We visited this restaurant as a part of an overall experience we wanted to have with some out of town guests. We were looking for an outdoor activity that showcased some of the beauty of Colorado along with a meal. Seven Falls and Restaurant 1858 appeared to fit that bill perfectly.
The location is stunning. The falls and surrounding areas are gorgeous. It's a nice little physically activity on the way to your meal that allows you to enjoy the outdoors while still being accessible to people of varying ages and fitness levels.
I looked at the menu before choosing to come here and was prepared for a large bill with the high prices. The pictures looked phenomenal, and I don't mind paying a high price for the beautiful setting and a delicious meal. But the food was mediocre at best.
We ordered the charred brussel sprouts, which appeared steamed or baked and then lidded, with no char or crisp at all. We also got the bacon wrapped shrimp and nachos, which were decent. Kind of insane for $30 for 4 shrimp, but they tasted OK. My daughter ordered the steak and frites, and said it tasted weird. My husband and I tried a bite and it was rancid. The potatoes that came with this steak were the best thing on the table, to be honest. Beautifully crispy and perfectly seasoned. They took the steak back and removed it from the bill, but quite a disappointment. Everyone else's meals were OK, no one was enthusiastic about their dishes, from the hot honey chicken sandwich to the Canyon Bowl.
We were hoping none of us would feel any repercussions from the steak that has gone bad. The person who has the Canyon Bowl with pork ended up violently ill for 24 hours beginning 12 hours after consumption. We could blame it on other things they ate, but this was the only thing that they alone ate, and no one else was ill. Considering the condition of the steak, perhaps the refrigeration had gone down for a time? I'm not sure what happened there, but for the price, I really had higher hopes for the meal. If the meal had been a better experience, this is a place we would add to our list of must-do's for out of town guests, but we won't be back, sadly.
Side note - You do have to take a shuttle from the parking lot to the entrance to the Seven Falls park, and you do have to pay for entry to the Seven Falls park to access the restaurant. We arrived an hour before our reservation time, as they suggested, and were still 15 minutes late for our reservation, so make sure you allow maybe 1.5 hours. read more