Im sure locals are used to their small crowds at bars/restaurants but my family has had a cabin here for 50 years. Today I brought some friends to the Steam Donkey for a cocktail and to enjoy the ambiance- instead we got a rude bartender and the cold shoulder. I know business isn't busy during the winter. We love this area, but it didn't help to walk in, be judged and treated disrespectfully. We ordered drinks and got attitude. Remember- We are giving you business. I love this area, but unfortunately this bar and its rude service ruined my friends experience.
Review Source:We vacation at Pinecrest Lake every year but this year my son chose to get married at Pinecrest. Laurie Cashman from Pinecrest Lake Resort met with us and helped us figure out how many party boats needed to take the wedding party out on the lake as well as many other logistical details. We booked the wedding dinner for 25 at the Steam Donkey on the back deck. That's their maximum size group and they put out a tremendous meal for us! We chose salmon for the entree and it was served cooked perfectly with sides of asparagus & mashed potatoes. I know the chef & servers really worked hard to make it a magical occasion. We brought flowers & decorations, Laurie ordered the rental tables & chairs we wanted, and when we arrived it was all set up and gorgeous! Garrett was our waiter and he was amazingly attentive all night. The bartender served out the back window to the deck, our music played through the restaurant and Garrett served the wine on the deck all evening. Thank you all for a wonderful wedding reception!
Review Source:The hubby and I went up to our cabin in Cold Springs to get away for a few days. We went to Pinecrest to have some lunch and we came here. My stomach was acting up so I wanted something pretty light. To my disappointment their soup of the day was a jambalaya and that seemed a little heavy. Their lunch menu is very limited. It is basically burgers and that is it. I was not really wanting anything like that. I asked them if they could make me something simple like a grill cheese sandwich or something and they did without any issues which I thought was so nice, The waitress was genuinely concerned about my stomach and how I was feeling. The service was great. We were the only ones in the restaurant at the time but I can tell when a waitress is good at her job and she was. The food was really good. I do not normally like french fries that much but this place had awesome fries!!! They were not greasy at all. They were not too crunchy not too soft and had the perfect amount of salt on them. I ended up eating quite a few. I was feeling better after we ate. I think next time we eat here and my stomach is not bothering me I will be in the mood for a burger. The fact that their lunch menu seemed limited to me was clouded by my stomach bothering me which is why I am not deducting a star. the prices are good too. The place is small and friendly and the food is good.
Review Source:We went at 3PM and made reservations to sit outside at 5PM. We came back at 5PM and were told we could not sit outside and that we could sit by the window. We went to a seat by the window and were told we could not sit there. We started to leave and then were told we could sit outside. The service here is bad. We went to another restaurant down the road and were treated very well and sat outside.
Review Source:The wait wasn't too long and the food more than made up for it.
We we not in a any hurry and the only waiter on duty looked like he was going to tear his hair out. We told him straight off the bat that we knew what we wanted and there is no rush.
Our food  (salmon) was fantastic! Cooked just right and the rice was yummy too.
We don't drink but I could see how ordering a drink or two would make the time pass easier.
There are three reasons to drive to the Stanislaus Forest--fishing, snow skiing and a cocktail at the cozy Steam Donkey Bar.
This place serves up the best mixed drinks on the mountain. Rhonda, the weekend bartender, makes the most incredible margarita. If you get the Patrón Tequila, it will set you back $8, but it's worth it. It's only a few miles away from Dodge Ridge, so after a day of skiing--it's the perfect adult beverage.
It seems like a locals only kind of joint, so we got the half-cocked how'd-you-know-about-this-place-look from our fellow bar flies.
The burgers were good, served on a toasted Ciabatta roll with a mixed greens salad. There's a restaurant attached to the small bar serving everything from rack of lamb to burgers. If it's crowded, buckle up for a wait. There's one guy (the chef) with a four-burner stove. If you watch from the bar, you can see he's working his ass off.
If you need a few odds and ends, you can scoop them up at the mini-market next door.
My friends and I camped at Pinecrest and this year, we decided to keep the food planning easy and just eat at the restaurant on site. We looked on Yelp and saw that the wait times can be long, so we made a reservation.
When we arrived, we were immediately warned that the wait for our food could be long, because there was a big party ahead of us and the cook was cooking on a stove the size of your family stove... maybe even smaller.
To our nice surprise, the food came out relatively quickly (considering). Â Pretty amazing, I'd say... cuz we saw the cooking area and they weren' t kidding! Super small.
Our entrees came out nice and hot - and super tasty. I ordered the special of the day, which was rib eye steak with melted brie. Yummy yummy for my tummy! Â The prices were decent too, normal steakhouse prices. I thought it might be higher, since it's the only restaurant in the whole campsite. Â
Overall, nice service and great food. Can't get better than that!
PS. LOVE the name of the place!
This place would be perfect for a show like Diners Drive-Ins and Dives. It has this great quaint atmosphere with Christmas lights strung around the walls and a full bar to sit at if your not hungry, but the food is Amazing. Not at all what you would expect for being the only restaurant at Pinecrest lake. I told the Chef how amazing the food was when we were there a few weeks ago and he seemed genuinely thankful. One guy, just cooking away, one table at a time. The food took a while to get to us (that's why I gave only 4 stars), but it was WELL worth it.
Review Source:Have been coming to Pincerest since I was a wee lass, so we've always eaten here and it's always been very good, considering it's out in the boonies. Â So it made complete sense that we'd eat here our first night at the resort. Â We had 5 family members in our party, got seated pretty quick considering no reservations and a Saturday night. Â The service was ok, food not so good. Â My husband had to send his ribs back, they were so tough that he couldn't even chew them. Â He has NEVER, EVER sent anything back while dining out, he's not hard to please. Â The waitress handled the send-back, very well, even tho she was very slow and not so attentive, ie, our drink re-fills, forgot a couple of side things we'd ask for. Â All tho she spent a lot of time chatting with other staff. Â It was also not cool to watch the young couple that worked there kiss and fondle each other, which we ALL thought was extremely inappropriate. Â Their menu, has some great items on it, but we found it strange that there were no pasta dishes, or many veggie options - it's mainly all meat/poultry with a couple of fish items. Â We're all carnivores but seeing how they're out in boonies, we figured they'd have much more of an extensive menu - That's not a huge issue for me, just a little FYI tid-bit about our opinions.
The bar is cool in this place and you can tell this is the drinking spot for the locals, their patio out back is cool too. Â We'd probably eat here again when we return just because of the convenience factor alone, but would prefer to travel a mile up the highway to Strawberry Inn - better ambiance, way better selection and food is much tastier!
My wife and our very good friends had a great evening. We started off Kayaking at Pinecrest at 5:30, pulled over at the inlet and started with a couple bottles of wine. We had reservations for 7:30. Bellied up to the bar, great bartender, good cocktail. Moved over to our table to begin our cuisine of "donkey-chow". Wow, if you havent been to "Donk" you really need to make a point to go. The size of the kitchen is no bigger than your closet yet they turn over a 100 dinners a night. I had the Filet, just perfect, the potatoes were perfection. My wife and our friends had the Hailbut and since we just came off the lake "surf and turf" was in order. Service was good and the atmosphere at 6,000 feet is , well............After dinner, our friends (who is old "donkey-alumni" boosted that "the donkey still rules". He was right. We will be back, again and again......
Review Source:I used to work at a summer camp near Pinecrest and sometimes I'd go to the Steam Donkey when I had a night off. Well I went back the other day and it's still the same after all these years. They serve a big meal: bread, salad, potato, and whatever your entree is. You can go for the Donkey Burger, maybe a chicken sandwich, or get one of the steak or seafood options. The bar is always a good time and they have a nice patio in the back.
Review Source:Did not taste the food, but the bar was a lot of fun when our group showed up the other weekend. Â The Shot Ski was pretty cool...picture five shot glasses in little indents on a ski. Â Lift up the ski and tilt it, so five people take the shots at the same time. Â It's pretty awesome.
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