Minturn Saloon

Restaurant and bar with a lot of character and decent food. Located on the charming Main Street in Minturn, about 10 minutes from Beaver Creek or Vail. I’ll go back for sure.

Build in 1901 … Friendly service. Recommend you get lots of charbroiled quail.
Stay away from the duck fajitas, ours were truly over cooked.
In general the food here is overpriced and worthy only 2 stars. Ambiance is rustic and a true salon for mountain folks.

Down home good times will be had in this local watering hole off i-​70. My boyfriend claimed their ribs were the best he’s ever had. Granted, he’s not a huge rib guy but he still knows a good meal when he eats one. My combo fajitas were fresh and delish and the plate was filling enough for two. My only complaint was the fried ice cream had no crunch. The waitress took it off the receipt saying we don’t charge for food our customers are not 100% satisfied with. Love the Minturn Saloon!

Having skied the Minturn Mile more than a few times, I’m very acquainted with The Saloon in Minturn. Just had dinner there and boy oh boy, what a disappointment. First the good… the ribs really are worth ordering. And the saloon itself ranks in my top 10 most authentic in Colorado. The menu tells a great story about the history of the place, so why wouldn’t The Saloon be worth a whirl?
BECAUSE THE FOOD IS FREAKING AWFUL! They must add sugar to the green chile, the $ 13 8 oz top shelf margarita is so bad I started giggling. The guacamole and queso were so bland we actually ordered chalula AND a fried jalapeño to try to make a go of it. This chef needs to get a grip or get a job at a retirement community. This great bar deserves better.

I stopped into the Minturn Saloon after a great Mtn bike ride. I was feeling great and wanted to relish the days ride a bit longer over a cold beer at a local place. I’d been here once before, a few years back when I skied OB from Vail down to Minturn and ended up in the Saloon and had a great time. I was probably in a state of euphoria the first time, or things have changed drastically at the Saloon since then. There were only about 4 people besides me when I walked in. A lady at the bar greeted me, asked if I was just drinking or would I be eating also. I said both and she replied that the bartender (who was within ear shot 5 ft away) would be taking care of me. He was busy talking to people at the bar but it seemed to take a long time just to ask me what I wanted to drink. I shook it off as a one-​off thing. I got my beer. A few minutes later I got a menu. Then the drought of attention began. I’m not sure how long it took before the bartender finally asked, no, rather yelled across the room if I’d decided on anything. I was very near walking out but I owed money for that one beer and I don’t run out on my tabs. I was also in shock at the prices! I’m not sure how you make a burrito that costs $ 19 but I’m also not willing to find out. The best burrito I’ve ever had in my life was no more than $ 9. I can’t imagine anything short of gold nuggets justifying twice that amount. Perusing the menu and choking on the prices, I settled on what was about the least expensive thing I could find — basic nacho’s. By the time I added jalapeño’s and beans, that was $ 13. It was more than I could eat, but I think most guys could polish those off easily. After my 2^nd beer I ordered a glass of water not realizing there was a water jug & plastic cups on the counter for customers to help themselves to, as well as chips & salsa which are free. No ice is there however.
My beer glass and my water glass sat empty for nearly 10 min which gave me time to decide whether I really wanted to stay here any longer begging for attention. I didn’t. When the bartender finally checked in with me again, I asked for ice water this time. Finished the water. 10 more minutes pass by. I walked up to the bar and asked for my tab, paid and left.
While I was drinking my first glass of water a group of apparent locals came in. There were probably 12 – 15 of them, they took the high table next to me. I noticed they were getting fast and frequent service. They seemed to know the staff and the level of service they got was quite different and much more attentive than I received. This is a small town near Vail. Maybe they just aren’t as warm to outsiders as they are to locals but making any customer wait 10 min or longer for a drink can’t be good for business. Maybe I had «Denver-​ite» blazing my forehead, I’m not sure but my visit to the Minturn Saloon didn’t make me eager to go back. The food prices alone will keep me from eating there again. And the next time my buddies and I ski the Minturn Mile, I think we’ll consider other options for celebratory beers. That’s sad because the atmosphere after skiing was a blast! I love the rustic interior and pictures on the walls.

I have lived in the Vail Valley for the entire time the Saloon has been open. EVERY time i eat there I feel sick after my meal. I tried to give it another shot and I didn’t even get there because the server chose to ignore us not once but twice. The restaurant was not busy and there was no excuse. The server looked like she was going out of her way to ignore us. I will never eat at the Saloon again. This is not the first time I have had less than welcoming service. If I wanted to feel less welcome I would go to the Avon Post Office.

The Saloon is simply a must for the Vail Valley. I recommend that any visitor in Vail or Beaver Creek gets to minturn for one night out.
First, the bar is perfect. Spacious, with free chips and salsa, the drinks are excellent. The Tequilla/​Margarita menu is simply the best in the vail valley. The beer selection is also extensive, and they feature the best of CO’s microbrews and spirits.
The food is simply good tex mex, with some saloon specialties like Pato veracruz and 3X quail. The food is consistently tasty, and reasonably priced in comparison to any other restuarant within 20 miles.
The ambiance is unique and the service is superb. It is a Vail Valley mainstay, and not one to miss. Only minutes from Vail Village.
We come to the saloon every year. If you want this type of food, leave the base area and go to minturn instead!

Been here a couple times before and it was ok, but the waiter recommended quail & cheese enchilada and it was dry., tasteless and barely edible. Was almost thinkng of sending it back but he never cane to check on us. And it wasn’t even that busy so he didn’t have an excuse. Last time for us. Oh and it’s one of those places that just doesn’t feel clean.

Place was packed. Could not get near the bar. Food was very good: quail app, fish tacos and#2 combo. Great speed ski place. Waitress Dana was a gem. Will return!

My family has been coming here forever. I love getting the Whole BBQ chicken. Its literally the best ever. EVER

Visited Minturn Saloon again while skiing in Vail recently and felt the need to update my review and add a star. The ahi fish tacos were recommended by the server and were quite good. Still not a must-​visit for us, but a solid 3-​star meal and a fun place to grab a bite in Minturn.

Well been eating here since I was a little kid and can say that I have expeirience just about everything form great service, great food to a waitres who has the best dirty jokes in the business to people dancing on the tables to one hell of a roudy place to falling down in my ski boots in the bar after two many margs and getting cut off to fights in the bar to great frinds in a great old school establishment. I think I have just about seen it all.
The food is always great, the margs are always cold and tasty, I would recommend if you ski well enought that somtime in your life make the back country trip out of the ski area and ski the midturn mile, than make your way over to the Saloon for drinks. It will be something you will remember for the rest of your life unless you live here, than you should make the trip at least once a year. Just make sure you plan on getting a ride back to Vail, no bus service.
Great place to visit for the out of town people, not a new high teck resturant buy anymeans but very old school which make this place different and one of a kind.

Best margarita in the county. I had the Natural Margarita along with their home-​made queso and some guacamole… yum! The deck is surrounded by flowers and right on the river, but our bartender Bruce, and the historic Colorado atmosphere inside, give the deck a run for its money. Definitely a great place to stop with friends after a ride down the Minturn Mile!

Might possibly be the best Mexican food and best Mexican restaurant anywhere in the world. No joke.

Come here for the atmosphere and margaritas, stay for the food.
For a couple years now, we’ve gone skiing over my Brother’s birthday. (Not on purpose, it just works out that he was born on a convenient skiing week.) Each year, he wants to come here for his birthday dinner. It’s a tradition I hope we continue.
The margaritas here are the best I’ve ever had from a restaurant. I recommend the «Natural» margarita, Milagro Silver, organic agave nectar, and fresh squeezed lime juice. Smooth, clean and fresh. Take the rest of my review with a grain of salt, after two «Naturals» they could serve me Taco Bell and I’d love it.
The chips and salsa are above average. Ask for some hot salsa and they’ll bring you a cup of a very spicy and flavorful chile paste, mix it into the salsa to your desired heat level. It’s great.
They have a basic tex-​mex menu and a more interesting menu of «specialties», mostly grilled dishes. The only tex-​mex item I’ve tried were the enchiladas (as part of a quail and enchilada plate) they’re above average, but not spectacular.
Of the grilled items, I’ve had or tasted the ribs, quail, strip steak, and duck breasts. They offer a variety of combinations of these, e.g. steak and quail, quail and enchilada, or a mixed grill. The ribs are just ok. They were relatively bland and mushy, I suspect they’re boiled and finished on the grill. I didn’t care for their barbecue sauce. I’ll get my ribs elsewhere. The duck breast was good, but the meat was very «ducky». If you don’t like the rich dark flavor of duck I wouldn’t recommend them. The skin was slightly chewy, not as crisp as I’d like. The steak was of great quality and perfectly cooked. Great beefy flavor. I like mine slightly more seasoned, but I can understand them wanting the beef to shine on it’s own. A shake of salt and a dab of the hot salsa perfected it. The best of all is the quail. It’s the best quail I’ve ever had and I love quail. Juicy, smoky, well seasoned, tender and sweet, they’re so good.
Portions are huge. Most of the specialties are accompanied by a generous spread of rice, beans, tortillas and salad. I don’t recall any of these being great, but I’m usually too full of steak and quail to get around to eating much of the sides anyway.
Service has never been stellar. It’s pretty obvious the staff all have their focus on the ski slopes (pretty typical for the area). But the servers are friendly and fun. Prices are a little on the high side, but not unreasonable for the quality, portions and location.

Waited and hour and the host was a terribly rude dick. We have a very hard time being seated. I am not even to eating yet. My martini was Atleast ok but truly, in this haven on the mountains, I would pick somewhere else to eat

We always have a good time here. It is one of my top destinations when in the area. The place has been here a long time. My first visit was in the late 70’s. This is great fun with your ski group. You arrive and start the wait for your table. Get some drinks at the bar, I recommend the pitcher of margaritas. You will meet some other folks and share stories of your skiing. Then you move on to some high carb Mexican food to replenish your energy levels. More than the meal itself, the saloon is an experience.

If you’re into divey dive bars, this is the place for you. My friends and I arrived before the place opened (what can I say, we were thirsty!) and the bartender welcomed us in for drinks. The drinks were cheap and strong, and even more enjoyable in front of the raging fireplace. I imagine there is a pretty good crowd for the live music on Friday nights — unfortunately I wasn’t able to make it back to see for myself. Next time!

Incredible rowdy atmosphere. Some of the best Marguritas in the entire Vail Valley. A must go restaurant when visiting Vail.
I had drinks with friends just 2 evenings ago. It was a packed house and the menu is better. Great specials too!

I suspect the folks who express outrage for the Saloon are the same types who are looking for the back nine over at the Minturn Country Club. The assumptions and expectations are really funny.
While it’s true my shirt was sticking to the back of the booth thanks to … I don’t want to know what, the fish tacos I had here were pretty good. Chips and salsa were fine; they looked like chips and salsa you could get pretty much anywhere. For dessert, the fried ice cream was rather tasty. There’s some sort of fried pastry thing on the bottom of the scoop; it made for a nice vessel to sop up the melted yumminess.
Beer was cold, memorabilia on the walls plentiful and interesting, and wait staff both friendly and prompt with refills and followup.
If you come here fresh from a trip to Vail’s finest, you’ll be in for a let-​down. Know that going in, and you’ll probably have a decent meal both in taste and price.

Awful, awful, awful. Did I mention this place is awful?
Everything on this menu is either canned or microwaved. Our nachos looked like an alien gave birth to them they had been life in the microwave so long. Underneath the shield of cheese was a pool of oil. It was disgusting with not a bean to be found.
The salsa they serve is Pace picante sauce, processed and canned. My duck fajitas were hardly Mexican– they came pre cut on a plate, over cooked, and smothered in some kind of sweet sauce. It tasted like old liver, it honestly didn’t taste like duck at all. It was mystery meat. The rice wasn’t cooked all the way through and the burritos are just open faced tortillas smothered with Pace picante and microwaved cheese. It was soggy in a pool of water.
Minturn Saloon takes the gold metal for the worst Mexican food EVER.
These people should be ashamed of serving this food to people and charging as much as they do. We paid 260.00 for 6 people and one only ate nachos and the other was a vegetarian.
Absolutely repulsive. This is not a restaurant.

What makes this place good is the atmosphere and the chips and gaucamole. Beyond that the food is okay and the service is okay. This place is more about coming to meet friends, a place for having a few drinks and maybe, when your palate is destroyed a bit, eating something.
Now given I did not eat any of the things that the waiter recommended… quail, ribs or duck, but I did have the arroz con pollo and it was uhhhhhhh interesting? Not exactly what I am used to, but okay. I made a meal out of it anyway. My son was funny too, when he got the kids nacho’s he looked at it and said «It just looks like a bag of chips, where’s the cheese?»
I think I may take the $ 80.00 we paid for dinner somewhere else next time.