Coldwater Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Baranof Island

RAW BATTER and FISH. The experience dining here was far below mediocre. We were greeted and seated quickly, which was great. We ordered and the food came quickly. Being locals, we were excited to eat here for the first time. Our order of regular fries came with a single sweet potato fry. We laughed it off, tried it, and said nothing about it. The fish and chips was room temp, not warm at all. One bite into one of the halibut “fish and chips” pieces and the consistency was rubbery. After looking at the inside of it, it was raw. Born and raised Alaska I can tell when a piece of halibut is raw. There was batter dripping from the piece as it also wasn’t fully cooked. We waited some time for our waiter to circle around and showed her the fish and simply asked if she could heat it up. She explained because we ate half the piece there was nothing she could do. Mind you I took one bite of the small piece. I wasn’t asking for a discount or anything. After a little back and forth of asking if she could get it heated back up. I had to litterly touch the raw batter and show it to her on my finger to get her to even take it back to the chef. She came back and set it in front of me and said the best she could do was 20% off. I said okay and asked for the check. She said nothing and handed me the card reader. My card was charged full price, so she didn’t even give me the 20% off but whatever. I told her I wasn’t trying to be anoying and was just asking for it to be reheated and I was sorry for the hassle. Mind you I’m a local, and this is one of the few restaurants in town. Trying to end on a good note. She didn’t say anything to that which was awkward. Once my tap to pay went through she took the card reader and walked away without saying anything. I sat for 10 ish more minutes waiting to see if maybe she was bringing my receipt, but no. She just walked off without saying anything. the rest of the staff was nice and welcoming. Sucks to see one bad apple ruin it. Didn’t see any other locals dining, and now I see with good reason. Catering towards the tourists it worries me how they might try to gaslight people who don’t know better into eating raw fish and batter. Now looking back, the single sweet potato in my fries was...

My recent dining experience at the Coldwater Bar and Grill left much to be desired. While there were some positive aspects, such as the quality of the crab legs, overall, the visit was marred by unorganized service and mediocre food.

The first issue we encountered was the disorganized seating. We were initially seated at a table for two people, despite our party consisting of three. After a brief shuffle, we were moved to another table, which was a bit frustrating as it seemed like a simple oversight that should have been avoided.

Our service woes continued when multiple waitstaff approached our table in quick succession. First, one waiter assured us she would be right with us, only for a different waiter to take over our table less than three minutes later. This sudden handover left us feeling somewhat disoriented and unsure about who our actual server was.

To make matters more confusing, when we asked a question, the second waiter walked away without explanation, apparently to find the answer. While it's commendable that he sought information, his abrupt departure without any communication left us momentarily puzzled.

The quality of the food also left room for improvement. The fish and chips arrived at our table at room temperature, which was disappointing. In contrast, the crab legs were a standout, offering a satisfying taste. However, the same couldn't be said for the mac and cheese served to my daughter, which was, at best, mediocre.

In summary, my visit to the Coldwater Bar and Grill was less than stellar. The unorganized service and inconsistency in the quality of the food left a lot to be desired. While there were some positive aspects, like the enjoyable crab legs, the overall experience fell short of expectations. I hope the restaurant can address these issues to provide a more satisfying dining experience for its patrons...

I was curious about this place when I walked by it in the daytime, and even more so after I read the positive reviews, but in the end it was barely acceptable. The lighting was harsh, glaring, and cold in the main section by the bar; it made me not want to be there. The tables along the window had softer, more welcoming light, but even there the glare from the spotlights on the far side of the room was still annoying … and was flashing, thanks to the ceiling fans. Who designs spaces like this?

The menu is pricey and not very extensive. I ordered the $22 “comfort” special, which consisted of two enormous pork chops garnished with tasteless apple sauce, and served with mashed potatoes (which I was allowed to replace with fries) and a “vegetable” that was supposed to be asparagus but turned out to be coleslaw. It also came with a decent salad to start, arguably the best part of the meal.

The service, while courteous, was slow and generally clueless. They don’t offer WiFi, or plugs for laptops. They don’t offer service on the patio, although they will allow you to take your drinks out there when the weather is nice. In the end, I found the place creepy and unpleasant, and eating there was not a fun experience. Now that I have satisfied my curiosity, I doubt I...