it creates.
I ate here for the first time in June of 2010 after I stayed the night at the hotel.
Food was very good and the service was great. I really can't complaint about it.
We had mimosas and a really good breakfast with desert.
The experience of sitting at the table by the creek is really nice, so relaxing and like some other reviewer mentioned it, It would be great if someone could clean it  up a little bit and bring this place back to it's old glory.
I don't think this place needs another negative review. Bit, eating here makes me want to work there. It has so much potential, Â and yet, its a total gross hole. The atmosphere could be amazing if the would clean up. The food is almost good if it weren't lacking flavor and the staff is really friendly and would be perfect if they had a better management. Â Sad to look around and see how awesome it used to be and how amazing it could be again with some direction.
Review Source:This place sucked. The food was terrible. The service was terrible. We had to wait 30 mins just to order. They only gave us 2 menus for our group of 8. The soup came out cold, the pasta was cold, the steak was grey, the chicken was dry, the fish was disgusting. And to top it all off everything was $16.99 ++. Don't waste your time or money here. Simply awful.
Review Source:After having dinner here, I realized it was finally time to get active on Yelp. Â Usually I enjoy dinner, wherever I eat, because I'm not that picky and I am a server myself. Â I know how it is when you're very busy and the kitchen is backed up, and the bar is slammed. Â However, that wasn't the case at the Brookroom that night. Â
When my boyfriend and I arrived at 7:05, our party hadn't even been sat. Â They had a reservation at 7:00pm and were left to wander around the restaurant looking for their own table. Â The hostess never even showed up, and it appeared that the bussers had checked out, or had never even shown up. Â It was raining hard that night, so I wondered if some of the less motivated employees took advantage of that and called in. Â
We finally sat down at what we assumed was our table, considering there was a tray of water glasses with melted ice sitting next to it. Â About ten minutes after sitting, we were greeted by our server/busser and we ordered beverages. Â I think at this time pretty much everyone was ready to order food, but hey, we were way ahead of her. Â She just took the drink order, so I ordered coffee. Â
Another ten minutes or so goes by, I was able to walk around the entire restaurant while we waited. Â When I got back, my coffee had arrived. Â But I was confused, this was obviously tea. Â I tasted it, and it did have a faint nuance of coffee. Â I held it up to the dim light and it looked like Lipton ice tea. Â This was some weak coffee. Â I didn't bother to ask for a refill, I'm pretty sure our server had run the grounds from the beginning of the night a second time. Â
We finally ordered our food about an hour into dinner. Â I noticed that some of the dishwashers were busing tables because they were wearing t-shirts and shorts. Â I also noticed that there was still no hostess. Â Our party of eight, shared two menus that we used our i-phones to illuminate. Â I ordered halibut. Â My boyfriend ordered a chicken dish, and so did the birthday girl. Â My boyfriend's sister's boyfriend ordered a steak. Â
I'm pretty sure we got our food an hour and a half to two hours after we arrived. Â My fish was served to me with a quarter cup of veggies, a baked potato wrapped in aluminum foil, butter, sour cream, a lemon and some tartar sauce. Â "Who serves tartar sauce with halibut?" I thought as I tried a bite of my huge fillet. Â Turns out, this wasn't halibut at all. Â I was suspicious first of all because this must have been 1.5" thick. Â Halibut fillets are never that thick, and this wasn't a steak. Â Plus, it was dry, no sauce, and tasted really fishy. Not salmon fishy, ocean fishy.
The chicken that my bf and his mom ordered was very rich, he ate his and ended up throwing up later in the evening. Â She didn't even eat hers. Â The server went to the chef to relay the news and came back to tell us that her meal wouldn't be comped. Â The chef's reason was that he cooked both meals in the same pan, and since my bf liked his, it must have been good enough for his mom. Â Oh bravo, what great customer service! Â What's good for one 28 year old guy must be good for a woman in her 50's who is intolerant of rich fatty foods. Â Oh wait, is that bad service? Â Yes, yes it is. Â
I have so much more to say, but I really must get going. Â Oh, but the steak that had been ordered medium rare came out medium well. Â And when we began to leave our disastrous birthday meal, I noticed the chef leaving the kitchen, in a dirty button up, no hat, and shorts. Â
Do I need to really tell you that you should never come here for dinner? Â It's a shame though, because the lodge really is a beautiful place. Â But don't go there on a rainy night, you'll get dripped on wherever you sit, and you'd swear the creek ran from the ceiling and down the walls. Â
Someone buy this place, and don't ride the coat-tails of early 20th century nostalgia. Â Movie stars don't come here anymore. It's a beautiful building that needs TLC and a new menu and chef. Don't let them run this place into the ground! I think what they didn't understand is that just because it was really popular in the 40's, doesn't mean you can stop taking care of the place and people will just keep pouring in.
My last rant, we were 8 of 24 people in the restaurant that could easily hold over 100, and we were given two menus, because they ran out. Can you imagine if the place was full? I felt so bad for them!
stayed at the brookdale lodge for memorial weekend....i've got about 200 hundred stories from one night but ill keep those in the brookdale lodges review. after some drinks at the bar with family and friends at the bar we head over to the brookroom for dinner. upon entering the brookroom i was amazed. the sounds, the smells, the decorating, everything was beautiful. so it seemed like i had an amazing dinner coming to me in about 25 minutes. we all sit down and start to notice that theres only 2 other couples eating on a saturday night memorial day weekend....first hint apparently. we order our dinners which we were all so stoked about because they had a small menu yet that had everyones favorites which was great. out come the salads and upon mine hitting the table i ask for croutons. the waitress replys sorry we don't have croutons tonight.hint 2 im guessing. then she explains that they only have one more lobster so the cioppino was ok but lobster itself couldn't be ordered.hint 3. after ignoring these hints and thinking its just common mishaps our food comes out. i cut into the 4 inch by 4 inch piece of ribeye that wasn't fat and give it a taste....it was amazing. if only i liked fat more i could of had some more steak lol. everyone bites into the mashed potatoes and everyones were ice cold. we let the waitress know super kindly(my dad grew up in boulder creek so he is very stern about respecting the area and people). she takes all of them to the back and comes back out with the plates. everyone takes a bite and its almost colder then it was before haha. so two people at the table start talking about there fish and about the bones in it.....it had about ten bones in each dish! long story short we wont be back any time soon. lol
Review Source:I am big on brunches. Â I am also big on atmosphere be it romantic, divey, charming, quaint, cozy, rustic, funky or any combination thereof. Â With that, here is my restaurant disclaimer: I do not have culinary skills or a complicated palate; for great atmosphere, I will forgive so many other shortcomings and failings and gladly endure mediocre food (but please, not bland).
I have been coming here since I was very young, before it became the Brookdale Inn and Spa, when it was just the humble Brookdale Lodge. Â Before it reopened under this loftier designation, I was nervous it would be up-scaled to the point of losing its funky charm which has so endeared it to me all these years. Â I should not have fretted; this is the Santa Cruz mountains after all. Â I could barely detect any changes to the Brook Room. Â Here is why the funky, dilapidated, out of the way Brook Room holds a special place in my heart.
The dining room is like a hidden, mountain treasure with a wonderful babbling brook running through the middle of it. Â On Sunday, they serve an all you can eat brunch which you can enjoy right above the brook while listening to the sound of water trickling over the rocks. I have always found the brunch to be surprisingly tasty w/lots of variety.
This place is more than 100 years old and full of alluring history, intrigue and even ghosts. Â In its heyday, it was visited by famous Hollywood stars such as Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth, and even a president, Herbert Hoover, who would fish off the dining room bridge. Â In the 40's & 50's, the lodge became a home for gangsters and other shady characters; secret passageways and hidden rooms were installed throughout the lodge and rumors of buried bodies under the floorboards abounded. Â With such a past, you would expect it to be haunted and it is known to have several ghosts that inhabit it, including a rather famous one, the young niece of a former owner.
You can wander around, explore unused, forgotten spaces that are only a shadow of their former grandeur and envision what it must have been like in its full splendor  There is the Mermaid Room which used to be the bar and dance floor - it has a windowed wall from which you can view the lodge's swimming pool where women used to swim around dressed as mermaids.  The window is grimy, the pool is empty and grimy.  It is eerily mesmerizing.
It's true that the lodge has been allowed to deteriorate to quite a degree. Â I always feel great shame that the property has not had better stewards to help preserve it for future generations. Â The lodge has survived financial disgrace, bankruptcy, numerous owners and several fires. Â Yet, it remains and I am most thankful it is open for us to enjoy and take a walk through what has been an alternately glamorous and scandalous past.
Plus, it's in a beautiful mountain setting. Â I love the drive on Hwy 9. Â Bonus for my husband, it's not too far from the Big Foot Museum. Â Combine that with a trip to Henry Cowell park and Roaring Camp train which is accessible by walking path from the parking lot of the park. Â Now we're talking Back Roads Mountain Adventure/Day Trip!
Ohhh....mennn.I was browsing the best and romantic restaurants to go for a dinner and this restaurant is one of the most unforgettable restaurant that I ever been.
Our good friends in Sta.Cruz Gary and Victoria invited us for a dinner and I am so impressed of the restaurant, first of all , the sound of the water, the set up of the restaurant is beautiful and  the server is friendly ,but,Boy,when I was just sat down,I feel the coldness in my arm and the first word I said to them,"I feel like I am crowded,I feel somebody standing next to me,it's like a long hair young lady and the arms around her back and she disappeared.Maybe it's just only my imagination."
Anyway, I really don't remember what I had for dinner and I think I enjoyed the night with a good conversation with our friends and the food and what I like the most is the feeling of outdoor , the sound of nature and most of all... I feel like a millionaire,(ha.ha.ha.) we stayed late actually.
Also,at least, when I looked back it won't pumped my chest unlike when I was in Coronado Hotel that  I  went to the restroom at their restaurant and washed my hands one of  the door was moved and it squeaked and it looks like somebody just out from the toilet , but the door to go out to the aisle was not open and  I was alone and it was a daytime.
Anyway,when we were in the Parking lot at the Brooksdale Restaurant they told me the story and I said,"Oh my God! Don't tell me I am spooked again!
I really like this place a lot it's beautiful.
I like to come back there again especially the weather like this...it's beautiful.
You are Marlyn Monroe walking into the restaurant with your fur coat on. Â The Brookdale Lodge really makes you feel like an old time movie star. Â It is the stained glass ceiling, to the babbling creek in the middle of the room. Â I don't know what it is? Â I know that there is a lot of charm here.
Facts: Â It does get super cold her in the winter, so bring a big jacket. Â The meals are on the pricey side, bring a thick wallet. Â I can't say that the food is the best, so you are coming here more for the ambiance. Â Last major fact is this is where the death happened many years ago and got this place on the map on Unsolved Mysteries. Â If you are a ghost buff they have an awesome Halloween party here in October.
After listening to several friends tell fun stories about the Brookdale Lodge, we decided we needed to check out this place. Â My family is always game for exploring the offbeat and funky and there is no doubt that the Brookroom fits the bill! Â This spacious restaurant inside the lodge has a brook running through the middle of it. Â Just when my kids thought this and the foot bridge stretching over the water to the other side of the dining room were the coolest features in the place, our waitperson offered them one more --- the opportunity to throw bread into the brook for the fish to feast on. Â Throwing any morsel of anything was completely against the mealtime rules they know of so this was a rebellious treat!
We celebrated our wedding anniversary over a Sunday brunch offering so filling none of ate for most of the remainder of the day. Â Salmon piccatta, fresh fruit, salads, potatoes, made-to-order omelettes and all the standard breakfast fare was laid out to choose from. Â Hubby gave the french toast an "outstanding!" ( A rare rating from him!) Â My son's eyes were like saucers over the sweets table and my daughter who likes to have all choices laid before her, really appreciated that the entire spread was at an eye level where she could survey it all. Â The beverages are bottomless during the Sunday brunch (this includes the champagne).
The staff is fun. Â We enjoyed the guitar playing musician who kept worrying that he was too loud as he belted out a list of mellow favorites.
We understand that if this place could talk, it would have a lot of stories to tell about famous musicians and other entertainers. Â We've also heard that the ghost of a little girl resides on the landing above the dining room. She must have had other plans that day because we didn't spot her despite our efforts.
Make sure you walk off your food by taking a look around. Â Parts of the place do look filled with faded glory and could possibly use an upgrade. Â It looks like some enhancements are on their way with plans to open retail in the areas under the lodge rooms. Â It sure was a fun place to check out!
The Brookroom is under new management and it is terrific. We went for their Sunday Jazz Brunch. The food was great. It is buffet style which I am not normally a big fan of, but the food was very fresh, plentiful, with a large variety to choose from including salmon. There were made to order omelets that were perfect, not too runny or dried out with plenty of choices of ingredients. The atmosphere is wonderful. It is a place that would be impossible to build today. They are obviously still working on restoring much of the building but it was spotlessly clean. Â It looks like they are going to be adding an outdoor patio soon. The wait staff was very attentive, but it was very relaxed and comfortable. The brunch is $19.95 per person, a great value.
Review Source:it was a dark and stormy drive up to the Brookdale lodge. my numerous 411 calls yielded incorrect phone number messages. we drove on, determined to find it no matter how many times Garmin lost satellite reception.
We arrived. Â Rain pounding sheets of water against our car while we tried to figure out if the place was even open. "the lights are on. it must be open," she said. Â "let's just get a beer and talk to the bartender." "okay," he replied.
Yes the brookroom is still closed as it is undergoing some pretty major renovations/upgrades; however, never fear, the original decor will not be changed at least that was the story on 2/16/09. Â We were able to peer in through the glass doors and marvel at the beauty of the place and will definitely return when it reopens.
I have yet to eat here yet, but after the reviewer who mentioned it was closed, I decided to follow up with the Brookroom personally. An email from the Sales/Catering Dept is as follows:
The new owners of the Brookdale Inn & Spa have been upgrading many
areas on the property this past year. At the moment the Brookroom restaurant is closed to the public because the kitchen had new tile floors laid and some repair to equipment. We plan to re-open in Jan.
The Brookroom was shut down by the County of Santa Cruz for sanitation
violations. They have no interest in raising their standards. so will
only open it for private parties. Good luck. There have been a few fires here too, another one seems likely if the new ownership trends seen here continue.
I found out about the Brookdale Lodge around last Halloween. Â It was on a Travel Channel show of possibly "haunted restaurants", which was enough to interest me! Â My husband and I didn't get to the restaurant for dinner until last spring. Â It was still a little chilly outside, and the chill carried into the restaurant - I mean, really, there's a natural stream running through the middle of the restaurant! Â Actually, it probably cools the dining room off nicely during hot weather.
I really liked the restaurant. Â We went right when the restaurant opened on a Sunday evening. Â For maybe half an hour we were the only diners in the cavernous room. Â We had to wait a bit for everything, but I'm sure they were trying to open up the kitchen when we showed up. Â So, really that's our fault if anyone wants to assign blame!
We both enjoyed our dinner. Â Both meals were standard traditional fare. Â It wasn't the best food I've ever eaten, but it was tasty. Â But it was the atmosphere that made the evening. Â Other Yelpers have done a better job describing the decor than I could. Â It was just an unusual experience! Â And no, we didn't see a ghost, but it seemed like a good place for an apparition to hang out. Â I wanted to ask our server about ghostly going-ons, but my husband swore he'd leave me behind if I embarrassed him like that!
A five for atmosphere and decor. Four for the food and three for the hours and issue of getting up there. Â Why can't a place like this be in the middle of a city? Â Because it wouldn't be the same. Â The atmosphere really made this place wonderful to me. Â I love the sound of rolling water and the stream was beautiful.
It's just it's hard to get to location and the fact of the drive preventing me from any kind of drink that is my issue.
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. Â I like to go for any reason I can find. Â The champagne brunch is perfect on sunny sunday mornings. Â It is a full spread buffet with bacon, sausage, eggs, french toast, carving station, breads, cereals, and oh so many sinful desserts, not to mention MIMOSAS! Â I always request a seat next to the creek that runs through the restaurant, there are even fish in it! Â A little tip, bring a sweater, it is usually freezing in here. Â The attached hotel is supposed to be haunted, and don't forget to visit the little gift shop that is to the left before you enter the lodge. Â The opening is a little tricky to find, but once you get in the lady who runs the store is super nice and says that you get a fifteen percent discount for finding the entrance =) Â I think the only downsides are that they hould heat thier syrup, and brunch is a little expensive, but worth it.
Review Source:I've been to every restaurant in the San Lorenzo Valley on one Friday night or another, but for some reason, we had never eaten dinner at the Brookroom. It turned out to be a very pleasant surprise because the food was quite good and the service quite decent. Two things that are actually hard to find around these here parts.
It's eclectic, the interior decor is a bit tired, the tables are slightly crooked, but the menu was varied, the food was prepared very well, and the service was friendly.
You almost feel like you've stepped into the Twilight Zone with a mix of Swiss Chalet type decor, tacky casino carpet, and five different styles of wrought-iron fence encircling the stream below. I cringe at the thought of how many bugs and how much dust has accumulated in the behemoth stained-glass chandelier that illuminates the dining area over the years. In the hallway that leads to the dining room, there's a vintage photograph that shows how the interior originally looked, replete with perilous drop offs into the stream below (can you say lawsuit?). They've since remedied this with the aforementioned fencing, but it was so glamorous looking back in the day.
All that being said, I enjoyed our dinner and am glad to have another dining option in the mountains. I like having funky places to visit and bring friends to. Makes for good dinner conversation.
Went here with the Fella and his family for his birthday, after a visit to the Mystery Spot. Â
This joint definitely appealed to our interest in kitchy, offbeat things. Â The dining room features a natural creek flowing through the middle and is rumored to be haunted. Â History lesson from a wheelchair-bound bouncer at the bar says that this place used to be a favorite of the Rat Pack and Marilyn Monroe. Â Nowadays, the whole place could use a bit of sprucing up, but it looked like they weren't wanting for buisness nonetheless. Â
The food was actually quite good. Â Our party had a sampling of pretty muuch everything, and everyone was pleased with their meal. Â I had the prime rib, which was huge and flavorful, but the real treat was the grilled veggies and twice baked potato underneath. Â When it came out, it was a little on the cool side, but nobody else had this problem with their food. Â
Overall, if you are up for something a little strange, but still tasty, stop by here!
I wanted to try somewhere new for brunch and brought a friend here. Big mistake. I'm surprised she's still speaking to me.
The staff were of the surly teen variety and the food was one disaster after another - cold and congealed, all of it. The food for the brunch is set out in a room next to the dining area and we did an entire lap around the room only to meet each other again with both of us still holding empty plates. We just looked at each other and started to laugh. From that point on, we had the giggles and every new thing that went wrong just provoked more uncontrollable laughing on our part.
The dining area has the novelty appeal of the stream running through it, and maybe other meals here are better than brunch, but I'm not chancing a return visit!
Driving down Highway 9 many people see a cozy looking buidling covered with chrismass lights year-round called the "Brookdale Lodge" but may not know exactly what this place is about. Â As the name suggests there are rooms to be rented on a nightly basis, Â but it is also a venue for live music in the evenings and full time bar, there is a small outdated but still cool selection of arcade machines, 2 large bird cages filled with finches on display, and an open elegant dining area with a natural stream running right through the middle of it. Â This resaurant would get 5 stars even if the sunday brunch buffet loaded with tasty deserts wasn't the best ever, just based on the fact that it was a cause of the most enjoyable day of my life, it would be nice if life had a rewind button....not to change anything, but just to experience something over and over again.
Review Source:This haunted lodge dates back to 1900s and retains much of its original charm. The attached restaurant is built upon a natural mountain stream and serves a delicious variety of traditional American cuisine. Breakfastin particular is awsome. On Sundays the restaurant turns into a $23-a-pop all-you-can-eat buffet with an extensive number of scrumptious choices. Service is very attentive and friendly.
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