Thousand Hills Lakeside Dining

Menu is difficult to read. The printing is too small. Food quality is decent but a little overpriced. Disappointed to have Brussel sprouts be the vegetable of the day.

Short answer: Maybe.

This location is a treasure, with a history going back decades. It's a special place.

A media release this past summer announced, "Hospitality company ExplorUS has been awarded a 10-year contract to operate concessions at Thousand Hills State Park in northeast Missouri beginning in January 2024."

That was just a few weeks ago. I was visiting town and came for dinner here for the first time in years, so this is my first look at the new operation.

So how are things faring?

- The food was okay. Not bad. But seems to fit more into the realm of "something decent in a place that's convenient for where you already were" rather than destination dining. Here, you're likely coming for the view or because you're already nearby.

- The drink menu was disappointing. Better than you might find in some other places in years gone by, but not quite where it could be.

- Kind service. Young team, we were there on one of the first days of the season, so they were still getting their rhythm- not in a negative way. They were great.

I love this location. I love this part of the world. I am rooting for it hard.

As such, I'm protective of this place and the people. So let's talk about value:

This is where it falls off for me.

As an example: One of the appetizers is onion rings, for $10. They aren't bad. They might be good enough. They are not $10 good. And there are not enough of them to justify the price point.

Or their cocktails: Some places out there are charging $14 for mixed drinks. Even more! I don't begrudge it, some places are doing inventive work with an expertise or ingredients that costs money to sustain.

But then other bars and restaurants follow the trend and deliver the price point... but not the quality.

That's where I get annoyed. It's possible the drinks are $14 amazing, but reading their menu left us skeptical and we just went with a beer ($8) and a glass of wine.

Another aspect of the menu is the menu itself. Ours were very clearly printed on inkjet printer, then laminated. If I may offer some free internet advice - go with laser, or a print shop, or adjust the design. Very difficult to read certain prices because the typeface is small and skinny, and white text on a blue background can look great, but with a basic inkjet printer you're going to get bleeding (which ours definitely had) and uneven coverage, and laminating can make it even harder to see. Is this a super nerdy tangent? Absolutely. But it's a detail that's fixable, and one that impacts guest experience and perceived value of what you're delivering.

The part of the menu that really got to me, though, is the fact that all the prices end in .99 or .95 - this is a marketing cliche that to me just feels disrespectful at this point. You do that when you're trying to trick people. That's not a great sign for where priorities are at. A place that serves filet mignon does not need to be doing this kind of hack chintziness, it's tacky. Just own it - either your food is worth it or not, this is not a place where impulse buyers are going to matter a whole lot.

This location should be a destination, with food that complements the beautiful setting. Imagine something on the level of The Pear Tree and Sebree's. A place that showcases just how amazing what we grow here is- food, talent, people. And one focused on delivering as much value as possible for the population it serves.

I don't know about you, but I like that idea.

So why mention all this? ExplorUS has just a signed a 10-year contract. They will be here a while. So the choices they make will impact the experience that visitors to our park will have. And those experiences will form a picture of this area- for the people who live here and those who don't.

ExplorUS is a management company that used to be called Ortega National Parks, a concessionaire that was recently bought by a private equity firm. That firm is based in Los Angeles.

They will want a return on investment. And that return is not going to stay in the local community. Those pressures are real, which is why I'm vigilant and wary. Done well, these arrangements can add resources which will improve the experience for everyone. But if the pressures for profit get out of control, it turns into an extraction operation where the goal is to take as much from the area while giving as little as possible. Corners get cut while prices increase. Which is not an environment I want for our park or our people.

It feels easier to get right when the leadership is in the local community.

And in some ways, the eccentricities of the menu might be a sign of local involvement in the design, or at least the printing. Hopefully the local management will feel empowered and supported in making improvements. I am rooting for them!

So we will see how it goes. And for the next ten years we will have no other choice.

As a Truman Alum, I always make sure to stop by Thousand Hills every time I visit Kirksville. The moment you hit the parking lot at the Dining Lodge, you're greeted by a delicious aroma of grilled steak. It's essential for any decent restaurant worth it's salt in my book. My friends and I were seated quickly after waiting just a few minutes as they were busy on a Saturday night. The cocktail, wine and beer selection is fantastic. I highly recommend the Old Fashioned. I ordered a Caesar salad, a Filet and a baked potato. The Caesar salad was flavorful with just the right amount of tang and cracked pepper from the dressing. The filet was cooked medium to my liking-flavorful, smooth, and lovely texture! Made sure to get every last bite in with my bread. Baked potato was delicious as expected. Our waitress was very friendly and helpful as were the ladies at the hostess station with whom we had a great conversation.
The view of the lake from the restaurant picture windows is gorgeous! In the last couple years they added a gorgeous deck option for seating which I'm sure is perfect for the summer! Dinner at Thousand Hills is not to be missed anytime you're in Kirksville. Can't recommend this jewel of an establishment enough!!

Great service. Great food. Best atmosphere in town. Make sure to get a reservation on Saturdays.

Nice atmosphere and great attention from server. Food was just what we ordered and enjoyed our time there.

I have never had a good experience with the owners but their staff they hire are great. Hopefully they learn more hospitality with their new restaurant they are opening

We always get great service and food .The deck is so pretty , we love to set out there and enjoy the lake .Robin and Jeremy are Great .

Fantastic service with a beautiful view from the outdoor seating! I loved my meal, but some of my friends didn't enjoy theirs. The restaurant was packed but that didn't stop our waiter from taking care of us! Would definitely go back again.

This place is a hidden gem! Let's start this off right, I do not eat anywhere where the food is not a least equal to what I can make at home.

They have outdoor seating. A definite requirement in pandemic times.

Friendly wait staff. Our server was there just when needed and was very attentive to our needs.

Food was very tasty, and well presented. A very nice variety, and prices are reasonable. Food was prepared well and fresh.

We had to go out of our way when traveling through the area to eat here, and would definitely return!

We ordered Cajun fish, pasta with marinara and a French dip sammie. The Cajun fish was breaded and fried. After much talk about what items might not have eggs, dairy or milk (I.e. vegan), specifically stating no add ons, the pasta with marinara came with Parmesan cheese and broccoli on top. As a vegan my daughter had to return the dish because of the cheese. They brought a replacement which was possibly 2 oz of pasta that wasn't drained and tomato sauce on top. She went to mix the sauce with the pasta and found a large puddle of water which then was more like a diluted kids meal.
The waitress should have realized two of the meals were incorrect and intercepted the pasta and fish before it even hit our table.
Because we already returned the pasta once, I wasn't going to return it again and risk irritating the cook more plus there were NO other alternatives for her. My daughter ate it but it really was not very palatable. We got the bill and found we were charged $11.89...What? A ridiculous charge for a tiny serving of mediocre pasta and tomato sauce.
I asked to speak to the manager and started to describe what took place. There was no apology or anything. She took the bill and stormed off with other clientele watching.
It was a difficult situation because we already returned the meal once and there was nothing else to eat. So there was nothing to show the manager because the food was gone. It was absolutely outrageous to be charged $11.89 to a tiny serving of pasta with watered down tomato sauce.
We never even got to the part of getting breaded fish instead of Cajun.
On the up side, the homemade potato chips were delicious. Came with an interesting dip...waitress didn't know what it's was and apparently wasn't curious enough to find out.
Take a pass.