Cougar Bar & Grill

Best bar in Cougar!! Great vibes every time I've been here. Staff is great and food is quality. Great beer selection as well. Don't stop at the lone fir lol. This is THE SPOT.

Came here starving after exploring the Ape Cave. Unassuming decor on the outside (are they even open?), sit anywhere you like on the inside. Friendly service, rustic decor with lots of pics of Mt St Helens blowing her top, and the food was WONDERFUL! Wow, not at all what I expected. I got the Chipotle Steakhouse Sandwich with fries (and it turns out the fries are like CURLY steak fries, yum!), grandkid got the Cougar Cheese Steak, and we both munched on some of the best Cheese Curds (cheese poppers) we ever had. The dipping sauce our waitress suggested was super good. Wound up bringing a lot of it home with us. Nice, generous portions of food. I will definitely come here again! Pics of the latest menu are included.

Got here at 7:25 foods closed already and was told I could get one drink. People sitting inside eating and a whole group outside smoking. Had high hopes as I came 45 minutes to get here and heard good reviews. Can't say I'll come back. I would recommend staying open till about advertised time. Just wanted a beer and appetizers.

Love this place. We went yesterday and they only had one cook working so it took a bit longer BUT I appreciate the quality of food he put out was still there. You'd have no idea it was just one person back there! Great service too.

We stopped in after our hike to grab a bite to eat. The waitress was super friendly & attentive. The restaurant was clean & cozy feeling. The food was hot & delicious. We really enjoyed everything we had, especially the homemade soup :)

It's a little place with warm service and excellent burgers. It was a pleasant discovery for all four of us and, keeping in mind the price value ratio, we'd go there again for sure, either for couple beers or for the burgers :)

Came to enjoy the dinner special. Smoked brisket, smoked bacon Mac and cheese and smoked peach cobbler for dessert. Food was fantastic and surpassed expectation! Waitstaff and bar staff were fantastic! It was only the waitresses second day and the bar staff sarah was amazing assisting her, running food and managing the bar. Experience was top notch. Can’t wait to see what the next amazing special is! Worth the drive and we got to visit friends in the area while we were at it.

Quite possibly my favorite restaurant in southwest Washington. Definitely in my top three. They have the best fish and chips I have ever had. Their burgers are very good and their fries are more like a mix of jo-jo’s and fries and they’re delicious. Every time I’ve come here it’s been an incredible experience. The food is so good, Service is awesome, the owner is super cool, and the prices are fair for an out of town restaurant. I will continue to frequent this place when I’m in the area.

When you're absolutely exhausted from hiking, this is a great stop for a cold beer and a thick burger. It's a small town and it might be short staffed at time, but that's life. The wait is worth it. Relax and enjoy.

This is a better than average pub style place. Service is slow but friendly and the food is better than you would expect. It's a local place with the tourists coming through. The challenge with this place is the political and anger based apparel. Lots of fjb. Lots of let's go Brandon. People have their right to do what they want but I wouldn't bring kids in here to see this kind of vulgarity and if you want our world to be less divided and more supportive you might want to consider another alternative.

All the food is good there, but the fish and chips are superb! Service is great, and a really fun atmosphere!

The service was a little slow but that may have been because there was only one server and I only saw one girl in the kitchen kicking butt. My burger was excellent and the fries were non traditional and tasty.

We stumbled upon this place after we determined that a picnic in the smoky air was not going to happen. Service was good. Very kind and funny ladies. Food was typical bar food but that chicken fried steak burger was something else. Chili was so-so and we were a little thrown off by the salad we ordered in what appeared to be a metal dog bowl. I'd say though, If you can wait the 30 min drive to woodland to grab some food - do it.

I've eaten here more than a few times, always good. I recommend the Elk burger

Came in on a weekend, could sit anywhere we wanted. Place was pretty busy but service was on point! We ordered the clam chowder and it was so good! Chunks of everything on it and we were told it's all made in house. My husband ordered a French dip and I ordered an elk burger and I must say....that is the best burger I have had in a long time! Fries were fresh as well. Overall this was a great experience! I would come back to this small town just to eat here again.

Stopped in for lunch while on a scenic drive in the area. Since it was a nice sunny day, we opted to sit on the outdoor patio. The patio has plenty of shade available and nice wrought-iron tables and chairs. Their menu is pretty big with a variety of options. We ended up ordering the Cougar cheese steak with tator tots and the Halibut basket with tator tots. Both were satisfying. The Halibut was cooked perfectly, nice and flaky. The tots were good too...not greasy at all. The cheese steak had a nice ratio of meat and veggies. They have a decent sized gravel parking lot. Service was friendly and attentive. Bathrooms were clean. Would definitely recommend.

Stopped by tonight and no one was home. Restaurant was closed today. Very sad we were unable to eat here tonight.

They have good greasy bar food. Burgers are tasty, onion rings are great. The no longer have any beer on tap, just bottles. Service can be hit or miss. They take pride in their right wing politics. It's a good place to watch people make out with their cousins.

Great food, large welcoming sign and excellent bathroom facilities. One of a kind place where you can hang out with like-minded people.

Great food and friendly staff & cold beer! We love this place & will definitely be back! Perk being in a awesome location! Keep up the good work!

The cougar bar and grill is a no frills bar with a decent menu and beer selection - a note they have nothing on tap (beer wise). The decor is a combination of Logger and Hunter with a giant suit of armor in the corner to make everyone a bit confused. The staff was very friendly! The restaurant is pretty small and the kitchen was slammed where we arrived. We ended up waiting almost 45 minutes for our food, but it wasn't too big of a deal - the servers did their best to keep people posted about food and were very apologetic. The food was pretty good, I ordered a cheeseburger with fries. The fries were fantastic and served hot. The burger was greasy and was not that flavorful, but it did the job of filling me up - I couldn't finish the serving size.

My PIC (sister) and I rolled up here after conquering the nearby Upper Ape Cave of the famed Ape Caves. We were greeted immediately, which was a blessing. The hostess / server advised us a moment or two to clean and disinfect the recently vacated booth. We posted up, and perused the menu. The decor is a log cabin / country feel to it. The TVs had a sign "no professional / college sports games or teams will be played", along with a no Wi-Fi advisory. Guess all y'all will haveta to talk with each other. Our beers were ice cold, and fast to the table by our server that wasn't the hostess. My sister ordered the BigFoot Burger which "forced" my hand into The Eruption. BigFoot was an open faced burger with 2 patties, chili cheese fries, nacho cheese and topped with onions. The Eruption was GINORMOUS!! It's a chicken fried steak base with about 2 pounds of mashed potatoes covered with delicious country gravy, cheddar cheese and bacon pieces covered as it was the open side of Mt. St. Helens. My sister gave up 50% of hers in favor of more room for beer. I made a honest dent into The Eruption (see photos) Great place with flare, and good small town feel.

I have never felt so insulted in my life and we have been all over the globe. I'd give it zero stars if I were allowed. This place brings a nasty name to such a beautiful area. It is obviously an establishment who cater to only the people they know- which is fine but the bartender/owner was so disrespectful and disappointing. She had no people skills. I mean zero. I walk in and people are cussing at each other. It's okay to curse to some folks but while patrons are walking in the door? I'm talking about the workers there, not the patrons. Wow. The people got pissed because we didn't order food it seemed like. We had two beers. We are from the South. They felt the urge to show us something on television about inbred WV people. We couldn't even speak. We were so floored. It was time to go. We have fallen in love with this state, but not this particular bar/grill. The food is super overpriced. I have never had anyone push yesterday's "two plates left" leftovers ever in my LIFE. Portland is cheaper and I'd usually never say that. Nobody would even come here if there were more options because the people skills of the owners and workers blow. We got told if the patrons don't like anything they can "fuck off and go on wherever they came from." Awesome. Duly noted ma'am. I'd rather eat a can of cold ravioli's with no fork.

This was the worst place to order a salad! They server it in a dog bowl. They just throw some salad in the bowl put1 slice tomato a pinch of cheese and 1 small chicken strip in the dog dish for 10.95 it was the most awful salad I have ever had and to top it off the service was rude and they are very very slow and lazy! I will never go back here again.

Nope. Food was gross. The flies inside didn't help. Went across the street to the Lone Fir. Way better.

We took a drive to check out the area and get out of our home! We picked Cougar Bar and Grill after good YELP reviews. Thanks! We planned on halibut fish and chips but they don't have it like the website showed. Oh well, the food was excellent and huge! They even delivered it to my truck! Skipped dinner as the lunch was huge. I enjoyed ever bite. I'm glad we went there! My wife's club sandwich had three pieces of bread that with all the goodies was hard to eat due to height. Not a problem! My burger was 1/3 lb with onion rings, cheese, bacon and a load of ham! Both with good ample amount of fries. Fun, fun! Try it. The inside is full of animal mounts to view and the AC works great!

After hiking Mt St Helen's, my friends and I were in search of the closest food place from the trail head, and The Cougar Bar & Grill was the first place we spotted and turned in to. I had no service so I couldn't search for nearby food places, but this place turned out to be decent! for a bunch of hungry hikers, we were pretty much open to eating anywhere lol. All of us ordered burgers! - one had jalapenos on it - mine was mushroom swiss - chicken sandwich - tater tots There was 6 of us, and we were seated right away. It was Saturday afternoon around 5:30 when we walked in. No complaints about the service. Food was good too.

Great little spot for a burger after hiking in the area! Friendly staff, quick service, awesome decor, and the best signage in the state. Definitely had a much better experience than the 3.5 stars reflected on the page.

Stopped in for a bite to eat. Menu was interesting basically overpriced fried food - a sign on the wall basically said excuse us for the menu the prices aren't correct, Can't find employees yada yada...the halibut sandwich said market price - when I asked how much it was she said they don't have halibut...While waiting for our food we were being bombarded by fly's (gross)! We told the server we were moving outside because of the fly's - it was a nice sunny day we put the umbrella up so we could have a conversation without having the sun blinding us...the sever came out immediately and told us the umbrella needs to go down because of the wind...we chuckled and said there is no wind...she told us "I just work here" "it's the owners rules" and she put the umbrella down and walked back inside...(not our proudest moment) we decided to leave before our food arrived ! Not going to sit inside and try to eat with a dozen flies and can't sit outside with sun glaring on us! Sorry but if you can't open the umbrellas take them off the table and keep the doors closed to reduce the number of flies!

We had lunch here a few hours ago & both my gf and I really enjoyed our food. I'll get my one small complaint out of the way first. I ordered a coffee at around 3pm which is usually a no-no pretty much anywhere. It's easy to tell it was nowhere near fresh! Anyhow, my Club Sandwich and tots were excellent! My girlfriend really enjoyed her Jr Burger and tots....she ate most of my tots too when she didn't think I was looking. The server was very pleasant and the prices were reasonable. Very clean restrooms!

We stopped in here after rolling around with the bats in Ape Cave, which believe it or not guys can really work up an appetite! We were drawn by the promise of warm beer and terrble service advertised on their sign out front, i mean, who wouldn`t take them up on promises like that!? The bar has a collection of wildlife on the walls that watch over you as you eat and ensure you tip your server accordingly. I preferred the hilarious signs on the walls to the stuffed mammals and we kept ourselves entertained reading them as we waited for our eats. The restaurant boasts proud support of our military peeps and remembering our fallen heros, seemed just about picture perfect for a Memorial Day lunch. This place is pretty small with one dining area and then a separate bar with some booths on the side. Our server came up and was friendly and extraordinarily patient with us. Being no choice VIP allergy members of the ihategluten club makes my little sister and I occasionally difficult to eat out with. Eating at place that offers their snackas fried on fried with a side of fried, can complicate this a tad more. I made sure to go over the Celiac deets with the server who was great about accommodating my requests. I ordered the Cougar burger lettuce wrapped and it was meeeoowww. The chipotle mayo was spicy and kept me dippin and the jalapeno and cheese on the burger made it a tasty bite all the way through. My friend went for the chicken strips which she said was excellent and satisfied her inner child. The sister`s man had a burger n tots and the sister went for the grilled chicken salad. They unfortunately didn't hear us say that she also has to be gf and they placed two pieces of buttery toast on the sides. They seemed a little frustrated and told us it would take over 20 mins to remake a salad, seemed a bit excessive. However, after a little communication they were able to remake the salad and just use the chicken from the previous salad that was no where close to the evil gluten. We appreciated their willingness to get her something she could eat, and we all enjoyed our food. Price and portions were all good and we left full and happy.

The waitress was really friendly and nice. The place is very unique inside with stuffings of animals they probably caught. We ordered the burgers and the fries were my favorite. So delicious!

One of the best burgers I've had in Clark county! Really nice country type restaurant and good service. The fries are genuine and non basic. The chicken tenders and halibut were really good. Really good atmosphere. Worth going and then traveling to the mountain for fun trails and such.

They started serving breakfast so we came in to try it and it was great. Just what you would expect and want from a small town local bar. Lots of good food. Crispy hash browns and variety of omelets. Fluffy flaky biscuits and delish gravy. Don't forget the Bloody Mary! I've had the hamburgers before and consistently good however I recommend tots over French fries. They also have fried fungus goodness- yes mushrooms! Yummy! If it's prime rib night I'll fight you for a seat since that cannot be beat.

Mostly locals here...if you're not a local, you will probably feel uncomfortable. Also, our waitress was very rude and made it clear she didn't want to serve us. She also gave us attitude when we asked to split the check. And, I paid in cash and she pocketed the change. Never asked me if I wanted change back, just kept a fat tip for herself. The food is okay at best. There may not be many food options in the area, but it's worth it to wait for the next place.

This is a great place to stop and eat. We enjoyed the Western Burger and Chicken Strips. The staff was extremely kind and helpful. The interior decorators were awesome to see and the patio seating was great. Thank you!

COVID-19 alert - I asked the staff inside serving food why no one was wearing a mask. The young blonde lady wearing glasses replied, "we don't have to wear masks..." The cashier (who was also not wearing a mask) smirked as this was something that was too much to ask. Defiance and arrogance was what I experienced. I was able tell a few customers outside who were heading into the store that the staff was refusing to follow the COVID-19 State guidelines and they all turned back. I am filing a complaint with the State. The Cougar store across the street was the same story.

If you're looking for a drink or a bite to eat on the South side of Mount Saint Helens, the Cougar Bar & Grill is just about your only option (until you get all the way back to I-5, anyway). Luckily, it's not a bad option to have! There's no wi-fi available here, and no draught beers on tap. That's OK, though: they do have a pretty good selection of bottled/canned beer available, as well as some delicious pub grub. On my most recent visit, I stopped in on a weekday evening and the place was pretty quiet. There were a few regulars having dinner, and sports on the TV above the bar. I ordered an IPA (served in a can with a chilled glass), and the Western burger with tots ($12). The burger was fantastic, and quite filling. The bartender was friendly and service was prompt. I'll be back for more next time I'm in the area!

Ordered a Rueben, quite good. Service was good, place was clean. My only concern was no masks on any employees. Thankfully, the bar was quiet, not many customers.

After going to Ape Cave for the afternoon, we stayed in Cougar. Great little area. We got into town a bit late but was able to grab a bite at The Cougar Bar & Grill. This place had really good food (especially the Tomato Basil soup and the grilled cheese sandwiches ;) Very friendly and fun atmosphere. Would absolutely go back and highly recommend. Thanks for your hospitality!

Took the long drive out to Cougar on a nice sunny Thursday to get a burger at the Cougar Bar & Grill with my sisters-in-law and wife. No regrets. Seating was in the field of out back and your order was brought to us. It was like a catered picnic. I had the bacon cheese burger with tater tots. Best tater tots. Really good beer selection and great service. Bathroom was a honey bucket across the road so be warned. It is a beautiful drive so don't be in a rush.

We were hoping to stop to watch a game the the lady on the phone was so incredibly rude, we took our money elsewhere.

COCKROACHES AND USED NAPKINS IN FOOD Waitress acknowledged cockroaches and still didn't give us money back for food. She only deducted money for salad with napkin. She was mean.

Service was absolutely great for us. Had a party of 8 to seat and had to move some people around for us, which they promptly did. Waitress was engaging and timely. I'm Sure plenty of people have had poor experiences in this place, but try to remember you are not in Seattle anymore and this is their town. I got the ape cave, which was filling and the perfect pre hike energy load or post hike recharge. Sit down, chill out and have a drink.

Our group of 5 stopped here for lunch on our way back home from a day of hiking Lave Canyon. There were about 5 micro-brews on draft - Heff was unavailable. My wife and I ordered pints of Mac and Jack. There are several bottle beer options too. Our waitress seemed flustered on how to service/handle a group of 5 people. My wife and I shared a bacon cheeseburger - was topped w/ nice crispy bacon, cheddar cheese, pickles, tomato, lettuce and secret sauce for $9.99. Fries, onion rings or a side salad can be added for an additional $1.50. Overall, I would only eat here when starving as we just so happened to be. I didn't get the feeling that customers came first here. Plus side - the interior is neat. The walls are lined with dollar bills singed by all the adventurists that have passed through this little town. Our is now on the wall too. Visa and MaterCard are accepted credit cards.

Love this place, great food great service. Best part no wifi! Great place to enjoy on your drive back from the lake.

I have been there 4 times and every time I had the nastiest service I have ever recieved in my life there is one nasty woman that rolls her eyes anytime you ask for anything, even water

This is not your ordinary Cougar Bar... this one indeed has a real, dead, furry cougar pinned to the wall. Then again, maybe they all do. The place is in an almost non-existent town in almost nowhere WA, and was a welcomed stop for me and 10 other very hungry travelers yesterday afternoon. The place is big on the inside, and small on the out. It has a biker bar exterior, but a mom-and-pop mountain town diner vibe on the in. The fare is standard, and the prices are reasonably good for the middle of nowhere. If you are looking for good eats, and are in the hood, this is the place to go. If you are looking for something else that a cougar bar would have to offer, well this too may be the place to go.

Staff not wearing masks, not enforcing customers wear masks, and passive-aggressive signs on the door complaining about the LEGAL REQUIREMENT to take the simple step of wearing a mask FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS. I don't know about you, but I'm not eating somewhere where the health and safety of customers has zero importance.

Stayed at a nearby cabin & stopped in for dinner. AMAZING food. Likely the best French dip sandwich I've ever eaten. Excellent service, great small town values atmosphere. Would definitely go back!

I drive by this place all the time but never stopped until yesterday. Cougar is a very small town and dining options are limited. I sat at the bar with a couple of locals. I ordered the chiliburger for $12.99 because it was one of their specialties. It was served as an open face sandwich with quite a bit of chili on top. The chili was OK. It was spicy but lacked complexity and depth. The burger was also OK, cooked well done but nothing special. They had 6 beers on draft and I had the Boneyard RPM which was good. Service was excellent from both waitresses. The venue is fine, clean enough with several tables. It didn't have a "dive-bar" vibe so should be OK for families. I will be back but won't order chiliburger.

Absolutely amazing food and service. The fries and burgers are so good. Will eat here again and will recommend this place to everyone and anyone. Top 5 place to eat with in 100 miles.

I ate here for my first time today with my husband before one of our many adventures in the woods. It was the worst service I have ever experienced ever. The waitress clearly did not want to be at work. She was very unfriendly. She gave us dirty looks every time she walked past us, and anytime we noticed her glance our way. She never asked if we needed anything, or if things were ok. She never came to refill our water or coffee. Even though she walked past us with a full pot of coffee to serve others. I was served VERY burnt bacon with my french toast. I never got syrup or jam for my french toast. My husband did not get his english muffin that came with his meal. Plus I am pretty sure we got charged full price for a 1/4 cup of OJ that she brought for my hubby to go with his PBR. We will never eat here again!

Not so much a destination for me, but more of an oasis in the middle of a long drive towards Mt St Helens with clean restrooms, 5 alarm chili, cold IPA on tap and a cheerful wait staff. Nothing fancy, just a very nice place to sit back and relax and take in the beautiful surrounding scenery. I've never had a bad experience here.

After reading some of the mixed reviews, I was a little nervous about eating dinner here. But it was New Year's Eve and only one Bar and Grill open so we stopped here Saturday night after a day of snowshoeing on St. Helens. We were greeted by 2 friendly Servers who took our drink orders right away. Full bar, and they even had Glenlivit Scotch and they have generous pours. The bar was half full of a few regulars and a couple of families. This was NOT the redneck biker bar I was expecting. Very comfortable, friendly people, great service and the food was great. Started with an appetizer of clean, crisp jalapeno wraps +onion rings. We had Prime Rib - grilled to perfection and nice thick cuts. Servers, Cooks, drinks and food were great. We'll be back next time we are through Cougar.

Good beers on tap. Very surprised. They even have some meant for men. They also serve Bud and Coors Light. They have lots of greasy fried stuff, but it's that kind of place. Never a destination, but it's a waypoint, as the only premium gas for many miles is across the street. For the negative reviewers. THIS IS A WHITE TRASH COUNTRY-BIKER BAR. Do not expect service if you don't speak up. Jesus!

For those leaving bad reviews based on the service, you do realize you're eating at a tavern in a town with a population of around 100 people don't you? If you're expecting the same dining experience you would get in the major urban city you live in then, you're delusional. I'm certain they do get disgusted with arrogant, disdainful, tourists. Can't say as I blame them. I suspect their choice to live in such a small community has something to do with them not caring how much you like their service. Anyway, the food here is spot on. I've never had a bad meal and, when I'm nice to the people there, they're always nice to me. Update: we are moving far far away and will never eat here again in our lifetimes. First, for the Yelpers, thank you for the likes and for those that read this review. I stand by it. For the ownership and employees, I'm afraid you've embraced this review a bit too much; that it's become your business model. My advice is, you will always attract more business by proving me wrong rather than right. Let reviewers like me check those that are anal retentive because let's face it - tourists suck! While I'm at it, I'm going to address something every city slicker coming up to this area needs to know.......People live all along the Lewis River Highway that you're driving to get to your boating/hiking/camping/hunting/snowmobiling/shooting destination. It's the only practical route to and from their homes. If you are driving on the highway (note the word 'highway') with no cars in front of, and one or more behind you......pull over and let them pass! It's called 'being considerate of others' by recognizing the driver(s) behind you are obviously driving at least close to the speed prudent for road condition for the type of vehicle (and any towed) they are driving. Lastly, if a vehicle tries to pass you legally in a passing section of the highway, that is exactly the wrong time to decide to speed up! It's not a personal attack on you or your dignity. It's just one car passing another and you should help facilitate that rather than try to prevent it. The alternative is known as being a city asshole. Okay, I'm done.