Hay J's Bistro — Restaurant in Liberty Lake

Hay J's Bistro has been one of our favorite Liberty Lake restaurants for years, and we often choose to eat there on special occasions or when we have guests in town. Last night, we went to Hay J's to celebrate an anniversary, and our waitress for the evening was "Natasha". While she had a pleasant enough disposition, she was, unfortunately, slow and incredibly inattentive. She seated us, took our drink and meal orders, and then virtually disappeared. We watched as other patrons who came in AFTER us (with other wait staff serving them), were seated and served both drinks and their meals while we waited. At several points, we had to flag down other wait staff to get bread and drink refills. At one point, one of the patrons at an adjacent table directed THEIR server to us, recognizing we were struggling to get anyone's attention. When the food--while as delicious as it always is--finally arrived, it was cold and had clearly been sitting for some time. We finished the meal and waited for our waitress to return, but she didn't. Because of that, we had to walk to the front of the restaurant for both a to-go box and the check. The worse part of that? Who but our waitress was simply standing up front, seemingly occupied with nothing in particular at all. Again, the food was as good as it always is; but, for the first time in our many years of eating at Hay J's, the service was subpar and took the shine off of what was supposed to be a delightful anniversary...

My wife and I joined another couple for Valentine’s Day dinner at Hay J’s Bistro on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025. It was our first time dining at the restaurant. I want to start this review by saying we had a good time. It is a cozy spot and everyone who works there is extremely nice, including Megan, our server. We had a reservation for 7:30 p.m. and it was ready for us on the dot.

Bread was brought out early and it was tasty. My wife ordered a cup of the seafood chowder which she really enjoyed. When it came to our entrees, my wife ordered the ribeye ($54) and I ordered the prime rib ($54) which was part of that night’s special. I appreciated the fact that they allowed me to substitute the baked potato with garlic mashed potatoes. We don’t mind paying a little extra for our meat, but I was a tad disappointed with ours. The flavor was good but both of our cuts were a little tough. I think I was hoping more for that tender, “melt in your mouth” type experience.

Couple other observations: We were the last ones to leave the restaurant and I extend my gratitude to the staff for not showing us any attitude or trying to whisk us out. When we left, they were all very kind and gracious. It would be nice if bread baskets were refilled and there was more of an initiative to refill drinks (i.e. I had a Dr. Pepper and it was empty for a long time before I asked for a refill). I don’t know if we will return but I can definitely see the charm...

We have been to Hay J's many times, and the food is always excellent. It's a little out of the way for us so we only go every couple of months. Yesterday was a return visit for us and the environment was so awful I am compelled to write a review. First, the food, as always, was excellent. But the service was poor. Not just slow, but poor. We were seated at the front table by the door and bar and the staff and couple people in the bar were so loud we could barely carry on our own conversation in normal voices. One woman from the bar was actually on a phone call with a raised voice, yelling expletives into the phone as she was walking out of the restaurant. We had to wait for a refill on soda - the glass sat empty for at least 15 minutes and I had to ask for the refill. We had to wait on a box, and then a second box, and then even paying the tab was a slow process - we just wanted to be gone by that point. I remember telling my fiance, it's like we are secondary to what they're doing here. The staff were more interested in talking amongst themselves and the people in the bar than they were about tending to their dining customers. A huge disappointment and makes me rethink if I will go back. When you spend $60 for lunch, it should follow that you get a good atmosphere to go with it. Yesterday, Hay J's was...