Estes Park
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Estes Park |
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| Getting There | Lodging | Restaurants | Hiking | Backpacking |
Estes Park is the gateway to Rocky Mountain National Park, and many of the park's best day hiking and backpacking trails head out from there. Estes Park is also home to some of Colorado's very best restaurants. Like all the RMNP restaurants, they tend to be a bit pricey. You need reservations or, without one, you at least have to get there early to beat the crowds. Service can be a bit slow. But there is some excellent eating here. We include three restaurants which are Breakfast & Lunch Only. They're great for eating a good breakfast before a day on the trail, and if you're in town during the day, they're great for lunch. but they close at 3 pm. Estes Park has 50 restaurants. We review the best 10 here. But many of the others are still very good. At those restaurants with great views, make your reservations for early enough you can enjoy the scenery while eating your meal, then enjoy the sunset while eating dessert. The lights of Estes Park twinkling in the darkness may be charming but are no match for the daytime views. |
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| Estes Park | Grand Lake | Allens Park |
| Crags Lodge calls its restaurant The View for obvious reasons. The vista you see while eating is magnificent. Among the Appetizers, the Empanadas are very good, and so is the Gorgonzola Apple Salad. They rotate Corn Chowder, Normandy Brie and Minestrone as their Soups, all very good. Signature entrees are their Stew, Whiskey Peach Chicken, Colorado Rainbow Trout, Lamb, Duck Comfit and, of course, the Colorado sourced Steaks. The Peach Cobbler is one of the more memorable Desserts in Estes Park. The View's version of Old Fashioneds are excellent. For a restaurant this good, their wine list is disappointing and service can be sketchy. It seems they are forever training new waiters.When you make your reservation emphasize that you want a table for two on the patio. |
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Seasoned : An American Bistro is the creation of Chef Rob Corey and wife Joanne. He's taught culinary classes and served as the chef at numerous fine restaurants. He returned from Boulder to open this place in downtown Estes Park. Joanne handles the dining room while Rob presides over the kitchen. This is a much smaller restaurant with a much smaller menu but his talent is still evident. Every possible item is locally sourced. His "small plates" include Pickled Jalapenos, Corn Chowder (sometimes it's Corn/Crab Chowder), Smoked Colorado Rainbow Trout, and Sage & Ricotta Corn Fritters. Among his Entrees, we like his Braised Rabbit, Poached Lobster, Bison, Elk, Quail, Shrimp & Grits, Sea Bass, Scallops and Dry Aged Prime Ribeye. His most unique item is the Three Sisters Plate, a trio of Black Bean $ Bell Pepper Fritters. When they're on the menu, order the Pork Bellies, Cucumber Soup and Pork Shoulder. The menu changes daily, so everything we've mentioned here might not be available the day you visit. There are only 12 tables so you definitely need advance reservations. If you show up without one, you'll probably still be seated but it will be outside. |
Mountain Home Cafe is tucked away in a strip mall but there's always a line outside. This Breakfast and Lunch restaurant is one of the best in town. It's open from 7 a.m. til 3 p.m. Breakfast features Belgian Waffles, German Potato Pancakes, four different Skillet Scrambles, a California Omelette, Breakfast Scramble, Tamales & Eggs, Breakfast Burrito and Cinammon French Toast. The Baked Alaska Oatmeal includes apples, raisens, yogurt and strawberries. The Huevos Rancheros here are corn tortillas stuffed with black beans, chorizo, cheddar cheese, green chiles, hash browns and of course two eggs. The Lunch menu begins with a very good Barley Soup, Tomato Basil Wrap, and Burgers and ends with the California Turkey Wrap and the Santa Fe Chicken Wrap. They fix an excellent Reuben, and all of their various Soups --- Mushroom, Beef & Veggie, etc. --- are worth ordering. We're huge fans of Chile Rellenos and have tried them at top Mesican restaurants across the country. These are really good, and so are the Burritos and Quesadillas. The Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad is unique and tasty. |
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The Egg & I was part of a nationaol chain. New owner Ania has bought the restaurant and taken it independent as The Egg of Estes. It's a Breakfast restaurant with all the favorites plus some very creative additions : Garden Frittata (peppers, spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, Jack and Cheddar cheeses and mixed garden greens), Mediterranean Frittata (chicken, tomatoes, artichokes, Swiss and Parmesan cheeses), St. Vrain Omelette, Steel Cut Oatmeal, five kinds of Omelettes, three kinds of Skillets, Corned Beef Hash, and five kinds of Eggs Benedict. The restaurant's signature entree is probably its Crab Cake Benedict (two poached eggs with grilled lump crab, tomatoes and hollandaise). The Huevos Rancheros is one flour tortilla layered with refried beans, Jack and Cheddar cheese, salsa or green chiles, sour cream, green chiles, avocado and herbs. The Avocado - Egg - Bacon - Cheddar Cheese Sandwich is excellent. The Juice Bar has many great drinks. Try the Kale Refresher. |
| In a town where some places go back 100 years, Twin Owls Steakhouse is a relative newcomer with only 20 years. Now it's moving from its famous log cabin to a new home at the Taharaa Mountain Lodge, a longtime Bed & Breakfast with spectacular views. But in these 20 years, Twin Owls has built its reputation as one of the RMNP area's very best steak houses. Among Appetizers, our favorites are the Elk Kabobs and Slow Roasted Pork Belly. The Roast Beet Salad and Smoked Duck Salad are both very good. All their steaks are delicious, but, hey, this is Colorado, so we like either the Bison Ribeye or the Elk Sirloin. You can't get those back home (unless you live pretty close to here), so we encourage you to enjoy them while you can. These are good cuts very well prepared. If you insist, they serve outstanding Scallops, Crab, Clams and Lobster. There's also Lamb, Chicken and a Fish Of The Day, usually Sea Bass (we'd prefer Trout). The wine list is excellent. Twin Owls' problem is consistency. Even its loyalists come away some nights saying the food was subpar. It seems to depend on who's in the kitchen on a given night. |  |
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The Stanley is the iconic 2010 Estes Park hotel, where many movies, most famously The Shining, have been filmed. Its restaurant is Cascades. This hotel/restaurant is where the tourist history of Estes Park began. It catered to upper class Easterners and is still very elegant. The walls feature photos of celebrities who have eaten here. It is most famous for its Wild Game Meatloaf, Bison, Trout, Quail, Duck and Elk, although the menu includes typical items like Fried Chicken, Ribs and Filet Mignon. We think their Crab Cakes are the best of the Appetizers. The Roast Pepper & Tomato Bisque, Beet Salad, and Spinach Salad are very good. Cascades is also open for breakfast and lunch. Service and ambience are impeccable. Sadly, in the last year or so, the food quality has significantly declined. Cascades charges premium prices and the food no longer justifies that. It may still be worth eating there once just to experience the history. But until management makes some changes in the kitchen, this is still good, but no longer one of the better restaurants in Estes Park. |
Notchtop Cafe is another Breakfast - Lunch only outlet. It keeps changing owners and managers but continues to be one of Estes Park's very best Breakfast restaurants. It's also a Bakery, and might be the best one in town. They're located in a strip mall but have patio seating with a great view of the Rockies and Notchtop Mountain. Their most popular items are their Strawberry Cream Cheese Waffle, Dragon's Egg Rock Benedict, Trout & Eggs, Steak & Eggs, Polish Breakfast (Eggs, Polish Sausage, Polish Potato Cakes), Classic Cowboy Breakfast, four kinds of Hash, Strawberry Banana Walnut Oatmeal, Mexican Omelette, Smoked Salmon Benedict and their Breakfast Quesadilla. They make some of their own bread (khalla, wheat, brioche) but most it comes from Montana Wheat (sour dough, rye, 9 grain). Come prepared to wait, as this is a very popular stop for hikers before heading out. |
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Dunraven Inn is an Italian restaurant with a distinct high country flavor. It was in its original location since 1932 but has recently moved to the Estes Park Lodge. Its signature entrees are its Trout Al Cartoccio (local Trout baked in parchment paper, with lemon shallot butter, dill and lemon) and Elk Bolognese (elk in tomato sauce, onions, carrots, spices and pasta). But if your taste leans toward more traditional Italian, the menu includes Spaghetti, Ziti, Crab Cakes, Clams, Veal Marsala, Lasagna, Chicken Piccata, Cioppino, Seven Cheese Alfredo and Ratattouille. There's also Mushroom Tortelloni, Seven Cheese Alfredo and Chicken Carbonara. If you're into seafood the Lobster Tail, Shrimp Scampi and Mussells are very good. Since moving to the new location, Dunraven has added Breakfast and Lunch. For Breakfast the Veggie Omelette, Smoked Trout Benedict, Trout and Eggs and Huevos Rancheros are particularly good. For Lunch try the Garlic Wings, Scallops, Meatball Sub, Pesto, Soup of the Day and Italian Chef's Salad. |
| Rock Inn Mountain Tavern opened in 1937 as a music venue and many great bands have performed here. But the food's good, too. Their signature entrees are their Smoked Elk Sausage, Buffalo Meatballs, Hickory Smoked Bison and Pan Seared Trout. The Boiled & Flash Fried Baby Red Potatoes are one of the great sides in the RMNP area, and the Chocolate Chip Cheesecake one of its best Desserts. On the Appetizer list are Devils On Horseback, which are Dates stuffed with Garlic then wrapped in Bacon. But these are just their star attractions. There are Steaks, Bowls, Sandwiches, Salads and other enticing entrees, like Stroganoff, Cajun Blue Cheese Salmon,and a very good Potato Soup. The Green & Grain Bowl includes mixed greens, red quinoa, black beans, roasted tomatoes, butternut squash and dill horseradish cream sauce. The patio offers breathtaking views. Rock Inn is a dinner only restaurant opening at 4 pm each day. |  |
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