Boathouse at Forest Park — Restaurant in St. Louis

This is a review of our paddling experience, NOT a dining experience. We ordered no food not beverages, though it smelled wonderful, and looked like a great place to enjoy a meal, dockside, or a wonderful small venue for a memorable event (with white tent).

My partner and I came to the Boathouse at Forest Park because I've been wanting to kayak through the Forest Park waterways. It was great that we could rent kayaks (one or two person, or canoes, pedal/ paddle boats, and even SUPs) by the hour, at $15/hr, ea. (we rented two single person kayaks). Watercraft rentals are managed by Big Muddy Adventures, a local Saint Louis company that is well known for outfitting and guiding paddling excursions in giant canoes on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, by day and by night, with options for overnight camping in uninhabited islands, and campfire suppers, as well as outfitting other river adventures. They are a major sponsor(?) of the Missouri River 340, the world's longest non-stop canoe and kayak race. In other words, they are experts, in the field. Watercraft rentals include life jackets and paddles. The young lady working the rental desk was great, and helpful, answered all of our questions, and explained we could start with postponing for one hour, and if we wanted/ needed more time, we could pay for it, when we returned.

The young man that was working the duck was helpful as well, holding the kayaks dockside, as we clamoured into them. However, it was clear that he may not have known much about kayaking as he gave us paddles without the drip guard O-rings. Being that it was mid-October, and plans this as part of a larger day experience, we were dressed in street clothes. Thank goodness it was an unseasonably warm day, we were wearing quick-dry shorts, because our legs got soaked! Initially, we thought that none of the kayak paddles had drip guards, but as we paddled along, we noticed that those who were in tandem kayaks had black plastic/ aluminum shaft paddles with drop guards. Those in singles had the same yellow/ blue plastic shaft paddles, without drip guards, as we had. Perhaps the dock hand had been instructed that one type of paddles goes with the single seat kayaks, and the other with the tandem, but there were few people on the water/ in kayaks that day, that they could have given everyone paddles with drip guards. This being said, Big Muddy Adventures should know better, and have all of their paddles equipped with drip guards. This may be a first experience for many city/ near residents or visitors, and grooming drenched from paddle water is a great way to ruin an otherwise unique and amazing experience.

Getting soaked aside, we really enjoyed a fantastic afternoon of paddling from and around the Boathouse Lagoon to the Grand Basin at the foot of Art Hill (among the fountains), and to the edge of the golf course, paining under many stone arched bridges, a wooden bridge, and the suspension footbridge. I would highly recommend this to anyone visiting Saint Louis or visiting Forest Park, as an out-of-town visitor, or as a tourist in your own town, looking for a new and/ or unique experience.

#BigMuddyAdventures #BigMuddy #2Muddy #ForestPark...

Boathouse was a major disappointment last night due to the most unprofessional service I've ever encountered. I'm embarrassed for you as I bragged about your restaurant to the members of my party. Needless to say, they were not impressed. Luckily, your food was good as usual. Server was just fine, but the hostess really set the stage for a negative experience. Here's a laundry list of what occurred. 1. We requested to be sat inside, hostess sat us outside. 2. Outside table was dirty and also only seated 4, not 5 for our party. 3. Hostess brought extra chair but never addressed the dirty table and chairs that we had to clean ourselves. 😲😲 4. Asked the hostess for an inside table in which she replied " when one becomes available, I'll let you know." Boathouse, we could see tables were available. Additionally, we originally placed our name on a wait for inside seating, so we should have never met the hostess until inside seating was ready for us. Then, we sat in the sun readjusting for shade for about ten minutes or so without a peep from a server. We understood they were very busy and was patiently waiting. 5. We see the hostess come by and I grabbed her attention asking if she could let our server know we are ready (we sat long enough to have our food order ready). Her response was verbatim "let me know if you wait too long and then I can"...I let her know it's been too long. She proceeded to ask me how long we have been waiting as if there was a benchmark that decided what too long was. She refused to grab a server & told us when it's been too long then she can...???.. So our wait continued. 6. While waiting, we spotted one of 4 open tables in the shade to move to. Notified the hostess that we were moving one over(just in case she needed to update her chart) she refused to let us and sat a family of 3 three there. 7. We finally get a server (nice male), delivered waters with his hands holding the lip of the cup. Please don't do that. He did allow us to move to a table with shade. 🤗 New female server arrived very nice, no complaints. 8. The food runner was interesting. Brought our appetizers (2 orders of whole wings) without any plates. We asked for plates. She seemed surprised we wanted plates. Came back with 4 plates for a party of five 😂🙈. Asked her for another one, that request was like asking for a service the business didn't provide😲😂🙈 Food was great🙌 Meanwhile, during the course of our meal, we had to stack dirty dishes onto the dirty table next to us, onto the bar too next to us bc 5 of us were seated at a table for 4. P.s. your hostess has long orange pig tails. As a frequent restaurant patron, I'm so sorry to have to leave this type of review, but that behavior is...

The Boathouse at Forest Park is a beautiful and relaxing spot located in the heart of St. Louis. With its stunning waterside views and boat rentals, this is the perfect place to enjoy a delicious meal, grab a drink, or simply spend a relaxing day outside.

The food at the Boathouse at Forest Park is delicious, with a menu that features classic American fare, including burgers, salads, and sandwiches. The ingredients are fresh and high-quality, and the portions are generous, making for a truly satisfying meal.

In addition to its food offerings, the Boathouse at Forest Park is also known for its extensive drink menu. Whether you prefer a classic beer, a refreshing cocktail, or a glass of wine, you're sure to find something you love at this bar.

One of the most unique features of the Boathouse at Forest Park is its boat rentals. Whether you're in the mood for a leisurely paddleboat ride or a more adventurous kayaking excursion, the Boathouse has a variety of boats available for rental. With its stunning waterside views and peaceful surroundings, this is the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy some time on the water.

The atmosphere at the Boathouse at Forest Park is relaxed and inviting, with a casual and friendly vibe that makes you feel right at home. Whether you're grabbing a bite to eat with friends, enjoying a drink by the water, or renting a boat for a day on the lake, the Boathouse is the perfect place to unwind and have a good time.

Overall, if you're looking for a relaxing and enjoyable day out in St. Louis, the Boathouse at Forest Park is the place to go. With its delicious food, extensive drink menu, boat rentals, and stunning waterside views, it's sure to provide a memorable and enjoyable experience for anyone...