In a beautiful rustic setting up on the mountain at Crested Butte sits a restaurant dedicated to excellence in service and greatness in dining. Try the charred sweet potatoes; indescribably delicious. As are the grilled Brussels sprouts with a crispy outer layer of fried leaves with the firm veggies fresh and still juicy at the center. Nice wine list; we had a delicious Malbec. My fiancée and I ordered the waitress to split for us the big ribeye, 18 ounces, medium rare. It came served with impossibly thin, impossibly dry and crispy string potatoes made in the kitchen. It could not have been better, it couldn't have been more tender, more flavorful, and there was so much meat that we took a very generous to-go box home. The Manager, Jonathan, came by our table 2 or three times, checking on this, making sure everything was great, and it was. Including his warm attitude and friendliness! A young man approached our table and offered to pack up the delicious food left over, which he did while engaging in delightful conversation. He said he was from Southern India; his name is SAI. He's clean-cut, courteous and efficient; he was the icing on the cake as far as the staff is concerned. This was a buss person with a career in hospitality ahead of him. We will return time and time again; this is a great restaurant. Free parking, very fresh salads, outstanding steaks and service that leaves nothing undone. A true 5- star eating experience. read more

See all

My wife and I ate dinner here recently. We probably didn't look the part as we were mostly in town to hike the next day, but we are seasoned diners. Let's start with the very good. The gazpacho was top notch, fresh and had bright color and flavor. My wife's filet was cooked perfectly with great texture on outside and tender on the inside. I ordered the Colorado lamb sirloin. It was hard to cut through...was it the slightly tough texture or the non-serrated knife (asked for serrated, restaurant did not have)? I think a little of both. I ordered the chimichurrie to go with the lamb. It came in a cute white ceramic vessel shaped a little like an hourglass with an narrow waist and flared bottom and top. At the top, you could see bright green liquid oil without any of the obvious other chunky ingredients of chimichurri. Ahh, you might think that the next step would be to stir it with a small spoon (often paired with the traditional small ramekin of chimichurri)... alas, no small utensils, just our dinnerware. Not only that, but I generously thought that this fine establishment fully intended to present this as their new twist on chimichurri. Not wanting to complain, I sheepishly drizzled the green oil onto my lamb and made the best of it. Only on my last bites of lamb did I discover belatedly that the dressing had separated and discovered the bright greens and garlic layered densely at the bottom. Two take home messages. Future diners: remember to shake the chimi! Elk Ave Prime: if you are going to charge $7 for a sauce, improve your execution so your customers can fully appreciate your culinary skills. read more

Elk Ave Prime - Chimichurri - Steakhouses Near Me - Crested Butte, Colorado

Great service and friendly staff. Our steak was cooked to rare instead of the requested medium rare. Old fashioned was amazing with a good blend of flavor. Baked potato was well prepared. They were out of our preferred desert but they took care of us but not charging us for our second choice. Overall great experience just missed on those minor details. We will be back on our next trip up to Crested Butte. read more

A recent bar menu revamp has completely downgraded what used to be the best drinks in town. The new drinks are poorly executed (a half glass margarita over an ice sphere like an old fashioned and a martini in a tiny cordial glass). However, the real issue is the new bar manager, Jonathan. He explicitly solicited our feedback, yet reacted with shocking hostility when we gave it. He tried to drag us into an extended argument and refused to walk away, even after being politely asked to leave us alone several times. His confrontational demeanor ruined our night and made us feel entirely unwelcome. I have never experienced that type of behavior from wait staff, and find it especially shocking from a high end steakhouse. Prime has always had fantastic drinks you can count on to be consistent and top notch service. I'm a long time regular who values consistency. Prime, what happened? read more

Elk Ave Prime - Steakhouses Near Me - Crested Butte, Colorado

See all

Best steakhouse in Crested Butte. The food never disappoints and the staff is top notch. Excellent all around.

The steaks were not anything like they were in past years, tough and stringy, baked potato undercooked, one of our steaks was ordered medium rare and was the same temp & color as the medium well that I ordered. Salad was great, service was good, but for a place we used to look forward to for fantastic steaks, it really was a letdown. We will not be going back. So sad, we have looked forward to it all year. You can certainly tell there has been a change of ownership. read more

Elk Ave Prime - Outdoor view of patio area - Steakhouses Near Me - Crested Butte, Colorado

We have dined at Prime several times and each visit has been stellar. Prime begins with superior quality ingredients - prime meats, exceptional sides, and a well-stocked bar. Perhaps best of all is the service: attentive without being obtrusive with impeccable focus on the details. I can recommend any of the beef entrees while my wife swears by the elk and lamb. The sides are superb complements and the cocktails are well-crafted. The wine list is superb and adds panache to the meal. Prime's atmosphere is perfect for Crested - unpretentious with a warm, comfortable ambiance. We highly recommend Prime on Elk! read more

We always enjoy a great meal at Elk Prime--the steaks are perfectly prepared (my favorite entree is the thick cut filet) and the baked potato is perfection! Service is always top notch and the atmosphere is nice and quiet. read more

See all

We had a very lovely dinner at Prime tonight. The Waygu A5 steaks were amazing and cooked perfectly. The waiter's recommendations were top knotch and he was polite and courteous. We enjoyed a very quiet, romantic environment as well. We absolutely loved it. read more

Elk Ave Prime - Waygu A5 Steaks - Cooked to to medium rare perfection. - Steakhouses Near Me - Crested Butte, Colorado

Great service and excellent food! Our servers were on point with recommendations. A great spot for some fine dining in town.

I wanted to like this more and expected more from it for the price and menu, etc. We had a reservation and our table was ready. We sat outside and it was a good call because it was a little humid and stuffy inside (went on 07/23). Our waiter was good and attentive. I had the short ribs that were okay but not as good as most other short ribs that I've had. It comes with truffle polenta and green beans. I just can't learn to like polenta. Though it was probably the best polenta I've ever had, which isn't saying much because I'm not a fan. The beans were good. My son had the elk tenderloin and liked it a lot. It came with 2 ravioli with sausage filling. He said they were good too. My husband had the 10oz filet. It has a slightly smoke flavor. It also had probably the most fat he's had to cut out of a filet and that's usually his go to order when we're out. Steaks are a la carte. We ordered the cauli gratin and smoked cheddar mashed potatoes. They were both really tasty. It seems like the only restaurant like that in town. So, it may have to be your only choice if that's what you're seeking but for the $315 (incl 1 $20 glass of wine & tip) it just didn't leave me wowed. read more

Elk Ave Prime - Short rib - Steakhouses Near Me - Crested Butte, Colorado

From start to finish our experience was outstanding. The hostess Ally not only greeted and seated us but stopped by our table later to see how we were doing. We had a great conversation with her for several minutes. Our server Mel was friendly and attentive as well. The food presentation was top-notch and tasted delicious. We will be back!! Lori and Dave (the best 4 letter word I've ever been called). :-) read more

Elk Ave Prime - Crab Cakes, Halibut and Asparagus - Steakhouses Near Me - Crested Butte, Colorado

Service was great this was our second time eating here. The sides and drinks were also good. Unfortunately, the steaks itself were disappointing both times. Our last visit here we were told the chef pre-cuts the steak before serving it, which caused it to arrive cold. It doesn't really make sense to cut a steak ahead of time, and I feel like it takes away from the experience. My steak was ordered medium and my husband's Rare + and both were cold. Overall, the service and other menu items were enjoyable, but the way the steak is prepared was a major drawback. The way the server and management handled things was great but definitely would recommend some improvements in the kitchen. read more

Went here for the first time last week. The food and service were excellent. Great ambiance and friendly staff.

Good overall, but I'd say it's not great as it used to be while the price is much higher. I'd like to see them have better dining options for teens...put a sirloin on the menu. Again, good, but likely not meeting the price tag. I'll still go when I visit, but in the past I'd go 2 or 3 times per visit. Wooden nickel has closed the gap. read more

We took our out of town guests to Elk Ave Prime Tuesday August 26th expecting a very nice dinner. We had been there several year ago and enjoyed the experience very much. Unfortunately this time the experience was such that we'll never return and felt the need to write a review. The service was haphazard with drinks not being served timely, side dishes forgotten, an $85 dollar steak requested medium arrived well done, baked potato with butter seems to have been sitting for some time and crusted over, small bowl of stale bread, etc. Pretty much everything was sub-prime and all for $600 for 4 individuals. One exception, my wife had the Elk steak and she enjoyed it. From other reviews posted it appears others had a good experience. I wish I could say the same. Very disappointed. read more

Be sure to book early seating time to avoid the masses. A great steak restaurant with excellent other dishes as well. A relatively quiet place we were able to talk without effort. Wait staff were very friendly and attentive without being intrusive. They appeared to have a very knowledgeable bartenderess which would be needed to handle some of the fancier drinks. As expected the prices were a bit shocking but the kitchen preparations were excellent. read more

Elk Ave Prime - Farro island salmon from off coast of Iceland - Steakhouses Near Me - Crested Butte, Colorado

See all

We arrived at 5:00 PM without a reservation and were seated at a high-top table. We were informed that our table was reserved for 7:20 PM, yet as we finished our meal at 6:50 PM, the room remained empty. Despite spending over $300, the service felt rushed--we weren't informed about any specials, and instead of a welcoming dining experience, we were subtly made to feel like we needed to wrap up quickly. To add to the inconsistency, as we were leaving, the hostess was actively asking other guests where they'd like to sit--so much for strict reservations. **Food:** The food was an improvement from our last visit. The steak actually had some seasoning this time, which was a welcomed change. read more

5 stars all day every day. I was dying for a wedge salad and mac and cheese so we decided to come here for dinner and posted up at the bar. First impressions - the menu is perfect. My opinion - one of the best steak house menus. Has everything you could ever want and it ALL LOOKS GOOD. The steak topper options are incredible. The sides are even better. The mac and cheese was TO DIE FOR. A server walked past me with the Cesar salad and I almost ordered another salad. It looked incredible. We sat at the bar and our service was outstanding. It has a definite mountain town feel inside. So it's upscale food but someone could be sitting next to you with a trucker hat and cowboy boots on. It's not snooty. Everything was perfect. Can't wait to visit CB again and come here. New favorite restaurant in this town. read more

See all

Absolutely amazing experience! Definitely compares very well to top steakhouses I've been to elsewhere (NY, DC, etc). All the steaks, the braised rib, the octopus, and the burger were all shockingly delicious. The drinks were consistently good too. Our waitress Isabel was also incredibly attentive. The atmosphere was great too. Really could not have asked for a better experience in CB. read more

Everything was Fabulous & Dara our server was so attentive & helpful. We would recomend it highly! read more

See all

The wagyu and 7X steak were amazing and nothing short of life changing. We also had the miso carrots, grilled broccolini, and mashed potatoes which were phenomenal. Fantastic service and some of the best food we've ever had. read more

We got the special which was a cap steak which was excellent. Mashed potatoes that came with it were ordinary. Also ordered sides of Brussel sprouts and broccolini. Brussel sprouts would have been better without the vinegar. Service was great! My problem is they added on a 6% "cost of living" tax that apparently was added during Covid which is now a non issue. The place was packed. This tax should be removed!! Pretty sure that tax isn't going to the wait staff. Very dark inside but otherwise ambiance was nice. Not too loud no crazy music playing PS: the three of us that ate broccolini all had GI upset the following day. One of that didn't eat it is ok read more

We went on the last night it was open for the 2023 ski season. They were out of some beverage options but the food was no less than peak-season stellar. We split the classic wedge (very generous on the bacon and blue cheese), Colorado Elk Tenderloin (first time trying elk and it was fab), and Grilled Double Cut Lamb Chops with Chimichurri. The sides all looked so good we ordered almost one of each. In order of preference: Roasted baby carrots with labneh (sweet and smoky - my fave), Roasted beets with bleu cheese, Roasted cauliflower gratin, Smokey cheddar whipped potatoes, truffle bacon cream corn, and Jumbo loaded baked potato. Great meal to cap off the ski season (and will probably hold us over until the next one)! read more

See all

Today one of the locals co worker Robert who lives in Gunnison. Took me and my co workers to Crested Butte, Colorado. We had dinner at Elk Ave Prime. This restuarant has such a nice ambiance and the staffare well trained and friendly and they were all well educated on the menu and wine menu as well. Arie our waitress was very attentive as all the all the wait staff. My entree of choice was the white chedder mac & cheese with lobster. I'm not big on cheese and i didn't see but 3 tiny pieces of lobster. But it's a favorite of many. I also had fried tempura brussel sprouts and seared to perfection sweet, juicy scallops with a garlic risotto and 6 raw oysters they were tiny but tasty. My co worker and his wife had the scottish seared to perfection with mushroom, spanish risotto that salmon was like butter. They enjoyed their lobster mac & cheese. The most popular meat at our table was ordered by two of my co workers. They both ordered the Waygu ribeye. Omg!! Their steaks were grilled to perfection so when i come back it will the first thing i order. If your ever in Crested Butte make your way to Elk Ave Prime Steak House. Until my next food voyage #FOODIE4LIFE. read more

See all

Elk Ave Prime is more than the prototypical "Best steakhouse in [ski town]." It's a top tier steakhouse that would have a place in any major city, though such a relocation would probably reduce the affability of the staff. It's rare that sitting at the bar can result in such a classy, attentive experience but they really nailed all aspects of service here even during covid. The food was incredible with super thick asparagus, a wonderful cut of Japanese beef, and mashed potatoes that were possibly the best I've ever had. read more

My friend and I treated ourselves after skiing hard for several days to some high end game meat. I want to note a few things. We tried to reserve a table from Yelp via opentable. All available times showed bar reservation only. When we got there, there were many open tables. I mentioned the online reservation and never got an answer about it, but were fine with the bar seating. We ordered 2 Caesar salads and shared the Elk tenderloin, Bison short ribs, the frois gras waffle app, and carrots side. Also, got a malva pudding dessert with bananas foster ice cream - Salads were good, cold and crispy - frois gras app was awesome - tons of flavor - short rib entrée was decent, best deal for quantity of food, but was a bit dry - Elk filet itself was incredible. Couple issues I had were, 1. It was served with 2 tiny bison sausage raviolis. These were good, but don't see why there couldn't be 4 of them which would've looked much better, and they also aren't available elsewhere on the menu by themselves. The other thing that happened was shortly after tasting my elk filet, the one bartender was filling waters, forgot to put the cap on the hose gun and accidentally water-pistoled me and my tenderloin. She apologized and walked away! I couldn't believe they didn't offer any kind of compensation immediately, as I could've demanded an entire new entrée for that. It basically rinsed off the truffle hollandaise sauce and left a little pool of water on the dish. I showed the other bartender who was serving us and was also brand new, and he knew to offer something, so they comped one drink. When we got the bill, I noticed that they didn't comp the drink they said they would, but instead comped a cheaper one. This is not a good customer service when your tiny $70 gourmet dish get doused in water, regardless of whether it was an accident. Restaurants should always take a more proactive approach to avoid patrons feeling the need to provide feedback on an experience like this. In this case, comping a $12 drink after being disregarded, and then having to bring the issue back up myself is definitely not enough to rectify the mistake. read more

service was good and so was the food. The meat dishes were very good, especially the elk.

The steak was one of the best I've had and I've been to some excellent steak houses across the country.

Had an absolutely fantastic dining experience at Elk Prime. Wonderful service and amazing food. They remembered it was our anniversary and we were treated to some complimentary champagne. The steak was amazing, scallop's tender and the pudding was to die for. Truly amazing read more

See all

Not much bad to say about this meal. I was put-off by the hostess and their seating outside and the fact they couldn't seat us 5 minutes earlier at a table which turned out to be the same table. Anyways....the food was great. The surf and turf was fantastic. The white cream sauce had a light tarragon seasoning. The steak was simply salt and pepper "just like it should be"'! Great cuts of meat don't need any fancy stuff. Steak was cooked soups-vide and then seared. Excellent. The side Mac and cheese was just mehh. The wedge salad was sizeable with a flavorful blue cheese and the shoe string onions were a nice touch. Our waitress was Makenzie and she was awesome. Nice to talk to and was intelligent enough to hold a conversation with us and the next table. It was a nice dinner on a chilly night (9/2/20). read more

See all

Wonderful dinner here on Saturday night. We made a reservation and sat at the bar - which is good sized and well stocked. We started with the scallop appetizer - which was scallops wrapped in bacon, with truffle polenta, and some mixed greens on top - it was absolutely delicious - whole not inexpensive ($32) - it was worth it. For main courses we ordered the elk tenderloin ($65) - super good, very tender, and comes with buffalo sausage ravioli, and a black truffle hollandaise sauce that was delicious. I had the bone in bison ribeye ($78), it was cooked perfectly, and rested in a butter sauce. For sides - we ordered entirely too many - they are very generously sized - one probably would have been enough. The sautéed mushrooms ($15) were cooked appropriately and well flavored, the truffled cream corn with bacon ($16) was like a savory delicious dessert, and the lobster Mac and cheese ($23) which was also decadent cheesy deliciousness. For beverages - I had the corpse reviver 2 which was bright and delicious, and a glass of saint cosme red wine. We will absolutely be back - but will probably order a lot less/split dishes - still glad we ordered what we did so we could try more of the menu. They were also very kind and packaged up all of our leftovers for us. Highly recommend - just a touch on the pricey side for CB. read more

See all

Sophisticated and understated mountain decor, lovely cozy dining room with beams for days. The service was perfect and the food was outstanding. I had the onion soup and wedge salad (I will dream about that silly iceberg dish) and my dining partners both had the elk tenderloin. They both raved about theirs! read more

Was really looking forward to our dinner here since we had such a great time last year . Booked reservations a month in advance. My $70 ribeye came out cold enough that the blue cheese butter wouldn't melt on it. They refired it to heat it up, after a few more bites I couldn't continue because it was raw in the middle. I was so bummed. They took it off the bill and I left hungry. I would have rather had a nice steak dinner. read more

Expensive but delicious! Great service! Great way to celebrate New Years Eve with family!

We stayed at Crested Butte at Elevation Hotel with friends for a weekend celebration. It was Janet's birthday so we splurged on the nicest dinner in town. But it was a bit disappointing. Beautiful interior with friendly servers. I was quite excited to try a world class steak. My grandfather was a butcher and I love high quality beef. The 18 oz ribeye was visually appealing. Great presentation with a glaze to make the steak look delicious. However, it simply wasn't the top quality I was expecting. Some gristle was encountered as I carved through the steak. I loved the marble in the cut, so it was a juicy piece of meat. There's no way around it - sometimes you get a chewy piece. If I tried this place again, maybe I would order a filet mignon. They had a buffalo steak that might be worth a try. But that was clearly the worst $70 steak in my life. The sides were not included in the price, and we enjoyed the au gratin potatoes and asparagus. The creme brûlée was tasty but tiny. For my wife and I, it was a mediocre $250 dinner. There are better options in town. read more

Nothing short of disappointing. Service was poor and the food was even worse. We had a mixture of the tomahawk, wagu, filet and the porterhouse. Only the filet was cooked correctly and multiple steaks came out cold. Served didn't bother to ask about any of the food or the steaks probably for good reason. For a place that's known for their meat this was huge disappointment. Drinks were terrible as well. Over priced and minimal wine selection for per glass options. Atmosphere was fun and quaint and side dishes were on par, but we've encountered multiple other families who in the past few weeks had the same experience as us. This is NOT what Elk has been know for and I hope they make some big changes in the kitchen! read more

The steaks and menu offerings are top-notch. We had a large party (16) last time, and the service was impeccable. We tried a variety of steaks and sides. From bison to yak to cow, they definitely knew what they were doing. It's more of a special occasion place for us but we do enjoy it a couple of times per year. read more

Delicious food. I had a steak & it was perfectly cooked. Very good service provided even though we arrived about 8:30. We sat at the bar & our waiter/bartender was very attentive. read more

Very cute steak restaurant on Main Street. Staff is very attentive. That being said - meal was underwhelming. Steak was cooked perfectly, but lacked flavor. Au gratin potatoes also lacked flavor and had a chalky texture. Martini was made very well. We did note in our reservation that we were celebrating an anniversary so they brought us complimentary mini glasses of champagne. Bottom line - good experience but the food just didn't hit the spot. read more

Elk Ave Prime - Interior from our table near the defunct fireplace. - Steakhouses Near Me - Crested Butte, Colorado

See all