Mesquitery Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Hood River

I took my family to this restaurant earlier this month, mainly because of all the positive Google reviews. The ambiance was nice, the drinks were good, and the portions were generous. Other than these things, we did not have a pleasant visit to this restaurant. All four people at our table ordered steaks, all medium rare. When they came out, only one of them was actually pink in the middle. One person in our group noted that his steak was closer to well done and asked the server if she could instead bring a different (thicker) cut of steak, cooked medium rare. She said, "It will take a while," which I get, since restaurants get busy, but you'd think that if the kitchen made a mistake, that order would be prioritized. Instead, we all finished our food before the fourth person at our table even received his replacement order. When the replacement steak finally arrived, the server didn’t even wait to see if it was made correctly; she just dropped the plate and left. It was again, medium/medium well. At that point, he was so hungry that he just ate it. When she finally came back to check on us and he told her the steak still was not cooked properly, she claimed that “the lighting in the kitchen must be different.” Her explanation felt like an excuse rather than an acknowledgment of the issue. It was strange to be told we were wrong instead of just fixing the mistake. The overall quality of the food was lacking, with the baked potato we ordered at our table being extremely hard, and four out of the five steaks not cooked to our specifications. On our way out, we overheard a similar conversation occurring at a large table. “Three steaks and none of them are cooked the way we asked.” This confirmed our experience wasn't an isolated incident. Everyone has an off night, I get it, but this situation was not handled...

I recently visited the mesquitery with my father, the first time I’ve been here in over 10 years. I grew up here and was excited to visit. The restaurant was full, so we were seated at the shed. I asked our server, Owen, if they had egg whites for an amaretto sour, and his response was incredibly rude and sarcastic. He loudly laughed, then mockingly asked the other bartender, “Do we have egg whites? What kind of place do you think we are?”

I was genuinely taken aback. I hadn’t been to this restaurant as an adult before—my last visit was likely when I was 18, well before I could legally order a drink. So, not knowing the bar’s offerings, I asked a sincere question and was met with mockery, which made me feel uncomfortable and embarrassed.

Thankfully, the second bartender, Beau, later came over to our table and kindly asked me more about the drink. He seemed genuinely interested, asked where I had heard of it, and even went to the kitchen to check if they had eggs so he could attempt to make it. His professionalism and kindness were appreciated and helped ease some of the tension created by the earlier interaction.

That said, the initial exchange was awkward and disappointing. Hood River is a tourist town, and some people dining here could be first-time customers who won’t necessarily know what drinks are or aren’t offered. When someone asks a question about a drink they enjoy, they shouldn’t be made to feel embarrassed or ridiculed for their preferences. Although it wasn’t my first time at the restaurant, it was my first time visiting as an adult, so I didn’t have prior knowledge of their bar service.

To put it simply, Owen could benefit from some social awareness and should consider how his words and tone affect others. On the other hand, Beau absolutely saved the experience and left a far...

Promising, but Needs Refinement ​I recently dined at Mesquitery with high hopes, and while there were definite highlights, the execution on some of the main dishes held the experience back from being truly great. I’m giving it three stars—good enough to try again, but with room for significant improvement. ​The experience started strong with great service from the staff. To focus on the positives, the pierogies were good, and since I'd never had them before, they were a pleasant and successful surprise! The dessert and drinks were also excellent: the cheesecake was amazing—and being homemade really showed—and the Old Fashioned was expertly made. ​However, the main courses were a bit inconsistent: ​I really wanted to love the steak, and it certainly had good seasoning, but the medium-rare preparation was significantly undercooked and needed a slightly harder sear to achieve that perfect crust. ​The shrimp were also a letdown, being under-seasoned and needing more cook time to be properly cooked through. ​The accompanying baked potato was just okay. ​Finally, since the grill is clearly a focal point of the restaurant, I noticed the grill area could use better lighting to enhance that visual element and make it more appealing. ​I am willing to try Mesquitery again in the future, hoping the kitchen addresses these execution issues. The potential is...