The Martin Hotel — Restaurant in Winnemucca

This review is about the restaurant only.

My wife and I chose this place because it’s a Basque restaurant, and we both really enjoy Basque cuisine.

First off: Parking is a non-issue at the hotel. They even have hitching posts—so if you’ve got a horse, you’re covered.

Second: The decor is basic and exactly what you’d expect for Winnemucca, Nevada. That’s not an insult—it’s just not a fancy restaurant. You can wear pretty much whatever you’ve got on, as long as it’s family-friendly.

You’ll be greeted at the door. If not, the bartender will be your first point of contact, since you enter through the bar area.

You’ll then be taken into the dining room and seated at a large, shared table. This is a family-style restaurant, so expect to sit with people you don’t know. Again, not a criticism—just something to know ahead of time. Think of it as a chance to meet new people and share a meal the traditional Basque way.

Once seated, carafes of wine will be brought to the table for everyone to enjoy, and you can also order other drinks if you like. Then you’ll pick your main course from the menu. After that, the seven-course meal begins. The server will bring out various courses and bread for you to enjoy and share with the table.

All the food is classic Basque and very well done. My main course—the braised leg of lamb—was excellent. The chef even noticed that my portion was small and offered me another leg, which I accepted. I ended up eating two legs of lamb, which in hindsight may not have been the wisest decision—I left the place absolutely stuffed.

Bottom line: you will not leave this restaurant hungry, short on flavor, or without some good conversation. If you're a fan of Basque food—or just curious—this place is absolutely worth checking out if you're in Winnemucca or...

Definitely a unique experience. You can get setted next to random family's if you have a smaller group. Kinda like your at family's house. very family oriented vibes like your at a Thanksgiving dinner. You first choose your entree fish steak chicken ect. They start off with soup and then salad and then you get 3 sides the day I went was a hominy chorizo side, a corn side and mashed potatoes. Which was been the same three sides the last few times I've been. It comes in serving bowls that you pass around the table for everyone. I was not a fan of the hominy dish but my husband liked it. the corn tasted like it was just the bag of frozen corn with butter nothing special not the best. The mashed potatoes were good my favorite thing ive tried. Then your main entree comes out with a plate of fries for everyone. And then a bread pudding is included for dessert. for my entree I got the steak 14oz and 1 drink. My total was $70!!! For 1 steak!! It was fatty unseasoned and was definitely not worth the price. This last time I went my my friend got the lamb shanks that was good and my husband got the martin steak and it would have been good but again it had no seasoning to the steak but the mushrooms did add some flavor to it. I got the martin pasta Alfredo sauce and I was not a fan at all. The shrimp in it was good and...

What a unique Nevada experience. The building was built at the end of the 19th century and has great character. It is fittingly across the street from the railroad station. One can picture some one walking off the transcontinental railroad at this stop and into the St Martin for a bite to eat. Our family of four was sat at table for 8. 3 strangers sat down with us. It took us a while to realize "family style" was going to include these strangers. Thankfully they were a nice family and we enjoyed breaking bread with them. The room was full and loud with conversation. The restaurant is inspired by the Basque roots of the original owner. They offered a normal steak and diner menu, but also some Basque dishes. There were lamb chops, lamb shank and something called sweetbread. I love read. I almost ordered it. Maybe I should have for the experience, but when I googled it, I became convinced to get the Solomo Pork loin. It was delicious!! I'm going to learn how to cook this at home. Overall the meal had 5 courses included in the entree: soup, salad served with beans on the side, Basque sides (green beans with bacon, a flavorful garbanzo dish, and the tastiest mashed potatoes. After the side were delivered, our entrees were delivered. After the entree, came the...