They get 4 stars solely based on the food. It is very good. But avoid this place when they are busy. They are a bit unorganized and maybe a bit short staffed. I think they are very nice people but when they are crazy busy, they get a bit short with customers.
The person taking our order recently remembered us(that's good!) and remembered we were gluten free. Wrote gluten free for everything but the French toast. Â Then rather than fessing up, I had to pay for a second order of gluten free French toast. I was a bit upset even though we repeated gluten free when we ordered the meals. She must have forgotten than french toast is also made with bread.
Oh well I would go back despite this. The food is yummy.
We make this place our first stop every time we visit from Seattle. Go! If they aren't busy.
Horrible, horrible service and attitude by the management itself. Â I stopped in with my family a while back for some pie and coffee. Â That's it, just pie and coffee. Â The place was very busy (I'm guessing not too many repeat customers). Â First it took FOREVER to get somebody to take our order. Â Then after waiting for our food for another eon (just pie and coffee, mind you), only part of the order makes it out. Â Well before the rest comes out our coffee cups are dry so we ask for refills. Â And we ask again a few minutes later, and again. Â By the time the rest of the pie came out and was eaten (the pie was dry and thin) we still hadn't received any coffee refills. Â We finally got tired of it and got up and went inside to pay. Â We mentioned to the managers (appeared to be a husband and wife, probably the owners) and the female got real snotty with us and had a total attitude while we were paying. Â So much for customer service. Â I warn you, stay away. Â These people are SO lucky they are the only show in town.
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We stop by here  coming or going from camping.  This particular Sat.  we ordered outside and waited a long time for service.  I asked for mustard twice and never did get it.  The service was curt.  When I took the bill in it was not added up.  She seemed bothered by this.  She rang up $31.00.  I asked her to please add it up again.  She seemed angry but are enough, the total was wrong.  She muttered something about there being something left in the register from before. I did not leave a tip. Huckleberry smoothies and pies are the only reason I would ever stop here again
It's nice when the only spot in town turns out to be a pretty good one; we stopped in for breakfast one morning before heading out to guide the White Salmon and were seated right away. Â We noticed that some of the regulars that came in after us got our food before we did, but worse things have happened. Â
Our food did come, though not all together (I had to wait about 5-10 minutes for mine--we were a group of 4), but when it did it was very good. Â I had bacon and eggs over easy with toast and coffee and I thought the eggs were perfect (that's enough to bump a 3 star to a 4 in my book). Â Nice spot and I'd go back. Â I loved sitting there reading the paper and drinking coffee; maybe it's time to move out of the city.
I am so glad I have a good friend in Trout Lake and an excuse to head to the Bear Creek Cafe! Sweet Potato Fries have no equal and the burgers are perfect. The coffee shop on the other side of the building was closed and I guess the businesses are combined so I was able to get my coffee the last time I was in, they really have great service considering they usually have just 1 or 2 folk working the counter and cooking. I have only been there in October and December but I am looking forward to my Spring and Summer trips (excited to try the milkshake). The trick is how many times can I head to the cafe without insulting my friends cooking!
Review Source:In a town where not much is happening, this is the place to be.
They have a nice outdoor seating area with picnic tables and adirondack chairs right next to a babbling brook, which we enjoyed immensely while waiting for our food.
The food is of the diner variety, burgers, sandwiches, milkshakes. Â They do have a caesar salad, but it was more like a mixed green salad with a bit of caesar dressing on top, which I actually liked better than a true caesar. Â Burgers are big and juicy, and once you add fries (who can skip fries??) are a little on the pricey side for a tiny town, hole in the wall diner ($9.50), but still delicious and still better than making dinner myself while on vacation.
Also, they have many huckleberry desserts, and we tried the milkshake, which, even at $4.50, it was totally worth it. Â
Service was great, really quick to get our food, and just the right amount of attentive. Â Smiley and genuinely friendly, what one just might refer to as small town hospitality.
If I find myself in Trout Lake, WA again anytime soon, I will be back!
Trout Lake is a small Washington town with a population right around 1,100. It's commercial core consists of a gas station, cafe, log cabin country store, espresso stand, craft store and climbing company. Around the edges one can find a bar, a couple bread a breakfast places, a spa, an RV park, and a small, but nice motel. Locals tend to be farmers, ranchers, contractors, loggers, forest service employees and construction workers. During the Fall and Winter the area draws snowmobile enthusiasts, hunters, snowshoers, mushroom pickers and cross country skiers, during the Spring and Summer it draws hikers, cavers, campers, huckleberry pickers, fishermen and mountain bikers. It's and outdoorsy kind of place and surprisingly liberal for a small town.
KJ's Bear Creek Cafe is Trout Lake's only restaurant, although I think you can get food Serenity's spa and the Trout Lake Tavern. KJs has a log cabin front and is rather small inside, with maybe 3 booths and a couple tables and counter seats, so there are picnic tables outside for overflow. The grill is right there in the open, which I like, so the cook can yell directly at you "How did you want that burger?" and you can see what goes into your food. The sometimes surly, sometimes downright hilarious staff manage to keep the orders coming pretty fast these days, which is good, because with one restaurant in town, it can get packed during the breakfast and lunch rush. Pretty much everything I've had at KJ's has been good to excellent. It's no frills, but the ingredients are fresh, the recipes down home, and they have years of experience and know how to do things right. When it's huckleberry season, don't hesitate to get some pancakes packed with the fat juicy berries, otherwise, I tend to go for the omelettes or bacon and eggs. Breakfast is what they excel at, there are a decent amount of choices, they are all good, and the prices are on the low end. For lunch and dinner it's mostly burgers, sandwiches and fries, nothing that will blow you away, but a welcome meal after a day of playing hard in the local wilderness or after a long drive up the Gorge.