Kokanee Cafe

We have made going to dinner at the Kokanee an annual ritual with every visit to Black Butte Ranch, Sisters, and Camp Sherman. Though the restaurant has changed ownership and chefs over the years, the dining experience is always consistent. Last week was no exception. Late in the season on a Thursday night, reservations were still required. We waited only a few minutes for our table. The hostess and our server were friendly and attentive.
After settling at our table, we were asked if we wanted something to drink. A bottle of Oregon Pinot Noir I was interested in turned out to be not available. The hostess went on to identify three other wines not in stock, explaining it was late in the season and they were closing in a week. I found another Oregon Pinot that was really good, but I couldn’t help but think it a little odd that the wine list was so depleted. I hardly think most of those wines would go bad if the were properly stored off season. Not really a big deal, but given the fine dining reputation of the restaurant, as well as the expense, I would expect the listed wine selections to be readily available. By our 7:15 reservation, the special of the evening (trout) was sold out — fair enough. My girlfriend ordered filet, I had steelhead. We each had a very nice salad. The food was very good, the service was excellent. We were one of only two tables still occupied when we got up to leave. We never felt rushed, nor did wait staff hover, signaling us to hurry and finish. Despite what really was a minor glitch with the wine list, the Kokanee is as good as ever. We just love the place! I already look forward to another great dinner next season.

We have been going to the kokanee for over 20 years and hadn’t been for about 4 or 5 years as our last experience left something to be desired. We have a home about 20 minutes away at Black Butte ranch. This time was one of the better service experiences but poorest food ones. All of our food courses came out either cold or Luke warm and I was blown away at how expensive it had gotten. My stuffed trout was $ 39 and the fish was cold to the touch and stuffing was cold. Most if the entrees were over $ 30. We did not send food back as we had already had a few missteps that we informed our waitress about and just wanted to be done as our kids had been so patient. Probably should have though as our friend who ordered the scallops was up all night with stomach problems after. My first glass of champagne had no bubbles and our waitress was very kind and clearly opened a new bottle as it was very good the second time around. Elk burger was good however I would hold the Brie as it really over powered the meat. Beet salad was delicious. Kokanee salad was also good. Meatballs were just OK but likely could have been better if they were actually warm. I think we will be sticking to the lodge restaurant at Black Butte which is still very good and maybe try back in another 3 – 5 years.

Our experience was just okay – a 6 out of 10.
Service was very good: friendly and knowledgeable.
The food was mediocre. I haven’t been here in 10 years. A decade ago, it was a Central Oregon gem – well worth the drive from Bend. Now – it is not. A fair restaurant to have in a tiny town, yes, but great? Not any longer.
Pâté (pahtay, not the top of a person’s head) is a paste made from ground meat and oil. The duck «pâté» served in the appetizer was literally chunks of unground duck meat and tendons sitting in grease. Awful. Flavorless (which is hard to do to duck.)
The baby bok chok was chock-​a-​block with grit and sand. We asked for the broccolini. Sand and grit again. So – no sous chef to soak the veg? Hmm.
The steelhead entre could have been interesting: it was served with grated wasabi and had potential. But it sat atop a carb of heavy grains with overcooked sundried tomatoes. Nothing brightened or livened the dish. Ultimately not very good. Okay, but that’s it.
We did not bother with dessert.
Skip, unless you’re staying in Camp Sherman and don’t want to cook.

We heard it was an exceptionally fine restaurant, so we drove two hrs each way to try it. It was not worth it. Fish and chips bland and crust saturated with oil. The daily special of grilled prawns was rather tasteless, the promised «mountain of shoestring potatos» was a small batch of the same. The bratwurst was mediocre. A vegetarian dish, name starting with «forest» was very tasteless, some veggie over done others under dine. The greatest insult was an extra charge of 50 cents to warm a hot toddy. The prices are extravagantly high by themselves but considering the poor quality of the food they are outrageous. The daily special at $ 36, glass of wine about $ 11. All entrees in the high twenties to high thirties. The only good dish was the soup, surprisingly reasonably priced at $ 4 (cup) or $ 6 (bowl). It was a nice drive never to be repeated.
A first for us was a note on the reservation confirmation telling us at what time we are expected to vacate our table.

this is an out of the way but worth it place. Small but has an impressive menu with knowledgeable servers. The steelhead was cooked to tender perfection and the mushroom appetizer was delicious.

Very good food. It’s a great place to eat while you’re still out getting away from the rest of the world. Camp Sherman is beautiful, natural and rugged in some areas; having this restaurant was a pleasant surprise. We ate there with 3 kids. The kids menu was small, but the older kids were pleased with the fish and chips and burger choice on the adult menu. The youngest was happy with her kids Alfredo. The sundae was so good! Don’t go here if you’re not willing to pay for it though. It’s better if you don’t look at the prices, just go with the flow and order what you want.

DON“T WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY! Decided to try the café in July 2013 based on many recommendations, but was completely disappointed. Arrived at 3:00 to be well ahead of the dinner rush with my wife, 2 children, and parents. When I entered the café one table was being used by an elderly couple. I asked for a table for 6 and was asked «do you have reservations». I asked «do I need one». The girl went in the back and came back out and said «yes, but you can sit out front on the patio». We went out front and sat on the patio only to be served by the worst waitress I have ever had. She made rude, snotty comments every time she came to our table. Eventually I called her out on her attitude and she said «I’m just joking», but continued with her snotty attitude. Even after all this, I was still excited about receiving my food. I ordered the Halibut Cheeks for $ 38 dollars. When it came I received 3 cheeks on top of an ice cream scoop of rice. WHAT A JOKE! It tasted great, but when I was done I felt as if I hadn’t eaten anything. I had to rob food from my children and the bread basket. When the bill came an automatic 18% gratuity was added for horrible service, which is significant on a near $ 200 bill. I was furious at this point. I went back in to use the restroom before leaving and only three additional tables were being used from the time we had arrived. I guess the reservation we needed wasn’t really necessary. This experience was truly a disappointment. I will have a difficult time ever trying the café again.

Ate here last night. It was totally yummy. Had the Antipasto and the tenderloin. My wife had the ell burger. Both were expertly cooked. Would definitely go back if I lived closer.

We went to here for our ten year anniversary last night because we were staying near by at Suttle Lake and had heard for years how good the food was. It’s a quaint little place but very expensive. I was put off at first because it took 40 minutes to get our drink. The service was as slow as I have ever seen! Completely unacceptable for the prices. We ordered the tomato and steelhead soup, which was creamy and yummy, although the chunks of corn made for a weird texture. My husband ordered the Harvest Plate, which is their vegetarian option. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it was weird. There were several layers of veggie based cakes and random vegetables. It was a huge amount of food, but it was a big old mess. He said it was tasty, but wasn’t wowed. He did really like the cauliflower purée! I ordered the special, which was a salmon with broccolini and mash potatoes. The salmon was on the raw side, which is fine by me and was very tasty! Someone who doesn’t like sushi grade salmon like this one, may have been put off by the rawness, but I loved it! All said and done, I would not go back there. If we are going to pay $ 38 an entrée, I really want to be wowed by the entire experience. The service was unacceptable and there was simply no wow factor.

We were a large party of 13. Back patio gets too dark when the sun goes dowm. Our server was overwhelmed and would take care of other tables of people that got there after us, before helping us. Always put her hand up and tell us to wait while she helped others. We felt like we were bothering her to do her job. Came in early at 6, didn’t get out till after 9pm. Carefully went over our bills and still got them wrong, more than once. Then told us how bad it really would have been if she was busy! REALLY?!
Food was good.

We were a large party who reserved the back patio. The setting was lovely and we really enjoyed the service and food at the Kokanee Café! The food was creative and delicious, and the staff was warm, professional and attentive.

We have been there 2 years ago and it was wonderful, however I can’t say that now, bland tasteless, and u recognizable food, good service nice ambiance, bad food, too bad, I really wanted to love it again.

Been there many times. Beautiful setting.
Service was attentive and timely. Food was good, not great but we didn’t order anything unusual. Expensive but fun. Not for everyone.

We were looking forward to our dinner at Kokanee Café last night, 6÷28÷25 — hadn’t been there for 12 or so years and had a great experience back then. The environment is still cozy and appealing, but the service and food were underwhelming. We sat at our table for about 10 minutes or more before even being acknowledged by the waitress. An «I’ll be with you in a few minutes,» would have helped. First bread we got (4 teeny slices) was dried out. The next batch tasted fresher. The waitress told us the first batch must have been from the day-​old loaf. Really? Beet salad was bland and should have been chilled. Very mediocre. Took about 40 minutes for entrees to arrive. I ordered steelhead, which arrived undercooked. After it was cooked more it tasted fine. My husband’s spaghetti and meatballs was ok, not great. All in all, a disappointing evening and certainly not worth the price. Won’t be heading back.

Two days ago elected to have dinner after a hike along the Mackenzie.
This restaurant has been a favorite of mine for twenty years but unfortunately the dinner fell short of my expectations.
The wait staff was attentive and well trained and the ambiance was wonderful. In past years the place would be totally
filled but not this night. Was this a change in operation style?
The Scallop appetizer was cooked well but had only three quarter size scallops for $ 18
The salads were fine but smallish for $ 9
We had two pork chop entrees both slightly under cooked$ 32. The Steelhead was very good $ 32.
We finished with two berry cobblers and coffee.
The meal for two plus a bottle of wine was $ 107 before tip. I thought the meal fell short in that the food didn’t match the prices charged. Bend now has many great places to dine that exceed expectations without the drive. I would try Black Butte Ranch first before going back. Sorry.

This was my first time to the restaurant. We decided this was the place to celebrate a friends birthday. We live in Bend. 40 minute drive. I had a heard good things about restaurant.
Where to begin. We ordered drinks and apps. Half of the drinks came, then the apps, then 10 minutes later the rest of the drinks (cocktails) came out. One of the apps baked ricotta, with peach compote, tasted like it was made last week. Beet salad was ok and Mac and cheese for our child had entire jar of salt in it. My wife and I split the forest plate. It had mushrooms, herb roasted vegetable cake (basically tasted like a bunch of under cooked rice) cauliflower purée (never tasted it) two Kale chips and somewhere there was supposed to be egg plant. Not good, and definitely not worth $ 26. Was excited to try this meal but huge disappointment. Friends had trout. Said it was ok, but not really good. We all agreed that everything was way to salty. Best part was the walk afterwards through the forest. Wild flowers everywhere. Would not recommend to a friend. Take a picnic. Enjoy the woods.

A small intimate restaurant nestled in the forest along Oregon’s Metolius River, in Camp Sherman, the Kokanee Café is my first 5 Stat rating in my many dozens of reviews over the years. It is outstanding in every way! The menu is a bit limited but what is offered is A+, from duck to steak to salmon and chicken dishes… all with a gourmet flair. Home made desserts to top it off. The service is likeable and very professional, the atmosphere molds with the woods without be glitzy. A note of caution, Kokanee Café is seasonal, closed in winters. Make reservations for sure.

This is by far the best dining experience I’ve had in years!!! The food is AMAZING and the front of house staff really care about their jobs. They were very professional, polite, helpful, and attentive.
Thank you Kokanee for the great dining experience! We will be back next time we are in Oregon!

This has always been a favorite stop for us but this trip it was a disappointment. The special was ordered by half of our table of 8 and very few pieces on the kabobs were cooked as long as they should have been.
We were also surprised it was not as busy as it had been in the past. There was usually a line out the door and this year there were empty tables.
The positive was the service was great and our server was fabulous.

Dining at this seasonal restaurant can be a gamble depending on who is hired as chef for the year. This year the Kokanee provides a winning payoff to diners through Chef Matt Neltner’s creative menu and delicious food. But it was more than food that made our dinner here memorable. It was also charming ambiance, warm hospitality and flawless service. All shared with good friends and followed by a drive home through lovely forest backroads under the light of a full blue moon made it a priceless evening.
Regret? With nearly 45 minutes drive from our front door to Kokanee’s, we may not get back between now and when it closes for the season (October?). As heads up to others — it is worth the trip!
Question. Where will Chef Neltner go when Kokanee closes for the season? Where he’s cooking is a place we want to eat!
That’s the summary. Here are the details:
CHARMING AMBIANCE — WARM HOSPITALITY — SEATING OPTIONS
Rustic elegance is how my friend described the interior as we were seated at a table in the main dining room. A perfect description.
One of the delightful things here is the ample space provided between tables so one does not feel seated as if a sardine in a can. You have a choice of seating in the main room, on a large screened back porch, at a few tables on the front covered porch or under umbrellas at a new seating area adjacent to the parking lot. If you request where you’d like to sit when making reservations, they do their best to honor it
From making reservations through seating Kokanee guests are made to feel welcome. And this really is an «all people are welcome» vibe. Families with people ranging in ages from infants to octogenarians. (A «tween» standing at a table outside showing a magic trick to his family.) Couples of all ages on dates and dressed for a special occasion. People dressed in jeans and arriving from local camp grounds. Older and younger women in pairs and small groups. Folks with visible disabilities and folks without. Guys sharing fishing tales (literally from the nearby Metolius River). Nice.
STELLAR SERVICE
The chef’s wife, whose name is Jill, runs the front of house and it is clear what good attention she has paid. As I write this review about the flawlessly perfect service we received from our server whose name was Jill, it makes me wonder if she was the same person. I know not. I do know the quality of service Jill provided, personable, expert on the menu, pacing the service just right, spot on timing for follow up, is the reason this review is rounded up to five stars. Stellar service is a big part of excellent dining experience.
LIBATIONS
Full bar. Specialty cocktails @ $ 8 — $ 9. Thoughtful, moderately sized wine list by glass and bottle with pricing competitive with Bend restaurants. The bottle of 2008 Elk Cover La Sirene we ordered was $ 36.
Constructive criticism: they might up the quality of their stemware. The thick rimmed red wine glasses seemed Libby quality and good quality stemware like Riedel ;s restaurant series (relatively thrifty and heavy use friendly) would be more consistent with other fine dining restaurants.
CREATIVE MENU — DELICIOUS FOOD
You’ll find the creative menu that leverages NW ingredients at this link.
Prices for entrees ranged from $ 21 to $ 38 and starters from $ 4 to $ 13. Starter menu provide enough intriguing options to make a meal of grazing through some of them. Entrees are generously sized. Menu leans to omnivore but had options that were vegetarian and vegan friendly. And thumbs up to them for serving wonderful bread, Stria (not Striata) from Bend’s Village Baker, along with olive oil and a housemade dukkah (?).
Our choices included:
Italian styled tomato, bread and vegetable soup (4)
Organic fresh greens salad with blueberries and jiicima (7)
Wild mushroom — Yukon gold potato «napoleon» with duck confit and blueberry demi (13)
Boar and fennel ragout on fresh pappardelle (25)
Lamb shank braised with guajillo peppers served with purple potatoes and carrots (25)
Elk rib-​eye with Dungeness crab mashed potatoes and roasted tomatoes (38)
Mixed fresh berry clafouti with vanilla ice cream (8)
GOOD VALUE
Dinner for four including libations with and coffee after clocked in @ $ 170 (before tip); on par with fine dining locations in Bend,
THIS N THAT
1) Walk ins are welcome but best to have a reservation to be certain of a table.
2) Inaccessible entry problem finally addressed with add of simple small ramp.
3) Don’t know if they have a children’s menu, but there were several children present.
4)Menu prices lower than they were four or so years ago.