Southside Benderz — Restaurant in Avon

See update at bottom (multiple employees testing positive).

This PLACE SHOULD BE SHUTDOWN TODAY by the health department or governors Covid19 team until there's a Covid19 vaccine. If the behavior wittnessed continues Benderz WILL be responsible for infecting local Coloradoans.

We had, or attempted to have, a late lunch (230pm ish) on 4th of July. My group choose to not sit outside because it was very busy. After noting the signs on the entry doors indicating they maintaned full Covid19 compliance, we sat inside in the very corner of bar area... no other tables were even being used (in repeat the place was otherwise empty). Shortly after ordering... in an otherwise empty restaurant a group of four sat one chair down on a courner from our group. We placed on our masks and asked if they would PLEASE move down a couple of chairs or better an empty table. They seemed intoxicated, replied NO F'N WAY we can't do it we have more joining our group. Over the next 15 minutes (then 45mins) they began walking directly behind us coughing, making throat noises and adjusting window covering, the only person joining them was the a obviously intoxicated burnett bartender. (YES an UNMASKED EMPLOYEE) Between drinks she proceeded to sit in the chair adjacent (maybe 18 inches at most) while the entire place was empty. WE MOVED far away then ordered lunches. The group including the intoxicated BARTENDER EMPLOYEE group, began taunting us again... walking out of their way to and stopping to make sure they hacked over our food. Asked to speak to the owner or manager and it hit the fan... We paid our $100'ish lunch without completing our meal... and left place before this umasked buddy of the bartender group began throwing punches.

I'd appreciate speaking with the owner or better yet the Eagle County health department. THIS SHOULD BE ILLEGAL ESPECIALLY AS Colorado (especially mountain tourist communities) brace for round 2.

Update: According to Eagle County Health Department public release Nov 12, 2020 the Northside Restaurant Group (owners of Northside Kitchen, Southside Benderz, Pavalici's Pizza, Northside Grab & Go, and the famous bakery) was responsible for one of two county-wide Covid19 outbreaks in October with multiple employees...

For the past 5 years this place has been a staple for my family everytime we drove to Beaver Creek (or anywhere else on the Western slope of CO). Unfortunately the menu and quality of food for the value has gone down hill BIG time. Used to be amazing burgers, now it is more of a "bar vibe" and the food was awful (it was bar food quality or worse). Won't be returning- which is sad, bc we have grown to love this place over the years. (Not sure if owners changed in the last 5 years??) Today was gross... we all took a few bites and went somewhere else. (Edit to add, we order fried pickles, they came out burnt (like black)... had to send back to get some that were cooked properly, couldnt believe they served them to us in the first place!!! My son ordered the taco plate, he took 5 bites of the 1st taco and said it was gross (he never touched the 2nd taco) and this from a kid who will eat literally anything. It came with a small ramicken of rice and soupy black beans (about a spoonful worth). Husband ordered a patty-melt. The rye bread was smashed down to about .25in, and the beef patty smelled awful. The bread was hard. No flavor. He took a few bites of one half, and then tried to force down the fries, which soaked in ketchup were decent. My "cajun" waffle fries were nothing more than sub-par waffle fries with a massive PILE of Cajun spice dumped right in the middle. So much so you couldn't eat the fries in the middle of the pile, even those on the edges were way over spiced. My bacon cheddar burger wasnt awful but was very pink in the middle. Had to pull my tomatoes off bc they were mushy in the middle. Other kiddo got a cheese burger with American cheese. He took one bite and said the white american and pink burger patty was gross. I dont blame him.) Pro: Chocolate milkshake was good. 5 years ago this place was amazing. Con: Everything else. Really wouldn't recommend this place unless you like spending $100 to feed a family of 4 trashy...

I thought we were in for a real treat… Three dollar draft beers and great reviews online.

My wife and I have five children and as we were ordering, we realized that the kids’ meals were $14 each.

OK… Fair enough… We are in a resort tourist town and so the extremely expensive kids meals might be justified.

Out come the cheeseburgers for two of our kids and they have some vegetable oil based white cheese rather than the normal American or cheddar cheese that you would see on a cheeseburger in any other restaurant in North America.

The third child ordered chicken tenders, which were 2/3 bread, 1/3 meat and overly fried. He could barely stomach them.

A fourth child ordered an adult cheese quesadilla which was one of the spiciest quesadillas I have ever tasted myself. We asked the waiter for a quesadilla with no spice in it and he was very kind and ordered a replacement quesadilla which was actually pretty decent.

When we got the bill, I was surprised to find that we were charged for the original quesadilla and an additional quesadilla charge, which for some reason was slightly less in cost for the original quesadilla. I had to request for the $13 second quesadilla to be taken off. The waiter was kind and took off that extra charge.

But then here’s the kicker: there was a $5.99 surcharge on the bill for a, get this, “Kitchen Living Wage.”

That’s right. I paid an additional six dollars because the owners and/or management of this establishment does not pay their kitchen a living wage and the patrons have to foot that in their stead.

I am a small business owner. I understand the reality of business, W-2 wages, 1099 contractor payments, etc.

This $5.99 surcharge that customers pay is absolutely, incredibly ridiculous.

$185 later, my wife and I fed ourselves and our five kids on our first evening in Avon. Not...