Big Horn Restaurant — Restaurant in Estes Park

After a look at several reviews of local eateries near me for lunch in Estes Park, CO, I was pleased to learn about Big Horn Restaurant and the BBQ they had on the menu. The paved parking lot served a small strip of vendors. There were at least a couple of dozen cars there, and that's usually a sign that a place has good food.

The owner, Daniela, greeted me from the bustling kitchen as I walked in ~ another notable sign. There were enough patrons dining to give the impression that some delicious vittles were being created from that kitchen.

I made sure to smile and acknowledge the staff, which, to me, has always been well received. However, no one seemed to receive or return my salutation. Nevertheless, I made some small talk with Daniela as she took my to-go order, and she seemed to be a little more hospitable. I wanted to order the BBQ Platter, but it's only available on the dinner menu. So, I opted for the BBQ pulled pork sandwich, Slow Smoked BBQ Ribs, onion rings, and a cup of soup (meatloaf & veg). The food arrived piping hot, was packed efficiently, and traveled well. Without critiquing too heavily, the soup was mildly seasoned and nicely executed with diced carrots and potatoes. I was pleased that the rib meat was cooked thoroughly, although the thick sauce layered on top would've been better served on the side. The pulled pork sandwich came with a generous amount of meat with no toppings or sauce. Creamy cole slaw, which came with both the sammie and ribs, was crunchy, tasty, and a little dry.

Overall, for a $30 BBQ lunch away from MO, I was approving of the meal and would possibly consider returning because they're close. Perhaps a second experience, dining in, could bump my rating to...

This place is very nostalgic (straight out of Estes in the 70s), kid-friendly and the servers really hustle. It is also one of the only Estes Park restaurants open after 8 pm. The atmosphere is definitely closer to side-of-the-interstate-family-steak-place than romantic-date-place. There are booths inside and a patio with plastic picnic tables and umbrellas and a noisy swamp cooler.

A classic moment was when our server asked if we'd like drinks and rattled off "Pepsi products but we're out of Pepsi." and when I asked for a glass of wine "all we have left is Merlot." (I'm thinking of having trout, so nope!) The salad bar comes with the more expensive items on the menu and is the only vegetable in sight, so maybe ask for a second bowl so you can have more than a tiny bit of lettuce and shredded carrots before your meal arrives. (Apparently, the "vegetable of the day" refers to the mashed potatoes, which come with cream gravy, as they would on a chicken-fried steak platter, even if you're having trout.)

Having said all that, the huge serving of trout itself was tasty (hence the 4-star review). The recipe was as nostalgic as the decor -- seasoned with a spice rub, and served with a big dish of tartar sauce. In addition to trout, the menu (a dog-eared one-sheet copied from an old copy, with hand-printed prices and some of the words cut off because it was copied at a slant) is full of Western U.S. classics like burgers, chicken-fried steak, BBQ sandwich, and even liver and onions.

I would definitely come back here if I were looking for a place the whole family could find something they'd like, especially if the family has classic American tastes and isn't looking for a...

TL;DR- Entire experience was disappointing. The food was bland and cold. Staff undelightful. Environment unventilated. Overall would never recommend this to anyone who actually has tastebuds and enjoys food.

My mother and I came here on our trip on the recommendation of a local, and boy did we regret it. The restaurant itself has very little ventilation, so it’s uncomfortably warm to start. When we received our food, it came cold. The pancakes were DENSE, and heavy, not at all ‘light and fluffy’ and had a huge dollop of butter that refused to melt because they weren’t even warm. The eggs benedict should have been hot, but was so cold that the hollandaise sauce was like jelly. The English muffins were not heated, and the bacon was so dry and crispy that we only got one bite in before we decided not to touch it. The entire breakfast was as bland as anything, no flavor, nothing that would impress even the most hungover of patrons. Honestly, the best part of the meal was the tea (Earl Grey which is not traditionally a breakfast tea in the first place), and the napkins. On the way out, the hostess was not smiling or approachable, and she seemed more irritated by our presence than anything else. All-in-all, I would not recommend this...