Crater Lake Lodge - Klamath Falls

We came for dinner and the only main course that was vegan is Vegetarian tofu, coconut curry. Not sure why it’s listed as vegetarian, not vegan. I asked if something was pre cooked in butter or there was eggs in it. Waitress went to check with the chef and said it’s a vegan dish. Lots of veggies, seasoned rice, tofu was pretty good. There’s a salad that can be had vegan. Waitress said the bread is not vegan. If staying at the lodge you can get fed vegan. Whether or not your in the mood for what they are serving is another story. There is a Beyond burger for lunch and oat meal for breakfast. Check the menu before going or call.  Updated from previous review on 2023-08-26

I loved their vegan summer sauté. My server was knowledgeable about veganism and brought me oil and vinegar with my bread without me having to ask! A great meal while I was on vacation

I thoroughly enjoyed the vegan summer sauté. My server was knowledgeable about vegan options and even brought me oil and vinegar with my bread without me having to ask! It was a fantastic meal during my holiday.

Dinner is a buffet priced at $47, including dessert. This may seem reasonable for guests who can enjoy steak and fish, but for those of us who only have access to the lackluster sides, it definitely feels excessive. For vegan options, I found only pre-made salad bowls. I had to request something without meat or dairy, and was given a bowl of lettuce drizzled with olive oil and red wine vinegar. The soup was a lentil creation with a hint of curry flavor. While it was the most palatable option, it was extremely salty. As for the sides, the “charred broccolini in tomato vinaigrette” had no char whatsoever and tasted like it had been briefly blanched and then microwaved. The vinaigrette was overloaded with sugar, for some unknown reason. The main course was the worst of all: a white bean, tomato, and eggplant dish with “tofu ricotta.” Though it sounded decent, it was inedible—I ended up spitting it out, which is something I only do very rarely. I can't fathom how you could cook eggplant to be both rock hard and sour, but somehow that happened here. Dessert was a vegan cheesecake, which wasn’t terrible, but it felt too heavy after having just lettuce and soup for dinner. To add to the disappointment, even though I had ordered it as "vegan," it came topped with dairy-based whipped cream! The waitress did offer to have it remade, which I appreciated. My husband also tried the non-vegan mac and cheese and described it as tasting like "fancy Velveeta with overcooked pasta." When it came time to settle the bill, I expressed to the waitress that I appreciated her service but felt it was misleading to claim they offered a vegan dinner option worth $47. She then summoned the dining room manager, who responded, “I’m sorry to hear you hated everything; I’d hate it too!” This response made it clear they are aware of the food quality issues. I can't imagine adding steak to the plate suddenly improves the rest of the dishes. To their credit, they did offer to take 50% off my dinner, so I ended up paying $23 for what was essentially a bowl of plain lettuce and a mediocre canned soup. As for the vegan lunch option, it was a PB&J for $18—yes, really.

The vegan options were limited to pre-packaged salad bowls, and I had to specifically request something without meat or dairy. Eventually, I received a bowl of salad with just a basic olive oil and red vinegar dressing. The soup was lentil-based with a faint hint of curry, which was the only somewhat edible choice, though it was extremely salty. The so-called “charred broccolini in tomato vinaigrette” was tasteless, resembling something burnt and then reheated in a microwave. The “vinaigrette” was overly sweet and I have no clue why. As for the main course, it was the worst disappointment—a mix of white beans, tomatoes, and eggplant topped with “tofu ricotta.” It might sound appealing, but I struggled to even eat it. I've only had a few plant-based meals in the last five years, including an Impossible Burger, which was so realistic I found it off-putting. I genuinely have no idea how to prepare eggplant so that it ends up tough and sour, but somehow that was achieved here. Dessert was a vegan cheesecake, which wasn’t terrible, but after primarily eating salad and soup for dinner, it was just too hard. Even after the waitress noted “vegan” on the order, I still received milk-based whipped cream—oops! She did offer to redo it, which was a small mercy. There was also no vegan mac and cheese available. Overall, I left feeling disappointed.