Laurel Mountain Inn (Clair)

The Laurel Mountain Inn in located on Route 31 (Glades Pike) between Somerset and Donegal. It is close to the area ski resorts Hidden Valley and Seven Springs and other outdoor recreation hot spots. The website describes the restaurant as a steakhouse and lounge, although it also has a banquet menu. There is ample parking available close to the restaurant and an overflow area across the road (mainly for employees I think). According to their website, they have seating for 130, including a bar and pool room, outdoor deck seating, and a large dining room.

I had been there a few times before but this was Corey's first time eating at the Laurel Mountain. Upon walking in, we found a waiting area with seats and an area to hang your coats. We also noticed that the bar was separated from the dining room by a glass door, which we liked. Although you could still smell the faint hint of smoke, it definitely was not overpowering. We were greeted at the door by a waitress/hostess who seated us in a booth by the windows overlooking Rt. 31. The dining area has old-fashioned booths and what looked like newer tables. Corey felt that the booths needed some work. They had holes that were fixed with tape. There was also a fire place, which wasn't lit when we visited but was decorated for St. Patrick's Day. The dining room did seem a bit dark and dingy, probably because of the dark decor inside, but the tables and silverware were very clean.

Our waitress greeted us and brought us our drinks. We ordered an onion blossom for an appetizer and then perused the menu. The menu featured an array of appetizers, including the fried standards that you expect at a bar type of restaurant and some seafood appetizers, like peel and eat shrimp and oysters. They feature their steaks and seafood dishes, which include crab legs and various types of fish. They had sandwiches and basic burgers as well as pasta dishes. They also had daily specials, such as Kansas City Strip steak and Seafood Alfredo.

Corey ordered a full rack of ribs with beer battered fries and a salad with ranch dressing. I ordered the Portabella Filet, an 8 oz. steak served with a portabella mushroom cap in a mushroom sauce. For my sides I ordered fresh cut fries and a salad with ranch dressing.

As we waited for our appetizer, we noticed that they have special "nights" at the restaurant, such as wing night and steak night. Having gone there before, I know that they serve full wings and that they are rather delicious with just the right amount of sauce.

First came our salads and a loaf of bread with butter. The salad was composed of fresh cut iceberg lettuce with onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, shredded carrots and cheddar cheese. The dressing tasted like homeade ranch. The bread was freshly baked but the knife to cut it was dull.

Our appetizer came and we noticed that it was very well prepared. The blossom was spread and coated evenly with the batter as well as fried to a nice, crispy finish. It wasn't too oily like many blooming onions are. The batter had a sweet aftertaste, which complemented the subtle sweetness in the white onion. It was served with a horseradish dipping sauce, similar to what is served at the Outback Steakhouse. We thoroughly enjoyed the onion, although we were only able to finish about half of it.

Our meals came quickly after the appetizer was served. Corey's full rack of ribs were cooked to the fall of the bone stage as they should be. The bones were easy to pull out. The meat was moist and had the perfect amount of barbeque sauce to complement the taste of the meat. The beer battered fries were cooked to a crisp and had an even batter on the fries. Overall he was very pleased with his choice.

My meal came and the plate was doused in sauce. There was so much sauce on the plate that some of the French fries were even soggy. I had ordered my steak "medium" and Corey felt that it was cooked well fairly close to medium. As I began to eat it, I did find a few small pieces of fat but it was mostly very easy to cut and chew. The meat was moist and juicy. The fries were also very good, although they weren't very crispy due to the amount of mushroom sauce that was drowning my plate. The portabella mushroom was cooked just right, not too mushy but not too hard. The mushroom sauce tasted like it had GravyMaster in it, but it also had a strange taste to it that I couldn't place. I'm thinking maybe it was just the flavor of the mushrooms. It wasn't a bad taste, just unusual. Overall, I was pleased with the meal.

Our check came out to a total of $60 with a tip for the waitress. The service was pretty good, although there were several times where our drinks were empty and we were waiting for a refill. She was fairly quick at getting whatever we needed, however. I will mention that in the few times that I have been there, the service and food is often hit and miss. Some of the menu items that I have had there are very good and some are just so-so. If you choose to visit the Laurel Mountain Inn, we recommend that you stick to the steaks or ribs, as these truly are their specialty.

Our ratings on a scale of 1-5 stars:
Food: 3.5 stars (good but not great)
Environment: 2.5 stars (the building needs some updates, such as new furniture and rugs. Keep in mind it is a lounge)
Overall: 3 stars