Rootstalk Breckenridge — Restaurant in Breckenridge

We stayed in Breckenridge for a week to decompress a bit after our daughter's wedding in Denver last weekend, and this was our choice for dinner on our last night here.

It did not disappoint.

First, the service was top-notch. Our waiter, Thomas (and no, he didn't introduce himself at the beginning of the night with: "Hi, I'm Thomas, and I'll be serving you tonight!" ... something I hate) was knowledgeable and friendly without being "pushy." We asked him to narrow down a couple of choices, and he did so beautifully -- describing attributes of the items we were considering and not telling us his preference until he'd given us a chance to consider things. (We went with his preference, BTW.)

The rest of the front-line staff was also excellent -- they presented dishes and a glass of wine with skill and expertise.

The ambience is definitely Colorado casual, which we loved . There wasn't a tie or formal jacket to be seen in the place, but don't let that fool you -- they are very serious about food.

We had three "snacks" (appetizers) and shared a large plate (main). The appetizers included a terrific grilled asparagus salad, an utterly amazing, smokey bruschetta and a to-die-for rigatoni.

We did a bone in pork chop with succotash for the main (served with the rigatoni -- our choice, at Thomas' suggestion).

I had a vision of succotash in my head that did not match what we enjoyed. I was pushing for another main course, but my wife said we had to do the pork chop. It was outstanding, but the succotash? Spectacular! Not the mush I was thinking was coming my way, but instead beautiful, fresh and still-snappy peas, black-eyed peas, and onions with a very light cheesy sauce and just incredible flavors.

We decided, after all this, that we just had to share a dessert, and we went for the strawberry rhubarb cheesecake. It wasn't your typical New York-style cheesecake, to its great credit. Instead, it was a thick but still creamy sweet ricotta "sauce" on top of a puffy and light piece of shortbread-style cake, and strawberries and a strawberry-rhubarb sauce on and all around. Amazing!

One quirky thing about Rootstalk was the background music. My wife said she thought it was a place that was screaming for light jazz, but instead it was '50s and '60s rock and roll hits. But I decided I liked it especially because it was a little unexpected, and it also wasn't too loud and overpowering. (And we're boomers, so we got to sing several songs to each other, although we tried to keep it down to avoid bugging other diners.) :)

This is a fabulous restaurant that is focused on locally sourced food, and the care and love they have for fine dining shows through. We were thrilled with our experience at Rootstalk on our last night in Colorado before heading home.

You...

There aren't many restaurants that can deliver high-quality, creative and avant-garde dishes while matching that excellence in service and hospitality. Rootstalk won my admiration and stomach with its incredibly delicious food, but it is its staff that won my heart and dedication. Being a passionate foodie who travels around the world looking for restaurants that awaken both stomach and mind, I knew instantly that Rootstalk was special - so special that after our first visit, we immediately canceled our next day's reservations elsewhere to return. Since then, the praise and accolades have only continued to flood in, recognizing what makes this place extraordinary.

The food is spectacular, and the drinks are dangerously good - I typically limit myself to one cocktail, but here I find myself exploring their creative offerings throughout the meal. Even their non-alcoholic options shine with the same attention to detail and creativity as their cocktails.

What truly elevates Rootstalk is its staff and the palpable way they care for and respect one another. You can feel how they come together to create something greater than themselves, which is why this has become my chosen place for birthdays, special occasions, and introducing out-of-town friends to Colorado's best. Despite being an hour and a half away, walking in to Teddy's welcome, Blizzard's warm embrace and Austin’s smile behind the counter truly feels like coming home. This year, on a particularly difficult birthday, I knew instinctively that Rootstalk was my only hope for turning things around. The staff had no idea I arrived with a heavy heart, yet through their genuine care and attention to detail, they pieced me back together and turned a bad day into one of the most lovely and memorable days of my life. A kindness I will truly never forget. Congratulations to Chef Vawter, not only for your incredible culinary vision but for creating a space where staff and guests alike feel truly cared for. With their cups so full, they pour into ours, leaving us satisfied in...

I recently dined at Rootstalk with a friend, and while the food was superb, the overall experience didn’t justify the price or meet expectations.

We arrived 20 minutes early for our reservation and were surprised by the difficulty in seating us, even though the restaurant was nearly empty. Despite offering to wait at the bar, the staff insisted on finding us a table, which took unnecessary effort. Once seated, we waited another 20 minutes before service began—a frustrating start to the evening.

We chose the tasting menu ($149 per person) with wine pairings ($100 per person). Megan, the wine server, was a bright spot—knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the pairings. Unfortunately, the meal’s pacing was a consistent problem. Each wine was poured well before its accompanying course arrived, leaving us waiting 10–15 minutes between dishes. Not wanting to finish the wine without the food, we drank water instead, which left us feeling far too full by the time the main courses were served. This completely undercut our ability to enjoy the meal as it was intended.

While the food itself was delicious and beautifully executed, the poor pacing made it difficult to appreciate fully.

We also found the wine pairing pricing excessive. Later research revealed the six wines included could be purchased as full bottles for around $270—just $70 more than the $200 we paid for 1–2 oz pours. While the selections were excellent, the cost-to-portion ratio felt unreasonable.

It’s important to note there was a medical emergency in the restaurant near the end of our meal. While this understandably caused delays, it was outside the staff’s control and does not factor into our critique.

In total, we spent about $700 and three hours at Rootstalk. For that kind of investment, the experience should have been seamless. While the food and wine were undoubtedly high quality, the lack of coordination, frustrating pacing, and disproportionate cost of the wine pairings make it difficult...