#2659 - Lady of the Lake, Tenino, WA - 11/23/2014

Lady of the Lake, Lake Offut, near Tenino, WA

We did not have dinner on this visit, but the food looked pretty good, and our cocktails were fine. From the inside, the Lady of the Lake feels a lot like a medium sized roadhouse or suburban pub, with steaks and burgers and pasta, karaoke and sometimes live music. But it is the setting on the banks of Offut Lake, the style, and the sense of history that set the place apart. People have been coming to the Lake for fishing and recreation for since the 19th century, and the "Offut Lake Resort" has been here -- about 10 miles south of Olympia and 5 north of Tenino -- since 1939 (then "Ada's Resort"). The dance hall here once catered to large parties of tourists from the surrounding cities, as well as locals who worked in the lumber mills. When Rebecca Pogue bought the resort in 1998, she had a clear plan to improve the place while preserving the feel of a mid-century facility. “When Boomers visit they tell us it reminds them of where they camped in the 1950s and that is exactly how we want it to feel. We want folks to step back in time, to fish, swim, play tag and roast marshmallows. To get outside and read a book and drink a glass of wine,” (thurstonchamber)

The "resort" at that time was simply space for camping with some fishing docks. The old bar and restaurant building was there, but in shambles. The Pogue family added cabins and firepits, and eventually rebuilt the restaurant. They recovered the old bar back from a French Cafe that was said to have once served as a brothel. A row of inviting Adirondack chairs lines the porch on the lake side, reminding us that we must come back on a sunnier day. The old photographs and light stained wood attest to the owners' embrace of the history of the place -- and interest that was also clear when Tom Pogue, who runs the restaurant, described some of the history to us. It was an all around pleasant experience, but we look forward to coming back when it's warm and dry and we can kick our feet up for a while.

4005 120th Ave SE, Tenino, WA 98589 - (360) 264-3474             
Est. 2014 - Building constructed: 1968
Web site: facebook
Reviews: thurstonchamber - yelp - tripadvisor