Emily Ward

Review of Savage River Lodge

What a beautiful location - stayed in a yert, whic...

What a beautiful location - stayed in a yert, which was well-appointed and very comfortable. As several other reviewers have mentioned, the road in was riddled with potholes so once you arrive at the destination, it's tough to make the case to leave.The yerts are clustered very close together, and there is no sound proofing so you can hear everything that is happening in the neighboring lodging.

As numerous other reviews have also mentioned, the food experience was more than disappointing. Considering that your only option, without a kitchen or grills/cooking devices available in or near the yerts, is to dine at the restaurant, I would certainly not return. My friend and I were looking forward to a premium dining experience, only to be disappointed by the driest bison burger I have ever eaten and a "lobster flat bread" that I would highly recommend avoiding. We also took part in a "wine in the woods" tour where one red and one white wine option was served at each of the three stops in plastic cups, with a poorly matched appetizer. The wines were extremely fruit-forward and we had to pass on a number of them with the limited options at hand. When we reluctantly returned to the restaurant for a dinner we had initially looked forward to, we decided to play it safe and stick with the chicken piccata and meatloaf. The piccata, as another reviewer specifically mentioned, was a half roasted chicken with little bits of what I presume were vegetable a potato- it was difficult to distinguish between the two. My friend's meatloaf came out with a thick, burned crust and was inedible. With just one bite we sent the meals back, and were rewarded with 50% off the already (IMHO) overpriced entrees.

After returning to our yert with empty stomachs, we were eager to check out in the morning and find the nearest dining option. Ironically enough, it seems the cafe we decided to visit was owned by the Savage River Lodge, and the dining experience there was quite enjoyable. I'm not sure where the disconnect was, but it would be lovely if they could bring the experience from the Cornucopia Cafe to the restaurant on their grounds.

Generally I would say we certainly didn't feel welcome, and when we shared the disappointment in our experience there was very little interest in learning what happened or trying to make up for it. We made the most of my birthday weekend, but unfortunately would not return or recommend to others.