Prospector Steak House

Last Time

Kind of Sad ,Prospector used to be a great place to go we would visit once or twice a year since i first started living in Thunder Bay(20 Years).Last night will be the last time.The evening was doomed right from the beginning with the rude and unattentive bar staff and a long wait for dinner. Our guest from out of town was served raw fish, hard to imagine why since it took near 40 min for it to arrive (we wern't charged for it).I also had the fish which was tender and perfectly prepared ???.Overcooked and tastless side vegtables . What happened to this Franchise ? Prospector Burgers in Fort William was at one time THE BOMB but I stopped going about 4 years ago when the quality seemed to decline and i dont see the lineups like i used to so i assume nothings changed .Now the steakHouse which i noticed declining last few years but still made up for with the delicious Prime rib dinner. I ordered this last time i visited in june which when delivered to the table was not warm , tough and fatty (thats why i had fish this time ) . MMMMMM Prospector buns **THE BEST** but not enough to make up for the rest of the meal Anyway so long Prostpector i do miss you but i guess all good things come to an end.

had a delicious meal here and great service. most of us had the prime rib which was excelllent, one person had the salmon which was also great and one person had the salad bar and appetizer. The staff was great and really friendly, atmosphere is not fancy but we had a young child with us so the relaxed atmospeher was perfect. Buns were delicious, will be going back for sure.

EXCELLENT all around!

We had moved away from Thunder Bay 10 years ago, even being in southern Ontario we never stopped talking about the Prospector. We recently returned and of course went back to see if it was still the best. Well, it was! Our server Stacy gave us the best service we have ever gotten in our lives. She was fabulous! The food was second to none and the buns, ahhhh the buns, need I say more. We will be going back every chance we get.

I have been there many times, and have never had any complaints. The food (especially the buns!) always tastes great. It's very easy to fill up on just buns!

AMAZING

We were referred by the hotel staff and this is the best place ever; the food, service and atmosphere was great. The only drawback was parking - because its downtown waterfront theres not alot of parking and of course its all paid parking but the food is worth the trouble. The fresh warm buns are to die for and its hard not to fill up on those causing you to get a doggie bag for the entree. We ordered chicken, prime rib, and of course steak which were all fantastic. We took our son (Lakehead student) and some of his friends and have decided to make it a tradition to go every year. I always make sure we get dinner here at least once during every trip to Lakehead U. I would suggest that with all those students and parents coming to visit that they advertise at Lakehead or at least ask Lakehead U to put them in the parent directory for out of towners as we were lucky to find it. The Nor'Wester Best Western gave me the 411 on the Prospector and for that I am ever greatful. Thunder Bay is our second home now and for at least the next 5 years so I'm interested in finding all the BEST places and this is on the top of the list!! I can't wait to go this April....yum, yum. The Staff and Management were so great to us and comped a desert. GREAT PR work. We are customers for life.

Ultimate steakhouse, ask for Stacy as your waitress

The food and service is so good that I cannot write a review worthy of The Prospector. When you arrive there, ask for Stacy to serve you and I pr4omise that you will have the ultimate food experience! I Promise!

Enjoyed the experience

I liked my experience here, staff were very freindly, and attentive. I had Prime Rib med rare delcious, others had salmon and smother chicken breast (mush and onions and cream sauce) It isn'y fancy but we got good food, relaxed, and paid a fair price. glass of wine was only 5.50 (reasonable). The salad bar was more than enough as you still need to save room for your meal.

I ordered what was advertised as a sirloin steak smothered in vegs. Turned out to be a stir fry of sorts. Was asked if I'd prefer more salad as if I hadn't had enough of there veggies already! Salad bar was of poor quality. Never again!

Wonderful

I have been here a few times over the years and I still love it, the atmosphere is relaxed they can accomodate large and small groups. I had the Prime Rib Med Rare and it was delicious, Had a super friendly server, "Linda" who was great. All of our food was served hot and she made sure how drinks were refilled all the time. The soup, buns and salad bar were great too. I realize it is not a huge salad bar but it is plenty for a Pre meal salad and it is all included in the meal. I still find the prices reasonable a 6 oz glass of Koonunga Hill wine was only 5.50, other places in town charging 11.50 and up.

AMAZING..TOTALLY AMAZING

I have been coming here for years...for birthday celebrations, anniversaries, and just to dine. Always get the same meal, prime rib and salad bar...prime rib is literally to die for, I have never experienced a prime rib so wonderful as here. The soups are always delicious (although they could reduce the salt somewhat). The salad bar though I feel is highly overpriced for what you receive which is just a lot of canned veggies. Thankfully, the warm homemade buns make up for it as there is no other place in town who makes them like the Prospector does...excellent. There is always at least a 15-20 minute wait for service, which according to us, is nothing and is expected as the place is always full. You are provided seating in the bar which is a nice experience enjoying a few beverages and relaxing prior to the meal, so not a bothersome wait at all. Staff is always friendly and never have experienced the waitstaff forgetting anything we ordered. Very casual atmosphere...jeans to dress up is all good.

Put on the stretchy pants and belly up. The all you can eat salad bar comes with most meals and includes all you can eat home made fresh buns and soup as well. the buns are actually pulled out of the oven and dumped into the bowl. You get full of a fantastic salad bar before the main dish gets served. The staff are friendly and service good. The atmosphere is pine and barn boards which makes it feel warm and cozy kinda like a cottage. get there early as there can be a wait at times. Certainly the place to go if you need to feast down.

There are no golden arches out side this restauren

The food was great ,the service was fantastic a server named Lynda ,the wait was a few minutes but not long,i didnt feel rushed or hungry when i left.Some people go into these places and expect the same fast service you get at these fast food joints,thats not going to happen,if thats what you want then you should go to the fast food places,but if you want nice and relaxing then please go to the prospector and try it out for your self thanks.You cant please all the people all the time..........

almost Alberta beef

Born & raised in Alberta, where beef is better. These steaks rival Albertas best. Service was great, atmosphere was good, the buns to die for! If your traveling and need a taste of home. This restraunt will get you so close!!! Amazing!

I agree that the prospector has seriously fallen...

I agree that the prospector has seriously fallen in overall service and experience over the years and they are hoping their amazing fresh buns will save them. I believe the last 5 times i have gone in the last 2 years I have had a fatty (Filet?) or undercooked steak. The salad bar is quite weak and the service is adequate at best. One of my friends complained about their steak and was treated horribly. If they don't recoqnize their problems and fix it fast this place could be in for some trouble!

The entrance to the Prospector is deceiving--I...

The entrance to the Prospector is deceiving--I didn't think it would be all that great! But it WAS! I thought the service was going to be shotty when we asked about having some buns and the waitress said they were next to the salad--but before we could say another thing she had put a plate of buns on our table! I WANT THE RECIPE for those BUNS!! WOW they were great! I have raved and raved about them since I ate them!! The food was great, service was great!! My sister and brother in law said it was GREAT and they were RIGHT!!

This restraunt has given me nothing but high...

This restraunt has given me nothing but high quality service and value during my stay in thunder bay,the staff are very friendly and personable. excellent value for money. the quality of the food and service is second to none,i highly recommend,the prospector.

I have been a customer of the Prospector for...

I have been a customer of the Prospector for years and have definitely seen a change in the quality of the food over the last 2 years. We always order the Prime Rib and on our last two visits the meat has been dry, the sides of vegetables mushy, the service quite slow and on the last visit my husband and myself both had to race home due to stomach upset. I believe the salad bar was to blame. It will be a long time before I visit again and this was one of my favorite restaurants. A real shame.

From what I have read, was I at the same...

From what I have read, was I at the same restaurant as the other folks that gave the restaurant a bad review? I hope not but I and my party of 9 had a good feed and the service was good. Food was cooked to the specs given and I am going back again next week with my party of 12. If you don't like don't go, but if you like take a party! Keep up the good work.

My steak was mediocre, my wifes was terrible...

My steak was mediocre, my wifes was terrible, upon returning the steak ( fist time in our lives we have had to return a meal ) they "washed it off" with au jus ( the problem was WAY to much salt ) my wife chewed half of it down and didn't finish it. My biggest regret was that I didn't insist on not paying for my wifes meal. I will not be as nieave again. We have eaten there many times before, and it will be on the bottom of our list for a long time before we consider it again.

Usual good cut of beef, cooked exactly how I...

Usual good cut of beef, cooked exactly how I asked for it. The usual salad bar, and dinner rolls. As always I walked out about 10 pounds heavier