I'm honestly a little bummed that Shelter Distilling is sitting at around 3.5 stars. It should be 5 stars! because we almost passed this place up because of the rating -- and I'm SO glad we didn't. I had the Strawberry Salad and a taco, and we also had the fish and chips. Everything was absolutely amazing. The food was fresh, flavorful, and far exceeded our expectations. Our server, Emily, was incredible. She was friendly, attentive, welcoming, and provided the kind of service that makes you want to come back. Emily, thank you for taking such great care of us! The atmosphere is another huge plus. You're right by the river, the setting is beautiful, and it's just a great environment to sit back, enjoy some great food and drinks, and relax. If you're looking at the reviews trying to decide whether to come here, GO. Give this place a chance and decide for yourself. We're incredibly glad we did. Highly recommend Shelter Distilling in Montrose! read more

Shelter Distilling - Distilleries Near Me - Montrose, Colorado

Over 2 hours for a mediocre lunch. What a shame, beautiful building and location but NO staffing! Our server, Christina, was good but so frazzled as she had no help even though it was lunchtime and many occupied tables inside and out. 35 minutes for "small" drinks is bad! Food service was slow also, and food only average especially the Colorado Chili Relleno which was poorly presented and virtually NO poblano chili! Should have been a tasty dish but was very uninteresting done. Overall food was OK but overpriced. read more

The ABSOLUTE WORST VODKA EVER! I cannot imagine how it could be this bad!!!!! Dont waste your hard earned money. It has a very chemically flavor. read more

Great food and great patio views! Sat at the bar and had awesome service. I had the sweet potato taco and fish taco with a salad. Definitely need to stop by, if you are in the area. read more

Shelter Distilling - Had the sweet potato and fish tacos - Distilleries Near Me - Montrose, Colorado

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Probably my favorite place to eat in Montrose. We have brought many guests from out of state here and all of them really enjoyed the experience. Whether dining inside or on the patio the place is dandy. Special requests on food is never an issue. Meals are made and cooked to order as well. Probably the best french fries in town as well. read more

Good food and drinks in a nice atmosphere. Fun outdoor area by the river with an outdoor game area.

I was worried about this place from the reviews but the food looked good so we tried it. It was amazing. Probably our favorite restaurant of the trip and I'm a foodie. My partner had the steak sandwich which was super tender and flavorful. I had three tacos (Baja, Philly, and carnitas) they were all really really good. And I'm from so cal so I was worried about the Baja. It was bomb. Nadia was a great server. She helped us when we were stuck between a couple of options and we didn't feel rushed even though we walked in a little late. The place looked nice and the fire was going, which was great on a cold night. read more

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It started raining the second we arrived so it truly was a shelter. The service was friendly, there were plenty of tables, and all the food we ordered was delicious. The beer menu was a bit limited, but we did pretty well anyway. Great stop if you're in the area. read more

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Sampled 3 lagers, all very good. Food was excellent. However, our food order was lost. It took about 45 minutes to an hour to get served. They took our drinks off the bill. Nice. We were not in a hurry, but really.... We sat at the bar. Bartenders were attentive and personable. I would give them another chance because of the quality of their food and drink. Plan ahead. Go early, so that you're not disappointed. read more

Sunday evening with the 60% seating filled. It really doesn't matter if your chicken is 'local' and 'back of the house marinated/battered' if you cook it so long that it's shoe leather. Bringing all of the warm food to the table at the same time is a stretch for this group. A great manager could save this place but I'll take odds they're gone by this time next year read more

Here on a Monday afternoon.. food and service were great. I had the Chile Colorado Relleno. And my husband had the Hamachi Aji Poke bowl. Both were wonderful. I also enjoyed their Shelter Cosmo. Beautiful patio right on the river and it is a plus that it is dog friendly. Would definitely recommend you check it out. read more

This place has a great product and ambiance but service is just not ever good. Most recently we sat outside waiting to be greeted, went inside to let them know we were waiting and then waited another 15 minutes. Decided to just go into the bar to order and watched two managers stand by talking while a bartender workede hard struggling to get drinks out to a full restaurant. Total of 35 min to just get a drink. Need management who are aware and can jump in to help. Not impressed and would rather support other establishments unfortunately. read more

Taco Tuesday- had Sweet Potato (bit spicy with nice sauce), Carnitas (best flavor of the 3 I tried) and Baja fish (large battered and fried portion). Prices were great- good drink menu as well. Nice patio and interior. Service was a bit slow but they seemed understaffed. Would recommend if you are in area. Varied food menu should keep everyone happy. read more

Shelter Distilling - Sweet potato, Baja tacos - Distilleries Near Me - Montrose, Colorado

Came for happy hour. First 3 beers tried to order they were out of. First appetizer we ordered they were out of. Ordered a cocktail after finally tracking someone down who would look in our direction. She obviously didn't know how to make it, except to put ice in the glass, which sat for at least 10 minutes for someone to actually make the drink. Another long wait until we could get someone to check us out. There were many people working there, but they just seemed to be walking around and not actually doing anything By fate we met an old friend here again for dinner on the same day. Ordered a flight of 4 whiskeys. Once again, they were out of two. Flight came back backwards from the list which was a receipt. I was able to tell as a gin was marked incorrectly. Hmm. 1 white spirit and 3 brown. She returned and asked if I wanted a 16 ounce of any of them, which did give us a good laugh Dinner was delivered fairly quickly except one of the party didn't get their entree until a few minutes later. We had to ask twice for flatware to eat with. Out of the three of us, one liked their entree, one said fair, the other barely touched there's. Server never even noticed or asked. Didn't even offer a to go box In my mind two chances. Happy Hour and dinner. Service was the most consistently bad I've ever experienced. I don't think they're trained well and/or don't care read more

This is a beautiful facility in an excellent location along the river. The scene is unbeatable. The restaurant, however, leaves a lot to be desired. The inability to provide full service, yet still have the audacity to solicit full tips is distasteful. If the place is even close to full, it will take you 30 minutes to get your drinks, and over an hour to get your food (which isn't good). And, considering most people are ordering through the app, the only reason this could be is if the back of house is not on top of it, and management is not on top of it. The servers are essentially food runners who don't know how to provide full service. And it's very clear that they've never been trained. They also do not know the menu. I don't blame them, I blame the format. But for the prices, and the tip expectation, this place needs to do better. read more

The food was yummy. I loved the location , right on the uncompagre river . The waitress offered to have a chicken breast grilled for our dog. read more

Ordering is by phone at the table. Food was good I love the fish taco in a fluffy tortilla bread thing. The Chile Colorado was very mild but good on top of the fries I ordered to share. The mock tail was not worth the 8$ I should have stuck to water... beautiful building and views outside. read more

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This Ribeye is amazing! So glad to see another option for a later evening restaurant in Montrose! Grilled to my preference (medium rare) Also a lot of quality IPA's as that's my drink! Come give them a try!! Christine was a great waitress!! read more

Shelter Distilling - This Ribeye is amazing! So glad to see another option for a later evening restaurant in Montrose! Grilled to my preference (medium rare) - Distilleries Near Me - Montrose, Colorado

Incredible service! All staff were so kind. The food was incredible, drinks were great, and the ambiance is sick. I highly recommend this place. The tacos are insanely good and so are the fries! We also got a bottle of whisky and it was delicious. read more

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We visited again and this time floated the river to the distillery - the place was pretty busy but we never found ourselves waiting on food or drinks. Service was great, cocktails and all food items amazing! Highly recommend visiting here read more

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It was my first time at this distillery and I was hoping for a great experience. It was okay at best and I don't think I would return unless some changes are made.. the service was okay.. The staff were not very friendly but it could have been a bad day I do understand everyone has those. The drink though was one of the worst martini's I have had and for the price. I was extremely disappointed.. The ambiance was great though. Beautiful design and great work on the outside area. Just need to improve some things! read more

Shelter Distilling - Fire pit with friends - Distilleries Near Me - Montrose, Colorado

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The food was great! However, the service was terrible. We were sat at table 21, and it was broken so we moved tables. We ordered our food and drinks, but never received our drinks. We informed our waitress when the food was brought out but they never returned to our table to even check in with us. We had to flag down someone to get our check and make sure we weren't paying for drinks we never received. I do not recommend this location at all. read more

Wow. What a gem! Stopped by randomly to see what's up with this place. GREAT facility right there on the river. Cocktails were amazing and the apps were tasty. Wonderful service - will be coming back tonight for dinner. read more

Wow! Very impressed with the drinks and the vibe ! Good job for bringing something to Montrose that could rival a big city hangout. . We did not try the food but definitely will when we come back . Drinks are perfection read more

Shelter Distilling - Strawberry Sour, classic margarita - Distilleries Near Me - Montrose, Colorado

I rarely leave negative reviews, but this experience was disappointing from start to finish. We waited 45 minutes for a simple appetizer, raw tuna and pre-cooked chips, which should've been one of the fastest items out of the kitchen. The server avoided us completely instead of offering updates or an apology. When the food finally arrived, she dropped one plate (out of three meals) at the table and literally ran off no explanation, no follow-up. There was no table visit from a manager until we specifically asked for one, and even then, the explanation was vague: "the kitchen got behind," and they would comp part of the meal. That was it. No real apology or ownership of the situation. Having worked in the restaurant industry for over 8 years, I know delays happen but this was a textbook example of poor service, poor communication, and poor leadership. Even when the kitchen is behind, a good server can soften the experience by being present, communicative, and empathetic. That didn't happen here. We ordered two sandwiches and a stuffed pepper. At one point, it felt like every table around us was visibly frustrated, not just us. Unfortunately, I won't be back. The whole situation could have been handled so much better with just a little effort and care. read more

This place is absolutely amazing!! We floated the river from the park just past the Ute Indian museum to this distillery and had a blast! The river was flowing pretty fast and there were tons of mild rapids. It takes you through the Montrose park with man made BIG rapids but still easy. They have a takeout right here on the property. We sat down, ordered drinks through the app and food. We are so pleased with the whole experience. It's nice to be able to order ourselves because we can order another drink before being done with the first one for perfect timing! (Usually we don't like app ordering, but this worked perfect). This place is definitely the new hot spot in Montrose - we are visiting from Telluride and so happy to have a fun day trip to Montrose :) Food and drinks were delivered promptly, no waiting and the place was semi-busy. Highly recommend! read more

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We were repeat local customers, and Im not one to leave negative comments. First I will say that our server was overwhelmed, assuming newer staff, but stayed as pleasant as she could. She was the only server on the patio. Ordered via QR, waited 20-25 min for our drink order, food was another 30 min after that. Usually receive our orders rather quick and appreciate the efforts for that. My sandwich was lukewarm warm at best, fries as well, but what ruined it was a very obvious bunch of hair sticking to the cheese on the sandwich. I brought it to the attention of the person who brought our order out to us, he played it off as the cheese being stringy, even touched my food trying to prove so. It was hair, as a few strands were very noticeable on the table as well, which I also tried to point out to him. His response was I could keep the sandwich (after he touched it) or it would take a very long time to make another one. At this point, I was not only disgusted with the food, but also with that persons attitude towards the situation, as well as his ignorant solution. I opted out and just asked it be removed from my bill. The trust bond had been broken Our server found out about the ordeal, and did try to remedy the situation with (2) $1 off coupons for a beer for our next visit. Damage was done at that point, highly doubtful that we will return. I'll be sure to tell other locals of my experience read more

Food was excellent, atmosphere was bright and celebratory, prices were on par. Would recommend it for any occasion, gathering with friends and spending a little time outside would also be encouraged. I had a wonderful time, big enough space for everybody to enjoy themselves. Make sure you take a tour while you're there. Tell them Rob said hi. read more

We have now had three dining experiences at Shelter and each time have been pleased with the service and the food. We tend to dine at the lunch hour or early dinner and have not been disappointed yet. Looking forward to another great experience! read more

I just want to start this review off by saying that shelter is my go to spot in montrose CO. The river patio is totally the spot to be. Beautiful atmosphere there and great taste in music! They have awesome specials and amazing specials and really I can get something new every time I sit down. But the one thing I came to yelp for, was to commend our server "Tator". We are avid fans of good service and Tator has gone above and beyond every time. To the point that I came in thinking of a BLT all evening and left full on ribeye. We thought he was an owner until we outright asked him. He's so knowledgeable and we were gobsmacked with his attentiveness for the place he works. 10/10 for Tator!!! Best service in 30 years of montrose dining! read more

Good food yummy cocktail list and you can't beat the views. The river in the background is so beautiful prefect patio meal. We also love the fun games and fire pits when there is a chill. We love to bike here and spend a few hours. read more

Service was great! The beer was pretty decent. The food had so much potential. We got two dishes of Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich, flavor was good but it wasn't even remotely hot. The garlic Parmesan fries were really good. We also got the pub burger. Once again not much flavor even though it looked amazing. My wife got the Poke dish and it was delicious. Would love to go back in the summer and sit on the porch outside that looks really fun read more

Shelter Distilling - Nashville hot chicken - Distilleries Near Me - Montrose, Colorado

Good food and drinks, the barcode ordering system is very lame but understandable given the labor market. Fortunately you can still interact and order with a real person. I have enjoyed the California location too. read more

After multiple visits to Shelter since it's grand opening, the lack of service on this visit (Valentines Day lunch) possibly due to poor management staffing, the service was poor due to lack of staff. The servers did the best they could with the limited staff on hand. The food was not as good as usual, and service was extremely slow. We had to walk up to the bar to put in our order for a 2nd beer, only to be served 15 minutes later. Tables were not being bussed/cleaned, drink orders were not being taken/served, and the restaurant was full inside. It was disheartening to see guests come in and sit at dirty tables, only to leave because they were never helped. Prior to leaving our table, we told the couple sitting at the table next to us, who mentioned it was their 1st visit, to give it another chance as this was unusual and the food and drinks were worth it. We also, explained the rewards program to them and they were interested in joining. This is in no way a reflection of our server, she was trying the best for the multitude of tables she was handling. As a matter of fact, she began bussing tables as well, no one else was doing it. Shame on management. Our town needs better representation of higher end dining establishments. We are part of the rewards program, and based on the funds we have in our account, it confirms we frequent Shelter. Hoping management takes this review to heart. read more

We watched 3 separate people who sat down after us get and finish their food before we got the two drinks we ordered. When we asked about our drinks we got an incredibly rude response from the bar tender and then absolutely no answer on the drinks. Was going to be okay with it but they were the WORST drinks I've ever tasted in my life. We left two sips in. Actually could not recommend coming here less. read more

Really solid food and beer. Random cheese on the BLT may have had goat cheese in it so was a negative for my wife. Steak sandwich was solid but horseradish sauce was mostly mayo and way too mild. We asked for chimichuri sauce to add to the sandwich and that kicked it up. Fish taco was excellent and best deal of the night. Truffle fries were excellent. Beer flight was great. Wish we could do 4.5. read more

Shelter Distilling - Steak sandwich, fish taco, relleno, truffle fries, beer flight, blt salad. - Distilleries Near Me - Montrose, Colorado

I recently went to Shelter Distillery, and was very impressed by the incredible food and drinks--everything was delicious and thoughtfully prepared. The ambiance was also (almost) fantastic! That said, the vibe did feel a bit chaotic, and it was clear that the restaurant was VERY UNDERSTAFFED. Wait times were much longer than we'd like, but when there's a full restaurant and only a few people serving the whole restaurant, it makes sense. Despite this, the staff was amazing. friendly, attentive (considering the chaos), and working tirelessly to keep things running as smoothly as possible. I truly admire their effort and dedication, but I couldn't help but feel bad seeing them so stretched thin. I sure hope management recognizes this and takes steps to bring in more help, as the current staff deserve support to keep delivering such a wonderful dining experience. Thank you to the team for making my visit so enjoyable despite the challenges. I'll definitely be back, and I look forward to seeing how this already fantastic restaurant continues to grow! read more

Good food, fair prices. Beautiful patio area with river nearby. Nice to have something upscale in town.

We're underwhelmed. Beer: mostly IPAs plus a dunkel, and a light one called the Pomona Pounder. My husband said it was good. Mixed drinks: I ordered a Paloma. It was supposed to be tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, simple syrup and club soda. It was awful. It tasted of fake heat of some kind, nothing sweet, and it was flat. We made the waitress taste it. She agreed it was awful. The only other "sweet" drink on the menu was a strawberry lemonade made with their rum. It was fair. Definitely not worth $15. Dinner: I ordered the chicken tenders appetizer--made with Red Bird tenders, breaded and fried, and served with a rum pineapple chutney and some sriracha mayo. Fair. For an extra $2 I got some waffle fries. My husband ordered the crispy chicken sandwich, and while he liked it, he says the one at Pomona Brewing is much better. Dessert was apple crisp, and I thought it needed to be sweeter. With tip, our bill was $93. We won't be going back. Note: edited to remove incorrect comment about beer glasses. read more

Food was amazing and they even offer $5 taco Tuesday's my favorite! Their drinks are so delicious! The waitress had the sweetest personality and smile. Plus I love the atmosphere! Watching the river while we had our drinks and dinner was great! My new favorite place is shelter Distilling read more