Soda Butte Lodge

Elizabeth Bestrom

2024-02

We drove through Yellowstone yesterday and went up to Cooke city to eat and this was the only place that was open. We are from Montana and wanted to do a day trip. We went inside, and the smell was absolutely horrendous. We sat down, waited a while, got our food to go And when we got into the car and opened our boxes, our chicken strips were not cooked fully and the fries were soggy. We paid $43 for this meal for 3 1/2 people. My husband’s card was charged 64.90$ and another charge on top of that. We did not eat our food as we drove down the road we threw it in the trash. None of it was edible at all. It used to be such a good Restaurant even though we haven’t eaten there in years. I noticed on the receipt That my husband signed they wrote down the last four of his card number which was a little Unsettling And now we have extra charges on our card for absolutely nothing. My husband is calling To find out why we were charged $20 extra on top of our bill plus another 21$. I am not impressed at all as I love Cooke city and the park. My daughter was also walking up and down the stairs while we Were waiting for our food and one of I presume owners looked at her and said no, and she ran over to us. We will not be back.

Ryan M

2024-01

We had stopped for drinks and food on 12-28-23 at 5pm. Now I very much like ethnic food and atmosphere but this place was very strange. There was no one there besides three workers from India, whoch is fine but seemed out of place. No customers at all. It looks like a decent rustic log motel restaurant and bar from the outside. But then you walk in and it's dingy and run down. It is ran by a few people from India and they have Indian music playing. The music in that setting was such a conflict I had a hard time looking past it. There were 6 of us and the guy serving us had to do one cocktail at a time for some reason as in as what one person wanted and then made it, brought it and then asked the next guy.... over and over again. This took forever. The food was terrible also. This owner needs to understand that no one is looking fir old western atmosphere with Indian music or flare. It's just out of place.Food & drinks: They were out of over half of the menu. I ordered the BLT sandwich. The sandwich came with 4 small pieces of spinach, and without tomato or mayo. He said they were out. The bacon was so crispy and dry that it was like chewing chalk. I couldn't finish it cuz it was so bad. I don't think I've never not finished a BLT sandwich because it didn't taste good. The tator tots were the only side available and tasted like old oil. I wanted to drown them in ketchup but the bottle had blak bits of old ketchup on the tip and cap so I did not dare eat it.

Patricia Klena

2023-11

I would give this place no stars if I could. First of all, it is just plain run down. Our room was upstairs with three double beds. There was no air conditioning so we thought we would open the windows. There were 4 crank-open windows and all four cranks were broken. There was no smoke alarm, just wires hanging from the ceiling. The bathroom was only semi clean. The flooring throughout the hotel was uneven and had rippled carpets, making walking hazardous. We planned on eating breakfast there...it was advertised online as having a good breakfast in the hotel restaurant and there was a menu in our room. When we went down to check on it the night before, we were told that they do not serve breakfast. I went upstairs and got the menu, brought it downstairs, and could get no one to come to the desk, even though I stood there for ten minutes. The next morning three elderly women were trying to get their luggage downstairs and my husband had to assist them because the front desk was completely dark and there were no hotel employees to be found.All in all, the worst place we have ever stayed in all our travels.Safety: Uneven floors and windows that wouldn't open made it unsafe

Linda Harkins

2023-10

We went out west for 2 weeks. Soda Butte Lodge was the Worst hotel I have EVER stayed in! I’m 61 & I have traveled a good bit. The only reason I stayed was because there was nowhere to go but my car and there was 4 of us, 2 in their mid 80’s. The only thing clean in the hotel was the sheets on the beds. Stains all over the carpets, hair on the bathroom floors & bugs behind the bed side table. We slept & left. This place needs to be shut down. They serve food! I can’t imagine anyone eating there!

Tyler Jensen

2023-10

Contrary to many of the other recent reviews, our room was adequately clean. Check in wasn't instant but I didn't have to wait too long at all. The food wasn't very good but it for sure wasn't terrible, we felt lucky to be served something, given that nothing else was open in the small town. Very on par with what one would expect from a one star hotel. Give the owners a break, they're trying. We saw them reopen the kitchen for a couple who showed up late, which we thought was kind.

Ashley Marie Wisler

2023-10

Stopped in here for a quick lunch on our way out of the park. What a disgrace to Yellowstone and the surrounding area. The place was absolutely disgusting. I took the lack of cleanliness as a result of possibly cleaning up after the busy season. Boy was I wrong, I can't speak for staying here because we didn't but do NOT EAT HERE. I have no words for what we found. Not only were we given a container of ranch that was so dirty we didn't use it, I felt as if my PAPER PLATE seemed dirty to lift the checkered paper my food was sitting on to find crusted up food from someone elses last meal and knife markings. We ordered chicken fingers and hasn't used a piece of cutlery. We immediately got up asked for our check to leave and as I was waiting by the bar the filth I saw behind it was disturbing. But also while standing there I watched the owner and his wife clear tables off and toss the checkered paper in the trash and pile up the used plates. DONT NOT RECOMMENDED ! GROSS, DISGUSTING IF I COULD GIVE ZERO STARS I WOULDsomeone needs to send the health department in there.

Whitney Oden

2023-08

I'm extremely disappointed! My husband and I have always stopped here over the years and were excited to bring out of state guests we were hosting. To our embarrassment, this once iconic hotel and restaurant has become so disgusting. I first notice the filth walking up the stairs to our rooms. You could see the carpeted stairs, hallways, and rooms that had not been vacuumed in quite some time. A quick look up, and you can see ceiling tiles missing, stained, or barely hanging on. I was able to forgive the 1950's bedspread, but the stained, torn, inside out sheets were just too much. Hairs and some bugs were found in the beds. I asked for clean sheets, and instead of being apologetic, the non English speaking man with his translator just made excuses. The rooms were hot and very little ventilation even with window open fan running all night the rooms were stuffy. Along with not being dusted, this would be a nightmare to someone with allergies. Asked for some water, they said drink from the sink they don't have bottled water even though there are vending machines they are not stocked and not working. I asked where an ice machine was, and they required me to ask for ice at the desk. When you turn on the sink faucet, it slashes all over you as they are not the correct type of faucets for that sink. The tub/shower was not any cleaner. Now this location is one of the few places with a restaurant in this historic little town, and they do not provide any type of breakfast, not even a muffin. When we asked where can we grab a bite before heading back into the park, they said you can get something next door at the gas station... Seriously!? We definitely will not be stopping in Cooke City much in the future. A main location in such a small town having this bad of service really can affect the surrounding businesses. I don't even want to come back anytime soon. I used to look forward to our annual drive once the Beartooth Highway opens and stopping for lunch at Soda Butte, but now that restaurant serves Indian food, no thank you. And if they are keeping the kitchen as dirty as the rest of the hotel...I dont want to even imagine.

Mandy Manning

2023-09

HEALTH INSPECTOR PLEASEdisgusting, Carpet is filled with dirt, grit and stains. I found a pubic hairs in my sheets they obviously don’t launder after every persons stay. Furniture had layers of dust as well as all chipped and old, walls had chunks of paint and plaster missing, Our door didn’t meet the frame so you could peep straight into our room. Management had absolutely no idea on customer service, spoke very broken English, maybe Pakistani or Indian.No A/C, no hairdryer, no coffee you can get coffee in reception but once containers are empty they don’t refill and tell you it broken..Don’t do laundry there the room is absolutely filthy and smells. We checked out at 9am, everything was still locked up no reception, no cleaning staff to be seen in the entire hotel. Charge was $190 per night absolute rip off… I would have been better off sleeping on a park bench it would have been cleaner

Fran Hutchins

2023-10

It's too bad this iconic hotel has been neglected so. The main issue is family that runs the place doesn't speak English, so you will give up trying get anything from them. Wifi may as well be dial-up. If at the bar you have to physically touch the display beer to get one. There are no amenities. Just order from the very basic menue, burgers, if you dont want it on your burger just pick it off yourself it less of a hassel. I don't know how this family will survive the winter.

Donna Smith

2023-08

We were making a last-minute trip to Yellowstone and decided to stay here since there weren't many options. The room was clean but old. The floors creak when you walk around and the walls are paper thin. You can hear the TV in the room next door, and you can hear the conversations going on. When we checked in, the guy in the bar had to get the lady to check us in. She is also the server in the bar and restaurant. We are at the restaurant but they said we had to sit in the bar. It is dark and ok. The restaurant bathrooms are downstairs, so if you are handicapped, you will need to find somewhere else to go. I think there is only one person cooking, since it took a really long time to get our food. The food was very good. I had the French dip. The parking is wherever you can find a spot. The outside deck has barrels full of cigarette butts, cans, bottles, and trash. This is bear country, but they don't seem to clean up the outside. Wifi is almost nonexistent. You have to get different passwords for where you are at the lodge. Because it was so noisy at 6 am, we decided to go ahead and get packed and head out early. We got outside, and someone had let all the air out of one of our tires. Apparently, the lodge doesn't make sure their guests are safe or their vehicles are safe. My husband did he would never even come to Cooke City because of the tire situation.

Edward Brunton

2023-09

This hotel was a pretty negative experience throughout. Check in took several minutes - several employees looked at me until finally a different one came out of the back to check me in. I had a room on the second floor - there is no elevator and the floor is uneven. The condition of the facility reminded me of an unkempt ski lodge. Doors used physical keys so that was another thing to keep track of. Shower was warm but the towels were overdue for reacements - they were beginning to fall apart. The sink oddly had water shooting in the wrong direction so I could only have it on half way. As a silver lining, the mini fridge in the room worked. The bed was comfortable enough. Check out in the morning lacked a person and involved dropping the key into a basket anyone could reach into.Overall, with your limited options to the north of Yellowstone, this might be one of your few options but take a serious consideration of your other options.Rooms: The walls were incredibly thin - I could hear the excited couple in the next room extremely clearly.Walkability: The restaurant across the street was decent.Noteworthy details: There was no cell reception here and the wifi was only really good enough for email.

Elizabeth Fischer

2023-08

Wifi was very hard to get and stay connected to. Rooms were decent size, bathrooms were pretty small. Floors felt dirty on your bare feet. Beds were very uncomfortable, it felt like the middle was sunken in and I felt like I was rolling downhill all night. Very cute general store across the street, and a café as well...good food but pricey, didn't eat at the restaurant in the hotel. You can't help noise neighbors, but I heard the upstairs neighbors all night, stomping around. Older building.

Robin Wilson

2023-07

This place is a joke. My father and my son had a reservation there for July 2 and July 3.The room was disgusting. My son sent pictures. The bed was completely a waste of a cheep mattress. My son is 20 and he was unable to sleep in it. I called the hotel today to speak with someone. My family checked out early this morning explaining why they could not stay another night. There was plenty of time to rent the room to someone else.When the called the gentleman said I would need to talk to the manager as I was requesting a full nights refund or a partial. The man lied to me and gave me some bogus number and then would not answer the phone when I called back.Rooms: They were disgusting

Karl Leibensperger

2023-08

We stopped at the bar there times in one week. The staff are recently from India and are not in tune with American customs and their English is incomplete. They screwed up the bill, forgot multiple times to bring something to one of our party and totally ignored a female in the group trying to order until I got involved. Beer is very cold but he careful ordering mixed drinks because many things are missing and they don't seem to understand the offers. The bar is dead quiet and very, uncomfortably hot. I did like the pastrami burger. Weirdo is very slow, but it's something.

Fox Mulder

2023-06

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LISA HANEY

2023-05

This iconic place is like stepping back in time 50 years. I love the history of this building. We had lunch here but didn’t stay. The food was good but unfortunately the staff (the cook was the waiter and cashier) was lacking. The owner( I’m assuming) was very apologetic and explained that help was hard to come by in the winter in such a small town. Give them a try. Help this small local business thrive.

Rucha Geedh

2023-05

We only stayed one night but it was a great stay! The owners/ front desk folks were super nice! We arrived after the restaurant's last call, but they were courteous enough to still accommodate us for the food.The Lodge itself is a beautiful building, with a great reception area. The restaurant has some amazing creek views. Beds are comfy, and the showers worked great. It's a great deal for Money :)

ether music

2023-09

Um..it could have been much better. Idk how long this family has owned this very old establishment, but I think they are missing the point of a vacationer going to an old miner's saloon at the edge of Yellowstone. Idk if they have already put alot of money into the establishment to fix it up, or if they are fine with the way it is. I could tell the bath and sink areas were newer, but the carpets and decor were in need of a freshen-upper. For an old piece of historical establishment, it lacked panache.

Sean C

2023-07

Stopped to eat lunch.. lady was helpful at first, brought out a Styrofoam cup of water, then dissapears. The bar itself was extremely hot.. like 85°F and its 62° outside.. i was confused. The food was ok, by no means better than gas station food. The place was not clean, and i ordered a cheeseburger & side salad. Yes, everything is served on paper plates and plastic utensils. To each of their own. I wouldn't go back.

Derrick R

2023-09

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Blake V (HungrySole)

2022-05

Enjoyed the food.Stopped here for dinner on our way out of Yellow Stone. You can sense the history of the place as soon as you walk in. The staff were friendly and the food was good. Got the Juicy Lucy and fries and it hit the spot. The vibe is more nice home cooked/comfort food than big chain, which I enjoyed.

J FG

2023-05

We ate here because it was the only place open at the time of day and year. The service wasn't bad but the food (cheese burgers and pastrami burgers with fries) was possibly the most unenjoyable and surprisingly tasteless meal we've ever had but it did fill us and we did not get sick which was the only positive aspect of that experience. The coffee did have taste but was slightly more terrible than the meal.If you're able, eat at the cafe inside yellowstones mammoth hot spring area or in the town outside of the north entrance or even get something to snack on from the local gas station if you must. I think good food enhances the overall experience of everything before and after any long ride the same way bad food diminishes it. Btw, Cooke-less city is in actuality about 3 blocks long from what we saw so calling it more than a pit stop would be a huge exaggeration. At this time the north east entrance road through bear tooth mountain from here was closed to vehicular traffic because of the snow.Food & drinks: Consumable but not enjoyable food and coffee

Robert Mentecki

2023-08

Very nice restaurant with nice views. I had the Juicy Lucy hamburger and it was very tasty. The only problem is this restaurant really lack atmosphere in a vibe. It was cold, quite and boring.

Jeannie Fung

2023-06

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Dalton Herden

2023-05

Heater made loud screeching noise every time it turned on all night. We didn't get much sleep because of it. We cut the trip one day short and told the front desk that morning we would not be staying the last night. He informed us it would be refunded for the unused reservation in a few days. We went home so we could actually get sleep. No refund happened, and when I called in, the guy said he will not refund the night we did not stay there.

Force Trooper

2023-05

What a friendly and accommodating place. I wandered into town at 11:30 at night, tired, lost, and hungry.There is absolutely no cell phone service for miles (which means hours of travel in this region). The young lady was so happy to give me access to their WiFi and information about the area. She even had the cook prepare me food even though the restaurant was closed. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was also a hotel and they had two rooms left. All the other places had their "no vacancy" signs out. She also discounted the room for me.The saloon and hotel is a beautiful, historic building. There are no phones in the rooms and the WiFi is spotty. The hotel and town do have pay phones.Yellowstone NE Entrance is just a few miles away.

Deseray Toombs

2023-08

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Frank Vrba

2023-05

We didn't stay there but had a meal in the restaurant. As we were eating, the manager? came running up to our table and started stomping on something. It was a roach right under our table which he killed. Then he swept it up and never said a word. Our food wasn't very good. I had a French dip sandwich and the au jus was mostly grease from the pan. I NEVER post 1-star ratings because they are usually just people who have a personal disagreement about something but a roach in the dining room? Whoever owns this place needs to get serious about whether they want to keep it or not. I get that the Cooke City economy was severely affected because of road closures but since they're not so busy, they could use the time to clean up!

Klio Stroubakis

2023-05

Impressed by the friendliness of staff and how helpful they were during our visit. Incredibly generous and welcoming. Some of the amenities offered here that are hard to come by in these parts: WIFI with a nice/comfy lounge to do work, laundry facilities, and also... mozzarella sticks :) we thoroughly enjoyed the food, drink, space, and company here— definitely a gem here in Cooke City!

kim h

2022-05

We only stayed one night but it was a great stay! The room was clean, mattress comfy, new vanity, and excellent water pressure in the shower. Would definitely come here again. The town was quaint, everything within walking distance. The lobby was a little warm and the carpeting old, but the big fireplace was lovely and really set the tone.