| Food | * * 1/2 |
| Service | * * * 1/2 |
| Ambience | * * * |
| Value | 5.0 |
| Cost | $ $ |
| Dish | Price |
Value | Rating | |
| All You Can Eat (Varies) | $11.95 |
* * * 1/2 | * * * |
If you go North to Eureka, you'll find it an easy-going city. So easy-going, in fact, that you'll find there's just about zero nightlife - on a Saturday night, the mall closes at 7 and then what? We figured to venture over to Samoa, an island community linked to Eureka by 2 bridges. As we approached the halfway point on the bridge, Samoa began, entirely shrouded in fog. We made a couple of turns and made our way to the Cookhouse.
The outside and inside of the restaurant is pretty non-descript. From the outside, it looks like a large farmhouse and the inside is like a camp cafeteria, except there are some pictures and old tree saws hanging on the walls. Once inside, you tell the cashier what sort of all-you-can-eat meal you want - though it's essentially one-price. She sets us down at the nearest table, next to two older travellin' camper couples. We started out with a green salad with the gluey pseudo-Ranch dressing. There were also large amounts of very vinegary three bean salad at the table, along with tons of white bread and butter. Next came the fried chicken and roast beef. The food is very salty, but the idea is "Feed the masses." We haven't eaten all day and it really hits the spot. Plus, you can keep asking for more. I had two pieces of a decent apple pie.
Samoa Cookhouse is a fun adventure, if you come up to the Eureka area. You can eat a lot and participate in something historical. They used to feed hundreds of loggers every day, with the same kind of food. We wouldn't suggest taking a trip up here just to eat, but as Eureka offers little to do at night, it's an interesting evening.