Trailhead Restaurant

Food was pre-​cooked then served lukewarm. We should have read the reviews before we stopped here. The restaurant it’s self is beautiful, with an amazing view. Service was okay.

The food isn’t spectacular but it’s less busy and crowded than trying to eat in Estes.

A definite PASS. I ordered a $ 14 elk burger expecting fresh elk. I was excited because I had never tried elk before. What I got looked like a processed patty you’d get from the frozen food section at Walmart. Such a shame.

A cute little restaurant before you get into the National Park. The big hit here is the elk stew. It’s a bit pricy but can easily be shared. We had a party of 3, and ordered 2 stews to share. Everyone left stuffed. It was also very nice that they gave me a free brownie sundae for my birthday. That was a very sweet gesture.

I hate to give two star reviews but I could not bring myself to rate this any higher due to their lack of service.
Atmosphere: — Top Notch — We were seated on the patio with awesome views of the mountains. It was a great spot to sit and relax and have dinner. Unfortunately, I think that they forgot about us.
Food: — Good — I had the fish and chips and my wife had a pasta dish. The fish was really good, the chips were okay. The pasta dish was not the best.
Service: — Poor — We had over a 10 minute wait once we were seated before we had anyone approach our table to great us. We had stopped some of the other servers in the area during our meal to see if they could help us (when our drinks ran out or if we needed something else) and this was the only time that we would get attention from our server. We later found out that one of the servers that we stopped and asked for water from was a manager and she did not seem to care. The place was pretty dead and there did not seem to be an excuse for the service that we had. It was early in the season and many of the servers seemed to be new. Based on conversations with the servers it appears as if many of them were here for the summer from other countries. I am hoping that our experience was a fluke, but we will probably not be back to eat here again.

I went yesterday and had a very yummy Elk burger cooked to perfection. The server was excellent and my group all had a great time and ate terrific food! No complaints and fanning out the Elk!

We came here as we told that this place is really good by the hotel we were staying at. We were dead wrong.
We called ahead and made sure they would be good for a group of 20 plus a service dog, when we showed at 6:30 on a Sunday night, they were beyond dead, there was one ground in the entire resturant and they were on the patio smoking a some cigs. They didn’t stay very long.
The service was very slow for our group and for the establishment being dead, I would understand if this place was busy but we were the only ones there and they had two servers there serving us, so they had 10 people per server.
The staff was extremely slow and half our group had to wait 45 minutes just for appetizers, seriously, did you have to order them from town? Just to get them to our table?
It sure felt like it? We ordered the calamari which was a joke, it was chewy and tasted like it had been sitting in there freezer all summer and there veggie dip, the veggie dip was good but only enough for one person. It was surely not an appetizer, it was sad what they were charging and giving as we ordered it for our table and it couldnt even give it to everyone, only two or three of us got half a bite.
We all ordered different things on the menu. The girls order the pasta and like it, but said they were disappointed with how little shrimp they were given.
The elk stew was clearly NOT a staple of this place, it was over seasonsed and there was maybe three pieces of meat in the whole entire stew, more potatoes and beans in the whole entire bowl. I thought I was eating veggie soup them elk stew.
My cousin and order the fish sticks and they clearly were not beer battered, they were breaded and it looked like fish sticks that one would buy at the store, we asked if they were made in house and the waiter told us no.
We thought this place made there own stuff and we were told that most of the food was bought out of house and brought in, that they didn’t buy local or make local.
A big disappoint as 90% of our family was here as a family reunion and we were wanting to taking them to a Colorado Proud resturant and clearly Trailhead is not one. Even the manager verified these statements.
A true shame, we wont be back, our family was truly saddened by our experience here and the food that they had.

Do not eat here. Food is way overpriced and it sucks. Burnt hamburger, burnt bacon and burnt buns.

The Trailhead Restaurant is conveniently located just inside Rocky Mountain National Park next to the Falls River Visitor Center. I was worried the restaurant would be a little too touristy but decided to try anyways since we had just got done with a horseback riding trip at the stables next door. The restaurant was clean and the outdoor seating is very nice. The food was just OK. Nothing special to me. My husband and I both had the grilled salmon sandwich and although it tasted good, didn’t really wow us. Just a small salmon filet on a store bought bun with a leaf of lettuce, 2 tomato slices, and about a half a pickle slice. Pretty stingy on the toppings in my opinion. We both upgraded our sides to a salad and sweet potato fries, which of course cost extra. I will never understand why restaurants charge you more to upgrade your side of regular fries to sweet potato fries since they essentially are the same thing.
Another thing that put us off was that the place was deserted. We ate dinner at 6pm and by then the gift shop was closed and it seemed as though we were being rushed out the door. But maybe this was because it was a Thursday and not quite the summer season yet? In fact the host came over to us and asked if we had a reservation. When we said no, he said that was OK, they just wanted to know if they had to stay open and wait.
Overall, it is a clean place to eat with a lot of amenities and is conveniently located. Just thought the food should have been better and prices more reasonable.

Our lunch was delicious. Our server, Hannah, was efficient and charming. Menu is American with a touch of east European. Menu is one of the best gluten-​free in Estes Park. Will return again.

Went in for late breakfast. The food is okay but corn cake is really good. Service is completely out of hand. There was only one waitress at the time and two server guys at the front. The table next to us must have waited for so long that they left the minutes their food came out (overhead the food was all cold). Then immediately we saw the restaurant manager came out and started talking to the two front guys first for a long time. Then to the waitress, despite the fact that there is only ONE waitress at the restaurant. So that meant while we were eating, we need ketchup, no one was available to help. We need more water, no one was available to help. We need more coffee, the waitress was still have to talk to the manager, probably about the reason why one of the table left. Then finally we need the check, they still were talking. One of my friend stood up and went to the front and asked for the check.
It’s so obvious the manager is the one that kept everyone was behind their work. If he needed to talk to his staffs, wait until lunch time, or break time, or after they are done with their shifts. No wonder the restaurant was really empty.

Full disclosure: this review is two years old. I’m transferring my google reviews to Unilocal.
Additional disclosure: we visited the trailhead during the off-​season. This might explain our experience. The restaurant is in a great location, right next to an entrance to RMNP. It is also attached to a very cute (and overpriced) gift shop, which we enjoyed perusing.
We wanted to go bcs my guy loves cinnamon buns, which were advertised on their menu in our hotel menu guide. Thursday morning, we pull in only to find the restaurant is closed except for weekends in the off-​season. We try again on Friday and, after standing around awkwardly between the dark, empty restaurant and gift shop for 15 minutes, a girl comes from the shop side and takes our order. They were out of cinnamon buns, which was a big bummer to my guy, but it happens.
We took a seat; the place was huge but completely empty. Felt kind of like the shining (coincidentally). This was late in the morning on the Friday of a holiday weekend! A guy came out of the kitchen (waiter? cook?) and apologized for not seeing us sooner. He was incredibly polite and his service made up for what was becoming a disappointing experience. We both got corncakes (there were only about 3 items to choose from on the menu), which were delicious! Highly recommended! The price was reasonable and the views were superb.
I can’t say I would go back (maybe if I called ahead and confirmed they were open and had the menu item I wanted), but I would recommend it to someone on their way to the park, especially if it’s tourist season!

Although this restaurant has great views, it’s not worth the time or money. The service was extremely slow. Numerous parties gave up after placing their order and waiting forever. We saw one party walk out after a long wait and we wish we had as well. I had a cheeseburger and fries. Pretty hard to screw that up, but thy did. The hamburger was lukewarm and the fries cold. My wife’s chicken Alfredo was greasy and the chicken was burned.
The wait staff was slow and there was no management visible. We witnessed the hostess wiping down tables with the dirty paper napkin a customer left behind.
We wanted to sit out on the deck and enjoy the view but we were told the four tops were taken. Little did we know that one of the prime four tops was taken by an employee sitting by herself. I guess that’s the perk of being an employee.
I wish I had used Unilocal or Tripadvisor before wasting one of our nights at this dive.

Not a horrible place to stop after a day at RMNP. We were pretty hungry and this is conventionally located right outside the entrance so why not stop and grab a bite to eat?
It was a gorgeous day out so we took advantage and sat on their patio which is an L shaped patio with about six or seven tables. Seeing that it was right outside RMNP there weren’t bad views at all! The menu isn’t too extensive and they have standard items like appetizers, salads, burgers. etc. They offer some intriguing burgers like bison and elk which is always welcomed but I just stuck with my standard cheeseburger – it was good but not out of this world. They have a store connected to the restaurant so there’s a bit of a Cracker Barrel style to it and all in all a decent experience.

Possibly the worst food in estes park. Its mcdonalds class food at a 4 star price. The manager was rude and obviously full of himself. Trust me save your money and go eat somewhere respectable like the wild rose.

As others have noted, Estes Park is not a foodie destination. That being said, I think these restaurants have to be taken in context.
To be the last stop before entering Rocky Mountain National Park, as well as the first stop on the way out, this one could be a lot worse. They don’t even have to try and people would stop.
But they do try. And they get some things right. Local microbrews, local flavors and a bit of variety. My wife likes their veggie burger, the kids like the grill cheese and Mac and cheese and we all like the view.
I had the signature Elk stew. It was good, especially after a morning on the ridge in the fifties. It came with a small spring mix salad with a very unique chipotle dressing I have also tried the Blue Moon beer brat. It was ok, but again, they try. Next time I’d get the Rocky Mountain Trout.
Make sure you take a look at the extensive chocolate selection on the case as you walk in!

Great ambiance and good food.

My husband, daughter and I went to lunch here with my dad after a day of adventuring. We were seated without a wait out on the deck and the view was stellar. Unfortunately, we were downwind of a stable and it smelled just like one would expect, but only when the wind kicked up.
Though they had a high chair, basket of crayons and activity sheet for my 2-​year-​old, they brought her drink in a paper coffee cup with a lid, which was a little hard for her to drink from. I am surprised that they didn’t have regular cups with lids and straws like everywhere else. My iced tea and my dad’s were obviously fresh because, though chilled, there was no ice to be seen in either glass and we had to ask the waitress for some later. That being said, she was prompt to bring some more out, and the tea was really tasty because it was so fresh.
The food was hit-​or-​miss. I had the fish and chips, which came with fries and cole slaw. The fries were scrumptious, the cole slaw was somewhat flavorless. The batter on the fish was delicious, but the fish itself was really pretty bad. It was chewy to the point where I had a hard time biting through it at times. Needless to say, I mostly ate fries.
My husband and dad, however, both got the Southwest Three Decker Club, and that was great. The bread was buttery and toasted to perfection and held turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, swiss cheese, chipotle mayo and guacamole. It was every bit as tasty as it sounds (I had some leftovers). It was also huge. They each ate half of theirs so we wound up taking a whole sandwich home for later. If I had gotten that for my meal, they would have easily had another star.
Overall, it wasn’t a bad place to eat. I’d certainly go back. Next time, I’ll bring my own sippy cup, order the sandwich, and hold my breath when the wind blows.

To us, this place was not surprisingly bad, I had read bad reviews on Tripadvisor so was leery to go. I didn’t want to but was forced as part of a large family group.
When we arrived, we were sat and probably about ten minutes later a waiter approached our table. I asked him what microbrews they had (note: there was a sign on the table saying «ask what microbrews we have»), the waiter said «I have no idea, you will have to ask your waiter»
A few minutes later, he tried to take our order, I said «oh – you are our waiter? Do you know what microbrews you have – and guess what –he did!
Food was horrific. I ordered a buffalo burger which when it arrived, i said «I think this isn’t what I ordered» he told me it was. THe «buffalo burger» was a black little puck, with no flavor. They screwed up the steak another family member had. The shrimp fettucine came with fettucine noodles that were mixed with what was obviously frozen vegetables that included lima beans. All the side vegetables were extremely overcooked. The mixed grill skewers appeared to be skewed on toothpicks. The stew was reported;y good but was very thick for the first few that got it and then extremely watery for the rest (they must have been running out and just added water to stretch it – unacceptable!!). The service was slow and most of the servers spoke such poor english, they were difficult to communicate with.
I would not recommend this to anyone. It’s obvious that they do not care what they are serving as they are guaranteed a crowd due to their location. I would NEVER go back.

Surprisingly good! This restaurant is part of a huge visitors center (more accurately, souvenir shop). I wasn’t expecting much, given that bit of information, but after a trail ride at the National Park Gateway Stables right next door, we were exhausted and starving and it was there. It actually wound up being really good. We ate outside on the deck overlooking the Rockies. What a gorgeous view! I got a chicken sandwich and fries and they were great. My husband loved his meal too. Only bad thing was that there were a lot of bees buzzing around (this was September), but it was still worth it to sit outside.