Patty's Place

     



      One of the days we were at Mom's we decided to make a day trip to Mount St. Helens.  It is only about 2 hours SE and makes a nice drive.  It was foggy early, but the skies burned off enough to catch some good views of the mountain (or at least what's left of it).  I get a bit sad visiting as I like to remember the mountain as it was when I was a kid playing around, camping, or fishing in the vicinity.  The devastation left by the eruption (now 35 years ago) is still evident and gives you reason to respect Mother Nature. 

 

      On the way home we decided to stop at this quaint little place we saw earlier.  Patty's Place is located at mile marker 19 on Mount St. Helens Highway (WA 504).  There are several large signs out front advertising their famous Elk Burger, Chicken & Dumplings, and Assorted Cobblers. The inside is rustically decorated. 

 

 

 

      Barb and I had our hearts set on a big, juicy Elk Burger, but after ordering several locals came in and ordered the Chicken & Dumplings.  Out of curiosity I turned and asked if it was as good as advertised and they said it is the best item on the menu and they had been eating there for years.  HINT #1:  ALWAYS LISTEN TO THE LOCALS.   The burgers came out looking quite tasty piled with meat, lettuce, onion, and pickles, but were at best......average.  The meat patty was very thick and at least a quarter pound of healthy elk, but there wasn't much taste.  It could have used more seasoning.  The fries were quite good as they were beer battered and done just right. 

 

      I left enough room so that I could sample the cobbler.  I'm a sucker for fresh baked goods.  There are 7 different flavors of cobbler and I selected the Wild Mountain Berry w/o ice cream.  The cobbler was warm and tasty, the wild blackberries, marionberries, and huckleberries delicious as well.  I think the crust could have used a bit more sugar as to 'crunch it up' a bit.  Overall it was a very good cobbler. 

 

 

      Patty's Place has a nice feel to it, especially after touring the Cascade Mountains for a couple of hours.  I would skip the Elk Burger next time, but am definitely already thinking about those Chicken & Dumplings!