What a wonderful dinner!! Russell's was truly an amazing dining experience!! We loved being seated by the window for two so we could enjoy the beautiful scenery of Vail while dining. Everything was perfect!! Our service was outstanding as Bower, our sweet waitress, was very attentive and ensured that we had our cocktails immediately. The BBQ ribs and Swordfish special were both incredible and way too much for us to finish. Huge portions and so delicious!! We will definitely be back!! read more

Never disappoints. Been coming here for years! I brought my 18 year old son for the first time and he DEVOURED the trout dinner. I had to give him some of mine...We will be back later this week for a steak! read more

Best steak dinner in Vail. Try the caviar, wedge salad and filet and you will be happy! Wonderful location near Covered Bridge with great window seats looking out on the activity. Great service. read more

Food was very good. It was very noisy in the restaurant and I had a hard time hearing the person across from me. read more

Russell's - Sav Geisen Sauvignon Blanc , N.Z. ' 12 - Steakhouses Near Me - Vail, Colorado

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Service was excellent. Best out of every restaurant in Vail. Super friendly. Always refilled drinks and bread. The bread and butter was amazing. The NY strip was cooked perfectly medium rare and tasted great. All the sides were really good. The fillet and sauce is good. The trout is good. Everything here is amazing. Maybe the best meal I've had all year. read more

The most rude hostess in the Vail Valley is working at Russell's today. As a full time resident, this behavior is shocking and sad. Note to her: "You work here in "hospitality". We pay $$ to support the deserving businesses. " read more

The perfect place for a romantic date night in Vail. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and the service was great. We started the meal with bacon wrapped scallops - truly "out of this world." For the main course, we had the lamb chops. They were truly the best lamb chops I have ever had - melt in your mouth and not "gamey" tasting at all. Pair that with a glass of wine, and it was one of the best date night meals I have ever had. I highly recommend. Don't forget.... first restaurant on the left after the covered bridge! read more

Have eaten here many, many, many times over many years. Always consistent. Always a great filet. Always a pleasant staff. They stay VERY busy, so don't be surprised by the overflowing coat rack and if yours gets covered by another patron's. read more

We dined at Russell's for New Years eve. The food and service was consistent with other visits to the restaurant, very good. Where we were very disappointed was the pricing of the New Years eve menu. We were fine with the 4 course meal but the price was $80.00 more per person than the standard menu prices as I compared the available app's, salads entries and deserts. All the New Years items were on the menu and priced accordingly. Had we ordered the exact same items on January 1st the price per person would be around $120.00. The price for New Years eve was $200.00 pp. I get this peak season but this $80.00 markup is outrageous just for New Years eve. read more

Russell's has always been a "can't miss" place for us. Always great and friendly service, excellent food, dark but cozy atmosphere. We took a chance and ordered the $100 king crab leg and it was delicious, do yourself a favor and try it. The bread is delicious, the only thing I'd change is to get fountain cokes and not charge for refills, especially if we're spending $75-$100 per person for appetizers and entrées and desserts. Other than that, it's perfect, we will see you in late November and again in late December. read more

This was one of the best experiences I have ever had at a steak house and we eat at many throughout the country! The service was incredible, the steak melted in your mouth, the scallop potatoes had amazing flavor. To top off our evening, the ambiance here is unlike anything else you will find in Vail. We were right on the river, with a beautiful breeze to add to the mood. I have added some pictures to help you understand this gem for your next vacation to Vail. Thank you for ringing in my husband's 40th birthday with a place we will never forget! read more

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Best bang for your buck in vail. I've been here for 5 years and never think twice about going back here for any occasion! by and far my favorite steakhouse in vail. read more

Incredible!!! Loved the atmosphere and friendly staff. Immediately, Megan and Bower made the night by their friendly and courteous attitudes. We enjoyed both an 8 oz filet and bone in ribeye. Steaks were exceptional!! Our table was by an open window facing the creek, this made the night even more enjoyable. Will come back every time I am in Vail....thank you!!! read more

I would suggest sitting at the bar because if you reach down beneath you , it feels like your touching a nice hairy pair of legs. Whatever kind of material they upholstered the bar with is top notch, I'll be back soon. read more

Been coming here since I was a little girl. My family looks forward to eating at Russell's every time we travel to Colorado. The food is unbeatable. The service is amazing. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone passing through Vail. This is not an experience you want to miss out on. read more

Russell's - Rocky Mountain Trout, green beans and swapped rice for mashed potatoes -- so light and fresh - Steakhouses Near Me - Vail, Colorado

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At this price point, I expect more: - Made reservations for 7:15pm, was not seated until 7:45pm. - Upon seating we were informed that they were already out of 3 or 4 main entries. - When making the reservation, I specifically stated that it's for a birthday celebration. This was not acknowledged at all. About 4 or 5 tables around us received special birthday desserts but no acknowledgment for this occassion at our table. - Service was rushed and mediocre. read more

I used to love this place and the food. But I just went in there with 2 friends and we were told they were full with many empty tables in our face. Excuse me I'm in ski clothes, just having celebrated a patriotic tribute to the 10th mountain division. I'm taking my $400 to Sweet Basil, where they happily sat us. read more

Short answer...not a great value. Read on if you must. When you come to Vail and pay Vail prices you expect (and deserve) a certain level of quality. This place is bush league, it's Wednesday-night-steak-night, it's just ok. If you are looking to have your eyes roll back in your head with each bite, keep on looking. I'm guessing the meat to be "choice"not "prime" cuts. The open kitchen concept is not a display of the culinary arts in action but a witnessing of short order cooking, it would be better to put up a partition and hide it. If your desperate for a piece of meat then by all means go ahead, it you're looking for more, keep looking. Service?....Good but not great but again the prices are not cheap and you should expect more. (Hairy arms over your dinner plate, am I the only one who finds this non-appetizing?) BTW, let me say, we have been coming to Vail 5 week's a year for 12 years and don't expect a Michelin rating for all restaurants, however some places need to up their game. I don't think this place has found its groove yet. read more

Excellent food! This is still a wonderful restaurant...Russell's has been around forever and is still as good as ever! If you are hungry, want a restaurant with a local feel, pleasant atmosphere and great food check it out- you won't be disappointed.... read more

First off, we are LONG TIME LOCALS. Tonight was our first time ever NYE experience at the Russ, and WOW WHAT A TIME! And from the time we walked in, they saved the plastic. I think my bartender was Dave and some man named taigh? And they were fanatical!! Can't wait to be here again ! The cocKtails were extravagant and the bartenders were ruggedly handsome ;) hit me up with your #. No better place to meet hot single dudes! read more

We did not enjoy our dinner here. First off, the comment on their website menu "No one in town has our unique salads" made me laugh out loud. I'm sorry - Caesar, field greens, and tomato and blue cheese salads are not unique. All of the dishes we had were either bland or loaded with garlic. Kids and adults alike were disappointed - and we had fairly low expectations going in. Our orders included French onion soup (garlicky), Caesar salad (same), tomato salad (okay but oversold as noted above), mushroom side (too rich), and Parmesan mashed potatoes (bland bland bland - looked like they had been served in a school cafeteria with an ice cream scoop). Our waitress was extremely rude when she brought the wine and it was not the one we ordered. I pointed out that we had ordered a different wine and she said, "Uh, no - I'm pretty sure this is what you ordered" and kind of rolled her eyes. She came back with the correct wine and said something like, "Good catch." I will say that a positive is that they have a very detailed gluten free menu - I was impressed with that. read more

Russell's is the best restaurant in the Vail area if you're looking for a good old fashioned dinner. The ambience is awesome, and the food is OUTSTANDING! I ordered the burger with bacon and it was one of the best I have ever had. read more

I like this place for nostalgia reasons mostly. Can get a solid steak and seafood and won't cost you an arm and a leg. Sounds silly but the Bread and butter are so freaking good. Break comes out warm and fresh, butter is soft and spreads easily. King crab legs are solid. I've had better in Chicago, but I'm guessing you will be challenged to do better in Colorado. Steak was the bone in ribeye. It was solid, but wish it was charred a bit more on the outside, but still good flavor. Steaks are only $50 here and comes with 2 sides, so value is great. The potato side dish is tasty. Almost a cheesy potato slice. Mushroom side was standard, well seasoned and flavorful. Overall great place, great ambiance, great service. read more

I have to give an honest assessment of my experience at Russell's which was very good. The food and service was great. This being said, I get an email from Opentable saying Russell's reported I did not show up for my reservation. The email went on to lecture me of the consequences that my not showing up or cancelling has on a restaurant. They also deducted points from my Opentable account. I use Opentable at least once a week, sometimes more and have never not shown up to a reservation without cancelling. After taking the time to defend myself with Opentable, submitting documentation that I was there on 9/12/22 at 6:45PM and paid $214.00, they removed me from Opentable purgatory. Because of this I will never go back to Russell's. read more

Vail is wonderful. The absolute only thing wrong with Vail is that you can't get a good meal anywhere. When we pondered why on the way home we figured it's because of the remote location and everything is shipped in. So vegetables, and prices, suffer. But shouldn't steak in Colorado be good? Aren't the steaks just standing around in fields not too far away?... We had booked Russell's as that special first-night steak dinner experience, based on reviews on-line. We are from New York City so we know our expectations are a little too high but still... service was pathetic. And the tiny little pieces of sad meat placed before us called "steaks" were a joke. Why is is that we can get better steak in NYC than out West? Explain that to me. Everything at this place was disappointing. I'm looking at the pictures here. People: this is Outback level food. This is not top-dollar steak house. Those plates look like something you'd be served at a Friday's. We tried to have a good time anyway but we actually left still hungry. It was insulting. This is like Vail's best and in NYC they wouldn't last a year. If you're from a culinary kind of place just bring your expectations waaaay down if you plan to come here. Fortunately there's plenty of other things about Vail to enjoy. read more

I could easily give Russell's 4 stars for getting two big things right: the steaks and the service. However it would be a mistake to come here and think that you're going to get a legit steakhouse experience like you would in whatever large metropolitan area you're used to having your steakhouse experiences in. What went wrong? First, you walk in and feel more like you're in an Outback than a classy steakhouse. Second, the appetizers and salads. I had about the most pathetic french onion soup here that I have ever had in my life. Amongst other problems, the "crouton" was literally an indivisible block of bread that was almost affixed to the bottom of the bowl. The onions weren't cooked enough, and the broth was moderately bland. This was probably the first time in my life I have failed to finish a bowl of french onion soup. Third, the side of sauteed spinach we ordered was absurdly boring and flavorless. It went nearly untouched by our table. Now the steaks were pretty solid. Everyone's was perfectly cooked, including my dad's NY strip, my girlfriend's filet, and my buffalo NY strip cut. The buffalo steak was actually quite fantastic, although it was pretty gristly (who wants to look down after finishing your steak and see scraps of burnt gristle you've trimmed from the edges over the course of your meal?) Also, our waitress was just about the most friendly, charming woman I could imagine. So anyway, the steaks are solid. Just know what you're gonna get when you come in here. read more

Just had dinner at Russell's and I was blown away by the teamwork exhibited by the wait staff, hostess and bartender team and the food was amazing. I love that the restaurant has the half and half salad so you get two salads in one. We also ordered the teriyaki steak special which was so tender. The hostess could not have been more accommodating, She seated us even though we didn't have reservations and came by to check on us and our server was lovely and just a delight. Will return next time we are in Vail. read more

Very Very Disappointing. Son's steak at $42.00 was undercooked and then nuked to bring it to Medium Rare. The house special, Steak Diane, which was recommended, was very poor; the sauce was on the plate with the filet laid on top - reminded me of a sauce from a Swanson's TV dinner Salisbury Steak. The side of asparagus with hollandaise must have been prepared at the local hospital. Service started well but fell off to the point that another server needed to be asked to find our server. I did like the overall freshness and quality of the meat but when you cannot prepare it correctly it becomes an insult to the cattle that made the ultimate sacrifice. This experience was a true shame as there seemed to me to be no pride in ownership. Lastly, I do not like writing about such an experience; I only hope that the ownership takes a look at what is going on here and steps up the game - your customers deserve better - much better. Peace. read more

Pretty much the best damn steak in Colorado. I know, that's saying a lot. but it's the truth. They only serve the most prime pieces of steak. The staff is extremly helpful and friendly. The bartenders Dave and Emilia are awesome! I used to stop by this place after work for a drink. Cool bar. Durring the snow season i'd recommend making a reservation as it does fill up quickly. if you're goiing solo, or 2 people tops, you can wait to get a spot at the bar and eat there, they'll pretty much serve the whole menu and no long wait. The ribs are killer too. i wouldn't get fish here. Not that it isn't good, but if you're going to Russells, it should be for steak. And get the cohcolate cake for desert. Enjoy! read more

Two of our four diners ordered the T Bone steak as our entree. The T Bone steak was a disappointment - the filet portion was a "B" but the New York potion of the steak really Flunked with a "D" at best. read more

So this is honestly one of the best filets in Vail without a doubt. And it is definitively the best If you are a filet and bernaise lover this is your place. I would even say it is better than the Chophouse and Elway's. The other player are good and not A++, but the steaks are spot on awesome. I would pass on the chicken though, over cooked. The potatoes are to die for and the bread and butter are fantastic. Also try to call ahead and get a seat next to the creek. read more

Great steakhouse in Vail. Be prepared for a small venue, more bar-like atmosphere but of course they have tables. The food was great!! Steak was amazing, and the Caesar salad-especially the dressing-was very simple but surprisingly good. The French onion soup is quite good as well. The escargot - a nice surprise on the menu - is worth getting if you're a fan! Highly recommended. Again, Reservations Always in Vail people! Just common sense. read more

This was not a great dining experience for me. I have a dairy allergy and when I asked the server for information about what menu items had dairy, she was not knowledgeable and when asked to check with the kitchen, she kept forgetting. I felt like I had to hound her for allergy information and even when she got back to me I didn't trust her and so felt like I had to go with the safest thing on the menu. The food was fine but the decor was pretty dated and service was poor. Not somewhere I would go back... Especially because the prices were not cheap and there are so many other great places to eat in Vail. read more

Trout was overlooked, dry. Wait staff let water glasses go empty. Wine order was a long time arriving. $150.00 for 2 people??? Not exactly an outstanding culinary experience. read more

Based on the reviews of others, I ordered the filet. It was fantastic! The sides were nothing to write home about, but the chocolate cake was also very tasty. Great location, some tables have great views. Very nice dinner. read more

A group of 15 of us went to Russell's two weeks ago for my bachelorette party. The manager, Michael (?) was incredibly accommodating and went out of his way to make sure it was an unforgettable experience. The service was impeccable, much care was taken to ensuring that we were taken care of and that we were satisfied. On top of the great service was the impressive food! The filet mignon was cooked perfectly, was full of flavor, and you can tell that their meat is good quality. The sides were delicious! I loved the mashed potatoes (SO GOOD). There were a lot of places in Vail that had contracts or prix fixe menus for such a large group, but Russell's allowed us to do what we wanted. We needed the ability to have more than 3 choices based on varying dietary constraints. I would highly recommend going for dinner! It is definitely on my list of amazing spots to visit in Vail and I would absolutely go back. It'd be a great place for a date night too :) read more

I just love this restaurant. Hands down the best alaskan king crab ever!

A great "go to" steak house! Great location right at the covered bridge. There is always a lively bunch at the bar, as bartender Dave is gracious & knows his sports! Keep in mind that although this is a "steak house".. they always have a couple fish specials. You can eat a very healthy meal and their desserts are fabulous! read more

The steaks are, as many have stated, as good as it gets. Cracky crisp crust, meltingly tender inside, divine beefy flavor. Yep, get thee to Russell's and order a steak. I love steak, a properly cooked steak can transport you to another world... but on the grand scale of things, it isn't THAT hard to get a steak to near-perfection. Get a great cut of meat, don't fuss with it too much, get the fire hot enough -- it's gonna be great. It's what you do ALONGSIDE the steak that usually takes the talent. Ruth's Chris has a boring creamed spinach side dish of which they are very proud. The Buckhorn has the cliche garlic mashed potatoes that are... OK. Chophouse wants you to get all in a froth about their broccoli with bernaise. Morton's has these same usuals, including their signature *giant* baked potato... sigh. Where Russell's really takes the lead is in their incredible scalloped potatoes. Oh my land, children, it's worth the drive any day of the week for those potatoes. Somehow they get the potatoes cooked beautifully without overcooking, the silky sauce without curdling or separating into a pool of icky orange fat, and they serve it to you in a sizzling little ceramic boat so hot you could smelt lead with it. The ratio of cheese to cream to potato is so perfect that it pure side dish sorcery. Get a seat by the water, get your steak, your POTATOES and try not to disturb the other diners with your bliss-filled moans. read more

Russell's was delicious. My husband and I ordered the World Famous King Crab, Steak and Grilled Shrimp with a Caesar Salad. Emma is a gem. The whole experience was made by Emma and her professional service, and intelligent conversation. She gave us Colorado history and suggested places to visit and things to do on our stay. Thank you Emma for being phenomenal. We will definitely visit Russell's again just to see Emma and have our evening brightened by her service. read more