Lake McDonald Lodge

It's a special experience to stay in our National Parks--if you're lucky enough to get a reservation! We had a cute cabin close to the Lodge, which was a plus with some rainy weather. The Park options are limited and extremely overpriced, but as mentioned, a special experience, and we enjoyed this one. The cabin was attractive and comfortable, and outside was the scenic lake even on a gray day. The Lodge itself is small but the dining room was welcoming and the food was excellent. We truly enjoyed both dinner and breakfast. (We much preferred our night here over the higher priced Many Glacier Hotel--my advice for that location is visit, have a meal, enjoy the views and stay elsewhere.)

Oh my God. What a beautiful setting within Glacier National Park. We didn't stay there so I cannot rate the rooms. But we did go to eat at the lodge and spent a wonderful evening at sunset overlooking Lake McDonald afterwords. . I highly recommend it. The lodge is a blast from the past when times were slower and more relaxed. The surroundings are gorgeous and the food choices were interesting. If we are back in the area we will go back.

This lodge and its surroundings provide the experience of going back in time. The lodge is stunning, the lake views are hard to comprehend, and the grounds are beautifully maintained. There are sidewalks that weave through the grounds along the lake. If you have the opportunity to book a room jump on it!

I didn't stay in the lodge but had to pass through it several times for tour hook-ups. I did deal with some staff - all kind and considerate. The place is so classic and full of character. I was beautifully adorned. I couldn't help but say: I would love to stay here! The back overlooks Lake Macdonald. How beautiful is that? I have no idea what the rooms are like, but the lodge is an experience! There is a great restaurant.

You will likely be disappointed if you stay here. The location is fantastic, as you are inside the boundary of the park, but the negatives outweigh that primary benefit. Our room in the Cobb House was nice enough, but our mattress was the worst we had ever slept on, you cannot shower using the apparatus they have installed on the cast-iron tub, they don’t want you to use housekeeping, and all this comes at around $900 a night, with taxes fees. There are people virtually elbow to elbow, and we stayed after Labor Day. The rooms at Cedar Creek in Columbia Falls are half price (still $499) and you are outside park, but are much more comfortable. Unless it’s really important you stay at the lodge or be inside the park, you are likely going to struggle to find much value at Lake McDonald Lodge.

Super enjoyable stay. I had a cozy lakeside cabin. Slept like a rock the bed was really comfortable. Food in the dining room was good. Nice place right on Lake McDonald with stunning views!

I really wanted to like this place, considering it's on a beautiful lake and are situated right in the middle of the national park. However, the queen cabins we stayed in were incredibly small with very tight bathroom/showers. The lodge was much smaller than Many Glacier and the seats near the fireplace were nearly always full (not that big of a deal). The wifi worked reasonably well outside the lodge, but never seemed to work when actually in the main lodge. Perhaps the worst part of our experience was the staff/customer service. Although the front desk was courteous and helpful, the wait staff in the restaurants were atrocious. The bar tender in Lucke's Lounge was anything but courteous and helpful. He acted as if we were really putting him up to go to the bar and order a drink (there is a separate line just for this). He was very rude and we were there just ordering two beers. We ate there the following night and we apparently sat at his table, but he never came to serve us (another waiter came to help, who was very nice). When we didn't think the staff would get much worse, we had breakfast at Russell's Fireside dining room. We were in shock how rude the waiter was, very short and condescending with us, poured water on my child's ipad without even apologizing or acknowledging it, seemed very put out to take our order (you know, his job). He must have been having a very bad day, but it never really got any better. We didn't go back there because of the experience. Jammer Joe's was good for pizza and sandwiches and the staff was nice. I really can't recommend staying here, but, unfortunately, there are only a couple properties in the park, so you have to put up with all the bad to be close by.

We stayed in a luxury cabin. It was the closest one to the lodge the room was on the small side but it was well appointed, very plush towels. No real view to speak of. The best part of staying in the cabin was the assigned parking spaces. Parking in the area was terrible but it eased up some in the afternoon. If you’re going to Glacier National Park stay at Many Glacier Hotel. The staff is friendly and accommodating the food is better too.

The reservation of the Lodge could be used as the reservation to going to the sun road from the West Entrance. The front desk told me wifi could only cover the lobby area, and there should be no wifi in my cabin, but actually there was one in my cabin. (what a good surprise) The onsite restaurant is good! My expedience on Russell's Fireside Dining Room is not too good. It is not about the food, but the waiter. I hope it was just my own experience on this specific waiter during this specific meal. I want to call out JAMMER JOES, the one outside the building of the lobby. At lunch, it provides Salad and Pizza Buffet. It is a good place to get vegetables (and definitely meat pizza)!

This buffet seems to be very popular and included in some of the tourist packages or the lodge stays. They line was very long, how ever we were sat within 10 minutes. They had Gluten Free options and were very nice to check with the chef regarding any allergy questions. The night we arrived they had a large salad bar set out and then a separate larger entree sections. The food was very good, but not amazing as it was a little bland. It was a great hearty meal after a long hiking day. They were constantly changing out the trays for fresh food which was nice to see. We sat at a cute table right by the window overlooking lake McDonald. The window was cracked the breeze was wonderful.

Stayed in one of the cute little cabins and we enjoyed it, but didn't really get to maximize our experience here. We only stayed for one night and arrived late after hiking all day, and woke up before sunrise to leave for the Highline Trail. Most of our time spent here was just sleeping, so we didn't really get the bang for our buck of enjoying being lakeside. But that was our own fault. The room had what we needed. It was small and basic, but efficient and very clean. The shower, while tiny, has hot water and good water pressure. The sink is actually located in the main room itself, not in the bathroom, which was a bit odd. The bed was small but comfortable enough for our quick sleep, although the walls are thin so you can hear noise from the bordering room. If we were to stay here again, I'd make sure to make time to enjoy sitting out on the cabin porch and walking along the lake shore. The lodge itself has a really cool lobby with unique lights, artwork, big fireplace, and plenty of seating if you want to lounge there.

1. Xanterra runs 5 lodges in Glacier National Park: Lake McDonald Lodge, Village Inn at Apgar, Rising Sun Motor Inn, Swiftcurrent Motor Inn, and Many Glacier Hotel. 2. Lake McDonald Lodge and the Village Inn at Apgar are on Lake McDonald at the west end of the 53 mile long Going To The Sun road. 3. Rising Sun is on the east end of GTTS road, on St. Mary's Lake and was closed due to fires in the area. Swiftcurrent Motor Inn and the Many Glacier Hotel are on Swiftcurrent Lake 20 miles north of GTTS. 4. The 100 year old Many Glacier Hotel is the largest in the park, and in demand, being close to the Grinnell Glacier hike and the Iceberg Lake hike, the most popular hikes in the park. 5. We drove from Many Glacier passed St Mary's Lake, through Logan Pass, and to Lake McDonald Lodge, covering 63 miles including 43 miles of tne GTTS road in 2 hours. 6. We were given room 4 of cabin 7, one of 13 cabins, each with 2 to 6 rooms. There are 37 rooms in the cabins, and about the same number in the 3 story main building. 7. Cabin guests only can park right next to the cabins. Ours had one window with a view of the wall of cabin 8, and a screen door with a view of our parked vehicle. There was a bathroom vent window. 8. The cabin had one full size bed -tough to get used to if you sleep in a queen size bed at home. Comfortable bed, but had to watch for my wife's elbow flying, when turning at night! 9. Our room was very small -about 10'x16', or 160 square feet. This was the second smallest hotel room I've ever stayed in -after Wawona in Yosemite. 10. The bed was against one wall, for space for the door to open. The inside person had to climb over the bed to get out. Naturally I slept on the outside, with the wife on the inside, even though she was the one going to the bathroom in the middle of the night! 11. No TV, no AC, no microwave, no internet access, except in the lobby. No sound insulation. You are SOL if your neighbor has a crying baby or snores louder than my wife!. 12. Small desk, box fan, land line phone -no cell phone coverage. Iron and ironing board -they expect you to have freshly pressed clothes without wrinkles in the restaurant! 13. Sink outside the bathroom, with the shower the size of a phone booth -about 30" square. No room to turn around, unless you are toothpick thin! 14. Cabins 8 and 9 have porches, with chairs and tables facing the lake. Numerous picnic tables between the cabins and the lake. Paved and dim lighted pathway between the cabins and the main building, so bring a flashlight at night!. 15. The 101 year old main building had a lobby with fireplace, a lounge with internet access requiring room # and guest last name, and watch the mounted animal trophy heads hanging from the rafters of the 2nd and 3rd floors. Springs on the sofas were shot, so hard to get up! 16. Also in the main building were rest rooms for guests arriving before the 4pm check in time, a gift shop, a sports bar, and Russell's Fireside dining room with a view of the lake. No ice machine -get ice from the sports bar. 17. Main building had a public veranda with sitting chairs with lake view. Numerous benches behind the hotel with lake view. , 18. Corner rooms of the main building facing the lake are the most desirable. Second floor lake view rooms have a shared patio facing the lake. Rooms with balconies with a lake view reserved 13 months in advance on the Xanterra web site. 19. A small beach is on Lake McDonald in front of the cabins. Boat tours on the boat dock in back of the main building. 20. We made reservations through the glacierparkboat web site for the Lake Josephine boat crossing on the way to Grinnell Glacier at Many Glacier hotel. 21. Beyond the main building is an auditorium for naturalist lectures, and a reading room. 22. Lake McDonald Hotel complex has a camp store, a post office, public rest rooms, and pizza joint Jammer Joes. At least 200 parking spaces, whereas most hiking attractions full by 10am. 23. Red Bus tours stop in front of the Lodge main building. 24. Free shuttle bus stop at complex entrance going to Avalanche Creek, with hikes to Avalanche Lake via Cedar Natures Trail on boardwalk -the only wheelchair accessible hike. I hiked 4 mile Avalanche Lake in women's Chaco sport sandals, when my boots unglued after the 11 mile, 1700 foot elevation gain Grinnell Glacier hike! 25. Transfer to shuttle van at Avalanche Creek for traveling to Logan Pass, location of the Highline trail and 3 mile Hidden Lake trail, another hike I did in Chaco sandals. , 26. In 2015 the hotel was open May 21-Sept 30, but the GTTS at Logan Pass closed until late June, so no direct access to St. Mary Lake, or Many Glacier. 27. Driving times from Lake McDonald Lodge: 50 minutes to Glacier Park Int Airport, 13 minutes to Avalanche Creek, 40 minutes to Logan Pass.

The restaurant is doing take out only this year. The food quality is pretty similar to Applebee's, nothing to write home about. It's the only food at Lake McDonald so don't get your hopes up.

When you book a cabin, you expect to stay in a cabin, not in a boxed off corner of a cabin the size of a walk-in closest. The room was around 7x9 with a double bed. This is the smallest room I have ever stayed in. I stayed at the lodge at every park on his trip and Lake McDonald cabins was the absolute worst of the entire park.

Enter the majestic lodge at Lake McDonald from time gone by. Admire the massive wooden beams supporting the structure and Huge fireplace to warm yourself on cool days. The massive staircase and the staff constantly cleaning. Then move on to the dining room. Stellar food and service with wonderful view of Lake McDonald. Ate in the lounge after an hour boat rental. Limited seating and brief wait, however joined another couple for a communal table. Order the bison and goat cheese burger with a nice salad. Done to perfection! Charcuterie board included bison pastrami, elk sausage and smoked duck. All outstanding! So please, we patronized this establish

The menu was overpriced and tasted like fast food. The property was beautiful though!

Stayed at a Cobb "suite" recently and it was way overpriced an poorly maintained. The rooms were cramped, heating in one room didn't work (and keep in mind that's in Glacier National Park), phone service to front desk and dining didn't work the first night, the second night it worked but dining never answered, and the shower head sprayed all over the bathroom. The National Park Service also used deceptive marketing practices. The living room boasts a large stone fireplace. But when you arrive, you learn it is a non-working fireplace. No gas, no wood fire... just masonry to enjoy. The fireplace was one of the primary reasons for booking. Very overpriced.

We spent part of our day on Lake McDonald kayaking but had to turn around due to a storm coming in. (you won't get your money back if this happens.. I was fine with that but want to give others a heads up) It was absolutely beautiful and they had 3 bald eagle nests you could see as you passed by. After kayaking we worked up an appetite and headed to the lodge to eat. The actual dinning room was closed down but we ordered grilled chicken sandwiches and a salad. Kids got tenders with BBQ/huckleberry sauce. The sauce was amazing! Overall the food was good but didn't come with any sides or a drink. I was kinda disappointed in the meal because it came highly recommended. I feel maybe the staff should have mentioned no sides and so we could have ordered more food. Everyone was still hungry when we left and we didn't have time to stand in line outside again.

The lobby is like a smaller version of Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone. The rooms are small, and our floor sloped. The restaurant wait is about 45 minutes for dinner, and the WiFi is incredibly slow. There are boat rides on the lake, and "sun road" shuttles pick up from here. The lake is beautiful, and within a few miles are hiking trails and pullouts with river cascades, pools, colorful rocks, and vistas. Apgar Village is a few miles away and worth a visit.

This review is for the restaurant in The Lodge as well as the Lodge policy. They refused to give us their WiFi password even though we were dining in their restaurant that night and potentially that morning....we just needed to check in to our flight on our ipad while dining. Very unaccommodating and unsympathetic to our needs. My husband and I were staying in the Lake McDonald Motel which is on the same grounds as the lodge and which promotes the Lodge's restaurant. This was our last night in the park and we were looking forward to a nice night. We were asked if we'd like to wait for a table by window....we said YES of course! We waited 10 minutes gladly. However, we got a tiny table at an exit door in the corner...with some glass. When people who came after us got a beautiful table with a large window (and no, they did not have a reservation as they do not take them for small parties). As East Glacier had alcohol restrictions due to being on an Indian Reservation and a festival was going on, I was unsure whether or not they were able to serve alcohol either. So, when my husband asked if they were restricted, the waiter acted like he knew nothing about and when we went on to explain why we were asking he cut us off and curtly said "I'll leave this up to you to decide" and walked off to the next table with a fake "What Can I Get YOU to Drink?". We were shocked. When he returned my husband said we wanted nothing to drink. Five minutes later....the manager came over with a notebook to take our order. I asked if we had lost our waiter. He said that "no, he was busy doing other things". Immediately I felt even more uncomfortable, that our waiter didn't want to serve us....I wanted to just get up and leave. Our food finally arrived. I ordered the filet which came with fingerling potatoes and asparagus. The beef had good flavor, but overdone. The potatoes had nothing on it. neither did the asparagus. dry as bones...no salt, no olive oil drizzled on, no butter, no nothing. I was afraid to complain about it. My husband ordered the bison burger and fries and his looked delicious and he said that it was...however, I wouldn't have been surprised if it hadn't been spit in......As when the rude waiter brought it to the table...my husband had stepped away, so it was just me and when he set it on the table he said "and this for Mr. Grumpy". I was blown away when he said this. I didn't want to cause a scene, but I wish I would have stood up for my husband then, gotten up and left that food sitting there... I would never EVER step foot in that hole again if it was the last place in the park. Anyway, it's just not that special. There are better places to stay and MUCH better places to eat. I ate better out of my cooler. Incidentally, the couple who came after us and sat at the table with the beautiful view??? They both sent their meal back and left long before I gagged mine down.

Love coming here for dinner when in Glacier. The lodge is so nice with many little shops to visit. The people are very friendly and accommodating as well!

I am a fan of this restaurant. I normally do not have much in the way of expectations for restaurants in national parks. They usually are pretty ordinary. On this trip to the Park, i have had two meals here and both beat expectations. They do a charcuterie. Three types of sausage, goat cheese and a good mustard. The sausage included duck, elk and bison. Rebecca and I shared and smiled. We then shared a black bean burger that was a good as I ever have had; it was moist and flavorful. I could have, but did not need to add any condiments. When I came back the second time with a friend, i had a wonderful bison meat loaf sandwich. My friend had a bison burger, which was just a bit dry. I learned to order the cole slaw or fries instead of the garden salad. They do a nice job of being organic, using free range and local sources when possible. They have a vegan option. All in all, I was very impressed with the menu. My dishes turned out good. Our services was prompt and friendly. No complaints, with one exception. We arrived at the lodge at 1:45 hoping to have lunch and they were closing the main dining room. Fortunately, we could and did eat in the bar. They did a great job. However, i do not understand why they closed so early. I anticipate coming back to the Park next year, so anticipating coming back here for lunch and looking forward to it. This was a nice surprise.

Beautiful place! Please keep in mind that I did not stay here but went here to have some tea before our cold morning hike. It is located on the lake and has views from every angle. There is not that much around so it is very quiet, great place to walk around and take in all the views. The store is also great and it has a lot of authentic things that are found in Montana. The best part is that its in Glacier National Forrest and right down the way from Avalanche Falls trail, a great 3 or more mile hike to the most gorgeous lake and mountains...seriously my favorite part of the trip! I ate at the pizza place after our hike and it was good (even though we didn't order pizza). Awesome place to visit, even if its just for the day!

I called ahead to the lodging office to see how the camping was. The person that answered told me that it was uncampable due to snow and cold. He told me that everything was filling up fast so I should "overbook" the amount of nights I would want to stay in the lodge. I booked two nights through him. When I arrived the weather was beautiful. The ranger told me that the forecast for this area had always been good. When I got to Snyder Hall, it was completely empty. I didn't see another person for the entirety of my stay. Lying to people to build fear and get them to book rooms in your establishment is a terrible way to do business.

To start out our waitress was very kind & attentive. We have a daughter with SEVERE food allergies & we were told they could accommodate our request. Multiple reminders were given to our waitress to make sure the kitchen did not cross-contaminate the other food with our daughters. This unfortunately did not happen & we had to go to the ER for the afternoon. We should have been alerted to their carelessness with their food preparation when 2 hamburgers were raw & were sent back to the kitchen. New hamburgers were again raw in the middle & the waitresses response was "the kitchen is backed up so they're trying to get food out ASAP." Please do not waste your time or money at this restaurant ESPECIALLY if you have food allergies!

This is a review of the food in the Lodge, not the accommodation. We came in with a party of six, and were seated with a bit of a delay (not really a problem, as the bar was open and the main lobby area was nice to burn some time in). As seems to be the "theme" for our trip to Montana, the food varied from excellent to terribly disappointing. Most of our party enjoyed their food, except for those who had the salmon which was terrible overcooked. For myself, my trout was overcooked but still enjoyable. Service was fine, and once we were seated was swift and got us fed, watered, and out the door. On another visit in the same week, we just got coffee to go which was surprisingly good.

Beautiful ! Historic! And a Great place to stop for lunch! Take time to stroll along the lake and skip a few stones, it's very therapeutic!!

We stayed for one night at the end of May. I can't say enough about how nice this place is. The staff is pleasant, attentive, and helpful. The lobby is wonderful, although I suspect those rooms that face onto the lobby atrium could find the evening noise level troublesome. Our room had been completely redone; we were pretty sure that we were the first guests to use it. The beds were quite comfortable...very much appreciated after a day and a half on the train. For this remote location, there were quite decent beer and wine lists in the lounge and restaurant. Cocktails looked interesting as well although we didn't partake of them. The menu in Russell's Fireside dining room focuses on local foods. I had the lamb chops, which were tasty although a bit overwhelmed by the demi-glace. My wife had the Only in Montana burger, which she said was quite good. We ordered breakfast off the menu rather than doing the buffet. I kid you not when I say it was the best breakfast I have had in many years. The downsides: no TV anywhere except in Lucke's Lounge. That means no TV in the rooms. And the wifi is spotty at best and not particularly speedy when you do manage to connect, so you won't be streaming any video. And there is absolutely NO CELL PHONE SERVICE. We wish we had more time to spend here. The view across the lake from the terrace is captivating. Bring a good book, spend a lot of time outdoors, and relax!

Good food, friendly staff. We ate in the bar. The view is great. The food was a little pricey, but given that you're inside the park, that's to be expected. All in all, a good experience.

Good restaurant. Menu provided a wide selection with reasonable prices. I had the Pork Shank, it was a little bit underdone, seasons were very good. My wife had the suprisingly only pasta dish on the menu, the Rotini which she really enjoyed. Wait staff was very attentive. However the female who seemed to be overseeing the dinning room was a bit of a overbearing snob to the girls busing the tables, sound like a prison guard giving orders. However the piano played during dinner was excellent. Understood one of the ladies who worked in the gift shop during the day played for the diner guests in the evenings....We'd recommend having lunch or a dinner. Prices for the entrees and wine were reasonable.

We had a group of 7 stay in the cabins. Very comfortable. In the heat wave the Park was having, we opened the two windows, front and back and the room stayed very comfortable. We were there July 8-10 and we left the morning of the 11th. The people complaining about no TV or limited WiFi should stay home and not clog up one of the most beautiful environments in the United States. There is a general store where picnic supplies can be purchased and then off to explore the vastness that is Glacier. The short jaunt up to Polebridge was worth it. There is a mercantile with a bakery that sold huckleberry bars, breads, sandwiches and more. This was another good picnic site. My boys did a 12 mile hike from Logan's pass, I was a wuss and did the Cedars loop. Lots of mountain goats, and smaller mammals around, did not see any bears, but saw scat. We saw a deer at the Lodge. The only complaint I had was that the Dining room closed at 9:00, and it was still light and most of us weren't ready to eat. We adapted and ate in the bar instead.

Lunch in the dining room after our boat cruise was delightful. Excellent service and very good food. Limited menu but very well done! ...Above average...

This is a review of the restaurant, Russell's Fireside Dining Room. We ate dinner there three times, and overall it was very good, especially for a National Park eatery. The pork shank, steak, and bison burger were excellent. They cooked the steak and burger rare as asked. The only disappointment was the rockfish & crab gratinee, which was a small dry filet with some crab sauce on it. We ordered the charcuterie board and the goat cheese flatbread appetizers, both were excellent. Great selection of beer and wine. They do have a kids menu.

If you are looking for modern accommodations, look elsewhere. If you need peace and tranquility with basic accommodations, this is it. The fireplace and great room when you enter is wonderful. Sit in the inglenooks and soak in the warmth. Lake McDonald is steps from the back of the lodge. Boat cruise or rentals at your choice. We didn't eat a meal we just stayed overnight in a room facing the lake. Most rooms have double beds and ours was comfy. The room was very small. The nicest part was we could hear the fireplace crackling as we drifted off to sleep! Wifi is very sporadic. We never connected even in the lobby. No TV. Just my spouse and me. Perfect.

Me and my family ate here for lunch while we were waiting for a boat tour down on the water. The service was just okay. Took almost 35 minutes to get our food in a half-empty restaurant and the waiter only came by once aside from taking our order. The bison burgers were completely overdone to the point of being almost inedible. The chicken salad sandwich, while a very good chicken mixture, was on burnt bread. It could have been really good, and it seems like the place has a lot potential, but the place needs work in terms of food and service.

This review is for the food, not the lodge itself. I went with my mother for a meal before we took our boat tour. The lodge itself is nice, the hostess greeted us politely, and our waitress made sure we were comfortable. I got a bowl of tomato and lentil soup with two rolls and my mother got the bison meatloaf sandwich with the side salad. That was it. There was a long wait for our food and we hoped that would mean it was great. Boy, were we wrong. When the food finally came out we could only wonder why it took them so long to slap a slice of bison meatloaf onto two toasted pieces of bread with some crispy onions that my mother said tasted like the ones you get at the grocery store in a bag. Because that was all that was on the sandwich. No condiments, vegetables, nothing. The meat was cold, didn't even cover the bread, and my mother has to ask for some condiments on the side so get sandwich would at least have some flavor and moisture. For her side salad they only had three dressing choices. Vegan Caesar, Dijon vinaigrette, and another vinaigrette. She chose the Dijon one and what came out looked nothing like a vinaigrette. In fact, she hoped it wasn't mayonnaise she was currently trying to put on her salad. It wasn't smooth and couldn't be poured on like a normal dressing. My soup was good, but not great. Not a 'long wait was worth it' good, either. It was just soup and I was glad it didn't taste like a canned tomato soup, at the least. My rolls didn't even make it out with our food, but our waitress noticed and quickly went and got them for us. Maybe it would have been better without them because they were like brown rocks on the outside that I had to claw apart. In the end, half of the outside was left on the plate in sharp crumbs. When we got our bill my mother actually congratulated me on getting a cheap dish compared to her almost twelve dollar sandwich that would make even Subway's sandwich artists weep. When choosing between a higher tip and a lower one, we finally chose the higher one as the waitress had actually been helpful and on top of things. Don't go here for the food. Bring your own and save yourself and your wallets.

Breakfast buffet with bicycle group after sunrise ride to Logan Pass. Usual breakfast buffet fare, fresh and well prepared. Lodge dining room has beautiful views of the lake, and staff helped combine tables so most could sit together. We arrived early, but the place really filled up and I think large groups would be difficult to accommodate. Nice break from campsite food! Would definitely go back

Ate at Lake McDonald Lodge Russells Restaurant. Menu is limited due to this resort type locale. Food was expensive for what you got. Appetizer platter spread out with few cubes or cheese, couple slices of pickled veggies, and minimalist appearing items. Main entrees ($20-30+) were basic cooked burgers, steaks, pasta. and same menu every night. Breakfast buffet ($15) basic hotel steam table eggs, sausage, bacon, hot/cold cereal, cold hard boil eggs. I would not eat here again but few eateries open during off season. We did not stay in the Lodge but opt for the cabins run by Lodge. The cabins were small and had their own restroom/showers. Two twin beds, sink in room, restroom in small closet like adjoining room. Exterior surrounding the Lodge had nice landscape. The Lodge was build 1916 and people use to arrive there by boat. Lobby was nice with large fireplace and animal heads hung up in lobby as decor. Wi-Fi very slow and inconsistent with drop offs similar to the old days when one used 14.4 modem.

Food was expensive but view worth the price. waiter very poor waited to get menu waited to get food. I had buffalo meat loaf so if putting on menu should be outstanding was very disappointed . Wife's steak was good. waiter said couldn't find desert menu, mistake on our part ordering. Wife had a cherry parfait and it was terrible.

My family and I are on the way to the restaurant and helped an elderly woman that got in a car accident and we showed up 7 minutes after the restaurant closed for lunch and Markus kindly let us come into the restaurant we had a wonderful meal with our family what a beautiful room and a wonderful lunch!

Although we didn't stay I am writing a review about their staff. We hiked the Gunsight pass trail and had an injured hiker in our group which got us out very late making us miss the last shuttle to the east side. We knew they were booked as well as the camp ground we just needed help in finding where or what to do. With no cell service it was difficult to try and find help. We had three kids with us and guests of the lodge that passed by listening to our plight wanted to help anyway they could but there was 7 in our group and they just couldn't fit us in their room with them which is completely understandable and if they are out there reading this we greatly appreciate their attempt in helping us. The lodge's front desk clerk and security were extremely rude and the security guard Diana was constantly telling us to get off the property and to start walking or get a taxi but either way we needed to get off the property. They finally gave us the number to the ranger dispatch so we could at least let them know we made it out so they were not worried when they saw our car parked at Jackson trial parking lot. The ranger dispatch was applauded the lodge was not being helpful in the slightest and offered to take us down to a camp sight 3 miles down the road. We told the dispatch we could walk but she said there is no shoulder and would be extremely dangerous. While my husband was on with dispatch the lodge front desk agent called dispatch to complained that we were still on their property loitering and dispatch told them she was taking care of us. I have read nothing but great reviews from those who stay but if you are stranded and need help don't go looking for help from them, they will make you feel like vagrants. The front desk clerk told us this has happened in the past and the people would try to stay in their foyer and we assured them that was not our intentions and that we just needed to utilize their cell service to find a solution to our problem so we could leave. We were not loud, we didn't even use their bathrooms we just needed to gather our thoughts and figure out a plan of action and the lodge was not having it and made us feel like disgusting vagrants.

This is a review of the restaurant. We ate dinner there twice and then gave up. The menu was varied, but each of the two nights a large number of the entrees were not available. This was close to end of the season so I guess if they ran out, they ran out. That's OK, but ... both times the service was poor, and each night one of the entrees was served cold. We asked them to be reheated but it really was a bust - the second night my SO got the cold plate, and when it came back, he ate one mouthful and quit. The waitress took it away, said she tried it and it was inedible, and took the dish off the bill. She offered us free dessert but we had had it with the place and left. The appetizer salads were good tho.

I would stay again just because of the location. We were not here to stay in our room, which in just about any other location would be about a 2 star at best. It was clean, small, and efficient. We stayed in one of the out buildings a short walk from the lodge. We were okay with that because we were in the off season the week before the park shut down. Most of the people were retirees and were not making a lot of noise or trouble. The most noise we had was the owl that woke us up outside of our open window. This beat the skunk living under the cabin on the short stroll to the lodge. The lodge had a great little pub and the feel was much cozier than the stay at Many Glacier, which is much larger with a lot more commotion. We were conveniently located in a small village close to the general store and post office and could meet the red car tour bus in the morning very easily. I love this park and we considered ourselves very lucky to be able to stay inside of the park.

Small but pretty lodge with excellent views . Closed from October thro Springtime. Rooms are on the small side but each has en- suite bathroom. Some have views over the lake- which is a very calming place - many seats outside facing lake and afternoon sun- a photographers paradise We had a 'disabled' room in the nearby Cobb House which also has its own lounge and verandah . The drive across the park on the Going to the Sun road is not to be missed, providing breathtaking views and several sharp intakes of breath on the narrow, twisting road. The accommodation is not cheap ($200ish/ night) and the food whilst tasty is a little costly too. Staff were excellent. Just to sit in the central lounge area with its large fireplace, after a day of fresh air, and to people watch was a great calming experience Nearby Agpar village is worth a visit altho a few too many gift shops for my liking A refreshing visit

Great atmosphere with a lady playing piano. Tables are not too close together. And the food is pretty darn good as in it's good quality. You get what you pay for as opposed to other park restaurants that serve junk using the park as an 'anchor store'. This place is good enough we made sure to hike a bit extra and come on in for a second night. Probably the best food we had in Montana during our recent trip.