Raccoon Saloon

Stopped in here for a quick drink, so my 3 stars probably doesn't do this place justice.  The location was quite scenic... the dining tables overlooked some waterfalls but we had to sit at the bar.  The bartender and staff were extremely friendly and quite entertaining.  I'd have liked to have tried the food at this place because it looked pretty good.  Consider this a high 3 stars with an option to upgrade to 4 if I ever get to come back here and try the food.

I took a group of 12 year old kids on a hike on Bear Mountain on Saturday, and we chose Raccoon Saloon for a post hike dinner.  We changed our reservation twice before arriving at 6:30pm, but they didn't flinch, and seated us immediately.  I did feel a bit underdressed, as we were in our hiking gear, and the ambiance is definitely classier than that.  The dining room was pleasant, if a bit spare and we weren't near the windows, though we could see the lovely view as we walked in.  I am not sure if our waitress was new, or simply not very good, because she was extremely slow with everything from taking our order to bringing the bill.  It took them nearly 35 minutes to take our order, though to their credit, they did bring us nice fresh french bread and olive oil, which kept the hungry boys from eating one another, then it took another 20 minutes for them to bring the starters.  

The food was excellent however, and the portions very large.  I would recommend all but the hungriest diners to split their 12 oz burger or the side of fries.  We also had the satay starter and the caprese salad.  the chicken was tender and nicely grilled, and the tomatoes in the caprese salad were very fresh and flavorful.  The steak was especially good, a fine cut of meat perfectly cooked.

Unfortunately, I think we may not have made the best choice, as 12 year olds don't take long waits well, and it was difficult to keep them from fidgeting for the long wait.  It was a birthday, but we had to cancel our cake and dessert as it was nearly 9 o clock before they were ready to serve it.  Even getting the check took me three trips to the bar and asking every one from the bartender to the hostess before they finally brought it to us.  

I will definitely go back next time we are in the area, but maybe just with my wife.

Quite possibly the most memorable burger I've ever eaten. That was approximately five years ago. It was that amazing.

Very rarely can you savor the taste of the hamburger patty, but it was such flavorful meat. It was extremely succulent...yes, I'm still talking about a burger. Very juicy.

The name of the restaurant scared me, but I still remember it so it did its job. If we're ever in the area again, I would love to have another burger.