Boathouse Cantina — Restaurant in Salida

We were immediately met with a very rude and unenthusiastic hostess. We asked politely for a table on the patio area, as it is a quieter area, due to people in our party who struggle with hearing in noise rich environments. The hostess rudely responded stating the restuarant was full and we had the choice of one table in the loudest part of the restuarant. Did not offer a waiting list or any other options. We sat at that said table as we wanted to give it an opportunity, however it was so loud and frankly obnoxious from the music playing overhead that the individual in our party whose birthday we were out to celebrate, couldn't enjoy themselves, as they couldn't hear. Not to mention, then watching the same hostess immediately seat multiple other similar size parties in the very area we requested to sit. The waiter was initially friendly, but it was also highly disappointing that one of the four entrees they have listed, which each person at the table actually wanted, was not available. We decided on other food items and ordered. Bar drinks were brought to the table quickly while non-alcoholic drinks were completely forgotten. The jalapeno poppers for a starter were not even luke warm at best, but had okay flavor. We saw the waiter one more time right as the meal was brought to the table. Every plate was mediocre and that is actually being generous. Items varied from being cold to over cooked, under cooked, lacking flavor. The waiter never once returned to the table at this point to check in on the food, inquire on refills, clear plates, etc. Once finished, we continued to sit there for an additional 45 minutes waiting for the waiter to return. During this time, we watched as various parties of people walked out from the hostess giving the same line of no tables being available when there were clearly open tables. He also attempted to seat a party of five at a four top directly next to us, and when they politely mentioned there were five of them, he very rudely responded with "no you said you had four". Not the appropriate response at all. When the waiter finally came back to the table, there was still no inquiry on how the meal was, if we needed drinks, wanted dessert, nothing. The meal was extremely overpriced for the quality of the food and especially...

Hoppin' local spot for food and drinks overlooking the Arkansas River in downtown Salida. If you show up on a weekend night be prepared to wait for a table. Staff are pleasant and efficient, cash & credit cards accepted, but tastes of the food were lacking.

Started with the fried cheese curds. These were delicious little bites of deep-fried cheese. The only strange part is that the menu claimed they are served with "sweet and spicy jalapeno jelly" but what they came with was not jellyish at all and more soupy. Not so appetizing but the curds themselves were good.

Cocktails were better. The blackberry margarita was a well-balanced drink (upgraded to Hornitos tequila & with a sugar rim). The Buffalo Soldier was a very respectable variation on a whiskey sour.

The Black & Blue Cajun Burger was disappointing. Two thin beef patties that were more like well-done rather than medium done. Rather dry and without much flavor. Whatever cajun spices were employed were drown out by the bleu cheese crumbles, which basically overwhelmed the entire burger, taste-wise. Great if all you want to taste is bleu cheese but unsatisfying if you wanted a better balanced experience. The french fries were nicely salted but a bit on the limp side, perhaps not too fresh?

The fish tacos looked promising on the menu but unfortunately suffered from entirely too much sauce ("jalapeno slaw, pico de gallo, citrus sour cream, tomatilla salsa"). They drown any flavor the fish might have had and turned the entire taco into a soupy mess. Sauce was also more spicy than expected.

Might just have been a bad night or a short-staffed night or a new chef on duty. Clearly a very popular place and a great, lively vibe with plenty of big screen TVs for whatever sport is needed. Server was friendly and efficient. Would be worth...

Dinner by the river sounded lovely, after driving for nearly 7 hours on our way to the Grand Canyon. The Boathouse Cantina had good ratings, but other than the location, I am not sure why. The food was just okay and the service was really not good. To be fair, it was obvious that there wasn't enough wait staff to cover, but that was only part of the issue.

The service was so slow that it was significantly reducing the speed of turning tables - creating a longer than necessary wait for diners and reducing profits for the restaurant. Our waiter seemed to be covering all of the tables in the "patio" area. It took a long time to put in our order, our order was wrong, and at the end, we received the wrong check. As obvious as it was our waiter was hustling given the situation, the most aggravating part was he wasn't paying attention. He didn't make eye contact; when he wasn't sure what my son ordered, he didn't ask for him to repeat it (it was very noisy). It wasn't clear if he always performed that way, or if it was due to the crowd. It was really not a good experience.

We had jalapeño poppers for an appetizer, which were not spicy (for those who prefer little heat, this may be preferred), not hot, and not fully cooked. We both had baja fish tacos, which were okay, but I would order something else if I were to go again.

Our ticket was $54, no drinks, which seemed high given the service and quality of food. Ironically, there was a bluegrass festival next door in the park with food trucks that were probably delicious. Go with the food truck and sit...