McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge

My Daughter's Wedding Day. Cute place, friendly helpful staff. Even though home is about 25 minutes away it felt like a vacation, comfortable, peaceful. I didn't get a chance to explore the surroundings because of the days event but I had a room facing the river with a balcony, just lovely. Wonderful stay!!

Beautiful setting on the water. The cocktails were wonderful and very generous serving size. Definitely worth a stop and a couple of hours. Plus, a great family park super close in case you want to walk off a few calories afterwards.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Kalama Harbor Lodge! The service was friendly and attentive and the rooms were clean and beautiful. Love that they accommodate dogs.

My husband and I decided to stay here for New Years instead of finding something to do in Seattle. We found it to be whimsical, cozy and an interesting place. The room was clean and has great views with nice balconies to sit on. The decor was vintage inspired and well kept. Mcmens always have an interesting vibe with unique facets to them. This location has a few different bars you have to go find which is fun. We would definitely come back. (We also liked the extra throw blankets in the room for the porch) One downside was when we ate in the restaurant our food was not very hot once it came to the table. It was room temp which was not the most appetizing thing but the food itself was very tasty. Staff were super nice too.

This is a favorite stopping point of ours when traveling from So. Oregon into Seattle. The ambience is fun, the food is good, and the rooms well-decorated and comfortable.

Bring your own pillow if you have a very specific need; otherwise, they have hard or soft. No coffeemaker in the room, but let's face it - it's not worth knocking off a star for that

The gluten free pepperoni pizza was amazing! And our server Elle was the absolute best!

Unique experience. Lots to keep you entertained. Exploring the property is encouraged. Hand painted art is very cool.

This is the most relaxing of the McMenamins we've been to so far. Worth the extra money for the river side room. The area and entire property is perfect to go fromreading a book, to playing in the grass or riverbank, to a nice walk to the ahle cabin.

I just wanted to give a special shout out to the wonderful lady working at the little bar over in Kalama! I believe her name was Diana. She recommended an amazing truffle mushroom pizza and was just a wonderfully welcoming and endearing individual! Every time I have ever been in she is consistently helpful and always makes me feel welcomed. Thank you again Diana!

Spent a couple of fun nights here. Didn't realize there was so much to do: walk the paved path along the river with a cozy pub at either end, have lunch at a large market hall with local shops, visit the port museum with a real steam engine train, and watch the big ships and tugboats pass by. Plus rabbits, eagles and seals! Tip: Get a room facing the river. Fun to sit on your private balcony and watch it go by, but also you're protected from the noise of the trains that run in front- makes for better sleep.

We had a river view room with balcony and it was so relaxing watching the sunset and the Columbia river from there. Beautiful rooms with historical photos and artwork throughout the hotel. Loved the atmosphere and location and excellent customer service. Will definitely return soon.

This hotel and pub sits right on the Columbia River. The view is beautiful, and they have many different places within this McMenimins to enjoy a meal, snack and refreshments. The hotel itself is built to resemble a hotel in Lahaina

Celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary with a two night stay. So much fun, mellow atmosphere, lots of bars and food choices, cool views of ships, boats and trains. Easy walk to quaint small town of Kalama. Great historical art displays and chandallier collection. We will be back again soon!

The room is comfortable and the view of the river from the balcony is great. The service provided by all of the staff members was exceptional! We really enjoyed our stay. We will definitely be back again!

One of our favorite McMenamins! Views of river, boats coming in, Kalama Harbor, so much stuff the see. It's a busy, bustling place, great for friends/groups but also quiet spots for introverts, couples, even dogs.

Our family group met here for the weekend and we had an absolute blast! The rooms are extremely comfortable and food was fantastic! Had drinks at the Cloud Bar and enjoyed the Cajun Tots too!! Would recommend to anyone and everyone!!

Perfect place to stop for a half way point between Olympia and Portland. Easy on and off I5 lots of parking. Adventure around hotel to find hidden rooms too.

Very nice! Loved the River view we had this time - used the balcony several times. Was amazing to wake up to River cruise boat docked right outside our window. Pet friendly, so can take your fur family - but know you are charged $30/night. More areas to walk to this time - nice surprise! Still wish they had a pool, hottub, &/or theater on site.

Favorite mcmenamins stay so far. Extremely peaceful. The cabin bar is a must. Cozy fire, beautiful river views, sandy beaches. Great food and drinks. What more could you want!

First time visitor. We were just hanging out as it was a central locatiin. Came for lunch. Waitress was amazing at helping me get a delicious meal, within my diatary guidelines. (Salmon on a salad. Perfection) We had a snack before we hit the road, steak bites, and fries. All delicious, and again the waitress was delightful

Didn't stay in hotel. Beautiful property. Fun to explore. Bar and balcony on top floor. The Alhe cabin is adorable but tiny. Only 4 parking spots and bit of walk from main building.

We celebrated our 46th anniversary here this week and it was our first visit to this McMenamins location. It was awesome with the typical wonderful eclectic style. The staff was all friendly and helpful, especially Rachel, who went out of her way to make it a fun experience for us!

We came here for the restaurant, not the hotel. I can only speak to the food experience. This place is huge! I walked around the outside first and admired all the plants. They have thornless raspberries growing on the lot side of the building! Parking is plentiful and free. They sit a few yards from the Kalama market, also by the river. There are totem poles outside, by McMenamins, as well as on the second floor, inside the market building. They are both worth seeing. There is patio seating for those with dogs. There are multiple stories, with a beautiful view from the rooftop patio, where we sat. The restaurant has some games you can play at the tables. The inside is low-ceilinged and dark, so I was happy for the patio. When we arrived, it was also the only place with openings left. There was an approximate twenty-minute wait, on this Saturday afternoon, if we wanted to sit inside the first three levels. We arrived knowing what we wanted, after perusing the menu online. I ordered the dry cider. It was on the sweet side for me, but it was the least sweet cider on the menu. My husband ordered a bacon cheeseburger with regular tots (Cajun is a choice). I ordered the Mystic with a gluten-free bun, as I am dairy sensitive and celiac. I eat meat, but I am also a ominover and I wanted something different. The Mystic Burger is vegan and gluten-free.I was impressed.by the vegan cheese on it. I think it tastes.better.than the usual, half-oil cheese on a burger. The vegan burger itself was juicy and flavorful. I asked for added mushrooms and it was a $2 upcharge, but they delivered. I was going to add grilled onions, but that would cost another $3. I couldn't justify the cost for a few slivers of onion. I requested the black garlic aeoli. It was a bit strong on the garlic and needs some balancing flavor or texture that's missing. Each of us had to have a pound of tots on the plate. Between the hefty burger and tots, neither of us could finish our food. The service was friendly, helpful, and on top of refilling my water..sadly something to note. Overall, I would return, considering the beauty of the setting and the food allergy options for those with gluten and dairy sensitivities. They are on the pricy side, as we were over seventy, after tip, for two burgers and tots, with gf buns, a cider, and a root beer We had no appetizer or dessert. For that reason, I wouldn't dine here often.

The room was cozy. Coffee cups but no coffee maker. My mattress was not comfortable, and the blinking light on the ceiling was annoying. The two best eateries are the two in the main building. The other two, one north and one south, are not so good or nothing special. Parking at the lodge can be a challenge on holiday weekends. The patio and view of the river were great. Bathroom water was instantly hot and no wait. If you drink the cold water from the tab, you'll notice a hint of chlorine. There is no place to get coffee at 0300 unless you drive to town. A passenger ship docked out back, and you can view barges and other large vessels passing. On the front side, a few trains a day passing. Check out the Port of Kalama display next door, too.

Accommodations were clean, attractive and loved the deck with the water view! Wish the room had a small fridge for water/leftovers from restaurant. 3rd floor room is below top floor restaurant- was a bit noisy throughout the night. Parking is not allocated for guests so can be hard to find depending on day/season. Check-in was efficient but unwelcoming. Restaurant and guest service (on checkout day) was excellent!

The room was clean and spacious. Could not get the heat above 67 degrees. We had to sleep with clothes on. Ordered pizza, but the crust was burnt. No coffee maker in the room had cups to get it in lounge but no coffee available at night , Only morning- afternoon. And no mini fridge. Nice view rumble from trains.

Rating 3 stars because the service, tots, cider and pizza were great but spending $20 on a burger that is charred, over cooked, and barely has any of the signature sauce it’s supposed to is just disappointing. I couldn’t finish my burger, it was so flavorless and just depressing. I’ve had the Captain Neon dozens of times, I know how it’s supposed to be served but this was just… Sad. Our waitress however was absolutely fantastic, so friendly and sociable you would think we were getting drinks at our local dive bar or pub and not a hotel where people come and go.

This is my third visit here, and their beer still doesn’t quite resonate with me. However, the atmosphere and scenery are so wonderful that I find myself coming back every time. It’s a place I’d recommend, but I’m not sure about the food, and I wouldn’t recommend their IPA. Additionally, for those who enjoy Guinness stout, I would recommend avoiding the stout selection at this place.

It’s truly unfortunate that across every McMenamins location — not just the Kalama Harbor Lodge — the same pattern repeats itself: employees who are rude, dismissive, visibly miserable, or pompous. The confusion, non-engagement, and overall negativity from staff are not isolated incidents; it’s systemic. Management and ownership have failed their teams, and it shows in every interaction. There is no camaraderie, no hospitality, and no sense of pride. Ask a question, and you can almost feel the sigh coming before the answer. It's not just disappointing — it actively ruins the experience. McMenamins builds beautiful properties with unique, rich atmospheres, but somewhere along the way, they seem to have decided that ambience alone would be enough. It isn’t. Atmosphere might bring guests in the door, but a miserable staff drives them away. Ultimately, I don't place all the blame on the employees themselves. It’s clear they are working in a culture where morale is low, support is lacking, and positivity is almost non-existent. Management and ownership are responsible for setting the tone, creating community, and valuing their teams — and here, they’ve failed. If you visit a McMenamins, go for the architecture, the history, the charm — but be prepared to turn a blind eye to the brooding, discontent energy that sadly lies just beneath the surface.

Update--I want to note that I received a very professional and thorough response from Matt, the Manager of the Kalama Harbor Restaurant. He was gracious and comped my meal--his attention to my concerns was reassuring--and wonderful customer service. Thank you Matt. I want to love this place. I live in Kalama and want to support this establishment. The restaurant can't seem to pull off a decent meal no matter how hard they try. If your charging Portland rates in little Kalama--deliver a decent meal with good service. You CONSISTENTLY DO NOT. It's really disappointing.

Wife and I didn’t stay here but had a salad and fish and chips in the bar. Staff great, facilities great, food- underwhelming. This is a theme I’ve noticed with McMenamins across the board- too much reliance on atmosphere and history while offering inferior food. Need to step it up McM especially for the price.

Great location for travelers. Atmosphere is fun and the room decor is interesting. Unfortunately the rooms do not have any bathroom counters and the restaurant food quality is average at best. For such an iconic PNW hotel chain, they could do better.

Super nice staff! Their friendliness is genuine, their customer service outstanding! The food was not so good. The Salisbury steak was so overcooked. It was tough and dry. The kind bartender stepped in to help. But, it just wasn't good. I can't comment on the rooms because I stayed elsewhere. The river location is wonderful. The walking paths are great. Stroll over to the small bar on campus and enjoy a pint looking over the river.

I was so looking forward to eating a lovely meal in the outdoor seating area of the restaurant to enjoy the sunset. Sadly, staff forgot we were there and we had to ask the desk staff if we could order. We ordered the Alaskan cod dinner and a burger. The cod dinner was cold (sitting awhile) and the waitress forgot fry sauces and then took forever to return. Staff never came out with the bill, so once again we had to ask the desk staff for the bill. Lovely location, lovely facility, food average at best for the cost. They seemed to have enough staff, just slow and unorganized.

We like eating here but it was almost an hour for our food to arrive. They said they are training people. Who trains at 5:50 the busiest time of day???

This is a review of service at the restaurant, I cannot speak for the hotel. And the location is in a beautiful stop with plenty to see. I am not one to write reviews ever, but I have been in the service industry all of my life. And this experience was one of the worst dining experiences I have had. We came in on Monday afternoon around 2pm and our server was also the bartender. I understand that this server obviously had too much going on to handle anything properly but it made our first experience of this McMenamins extremely negative. He took our order in a timely fashion and our drinks came out promptly, but once our food arrived, we were missing one of the 2 entrees. We waited patiently thinking it would come out shortly after and we could tell he had a lot going on. But after about 20 minutes and him not coming to check on us, even after walking passings us constantly to help other tables. We finally stopped him and asked about our food, he said it’s coming and he will go check on it. Came back to tell us it had gotten missed in the kitchen and it would be out in one minute. After another 15-20 mins, I was served a kids meal instead of the burger I ordered. We asked if this was the correct food, he said sorry no it’s not. He apologized for the mistake as it was his own, as he put in the wrong food. I said it was fine and I would eat the kids meal, and he assured us the kids meal would not be on our bill. We have 2 kids under 2 with us and our time is limited with our children. We finally receive our bill and see that the kids meal was in fact on it.. When we pointed this out to him he was honestly too stunned to speak at this point. No more apologies were made and he just adjusted the price, swiped our card & we just left without another word said to us. Expect from the sweet hostess. This location needs to staff differently so that its customers can be taken care of properly and so that that staff aren’t so blatantly overwhelmed and stressed.

Restaurant: Ive tried other McMenamins so I expected good food. My burger bun was so dry it fell apart as soon as I touched it. Very little flavor. 2 stars for the views otherwise it'd be one.

Very busy but soooo ( too many!) many tables not bussed. People couldn't find place to sit for lunch. Had to wipe our own table down and no one brought us silverware or napkins until after our food arrived. We had to wait to eat. Lobster Shrimp Roll was tasteless. Bread was stale. Cajun toots were great. Others like their burgers and fish n chip. I thought fish had greasy after taste. We will give them another chance.

As we show up we were met with smiles and amazing attitudes! Our server Matt J took our orders and everything seemed to be going well then after food arrival he seemed to disappear. He didn’t come back to re fill waters and when I asked him for more water, he came to the table and just filled my water glass and walked away without filling the other 3 glasses. We asked for water again and he failed to return until we got his attention and had to ask again. He then said he would bring a box for the pizza. He didn’t and we had to ask again. And finally we sat at our table and after he brought water, he just left all the finished dishes on the table. I think the dished sat for T least 30 mins after the meal. So we are just really disappointed in our service at this great establishment.

Whole place was dirty, staff was not very friendly, and the fryer oil seems like it is never changed. Did not feel very well after eating here. I do not recommend coming here at all. You would get better service and food at McDonalds.

My child got food poisoning from eating here. I also go a stomach issue. They investigated themselves and denied it was them. We will not be back.

For $210 a night, you can get less than a motel 6 in your room. Their Valentine's special you can get a cheap bottle of sparkling cider, $8 chocolates, and 10$ massage oil for 75$ added to your room! For a grand total of $330 you can get a terrible stay too! Our room had a bed, tv, small balcony, and bathroom.