Excellent Food and Service in a Very Busy Estes Park Favorite Executive Summary: A fantastic dinner with fresh, well-executed dishes, strong cocktails, and outstanding service. Easily a 5-star experience and highly recommended. We booked a 6:00 p.m. Sunday reservation through Resy and were seated immediately. The restaurant was very busy, which felt like a good sign. One thing to note: parking is VERY difficult. You may need to park kitty-corner at the grocery store lot and walk across. We started with the Beets & Bibb salad, which was outstanding--fresh, thinly sliced crunchy beets, crisp dried chickpeas for texture, grapes for sweetness, and a honey vinaigrette with just enough acidity to balance everything. The cornbread arrived warm and freshly baked with black garlic butter. It was light rather than dense and very enjoyable. For an entrée, the Carnivore was excellent. Both the elk and petite filet had a beautiful sear and were cooked perfectly to temperature, accompanied by a flavorful reduction and seared broccolini. Our second entrée was the trout with a side petite filet. The fish was well seasoned and cooked perfectly. By the end of dinner we were far too full to try the desserts, although they looked tempting. We also had a couple of cocktails--strong, flavorful pours. Our server, Ian, was friendly, efficient, and attentive throughout the evening. Excellent service despite how busy the restaurant was. Overall, Bird & Jim delivered great food, great drinks, and great service. Highly recommended--5 stars. read more

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Looked forward to a good meal. Don't mind higher prices if it is worth it Trout was good Miso salmon was the great disappointment. There was no teriyaki sauce on the salmon which tasted fishy and not fresh The fish tasted like they rubbed salt on top then added more salt. Someone spilled the salt shaker here and absolutely no other flavor. Expected some sweetness but nothing. Asked for something to cover and they gave me sweet chili dip like. That helped tremendously but would never order it again. Bread with garlic butter was good but nothing complimentary They have Happy hour Trying to pay with Apple Pay was a struggle and our server disappeared on me. She says follow me to pay but then disappeared Too many competitors for fish on this town to probably return Lots of kids and babies, loud inside. Outdoor seating available read more

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Lots of seating inside and outside. Right on the side of a busy road. Has another brunch restaurant across the street. Allows dogs on patio. Service was slow. Nice view from patio but busy road right there so noisy and lots of track. Lamb was medium rare and very tasty. But small 8oz so small portion for $46. Green beans meh. Potatoes ok. The white sauce creamy gnocchi ($28) with no meat was alright. Very filling. Tasted better once you ate the broccolini and the best when you get a bite of the scarce tomatoes. If they put more tomatoes it'd be delicious. Overall just ok. Kind of pricey for what you get. read more

Again with this half stars thing. I would do 3.5 but I can't so I guess it's 3 We heard really good things about this place. It was just ok for us. It's cute. Love the concept and love the decor. Service was good. They had issues with their cc machine and we waited and waited for it to come back up and then ended up having to Venmo the waiter cuz we wanted to leave and we didn't have cash. I got the mushroom and steak ravioli. It was good. I enjoyed mine. Little pricey. My husband got the chicken sandwich. It was good too. My friend got the half chicken. It was good as well. Our other friend got the burger with the bacon on it. Everything was good. But just good. Not great. For the cost we expected alittle more. There were just so many places to eat in the area that were better in our opinion. The parking lot was pitch black. I am hoping it will was an issue that they are aware of and working on because it was dangerous walking out basically right onto the street at the intersection in total darkness. We literally turned on the flashlight on our phones. read more

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My new favorite restaurant in Estes Park! Flavorful food, unique and delicious cocktails, and they have parking. It has a rustic ambiance perfect for the Mountains. My Hogback Sour Cocktail was over the moon. Made from bourbon, lemon, simple syrup, egg white, and Cabernet float. The unique blend made a great drink. I wanted more, but held back because we were hiking later. My wife's traditional slightly dirty martini was perfectly made as well. We started with the homemade chips and dip. Nice crispy chips with beautiful fresh made onion dip. Next came the Pheasant soup. I wanted to lick the bowl clean, it was so yummy. The main course for me was the carnivore plate with elk, filet, sausage, and broccoli/shallots. The elk meat was the star on my plate. Having that next to the filet mignon allowed me to taste test them in real time. The Elk meat won hands down. Not even close in my opinion. The sausage was packed with wonderful flavors, but after a few bites overwhelmed my palette. My wife had the Creamy Potato Gnocchi Bowl. We both shared each other's dishes. She loved the Elk Meat. I really enjoyed the Gnocchi, and wished it could be a side dish to my Elk meat. Service was great with Elizabeth checking on us at the right times. Tip: Ask for the postcard and the restaurant will send it out for you after you fill it out. Tip: the restaurant fills up quickly, so call ahead and get a reservation. read more

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Local spot off the tourist strip. Unique menu with some different flavor combos. Service was a little disjointed and not real well trained. Food was good, a little pricey, I don't mind paying, but I expect more flavor for a $50 ribeye. read more

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Bird & Jim was a good impromptu lunch stop for us while we were in Estes Park on a Saturday. We were looking for a casual bite to eat, and they had a few tables available around lunchtime. The parking lot is fairly small, but there is additional parking available across the street the grocery store (not sure if you can park there but it worked for us). The menu looked solid, with a few things that caught my eye (albeit on the pricier side for a more casual spot). I ended up ordering the Colorado trout filet, and it was definitely the highlight for me. The trout was cooked well, very flavorful, and topped with a cilantro-lime sauce that paired well with it. It came with roasted corn and potatoes, which were both tasty, although I do wish there had been a little more of each. My fiancée ordered the beets and Bibb salad and added chicken. Unfortunately, the chicken was probably the weakest part of the meal. It was fairly dry and didn't have much flavor. Overall, though, we had a good experience at Bird & Jim. The trout was exactly what I was looking for: light, healthy, & flavorful. There are quite a few other things on the menu I'd like to try, so we'd open to returning next time we are in the area. read more

Bird & Jim - Colorado Trout Filet - New American Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Popped in here for a very early dinner. So - I was a little confused when they said that they had to seat us inside, even though there were plenty of tables outside, because they just sat a table outside. I've honestly never heard of that before, but OK - whatever. I'm a pretty simple eater - meaning I eat only chicken, turkey or beef. I'm not super experimental with things like bison, so the menu was a little limiting to me. Nevertheless, I was able to eat a burger, which was very tasty. Fries were also spot on, and I'm not usually a fry person. There were a few difficulties during the meal (like our water remaining empty a lot), and it took literally forever to get the check. Forever. And I think we were handed off to a different server at that point without any transition being made. It's a good thing we didn't have anywhere to be afterwards otherwise we'd have been late. But - a good little spot just outside the downtown area! 2026: 68/100 read more

Such an excellent restaurant. Had the Fried Pickles, Focaccia, Gnocchi, Roasted 1/2 Chicken and Bread Pudding. All excellent. Great vibe inside and nice bar. Great wine and cocktail programs and service was top notch. Best restaurant in Estes Park, hands down. read more

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After a long day of exploring Rocky Mountain National Park- we were starving. We stumbled across Bird and Jim's and decided to stop. The parking situation is awful - you'll def be fighting for a spot. But there aren't too many places that offer up the kind of views for dinner that this place does. Service was attentive despite how busy they were. Food was good and came out fast. I'm a sucker for pickle chips and they were great. Paired well with the local beers on tap that were our reward for hiking! read more

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Kind of a rustic hip vibe? Is that a thing? Slightly industrial inside. Large outdoor porch seating. Got very loud inside. Open kitchen concert. Kind of an elevated bar food vibe? Food was all very good. Service was average. Prices were fair. Would return. We had the carnivore and the rotisserie chicken. All the meat was good. The veggies on both plates were meh. But i guess if you are ordering a plate called the carnivore veggies are a second thought? Huge bourbon list read more

Friendly service, lovely interior. Our servicer was great and the music was great. They have a nidrink offering for non alcohol and alcohol. Son #2 order the Jim burger and felt it was average, son #1 has the half chicken and felt it was dry, I had the trout and I enjoyed the fresh fish and veggies. We shared the small charcuterie and that was the start, a lot for 4 and everything was good, beets and big salad was fresh, the trout chowder was delish and for fun we tried the elk strip loin and it was different and good. California or mountain pricing but solid. Get a reservation or you might be out on the deck. No pics, we were starving from a day of hiking at RMNP. read more

Love this place and will be thinking about it on our next trip through town. Wow! What a vibe! Things were picking up by the time we got there for lunch. We were greeted by a really nice blonde girl that showed us our seats. She was down to earth and was just beaming with great vibes. Then we got Matt. As if the experience wasn't already great from hanging out with friends, Matt invited us with an amount of aloha that is only found in Hawaii! We ordered chips and onion dip. The ramekin that the onion dip came with was really small compared to the amount of chips we received. It was delicious! Maybe substitute toasted bread next time? I ordered the poke and that was outstanding! It came with a creamy ginger dip that tied things together. For being landlocked and in the mountains, this is a dish I will remember! Matt also brought out a Hong Kong sriacha that definitely elevated everything. The reggae (music), positive vibes, and down to earth feel was a great way to end our trip before getting back to the grind. What a place! The scenery speaks for itself too and the staff is top notch! read more

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Mixed feelings about this place. The intentions and the deliveries don't match up; that's what makes it hard to review. I know that they had the best intentions, I think they do, but they're not delivering it for some reasons. Service was slow and awkward despite it being pretty empty because it's not lunch time yet. The prices are kinda steep and the food is just ok, it's not great but it's not bad either. I got the buffalo bacon burger and requested it to be cooked rare, with sweet potato waffle fries. The fries weren't crispy but they were not chunky either (makes sense, they weren't supposed to be wedges), the sweet potato taste didnt really come through because of that. But buffalo patty was good and juicy. One thing I really liked was the cloth napkins they used to wrap the utensils. Such a sweet, homey touch! Also, you get a postcard with your check if you want to write one and they'll mail it for you! read more

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We made a reservation on a busy summer Friday night and were seated within a few minutes. They have a great wine list and although the wine I ordered was out, our server brought me over a different selection to try that was comparable. I appreciated that. The service was friendly and attentive and the food came out quickly despite how busy it was. The food was great and I love that it was sourced locally. I would recommend coming here and I would come back. read more

Bird & Jim - New American Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

In a world where everything is getting more expensive and it seems like staff at restaurants is more and more apathetic by the day, Bird and Jim was a refreshing experience! It's been a hot minute since I've wanted to come home and write a review day of visiting a place but this place got me! We called ahead since we had our pup with us and they had the patio open and we were the only ones out there. Even so, service was top notch and we got the VIP treatment! Matt and Ava were helping us and their service was stellar and really made the experience. Not only the service but the views! The music (Sundays are Reggae Sundays!) and the food! Everything on the menu looked fantastic with fresh ingredients, much needed after a morning of hiking. Since it was the weekend, they had brunch available and three out of four of us ordered various dishes. We also got some starters and sides like chips and French onion dip----get this!! The chips are fresh and made in house but they need to give more dip because it's on point and wasn't enough for four people! Waffle fries and cornbread are a must as well, I'm not even a cornbread fan but this was fluffy and melts right in your mouth with their salted butter. Brunch was delicious, the Prosciutto Spinach Benedict was enough for two meals and appreciated the finely diced peppers thoughtfully presented on the side. Seriously, everything was wonderful and best part? It's affordable. I was expecting pricing to be insane but this place cares all around.....from wallet, to food to experience. Support local business and dine here when in Estes. read more

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Stopped in for dinner while in Estes Park for a day of exploring. It was good. The server we had was very nice. The gals at the hostess station struggled quite a bit. The hush puppies were good. The ravioli was very mushroom heavy. Too mushroom heavy. But still yummy. We got the carnivore plate and the steak was excellent. The sausage was far too spicy. The elk was okay but pretty tough. The drink we got was good, but not as good as I'd expect. Overall a good experience, but a little overpriced for what you get. I've had much better food for the same price elsewhere. read more

Bird & Jim - New American Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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I really wanted to love Bird & Jim because the interior is so beautiful and I honestly loved the vibe of the lounge area, but the food just didn't live up to the high prices for me. I felt like the menu was a bit of a letdown, especially the trout I ordered, which was literally swimming in oil, and not in a way that tasted good. I also tried the soup, and while the flavor was okay, it was way too salty for my taste and I couldn't believe I paid $14 for such a tiny cup. The only thing I actually enjoyed and found totally edible was the sweet potato gnocchi bowl, which the flavor was on point. To top it off, I felt like our service was basically absent the whole time, so I spent a lot of the night just waiting around. It's a cool space, but I think the experience was way too expensive for such mediocre food tiny portions and hit-or-miss service. read more

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Had a great lunch here: mostly great food, lovely service, decent ambience. It was a little loud for lunchtime, but ... alcohol! Almost everything on the menu looked delicious, and what we ordered was excellent: Buffalo burger, garlic broccolini, and the mac 'n' cheese. Only downside was the peach pie, which took over 30 minutes to arrive with undercooked crust. The filling and the ice cream were fantastic, though. Would definitely go back to try 17 other things on this menu. read more

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We love this area around the National Park and Estes Park is one of the nicest and most beautiful cities in the West. We always try to find someplace that serves either Elk or Bison. The tourist center recommended this place so we decided to give it a try. I ordered the Bison Burger and the Elk Stew. They were outstanding and extra delicious. Very good service staff here. read more

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This is one of our favorite food spots in Estes Park and we make sure to go at least once every trip, usually twice if I'm there with my parents (they love this place :)). It works for everything: lunch, dinner, or even just stopping in for small plates after a hike. For lunch or snacks, we like sitting in the lounge area since it's super comfy with sofa-style seating and nice mountain views. For dinner, the main restaurant side is better. The food is always fresh, and I love that they source their meat and produce locally. Everything we've tried has been consistently good. I've also taken friends here and everyone ends up liking it. Service is good too, friendly staff and a nice overall experience every time. Definitely a go to spot in Estes Park. read more

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We love Bird and Jim! It's one of our favorite restaurants in Estes Park. It has really good vibes, amazing service, and delicious food. We love all of the different seating options; great bar, comfortable lounge area, chef's counter, cute patio and nice dining room. The food is always so good. The Hallets Peak Bowl is always my go-to. Fresh, healthy, and delish. The parking is not ideal; they have small parking lots on both sides of the restaurant. I've also read that their lots are full, locals recommend parking along High Drive, just past the county road sign and then walking 2-3 min to the restaurant. Enjoy! read more

We have always wanted to try out Bird & Jim while visiting Estes Park. This year we were able to secure reservations, and it did not disappoint. The vibe of this place is fun and playful, the service on point, and the food delicious. We started with a few cocktails (Churchill's Breakfast & Bear Lake Black Manhattan) and they were perfectly balanced and wonderfully crafted. The dinner menu has so many options that it was hard to pick just one thing. I landed on the Lamb Sirloin and hubs splurged and got the Carnivore. Both dishes were cook beautifully and the accompaniments were spot in. I would 100% order the lamb again if I had the chance to return (which hopefully we will in the future). read more

Food was all amazing. Our server was very attentive and would bring drink refills before we were empty. Would 100% go back. Lots of gluten free substitutions which were all lovely read more

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Mountain meal magic! Conveniently located by Rocky Mountain National Park, this spot offers delicious food, easy parking, and a family-friendly vibe. Our group of 5 stopped by for lunch after some sightseeing and were seated right away without a reservation. This huge cabin-style space has high ceilings, cozy and regular dining areas, woody mountain decor, fun mismatched cloth napkins, and local art for sale. Food was great! I had the Smoked Pheasant Chowder and Cornbread (three mini rounds) as my meal and both were solid, hearty goodness. My husband enjoyed his Buffalo Burger with tomato-bacon jam while My mother-in-law loved her Arugula Apple Pecan Salad with added greens and raved about the dressing. Her Bird & Jim Lemonade (happy hour til 4pm) tasted like a limoncello spritz. Both kids finished their plates, fries first: Chicken Fingers & Fries and Grilled Cheese & Fries. Come hungry, leave happy! NOTES/TIPS: **Easy parking. Great service. Pay right at your table. **Perfect stop before or after the park. **You can reserve through Google via Resy. read more

Bird & Jim - Smoked Pheasant Chowder - yummy! - New American Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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This was our first time to this place. My wife had a trout which she said was delicious. I had a half chicken and my son had the mac & cheese, which I ate some, which was also delicious as was my half chicken. We'll definitely be back. Matt was our server. It was a great experience. We usually eat at a different restaurant. We're just here for a day trip from Denver, but we come often. We will definitely be back to this place. Bartender guy was super friendly as well. read more

Bird & Jim - New American Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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We had a tasty burger and waffle fries. The woman who served us was very nice and the ambiance is good. We enjoyed seeing elk across the road while dining. read more

Bird & Jim - Mountain Jim Burger - New American Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

Came here after a recent trip to Estes Park. The food was decent but the service was extremely slow. It took them a good 15 minutes for the bartender to notice me and get me a menu. Ordered the trout and while it was good, it wasn't by any means exceptional. Ordered a side of cornbread since I had just hiked all day. Also got a spritzer from their low alcohol drink menu, which was mediocre. Ended up being a $85+ meal for one which would be fine if the food and service had been exceptional. read more

A reservation is recommended. The parking is a challenge as you will note from the cautions on their web site. The bar is just inside the entrance and is absolute heaven. With the light streaming in through the large picture windows to the comfortable seating, it is very inviting. My companion and I had dinner, we love the potato chip appetizer so much! The service was absolutely impeccable and I cannot stop looking at the fun artwork which is also for sale! read more

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Such yummy food! The prices are a little steep, but it's a great spot. The staff is attentive. Great place to grab food! read more

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We rolled in to Bird & Jim's at 7:45 on a Tuesday - 15 mins before the kitchen closed. They were entirely accommodating. From the outside it looks like a somewhat run down lodge. Inside there is plenty of understated mountain charm with an artistic flair. We kept it simple and light. We weren't very hungry and with entrees in the $40s we chose items off the handheld part of the menu. I had the veggie burger along with a local IPA and wife and son shared a BLT with chicken and side of mac & cheese. Veggie burger is mushroom based on a pretzel bun. Thick "burger". Very much enjoyed it, perhaps a touch peppery but all in all above my expectations. I chose sweet potato waffle fries that were nice and crispy. Also the side garnish of pickles should not be overlooked. Heavily pickled, tart and mouth watering. The BLT, also on a pretzel bun, was good. Simple dish, the added chicken was of ample size. The mac and cheese was uninspiring. Service was exceptional. As friendly and welcoming as can be. Really the highlight was how pleasant our waitress was. We visited as a last minute road side stop not realizing the level of this restaurant. Bird & Jim is well worth a visit. I'm fairly certain that we would have gotten more out of our experience ordering their cast iron skillet entrees. read more

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Every time I visit Estes park, I have stopped at bird and Jim and it was the culinary highlight of my visit. Until tonight it was my favorite restaurant in the area, I love their trout, lamb and optional elk add on. They use local high quality ingredients and this would have been my third year visiting. We had a 7:15 p.m. reservation at Bird & Jim and were told upon arrival that they were running behind. To accommodate us, we agreed to sit on the outdoor patio instead of waiting for an indoor table. We ordered wine and our steaks, but shortly afterward it began pouring rain. Because the patio is only partially covered, both we and our waiter were getting soaked, and the patio drainage actually flooded directly toward our table. At around 7:40 p.m., before our food had arrived, we asked if we could be reseated inside due to the weather. The hostess told us that we would not be allowed to sit in the dining room, even if we were willing to wait. Our only options were bar seating or a high-top table. Considering we were planning to spend well over $100 on dinner, we didn't feel those were reasonable accommodations. My boyfriend is over 6 feet tall, and neither of us wanted to spend a special dinner perched at the bar or a high-top after having made a reservation in advance. We ultimately decided to leave. The one bright spot was our waiter, who remained friendly and professional despite being drenched because the patio wasn't adequately covered. We felt terrible for him and were disappointed that the restaurant continued serving guests outside in those conditions. This experience showed a disappointing lack of planning and customer service. Weather is unpredictable, but refusing to accommodate reserved guests indoors after seating them outside due to the restaurant running behind--and while both guests and staff were getting soaked--was not the experience we expected. Also upon checking there was later availability not offered to us TODAY and I have attached an included photo as proof read more

We checked out Bird & Jim while in town on a Wednesday and it was very busy.. This definitely seems like a hot spot so I would recommend making a reservation on Resy beforehand. The vibes were very great and felt like a homey cool mountain restaurant. Service was prompt and friendly from the hostess, servers, and food dinners alike. Burrata ball & Butter Lettuce (5/5): loved this salad. The burrata was great and flavored perfectly with the vinaigrette and balsamic reduction as well as the sweetness from the figs. Roasted half chicken (3/5): this dish came high recommended but I found it to be really bland and needed to add salt Shrimp & Grits (5/5): this dish was full of flavor and the grits were perfectly cooked for a nice texture that didn't feel gritty at all. Almost had the flavor of a jambalaya and the shrimp was delicious. New York Steak (4/5): steak was cooked perfectly to a medium rare but I found this to be slightly bland as well Game Sausage (5/5): this was amazing. I would come back and order this as my main meal with some sides in the future! The sausage had a little kick and great flavor Cornbread (5/5): MUST ORDER. Some of the best cornbread I've ever had. It was so fresh and moist and soft. Just trust me and order it! read more

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Food is good if you like bar food - don't make a reservation because they don't honor it. They can't handle crowds and it is really just a burger and app place. Plus the parking is terrible. Hostess is rude read more

After a hike with my friend, we stopped by Bird & Jim for an early dinner. The staff was great and provided their favorites. We were seated right away with no wait in the lounge. I ordered the bacon wrapped dates to start and the roasted chicken entree. The bacon wrapped dates were delicious and I absolutely loved the roasted garlic dish, especially the mashed potatoes. Everything was cooked perfectly! read more

Bird & Jim - Roasted Chicken Entree - New American Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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Recommended by our bar tender at our hotel! He was right! Great dinner. I had their soup, cornbread and salad. Service was exceptional. She was on top of it. Highly recommend this place. Very comfortable and warm place to visit! read more

Bird & Jim - New American Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

We had a reservation for 7:45 last night. We arrived at 7:40. We were told we would be notified when our table was ready. The first communication to us came at 8:05 and we were told the table was not ready and they could not give us any idea of when the table would be ready. I sent a note to the manager and was told they were sorry but there was nothing they could do as they were just too busy!!! My recommendation is that you should avoid this restaurant's reservations system on "busy days". read more

What a great place! Food was great and large portions! The inside decor is welcoming as is the staff! Loved it!

We had a 7:30 reservation, but they didn't get us in until nearly 8:15. Then once we actually sat down, we had to wait nearly 20 minutes for a waiter to come by. Service continued at this snails pace for the remainder of the night. Additionally, for what claims to be a fine dining establishment, the level of comfort is extremely poor. The chairs are painful to sit in for longer than 5 minutes, and the toilet seat in the men's bathroom is broken. Would not recommend. Service was slower than a glacier, and the food was subpar. Waste of money and time. read more

We stopped here for dinner following a day in the Rocky Mountain National Park. Unfortunately, I had been snacking throughout the day on trail mix and I wasn't all that hungry when we arrived. That being the case, I ordered from their sides menu and got a small elk striploin, Mac 'N Cheese and waffle fries for my meal. My daughter and S-I-L split the carnivore platter and my wife had a humble BLT sandwich. The waitress was wonderful accommodating our needs and making sure our orders were right. My elk was truly exceptional. I wish I had ordered a full-sized entree. The multi-cheese Mac was a delight and my granddaughter lapped it up. She was poaching from everyone's plate for her meal. A scavenger gourmet at heart! My wife's Peachwood BLT was, according to her, probably the best one she has had in a long time. The tomato and lettuce were fresh and the bacon done just right. The pretzel bun brought the whole sandwich together nicely. The meat lovers across the table enjoyed their carnivore platter with elk striploin, petite filet mignon, cheddar game sausage and garlic broccolini. All were cooked to their specifications and nothing was left on the plate. The dinner atmosphere was exactly what we were looking for after a long day on the trail. If we're ever here again, I'm getting a proper sized elk steak! read more

Bird & Jim - Their Mac 'N Cheese was a hit with my granddaughter. - New American Near Me - Estes Park, Colorado

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