Ore House — Restaurant in Durango

This was previously my favorite restaurant in town. My husband and I came here on the last night of our honeymoon in 2015 and were blown away. In just two more visits since then, I’ve only been incredibly disappointed.

We dined here last night, on November 6. The service was great, as we were greeted by a friendly host and server. But the food and drinks were overpriced and overall not very good.

Being non-drinkers, we ordered some mocktails. The One Trick Pony was very robust and had some nice flavors. The Nada Colada on the other hand just tasted like a watered down sweet tart candy. Like soury water with not much flavor. The soups we ordered were just OK. My husband loves green chili, so he had the special which was a green chili stew. It was bland, and he had to add a fair amount of salt. Had a few bites and didn’t come close to finishing it. I had the lobster bisque, which was NOT a bisque. Being an experienced home cook and frequent customer of upscale restaurants, I can say with confidence that a bisque is supposed to be creamy and smooth. The soup I was served was much more watery, but with some decent flavors. There were finely chopped veggies, some croutons, scallions, and lobster meat, but it is not a bisque. They should just say lobster soup on the menu.

The main course and side dishes is where things were the most upsetting. My husband ordered a medium-cooked ribeye, which he enjoyed, accompanied by a various array of sauces. I requested my New York Strip to be cooked medium as well. When it came out, the first few cuts off the ends were medium, but the center of the steak was cooked very close to well done. However, since I was not eating quickly, I didn’t see it until halfway through the meal. How can a steakhouse cook a steak incorrectly? It was too late to send it back after I had already eaten several bites and the plate had obviously cooled down. Nonetheless, this is not acceptable. I regret not cutting into it right away to see if it was correct, but I didn’t think I needed to after the great meals I had enjoyed here previously.

The sides are a huge ripoff. The Brussels sprouts are awesome, with wonderful flavors - but you only get a small ramekin full to share. Such a small portion, it’s laughable. The seasonal side of the risotto was awful. I absolutely love risotto and enjoy cooking it to perfection at home. THIS risotto tasted nothing like winter squash. It was overpowered by the smell and taste of the wine used in the cooking. Cooking with wine should merely enhance the flavor. This was boozy risotto - NOT good at all. I sent it back and asked for a wedge salad in its place.

Dessert was OK. We ordered the whiskey chocolate cake, which sounded like we would really enjoy it - salted caramel, pecans, whipped cream, taste of bourbon flavor, etc. It was just another example of how the kitchen incorrectly used alcohol to try and enhance their flavors. After a bite of cake that tasted like pure alcohol, I was done. Come on, you shouldn’t just simply pour booze on a plate and place the cake right on top to just soak it up. That’s exactly what it seemed like. It should be used to enhance.

The Orehouse is so inconsistent with their culinary methods. The service was great, but until they can get more knowledgeable folks in the kitchen, I’m not sure we’ll be back for quite some time. Save your money and find...

What used to be fantastic is now simply mediocre.

We have had a standing reservation for the Ore House on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving for the last 6 years. In that past, we would have given this place 5 stars with 5 exclamation points. We have sang its praises to everyone in our families and on social media channels. This year, however, was a huge disappointment.

The Ore House in Durango used to be a charming boutique steakhouse with a nod to the Wild West and throwback style. The chairs were comfortable; the tables were round; the ambiance was intimate; the service was stellar; and the food was high-quality and fantastic.

Over the summer, they "upgraded". Unfortunately, the decision makers took something unique and made it like everything else.

AMBIANCE: the old furniture was comfortable and well-made...The new tables lack character and charm; the new chairs feel like you are sitting in a square - they were fine for my husband and son who are six feet tall, but for myself and my daughters who are 5'6"; the 'box" of the seat dug into the back of our thighs and made us feel like we were sitting too low in a garden box. And the tables now line the wall in a boring and cookie cutter style - just like everywhere else.

WINE LIST: the variety of whites was abysmal. We have always ordered a bottle (upwards of $100) for the last five years, but the new wine list was lacking. When we told the waitress (who i'll get to in a second) for a buttery or creamy chardonnay, she replied, "Those are my favorite too, but we don't have any. Sorry." So, we didn't order wine at all.

WAITRESS: It was "drive by" service. The only time she approached our table was on the way to the kitchen and back from the other tables she had to cover. My son was sitting on the end and requested the ceviche for an appetizer as she flew by. She said, "yes, ok" and brought him ceviche, but never asked if the rest of us wanted appetizers. (I wanted a wedge salad.) She did the same for drinks and refills. My husband and son, who were sitting on the end, were able to order bar drinks on one of her drive-bys, but the rest of the table never got anything other than water. (I wanted a cocktail...since I didn't get wine.) We started ordering things through my son since he's the only one she was serving as she raced by our table all night. She never stood at the table long enough for us to order multiple courses. We finally got our entrees ordered, but that was it.

EXPERIENCE: In the past, we have spent 2 hours at the Ore House with appetizers, entrees, sides, desserts and after-dinner liqueurs and we usually pay a tab in excess of $350 and leave a 30% tip. This year, we were uncomfortable in our chairs, never given the full attention of our waitress, and lacking in the wine department. It was severely disappointing. But a helluvalot cheaper than in years past.

Overall the "upgrade" feels very commercial. As if an MBA student told the management to improve profits by (1) rearranging the furniture to make room for more people, (2) limiting the wine list to cut down on supply, (3) giving waitstaff more tables to reduce overhead and (4) rushing people through a meal to increase turnover.

But what you did was take something unique and make it like...

Recommend making reservations. You are asked to deposit $25 per person to hold your reservation which will be refunded when you actually show up. I thought it went towards the price of the meal. There is also seating at a bar which I believe is for no reservation seating.This restaurant has been in Durango, just off Main Street, since 1972. My parents used yo eat here. We came to celebrate my birthday and my mom who passed away last year. We were promptly seated. Super attentive staff, Dow to earth, friendly. The menu isn’t huge, which I like. Specialty is steak and surf. Was hoping for a chicken choice. There was a secret menu and a pork tenderloin was included in the secret menu. Housemade cornbread. It had a good flavor, served with a bacon butter, but didn’t hold its shape well so we ate it with a fork and generally made a crumbly mess. We ordered a 14 oz ribeye, which we split. They also split it in the kitchen cooking it to 2 different temps. Perfection. I would have preferred a different knife that was actually sharp. The lobster tails came with clarified butter and these were sweet and tender. We also ordered the wedge salad. It had a crispy thin fried onion, tomatoes, fried chunks of pie Kelly, and a sprinkle of Blue Cheese crumble from a local James Ranch in Durango. The wedge had a slight char. My husband’s had part of the core but we are a game of finding the core in our salads. There was also a sprinkle of champagne vinegarette along the perimeter of the plate that was divine. I would have preferred the Blue Cheese crumble and this dressing instead of the Blue Cheese dressing. The crumble was nice but the dressing overpowered the salad. We ordered the asparagus and potato to share. The asparagus with a bernaise sauce-asparagus were cooked perfectly. The sauce was ok. I would order it on the side. The potato was delicious, soft and tender, and the perfect balance of sour cream and butter. I think they probably brine the potato. It really was the perfect side for the steak. I am not a big fan of their pork belly chunks in the salad or potato. For me, they are too large and tough. I couldn’t pierce them with my fork. It’s a personal preference. Staff quick to clear dishes as the meal progresses. Super clean bathrooms. We were close to the kitchen but it was not a distraction as their communication was low key. Didn’t order dessert or alcohol. We loved their water and pellet ice, so good in Durango. It was a very good meal for a special occasion. We spent $160 plus tip which is something we NEVER do. Probably once in a lifetime meal. Highly recommend Ore House. You will love the experience, the attentive wait staff, and...