Little Moose Restaurant & Lodge please call for reservations — Restaurant in Irwin

My husband & I were looking for a burger place after completing a hike on Upper Palisades Creek Trail and this place looked like it would fit the bill. I looked at the menu on the website & immediately gave directions to hubby for how to get there. Unfortunately, right after being seated we both noticed the menu was vastly different from the one on the website. I was a little concerned, but there was still a cheeseburger on the menu so that’s what both of us ordered. We got the Dam Cheeseburger. Within the FIRST BITE I was so happy we were there. The burger was SO GOOD (and I am pretty picky)! I could tell it was high quality beef, and the pickles on the burger were homemade…and delicious. The burger came with a side of fries, which did not disappoint. They were fresh & perfectly cooked. We ordered the Crab Tots appetizer to share, and it was good but not necessarily brag-worthy.

For dessert we shared the Smoked Peach Cobbler a la Mode. It was AWESOME! Hubby laughed at me & said, “it must be good because you’re really digging in!” And then he tasted it & realized why I was digging in with such gusto.

I’m anxiously looking forward to our next visit to the area so I can try their BBQ platter & a Brownie a la Mode for dessert. Can’t wait!

The staff was great. Very attentive, friendly, and informative. We even asked about the different menu from the online version and were told it has to do with the previous owner/ access issues. It’s completely beyond their control.

Bottom line:...

GO TO THE LITTLE MOOSE! Stop thinking about it, and go. The food is magnificent, the service is exactly on point, and the ambiance is perfect for the setting. This is the restaurant you wish every other roadside restaurant was like. It's not fancy, there is no pretense, no affectation, it's just excellent cooking, and caring service. Everything is scratch made, the meats are cooked over wood, the sauces and pickles are made in house, the preparations are skillful and creative, the beer selections are all relevant... everything is just right. I had a barbecue platter with ribs, brisket, barbecue beans, and slaw, and every element was exactly what you would want it to be. My wife had a burger, and the attention to detail was exceptional. And did I mention it's all cooked over wood! So GOOD! I have little reason to ever go back to Swan Valley, but I may just make one up, just so I can go here again! In the meanwhile, YOU should go, and I'm...

We had a pretty bad experience here. The staff was rude as soon as we walked through the door. One of them even disclosed to us that he was not happy to be there and how "cheap" the owner is. So that wasn't a great first impression. But we stayed anyway cause we had rented a room there. We ordered some beers on tap, but the keg blew right away. We then ordered the salmon dip. It was not good. It was more like a paté covered in capers with sweet cornbread type triangles. Then we ordered the BBQ combo dinner to share. You're supposed to be able to choose 2 meats with it. Come to find out, they were out of....well all the meats, except for brisket. So we got "double" the brisket. It was ok. The beans were dry and burned. The potato salad was....just kinda weird. Anyway, dinner was so terrible, we actually decided to pack our things and head home for the night instead of staying. It just tainted our stay completely. Would not recommend...