Lassen Mineral Lodge Restaurant

This hotel is about as rustic as you can get. The rooms are very basic - no fridge, no coffee maker, no phone, etc. They do have decent bathrooms, good heaters and quiet privacy.
There is no internet service, but there is a strong cel phone signal all around the hotel complex.
This is a very old establishment - the manager told us that it was originally opened almost a hundred years ago. There are photos in the game room that show the hotel, store and restaurant from the 1930's, and the place really hasn't changed much.
 They do internet reservations, or you can call to make an advance reservation. They are very nice and helpful on the phone. There are not too many places to stay near Lassen Park, but this hotel is very close and convenient, a few miles from the park entrance.
  We had breakfast and dinner in the restaurant for 3 days and the food was excellent. Each meal was carefully prepared with fresh ingredients. Portions were very generous and the prices are fair. The service was very good and these folks are really friendly.
 All in all, this is a nice place to stay with good service. It ain't the Ritz, but more of a time capsule of a simpler time. If you can stay in a simple, clean room with no amenities but lots of good scenery, this will work for you.

hubby and i stayed at the mineral lodge for two nights as we went into lassen park to see the sights.  we ate a couple of breakfasts and a couple of dinners at the mineral lodge restaurant.

the lodging was good. comfortable, clean and rustic. we enjoyed being away from the noise of tv and other electronic connections.

the food at the restaurant was surprisingly good. each of our meals was prepared with the freshest of foods and was so very tasty. salads, soups, beef burger, trout burger, chicken tenders, sausage, bacon, eggs, everything was terrific.

all in all, we were VERY happy with the accommodations and meals.

I stayed here for three nights while I did a bunch of day hikes in Lassen Volcanic National Park.  It consists of a motel, a restaurant, and a small market/gift store.  I  had a little trouble finding the place because my GPS wanted to put it in an entirely different spot on Hwy 36 (and 15 miles away) so take care that you have good directions.  

First off, the lodge.  Check in was quick and pleasant.  My first impression upon getting to my room was:  brown, brown, brown.  Brown walls, brown carpet, brown furniture, brown linoleum, odd brown stains in the sink.  The carpet is new but nothing else is.  It looks like it was last remodeled 40 years ago when floor to ceiling paneling was all the rage.  There are few amenities.  No phone, no TV, no internet.  There was an ice bucket but no place to get ice that I could find.  There were a couple of bars of soap but no shampoo or conditioner.   There was no way to make tea or coffee.  No fridge.  No microwave.  The thermostat did not appear to work.  The room was good sized though and the bed was comfortable.  The place is generally clean and it is quiet at night and quite restful.  I felt safe here and felt like it was safe to leave my stuff here during the day.  The nearest gas is 30 miles away.  The general store sells food, beer, liquor, gift store stuff, and various things you might need (maps, flashlights, trail mix, shampoo).  It is an inexpensive place to stay though, and it is very convenient to the park.  Also, there is a ton of history here and that has to count for something.  There are some really interesting old photos scattered around the place.  The restaurant and store could open a bit earlier.  There is so much driving here it would be nice to be able to get on the road a tad quicker in the morning.  

Next the restaurant:  This place was a god-send, especially since there is pretty much nothing else for 30 miles.  The food was filling and tasty and inexpensive.  The staff was nice and the service was quick, even though everyone in the restaurant seemed to have some hand in watching one of the staff's adorable 14 month old daughter.  I had breakfast and dinner there all three days and never had a bad meal.  The garlic fries were especially good and were a nice side to the garden burger.   The salmon salad is just a piece of grilled salmon laid on top of mesclun with some tomatoes and onion slices but the Italian dressing tasted homemade and the salmon was nicely done.  The tomato-basil with ravioli soup special is really good and really filling.  Be sure and get it if it is the soup of the day.  They also have a good selection of local microbrews (Lost Coast, Mt. Shasta, Sierra Nevada, etc) and a small but good wine list (more than merlot and chardonnay).  There is a very nice patio to eat out if the weather is good.  The staff arefriendly and pretty efficient, even if they sometimes forget to bring condiments right away.  All in all it was a very pleasant place to eat after  hiking all day and they have good hearty breakfasts to prepare you for hiking.  
There is also a game room in the restaurant, with books and videos.  There is a bar that is open on Saturdays that I did not get to check out but from looking in the windows it appears well-stocked.  It's probably the most lively weekend thing to do for miles.  

If you are like me and don't camp but want to have a place to stay convenient to the National Park this would be a good option.  Just look past the retro-chic decor of the room and enjoy the comfortable bed, the cool air from the window, the excellent hot shower, and the hearty food and good company down at the restaurant.