This review is for their signature Sunday Brunch buffet.
At $24.95 you might expect a lot and for the most part you will get it at the Sunday brunch buffet at the Paradise Inn. Â The setting is delightful, and the restaurant itself is airey, attractive, and reasonably cool even on a hot day.
Now this is not a Las Vegas type buffet, with a huge number of selections and food being cooked in small batches while you watch. Â It is really an old-fashioned version, where the food is laid out in three lines -- one for hot foods, one for cold, and one for desserts. Â The number of choices is limited -- for example there are no scrambled eggs, no pancakes, no waffles, etc. Â But what is there is better than average in taste and presentation. Â I particularly appreciated the whole poached salmon, presented covered with thinly-sliced cucumbers to look like scales.
Unfortunately, the lines can be long, and you have to go through separate lines for the hot and cold dishes. Â Allow 10 minutes at peak hours.
Hint: Â It will get crowded, in summer at least, and so you need to come when it opens at around 11:30 or wait until 1:00 or so.
If you are planning to eat at the main dining room, then be aware that it is not open all during the day. We were planning on lunch there and it was only open from noon to 2pm and then back open at 5:30 for dinner. So, make sure you get there at the proper time if you want to go there.
The food? It's a little above ok. It's mostly the location and atmosphere that makes you want to eat there.
We loved our stay at Paradise Inn. Â
The main public area is special in its architectural  design, has comfortable seating and is a great place to meet people from around the country, a place where Red and Blue state citizens can mingle and learn about one a another in a relaxed peaceful setting.
The rooms are very basic lodge style. Â The one we had held two twin beds a just enough space for small packs. Â The beds were comfortable with down comforters. Â The breakfast buffet was well worth $15 with fresh fruit, special pancakes and the regular items one expects. Â Dinner were very good.
Its access to spectacular trails is unparalleled.
We stayed in a two room suite. Nothing fancy but that was the most reasonably priced lodging we could find in the area for party of 4.
The room was heated with a tiny space heater which did keep the room warm (early September) but generated some noise at night. However, we were too exhausted from hiking so that didn't bother us
We found a little mouse running around in our suite. It ate some of our bread. We added that to the list of wild life we saw during our trip, very cute little mouse...
I stayed here before the recent big-money remodel, so I won't review the rooms (which are, I fervently hope, still charming and quaint).
But I will review the restaurant, since I have eaten there again recently. The food is fine, but you can't beat the atmosphere. Paradise is a classic lodge, having all the charm that Timberline sometimes seems to lack. The prices are high, but that's forgivable, considering the venue and the cost of trucking in food that far.
Our waiter was the most friendly person we met on Mt. Rainier, and gave us far better hiking advice than the National Park Staff (he told us about Snow Lake, which turned out to be the highlight of our trip).
Location, location, location. It's gorgeous and perfect. No matter what direction you're looking, Rainier National Park has something amazing to offer.
Staffing is very inconsistent. Most everyone we dealt with was wonderful...super friendly and informative, with great tips and always happy to help. However, we did have a few staff interactions that were less than ideal. Grumpy, unhelpful, curt. Â Oh well.
The lobby is grand and a great atmosphere. So many different folks curled up on the comfy chairs/couches reading and writing, playing cards, enjoying the fireplace and the piano. Â Ranger talks take place a few times each day. Â And so many great trails start from right outside the front door.
The rooms are smaller and older (it's HISTORIC, folks. You're not coming here for a 5-star spa retreat, or to spend time in your room. You're coming here for the amazing location. I actually kinda loved that there was no television and no phones), but they're clean and the mattresses and down comforters are new and SUPER comfortable. Yes, some paint is peeling in the corners, and there was an unsettling warning about mice encouraging us to fully air-tight store all food. Â But it's all part of the experience. Â
The main dining room food is kind of expensive and kind of uninspired, but it was warm and decent. Again, location, location, location. The early breakfast buffet was pretty basic, but it was perfectly edible. And the waiters were very nice, but seemed critically understaffed. Our waiter had 9 or 10 tables. This meant that our orange juice and waters didn't show up until more than 20 minutes had passed, and no coffee refills offered until we'd finished eating. Still, he was very nice and it was obvious he was slammed with too many people.
And again, dang but it's GORGEOUS up here. Â Great location and comfortable mattresses. Â That's all one really needs.
Don't get me wrong, I like this hotel in general, but our dining experience last night (9/24/2011) was awful. We were hiking all day and at the end when we got hungry decided to go and dine in Paradise Inn. First, our waiter was not pleasant, and actually somewhat rude. When my wife had a dirty fork (that she has not yet used) not one said "sorry about that".
The food was dull. We returned more that 50% of our dishes back. The pasta was dull - a mix of overcooked pasta, veggies and spices that absolutely don't match. What pissed me off the most is that no one cared that we did not like the food and the experience. End of the days, we were almost as hungry as when we first came.
This is definitely an overpriced restaurant for the type of service they offer. I don't know if the owners just want to save money by not hiring quality staff. It was clear to me that anyone with some sense of what good food should taste like would have never gone back for dining experience.
The hotel itself is very nice looking place and we enjoy spending our time there, but this has nothing to do with the quality of experience which is created by the owners that hire staff. If you (the owners) guys care you should look into who your cooks are and make sure that everynight there is a chef that knows what good food should taste like and how to manage staff so that they create a pleasant experience. In case you need more details please drop me a note at <a href="mailto:internetuser2012@gmail.com">internetuser2012@gmail.c…</a>.
P.S. I just read comments from Yokie b. (scroll down) and they did mention about a sub-par treatment they received. We came to the states from oversees and have an accent and they did actually ask us where we are from. I do not know if the fact that we are not local had anything to do with a sub-par dining experience, but after reading Yokie b. comments I started to wonder. In any case, it is unacceptable and the owners should start paying very close attention to what is going on in their hotel.
This is a review of the lunch time food at the Paradise Inn at Mt. Rainier National Park.
The food is quite expensive for what you get, and what you get is not cooked well, and not special.
In my party, we had the Bison Burger, which comes with fries, and the Salad with Salmon. Â There were about $14 each, plus tax, and plus tip.
The waitress was attentive, pleasant, and prompt. Â She kept our water glasses full, too.
The Bison burger was nothing special, on a standard bun, with lettuce, an onion, and a tomato. Â The waitress left bottles of Katsup and Mustard on the table - plain vanilaa stuff. Â It was a good $3.00 burger. Â The fries were way over done, greasy, with crunchy bits of fried stuff still attached. Â Avoid this selection.
The Salad with Salmon was your basic pile of lettuce, with two small pieces of salmon on it. Â These pieces were each about an ounce in weight. Â So, not much salmon at all.
So, I'll go to Paradise Inn again, but I'll bring my own lunch. Â For the $30 spent for these two crummy lunches, we could have brought with us some extremely fine stuff from a deli, plus a couple bottles of beer. Â We'll do that next time. Â
Paradise Inn is a wonderful place, but don't go there for the food. Â Plan ahead and have a much better experience with better food, by bringing your own food and eating in the huge high-ceilinged lodge area. Â It's free to sit there - actually paid for by your tax dollars - and the view is the same as in the dining room.
Stayed 2 nights during the best weekend of the summer at Paradise.  The snowmelt was late this year so Mid-September was the time to go.  The meadows were at their peak.  Views are amazing and it was great to be able to stay at Paradise so I can see the meadows in the morning and at night without the throngs of crowds.  Parking and traffic during the middle of the day  can give people a poor impression of one of the most amazing views one earth.  I got up both mornings and took pictures of deer in the meadows with a background of the mountain during the first morning light.  Nobody else around.
The hotel itself is what you would picture for a building that is almost 100 years old in a National Park. Â The rooms aren't anything special but were spacious enough. Â The coolest part was that none of the rooms have TV's so everyone hung out in the big lodge room. Â A piano player played for 3 hours every night and everyone just slouched on the couches and veged after a long day of hiking. Â A lot of older tourists but there were some families, younger hikers and a few spouses of climbers. Â It would be nicer if there was a bigger porch or deck.
Our dinners were really good but I saw other plates that didn't look so special. Â I had crab macaroni and cheese and Meg had a really good prime rib both nights. Â Lunch was not so good. Â We had prime rib sandwiches which was really just lunch meat on a squished up small hoagie roll from Safeway. Â
Best part of the weekend was the hikes with the Skyline loop trail being the one we would recommend. Nice to be on the same trail as the climbers for part of it. Â We were glad we did it early in the morning before it got hot. Â Not many trees for shade up here. Staying at Paradise makes it easy to get on the trail early.
During our day trip to Mt. Rainier, we had lunch at Paradise Inn. Great service and great views. But now on to the food.
I got the bison burger while my mom got the fish and chips. Because we'd gotten used to it during our trip, we got a side of clam chowder to share.
The bison burger was a bit too well done for my taste but the fish and chips were tasty. The clam chowder was also pretty good -- not too creamy or heavy.
If you're up at Paradise, I do still suggest coming here for lunch even though the food's only a-ok. Why? Because there's nothing like being able to sit down and eat some warm food when you've been walking around in a jacket and boots!
Review of the dining room only-40 minute wait which was really a 60 min wait. Â Rolls & butter were good, waiter took our order promptly & the food came out quickly...We had
the crab cakes- which were good
The prime rib which was tasty, but nothing special
The veggies I think were frozen not fresh-no flavor & the mashed potatoes which were yummy- but mashed potatoes are always yummy
My complains are no one came back to refill our water or sodas & when we asked to get our leftovers to go, they came back with a box for my husband's food & then the waiter picked up my plate & disappeared.  When I found the busboy & asked about  my leftovers, he came back & said the waiter had thrown it away.  I was a bit shocked as hubby had less left on his plate than I did...oh well.  Next time we are in the area...we'll try somewhere else for dinner at a lower elevation.
This is a beautiful lodge atop Paradise. This place is hustling and bustling compared to the National Park Inn at Longmire. But it makes sense. Tons of amazing trails here. The lodge though is huge, comfortable, spacious with a great dining area. I was pleasantly surprised at the great quality of the meals here. Delicious actually. Then the trails are numerous. I had only limited time here but did the Skyline Trail. Moderately strenuous but worth the energy for the scenic views. The Paradise Inn is appropriately named. This might be one of my favorite lodges in any national park.
Review Source:If you can, you should really stay at the Lodge. Â We were there early July 2011, ten feet of snow on the ground, Mt. Rainier kept peeking in and out of the clouds. Â We had plenty of time to lounge around and time our hike so we were out on the Alta Vista Trail when the clouds broke and got fantastic views of Mt. Rainier.
The room was what I expected, small, fake wood panelling, suspended acoustic tile ceiling, one faded picture on the wall. Â Our room had a bathroom (not all of them do), it was teeny, old fixtures, peeling paint. Â The view from our window was absolutely stunning. Â The lock broke part of the way through our stay. Â Worth every penny. Â
No TV or internet, so we hung out in the "lobby" which was pretty amazing itself. Â Authentic lodge decor, because it is an authentic lodge! Â Interesting people around. Â Several climbers. Â Unique experience to sit and chat with new people instead of sitting in the room watching TV.
We ate dinner at the cafe. Â A little overpriced, but the view was great! Â My sandwich was pre-wrapped, but actually pretty fresh. Â My husband had the chili which was a little tomato-y, but still OK.
We had the buffet breakfast in the dining room, which was good, but again overpriced. Â The service was good. Â It seems like a lot of the staff is seasonal, and may be a little inexperienced, but they all worked hard to give good service.
Come for the mountain and the views, stay for the Paradise Iced Tea.
No, really. I could have drank this stuff by the gallon. Our cute waiter said it was "infused with Caribbean fruit," and boy was he right.
The food itself was pretty tasty too, and I loved how many dishes had organic/Northwest ingredients (at least on the lunch menu, didn't get a chance to sample other meals). Â A little pricey, but given what a pain it must be to haul supplies up there, I understand.
This is the best restaurant nat Mt. Rainier, irrespective of whether you consider that park alone, or include Ashford. A great majestic room. A lovely, New American menu, with sufficient fish/veggie choices. Fabulous atmosphere, incredible pianist in the lobby (no you can't hear it during dinner), just a sweet place. We had excellent service at both meals. But, as in any Park place, the help is seasonal and much of it is foreign college students, so your mileage may vary. The only runner-up is Alexander's in Ashford, but their menu is much smaller and you may not find what you need. And of course they do not have this grand room. We did not stay at Paradise Inn, since we knew the rooms are tiny and antiquated, so no comment on those. The food at the National Park Inn (Longmire) is similar, but the dining room is nothing special and the menu is much shorter, so you may be unhappy if you have some food limitations.
Review Source:The rustic nature of the inn and lodge is cool and I got a kick out of the man playing the piano that matched the decor in the lobby. Paradise Inn was the lunch stop on the Gray Line Seattle Mt. Rainier tour. I decided to have brunch in their main dining area since I didn't really know what I wanted. The food was okay. Nothing stellar, but the service was excellent. My waitress had a huge smile on her face every time she came to the table and was very friendly. The view of the summit from the lodge parking lot is amazing and it's the trailhead for hikers braving their way up to Muir Base Camp and on up, so you can talk to the hikers who have just come down if you're interested in another perspective of the mountain. Overall, it's a pretty interesting place to visit.
Review Source:Just returned from a 3-night stay at the Paradise Inn and loved every moment of it. I have nothing bad to say about it. The rooms are fairly basic, but very adequate. I thought the beds were quite comfy. This is a national park, so I wasn't expecting the Four Seasons. The views are spectacular! When Mount Rainier came out to visit, we could see it from our room. We had a wonderful stay here. I loved the lobby with the big fireplaces and wood beams. The restaurant was also fairly good, again, this is a national park...but the homemade soups were delicious and the salads were too! I think my only complaint would be with the little cafe that serves the more fast food items within the hotel....the coffee cups were really tiny, so you had to traipse back and forth a  lot for refills, and they didn't seem to have enough help most of the time. It was  one girl trying to do everything at once. I wouldn't recommend their bakery items either. Other than that (which is a small price to pay), the whole place was spectacular!
Review Source:We had lunch or dinner at the Paradise Inn when we visited Mt Rainier a few years back. I honestly don't remember the food, but that's not really why you go here anyways. Here's what I remember:
-- Twisty and turny road. DRIVE SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY and before dark if you can. There's a huge parking lot once you get there.
-- Great service. Our waiter was funny and attentive and we also got a free glass of wine. The food is traditional American, mostly what you'd expect in a mountain lodge.
-- Views that cannot be beat. You're on the top of a mountain!! Check out the pics other Yelpers posted. We hiked in a different area earlier in the day, but looks like you can set out from the hotel as well.
-- Neat old rustic but renovated building. Decent gift shop. I'd consider actually staying at the hotel if we ever make it back to Mt Rainier.
Paradise Inn is highly recommended and worth the (scary but scenic) drive!
If you could imagine the near perfect lodging accommodations and be able to look out to spectacular panoramic views of the mountains, I would venture to guess the historic Paradise Inn guest lodge would come pretty darn close!
The inn sits in the shadow of majestic Mount Rainier and is surrounded by mountain meadows and hillsides lush with wildflowers. Â There are miles of hiking trails literally within yards of the lodge, with stunning views of glaciers, waterfalls and adjacent mountain ranges. In fact, this is where most people begin their ascent up to the Mount Rainier.
There are large windows throughout the dining rooms, which allows you to see picturesque views of the surrounding mountains. They serve a variety of traditional American dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There is also a huge fireplace that is lit in the evenings to warm the lounge as temperatures drop and to enhance the mood and dining experience.
The inn is named after Paradise, the area on the mountain it is located. Â The Henry Jackson Visitor Center and the Paradise Guide House are also at this location. Â
There is an authentic Native American arts and crafts at the gift shop. I was pleased to find DVDs of the Mount Rainier National Forest and other souvenirs that my father enjoyed getting.
The Tataoosh Cafe also offers a variety of dishes. This is where most people have lunch. I had the ham and turkey sandwich and was not impressed. Everything was cold and hard. And there was way too much bread and not enough meat. They do, however, use mostly organic ingredients and serve both hot and cold dishes. My parents were with us and I wish their senior citizen discount was more than a mere $2.00.
But my experience here, however, is not about the food. (For a change.) It may be important to some but I'll give them a pass considering all the other amenities offered here. Incredible accommodations, centrally located with stunning views and the luxury of outdoor dining.
I have to doubt it gets any better than this!
Last weekend we staid in the Paradise Inn. You have to keep in mind that this is a rustic historic lodge and not a Hilton spa resort. For a national park lodge it is great. My favorite lodge though is still the lodge at Oregon Caves. I have been to Mount Rainier many times growing up and this past weekend I found out about 2 very cool things that I hadn't known about prior. First, the Shadows Of the Past walking tour. Second, the Sunday Brunch at Paradise Inn. The Shadows of the Past Walking tour this year is being offered 4 weekend of the year for the first time. In the past it has only been done 1 weekend each year in August. It leaves from the National Park inn at Longmire. It is a 90min walking tour that starts between 8:30-9:30pm. It is a ranger led walk by lantern through the forest and volunteers dressed up in period dress represent historical figures from Mt. Rainier's past and come and speak to you. It was incredible! Second, the brunch was AMAZING. I will drive back up one Sunday morning just for the brunch. The food was great and they had the BEST chocolate dipped strawberries ever. Chocolate Strawberries are a weakness for me. It is only offered between June 13 -September 26, 2010. Between the hours of 11 am - 2pm. Very worth the drive. One bonus for staying at the inn is that you get special parking spaces which is very useful as the parking spaces at paradise are limited and definitely goes into overflow by 9:00am on the weekends.
Review Source:Gorgeous setting is what you're getting when dining here but don't expect the food to match the scenery. Â Very mediocre cuisine and our wait person was a bit too 'green' for the setting. Â I had my heart set on the prime rib but when the waiter took our order he told me 'sorry not available tonight' Â Just HATE that when waiters don't tell you ahead of time what is not available on the menu when they first seat you...bad start. Â So my husband got the trout and it was OK - nothing to write home about (bland); my daughter loved her grilled cheese and tomato soup (you can't ruin that) and I had the WORST roast pork loin in my life...it was so over cooked, dry and tasteless it sat in my stomach like a rock for the next four hours...the waiter tried to help by saying he'd bring me more gravy but that doesn't correct a horribly prepared meat. Â The veggies and mashed potatoes were decent but skip the pork on the menu (and it was their 'special' for the night). Â The manager as very gracious and apologized for the pork and provided our dessert free which is always gracious of a well run restaurant - but definitely the food here is a disappointment.....scenery priceless and the lodge very historical but the meal is a disappointment.
Review Source:I was a little apprehensive about staying at the Paradise Inn after reading some of the reviews. I have to say - take a chance, it is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.
We stayed in a room in the main building. It was two twin beds, a sink, and a small closet. The room was very basic, but I wasn't there to stay in my room. The shared toilets and showers were clean and always available when needed.
The lobby of the inn is fabulous. There are alot of couches and chairs with a great view of the mountains and a roaring fireplace. The staff was friendly and helpful. We ate dinner and breakfast in the main dining room - the food was good, but the service was a little slow. There is no cell phone coverage in the area, no computer/internet access, no TVs, and no telephones in the rooms. Being completely disconnected while you enjoy the grandeur of Mt. Rainier is one of the best things about Paradise.
To be honest, you shouldn't be at the Paradise Inn if you are looking to be pampered. The draw of this place is the location, not the amenities. To look out the window and see Mt. Rainier right there is breathtaking. You can walk over to the visitors center to see the displays, go on a ranger-led walk, or shop/eat. We were there in June, so there was still significant snow on the ground. Even so, we enjoyed Paradise and made the short trip back down to the lower elevation to do some hiking. I would love to return later in the summer to see what Paradise is like without 7 feet of snow covering the grounds.
Bottom line: To enjoy the best of Mt. Rainier, don't hesitate to stay at Paradise Inn.
We were expecting a pretty bad dining experience up here at Mount Rainier, but all three of the places we ate were good, including the NP flagship restaurant. We ate lunch here after a snowy climb up the mountain. The place was not busy and was very adequately staffed. Not only were there plenty of people to take care of us, the two we interacted with were quite friendly.
We ordered a smoked salmon caesar which had more salmon on it than I've ever expected. So much salmon, in fact, we didnt' need any dressing. Â It was very flavorful and fresh (the parm is that fact hard pieces of shredded parm and the croutons are from a box) but the salad was a good solid meal. Â Our buffalo burger was a surprising success. We'd read that the buffalo burgers were mediocre but this was not our experience. The juices were literally running out of the burger and we didn't need to dress it with ketchup or mustard, instead eating it straight up with lettuce, tomato and pickle. It was flavorful and tasty. The battered fried french fries were inedible, but we didnt' need them given the salad and burger.
We also ordered a moose drool beer here. The views were of the sides of Mt Rainier which added to the ambience. We didn't feel rushed and enjoyed our lunch while gazing at the spectacular views.
This place is rustic-no phones, tvs, or anything close to that, and that's how it should be. They had to renovate the hotel because of storm damage so it's extremely clean. It kind of felt like camp when we stayed there.
The day we got there, it was so foggy it looked like a scary movie, but when we woke up the next morning- OH MY GOD! This place is heaven on earth. Mt. Rainier is so amazing and beautiful. We had a super clear day and hiked until our legs felt like jello. I love it here.
This hotel is a must stay if you plan on having amazing views of Mt. Rainier, seeing deer right outside your window, and hiking in one of the prettiest places on earth- Paradise!
Oh yeah-the food is good too! Buffalo meatloaf, mashed potatoes, yum!
Great place to start or end your day of hiking in the Paradise area. Â Especially if it's your first visit, you can't really come to Mt. Rainier without making a stop at Paradise!
We decided to check out the Sunday brunch this summer, served 11am-2pm on Sundays (the 2009 dates are June 14 -September 27, 2009). Â They do not take reservations, just first come/first served. Â We went up during one of the no-fee weekends, when it is free to enter National Parks nation-wide, and given that it was also a beautiful day we figured it would be busy. Â We must have beat the tour bus crowds, because we were the first people in line at about 10:40am and were seated right by the north window when the dining room opened at 11am. Â Although there was a decent line by the time it opened, there were always some tables open for late comers.
Brunch was pretty tasty - I especially recommend the waffles and the bacon! Â There was a huge variety of other goodies, including salmon lox, a couple different salads, fresh fruit/veggies, potatoes, prime rib, scrambled eggs, bread pudding... the list goes on. Â A dessert table had all kinds of yummy cookies and tarts along with an amazing blueberry crumble. Â All of this is just $21.95, which is really a great deal!
But the best part of stopping in at Paradise isn't just that you can get a heaping plate of food to start (or end) your day of hiking - Paradise has all the amenities and history to make this not only a convenient stop-in but really a special place in its own right, nestled right in the side of Rainier. Â My 92-year-old grandmother was a waitress here back in the 1930s and remembers a big piano where they used to sing along and dance in the old lodge: that same piano is still the centerpiece of the great room, and a nice guy was playing it on Sunday afternoon. Â It is pretty cool to be able to share that memory across generations. Â Paradise Inn is also where my parents came for their honeymoon nearly 30 years ago, and I'm sure countless other Northwest families have similar histories here. Â Not to be missed if you are looking at spending a day playing at the mountain!
Review for the dining room only.
A couple weeks ago I did a day trip with some lady friends of mine up to Paradise. Â We planned on having lunch here before checking out the area. Â
Lucky for us we were seated right away at a nice table for four, unfortunately it was next to a table with two little girls who did not want to be there and kept running around. Â Anyways moving on, two of us had the grilled chicken breast and ham sandwich, someone else had the buffalo burger and another person had the steak sandwich. Â Our food was very fresh and tasty I didn't expect much considering where we were but everything was great. Â The baguette was toasty and crispy but not tough and chewy like you can get sometimes and the olive tapenade on my chicken sandwich added a delicious twist to an ordinary sounding sandwich. Â Everyone else loved their food and all plates were cleaned I believe only a few fries were left by the time lunch was over. Â
The service was prompt, friendly and extremely attractive and our glasses never went empty. Â I think I finally found where all the manly men in Washington are they are working at Mt. Rainier seriously it was manly man eye candy heaven for me. Â
Back to the review, it's a nice place to stop in and grab a bite to eat at while up visiting Paradise, next time you're up there check it out and say hi to the manly man eye candy for me. Â kthx.
I'm not sure why the inn is listed as being in Ashford, but I'll set the record straight... Paradise Inn is located inside the National Park boundaries, about 22 east of Ashford.
The drive to the inn was not as treacherous as I thought it would be. It's primarily covered by trees and well-maintained. There are a few hairpin turns, but they aren't at the edge of a cliff. The one thing I would be mindful of is your speed as you ascend and descend from Paradise. Most of the turns are blind and we did, unfortunately, encounter an accident on the drive in. A motorcyclist was either hit or lost control on one of the curves. Be careful folks and mind your speed.
At the time of the visit, Paradise Inn was reopening after a 2-year renovation (primarily to retrofit the main lodge and dining rooms). The rooms are definitely country -- floral burgundy bedspreads, wooden furniture, and woven chairs. Oh yes, no TV. And not much wiggle room either, the room I booked for $150/night had just enough for two people. I understand you can get a cheaper room without a restroom. If that's the case, you're essentially renting a dorm room that your great aunt Kate decorated.
The main dining room is open during specified meal times for breakfast, lunch and dinner. (There's a cafe in the main building where you can get coffee, beer, sandwiches and breakfast-type items throughout the day.) Both the dining room and the cafe are definitely on the pricey side, for being on the edge of a volcano, that is. I had the farmer's market salad with Tillamook cheese and a vinaigrette for about $11 and my bf ordered the buffalo meatloaf with Jack Daniels sauce for about $20. Both dishes were surprisingly good, though the meatloaf was a tad under-seasoned. I was half hoping everything would taste the way it did at summer camp.
After dinner we poked around in the gift shop. A good place to stop if you need t-shirts with animal faces printed on the front. Reproductions of WPA era National Park prints. Or a single pack of condoms.
Another service provided by the Inn is the post. Someone from the front desk will staff a tiny window for all your postal needs. There's also a gigantic wood-carved mailbox with a "Mail Bear" if you prefer not to deal with a real-life person, which is what I did to mail back my Netflix envelope.
Note: There is a good deal of construction still taking place around the inn. The Jackson Visitor Center down the road will be imploded next year and the new visitor center is still being completed. Don't be surprised by the sounds of hammers and tractors backing up at 7AM. It's not exactly the delightful singing of birdies in the pine trees, but it'll still get you up.
I stayed here recently with some relatives. Â They have an amazing selection of rooms, each one with its own charm. Â Decor is rustic and minimal but that's what people go there for. Â I ate breakfast here and it was on par with some of the best restaurants in my home town. Â Spendy, but well worth it.
Review Source:I haven't stayed the night here, but I've eaten in the Dining Room and looked around the place and I love it. This would not be the "budget" way to do Mt. Rainier but it would be a great occasion. The food in the dining room is very good and I did try their famous bourbon buffalo meatloaf because you see it featured everywhere and it was pretty good. It's standard American fare bordering on gourmet but not quite. The lodge itself is stunning. Cedar logs everywhere, spectacular views, great fireplace in the dining room. If you're spending a day at Mt. Rainier stop by the Inn just to check it out. Great photo opps outside with the mountain as a backdrop.
Review Source:
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