Mackinaw’s Restaurant

As always, the locally-​sourced ingredients were perfectly melded into fabulously tasteful creations. We chose Mackinaw’s to celebrate my mom’s birthday and those in our party ranged from kids age 2 and 12, to adults in their late 70s — all with very different tastes. We each ordered a different entrée and were very pleased with our meals. The filets and fish were fork-​tender, the deconstructed ravioli was perfect and the 2-​year old ate some of everything and asked for more. Since everything is hand-​created on-​site by Chef Kahn, the waiter could confidently tell me which items I could and could not eat due to food allergies, unlike most other restaurants. In addition to the amazing food, the atmosphere and service is superb! Mackinaw’s rivals any of the «high-​end» restaurants in Seattle or Portland. I would definitely recommend Mackinaw’s to anyone seeking a delightful dining experience.

We were staying up the road a bit and wanted since good local food. We found this place on Unilocal and had to try it. WOW! What a pleasant surprise. Locally sourced menu that changes daily. Several items we just had to try. Or daughter was not with us and wanted the house made chicken ravioli, the chef said it was hard to send as a to-​go, but there was a ravioli dish with a chip in it that we could take and keep. Our daughter loved it as did we. In fact we went back the next night and were just as pleased as the first time.

The service was thoughtful, the cook adjusted to my preferences, and what’s not to like about fine dining?

This is an excellent restaurant. The food was excellent and the service was great.
I would highly recommend this place.

We have been dining at Mackinaw’s for several years and have always been impressed with the quality of the food and service. Chef Khan sources local food for seasonal selections so that the menu is exciting and fresh. Our favorites have included the filet mignon, duck breast, and those amazing dauphinois style potatoes!

Stop to eat to write a review, that is how good the food was. Had to share. Great atmosphere, great service, Excellent food. Will come back for sure

Pros: They Have great food! Its always fresh lots of different meats that most maybe have not tired. Food is made to order. Lots of wine & beer to pick from. Has a nice romantic atmosphere. They don’t rush you. Service is great. Friendly staff.
Cons: on that same note all they have is Beer & wine… Would be nice to have mixed dinks/​cocktails. Its a bit pricey $$$$, food portions need to be bigger. Not a very big place to hold bigger dinner party’s. We had a party of 16 and put in the (Man Cave) both times. Very tight no room to move around:(

Am I the last local girl to hear about Mackinaw’s?! We gave this place a try last night and were very impressed! As far as drinks, they serve beer, wine, and a few bottled sodas. My husband had the Mexican cola and I enjoyed a grapefruit hefewizen, both were fantastic! We started our meal off with the firepot appetizer, an assorted pot of shelled clams and sausage in a spicy tomato sauce served with bread for «sloppin». We shared the 16oz prime rib and glad we did, it was HUGE! Wish I would have had room for dessert because the chocolate fondue sounded amazing!

Great food! Different and food is authentic. The moscato wine Italy 2012 was off the chain!

We were traveling between Vancouver to Olympia and stopped in Chehalis for a «Bite to Eat». We drove through Downtown Chehalis, and decided on Mackinaws in the Washington Hotel. Boy were we surprised and impressed. We ordered flank steak, which was perfectly cooked, accompanied by delicious au gratin potatoes and oven roasted brussels sprouts. The seasoning was delicate and not overdone. Oh, and if you want great service, ask for Rocky.

We held our company offsite at The Red Barn Studios in Chehalis and needed a caterer to provide food. We asked Mackinaws to be there all day with coffee service and provide lunch for our group of 100. They were awesome! What nice people! Rocky went above and beyond, even helping to unload our car with meeting stuff! They provided great service! Everyone ate up the food we had — it was a western theme and Laurel made wonderful southwestern style food — a hamburger pie that was delicious and wonderful salads and desserts. You never know what you will find when arranging for catering in an area unfamiliar and we were so happy with their service and hospitality. It was a pleasure working with them and I hope to go to the restaurant one day for dinner.

We dined here recently for the first time. The reviews were excellent, we were very hopeful. I ordered stuffed sole with lemon risotto. My husband ordered buffalo pasta. We had the ale fondue for an appetizer. Overall we were disappointed. My husband’s pasta dish was a disappointment. I did enjoy my entrée, but felt that the food was mediocre. Our server seemed to totally lack enthusiasm for his career choice, and was inattentive. I do know that the menu changes frequently, they open at 5:00 daily, we came at 5:30, and had to wait for the menus to be made.

Funny I only want to write reviews for places I love and this is one of them. We went here a couple days before Valentine’s Day to beat the rush of v-​day.
I have to say the service was great Mike our waiter was funny and was very accommodating. My husband’s a vegetarian and they made a fantastic pasta for him. The Filet Minon was amazing. They use fresh local ingredients and there menu was definitely not boring.
I’m use to eating at John Howe, Al gaucho and the Met this place is up there with the best.
If you’re looking for a nicer place to eat. This is the place. Definitely going back soon.

Everything is delicious! Best food between Portland and Seattle! I plan my travel to make it for dinner mid week. From the bread to the salad with homemade blackberry dressing, to the entrees (walleye fish tonight) to the homemade deserts, so awesome.
Brad, seriously, 1-​star? Go eat at Applebee’s down the road. The rest of us will be at Mackinaws. Gotta go, licking the glass of my orange cream sickle ice cream and finishing my wine!

This is the best restaurant south of Seattle and north of Portland, by far! There are always some staples like the Flat Iron Steak, the Filet Mignon and the Whitefish. But then there are the dishes that really REALLY set this place apart; food you won’t get anywhere else and definitely the best in the Puget Sound area. I have had boar, roasted chicken with black beans and polenta, buffalo bacon pasta, pork chops and my favorite… RAZOR CLAMS! Oh and the scalloped potatoes are f’ing legendary!!! If your in the area, it is a must. They have a normal dining area and then a MAN CAVE that features a big ol’ flat screen and numerous beers on tap. They also offer tons of micro brews. Their wine selection is massive too! Again, you need to come here!

I was extremely disappointed. Went due to the high Unilocal reviews. Is this rating skewed by the location??? Best place in town?
It literally took an hour to get our soup/​salad. We had reservations at 7. At 8 our soup/​salad came out. The soup was cheese dumpling. It had two things that seemed to be meatballs in the middle. Not sure where the cheese or dumplings were hidden?
For dinner I had the water buffalo flank steak. It was risky so I don’t hold it against the restaurant that the meat was a little tough and gamy.
I will acknowledge that my wife’s filet was terrific. I just was unable to get past the terrible service to give out a second star.

Incredible meal and an overall wonderful experience! Attentive and knowledgeable service and quaint atmosphere. The ale fondue was fantastic and the goat curry was life-​changing. Even the fresh herb seasoned butter was amazing. Seriously. We even split the entrée and were pleasantly surprised by such generous portions. The chef was even kind enough to take a few minutes at our table explaining this spectacular dish. We can’t wait to go back and check out the daily changing menu!

My husband and I enjoyed this (new to us) spot on a recent dinner date. The atmosphere was casual and quiet, easy to hold a conversation. We were served yummy warm, crusty bread with a small amount of olive oil/​balsamic reduction for dipping. We shared the firepot which was full of flavor and had a nice heat to it. That was followed with a small salad for my husband and a wild mushroom rice pilaf soup for me. The soup tasted amazing, warm and hearty! For our main course (s) my husband had a steak with au gratin potatoes and green beans, and I had the duck with a blackberry/​pecan sauce as well as the au gratin potatoes and green beans. Everything was cooked perfectly, and was delicious though I was trying duck for the first time and discovered I am not a fan. Too rich for my palette. For dessert we shared the almond pumpkin cheesecake bars! We look forward to visiting again!

I liked this place, country kitchen décor and all. It has the small town charm that cannot be replicated. Right down to the «ghost light». And I love the hard wood floors from a different era. The menu is adventuresome and most importantly they are able to back it up. The beer and wine list is extensive and the vinaigrette dressing on the salad was delicious with its orange flavor. For entrees we tried the bison pasta and also the elk. Both were yummy although the bison pasta was served warm not hot. The elk was cooked to perfection. For dessert we had a great lemon milk cake with vanilla ice cream, truly exceptional. The bathroom was clean too, always a good barometer of the staffs attention to detail. It’s so nice a restaurant of this caliber is found in such a small town, a true gem.

Loved everything! Yum on the fresh green salads, double yum on the bread and triple yum on my scallop entrée. My hubby got the filet minon and let me taste it… Melts in your mouth! Cooked perfectly. Everything was seasoned and flavored deliciously and we will be back often! Great selection of hot teas too.