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A Caveat We had arrived in Medford in the early evening, after a long drive from the Bay Area, and we were all exhausted and ready to turn in. Alas, we were also hungry and wanting dinner. Eating at Misty's Grille, the restaurant of the Red Lion Hotel Medford, seemed like the logical thing to do. Perhaps, however, it wasn't the smartest. Let me first say that the Misty's Grille is no longer in existence. The restaurant, located by the lobby of the hotel, is physically there, but due to lack of business it's no longer staffed. You can get the full menu at the Character's Lounge, the hotel bar - and if you have kids along, as we did, you can be served at the restaurant, albeit by bar staff. Whatever. Misty's or Character's has a pretty standard American menu, priced like standard family restaurants. I had wanted a cheeseburger, but they wouldn't make it medium-rare as I wanted it, so I had the advertised onion soup. This had a very dark, strong broth (if I well remembered mixed with apple cider), and a thick layer of cheese on top. The cheese was fine, but the broth was just too dark for my taste. I couldn't really eat much of it. I wish I could remember what Mike had. I know it was something light, and something he didn't like, for he didn't finish it either. And Mike is nowhere as picky as I am. The kids had mac and cheese, which was fine. The portion was large enough for both of them - and even then, they didn't finish it. Though we had ordered one portion, it came in two separate plates, which we appreciated. In all, we found the experience disappointing (and we didn't really expect that much), and on our drive back to the Bay Area, while we stayed at the Red Lion, we had dinner at Elmer's instead. Misty's Grille/Character's Lounge 200 N Riverside Ave Medford, Oregon 541.779.5811 http://www.redlion.com