Grand Lake
| Route 66 | Cities | Beaches |
| National Parks
Grand Lake |
|
| Getting There | Lodging | Restaurants | Hiking | Backpacking |
There aren't as many restaurants in Grand Lake, but there are some very good ones. They range from the upscale Huntington House (photo above right) to the iconic Rapids Lodge to routine places on Grand Avenue catering to hikers, fishermen, families, snowmobilers and skiiers. There's even an outstanding pizza place. Some of these restaurants close in Winter, but many stay open all year. Everything in the RMNP area is pricey, and that is even more true of the Western side, where everything has to be shipped in over winding mountain roads. |
 |
| Estes Park | Grand Lake | Route 7 (Southeastern Corner) |
| Huntington House has pushed their prices up to the point where they're now a Special Occasion restaurant, even for those staying at the restaurant's own Grand Lake Lodge. It's a place to celebrate the last night of vacation or the end of a weeklong backpacking or fishing trip. But it is definitely good. The restaurant serves dinner only and the menu is "prefixe," or preset. There are two seatings and they require reservations. Dinner is served in three courses. In the first course you choose from a Cheese Board, a Salad and the Smoked Gouda and Beer Cheese Soup. All three are good but we highly recommend the Soup, one of the best in the area. The main course offers you Scallops, Salmon, Grilled Chicken, Elk Chops and Filet Mignon. We recommend the Elk simply because it's a specialty of the area and you can't get it back home. Dessert is a Berry Crumble. This preset meal costs $50 per person, becoming $65 with tax and tip. However, there is a "take out" menu which is a lot more reasonable and includes old favorites : Bison, Trout Smoked or Grilled, three great Salads (Beet, Kalle & Brussel Sprouts and Classic), and several Veggie options. Prices here are a much more reaonable $13 - 20. Views from here are the most impressive in Grand Lake. |
|
 |
Rapids Lodge features dining looking out on Tonahutu Creek. You'll probably be adventuring during the day, but if you're in town, this is a fine place for lunch. The Smoked Salmon Salad, Po Boy, Pulled Duck, Portobello Mushroom and Fish Sandwich are all very good. But it's at dinner Rapids Lodge shines. If they're serving their Rocky Mountain Black Eyed Pea Soup, order a bowl. The Elk Chop in a Whiskey Pepper Corn Sauce is the restaurant's signature entree. But the Colorado Lamb, two kinds of Steak, Ravioli, Scallops, Salmon and Sole are all good. We're disappointed they no longer offer long time favorites Trout, Antelope, Bison and a good Soup. But what they do offer they do a great job with. And another of Rapids' long traditions, a well stocked Wine Cellar, is still there. They offer both domestic and imported wines. They also offer a dozen very good Martinis. They've got Ports, Cognacs and Cordials. And if you're a Beer drinker, they've got everything from Fat Tire to Corona to Blue Moon. They've even got Angry Orchard Hard Cider. The wait staff tend to be experienced --- if you get lucky Tatiana will be serving your table. This is a Special Occasion restaurant for the locals, but folk from Denver, Fort Collins, Laramie, Cheyenne and Boulder drive over the mountain just to eat here. Given the popularity, reservations are wise. |
| O-a Bistro is the restaurant on the ground floor of the Gateway Inn, on the western edge of town on Route 34. The menu changes weekly and features local sourced produce as much as possible. It is, however, not a local menu. It leans heavily Mediterranean with other items from around the world. |  |
 |
You MUST stop at Sagebrush. The quality of food is very good, service is efficient and several of the items are unique. Their signature entrees are the Wild Game Sausage Platter (Wild Boar, Elk, Bison), Rocky Mountain Oysters, Vegetarian Green Chile, Buffalo Meat Loaf, Pan Fried Rainbow Trout, and Beef Brisket. They have a page of burgers, all of which are good. Whatever their Soup of the Day is, order a cup as an Appetizer. It's worth stopping here once each trip just for one of the Wild Game Burgers or Sausage Plates. They offer Buffalo and Elk Burgers and Bratwurts. A breakfast stop here is mandatory for the Wild Game Omelette (Buffalo, Boar and Elk) one of the great breakfast entrees in Colorado. And it gets better. They offer Bailey's Coffee (Irish Whiskey, Chocolate & Vanilla in High Altitude Coffee), Irish Coffee (Irish Whiskey plus Creme de Menthe) and Mexican Coffee (Tequila). Altitude affects coffee flavor; high altitude coffee is the best. If you've never tried it, this is your chance. Sagebrush also prepares one of the best Huevos Rancheros in Colorado. |
| Sloopy's Grill is a classic burger shack just outside the park entrance. But it's a very good burger shack. Their cheeseburgers, onion rings, sweet potato nubs, fried chicken, fish sandwich, buffalo brat, and ice cream are worth stopping for after a hike. What they call Pork Wings would be Carnitas at a Latino restaurant and they're worth ordering. The beer battered succhini sticks and green or red chiles are two of their unique sides. If you've had a hard day on the trail one of their milkshakes will restore youe good mood. Like every restaurant in Grand Lake, a little pricey. But when everything has to be shipped in over the mountains and you only have a three month season, those prices are unavoidable. Within walking distance (a tenth of a mile) of the Winding River Campground. | .jpeg) |
 |
Squeeky B's is basically a burger joint, but it serves very special burgers. Every ingredient, from the beef to the lettuce, is locally sourced. There are also Salads, Sweet Potato Fries/Tots and Mac & Cheese. Prices are high but so are portions. Outdoor seating area is nice on a Summer afternoon. The help is mostly foreign students so language problems are common. |
Bet you never expected to find French cuisine in rural Colorado. And it's good. Stillwater Grille offers entrees like Trout, Tuna and Chicken with French style and flavors. Their signature disk is Duck Confit, but they also do a great job with their Steak Frites, Beef Bourguignon, Butternut Squash Bisque, Roast Pear Salad, New England Style Clam Chowder and Lamb Stew. On a different note, they take pride in their wood fired open hearth brick oven BBQ and Margherita Pizza. There's a good wine list. The chef, Jeane Claude, was born and raised in France and trained on the French Riviera. He worked for top restaurants in Boston and Denver and has been in Grand Lake for 22 years with four years off to teach culinary classes in Boulder. |
 |
 |
Backstreet Steakhouse is two blocks off Grand Avenue but it's worth the extra walk. The prices are upscale --- in line with Rapids and Huntington House --- but the food is good. For starters, they offer the best Soups in the RMNP area. The rotation includes Cauliflower & Gouda Cheese, Beef Vegetable, French Onion, Beer Cheese and Cream of Asparagus. As a Steakhouse, obviously they do a fine job with their steaks, but they also do a fine job with their Trout, Beef Stroganoff, Buffalo Tenderloin, Fish Tacos, Beef Stew --- and Mac & Cheese, of all things. If they still offer their Cheese Bread, or Rosemary Bread, order it. For Dessert, their Apple Cobbler is delicious. The wait staff are mostly Romanian / Macedonian H-1 visa students, some have language issues, and service is often slow. But the food's worth waiting for, so enjoy a drink and chill. One advantage of eating here is the music is played low and the spacious facility absorbs noise so you can have a conversation. The major problem with Backstreet is that the adjacent Lodge often hosts weddings and when that happens most of the restaurant staff are shifted over to help out, and service and food quality suffer. However, when they're at the top of their game Backstreet is one of top RMNP restaurants. |
|
|||
|
