Buffalo Bar — Restaurant in Missouri

Horrible $400 experience. Had the displeasure of dining at this supposed upscale restaurant on Saturday, 11/5/2022.

My family and I had just finished the amazing and wonderful Top of the Rock golf cart tour and museum experience and decided to end our beautiful day with what we believed would be an upscale meal and dining experience.

Boy were we horribly disappointed.

1. We ordered a bottle of Sparkling Wine to start - our server informed us they were out. We chose a different bottle and again were informed that they did not have the bottle. Then the bartender came over as apparently our server had informed her that we were in need of assistance - tried selling us on Moscato or Prosecco, ummm no thank you. My husband and I love Sparkling Wine and know it very well. We just couldn't justify paying $150+ for a bottle of Chandon that we know for a fact costs, at most, $25 (with tax) that is just an egregious markup.

Needless to say, I really wanted to celebrate our wonderful day, so I decided to move forward with the $155 bottle of Sparkling Wine. When our server, who mind you was training another server, brought the bottle over she just placed the bottle on the table, NO CHILLER just the bottle on the table. Wow, just wow. I asked the trainee if I could have a chiller for the Sparkling Wine, which was eventually brought over.

2. We ordered the Braised Pork Cheek as an appetizer. It tasted just like pot roast, nothing at all like pork cheek.

3. Our server came over SEVERAL times and asked us if we were ready to order. Mind you we prefaced our introduction as we were going to be there for a while to absorb the atmosphere, view and the fine dining experience. Whatever to this statement as our server seemed in a rush to get us in and out. Perhaps because we were not dressed to par? Again, we were in comfortable clothing as we had spent the day on the golf cart tour and museum experience.

Here is the kicker...although she, our server, came over many times to ask if we were ready to order, never did she think to refill our nearly empty flutes of sparkling wine. Okay, fine, no fine dining experience - Got it! I will serve myself.

4. I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass - if you want to save some money, just go buy frozen Van De Kamp's Fish Sticks, pretty much tastes the same....I AM NOT KIDDING!

5. My husband ordered the Lamb Rack - nothing special. No special seasoning, the chef here just basically takes it and cooks it, no pizzazz just bland Rack of Lamb

6. We ordered the mac & cheese for our daughter which came with a side of fruit. When our meal was brought to our table the fruit was forgotten. We reminded our servers and her cantaloupe was eventually brought out.

7. I ordered the Crispy Bussell Sprouts - which were good, however when they were brought out the temperature was just slightly above lukewarm. Ummm, how long had those been sitting?

In any other restaurant, we would have stayed, ordered dessert and a few more cocktails. We could not wait to get out of there. I thought this would be the crescendo to a wonderful day. However, by far one of the WORST dining experiences we have ever had.

Oh, but the...

Ok, I want to start by stating that Big Cedar Lodge is an amazing place with incredible attention to detail on everthing, except for the food and service. We ordered a little bit of everything and were all pretty underwhelmed and to be perfectly honest, really disappointed in our food. $44 for a pork chop would be fine if the pork chop was tender, flavorful and juicy, but it was dry, and flavorless with a weird mushy texture. Brining it and cooking it to the requested temp could easily solve that. The accompanying smashed fingerling potatoes had a strange and extremely offputting chemical taste, and the brussel sprouts were boiled and boring. My friend ordered his rib eye med-rare, and it came out well done. He didn't send it back because he just can't justify wasting a $63 steak, but for that price he should be enjoying his meal. I tried a bit of a pizza another person in our party ordered and it was undercooked, and so bland that I've gotten more enjoyment and flavor out of gas station pizza. The appetizers were good, and so was the butter cake for dessert. Another in our party, when ordering the filet mignon, was responded to with a prized look by our waitress "Umm, wr only have a filet?" Like, she didn't understand that a filet mignon and a filet were one in the same.. Our waitress didn't offer much in the way of smiles, enthusiasm for her job, or menu knowledge. Maybe she was new, or maybe there isn't a hospitality training system in place to create a standard for service at this establishment. Either way, it was a lackluster experience. Our group got separate checks and had I spent $130 on my dinner (which I don't have a problem doing) at a James Beard award winning chef's restaurant in KC, I would have had a night and days difference in dining experience. With the Kansas City being the far better. The views were spectacular and the sunset celebration really nice, but please get some hospitality professionals in there to raise your kitchen, food, and waitstaff up to match the rest of Big Cedars impressive, and awe...

Downstairs from the Osage Restaurant is the Buffalo Bar, a great alternative to the restaurant if you do not have the required reservation at the Osage. The establishment is only open between the hours of 4 pm and 9 pm, however, tables are abundant inside and on the huge patio. On clear evenings chances are good that you will be seated quickly.

On our visit, the hostess showed us to our table within a minute of arriving. Before long our server Makayla welcomed us and enquired if we knew what we wanted to drink. The punctual service continued without our meal which began with delicious complimentary mini loaves of fresh bread and rosemary honey butter. Such a fantastic way to start a meal.

This unique rustic, western-themed bar is just as much a restaurant as it is a bar; in fact, it features the same menu as the restaurant above it. If you looking for a cheap meal, you won't find it here, however, you will get a meal and an atmosphere that would put a smile on the late President “Teddy” Roosevelt's face. Yes, your wallet may groan a bit when you pay for this five-star meal but your tastebuds screaming for joy will drown it out.

To keep the billfold moans down, I decided to skip the very tempting beef options and go for the bone-in pork chop. Because the sides were $12 a piece, I opted for just one: the roasted corn. My girlfriend got the roasted chicken and did not notice that the sides were not included, so she ordered the sweet potato mash and the crispy Brussels sprouts. Everything was amazing and full of flavor!!

The pork chop was cooked as I ordered it, keeping its moisture and tenderness. It was easy to cut with a butter knife. Her roasted chicken was the same, just as sweet and juicy, not under or overcooked. The sides hit the spot as well. Even the pickled pears they garnished my plate with went well with the pork chop and the divine chocked cherry dipping sauce.

Thank you Makayla for doing an excellent job keeping us happy and kudos to the chef for the meal that I will always try to achieve from...