Log Haven — Restaurant in Four Corners States

Our family has a long history with Log Haven, having celebrated our wedding there 17 years ago. We were hopeful that our son and daughter-in-law would have a similar magical experience, but unfortunately, that was not the case.

The issues began with the bridal room, which was disappointingly tiny given the price we paid. (We paid more to have a room at Little America to get ready in, but that was for hair and makeup only). The room led into a hot, stuffy, and odor-filled bathroom without any music, hardly the ideal space for the bridal party to prepare for such a special day. There was nowhere for little girls to dress but stand on their public bathroom floor. There was nowhere but a small space to hang items in the bridal room. There was no way for the groom or bride to feel important.

Things took a bizarre turn when my daughter-in-law's mom and I were reprimanded by a bartender for someone in our party supposedly drinking. It was flower water and you know it! The many accusations you made when I asked about the bridal suite from 17 years ago are odd. We didn’t realize the owners live in such a small space, which was once used as the bridal suite. I said my other sons’ will not be married there and yes, I said we’d be writing reviews. You are trying to act like I threatened someone to move out which is absurd as much as you lol Faith you are mean spirited woman. Do better! Heaven forbid your staff throws tags on. Oh my! Furthermore, you addressed none of our concerns.

During the rehearsal, we raised concerns about insects, only to be assured that it would be taken care of. However, on the actual day, everyone was being feasted on by bugs, forcing us to use three-quarters of a bottle of natural repellent. I had never had so many people thanking me for bug repellent.

The lack of dancing space was another letdown, as there wasn't enough room for our loved ones to enjoy themselves without being forced off their tables.

It just keeps going…

The newlyweds missed out on enjoying their dinner as their plates were cleared when they stepped away for photos, and they were denied a chance to get more food as the buffet had closed upon their return. They were starving.

My inability to fully relax and enjoy the celebration was compounded by the disorganization and lack of friendliness throughout the event. The wedding favors, a $300 investment, were placed haphazardly by a random side wall, completely overlooked by the guests. Such a simple fix—relocating them to a more prominent spot—could have prevented this costly oversight.

The evening was marred by missed opportunities, miscommunication, and a general lack of attention to detail, leaving us disappointed with our Log Haven experience. As the night should have been filled with joyous send-offs, instead, they were preoccupied with settling their bill, which we thought had been paid in full. They were pressured to add gratuity for the staff, who, with the exception of Rose, were described as rude by many. We were informed that the service fee of $3,000 prepaid did not benefit the servers, a disappointing revelation to hear at a wedding celebration.

They piggy back on the liquor laws to force you to purchase 1k in cheese and crackers. I found myself unable to fully immerse in the wedding festivities as I was constantly ensuring that things were running smoothly and on track. It was absolutely upsetting. I couldn’t relax and felt frustrated.

To add to the list of mishaps, we ran out of water, leaving us and especially the kids parched. My son's father-in-law, frustrated by the situation, took matters into his own hands by fetching water alone after finding out that the staff couldn't accommodate our request for more. The staff is not kind. Many friends and family asked why I ever recommended the location given how abrasive and rude Faith was. She wasn’t rude 17 years ago but is now co-owner. I felt embarrassed.

Overall, the evening felt disorganized and unwelcoming, leaving a bitter taste in our mouths. It saddens me that I simply couldn’t recommend this...

We go to Log Haven at least once a year, if only to experience the food and atmosphere, and always look forward to our visits; our last visit garnered a 5-star rating. That said, who can say why things vary so much from visit to visit. Perhaps the head chef calls in sick, or the staff is short-handed (the valet hadn't arrived and the parking area was closed so the line of cars parking down the street was extensive), but something had changed since our visit last July. Okay, maybe we were expecting too much since our food last time (see my earlier review) was terrific...but this time, 5 people out of our group of 7 found their meals quite disappointing. To begin, the drinks arrived as planned and yes, they still have a nice wine and cocktail menu (a rough average of $11-13) and we sipped as we casually browsed the menu. Could we get some bread while we decided, we asked? For a charge, we were told -- 2 small rolls would be $3. We don't ever remember that being on their menu but shrugged off the extra $20 being added to our bill. We ordered 3 crab cake appetizers and again, found them nothing to write home about...tasty but far from spectacular. Then came the food and despite their nice appearances, it all proved rather bland, even the side cup of boursin potatoes.. Our hen of the woods mushroom dish was perfectly poached in a broth but the overall taste proved somewhat blah. The ricotta dumplings that accompanied the mushroom also proved forgettable, as did the fancy-looking mashed potatoes that tasted like, well, plain mashed potatoes. Our friends salmon was tasty but, despite its paprika coating, also left little to rave about. The Argentinian tuna ($46) was pretty much just two pieces of raw tuna. Now to quickly clarify, we've all had seared tuna, often the sashimi-grade belly lightly coated and seared with a slight crust while the inside remains warm but nearly raw (as one would expect). But this was simply a quick sear and 2 pieces of tuna that were raw as in raw (the four of us that tried it all came to the same conclusion). So in the end, many of us left a chunk of our food on the plate (one dumpling was enough for me, as was just a few bites of tuna for the others) and casually waited for dessert. Ah, there was coffee ice cream on the menu...but not on the ice cream part of the menu and guess what, no substitutions. The coffee ice cream was NOT to be offered in the ice cream menu our waitress told us, a point emphasized in their server meetings. But if so many people are asking for it (her words), why not offer it? A shrug of her shoulders; they tell us not to offer it when we have our server meetings, it's served only with their caramel whatever. So at the end of the evening we had to ask, what happened? Did we hit a bad night (yet the outdoor patio was packed)? Was the usual chef, Dave Jones, gone or perhaps just also having a bad night? Some $92 per person later, we left a bit disgruntled, at least as compared it to our last dining experience there. We'll probably be back, just to check, but it won't be for another year...our only hope is that something else hasn't changed by then (what, a charge for water??). This place has had its ups and downs and maybe we just got it on a down night...fingers crossed that come next year we'll be returning to a great dining experience, one again worthy...

Came here with my man to celebrate our anniversary. I had read somewhere that Log Haven is one of the top romantic dining destinations in the country!!! After reading that, I think I might’ve set my expectations too high. Though we had a wonderful evening, I sadly don’t think it lives up to the hype.

As everyone has said, the drive to the restaurant is breathtaking; everything felt incredibly lush and green. I really enjoyed all the pines, and we were very fortunate in that we made the drive in the rain. Then suddenly there was a gorgeous cabin smack dab in the middle of it all. There’s no denying that Log Haven’s ambiance is perfection!!!

I admit I was a little nervous when I saw the free vallet. I had never experienced vallet parking and had always assumed it was for very expensive experiences. So, before we sat foot in the restaurant I felt a little panicked that I had gotten in over my head, that the restaurant was going to be too expensive, and that I wouldn’t be able to afford it. But everything was fine.

Everything leading up to the food was great. But in my opinion, the charm of Log Haven is only superficial; it’s more about the atmosphere than the food. I should’ve expected as much when I discovered that "one of the most romantic restaurants in the country" couldn’t even put out real candles and instead opted for fake knock offs.

The food just didn’t wow nor impress me. It was good, don’t get me wrong; my boyfriend and I ate our entire plates. But there was nothing memorable about the meal; years from now I doubt I’ll even remember what I ordered. Our food that night consisted of the halibut, elk, frozen coconut souffle, bread, and Italian sodas. The sodas and bread were good but pretty mediocre; probably the weakest aspect of our meal. I found that dessert was delicious though! I loved the toasted coconut and was very happy I couldn’t taste any of the banana despite it being a banana soufflé. I hate banana flavored food because no one knows how to eat a ripe banana, instead they use the disgusting unripe ones. But again the soufflé didn’t break any records in my book, and I’ve had just as good coconut ice cream other places. The same could be said for the elk; I was very disappointed in it. The whole dish felt very plain and flavorless. It was just meat, carrots, and huge chunks of dry sweet potato slathered in a sweet sauce that really didn’t merry well with the rest of the dish. The halibut was the star our of dinner. It had by far the boldest flavors of the night by being both spicy and bright at the same time; it wasn’t boring at all and kept my palate awake.

All in all, the things I’ll remember were merely little things like the butter for the rolls, and the single fried mushroom with the halibut. The butter was heavenly as it was spiked with garlic, and the fried mushroom was exquisite. It saddens me that the rest of our food couldn’t be as good. Please don’t let me dis sway you from visiting; it’s a beautiful restaurant and the food was tasty. I’ve just personally had better for cheaper. If someone were to ask me where to dine in SLC I wouldn’t suggest this restaurant, and though I’m glad I checked it off my list, it’s unlikely that I’ll...