We first went to this place 3 weeks ago, and since we had to be in the area again today we went back. The food is great with generous portions, the atmosphere fun. Pricing varies; some dishes are s little high, others are about what I'd expect to pay anywhere else. It's not a really large restaurant so I suggest making a reservation on a night when it might be busy. The first time we ate there it was about 3-4 in the afternoon on Friday. Today (also Friday) we arrived at 5, having got the last reservation for that time slot. It was busy! read more

Snaffle Bit Dinner House - My 7 year old was scandalized lol - Steakhouses Near Me - John Day, Oregon

I was in town for a meeting and we had made an 8 pm reservation, but the meeting got out later than we expected. Brenda waited for us until we got there at 9 even though we were the only customers there at the time. I ordered the Copper Cricket and it's one of the best steaks I've ever had. It came with a delicious salad & blue cheese dressing plus other options for sides. It seemed like Brenda was there all by herself but produced our food in a miraculous amount of time. She was extremely gracious about the late hour and invited us back any time. My only regret is that I didn't have more room in my stomach to also try dessert!! read more

I never thought I would be so thankful for bad service. We waited over an hour for food. When the wait staff was asked how much longer they said "we are getting to it", they had not even started our food! Watching others get served it was apparent it would be 45 min more. An hour and 45min for oysters and two burgers! We walked out before being served and thankfully so. They had an outbreak of the noro virus that night! Never going back. read more

Brenda hosted our high school football team for a pregame lunch. There were about 40 of us in the group. She was ready for us, the food was hot and fresh and delicious! They were pleasant, easy to work with and very efficient. I was impressed by how quickly the two of them served our group. I would definitely recommend them to anyone! Thank you so much! read more

This steak house is a jem excellent service amazing steak & Ribs I now know why they where vote 1 of the ten greatest steakhouses in Oregon just a tiny restaurant with a great atmosphere a must if you truly want to enjoy a amazing steak, ribs, etc...can't say enough... read more

Snaffle B! The hometown favorite for anyone in GC (Grant County, hellooo). I'm pretty sure I'm the only person to review Snaffle Bit that actually lived in John Day so I want to set the record straight. LA guy, would you expect to find LA steaks in the boondocks of Oregon? Come on! This is country fare and they do it well. Excellent meat, greasy bread, taters smothered in sour cream, bottomless lemonade, and beer, beer, beer. This place is on the top of everyone's list in the area and you won't be disappointed if you go, even if the scenery was all you took from it. Oh, and Snaffle B is actually considered kind of a formal restaurant so at least put your new boots on and the jeans without manure on them. Seriously. read more

FANTASTIC DINNER!! What an amazing, hidden gem the SnaffleBit Dinner House is. Chris, one of the family members running the place, was an excellent host/waiter, going out of his way to make our dinner the best. The owner and staff were all super friendly and efficient, with a ready smile and greeting. We sat in the Oasis, a patio nook surrounded by branches, serenaded by the trickle of a nearby stream and a thousand frogs singing. Our drinks wear ENORMOUS; tasty tasty strawberry and blackberry lemonades for the kids and the largest container of a mixed drink I've ever seen outside of a college party. Way to go, Snaffle Bit! You rocked our eclipse weekend! read more

Great burgers and steaks..they work hard at making your dining experience the best it can be:)

Hands down the best place to eat, east of Bend. The food is great. Great home style cooking that will fill even the heartiest of appetites. It can be tough to get into so make reservations as soon as you can. read more

Good food, great service and great atmosphere (eat outside on the patio if you can). Best place to have dinner in John Day.

Our friends from John Day said the steak here is amazing- and we were not disappointed! The steak at this little place is amazing for sure! I honestly think its the best steak in Eastern Oregon!! Be sure to call and make a reservation since its a tiny place thats always busy!! We will be back!! read more

This was our first time traveling to Eastern Oregon. We had heard from friends that the Snaffle Bit was a great place to eat. They were absolutely correct. We went in early in the evening and were seated right away. Brenda, the owner, was extremely friendly. Her customer service was absolutely more than I expected. I'm glad we didn't get lunch that day because the portions were huge. Even though we were extremely hungry, I could only eat half of my burger. Every bite was simply mouth-watering and delicious. My husband thought his steak was absolutely perfect and delicious as well. The only down side was the restaurant seemed to need a "face lift." It needed some TLC and the windows could have used a good cleaning. If I wouldn't sound insane, it would almost be worth it to make the 7-hour trip just to get to eat there again soon. read more

The Snaffle Bit is one of your better choices in this small town. We had a fairly decent meal, but it wasn't outstanding in any way. They brought chips and salsa that were oily and bland and we left them largely uneaten, but the rest of the dinner was ok. Because your choices are so limited, you should call for a reservation. They were very kind to fit us in without one. Someone had a birthday and the birthday victim had to ride a stick pony through the restaurant, which they did with gusto and lots of whoops and hollers. The waitress loudly asked everyone else if it was their birthday, to which we all loudly proclaimed, "NO!!!" The food may not be extraordinary, but it was a fun and friendly environment for all. read more

While on a recent visit to the area we were looking for a steakhouse and the reviews for this location were good, so we were hopeful. We made a reservation based on one of the reviews and we did arrive a few minutes early. However, once we arrived the waiting area is literally in the middle of the restaurant and you are either in the way of the staff or standing way too close to the customers at their tables. There were many open tables, but the staff just kept walking by us and acting fairly put out by our presence. We were asked numerous times if we had reservations(it was a weeknight and they had two tables full). Once we were seated we ordered guacamole, which apparently does not come with chips. We had to order chips and salsa as well. The salsa was clearly a cheap jar, but the guacamole was fairly good. We were seated near the kitchen and saw numerious customers go in the kitchen and speak to the staff about mundane things. This is not professional and delayed our food considerably. My husband ordered a long island and was served a jug of alcohol. Not sure why the owners would think it is responsible to serve so much alcohol in one drink? My husband is a bartender and he was appaled by the size and taste. He couldn't drink it, which the server/owner clearly saw and ignored. The service overall was terrible. The staff runs around alot, but accomplishes very little. Our server appeared to be the owner as well and he was not a friendly or patient man. When locals came in they were treated very differently. Once the food arrived our steaks were burnt on the outside and raw on the inside. We ate very little and again the owner did not care or acknowledge this when he cleared the table. As it was our anniversary and vacation we did not want to cause a scene, so we paid our bill and left quickly. We would never recommend this restaurant. read more

My wife and I were on a 3-day weekend trip and spent the night in JD. We had dinner at Snaffle Bit -- the food and service were terrific. We both had steaks and were cooked perfectly. The side salads and baked potatoes were a good complement. The staff was extremely courteous and helpful. Next time we are in town, going back again is a no-brainier. read more

The Snaffle Bit food, service, and ambience are all 5-Star. You want gourmet comfort food at a reasonable price - pull over on 395 in John Day, OR. I had a grilled salmon to die for, with delicious steak cut fries, and for starters, a tomato soup - that's "tomato soup" in name only. This is not like any tomato soup you've every tasted (it's from grandma's recipe and believe me, this IS your grandma's tomato soup." My friend ordered the tenderloin steak grilled to perfection with a sweet potato from heaven. If you want more modest fare, choose from burgers or sandwiches (okay - let the kids enjoy those, they'll be happy - so that you can go and treat yourself to the "real food" here). I also enjoyed a Mirror Lake Ale on tap that rounded out an exceptional evening of dining. This family owned and operated - treated us like family - the chef (extraordinary - nothing less), her sister, son, and niece all welcomed, served and "schmoozed" - yeah it's my good old New Yorker way of saying took care of us and talked with us like we'd been friends for life. The chef's husband sat down with us at the bar and topped off his night (and OUR night) enjoying his steak and down home good conversation. Okay - we didn't order dessert - but let me tell you - because we were sitting at the bar - we were subject to the most inhumane torture of watching the array of delicious desserts being prepared for diners eating in the dining room - can you say huge scoops of ice cream heaped on top of brownies with berries and chocolate syrup drizzled on top. Are you salivating yet. That was just one amongst the many mouth watering sweet possibilities that tantilized our eyes. One last thing - when you sit at the bar and diners pay at the bar - you hear about all of the dishes that were enjoyed. Quoting some of those diners: "The Ribs were the best!" "Steaks outstanding" "Seafood, pasta dishes were delicious". Go, enjoy. You will not be disappointed - well except when you have to leave. PS - I don't know these people, I never met them - and they certainly did not pay me anything to write my review. All they did was serve me up one of the most memorable meals of my life. Not too shabby. read more

I had an amazing fresh salad. The patio area is very inviting and it was cool in the evening; a bit loud but tolerable. The service was outstanding. read more

The service was quick and friendly, and the food was good. Especially the steak. Since it was vacation and a steak house the price was expected. I'd go back. read more

Gotta love the name, Snaffle bit. It actually harkens back to when it was a 2 horse town. For those who don't know a snaffle bit is a type of bit used with horses. I didn't know, I just liked the name! Service on this busy Saturday night was more than adequate. Our waiter was very helpful and fit us in without too much of a wait since we didn't have reservations (who knew?). We sat on the deck which was really quite nice on this summer evening. The drinks were fine, the atmosphere quaint. the food was ok. Now I wasn't expecting 5 star gourmet, and to be honest I was kind of pleasantly surprised by what we got. The salad was fresh and the dressings flavorful. My dinner though not memorable was adequate, my wifes fish on the other hand though clearly of the frozen battered variety for her fish sandwhich was greatly overcooked and dry. It was clearly a let down, as was being told our first choices were no longer being offered (perhaps this could've been mentioned when the menu was given or crossed off or something!). Overall we were pleased, and will probably stop here again if we come back through John Day, it is after all a oasis on the side of the road where shake the dust off and relax. read more

This place is 'da bomb'! I live about 2 hours south, and make it a point to go here a couple times per year. The sides are good, country, comfort fare, but the steaks are perfect! This is one of the few places in Eastern Oregon where they actually know the difference between rare and medium rare. As a matter of standard practice, I always order my steak rare, because most outfits overcook their steaks. I figure if they don't overcook it, I'll get what I ordered and if they do overcook it, I'll at least end up with something passable. I have always had my steaks cooked perfectly here. It is not The Palm Restaurant in NYC, or El Gaucho, but it would EASILY hold its own against any 4 star steak house in a large metro area. And the decor is great, not pretentious and perfectly in keeping with the area. Seating is limited, so call ahead. Also, I believe they are only open 4 nights per week. read more

The service was great and the waiter was so friendly and helpful. The food was excellent. Try the cowboy salad! So happy we chose this restaurant. read more

My family stopped at the Snaffle Bit for dinner on a Thursday evening. We had been there before and it was good food and a good atmosphere. On this visit, however, we were disappointed. It wasn't very busy and the waitress sat us immediately and gave us our menus and water. After about 10 minutes, our decisions on what to order ready, the waitress stopped by the table and informed us that we "shouldn't get our hopes up" because they were out of hamburger, only had one type of steak, and the cook wasn't making three of the appetizers on the menu. Our choices, now more limited, caused us to revisit the menu to decide on other entrees. My husband chose a salad which looked like a bag of iceberg lettuce from the grocery store had been tossed in a bowl. Our other meals were all frozen food heated up. Without the option for burgers or steaks, the Snaffle Bit doesn't have much going for it. If you choose to go, ask up front if they are serving actual prepared meals, otherwise, I am certain that you too will share in my disappointment of the food. read more

This place is amazing. Fantastic. Awesome. We were seated by Logan who greeted us with a smile and kept the evening feeling like dinner with family. The staff as a whole are great. Our dinner was perfect. My wife had a "small" salad that if I recall was chicken, berry and walnut - excellent she said. I had a thick cut sirloin that came out pretty rare but the chef happily adjusted to medium. Flavor was outstanding. I rarely order steak (watching the beef intake) and this was heaven. The Snaffle Bit is a must stop. Call ahead and reserve a table, we were lucky we arrived early. Say hi to Logan. read more

Superb! I can see why they made the recent top ten list on best steakhouses in Oregon!

Took my hubby to dinner on 10/6/15 for his 74 bday...the food was fantastic and then some as usual. Thank you......