Service left something to be desired. Â Multiple dishes were incorrect. Â Filet mignon was ordered as medium rare and served as well. Â Bottle of wine took over 15 minutes to be served. Â Others at the table said the food was okay, but the experience certainly was not worth the price.
Review Source:I can no longer use the term "old people food" as I have been told that it is offensive and rude. Â Instead I will start this review by saying that I went to Falls Terrace restaurant with my 78 year old mother-in-law during the "Blue Plate Special" hour.
I must say that "old people food" does not mean that "old people" enjoy it. Â There is a certain type of food that I associate as "old people food" and I mean no offense. Â In fact, if you don't like the food I call "old people food" then perhaps you aren't old. Â What is age but a number...and a way to describe food?
I digress...
Yes, Blue Plate Special. Â They have one. Â I can not give a restaurant a classification of fine dining if they have a Blue Plate Special.
It boasts a four course meal starting with shrimp cocktail. Â My sister-in-law is allergic to shrimp and they refused to substitute something else, like salad or soup...that's pretty bad.
She was the lucky one considering that their shrimp cocktail (which, you know is pretty standard and you aren't really expecting anything besides what it advertises) was embarrassing, how can you mess up a shrimp cocktail? Â I mean COME ON! Â It was previously frozen baby salad shrimp swimming in a bed of cocktail sauce. Â Really?! Â I'd rather one smallish regular shrimp with cocktail sauce advertised as an amuse bouche.
Then you get either soup or salad (but not both for people with seafood allergies) and clam chowder for an additional $2.00. Â It was pretty sad clam chowder. Â It was mushy and flavorless.
For the main course we chose Prime rib. Â I must say, it wasn't the worst prime rib I have ever had, it was all cooked properly the various ways we asked and the baked potato was well cooked. Â Based on my expectations for the restaurant; the main course exceeded them.
Dessert, I chose the "homemade" bread pudding. Â They brag that it is homemade every day with cinnamon bun batter. Â Just because you use mass-produced purchased batter in a way that it wasn't intended, does not make your dish homemade. Â It comes with a served whole bunch of the white icing that comes with the batter. Â I admit, I enjoy a Pillsbury "pop the can" cinnamon bun when necessary but I don't claim it to be homemade (I'm not taking credit for that) and this was mushy.
In summary, my 78 year old mother-in-law thoroughly enjoyed her meal (and believes we did too, hopefully she doesn't read Yelp), and in reality that is all that really matters because we wanted to make her happy.
After reading many reviews I was a little afraid of what my experience might be, but I had great childhood memories of this place and was eager to relive them. Â So my wife and I showed up on Saturday night for an early dinner. Â Service was excellent, view was better than I remembered and the food was pretty damn good too. Â Something feels a little dated about everything but they nailed the classics. I had the Prime Rib and it was perfect.
Review Source:I ate here back in July. Great views of the deschutes river at night. Clam chowder was just okay, not anything spectacular. What I wasn't impressed with was the prices compared to the actual quality of the food as my filet mignon was overcooked, and the only side dish was some cold brocoli.
Review Source:Don't get me wrong, the food was great, it's nice inside and the view is amazing. The only thing that really upset me today is that I ordered a Pina Colada with my lunch, they did check my ID, I know I look really young but I am obviously of age, they didn't even take it back to confirm it was real they just assumed it was fake and they brought me back a VIRGIN one, no alcohol was in it. So it upset me that they just decided to assume I was young and my ID was fake, so I didn't get what I paid for. Don't think I'll ever order a drink from here again nor do I really have any desire to go back.
Review Source:If you're looking for quality dishes made from fresh ingredients, steer clear of the Falls Terrace Restaurant. Though the dining room offers a relaxing view of the falls and surrounding wooded area, the food was surprisingly cafeteria-like. I ordered the petit fillet with a side of rice pilaf and clam chowder for $29.95. My partner ordered the kobe burger for $14.95. With those prices, we were expecting a special experience. However, the clam chowder tasted as if it were made from a mix, and both the kobe burger and steak arrived under-seasoned and virtually tasteless. Even after dousing my steak in A1 sauce, I could barely finish half as the exterior of the steak wasn't seared, but oddly tough, almost like jerky. The side of rice pilaf offered little more also tasting like a boxed mix. Â Finally, in addition to my partner's burger lacking seasoning and taste, the chef decided to pile a thick layer of mushrooms beneath the burger on the bottom bun resulting in a sopping wet, inedible mess. This is by far the worst most over priced meal I've eaten. The only reason I didn't give Falls Terrace one star was due to the excellent service provided by our waiter, the one saving grace for this restaurant who's chef is clearly past his sell-by date.
Review Source:I have been to the Falls Terrace restaurant many times, and experienced many changes in their menu offerings over a period of about 34 years. Â
In the past, I would have been hanging more than three stars on the FT dining experience. Â The restaurant is fairly consistent in preparing fairly good quality offerings. Â The offerings today, however, lack a little imagination and have not kept up with the dining trends. Â With that said, their traditional offerings are good for the less daring meat-and-potato crowd. Â This is where the FT has missed an opportunity to go from good to memorable. Â For instance, the menu could use a couple of vegetarian offerings, or even a better choice of vegetable side dishes.
The seafood is good, but the FT preparation of the seafood is missing the mark. Â The last time that I visited the restaurant (a month ago), one of our dinner party had salmon that was overcooked. Â On that same visit, I ordered the shrimp fettucine. Â The shrimp fettucine was pretty much a bowl of creamy white sauce, with very few noodles and about five decent sized prawns. Â This was out of character for the FT in my past experiences. Â Here's the problem: Â The sauce took over, drowning the few noodles that had sunk to the bottom of the bowl. Â The prawns were also drowning in the very hot sauce. Â Now anybody who knows anything about cooking seafood, especially shrimp or prawns, knows that you cannot leave them swimming in a hot sauce or broth without turning them into rubber. Â The shrimp apparently continued to cook in the sauce, long after it was brought to the table. Â
No good chef who gets past seafood preparation 101 would in their right mind leave shrimp (which needs very little cooking) bathing in a hot sauce - if shrimp are done when they are added to the sauce, then they will continue to cook beyond what should ever be served to anybody who appreciates good seafood.
The same goes for salmon. Â Salmon doesn't require a lot of cooking, you get it up to temperature fast, keep it there until cooked, (or cook it on the low and slow) and get it off the fire and serve it.
If it wasn't for the sole amandine, oysters or the halibut, Falls Terrace would be in trouble in the seafood department.
Now let's talk about the beef.
The Falls Terrace rarely fails in this department. Â I don't think I have ever been there with anyone who has had a bad beef offering. Â The chef of FT is good with beef, but I think the chef should look at broadening the culinary skill chart.
Well, I am going to FT again, tonight, with friends. Â I will be talking about the food with my dinner guests and getting their opinions while sharing mine. Â Hey, let's face it, we're all critics to some degree. Â
I will return to this blog to give an update, and I am hoping that when I do that I will be writing better things and hanging more stars of quality.
Sunday, July 22, 5:00p to 7:00p
Ordered: Chicken Cordon Bleu, with vegetables.
Condition: Chicken Cordon Bleu was overcooked (Breading Burnt) Â - Tasted like pre-prepared frozen and reheated. Â
It came with a baked potato. Â You'll probably never get a bad baked potato at the FT, but don't bother ordering the garlic mashed potato, because the chef has no concept of how this should be made (probably doesn't know that garlic mashed shouldn't be grainy and oily, and that it needs cream cheese). Â The only vegetable offering was yellow and orange baby carrots (nicely cooked). Â The meal started with a simple dinner salad that I ordered with bleu cheese dressing that tasted home-made, it also included a shrimp cocktail that tasted pretty good. Â I was a little surprised that the shrimp used was popcorn shrimp, but it did taste pretty good.
If I could recommend any changes, I would recommend losing the breading on the chicken cordon bleu - It doesn't need breading (it's just greasy and heavy). Â The hollandaise sauce was also good.
Another change that I would recommend is to make sure that there is enough wait staff when the restaurant is full. Â The seats were all full, and there wasn't enough wait staff to adequately handle the demand - This means ask or mention while your waiter is present.
With a few simple changes and a closer eye on the quality of what the chef is producing, the Falls Terrace could return to a status of high quality and demand (five stars) that existed there in the seventies and early eighties. Â
Note: The staff is always friendly.
Lastly, lose the sirloin steak and offer a porterhouse or ribeye, and lose the breading on entrees - breading is good for a hash-house or greasy-spoon, but it has no place with the other offerings. Â One of the dinner guests ordered the sole amandine, and it was a little heavy on the breading or flour that they cooked it with, making it heavy and somewhat oily.
I think that if there was changes in the kitchen and changes in the quality of what is being prepared that the Falls Terrace could compete with some of the more elitist restaurants, like say Morton's?
Uninspired - yes, that is the word to use. Â I ordered the fish stew - Brittany - from lunch menu. Â For $16, it was very skimpy. Â But it is the flavor that is totally uninspired. Â Over the years, I have been here any number of times. Â Staff and view are as they/it should be - thank you for that. Â However, someone in the kitchen needs to kick it up a notch!!!!
Review Source:I'm delighted that we stumbled on this restaurant for lunch returning to Portland from Seattle. In reading the reviews, perhaps consistency is a problem, but I can tell you our lunch was great.
This is what I really appreciated: I ordered a burger with a salad rather than fries. They brought out the salad as it's own course rather than giving a handful of greens smooshed on the same plate with the burger--never an appetizing presentation. The burger itself was wagyu beef. I asked for it as rare as they felt comfortable preparing it. This usually results in an overcooked patty, but using this premium beef the burger arrived rare and juicy. Yum! Others in my party were happy with the oysters and the fish & chips. Oh, and there was a bowl of excellent steak & mushroom soup.
The view of the falls just tied the whole lunch experience into a tidy gift.
So this is late I went back in Feb. Â I'd have given this place 4 stars for location, view was great, nice area to stroll after lunch just outside actually it would have been 5 stars the falls are GREAT path is comfortable. Â The food was good we had the Oriental chicken, Salmon and another salad that I really do not remember but good, service was fine, the Restaurant itself is comfortable. Â The only thing that would get zero stars is the coffee I mean it was beyond bad DO NOT Order this. Otherwise I would certainly go back next time for dinner.
Review Source:Sure, it's a block from my office - but I've been going to this restaurant since my 15th birthday and I'm 50 on my next! The view is great. If you are lucky enough to sit outside during happy hour in the summer - you don't leave - why would you. Drinks are fabulous and very generous. Â Service is usually good even when it's slammed. Â The happy hour menu if fun - gotta gotta try the baked brie with pecans and crustini bread. Oh my lord. Â Lots of fun happens there! Great for dinner in the restaurant. Noisy - but not to be missed. Still one of the best baked potatoes out there! Â Yes, some people still want a baked potato.
Review Source:Took the family here for my wife's birthday. It was our fifth or sixth visit over the last five years. We all ordered the choice sirloin early dinner special for $18.95.
The steaks were all cooked perfect and had a great flavor. The extras (Caesar salads, corn chowder, baked potatoes, etc were also up to expectations). Â Add the food quality to the exceptional service, great atmosphere, and great view and this is a five star experience!
Very easy access travelling the 5N, street parallels the fwy so it's easy off and on. Â Food was good, late lunch and bread and butter were served (delicious hot rolls and what tasted like fresh whipped butter). Â Pear&nut salad with huge shrimp and mixed greens was great, fish and chips were so-so. Â Panoramic view of falls and trees (and joggers). Â Really caters to the elderly (every group except me and my spouse appeared to be senior).
Review Source:Visited this place about a while ago...ultimately forgettable. Â I remember the service being lackluster, and the food being ho-hum. Â The 'view' of the falls was quite dissapointing. Obviously someone capitalized on the otherwise depressingly monotoneous landscape by building a restaurant over the trickle that they call a waterfall. Â
If you have the choice, skip this place..it's overpriced, and exists simply because gravity decided to pull some water over a cliff...not because of attention to service detail or cuisine.
Spencer, Rose, Brit and Renne make the place. Â Many of the old favorites are history. Â Fresh Scones with Honey Butter for one. Â A Restaurant like the Falls needs to serve a Fresher Dinner Salad and more Fresh Seafood. Â Also spruce up the appeitizer menu with fresh not fried items.
Wine list needs updating.
Look, this is your grandpa's restaurant. If you are expecting a hip, fancy eatery, then you will be very disappointed. Falls Terrace is not meant to be a competitor or contemporary to Swing or Dockside or even necessarily to Anthony's. It really has a focus on a specific older crowd that didn't grow up eating micro-greens or carne asada or slathering Sriracha on everything. This food is for your grandma that grew up in Nebraska that still makes a mean green bean casserole.
We came for lunch a few weeks back and got food that was edible and fine - wife had a very good steak that was served on a mound of lettuce and red onions that wasn't as advertised and I had a piece of rubbery halibut with sad little shrimp smothered in cream sauce - but everything was so old fashioned in it's flavors, presentation and sources that it made me think about just how far food in Olympia has come.
I grew up here and Falls Terrace has always had this kind of food and years ago the quality of the food was up there with anything else in town. But over the years we've seen new types of food pop up in town, spice started being applied liberally, fresher ingredients are more available and generally the quality of food preparation is better.
For me, the young elitist that I am, this has been an awesome development. For older palates though, I can understand that they might feel a little alienated and you have to give credit to Falls Terrace for knowing their clientele and sticking with food and a decor that isn't hip or trendy. There has to be restaurants like The Falls. It might seem like a waste of a beautiful setting to me, but for lots of people in this area The Falls is the ultimate.
What I'm trying to say is this: Falls Terrace isn't for the majority of Yelpers. For you Yelp, there are many better, more satisfying option. But if you want to really treat your 80 year-old grandma, you can't go wrong.
(Yes, yes....this is as uppity of a review as I have ever written, I know)
My family and I went here for Thanksgiving, opting not to cook because so few of us could make it this year. I guess my parents had heard so many great things about this place and got a lot of recommendations for Thanksgiving, so we went.
Big disappointment. VERY OVERRATED. Even the view is overrated. Wee, 5-foot falls.. *finger twirl*..
All the food felt saturated in butter, and it may as well have been a microwave meal. Nothing was spectacular in any way, shape, form, flavor, you name it.
I had the roasted pork with mashed potatoes (all of which felt drenched in butter); someone else had the turkey and stuffing (buttery); and my brother had the steak (a mediocre and overcooked slab of meat). Dessert? Pumpkin pie may as well have been from Costco.
Nothing terribly original and not worth it. I'm sure they probably should get another star for service or whatever... Â I'm fairly picky about food and I rate things based on whether I, an amateur chef, could do a better job or not. I can top the food at this place with my eyes closed and one hand tied behind my back!
The service was friendly and prompt. No complaints about the service. Two of us ordered shrimp and shrimp was not very tasty or tender. A disappointment. Two stars may be a stretch for this restaurant. Yes, the view was great but the parking unacceptable. I recommend Burger King instead.
Review Source:Great:
-View
Good:
- Food
- Drink
- Service
Not So Good:
- Parking
We stumbled on this place while driving around with my mother-in-law. Â Found it on my GPS. Â The dish I had was delicious. It was a crab something or another on an English muffin with some nummy sauce. Â Sorry for the lack of detail, but I've slacked in my reporting duties. Â Visited the place on the 9th of September, and here we are on the 22nd!
The fish and chips my mother-in-law had was purty good. Â Not stellar, but good.
The lentil soup was superb.
The parking is dangerious. You have park across a busy street. That is my only complaint. The food is very good and you can order a meal that comes with appitizier and dessert. The atmosphere is good and most seats have a view of a waterfall. The service was great and the staff is too. The prices are good for the money. The Bread Pudding is the best I have ever had.
Review Source:After reading all the unflattering reviews about this restaurant I was skeptical about going but since the family had their hearts set on this place I had no choice and I'm glad I did.
First of all the parking was not bad if you get there early, we arrived at 5pm and there was PLENTY of spaces. But when we left at 7pm I can see where there would be a problem, especially for handicap spots. Â Once inside I was surprised at how small it was, it looks much bigger from the outside. Â They have a little gift shop which takes up space and the open patio was useless this time of year so they lost some prime real estate there too. The view was really nice if you're facing the right direction, but either way it had pretty scenery. Â We even saw some salmon jumping near the falls!
The service was quite timely and the waiter was very friendly.  They had a variety of items listed on the menu which were not on the website. We ordered the "complete" dinner for $16.99.  It had a pretty good shrimp cocktail (with LOTS of shrimp), soup or salad, entrée with sides and a dessert.  We got the hot fudge sundae and bread pudding (go with the bread pudding, it was great).  Now, I have to say that each one of us had one thing or another that we didn't like about our meal but it wasn't a deal breaker.  Every place has its issues and this was no exception but overall we enjoyed it and it was not as overpriced as people have said here.  So I'll come back again which says a lot because I'm VERY finicky. Â
Just goes to show you can't always believe what you read!
My work group (20 people) was on our way to the southern part of the state and we decided to stop here for dinner. Â We heard it was fairly decent based on the reviews here in Yelp and other sources. Â For starters the falls were nice to look at, though not the biggest waterfall, but still very nice considering the I-5 is right there. Â The french bread was to die for, delicious and hot to eat. Â The drinks were very good as well, and I was told the martinis were just as promised...excellent! Â Now the dinner for me......well it was not good. Â I ordered the chicken pasta with a garlic cream and white wine cream sauce.....it was Alfredo sauce plain and simple. Â I heard the prime rib was a little tough but good flavor and the other steak dishes were just fine. Â Personal recommendation...this place has a nice view, but is way too pricey for the food quality and flavor unless your just interested in french bread and martinis.
Review Source:We went here for mother's day for both of our moms on different days.
First of all, I'll complain about the parking. Yes, the parking is horrible. I personally cannot walk too long of a distance comfortably (but I can) but my father is on oxygen and while he has a handicap license, there aren't many handicap spots. Luckily my mom was able to find a spot near the restaurant. Otherwise, you might have to walk a ways for your parking spot. Very frustrating.
While waiting, the waiting area is too small. They really need a place for people waiting for their table to sit. We actually reserved tables, and we still had to wait about 15 to 20 minutes. I think their idea of table management is not very professional.
When going here, I had the impression that it was pretty nice and fancy, but it was anything but. It just seemed like a typical family restaurant that had a great view of the falls. I have to say that's the only saving grace for them.
The first day, I had the surf and turf, Sirloin and Cedar Planked Salmon. The next day was lunch, so I had the BLT. The BLT was great. I mean, how can you mess that up right?
As for the Salmon and Sirloin, The Sirloin was great, but I think the person who cooked the Salmon was different than the person who cooked the Sirloin. The Salmon was served on a Cedar plank, which was on fire when it arrived. That was fine and dandy, but the when blowing out the flames, the smoke from the wood was very disturbing and annoying to us. Not cool. Then the salmon did not have any flavor! Did they even salt the Salmon? I have to say it was quite a disappointment.
Personally I think the food was ok, but I could have definitely cooked something better.
I can remember the first time I ever dined at the Falls. I was 6 and we had escargo and these great bread rolls. Almost 25 years later and I still enjoy dining here. I find that, like many places these days, the young staff is inadequate and akward and I do not dine here on special occasions but I will bring out of town guests here for great martini lunches, the superb Brie lunch and wonderful outdoor seating. They don't make the cheese scones anymore (the machine broke???) but I can forgive them for that. They even brought in special for us extra bottles of Dom Perion for a reaaly special evening.
Review Source:There seems to be mixed reviews for Falls Terrace. My husband and I had our Valentine's Day dinner there last night.  We hadn't been in years and were anxious to try it.  We had reservations and only had to wait  a few minutes after our reservation time to be seated.  We didn't get a window seat, but I think every seat has a view of the beautiful falls.  The restaurant was fulll with it being V-Day.  Our server arrived promptly taking our drink and appetizer order.  Our drinks arrived just as quickly, followed shortly by our appetizer.  One part of the meal we didn't like was the salad.  We should have had the dressing on the side, there was way too much of it.  Plus the salad was rather mundane, the greens were fresh, but only had a bit of grated carrot and a few cucumber slices, not much imagination.  Due to the occasion their regular menu wasn't available, they had a special one instead.  My DH ordered the Chicken Oscar and I had the Steak and Lobster.  My steak was cooked to a perfect med-rare and was delicious, I was impressed since it was so busy.  My lobster was cooked perfectly also.  My DH's chicken was tender and the crab on top was yummy.  We were impressed with the wonderful service, they definately had enough servers to take care of such a busy evening.  We took dessert back to our room and weren't impressed with our cheesecake and pecan pie.  They didn't seem to be fresh made on site, thus 4 stars combined with the dissapointing salad. They did however have Olympic Mtn. ice cream which is always wonderful. We were put off a few times by three young boys that were allowed to run up and down the aisle, while the servers dodge them.  The father followed very far behind and didn't seem to mind their inappropriate behavior.  We are looking forward to returing for lunch to try that out also.
Review Source:My mom & I stopped into FT for lunch the other day. She had a gift certificate that had been hanging around for the past year and figured now was as good a time as any to use it up.
I had never been here before but she recalled coming 'years ago'. She gave me her motherly recollection of its history, and mentioned it's been there for quite some time, that's probably why there were so many old folks there for lunch. *smirk*
There is only room for about 5 cars and 1 handicap spot right in front of the restaurant. The rest is street parking along the main road running in front. Its angle parking, so you have to be going the right direction unless you are good at swinging into an opposite direction spot. I had too much traffic behind me to attempt that, so I had to go down and turn around. I would think for such a 'fancy' restaurant, they would have their own parking lot. Not like its the big city here or something.
Once inside we were informed a window table would be available shortly so we were willing to wait. The lobby is full of gift items, and it was nice to browse for a minute. But then it felt like we were dancing with the people coming and going as there was no 'waiting' spot that was out of the way, unless you count the two chairs right next to the lounge, but that's down a small hallway.
It didn't take long for our table to be ready and it seems all the tables in the restaurant have a great view of the falls.
The lunch menu is one page. Has some appetizers, salads, entrees and sandwiches. A good mix of each. I chose the french dip and my mother got the shrimp louie salad. Our waiter was friendly and polite.
We both ordered coffee and he brought fresh cream to the table. I kept pouring the creamer and pouring the cream and my coffee was not getting much lighter. I was a bit scared to taste it. When I did, my assumptions were confirmed, this stuff was stiff! I have no idea what kind of coffee they serve but it was the strongest cup of coffee I have ever had without it being cowboy coffee (grounds included). Whoa! I got about one mug down successfully.
When the food came, it was alright. Nothing spectacular, but still good.
The view was great. While Tumwater Falls is nothing in comparison to places like Snoqualmie, its still nice to look at. Â And if you have been around this area much, you can reminisce over the old Oly brewery that is now 'for lease'.
The view is fantastic. The food...not so much. But the tradition? How could you pass it up? My dad had his wedding rehearsal dinner here and it was the first time in my young life I ever had a shrimp cocktail. My grandparents used to take us here all the time when we were little, a family tradition. Falls Terrace has been there my entire life, watching over me...and not in that creepy sort of strange uncle sort of way.
Yes, I understand...the food and decor leave something to be desired, especially for the younger set. But I have been here many times and will be back again. Sides, the salmon is actually rather quite tasty, if uninspired.
Yes, the view is nice. Â Good thing... distracts you from looking at your food. Â Pretty much everything we ordered had a beige-ish grey tint. Â The flavor ranged from passable to downright miserable. Â We enjoyed the aroma of a neighboring table's cedar planked salmon. Â I'm thinking that's the way to go. Â And the scene/decor/crowd is NOT hip. Â If you're thinking of visiting... get a table by the window, keep looking out there, and try the salmon.
On a weekend afternoon, stopping in for a burger and a bloody mary works. Â They put together quite a nice burger. Â The fries are sub-par, however.
Per the rating scale 2 stars is "I've experienced better". Â That's my take on FT. Â It's OK but nothing to write home about.
I'll agree the setting is nice. Â Seems to a favorite of the local gentry but maybe that was the time we were there, 6pm on a Friday night. Service was good.
I've eaten there a handful of times over the years because a local relative likes FT. Â In my most recent experience (2 days ago) I had an end cut prime rib. Â It was tough and pretty much tasteless. Â To what am I comparing? Â The prime rib at Palisade in Seattle has a nice smokey flavor, lots of seasoning, and is almost tender enough to fall apart. Â The mashed potatoes were OK. Â Again I've had better. Â The hot rolls were great and the clam chowder pretty good. Â But my score is based on disappointment in the center piece of my meal, the prime rib.
This is kind of a tardy review but better late than never I suppose. Â We went to Falls Terrace for an early Mothers Day the Friday before. Â Having never been there before we were immediately taken in by the view of the Deschutes and commented that it too bad someone had never done something with the old brewery like a nice hotel/restaurant.
Anyway back to the review, I had the special of the night, a Prime Rib Cardinal which is served with a lobster sauce over it, my wife had Sole Amandine and our son had Pepper Sirloin with sauteed prawns. Â They both raved about their choices, my wife said the Sole was perfectly done without being either dried out or mushy. Â Our son said his pepper steak was "great" and he liked the prawns and this from a kid who has never been a fish fancier. Â My prime rib would have been better without the lobster sauce which did not have any flavor of Lobster to it and didn't enhance the flavor of the Prime Rib which as far as I could tell was a good piece of meat.. Â We all had the baked potatoes which while were not manna from heaven were undoubtedly better than home baked.
We finished with dessert, I had something decadently rich and chocolaty called Pot de Creme de Chocolat, which was a dense chocolate cake, with a rich dark chocolate sauce filling, surrounded by whipped cream. Â My Wife and son shared a mixed berry cobbler which was served warm alamode. Â We all made our desserts quickly disappear!
Falls Terrace was a pleasure too long delayed and will be a regular special occasion dinner stop for us from now on!
We consider Falls Terrace to be one of the finest restaurants of its ilk in the whole country! Â It was recommended to us by a friend who lives on Vashon Island and who used to work in Downtown Olympia. Â We tried it, absolutely loved it, and have been back many times. Â It is well worth the 153 mile drive from our new home in Bellingham.
The setting is gorgeous, right above the Tumwater Falls park, across from the old Olympia Brewery: Â If you are old enough, you will remember have seen the view immortalized thousand of times on all their beer cans! Â The falls can be seen from every table, but try to sit at a window seat for the best view. Â The ambience is very tastefully and elegantly "old fashioned," to capture the best of a 1950's feel.
The food is consistently EXCELLENT!! Â Everything I have ever eaten there has been so delicious that it is difficult to pick a favorite. Â Emphasis is on seafood: Â great salmon dishes, fresh grilled fish, and fabulous grilled oysters are stand outs. Â
But -- believe it or not -- the most "special" item is their BAKED POTATOES. Â They use the finest large russets (must have a very special source), greased and very slowly cooked to perfection in rock salt. Â The result is the creamiest texture and most delicious taste imaginable. Â This is an absolute MUST choice. Â I have tried to capture the same results at home, greased with butter or bacon fat and encrusted in kosher rock salt, but without yet achieving the same success. Â
If you possibly can, save some room for dessert (we usually take part of the meal with us, just so we can). Â Their choices are really special. Â My favorite is their Key Lime Pie, beautifully presented with criss-crossed drizzles of raspberry and orange sauces. Â The best I've ever had.
You will leave fully sated: Â a walk along the Falls footpath after dinner is a great finish to the experience.
One warning: if you go here for lunch, arrive very early. Â They are packed every day with what seems like the whole working crowd from Downtown Olympia. Â If you don't arrive early, you will end up parking blocks away and waiting a looooong time. Â Dinner is also crowded; reservations are a must. Â Although Falls Terrace can be crowded at any hour, my personal favorite time to go is mid-afternoon (for "Linner"), when you are most likely to find an open window table and have the best attention from the very busy wait staff.
Directions: Falls Terrace in right next to I-5 on the frontage street, 106 Deschutes Way SW. Â For you I-5 travelers, Southbound, take Exit 103, 2nd Ave. (go straight about 1/3 mile, turn left on Custer Way, go under freeway, then turn right on Boston, turn left on Deschutes) or Northbound, take Exit 103 Â (go straight about 1/2 mile; the restaurant is on your right).
This is one of the classy places in the Olympia area to go with Mom and Dad, Grandparents or a special date. Â It overlooks the upper falls on the Deschutes river in Tumwater and is across the river from the now defunct Olympia Brewery.
I have been there many times over the years. Â It was a favorite of my mom and my mother-in-law. Â For busy times, reservations were usually just a phone call away, except for those busy days. Â Seating is always prompt. Â Staff has always been friendly.
Food is a mixture of seafood, steak and diner type food, except with a flair. Â Their special of the day usually fits the "diner food", but is always much tastier, and better prepared and presented. Â For Olympia, it is in the higher price range, but not all that bad when compared to similar restaurants in Seattle.
I haven't been there for a couple of years, and have seen some mixed reviews elsewhere, so be warned that restaurants can change. Â If you are in the Olympia area, try it out and lets see where it goes.
As an aside, It has been there for probably 40 years. Â In college I was working at a full service gas station about 3 blocks away. Â One of the guys there got his evil delight in sending people to the wrong restaurant. Â He would send the older couple in the cadallic down the road to the worst greasy spoon in the area and the station wagon with mom and dad and a bunch of kids would be directed to the Falls Terrace. Â I am sure the folks who were sent to the Terrace had a great meal, if they could afford it.
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