I had a bad experience here years ago and thought I'd give it another try. So much time has passed, surely there's new management, chef, menu, something? Sad to say, it was once again a big, expensive, disappointment. Tonights Seafood buffet was beautiful to look at, but the dishes were bland & boring. Hot entree items like scallop & shrimp scampi, consisting of mostly tomatoes with tiny scallops and bay shrimp in a tasteless sauce. The blackened fish had zero flavor and tasted like yesterdays catch rubbed with a weird paste. Coconut Mahi was anything but that, no trace of coconut, boring boring boring. The fried calamari was soft and spongey, not crispy. I was shocked we werent offered any extra linens, crab "tools" or wetnaps for the messy snow crab. The only thing that was halfway memorable on the entire buffet was the cherry cheesecake. For $32 per person I would NOT recommend it. Total waste of good seafood! Others in our group had the prime rib, it was ok. No soup or salad included. $22 is a ripoff for what you're served. Especially in a dated, coffee shop atmosphere. Service was decent and staff was relatively friendly. Too bad friendliness doesn't make up for a subpar, overpriced menu. We won't be going back.
(1)
Steve B.
We tried this place based on a friends suggestion. He gets to keep my high rating of his opinion. Our group had either burgers or roast beef au jus. Everybody really enjoyed their food and want to go back before leaving this week. We ate in the Lodge Cafe part of the restaurant and our waiter was very good. I'm not sure why this place has so many negative comments as we were completely satisfied.
(4)
Mary Jo S.
On the winter camping trip in RMNP, the rule was as soon as it was light we would jump in the car and get coffee at The Other Side until is warmed up and we could break camp. As it turned out, my winter camping experience was not so cold and after drinking coffee by the fire and breaking camp we had breakfast. I had my favorite Huevos and the Husband had pancakes. Service and food were good. What more can I say?
(3)
Dena K.
We went here for breakfast on a weekday and loved it! I ordered a waffle, eggs and veggie sausage (yes, they have veggie meat options!) and my husband had a salmon scramble that he loved. The atmosphere is a little outdated but clean.
(4)
Stacey R.
Great atmosphere. Comfortable. Excellent trout and halibut! ! Breakfast is the best in town.
(4)
Amanda W.
Cool buffet option for those that like that. French toast was delish. Mimosas are awesome and they give you the whole bottle to do what you like. Good little place for family gathering and talking while enjoying yummy food.
(4)
Princess L.
What is up with these Estes Park restaurants? The decor is always such a turn off. Just a note to restaurant owners, if you can use it to cover a booth seat, do not put it on the tables as a table cloth. It makes you think that the tables are in horrible condition. Again, not clean. The way the tables were set, we had to walk around several of them just to get to our table. I'm not sure why they are packing them in, because nothing I had was delicious. It was mediocre at best. Zero seasoning on anything, after a while everything was one note. Coffee was horrible. They sat us by the window which was not very sealed, because I was freezing (and no coffee). Aaaaaahhhhhh. I feel like the prices are too high for breakfast, but seem to be the norm there. We did the buffet, but would not do it again. Will not be returning.
(2)
Mark R.
This place has a split personality!! The upstairs is standard fair with some interesting add-ons, but we are not here for that. Downstairs is where it is at. The menu has Buffalo steak (sirlion bison style). It had no fat. Its was perfectly prepared-Med rare as ordered. Lots of juice and very litttle seasoning. The wife got the trout. Nicely prepared with light sauce. There were bones but not bad; they took off 20%. Again flavor was great. The bread was some seven grain fresh prepared, again delicious. Nice selection of wine beer. Worth the trip, great service open until 9pm
(4)
GretcheN E.
My husband and I ate in the cafe side as we were looking for a lighter dinner. Selections were okay and I had the trout which was good. The dinner salad was mostly iceberg lettuce and was additional cost as substitute for potato. Very mediocre with slow service! Had the special Moscow mule cocktail and no copper mug!
(2)
Euche M.
The Other Side doesn't look very exciting on the outside, but it attracts a lot of customers. The entrance was unremarkable, a few uncomplimentary brochures of no interest to me on a small table. The hostess was very pleasant and courteous, took us to our table right away. Our waiter, a native Lithuanian whom I enjoyed speaking with, was very pleasant. I watched as he attended other tables. His manner was consistently professional and courteous. He spoke excellent American English and had no problem understanding anyone. So I guess he has been here several years already. He appeared a little uncertain as he approached our table, seeing us clean our dirty silverware. He might have suspected we would be troublesome, or worse yet "secret diners." Normally, I would ask for a replacement. But as I examined the other silverware near us, I saw they were all dirty, so gave up hope on that score. The silverware did clean easily, however, so it was probably simply soap residue rather than grease and oil from foodstuffs. I sympathize with all the other reviews, so far, on The Other Side. I understand the compliments, I think, and the critiques also. As I look back on our meal, I agree that the food was a bit plain. Whether the salmon was wild depends on whether "wild" means caught in a river or the open sea, versus being raised in fish farm, and either let out into a blocked stream to be caught "wild" or just being called "wild" because that is the "kind" of farmed salmon it is. The salmon was cooked just at the edge of not done enough. The skin was on, which I like, but was not at all crispy, which was unfortunate. There were no bones. There wasn't much effort to make it a gourmet dish, just salmon on a plate. It was alright. My companion's baked potato was absolutely perfect. Gordon Ramsey himself could not have improved on it. The waiter accommodated my request for vegetables in place of the regular side dishes. Remember, this is like some 7000 feet above sea level. Things will cook different here. That might be part of why the salmon seemed the way it did. Or perhaps it had just been cooked with too gentle of a hand. My vegetables were very tender, but I don't think they had any seasoning whatsoever. The color had started leaving them. I don't know if that is due to the altitude or not icing them or what. I asked the waiter if the flower on my plate were edible, since I have seen restaurants decorate a plate with things that are unpalatable. He assured me it was, and when I asked what kind it was, he immediately went to the back to get the information. I ate part of my orchid. It was pretty enough, I suppose, but lacked flavor. I know some fancy restaurants serve flowers. I've only had a couple, each time leaving unimpressed. What is it about edible flowers that people like? Just the fact they can eat a flower? I'll have to experiment more to find the one that tastes best on my palate. We were given a boule of bread and some butter slabs wrapped in foil to begin our meal. For the life of me, I can't understand why they wrapped the bread in a cloth. That's what you do with warm bread to keep it warm. Our bread was, frankly, quite cool. I suppose it had been retrieved from a refrigerator shelf and presented to us without being warmed first. But that's not so important, I guess. Unless you are especially fond of bread or especially dislike cold bread. The butter was colder than the bread, however. All that did, was make it harder to spread. Overall, it was kind of a nice place. I have no idea why they don't offer the meal menu downstairs. Looking over other reviews, I concur that the restaurant would benefit from better lighting and lighter decor. It was fair enough. We would eat there again and see how other dishes are. If you haven't been there yet, you would probably enjoy it. Judging from minority reviews, we'll try the breakfast and Sunday brunch next time. Bon appetit.
(2)
Nika G.
I was looking for a delicious place for lunch after a 6 mile hike at RMNP, decided on The Other Side, and ended up disappointed. The decor is extremely outdated and dingy. The food was JUST alright. I noticed they used some frozen components of their dishes. I was not able to get a seat near their highly recommended lake view room because it was being used for a private party. Overall I was not impressed with The Other Side.
(2)
Emily H.
Overcooked, dry, flavorless food, and overpriced too! Service is mediocre at best. Best to find another place to eat...
(1)
Robert B.
We ate here for breakfast in the winter on a snowing morning. The other side had the most eclectic breakfast menu we've seen yet and the food was really good. I had the wild game sampler which was elk and wild boar sausages with eggs, hashbrowns, and toast. My cousin had french toast made with banana nut bread - something I've never seen before - he said it was really good.
(5)
Christine R.
The food here was ok. We walked right in. I had a steak sandwich, which was ok. It wasn't anything to write home about. I had a side salad, which I think I was a bit overcharged for (maybe 50-75 cents, so I didn't bother saying anything). My daughter had a plain grilled cheese and apple sauce. It was fine if you are 2 years old. My dining partner had a monte cristo, which she said was fine. I felt like the service was ok. It wasn't really stellar, but it was fine. The floor seemed like it needed to be swept with stuff all over it. My real ugh about this place was when I went into the bathroom after our meal. The bathroom was absolutely disgusting. There was a ton of cobwebs on top of the stalls and on the ceiling. It was obvious it hadn't been wiped down in a long time. The wallpaper was ripped. I don't really fault ripped wallpaper, but I do fault filth. The trashcan was overflowing and a total pigsty. And to add to the joy, there was a dirty diaper left on top of the changing table. GAHHHHHHHHH The toilet had duct tape holding it together. You know what they say about restaurants. The cleanliness of the bathroom made me wonder how well they keep the kitchen. UGH. I'd give it about 1.5 stars if I could. It was just blah.
(2)
Linda A.
"Our family group of 6 ate here one winter evening near Christmas. Everyone enjoyed their food but me. I ordered the Shrimp Scampi & it was extremely salty! I ate the shrimp & left the sauce & vegetables. I told the waitress nicely that maybe the cook should be told. She was friendly in a very natural way, and we liked her, but nothing was done to compensate me for my mostly inedible meal. I will eat there again because the menu had a lot of variety - I just won't order the scampi." Finish your review
(3)
Joel F.
Wow, went back for Sunday brunch and this place hasn't changed for years and that's not good. Yes, we came back hoping it had improved. The place needs to be updated, repaired, cleaned (dusted throughout, tables cleaned where people touch) staff need to be trained on how to serve...how to clean a table...how to clean dishes...how to clean glasses...how to run a brunch with meats and breads that are not dried out (such as pastries & waffles), how to make fried green tomatoes that taste good, cream desserts that are not (apparently reconstituted) and curdled. Yes, it's low-expectation Estes Park, but The Other Side has missed the trend of good food. The omelet was very good--because it was cooked fresh unlike most of the rest of the brunch. And yes, after all that, there was the obligatory long hair in the food. Yum. Sad.
(1)
Tracy C.
Our server here was nice, but that was about it. I went with my boyfriend because I was craving a buffalo burger. I ordered that, and he ordered an elk burger. Both of our burgers were seriously lacking in flavor and seemed previously frozen. I don't even eat frozen burgers when I'm cooking at home, so why would I want to pay for a frozen burger when enjoying a night out? It did not seem like quality meat, and led me to wonder why they even bothered asking how well we wanted our burgers done. We will not be coming back.
(1)
Sascha R.
This place was pretty good. Typical breakfast with typical atmosphere. Nothing that really stood out to me.
(3)
Lizzi S.
I can honestly say, that I would rather have gone to McDonalds- than eat there. It was quiet when we came in. They sat us by the fireplace, and as we began to talk, we realized that there were HUNDREDS of BUG NESTS and EGGS, on the flowers at our table. That was an immediate loss... not just for the quality of the restaurant, but I lost my appetite as well. The view was nice- you can see the mountains out of the back windows. I think that was the ONLY good thing about this restaurant. I ordered a plate of nachos (there wasn't a wide selection on the menu)... and they were so gross, I couldn't even finish. It was basically sour cream plopped on top of a giant platter of bad microwaved shredded cheese, DRY olives, old jalapenos, and chips that tasted like they were dipped in the Salt Lake. I would suggest that NO ONE go here. It's disappointing, and WAY too expensive, for what you get. If you want a better meal, I suggest McDonalds.
(1)
Laura O.
The food is edible, but unremarkable. I think this would be fine for someone expecting an average burger or chicken fingers, but if you want something at all healthy or interesting spend your calories elsewhere. Three of our party ordered a salad. One was the blackened salmon salad which was a piece of salmon on 7 pieces of lettuce. Seven lettuce leaves does not a salad make. Although the menu claims the salmon to be wild, I have my doubts as the fish was so pale pink it was practically white. The raspberry vinaigrette tasted like raspberry jell-o in dressing form, so I switched to oil and vinegar. The special salad, shrimp and avocado, looked more like a salad, but they forgot the avocado. The other member of our party ordered the hot Turkey sandwich which quickly put him to bed with a stomach ache. The gravy was too floury and the mashed potatoes average. We will say the the soups were tasty and quite possibly homemade. The location next too a little pond was picturesque, but as soon as you focused on the inside of the restaurant there was nothing to look at. It was clean though. If possible, try someplace else in town, I doubt you could do much worse.
(2)
Sheri B.
After leaving a horrible restaurant on S St Vrain called Mountain Restaurant where we were never served we ended up here. We were immediately seated and a waitress came to our table, bringing water, explained the Brunch but we decided on ordering from the menu. She promptly brought them. After a few minutes deciding she came back took our orders. She brought our drinks and the additional things that would go with our breakfast. After about 10 minutes our breakfast came. I ordered the stuffed french toast and a side order of corned beef hash. It was all delicious. My husband ordered an omelet which was suppose to have 3 eggs and I would have thought it had 4 if not 5 eggs. He said it was one of the best omelets he has had in a very long time. His hash browns were crispy just the way he likes them. There was more than enough food to last us all day long until supper of which we had cereal. From what I could tell everyone around us had plenty of food on their plates also. The price was very reasonable. For our meals and drinks with tax was $23 and some odd cents.
(5)
T K.
Easily our worst meal in Estes Park. We wanted steak and seafood and we saw their ad in the Restaurants Guide. It looked pretty nice. We went in for the dinner menu instead of the Cafe menu. My wife ordered the 4oz Filet Mignon and I had their special of the day: Pesto Pine Nut Striped Bass. We left pretty disappointed. The food wasn't disgusting but just very plain and boring. It reminded us of Baker's Square except triple the price. The service wasn't exceptional either.
(1)
Josh K.
We asked a local the best place to have breakfast in town and he pointed us to go here because of the quality and price. Fast forward 15 minutes and we were seated at the window-side table and browsed the menu. Coming from a big city, we were impressed by their breakfast; definitely good food with a lot of value. We will definitely visit them again in the future.
(5)
Karen D.
May 2012 We found this restaurant online with great reviews. When we pulled up to the restaurant my husband didn't want to go in. He thought it looked old and unkept.....nothing great. Boy was he wrong! It is cute inside. We got a table right by the pond and were able to watch the ducks and were even lucky enough to see a HUGE elk across the pond. The food was GREAT and so was the service! We had a trout dish, salmon with penne pasta, the wild game sampler, and the prime rib. The prime rib was a little tough, but everything else was AWESOME. We would return next time we're in the area. :-)
(5)
Josh H.
Rather mediocre. Service was good, but the food was lacking. They serve good multi-grain bread and their french onion soup was decent. However, I had a special, chipotle fettuccine with steak, and it was overloaded with parsley, the sauce had a grainy texture, and little flavor. It also didn't taste fresh, like the sauce had been sitting around for a few hours and then re-heated. The steak was tender, but again, it tasted like the meat had been left out in a raw state for too long, or that it had been reheated. I felt ill to my stomach later in the evening, so I really have to wonder. My wife's pot roast was OK, but nothing to rave about. The portioning for my meal was WAY too much, and I can be a big eater at times. They have two menus, a diner style menu with traditional American cuisine, and a "fine dining" menu with pastas, seafood, and steak. This only serves to confuse and give an over-abundance of choice and a focus on quantity rather than quality. This place has potential if they would focus on fewer dishes, enabling for higher quality control, and serve only one menu, perhaps one with a combination of items from both of their current menus.
(2)
Melissa D.
We went here for an early dinner (4 o'Clock!) after a long afternoon of hiking. The restaurant was practically empty, so we had no problem with the service. The waiter was very helpful and nice! We got the jalapeno poppers and OMG...they are so good! I got the french onion soup and it was pretty average. My fiance got the elk burger and loved it. Overall, it's a nice restaurant for Estes Park and the prices are reasonable.
(4)
Jonathan C.
Very good food and service. I had the blacked salmon. Also ordered chicken. Gluten Friendly.
(4)
Kathleen S.
We dined on the Lakeside and had a delightful dinner. We had the shrimp appetizer (special), the pan fried trout and the chocolate lava cake. All were excellent. Our waiter, Erik, was excellent and very professional.
(5)
Angela A.
Five stars because this is as good as it gets in Estes Park. One thing to know about Estes, there are no good restaurants and they are all so overpriced....except The Other Side. The Sunday champagne brunch is really nice and for $17, you can't beat that. There is a variety of fresh fruit, desserts, made to order omelets and eggs. There is a carving station as well. We go whenever we are up there on a Sunday. We have had the regular breakfast as well and it's also very good. There are a lot of healthy dishes to choose from. We have enjoyed dinner there too. The steaks are always good, very tender and juicy. The dessert is very good, in the summer they have fresh strawberries and biscuits. There is another section of the Restaurant at the entrance that is more like a diner. For finer dining and brunch, you eat in the main dining room which overlooks a little pond that is full of ducks and geese. The mountains being it are spectacular. The Other Side is on the way to the Beaver Falls entrance to the park. The next time you're in Estes and looking for a nice meal that isn't over priced check out The Other Side.
(5)
Bill C.
Surprising breakfast! We stopped in because it was close, and were surprised at the food. The breakfast selection is vast and creative. The service was good. They have some areas with a view, but they weren't open to the breakfast crowd, while we were there.
(4)
Bill G.
We dined upstairs for breakfast as the we were not hungry enough for brunch. I had one of the specials: Game Sausage Sampler with elk smoky links and wild boar maple patties. The elk was incredible and the wild boar was quite good. My hubby had multigrain pancakes (short stack) that had molasses added which were also amazing. They did fine with his eggs. My mom had buttermilk pancakes (also short stack) with sausage. They were fine, but unremarkable. The short stacks are two cakes but are enormous. I'd say 10 to 12" in diameter. Our waiter was good for the most part.
(5)
Bryce M C.
We went here in 2003 for a lunch and we had to leave it was so bad. We then went back a year later for a breakfast and we come here numerous times every time we come to this area. I do not know why other people rate this one-two stars. If you are someone who came here to give your bad opinion, please know that their breakfast is better than their lunch and dinner.
(5)
Rob M.
Better for breakfast than dinner with nice views of a pond outside, the food is reminiscent of the decor, in that it seems stuck in the late 70's. Worth a trip if you're staying in town a while.
(3)
Karell C.
Went there for breakfast. The place is large and spacious. There was only one waitress and she seemed a little stressed, but when one of the kids spilled a glass of milk she was all up on it. She was helpful and attentive with multiple tables. The decor is mountain rustic. The portions are large and delicious. The price is comparable with all the other restaurants around here. About $9 a plate. There is nothing particularly outstanding about this place, I feel you could not to any American city and find a dinner like this. But, this place is definitely a solid "4 STARS" and you will be happy. KC from Austin
(4)
Jeff K.
Absolutely horrendous. We've lived in Estes Park part-time for 5 years now; we've never tried The Other Side as we were always put off by the dated, threadbare '70's look. We decided to give it a shot after reading some of the Yelp reviews, though. 1. Really dated '70's look. There's a LOT of that in Estes Park, so you might forgive that. 2. "fine dining" restaurant has what would have been a typical menu in 1973. Again, maybe that's your thing...but they advertise themselves as American (New) and there is nothing modern about their menu. 3. We ordered their calamari for an appetizer - they call it Sardinian style, we grew up calling it Rhode Island style, with peppers/gardinier on top. The *worst* calamari we've ever had anywhere. In Colorado, you expect that it will be frozen fish ... But it can still be made well. This calamari was breaded so thick with tasteless batter the calamari rings looked like mini-doughnuts. 4. Baked Brie was under-cooked, pastry was not done. 5. Caesar salad was disgusting, sopping with poor-quality dressing. 6. Chicken saltimbocca was completely unrecognizable in taste and appearance. 7. Took 2 hours to slog through this unappetizing meal at a snail's pace. 8. Cost $94 for 2 adults & 2 kids; the adults shared an entree. On the plus side, the waiter was cheerful and friendly. If it had been just my wife and I dining, we would have refused the appetizers and left the restaurant. However, we had the kids along and didn't want to embarrass/mortify them, so we suffered in silence. Save yourself some disappointment, eat elsewhere. Estes Park does not have many good restaurants, but this is certainly the worst of the bunch.
(1)
Shannon N.
Wasn't worth the price, we ordered off the "better" menu and we were not impressed. My husband's steak was "Sizzler" quality. Really, don't eat here. Wish I hadn't wasted my time or money.
(3)
Jason S.
I'll bet this was a nice restaurant when it was built in the 80's, but years of neglect have left the carpets thread-bare and the bathrooms unpleasant. The service and food are tolerable and fairly priced. If this is the best Estes has to offer, look elsewhere!
(2)
Nicole W.
First thing you should know: this place has 2 restaurants inside: a standard dinner type, and a much nicer "lake view" section. We dined in the lake view section, and the food was amazing. We had the asparagus appetizer, which was fresh and crisp. My husband ordered an Elk entree', and liked it much more than any elk we'd had in town that week. I test nice places by their fillet Mignon, and this one was on point. Service was good, though our drinks ran a little low a few times. Atmosphere: the lower, lake front section is nice, and has a deck around the lake. Great viewing of birds and ducks. During our meal, there seemed to be some kind of feeding frenzy with the birds flying everywhere outside. Fun to watch. I wouldn't have gone outside during, though.
(4)
Dom M.
The veggies that came with my steak were cold so I sent the plate back to be warmed. Hate to do that!
(3)
Donnie C.
Only ate here once during our week stay. I got the buffalo burger and it was nothing special. It seemed a little unorganized too. Decent place but wouldn't crack the top 5 in Estes.
(2)
Lauren M.
Thank you for accommodating my large party on short notice! And thanks for humoring my grandfather when he played a practical joke on the group. Your waitstaff were gracious and patient!
(4)
Kathy B.
My husband and I ordered a "special" shrimp and avocado salad. Was over $11.00 included a cup of soup. The baked potato cheese soup was ok. The shrimps on the salad tasted off...were yucky...we then noticed the salad was to come with sliced strawberry and hard boiled egg. It did not. We pointed this out and said the shrimps tasted bad so they offered to take it away and give us another salad. So we ordered spinach salads. These were ok. My daughter ordered a nice side salad and grilled cheese and french fries and all was good. The waiter was very very nice and helpful, bringing more water etc. This is the second time we've been there though and I won't go back. Besides the food problem we were there around 3:30 pm and only one other table had people at it and so the wait staff were preparing the other tables for the evening. We didn't think it was right though that one of the waiters was using a push sweeper to sweep up crumbs on the floor while we were still there eating. We thought this was very rude.
(2)
Denver I.
Solid American fare. Just don't try going on a weekend without a reservation. We ate in the cafe section that had a more limited menu, but the trout was really decent. Lightly breaded, and cooked perfectly. The service was good, but they were stretched really thin.
(3)
Vicki S.
Not impressed at all! It took 55 minutes to get our food after ordering. And it took getting the manager over to the table to finally get it. Food wasn't too bad. Manager said she would give us a discount. Only 20% for waiting that long. Had to pay on the way out and the gal that was working the register was also seating people. So..... We had another 5+ minute wait just to pay. We won't be back. There are a lot of other places in Estes to get good food with good service.
(1)
Jay A.
Good traditional American comfort food. Good service and excellent dessert, all at very reasonable prices. Only one complaint-they play music here that SUCKS. Why not just let people enjoy quiet while they eat?
(4)
Cynthia S.
My husband and I had an excellent dinner at The other Side Restaurant this past weekend. We found this restaurant accidentally on our way into Estes Park from Rocky Mountain National Park. The soup was excellent as were the sandwiches we ordered. The service was prompt, efficient and friendly. We were very hungry after spending a day viewing the Autumn Aspen and viewing and seeing the elk in Rocky Mountain National Park. I loved the wildlife and Rocky Mountain National park decor in the restaurant. It gave it just the right atmosphere. We will definitely eat again when we visit Estes Park, which is often.
(5)
Todd O.
I have to agree the other reviewer...its as good as it gets in Estes! I would give it 5 stars for the food and the service and 4.5 for the cleanliness of the restaurant. I have to deduct for the cleanliness of the restroom. The good stuff...the food and service. There were 4 of us and we all had amazingly delicious meals. 3 of the 4 of us had seafood and in the middle of the mountains that isn't the smartest thing on my list. I had the chipotle salmon pasta. It came with fettuccine but I got it with penne. The salmon portion was really large, if a normal portion was 4-6 ounces, I easily had 8 ounces. It was cut in chunks and not a fillet BUT it totally worked for the dish. The sauce was white wine, cheese, cream and chipotle. We all started with a salad, which was a good size with a good variation of veggies. I ordered Italian but I'd recommend the honey mustard, it was wayyyy better. Another dish was tempura shrimp, came with steamed veggies and rice. The veggies looked like a generic medley but they were fresh and cooked perfect with a little crunch. The sauce was a orange marmalade. I think it had a little spice also. The rice was mixed wild and was delicious. Another dish was the cashew chicken, it sounded good but not great...however it had a strangely cool combination of soft chicken and crunchy cashew crust. It also had the wild rice (we all picked rice over potato). The sauce was a sweet and spicy sauce and a perfect potency for the dish. Lastly was the most creative dish, scallops on top of a grilled piece of pineapple surrounded by a red curry sauce with a hint of coconut milk. (I would have preferred a bit more pineapple juice but the argument is you mix the pineapple chunk with the sauce and its perfect. I like sauce so for me I want the sauce to have everything. Lastly, the trick...eat downstairs in the "dining room" and not upstairs in the "coffee shop" its the same kitchen but the whole experience (and the food) seem way different.
(4)
Tom H.
Good restaurant with good variety on their menu, nothing stood out and impressed us but but it was good,food, and the prices were not bad. Nothing I can rave about as nothing impresses us that much.
(2)
John L.
Great Sunday brunch. Generally good food, and very nice ambiance. Locals frequent this place.
(4)
Tammy K.
This is pretty standard Appleby's-type fare like burgers, soups, etc. On the positive side, there's some really beautiful photography of the area in the dining room and the service was very good. Certainly a reasonable choice for a lunch or dinner after visiting RMNP.
(3)
Andy F.
I think this restaurant is excellent for Estes Park. You can overlook a duck pond. I ate here for 2 dinners and 1 breakfast. There are two areas for dining... one with a cheap menu and one with a more fine dining menu. For the first dinner, I had the calamari prepared sardinian style (it was a special wtih peppers, etc.)... fantastic! I had a buffalo steak ($24), which was good but I should've gotten med-rare instead of medium. The next day I had the broiled trout ($16), which was absolutely amazing. You get veggies and another side, amazing bread, and soup or salad. The red pepper vinegar dressing is amazing on your salad! The veggies are wonderful...not too buttery and super tasty... one day was cornmeal eggplant, one day was greenbeans and other veggies. For my lunch, I had an elk burger, which was excellent! I also had rocky mountain oysters, which were pretty tasty fried with marinara sauce. Great meal for the price. Highly recommended!
(5)
Mike B.
I stopped in after work tonight. There are two sections to this restaurant. The coffee shop on the upper level where you walk into the restaurant, featuring more simple meals, and the host at the frond desk told me they only accept cash. On the lower level is the more fancy (their words) restaurant on the lower level with a more extensive menu. They accept credit cards on that level. For dinner, I had the Wild Game Mixed Grill, which consisted of and elk loin chop, and two good sized sausages: A jalapeno elk cheddar bratwurst, and an apricot wild boar sausage. The flavor was wonderful, and it was quite filling as well. A slight word of caution. If you pay your bill partially on a credit card and the rest on cash, depending on how much cash you give, you may want to ask for change. The waiter didn't bring back my change, which would have equaled a nearly 32 percent tip. I felt like a clod when I asked him for part of my change back. I think that embarrassed me to the point of not going again. Nice restaurant and great food, though.
(4)
Kenneth M.
Not good! Had slime floating in ice tea and it was pretty nasty given I drank a whole glass and then discovered it in my second glass. I would avoid. Go to the Sun Deck across the street as it it first class.
(1)
Tara B.
I dined with family on the side near the water. Menu has plenty of options. Waiter came to our table 5 minutes in and dropped off water without saying anything. 5 minutes later were having to hunt down our waiter just to get a drink. By then were ready to order. Food comes out cold. Our "salad" is the ends of some iceberg lettuce with bacon n cheese thrown in there. Steaks were hard. Very disappointed. For how much we paid, the quality of food was no where near it. Won't be back.
(1)
Libby R.
Do not accept any positive review. I am convinced if it is more than two stars it is a scam concocted by the owner. This place is terrible. The steak was awful, the frozen vegetables were barely cooked and the microwaved baked potato were all terrible. Please, please save yourself do not walk into this restaurant .
(1)
Tracy G.
The food was excellent and even though it was obviously a tourist stop I found it a nice quiet breakfast place. The prices were decent and I love the Wild Game Sampler. Boar and Elk?! Why not! The service was good and our food came out in an appropriate amount of time. I highly recommend the Morning Glory muffin. It's not huge, just a good size for a side. It was delicious. Check out my pictures!
(4)
Valerie F.
Food is great and service is as expected. Decor is dated. Overall not really worth the 30 minute wait to be seated.
(3)
Brycen B.
Honest to god I am a nice person but without a doubt this is the number one worst resteraunt I have been to in my entire life they burnt my baked potato and the cheese had gone bad and the sourcream was well the wrong kind of sour my entire family did not enjoy their "meal" at this overpriced low quality establishment
(1)
Karol M.
This may be one of the first restaurants you see after a long day hiking in the Rockies. We stopped in for dinner around 7-ish and they seated us immediately. There are two tiers of dining, both literally and figuratively. Upstairs is the "cafe," with sandwiches, burgers, salads, and appetizers. There are a few "wild" entrees, including elk, trout, and bison. They also serve a variety of beers and wines, including locally brewed craft beers from the Estes Park Brewery. It's a good spot for families and won't break the bank. Downstairs is the "fine dining" option, and entrees run quite a bit more there. We didn't check it out beyond the posted menu, considering we were in our sweaty hiking clothes and in need of immediate food. The hosts and servers were friendly and helpful, and our server stayed on top of everything throughout the meal. The food was good but not amazing, though again, I'm only speaking for the cafe. They may be open longer hours than advertised here. They were open til 9 on a summer Wednesday.
(3)
Debbie B.
Not impressed. Patty melt was OK, fries not so great, turkey sandwich OK. And prices high for quality of food. We won't be back.
(2)
Chuck S.
It's Estes Park, it's the off season, things just aren't that busy, but on my 3rd time here for the Sunday Buffet Brunch I was disappointed. It is probably 5 stars for Estes Park, but I found the food unexciting. They had some unique items like cheesy grits, lox and bagels and good quacamole, they had the standard fare of eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast, waffles, etc..., they had ham or roast beef freshly sliced, they had an omelet bar with lots of choices, they had a fruit and veggie area, they had a dessert bar with lots of options,they had about 6 juices available. The quantity of items was good. The quality wasn't the best, I found things colder than expected, I found things that didn't have the taste I expected and some of the fruits and veggies were not ripe yet. What I was very surprised about, not in a good way, was that the buffet came with champagne, but the coffee cost extra, Wow, they just got $20 for the buffet and now they want to charge more than $2 for coffee! Not cool Other Side. :(
(3)
Dorothy K.
Nice restaurant, nice view if the pond with ducks. Better like looking at ducks because you'll have lots of time to watch them! 30 min. and all we have is water. Ordered sandwiches or food off the specials menu and it's still as slow as can be. Some food came but one order still not up. Presentation is good but not enough to overcome slow service. Chicken salad on a croissant is good. Restaurant isn't 1/4 full and food is slow. Will not return!
(1)
Melissa B.
Absolutely horrible. I will never go back. We waited 30 minutes for a table and then an hour for our food. When my entree came out, it was under cooked. I couldn't tell the waitress because she was no where to be found and I was honestly tired of waiting. When we told the hostess about the problems we had, she replied with, "I'm sorry, we are busy." Horrible staff, horrible food, I will not return.
(1)
Mary R.
This is a breakfast review. We have not eaten here for lunch or dinner, so I cannot review based on that. I hate going out to breakfast and paying $28 for 2 people for an average breakfast. But, I thought the breakfast here was outstanding and we only paid $19 for 2 people. So that was a vacation win. I had the english muffin, poached egg, Hollandaise sauce meal once, and an omelet the second time there. Both were great. The meats were great. My husband had the wild game sampler. I thought the meats were delicious. The omelet was huge and packed with veggies and cheese. The poached egg was cooked perfectly and the hollandaise sauce was rich and delicious. And the prices were very reasonable for breakfast. The wait staff was very nice. I like all the artwork on the walls. It feels like a diner and the food is that of a good, solid diner. I very much recommend you stop in for breakfast.
(5)
Carole B.
Our meal here was by far the best meal we had in Estes Park - far better than the highly rated restaurants. The setting of the dining room is quite lovely. I have only one small recommendation for the owners - better signage. The sign for the restaurant that is on the street is difficult to see and the three signs on the roof of the building makes it appear to be a burger and coffee shop only. There is nothing visible to tell folks that this is in fact a fine restaurant. I fear that by the time we return next year this hidden gem will be closed because no one knew it was there. We were there on a Friday night and the downstairs dining room was less than half full - only because the word is not out about the quality of the food. I had the "Drunken Pork". My husband had the beef stroganoff. Both dishes were among the best we have ever has, including dinners in New York City and San Francisco.
(5)
Linda T.
The food was not what I had thought it would be. The French dip was no better than Arbys and I don't much care for that either and cost more.
(2)
Heather B.
The restaurant was filthy, food cold, and waitress (Rebecca S.) was short tempered and rude. Will not be back.
(1)
Paige G.
Went here for an event. A little outdated, the younger servers were awesome but it seemed like all the serves and bartender that were over 35 were having a bad day. The bathroom floor felt like it had syrup all over it. Toughest steak I have ever had in my life and there was even some pink left. What really made the experience was the company, a few nice servers, and the fact that a black bear was in a tree right outside my window while I was eating the whole time:) Not so fancy, but would work for an after hike date dinner.
(3)
Colleen L.
Old place, old people and lots of tourist! Had fish and chips and fried pickles. Was ok, a very busy place.
(3)
Shea W.
Dude. This Brunch Buffet. Let me qualify by saying that it is not the best brunch buffet I have ever had but FOR THE PRICE OF 19.00 INCLUDING UNLIMITED CHAMPAGNE?! Well, you had me at unlimited champagne for under 20 bucks. Huge spread of food. And a weird mixture too, which is my jam. I love a brunch buffet that makes no sense. One where you come back to the table with scrambled eggs, salmon lox and a teriyaki pork rib. Oh and chips and guac. And that's just plate number one! Rinse and repeat with brussel sprouts, bacon, an omelette and strawberry short cake washed down with 10 glasses of champagne and you're now in a food coma! The service is fantastic and the restaurant itself has a beautiful view of the frozen lake and the blizzard rolling in next to a big Christmas tree. Also BONUS POINTS: the music selection alternated between Christmas songs and Beyonce songs, so they are geniuses. Brunch and Beyonce. Alliteration at its finest.
(4)
Kendra L.
Been here several times. It's always very good. This last time, the waitresses and hostess made me feel guilty or unwelcome to sit downstairs. I got there first in our large party and I told them we would sit downstairs. They acted odd and even asked several times if I really wanted to do that. It was unwelcoming, but the food was good as always.
(4)
Trint L.
We ate upstairs in the "cafe" for the cheaper menu. Great, friendly service and good food. Awesome onion rings. The chicken... er... sorry... "country" fried steak was wonderful and the accompanying mashed potatoes were amazing. The only negative (and this is admittedly subjective) is the serving sizes. They're HUGE! If you're a tourist passing through, to-go boxes are not an option and it just burns me to see half my plate dumped in the trash.
(4)
Kj J.
I would say 3.5 for buffet ... Nothing bad by any means but nothing to write home about. Wonderful variety and service was friendly. Terrific view!!!
(3)
Brenda C.
Super high prices for less than mediocre food. Inattentive staff made numerous mistakes and to "make it up" they insist we take a dried up old chocolate cake, even though we told the waitress we don't like chocolate. Ordered shrimp appetizers, later told menu mistake. Salad was delivered with wrong dressing. I ordered a NY strip, medium. Got a thin, fatty piece of raw meat. I've never gotten such a thinly sliced steak. I sent it back, after being ignored a long time by waitress, she was busy chatting it up with next table. Husband said "no sour cream." Got a big dollop of it. I asked for no bell peppers, as I am allergic, the veggies made me really sick. Worst experience in a long time and it cost $91. Complete waste, disgusting.
(1)
Cindy S.
What a great place! We came in around sunset, freezing cold from spending the day hiking and we were definitely ready for a meal that didn't consist of trail mix. There is a cafe area that's casual and completely appropriate for hiking clothes and the staff was very welcoming despite our attire! Also our waitress (Karla) was cute as a button, extremely attentive and all round a candidate for best waitress of the year. If you're looking for something nicer they have that too, there's a restaurant side with beautiful meals and fire places that would be great for a date night. I started off with the pumpkin and jerk chicken soup. I practically licked the cup, I was completely disappointed that I didn't get an entire bowl! My husband loved the fried pickles and we were both impressed with the large portion. I think he got something like 8-10 large pickle spears. For our meals his elk burger was just ok, it sort of just tasted like a frozen burger, not bad but not a strong recommend. Now my Ranch House sandwich was a completely different story. Piles of thinly sliced roast beef a top Texas Toast and slathered in a generous portion of tasty brown gravy and served with a giant heaping mound of mashed potatoes. Talk about stick to your ribs! We had a few lackluster meals in Estes so when I found Other Side I vowed to eat here every time we visit! One word of caution though, if you're looking for a well decorated hip cafe this probably won't be your thing, the booths and tables are straight out of a late 80's early 90s country diner. Best to find comfort in this tasty kitchen and find innovative menus somewhere else.
(5)
Wren F.
My husband and I stopped in here for a hearty breakfast before a hike in the park. We were definitely underwhelmed by the food. We both ordered the brat breakfast, which consisted of eggs, hash browns, and two standard pre-packaged sausage links. Nothing was seasoned, even with salt and pepper. The biggest downfall food wise was my Husband's microwaved biscuit, definitely from a can an at least two days stale. We weren't expecting fine food by any means, but this was just on the wrong side of mediocre. On a side note, when I went to use the restroom, only one stall out of four actually locked. :/
(2)
Joe H.
Sorry (again) about this one. The location is great, the service and attention were great, but the food is quite bland. We ate in the 'nicer' section of the restaurant off their top-line dinner menu. Our group tried several dishes - trout, chicken and beef entrees - all "okay" but still kinda bland and uninspired. Their chef needs to punch it up a bit - go out on a limb and make some fantastic memorable recipes. That will put them up a star or two.
Very Good, enjoyed my meal and wait staff was attentive
(4)
Nathan S.
My wife and I spent the weekend in Estes Park. we went to this restaurant because it was close to the location of where you're staying.I read over the reviews IF this restaurant so I didn't have high expectations. To my surprise this restaurant was actually pretty good.the atmosphere at the restaurant was very upbeat, and casual. now I'm not talking about casual as far as dress I'm talking about the atmosphere of the restaurant. it was very clean an organized, and very well lighted. I was a little surprised that they had two menus to order from. one of the menus as was priced very well, and the other menus was priced a little high. my wife and I were looking for a great night out so we ordered of the little bit higher priced. we both had top sirloin steak, and it was cooked to perfection. I thought the wait staff did a very good job, and was very friendly. I thought for the quality of food that we got the price was adequate for the quality of food that we received. if my wife and I do return to Estes Park we would definitely be returning to this restaurant. I know this restaurant doesn't have a lot of great reviews but I was pretty impressed.
(5)
Colin B.
The flavour was ok. Everything was cold. Scrambled eggs were watery. Hostess was rude. Waitress was rude until it was time to pay & tip. Should have gone to The Egg & I.
(2)
Jennifer R.
Have been here a few times and food/service have always been good. I do like to eat here before dark to be able to view the river while eating. Prices are a little higher but this is a tourist town. Sit down restaurants are going to be a bit higher but they are not too expensive like fine dining. If in Estes give it a try.
(4)
Ashley M.
My boyfriend and I went here (the nicer, non-buffet section) for Valentines Day this year and were very pleasantly surprised considering some of the previous reviews that we had read. The service was very fast and friendly, our appetizer (shrimp cocktail) was average, the cocktail I got was to die for, and our entrees were great! We both got steak entrees - they were cooked perfectly and (despite what the other reviews had me expecting) extremely flavorful! Also, there was a special that day, and since we both had steaks we got a complimentary lobster tail! The deserts looked great, but we were so full from our meal (it was too good to stop eating!) that we didn't end up ordering anything. The only thing keeping me from giving this place five stars is the atmosphere/decor. We were right next to the window and had a beautiful view of the pond and some ducks outside but inside is very dated - more like a hotel lobby than a restaurant. Not dirty, just not the pretty. But, at the end of the day, if your taste buds can still work in a restaurant that needs some interior decorating updates, I'd definitely recommend it!
(4)
Michael C.
Had a wonderful dinner there with the in-laws. Couldn't have asked for a better meal or a better waitress. Stephanie seated us right next to the fireplace and advised on the best pairings of appetizers and entrees. After a great meal, we finished off with one of Stephanie's chocolate martini's. MMmmmmm! Total decadence but well worth it!
(5)
Beth K.
This was close to where we were staying so we decided to give it a try for breakfast the day we were leaving. BAD IDEA!!!!! They advertise they're a "coffee shop" on the outside of their building but all they offer is black coffee.... Next ordered our food and the toast came with a pool of butter in the middle of the toast because there was so much better. Was enjoying my omelette and hashbrowns until i found a black hair stuck to the bottom of my plate. Will never return and would not recommend!!!
(1)
Jason P.
The other side was good, but extremely overpriced. The service was average and while the appetizer was good, 9 dollars is a lot for 4 shrimp. Lobster tail was excellent, but I have had better for half the price. Scallops were a bit weird as they were tiny and covered in some sort of bread crumb. Great views and decent atmosphere, but there is certainly better in Estes Park.
We had the brunch buffet. It was really good. They had breakfast but also lots is lunch items with meat, salads, fruit, veggies, desserts and more. The view is beautiful. It was a little spendy. With me and my husband and my 4 year old it was $50.
(3)
M O.
We stopped in at the suggestion of the volunteer at the visitor's center-said we were looking for local trout for dinner. The service left a lot to be desired. the food was nothing to write home about, and quite pricey. The booths were old...the sort where the backrest sinks, so your back isn't supported and you are quite sore after awhile.
(3)
Tim F.
The burgers were overdone. The steak was very fatty and swimming in butter. Very disappointing.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
J M.
I had a bad experience here years ago and thought I'd give it another try. So much time has passed, surely there's new management, chef, menu, something? Sad to say, it was once again a big, expensive, disappointment. Tonights Seafood buffet was beautiful to look at, but the dishes were bland & boring. Hot entree items like scallop & shrimp scampi, consisting of mostly tomatoes with tiny scallops and bay shrimp in a tasteless sauce. The blackened fish had zero flavor and tasted like yesterdays catch rubbed with a weird paste. Coconut Mahi was anything but that, no trace of coconut, boring boring boring. The fried calamari was soft and spongey, not crispy. I was shocked we werent offered any extra linens, crab "tools" or wetnaps for the messy snow crab. The only thing that was halfway memorable on the entire buffet was the cherry cheesecake. For $32 per person I would NOT recommend it. Total waste of good seafood! Others in our group had the prime rib, it was ok. No soup or salad included. $22 is a ripoff for what you're served. Especially in a dated, coffee shop atmosphere. Service was decent and staff was relatively friendly. Too bad friendliness doesn't make up for a subpar, overpriced menu. We won't be going back.
(1)Steve B.
We tried this place based on a friends suggestion. He gets to keep my high rating of his opinion. Our group had either burgers or roast beef au jus. Everybody really enjoyed their food and want to go back before leaving this week. We ate in the Lodge Cafe part of the restaurant and our waiter was very good. I'm not sure why this place has so many negative comments as we were completely satisfied.
(4)Mary Jo S.
On the winter camping trip in RMNP, the rule was as soon as it was light we would jump in the car and get coffee at The Other Side until is warmed up and we could break camp. As it turned out, my winter camping experience was not so cold and after drinking coffee by the fire and breaking camp we had breakfast. I had my favorite Huevos and the Husband had pancakes. Service and food were good. What more can I say?
(3)Dena K.
We went here for breakfast on a weekday and loved it! I ordered a waffle, eggs and veggie sausage (yes, they have veggie meat options!) and my husband had a salmon scramble that he loved. The atmosphere is a little outdated but clean.
(4)Stacey R.
Great atmosphere. Comfortable. Excellent trout and halibut! ! Breakfast is the best in town.
(4)Amanda W.
Cool buffet option for those that like that. French toast was delish. Mimosas are awesome and they give you the whole bottle to do what you like. Good little place for family gathering and talking while enjoying yummy food.
(4)Princess L.
What is up with these Estes Park restaurants? The decor is always such a turn off. Just a note to restaurant owners, if you can use it to cover a booth seat, do not put it on the tables as a table cloth. It makes you think that the tables are in horrible condition. Again, not clean. The way the tables were set, we had to walk around several of them just to get to our table. I'm not sure why they are packing them in, because nothing I had was delicious. It was mediocre at best. Zero seasoning on anything, after a while everything was one note. Coffee was horrible. They sat us by the window which was not very sealed, because I was freezing (and no coffee). Aaaaaahhhhhh. I feel like the prices are too high for breakfast, but seem to be the norm there. We did the buffet, but would not do it again. Will not be returning.
(2)Mark R.
This place has a split personality!! The upstairs is standard fair with some interesting add-ons, but we are not here for that. Downstairs is where it is at. The menu has Buffalo steak (sirlion bison style). It had no fat. Its was perfectly prepared-Med rare as ordered. Lots of juice and very litttle seasoning. The wife got the trout. Nicely prepared with light sauce. There were bones but not bad; they took off 20%. Again flavor was great. The bread was some seven grain fresh prepared, again delicious. Nice selection of wine beer. Worth the trip, great service open until 9pm
(4)GretcheN E.
My husband and I ate in the cafe side as we were looking for a lighter dinner. Selections were okay and I had the trout which was good. The dinner salad was mostly iceberg lettuce and was additional cost as substitute for potato. Very mediocre with slow service! Had the special Moscow mule cocktail and no copper mug!
(2)Euche M.
The Other Side doesn't look very exciting on the outside, but it attracts a lot of customers. The entrance was unremarkable, a few uncomplimentary brochures of no interest to me on a small table. The hostess was very pleasant and courteous, took us to our table right away. Our waiter, a native Lithuanian whom I enjoyed speaking with, was very pleasant. I watched as he attended other tables. His manner was consistently professional and courteous. He spoke excellent American English and had no problem understanding anyone. So I guess he has been here several years already. He appeared a little uncertain as he approached our table, seeing us clean our dirty silverware. He might have suspected we would be troublesome, or worse yet "secret diners." Normally, I would ask for a replacement. But as I examined the other silverware near us, I saw they were all dirty, so gave up hope on that score. The silverware did clean easily, however, so it was probably simply soap residue rather than grease and oil from foodstuffs. I sympathize with all the other reviews, so far, on The Other Side. I understand the compliments, I think, and the critiques also. As I look back on our meal, I agree that the food was a bit plain. Whether the salmon was wild depends on whether "wild" means caught in a river or the open sea, versus being raised in fish farm, and either let out into a blocked stream to be caught "wild" or just being called "wild" because that is the "kind" of farmed salmon it is. The salmon was cooked just at the edge of not done enough. The skin was on, which I like, but was not at all crispy, which was unfortunate. There were no bones. There wasn't much effort to make it a gourmet dish, just salmon on a plate. It was alright. My companion's baked potato was absolutely perfect. Gordon Ramsey himself could not have improved on it. The waiter accommodated my request for vegetables in place of the regular side dishes. Remember, this is like some 7000 feet above sea level. Things will cook different here. That might be part of why the salmon seemed the way it did. Or perhaps it had just been cooked with too gentle of a hand. My vegetables were very tender, but I don't think they had any seasoning whatsoever. The color had started leaving them. I don't know if that is due to the altitude or not icing them or what. I asked the waiter if the flower on my plate were edible, since I have seen restaurants decorate a plate with things that are unpalatable. He assured me it was, and when I asked what kind it was, he immediately went to the back to get the information. I ate part of my orchid. It was pretty enough, I suppose, but lacked flavor. I know some fancy restaurants serve flowers. I've only had a couple, each time leaving unimpressed. What is it about edible flowers that people like? Just the fact they can eat a flower? I'll have to experiment more to find the one that tastes best on my palate. We were given a boule of bread and some butter slabs wrapped in foil to begin our meal. For the life of me, I can't understand why they wrapped the bread in a cloth. That's what you do with warm bread to keep it warm. Our bread was, frankly, quite cool. I suppose it had been retrieved from a refrigerator shelf and presented to us without being warmed first. But that's not so important, I guess. Unless you are especially fond of bread or especially dislike cold bread. The butter was colder than the bread, however. All that did, was make it harder to spread. Overall, it was kind of a nice place. I have no idea why they don't offer the meal menu downstairs. Looking over other reviews, I concur that the restaurant would benefit from better lighting and lighter decor. It was fair enough. We would eat there again and see how other dishes are. If you haven't been there yet, you would probably enjoy it. Judging from minority reviews, we'll try the breakfast and Sunday brunch next time. Bon appetit.
(2)Nika G.
I was looking for a delicious place for lunch after a 6 mile hike at RMNP, decided on The Other Side, and ended up disappointed. The decor is extremely outdated and dingy. The food was JUST alright. I noticed they used some frozen components of their dishes. I was not able to get a seat near their highly recommended lake view room because it was being used for a private party. Overall I was not impressed with The Other Side.
(2)Emily H.
Overcooked, dry, flavorless food, and overpriced too! Service is mediocre at best. Best to find another place to eat...
(1)Robert B.
We ate here for breakfast in the winter on a snowing morning. The other side had the most eclectic breakfast menu we've seen yet and the food was really good. I had the wild game sampler which was elk and wild boar sausages with eggs, hashbrowns, and toast. My cousin had french toast made with banana nut bread - something I've never seen before - he said it was really good.
(5)Christine R.
The food here was ok. We walked right in. I had a steak sandwich, which was ok. It wasn't anything to write home about. I had a side salad, which I think I was a bit overcharged for (maybe 50-75 cents, so I didn't bother saying anything). My daughter had a plain grilled cheese and apple sauce. It was fine if you are 2 years old. My dining partner had a monte cristo, which she said was fine. I felt like the service was ok. It wasn't really stellar, but it was fine. The floor seemed like it needed to be swept with stuff all over it. My real ugh about this place was when I went into the bathroom after our meal. The bathroom was absolutely disgusting. There was a ton of cobwebs on top of the stalls and on the ceiling. It was obvious it hadn't been wiped down in a long time. The wallpaper was ripped. I don't really fault ripped wallpaper, but I do fault filth. The trashcan was overflowing and a total pigsty. And to add to the joy, there was a dirty diaper left on top of the changing table. GAHHHHHHHHH The toilet had duct tape holding it together. You know what they say about restaurants. The cleanliness of the bathroom made me wonder how well they keep the kitchen. UGH. I'd give it about 1.5 stars if I could. It was just blah.
(2)Linda A.
"Our family group of 6 ate here one winter evening near Christmas. Everyone enjoyed their food but me. I ordered the Shrimp Scampi & it was extremely salty! I ate the shrimp & left the sauce & vegetables. I told the waitress nicely that maybe the cook should be told. She was friendly in a very natural way, and we liked her, but nothing was done to compensate me for my mostly inedible meal. I will eat there again because the menu had a lot of variety - I just won't order the scampi." Finish your review
(3)Joel F.
Wow, went back for Sunday brunch and this place hasn't changed for years and that's not good. Yes, we came back hoping it had improved. The place needs to be updated, repaired, cleaned (dusted throughout, tables cleaned where people touch) staff need to be trained on how to serve...how to clean a table...how to clean dishes...how to clean glasses...how to run a brunch with meats and breads that are not dried out (such as pastries & waffles), how to make fried green tomatoes that taste good, cream desserts that are not (apparently reconstituted) and curdled. Yes, it's low-expectation Estes Park, but The Other Side has missed the trend of good food. The omelet was very good--because it was cooked fresh unlike most of the rest of the brunch. And yes, after all that, there was the obligatory long hair in the food. Yum. Sad.
(1)Tracy C.
Our server here was nice, but that was about it. I went with my boyfriend because I was craving a buffalo burger. I ordered that, and he ordered an elk burger. Both of our burgers were seriously lacking in flavor and seemed previously frozen. I don't even eat frozen burgers when I'm cooking at home, so why would I want to pay for a frozen burger when enjoying a night out? It did not seem like quality meat, and led me to wonder why they even bothered asking how well we wanted our burgers done. We will not be coming back.
(1)Sascha R.
This place was pretty good. Typical breakfast with typical atmosphere. Nothing that really stood out to me.
(3)Lizzi S.
I can honestly say, that I would rather have gone to McDonalds- than eat there. It was quiet when we came in. They sat us by the fireplace, and as we began to talk, we realized that there were HUNDREDS of BUG NESTS and EGGS, on the flowers at our table. That was an immediate loss... not just for the quality of the restaurant, but I lost my appetite as well. The view was nice- you can see the mountains out of the back windows. I think that was the ONLY good thing about this restaurant. I ordered a plate of nachos (there wasn't a wide selection on the menu)... and they were so gross, I couldn't even finish. It was basically sour cream plopped on top of a giant platter of bad microwaved shredded cheese, DRY olives, old jalapenos, and chips that tasted like they were dipped in the Salt Lake. I would suggest that NO ONE go here. It's disappointing, and WAY too expensive, for what you get. If you want a better meal, I suggest McDonalds.
(1)Laura O.
The food is edible, but unremarkable. I think this would be fine for someone expecting an average burger or chicken fingers, but if you want something at all healthy or interesting spend your calories elsewhere. Three of our party ordered a salad. One was the blackened salmon salad which was a piece of salmon on 7 pieces of lettuce. Seven lettuce leaves does not a salad make. Although the menu claims the salmon to be wild, I have my doubts as the fish was so pale pink it was practically white. The raspberry vinaigrette tasted like raspberry jell-o in dressing form, so I switched to oil and vinegar. The special salad, shrimp and avocado, looked more like a salad, but they forgot the avocado. The other member of our party ordered the hot Turkey sandwich which quickly put him to bed with a stomach ache. The gravy was too floury and the mashed potatoes average. We will say the the soups were tasty and quite possibly homemade. The location next too a little pond was picturesque, but as soon as you focused on the inside of the restaurant there was nothing to look at. It was clean though. If possible, try someplace else in town, I doubt you could do much worse.
(2)Sheri B.
After leaving a horrible restaurant on S St Vrain called Mountain Restaurant where we were never served we ended up here. We were immediately seated and a waitress came to our table, bringing water, explained the Brunch but we decided on ordering from the menu. She promptly brought them. After a few minutes deciding she came back took our orders. She brought our drinks and the additional things that would go with our breakfast. After about 10 minutes our breakfast came. I ordered the stuffed french toast and a side order of corned beef hash. It was all delicious. My husband ordered an omelet which was suppose to have 3 eggs and I would have thought it had 4 if not 5 eggs. He said it was one of the best omelets he has had in a very long time. His hash browns were crispy just the way he likes them. There was more than enough food to last us all day long until supper of which we had cereal. From what I could tell everyone around us had plenty of food on their plates also. The price was very reasonable. For our meals and drinks with tax was $23 and some odd cents.
(5)T K.
Easily our worst meal in Estes Park. We wanted steak and seafood and we saw their ad in the Restaurants Guide. It looked pretty nice. We went in for the dinner menu instead of the Cafe menu. My wife ordered the 4oz Filet Mignon and I had their special of the day: Pesto Pine Nut Striped Bass. We left pretty disappointed. The food wasn't disgusting but just very plain and boring. It reminded us of Baker's Square except triple the price. The service wasn't exceptional either.
(1)Josh K.
We asked a local the best place to have breakfast in town and he pointed us to go here because of the quality and price. Fast forward 15 minutes and we were seated at the window-side table and browsed the menu. Coming from a big city, we were impressed by their breakfast; definitely good food with a lot of value. We will definitely visit them again in the future.
(5)Karen D.
May 2012 We found this restaurant online with great reviews. When we pulled up to the restaurant my husband didn't want to go in. He thought it looked old and unkept.....nothing great. Boy was he wrong! It is cute inside. We got a table right by the pond and were able to watch the ducks and were even lucky enough to see a HUGE elk across the pond. The food was GREAT and so was the service! We had a trout dish, salmon with penne pasta, the wild game sampler, and the prime rib. The prime rib was a little tough, but everything else was AWESOME. We would return next time we're in the area. :-)
(5)Josh H.
Rather mediocre. Service was good, but the food was lacking. They serve good multi-grain bread and their french onion soup was decent. However, I had a special, chipotle fettuccine with steak, and it was overloaded with parsley, the sauce had a grainy texture, and little flavor. It also didn't taste fresh, like the sauce had been sitting around for a few hours and then re-heated. The steak was tender, but again, it tasted like the meat had been left out in a raw state for too long, or that it had been reheated. I felt ill to my stomach later in the evening, so I really have to wonder. My wife's pot roast was OK, but nothing to rave about. The portioning for my meal was WAY too much, and I can be a big eater at times. They have two menus, a diner style menu with traditional American cuisine, and a "fine dining" menu with pastas, seafood, and steak. This only serves to confuse and give an over-abundance of choice and a focus on quantity rather than quality. This place has potential if they would focus on fewer dishes, enabling for higher quality control, and serve only one menu, perhaps one with a combination of items from both of their current menus.
(2)Melissa D.
We went here for an early dinner (4 o'Clock!) after a long afternoon of hiking. The restaurant was practically empty, so we had no problem with the service. The waiter was very helpful and nice! We got the jalapeno poppers and OMG...they are so good! I got the french onion soup and it was pretty average. My fiance got the elk burger and loved it. Overall, it's a nice restaurant for Estes Park and the prices are reasonable.
(4)Jonathan C.
Very good food and service. I had the blacked salmon. Also ordered chicken. Gluten Friendly.
(4)Kathleen S.
We dined on the Lakeside and had a delightful dinner. We had the shrimp appetizer (special), the pan fried trout and the chocolate lava cake. All were excellent. Our waiter, Erik, was excellent and very professional.
(5)Angela A.
Five stars because this is as good as it gets in Estes Park. One thing to know about Estes, there are no good restaurants and they are all so overpriced....except The Other Side. The Sunday champagne brunch is really nice and for $17, you can't beat that. There is a variety of fresh fruit, desserts, made to order omelets and eggs. There is a carving station as well. We go whenever we are up there on a Sunday. We have had the regular breakfast as well and it's also very good. There are a lot of healthy dishes to choose from. We have enjoyed dinner there too. The steaks are always good, very tender and juicy. The dessert is very good, in the summer they have fresh strawberries and biscuits. There is another section of the Restaurant at the entrance that is more like a diner. For finer dining and brunch, you eat in the main dining room which overlooks a little pond that is full of ducks and geese. The mountains being it are spectacular. The Other Side is on the way to the Beaver Falls entrance to the park. The next time you're in Estes and looking for a nice meal that isn't over priced check out The Other Side.
(5)Bill C.
Surprising breakfast! We stopped in because it was close, and were surprised at the food. The breakfast selection is vast and creative. The service was good. They have some areas with a view, but they weren't open to the breakfast crowd, while we were there.
(4)Bill G.
We dined upstairs for breakfast as the we were not hungry enough for brunch. I had one of the specials: Game Sausage Sampler with elk smoky links and wild boar maple patties. The elk was incredible and the wild boar was quite good. My hubby had multigrain pancakes (short stack) that had molasses added which were also amazing. They did fine with his eggs. My mom had buttermilk pancakes (also short stack) with sausage. They were fine, but unremarkable. The short stacks are two cakes but are enormous. I'd say 10 to 12" in diameter. Our waiter was good for the most part.
(5)Bryce M C.
We went here in 2003 for a lunch and we had to leave it was so bad. We then went back a year later for a breakfast and we come here numerous times every time we come to this area. I do not know why other people rate this one-two stars. If you are someone who came here to give your bad opinion, please know that their breakfast is better than their lunch and dinner.
(5)Rob M.
Better for breakfast than dinner with nice views of a pond outside, the food is reminiscent of the decor, in that it seems stuck in the late 70's. Worth a trip if you're staying in town a while.
(3)Karell C.
Went there for breakfast. The place is large and spacious. There was only one waitress and she seemed a little stressed, but when one of the kids spilled a glass of milk she was all up on it. She was helpful and attentive with multiple tables. The decor is mountain rustic. The portions are large and delicious. The price is comparable with all the other restaurants around here. About $9 a plate. There is nothing particularly outstanding about this place, I feel you could not to any American city and find a dinner like this. But, this place is definitely a solid "4 STARS" and you will be happy. KC from Austin
(4)Jeff K.
Absolutely horrendous. We've lived in Estes Park part-time for 5 years now; we've never tried The Other Side as we were always put off by the dated, threadbare '70's look. We decided to give it a shot after reading some of the Yelp reviews, though. 1. Really dated '70's look. There's a LOT of that in Estes Park, so you might forgive that. 2. "fine dining" restaurant has what would have been a typical menu in 1973. Again, maybe that's your thing...but they advertise themselves as American (New) and there is nothing modern about their menu. 3. We ordered their calamari for an appetizer - they call it Sardinian style, we grew up calling it Rhode Island style, with peppers/gardinier on top. The *worst* calamari we've ever had anywhere. In Colorado, you expect that it will be frozen fish ... But it can still be made well. This calamari was breaded so thick with tasteless batter the calamari rings looked like mini-doughnuts. 4. Baked Brie was under-cooked, pastry was not done. 5. Caesar salad was disgusting, sopping with poor-quality dressing. 6. Chicken saltimbocca was completely unrecognizable in taste and appearance. 7. Took 2 hours to slog through this unappetizing meal at a snail's pace. 8. Cost $94 for 2 adults & 2 kids; the adults shared an entree. On the plus side, the waiter was cheerful and friendly. If it had been just my wife and I dining, we would have refused the appetizers and left the restaurant. However, we had the kids along and didn't want to embarrass/mortify them, so we suffered in silence. Save yourself some disappointment, eat elsewhere. Estes Park does not have many good restaurants, but this is certainly the worst of the bunch.
(1)Shannon N.
Wasn't worth the price, we ordered off the "better" menu and we were not impressed. My husband's steak was "Sizzler" quality. Really, don't eat here. Wish I hadn't wasted my time or money.
(3)Jason S.
I'll bet this was a nice restaurant when it was built in the 80's, but years of neglect have left the carpets thread-bare and the bathrooms unpleasant. The service and food are tolerable and fairly priced. If this is the best Estes has to offer, look elsewhere!
(2)Nicole W.
First thing you should know: this place has 2 restaurants inside: a standard dinner type, and a much nicer "lake view" section. We dined in the lake view section, and the food was amazing. We had the asparagus appetizer, which was fresh and crisp. My husband ordered an Elk entree', and liked it much more than any elk we'd had in town that week. I test nice places by their fillet Mignon, and this one was on point. Service was good, though our drinks ran a little low a few times. Atmosphere: the lower, lake front section is nice, and has a deck around the lake. Great viewing of birds and ducks. During our meal, there seemed to be some kind of feeding frenzy with the birds flying everywhere outside. Fun to watch. I wouldn't have gone outside during, though.
(4)Dom M.
The veggies that came with my steak were cold so I sent the plate back to be warmed. Hate to do that!
(3)Donnie C.
Only ate here once during our week stay. I got the buffalo burger and it was nothing special. It seemed a little unorganized too. Decent place but wouldn't crack the top 5 in Estes.
(2)Lauren M.
Thank you for accommodating my large party on short notice! And thanks for humoring my grandfather when he played a practical joke on the group. Your waitstaff were gracious and patient!
(4)Kathy B.
My husband and I ordered a "special" shrimp and avocado salad. Was over $11.00 included a cup of soup. The baked potato cheese soup was ok. The shrimps on the salad tasted off...were yucky...we then noticed the salad was to come with sliced strawberry and hard boiled egg. It did not. We pointed this out and said the shrimps tasted bad so they offered to take it away and give us another salad. So we ordered spinach salads. These were ok. My daughter ordered a nice side salad and grilled cheese and french fries and all was good. The waiter was very very nice and helpful, bringing more water etc. This is the second time we've been there though and I won't go back. Besides the food problem we were there around 3:30 pm and only one other table had people at it and so the wait staff were preparing the other tables for the evening. We didn't think it was right though that one of the waiters was using a push sweeper to sweep up crumbs on the floor while we were still there eating. We thought this was very rude.
(2)Denver I.
Solid American fare. Just don't try going on a weekend without a reservation. We ate in the cafe section that had a more limited menu, but the trout was really decent. Lightly breaded, and cooked perfectly. The service was good, but they were stretched really thin.
(3)Vicki S.
Not impressed at all! It took 55 minutes to get our food after ordering. And it took getting the manager over to the table to finally get it. Food wasn't too bad. Manager said she would give us a discount. Only 20% for waiting that long. Had to pay on the way out and the gal that was working the register was also seating people. So..... We had another 5+ minute wait just to pay. We won't be back. There are a lot of other places in Estes to get good food with good service.
(1)Jay A.
Good traditional American comfort food. Good service and excellent dessert, all at very reasonable prices. Only one complaint-they play music here that SUCKS. Why not just let people enjoy quiet while they eat?
(4)Cynthia S.
My husband and I had an excellent dinner at The other Side Restaurant this past weekend. We found this restaurant accidentally on our way into Estes Park from Rocky Mountain National Park. The soup was excellent as were the sandwiches we ordered. The service was prompt, efficient and friendly. We were very hungry after spending a day viewing the Autumn Aspen and viewing and seeing the elk in Rocky Mountain National Park. I loved the wildlife and Rocky Mountain National park decor in the restaurant. It gave it just the right atmosphere. We will definitely eat again when we visit Estes Park, which is often.
(5)Todd O.
I have to agree the other reviewer...its as good as it gets in Estes! I would give it 5 stars for the food and the service and 4.5 for the cleanliness of the restaurant. I have to deduct for the cleanliness of the restroom. The good stuff...the food and service. There were 4 of us and we all had amazingly delicious meals. 3 of the 4 of us had seafood and in the middle of the mountains that isn't the smartest thing on my list. I had the chipotle salmon pasta. It came with fettuccine but I got it with penne. The salmon portion was really large, if a normal portion was 4-6 ounces, I easily had 8 ounces. It was cut in chunks and not a fillet BUT it totally worked for the dish. The sauce was white wine, cheese, cream and chipotle. We all started with a salad, which was a good size with a good variation of veggies. I ordered Italian but I'd recommend the honey mustard, it was wayyyy better. Another dish was tempura shrimp, came with steamed veggies and rice. The veggies looked like a generic medley but they were fresh and cooked perfect with a little crunch. The sauce was a orange marmalade. I think it had a little spice also. The rice was mixed wild and was delicious. Another dish was the cashew chicken, it sounded good but not great...however it had a strangely cool combination of soft chicken and crunchy cashew crust. It also had the wild rice (we all picked rice over potato). The sauce was a sweet and spicy sauce and a perfect potency for the dish. Lastly was the most creative dish, scallops on top of a grilled piece of pineapple surrounded by a red curry sauce with a hint of coconut milk. (I would have preferred a bit more pineapple juice but the argument is you mix the pineapple chunk with the sauce and its perfect. I like sauce so for me I want the sauce to have everything. Lastly, the trick...eat downstairs in the "dining room" and not upstairs in the "coffee shop" its the same kitchen but the whole experience (and the food) seem way different.
(4)Tom H.
Good restaurant with good variety on their menu, nothing stood out and impressed us but but it was good,food, and the prices were not bad. Nothing I can rave about as nothing impresses us that much.
(2)John L.
Great Sunday brunch. Generally good food, and very nice ambiance. Locals frequent this place.
(4)Tammy K.
This is pretty standard Appleby's-type fare like burgers, soups, etc. On the positive side, there's some really beautiful photography of the area in the dining room and the service was very good. Certainly a reasonable choice for a lunch or dinner after visiting RMNP.
(3)Andy F.
I think this restaurant is excellent for Estes Park. You can overlook a duck pond. I ate here for 2 dinners and 1 breakfast. There are two areas for dining... one with a cheap menu and one with a more fine dining menu. For the first dinner, I had the calamari prepared sardinian style (it was a special wtih peppers, etc.)... fantastic! I had a buffalo steak ($24), which was good but I should've gotten med-rare instead of medium. The next day I had the broiled trout ($16), which was absolutely amazing. You get veggies and another side, amazing bread, and soup or salad. The red pepper vinegar dressing is amazing on your salad! The veggies are wonderful...not too buttery and super tasty... one day was cornmeal eggplant, one day was greenbeans and other veggies. For my lunch, I had an elk burger, which was excellent! I also had rocky mountain oysters, which were pretty tasty fried with marinara sauce. Great meal for the price. Highly recommended!
(5)Mike B.
I stopped in after work tonight. There are two sections to this restaurant. The coffee shop on the upper level where you walk into the restaurant, featuring more simple meals, and the host at the frond desk told me they only accept cash. On the lower level is the more fancy (their words) restaurant on the lower level with a more extensive menu. They accept credit cards on that level. For dinner, I had the Wild Game Mixed Grill, which consisted of and elk loin chop, and two good sized sausages: A jalapeno elk cheddar bratwurst, and an apricot wild boar sausage. The flavor was wonderful, and it was quite filling as well. A slight word of caution. If you pay your bill partially on a credit card and the rest on cash, depending on how much cash you give, you may want to ask for change. The waiter didn't bring back my change, which would have equaled a nearly 32 percent tip. I felt like a clod when I asked him for part of my change back. I think that embarrassed me to the point of not going again. Nice restaurant and great food, though.
(4)Kenneth M.
Not good! Had slime floating in ice tea and it was pretty nasty given I drank a whole glass and then discovered it in my second glass. I would avoid. Go to the Sun Deck across the street as it it first class.
(1)Tara B.
I dined with family on the side near the water. Menu has plenty of options. Waiter came to our table 5 minutes in and dropped off water without saying anything. 5 minutes later were having to hunt down our waiter just to get a drink. By then were ready to order. Food comes out cold. Our "salad" is the ends of some iceberg lettuce with bacon n cheese thrown in there. Steaks were hard. Very disappointed. For how much we paid, the quality of food was no where near it. Won't be back.
(1)Libby R.
Do not accept any positive review. I am convinced if it is more than two stars it is a scam concocted by the owner. This place is terrible. The steak was awful, the frozen vegetables were barely cooked and the microwaved baked potato were all terrible. Please, please save yourself do not walk into this restaurant .
(1)Tracy G.
The food was excellent and even though it was obviously a tourist stop I found it a nice quiet breakfast place. The prices were decent and I love the Wild Game Sampler. Boar and Elk?! Why not! The service was good and our food came out in an appropriate amount of time. I highly recommend the Morning Glory muffin. It's not huge, just a good size for a side. It was delicious. Check out my pictures!
(4)Valerie F.
Food is great and service is as expected. Decor is dated. Overall not really worth the 30 minute wait to be seated.
(3)Brycen B.
Honest to god I am a nice person but without a doubt this is the number one worst resteraunt I have been to in my entire life they burnt my baked potato and the cheese had gone bad and the sourcream was well the wrong kind of sour my entire family did not enjoy their "meal" at this overpriced low quality establishment
(1)Karol M.
This may be one of the first restaurants you see after a long day hiking in the Rockies. We stopped in for dinner around 7-ish and they seated us immediately. There are two tiers of dining, both literally and figuratively. Upstairs is the "cafe," with sandwiches, burgers, salads, and appetizers. There are a few "wild" entrees, including elk, trout, and bison. They also serve a variety of beers and wines, including locally brewed craft beers from the Estes Park Brewery. It's a good spot for families and won't break the bank. Downstairs is the "fine dining" option, and entrees run quite a bit more there. We didn't check it out beyond the posted menu, considering we were in our sweaty hiking clothes and in need of immediate food. The hosts and servers were friendly and helpful, and our server stayed on top of everything throughout the meal. The food was good but not amazing, though again, I'm only speaking for the cafe. They may be open longer hours than advertised here. They were open til 9 on a summer Wednesday.
(3)Debbie B.
Not impressed. Patty melt was OK, fries not so great, turkey sandwich OK. And prices high for quality of food. We won't be back.
(2)Chuck S.
It's Estes Park, it's the off season, things just aren't that busy, but on my 3rd time here for the Sunday Buffet Brunch I was disappointed. It is probably 5 stars for Estes Park, but I found the food unexciting. They had some unique items like cheesy grits, lox and bagels and good quacamole, they had the standard fare of eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast, waffles, etc..., they had ham or roast beef freshly sliced, they had an omelet bar with lots of choices, they had a fruit and veggie area, they had a dessert bar with lots of options,they had about 6 juices available. The quantity of items was good. The quality wasn't the best, I found things colder than expected, I found things that didn't have the taste I expected and some of the fruits and veggies were not ripe yet. What I was very surprised about, not in a good way, was that the buffet came with champagne, but the coffee cost extra, Wow, they just got $20 for the buffet and now they want to charge more than $2 for coffee! Not cool Other Side. :(
(3)Dorothy K.
Nice restaurant, nice view if the pond with ducks. Better like looking at ducks because you'll have lots of time to watch them! 30 min. and all we have is water. Ordered sandwiches or food off the specials menu and it's still as slow as can be. Some food came but one order still not up. Presentation is good but not enough to overcome slow service. Chicken salad on a croissant is good. Restaurant isn't 1/4 full and food is slow. Will not return!
(1)Melissa B.
Absolutely horrible. I will never go back. We waited 30 minutes for a table and then an hour for our food. When my entree came out, it was under cooked. I couldn't tell the waitress because she was no where to be found and I was honestly tired of waiting. When we told the hostess about the problems we had, she replied with, "I'm sorry, we are busy." Horrible staff, horrible food, I will not return.
(1)Mary R.
This is a breakfast review. We have not eaten here for lunch or dinner, so I cannot review based on that. I hate going out to breakfast and paying $28 for 2 people for an average breakfast. But, I thought the breakfast here was outstanding and we only paid $19 for 2 people. So that was a vacation win. I had the english muffin, poached egg, Hollandaise sauce meal once, and an omelet the second time there. Both were great. The meats were great. My husband had the wild game sampler. I thought the meats were delicious. The omelet was huge and packed with veggies and cheese. The poached egg was cooked perfectly and the hollandaise sauce was rich and delicious. And the prices were very reasonable for breakfast. The wait staff was very nice. I like all the artwork on the walls. It feels like a diner and the food is that of a good, solid diner. I very much recommend you stop in for breakfast.
(5)Carole B.
Our meal here was by far the best meal we had in Estes Park - far better than the highly rated restaurants. The setting of the dining room is quite lovely. I have only one small recommendation for the owners - better signage. The sign for the restaurant that is on the street is difficult to see and the three signs on the roof of the building makes it appear to be a burger and coffee shop only. There is nothing visible to tell folks that this is in fact a fine restaurant. I fear that by the time we return next year this hidden gem will be closed because no one knew it was there. We were there on a Friday night and the downstairs dining room was less than half full - only because the word is not out about the quality of the food. I had the "Drunken Pork". My husband had the beef stroganoff. Both dishes were among the best we have ever has, including dinners in New York City and San Francisco.
(5)Linda T.
The food was not what I had thought it would be. The French dip was no better than Arbys and I don't much care for that either and cost more.
(2)Heather B.
The restaurant was filthy, food cold, and waitress (Rebecca S.) was short tempered and rude. Will not be back.
(1)Paige G.
Went here for an event. A little outdated, the younger servers were awesome but it seemed like all the serves and bartender that were over 35 were having a bad day. The bathroom floor felt like it had syrup all over it. Toughest steak I have ever had in my life and there was even some pink left. What really made the experience was the company, a few nice servers, and the fact that a black bear was in a tree right outside my window while I was eating the whole time:) Not so fancy, but would work for an after hike date dinner.
(3)Colleen L.
Old place, old people and lots of tourist! Had fish and chips and fried pickles. Was ok, a very busy place.
(3)Shea W.
Dude. This Brunch Buffet. Let me qualify by saying that it is not the best brunch buffet I have ever had but FOR THE PRICE OF 19.00 INCLUDING UNLIMITED CHAMPAGNE?! Well, you had me at unlimited champagne for under 20 bucks. Huge spread of food. And a weird mixture too, which is my jam. I love a brunch buffet that makes no sense. One where you come back to the table with scrambled eggs, salmon lox and a teriyaki pork rib. Oh and chips and guac. And that's just plate number one! Rinse and repeat with brussel sprouts, bacon, an omelette and strawberry short cake washed down with 10 glasses of champagne and you're now in a food coma! The service is fantastic and the restaurant itself has a beautiful view of the frozen lake and the blizzard rolling in next to a big Christmas tree. Also BONUS POINTS: the music selection alternated between Christmas songs and Beyonce songs, so they are geniuses. Brunch and Beyonce. Alliteration at its finest.
(4)Kendra L.
Been here several times. It's always very good. This last time, the waitresses and hostess made me feel guilty or unwelcome to sit downstairs. I got there first in our large party and I told them we would sit downstairs. They acted odd and even asked several times if I really wanted to do that. It was unwelcoming, but the food was good as always.
(4)Trint L.
We ate upstairs in the "cafe" for the cheaper menu. Great, friendly service and good food. Awesome onion rings. The chicken... er... sorry... "country" fried steak was wonderful and the accompanying mashed potatoes were amazing. The only negative (and this is admittedly subjective) is the serving sizes. They're HUGE! If you're a tourist passing through, to-go boxes are not an option and it just burns me to see half my plate dumped in the trash.
(4)Kj J.
I would say 3.5 for buffet ... Nothing bad by any means but nothing to write home about. Wonderful variety and service was friendly. Terrific view!!!
(3)Brenda C.
Super high prices for less than mediocre food. Inattentive staff made numerous mistakes and to "make it up" they insist we take a dried up old chocolate cake, even though we told the waitress we don't like chocolate. Ordered shrimp appetizers, later told menu mistake. Salad was delivered with wrong dressing. I ordered a NY strip, medium. Got a thin, fatty piece of raw meat. I've never gotten such a thinly sliced steak. I sent it back, after being ignored a long time by waitress, she was busy chatting it up with next table. Husband said "no sour cream." Got a big dollop of it. I asked for no bell peppers, as I am allergic, the veggies made me really sick. Worst experience in a long time and it cost $91. Complete waste, disgusting.
(1)Cindy S.
What a great place! We came in around sunset, freezing cold from spending the day hiking and we were definitely ready for a meal that didn't consist of trail mix. There is a cafe area that's casual and completely appropriate for hiking clothes and the staff was very welcoming despite our attire! Also our waitress (Karla) was cute as a button, extremely attentive and all round a candidate for best waitress of the year. If you're looking for something nicer they have that too, there's a restaurant side with beautiful meals and fire places that would be great for a date night. I started off with the pumpkin and jerk chicken soup. I practically licked the cup, I was completely disappointed that I didn't get an entire bowl! My husband loved the fried pickles and we were both impressed with the large portion. I think he got something like 8-10 large pickle spears. For our meals his elk burger was just ok, it sort of just tasted like a frozen burger, not bad but not a strong recommend. Now my Ranch House sandwich was a completely different story. Piles of thinly sliced roast beef a top Texas Toast and slathered in a generous portion of tasty brown gravy and served with a giant heaping mound of mashed potatoes. Talk about stick to your ribs! We had a few lackluster meals in Estes so when I found Other Side I vowed to eat here every time we visit! One word of caution though, if you're looking for a well decorated hip cafe this probably won't be your thing, the booths and tables are straight out of a late 80's early 90s country diner. Best to find comfort in this tasty kitchen and find innovative menus somewhere else.
(5)Wren F.
My husband and I stopped in here for a hearty breakfast before a hike in the park. We were definitely underwhelmed by the food. We both ordered the brat breakfast, which consisted of eggs, hash browns, and two standard pre-packaged sausage links. Nothing was seasoned, even with salt and pepper. The biggest downfall food wise was my Husband's microwaved biscuit, definitely from a can an at least two days stale. We weren't expecting fine food by any means, but this was just on the wrong side of mediocre. On a side note, when I went to use the restroom, only one stall out of four actually locked. :/
(2)Joe H.
Sorry (again) about this one. The location is great, the service and attention were great, but the food is quite bland. We ate in the 'nicer' section of the restaurant off their top-line dinner menu. Our group tried several dishes - trout, chicken and beef entrees - all "okay" but still kinda bland and uninspired. Their chef needs to punch it up a bit - go out on a limb and make some fantastic memorable recipes. That will put them up a star or two.
(2)Robert M.
We went here for an anniversary dinner. My bride had the trout. Done with lemon and butter. It was very good. Veggies (green beans) were sautéed with garlic, fresh, and not overdone. I had prime rib which also was done very well. Creme Brûlée for dessert. What's not to like! The service was great to top off the experience. Ricardo did an OUTSTANDING job taking care of us! The only thing that keeps us from a five star is that the dinning room had a direct view into the kitchen.
(4)Kevin B.
Very Good, enjoyed my meal and wait staff was attentive
(4)Nathan S.
My wife and I spent the weekend in Estes Park. we went to this restaurant because it was close to the location of where you're staying.I read over the reviews IF this restaurant so I didn't have high expectations. To my surprise this restaurant was actually pretty good.the atmosphere at the restaurant was very upbeat, and casual. now I'm not talking about casual as far as dress I'm talking about the atmosphere of the restaurant. it was very clean an organized, and very well lighted. I was a little surprised that they had two menus to order from. one of the menus as was priced very well, and the other menus was priced a little high. my wife and I were looking for a great night out so we ordered of the little bit higher priced. we both had top sirloin steak, and it was cooked to perfection. I thought the wait staff did a very good job, and was very friendly. I thought for the quality of food that we got the price was adequate for the quality of food that we received. if my wife and I do return to Estes Park we would definitely be returning to this restaurant. I know this restaurant doesn't have a lot of great reviews but I was pretty impressed.
(5)Colin B.
The flavour was ok. Everything was cold. Scrambled eggs were watery. Hostess was rude. Waitress was rude until it was time to pay & tip. Should have gone to The Egg & I.
(2)Jennifer R.
Have been here a few times and food/service have always been good. I do like to eat here before dark to be able to view the river while eating. Prices are a little higher but this is a tourist town. Sit down restaurants are going to be a bit higher but they are not too expensive like fine dining. If in Estes give it a try.
(4)Ashley M.
My boyfriend and I went here (the nicer, non-buffet section) for Valentines Day this year and were very pleasantly surprised considering some of the previous reviews that we had read. The service was very fast and friendly, our appetizer (shrimp cocktail) was average, the cocktail I got was to die for, and our entrees were great! We both got steak entrees - they were cooked perfectly and (despite what the other reviews had me expecting) extremely flavorful! Also, there was a special that day, and since we both had steaks we got a complimentary lobster tail! The deserts looked great, but we were so full from our meal (it was too good to stop eating!) that we didn't end up ordering anything. The only thing keeping me from giving this place five stars is the atmosphere/decor. We were right next to the window and had a beautiful view of the pond and some ducks outside but inside is very dated - more like a hotel lobby than a restaurant. Not dirty, just not the pretty. But, at the end of the day, if your taste buds can still work in a restaurant that needs some interior decorating updates, I'd definitely recommend it!
(4)Michael C.
Had a wonderful dinner there with the in-laws. Couldn't have asked for a better meal or a better waitress. Stephanie seated us right next to the fireplace and advised on the best pairings of appetizers and entrees. After a great meal, we finished off with one of Stephanie's chocolate martini's. MMmmmmm! Total decadence but well worth it!
(5)Beth K.
This was close to where we were staying so we decided to give it a try for breakfast the day we were leaving. BAD IDEA!!!!! They advertise they're a "coffee shop" on the outside of their building but all they offer is black coffee.... Next ordered our food and the toast came with a pool of butter in the middle of the toast because there was so much better. Was enjoying my omelette and hashbrowns until i found a black hair stuck to the bottom of my plate. Will never return and would not recommend!!!
(1)Jason P.
The other side was good, but extremely overpriced. The service was average and while the appetizer was good, 9 dollars is a lot for 4 shrimp. Lobster tail was excellent, but I have had better for half the price. Scallops were a bit weird as they were tiny and covered in some sort of bread crumb. Great views and decent atmosphere, but there is certainly better in Estes Park.
(3)David B.
This review is for the Thanksgiving buffet. This place might have gotten a higher review on another day, but Thanksgiving was a little bit of a letdown. When we came in, the entry was very backed up and the maître d's were teenage girls complaining about how far behind they were. This was a little scary, but we were seated only about 10 minutes later than our reservation time. Other people were not so lucky. The view at this place is quite overrated. If you are in the good room, you are overlooking a tiny pond, not a lake, which in the winter is frozen over and looks like a parking lot. The food was adequate, more like a diner than what I would have expected based on all the high ratings. There was no salad, only crudités, which was also a letdown. The turkey was a little dry and was clearly not fresh. All of the sides were excellent, especially the squash soup. All of the desserts were also outstanding, especially the pumpkin pie and cheesecake. I do appreciate the fact that they did not gouge on Thanksgiving; the price was reasonable, especially on the wine bottles, but the wine list was quite small. Under normal conditions this would probably be a fine place for a cheap lunch, but for Thanksgiving it was a little bit of a letdown.
(3)Kayla K.
We had the brunch buffet. It was really good. They had breakfast but also lots is lunch items with meat, salads, fruit, veggies, desserts and more. The view is beautiful. It was a little spendy. With me and my husband and my 4 year old it was $50.
(3)M O.
We stopped in at the suggestion of the volunteer at the visitor's center-said we were looking for local trout for dinner. The service left a lot to be desired. the food was nothing to write home about, and quite pricey. The booths were old...the sort where the backrest sinks, so your back isn't supported and you are quite sore after awhile.
(3)Tim F.
The burgers were overdone. The steak was very fatty and swimming in butter. Very disappointing.
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