Estes Park American restaurants? I had THE HARDEST TIME coming up with this list, mostly because Estes is a tourist town, and as such, most of the restaurants in town offer a very wide assortment of food. I mean, everyone knows Aunt Mabel won't touch meat, but Dad is a steak eater; Billy won't eat anything unless it's fried, but meanwhile Suzy is watching her figure.
If I had a category called "Sandwiches," then just about every restaurant in town would be on it. Ditto "Salads," "Soups," "Burgers," etc. So rather than saying the same thing over and over again, I am lumping them all into Estes Park "American" Restaurants!
There is a wide range of price and quality on this list, and the only one that's a bit of an oddball is The Baldpate Inn (all you can eat soup, bread, and salad - it’s delicious). Otherwise, all of these Estes Park American restaurants offer sandwiches, burgers, salads, soups, or pasta, or some combination thereof.
The Baldpate Inn 4900 S Hwy 7, (970) 586-6151, $$ All-you-can-eat soup and salad bar with homemade bread and scrumptious pies. Beautiful, rustic building with view. World's largest key collection! Closed in winter.
The Bighorn Restaurant 401 W Elkhorn, (970) 586-2792, $$ Highly recommended for breakfast - good prices, big portions. The lunch & dinner menu is an assortment of burgers, sandwiches, and other American menu items.
Cascades Restaurant (at The Stanley Hotel) 333 W Wonderview Ave., (970) 586-3371, $$$$ Fancy schmancy. The food is good, though not outstanding. Go more for the ambience and opulence of the beautiful Stanley Hotel, the inspiration for Stephen King's The Shining.
DeLeo's Park Theatre Café and Deli 132 Moraine Ave., (970) 577-1134, $$ Humongous and delicious East Coast-style deli sandwiches. Featured on The Food Network! Right next door to one of Estes Park's two movie theaters for your pre- or post-movie munchies.
Ed's Cantina 390 E Elkhorn, (970) 586-2919, $$ I gotta admit, I kind of miss the old Ed's. Before they remodeled, it was a cheesy sports bar with funky things like buffalo heads on the walls. Now it's got a more upscale image and *sniff sniff* a less character. The food is decent and the people very friendly.
The Egg & I 393 E Elkhorn, (970) 586-1173, $ A reliable breakfast favorite with a huge assortment. Also serving lunch. Go early, though, because the place gets packed!
Estes Park Brewery 470 Prospect Village Dr., (970) 586-5421, $$ Homegrown microbrews and typical sports bar fare. Nice view from the deck.
14ers Café 116 E Elkhorn, (970) 586-8300, $ Quick and tasty sandwiches and wraps, all named for 14,000 ft. (and higher) peaks in Colorado.
Fusion 451 Steakhouse 451 S St. Vrain, (970) 586-9840, $$ Really good food and really nice people. An assortment of American cuisine.
The Gallery Restaurant and Bar 205 Virginia Dr., (970) 586-1865, $$$ An art gallery and a restaurant in one. The food can be quite good, and they often have live music.
Grandmaison's Chalet Room (at Mary's Lake Lodge) 2625 Marys Lake Rd., (970) 586-5958, $$$ Marc Grandmaison is well-known around Estes for creating delicious food. An excellent choice for a romantic dinner.
Grubsteak Restaurant 134 W Elkhorn, (970) 586-8838, $$ A variety of burgers and steak and such. Also serving breakfast.
Hunter's Chop House 1690 Big Thompson Ave., (970) 586-6962 Reliably good food and one of my favorite places for fish. Good salads too. Not being much of a carnivore, I can't comment on the "chops," but my meat-eating friends give it a thumbs up.
Local's Grill 153 E Elkhorn, (970) 586-6900, $$ Standard American grill fare, with the pizza being quite delish.
Longz (at the Holiday Inn) 101 S St. Vrain, (970) 586-2332, $$ The Holiday Inn's restaurant was recently revamped, and they are serving a lot of new cuisine; I haven't been yet and haven't heard any local gossip. I'll keep you posted.
Meadow Mountain Café Hwy 7 Bus. (Allenspark), (303) 747-2541, $$ About 25 minutes from Estes in the tiny mountain town of Allenspark, Meadow Mountain Café serves up some seriously tasty food in a backwoodsy, homey, hippie sort of place, with a friendly dog and a smile on every face. If you're hiking in Wild Basin, stop here for breakfast.
Molly B Restaurant 200 Moraine Ave., (970) 586-2766, $$ Good old fashioned mountain cookin'.
Mountain Home Café 457 E Wonderview, (970) 586-6624, $$ A nice choice for breakfast, with tasty food and a small outdoor patio.
Mountaineer Restaurant 540 S St. Vrain, (970) 586-9001, $$ If mountain men had a hangout, it might be the Mountaineer. Good old fashioned food.
Nicky's Restaurant 1350 Fall River Rd., (970) 586-5376, $$-$$$ Nicky's has two restaurants - a steakhouse and a "garden restaurant" serving lighter fare. There is also a lounge/bar where, on summer weekends, you can hear the sound stylings of Ray Young on piano.
Notchtop Bakery & Café 459 E Wonderview, (970) 586-0272, $$ Notchtop has some reliably tasty food and even better baked goods.
Orlando's Steak House 132 E Elkhorn, (970) 586-6121, $$$ Orlando's is a bit of a throwback to the day when a steakhouse had a certain feel, sort of tinged with red and black décor, and it was a special place to eat. It's still good food.
The Other Side Restaurant 900 Moraine Ave., (970) 586-2171, $$-$$$ The Other Side offers two menus- steak/seafood and a lighter sandwich/burger menu. Beautiful views of their pond; lots of ducks and geese entertain adults and kids alike.
Penelope's Burgers and Fries 229 W Elkhorn, (970) 586-2277, $ Voted best burger in Estes, I have friends who swear by them.
Poppy's Pizza and Grill 342 E Elkhorn, (970) 586-8282, $$ If I had to save one restaurant in Estes Park from burning, this might well be it. The food is great and the owners make everyone feel like a part of the family. The winter specials are a great deal. The one drawback is that it is super busy in summer. Serves pizza, sandwiches, soups, and salad.
Ptarmigan Restaurant (at The Aspen Lodge) 6120 S Hwy 7, (970) 586-8133, $$$ A nice atmosphere at the Aspen Lodge, and I enjoyed the food, although I have to admit it's been several years since I've been there.
The Redstone Restaurant 225 W Riverside Dr., (970) 586-2014, $$ My friends swear it is the best chicken salad for miles around. I like the food, but have yet to swoon.
The Rock Inn Mountain Tavern 1675 Hwy 66, (970) 586-4116, $$ Fantastic live music (lots of bluegrass) and a friendly mountain atmosphere, plus good food.
Silverado Restaurant (at Lake Shore Lodge) 1700 Big Thompson Ave., (970) 577-6422, $$$ Lakeside dining and good food. It's been awhile, but I seem to remember some baked brie with lingonberries that was to die for.
The Sundeck 915 Moraine Ave., (970) 586-9832, $$ A rustic mountain atmosphere, nice people, and good food. Some of the best trout around.
The Tavern (at Mary's Lake Lodge) 2625 Marys Lake Rd., (970) 586-4777, $$ A lively atmosphere, live music, great food, and a nice deck make this one of Estes' popular nightspots.
Trailhead Restaurant (at Rocky Mountain Gateway) 3450 Fall River Rd., (970) 577-0043, $$ Very nice atmosphere, and the deck is great in the summertime. I had a delicious grilled vegetable wrap. Adjacent to the largest gift shop in the area and the Fall River Visitor Center of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Twin Owls Steakhouse 800 MacGregor Ave., (970) 586-9344, $$$+ A beautiful, rustic building and excellent food.
The View Restaurant (at The Crags Lodge) 300 Riverside Dr., (970) 586-6066, $$$ A beautiful atmosphere in an historic lodge with fantastic views. Oh, and the food is good, too.
Village Pizza 543 Big Thompson Ave., (970) 586-6031, $$ A family pizza joint with an excellent menu plus video games and TV. Next to the movie theater for a fun night out.
The Wapiti Restaurant and Pub 247 W Elkhorn, (970) 586-5056, $$ "Wapiti" (WAH-pit-ee) is Shawnee for elk. The Wapiti is a carnivore's paradise. I had the ribs and they were yuuuumy. That was back in my "must have BBQ once in awhile because I'm from Texas" days.
My favorite? Heavens. That's a really hard question. I suppose if I had to pick only one of the Estes Park American restaurants, one that was most likely to be liked by everyone in the whole family, from stingy Uncle Ed to three year-old Emmy, I'd pick Poppy's Pizza and Grill. And I'd send you there in the winter, because everyone else, apparently, agrees with me, and it's busier than busy on a summer's day.
