Came here to Notchtop in Estes Park on a Friday afternoon while we were visiting Rocky Mountain…read moreNational Park.
We had just finished hiking a couple of miles around Bear Lake at roughly 10,000 feet, so by the time we arrived around 2 PM, we were pretty exhausted and definitely hungry.
I ordered the Rocky Mountain Trout & Eggs for $18.69, which came with fresh Rocky Mountain trout, two eggs any style, home-fried potatoes, and toast.
I got my eggs over medium. The trout tasted fresh, but overall I found the dish pretty bland and just kind of meh. There were also quite a few bones in the fish, which made it a little annoying to eat. I'd probably give the dish itself a generous 3/5.
It was definitely filling, though. Between the whole trout, two eggs, fried potatoes, and toast, it was a lot of food after the hike.
Others at the table ordered the Harvest Panini with turkey, bacon, sliced apples, honey, cheddar, sourdough, and sweet potato fries, as well as what I believe was the Castle Rock Chicken Sandwich with chicken, lettuce, tomato, pesto mayo, avocado, bacon, and provolone on a brioche bun.
One person didn't eat avocado, so I was the lucky winner there. I didn't really get a chance to try the other dishes beyond a few sweet potato fries because I was busy working through my own meal.
We originally sat outside on the patio, but it started raining, so we moved inside. Unfortunately, once we were indoors, there were quite a few flies around us and our food, which was pretty distracting and definitely brought the experience down a bit.
Overall, Notchtop did hit the spot after a tiring hike, and the food seemed fresh and hearty, but my trout dish itself was only okay and the flies inside were a noticeable negative.
Apparently, the restaurant is named after Notchtop Mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park, which is a pretty fitting name for a place in Estes Park.
I'd still consider coming back if I were in Estes Park or visiting RMNP again, but I'd probably try something different next time.
Last visited: September 25, 2026