Columbia Inn Restaurant — Restaurant in Kalama

An update follows this original review:

Based on reviews most people had a good experience here and liked the food. A few had a negative experience. I was a bit reserved based on the reviews. But knowing it's been around for more than 70 years it has to be good. I had the dinner portion of chicken fried steak. I asked for A baked potato instead of mashed potatoes. It came with a salad. I chose ranch dressing. I ordered the house made lemonade. I was pleased with everything I had. She had the prime rib dip with Tots. She also had a regular margarita. She thought it could've been sweeter but liked it anyway. She was pleased with her meal. I'm glad we did try this place out. I drive by every day on my work commute. Like a lot of the other reviewers. You should give it a try if you haven't yet. We'll be back. The 1st time here was good.

BTW, she didn't mention desserts. However I did ask our server about it. They make several pies here. They just didn't have the pie tonight which is why they didn't mention the desert. They do a chocolate lava cake here but it's not made in house. They make cheesecake here. They were pulling the cheesecake out of the oven as we were having dinner. Which is probably another reason why they didn't mention desserts tonight. And of course they have ice cream. She did mention that they like to make more seasonal pies appropriate for the time of year. She mentioned that it would be good to call ahead of time if you're curious about what the desserts are. But it sounds to me like it could be a good place to go if you were in the mood for some good dessert.

4/23/25 @1pm We came in for lunch this time. I ordered the prime rib dip this time with tater tots and I asked for a side salad as well, which is an extra charge. The salad was very fresh tasting. I thought the ranch dressing needed more flavor though. I like a lot of au jus so I used my wife's cup of au jus as she doesn't use it. She ordered the cheese steak sandwich. She got the salad instead of fries or tots. The bread can be dry if you don't dip it in au jus. Which she doesn't do. She had water and I ordered a regular lemonade. She asked if I wanted it strawberry or raspberry and I said no. The lemonade was not very sweet. If I'd have known that lemonade wasn't going to be very sweet I would have had it with strawberry or raspberry. Overall the quality is still good. Our server was good as well. Portions were plentiful. The salads came out at the same time as the entrees instead of before...

I had seen this diner many times on my commute north from Portland, so finally decided to stop and enjoy some breakfast. This is a cute historical building right next to I-5 northbound. I was greeted nicely by staff and was given a booth in a corner. I quickly ordered coffee and browsed through the menu. The menu is a traditional diner menu so if your looking for something fancy like crepes or anything with fresh fruit, you’re not going to find it here. I ended up ordering a waffle and asked to top it with fresh strawberries and blue berries which they did. When delivered about 25 min later, the presentation was nice although it could used a few more berries and more whip.the syrup had been sitting under a heat lamp for awhile so had developed a think dry layer that when I poured it over my waffle was not appetizing. The berries were fresh but my waffle was a disappointment. It appears they use the same pancake batter to make the waffles which in my opinion is no, no.. the waffle was not crispy and airy. It was very thick, dense and very chewy. I only ate about a quarter of the pancake and for sure all the berries. I wish someone would tell the chef the difference between pancake batter and waffle batter. . Would I stop here again on my commute, no. For the hefty price and quality of food I would not. The staff was very nice and attentive to my needs which made the whole...

The hubby & I visited the Columbia Inn restaurant for the first time, for a late lunch.

He had a Cheeseburger and I had the Reuben.

We were immediately greeted with a smile, and seated in a nice booth. We were the only customers, so it was nice & quiet.

Our server was Juana, and she was not only very friendly, but accommodating & attentive, making sure we needed for nothing.

The facility is clean, with a quaint cottage feel to it. They have ample seating, and an attached Lounge.

The food arrived in a timely manner, nice & hot. Except for the salad of course, which had a delicious Blue Cheese dressing.

Both the Burger & Reuben were nicely prepared, with plenty of meat, and tasted very good & fresh. Both were served with delicious crinkle cut French fries...not greasy at all.

We're definitely going back, and would recommend the Columbia Inn restaurant to anyone in or driving through the area. It's super easy to find with lots of parking. No stairs at entry, so wheelchairs can get in fine.

Just fyi....it appears they do not serve Breakfast all day, as we were given a Lunch & Dinner only menu. Still, the food options are plentiful, without being overwhelming.

Thank you to the gang at the Columbia Inn restaurant! Compliments to the chef! ...