Elevations Eatery and Bar — Restaurant in Estes Park

Visited on June, 2025.

After 10+ hours of travel and a dining disaster at another local spot (where we waited and waited and then found out our food ticket never even made it out of the printer and so we just gave up and left), we stumbled into Elevations Eatery hungry, and yep, honestly, a little cranky.

But Brad, our waiter hero, and Carlos, a magician behind the bar, turned our whole day around.

Brad assured us he would fix things with a great meal and cold drinks. And friends, I am here to tell you, he delivered! I enjoyed the Mediterranean Bowl, which Brad suggested. It was spot on fresh, flavorful, veggie packed and so light! And the creamy parsley dressing was simply decadent! The guys each ordered the Santa Fe Chicken Burger which was juicy with just a little kick from that pepper hash cheese sauce! Delish! And my girlfriend went with the classic cheeseburger that hit all the right notes. Just can't go wrong with a very well done classic!

But the real stars were the cocktails. The guys ordered smoked Oaxacans that arrived in an actual oak smoking box...hello drama! And the ladies sipped lemon drop martinis that were tart, cold, and exactly what the moment called for. Just a little bit of happiness in a glass!

Brad kept us laughing with his quick wit, sly humor and of course, excellent service! Carlos kept us sipping with his brilliantly produced craft cocktails, and Elevations reminded us that great food and good people can fix just about anything. Thank you, Brad, Carlos and Elevations for turning our...

January 2026 Edit:

If this was the first experience I'd had here, I would not be going back. As it is, I'll try again, but only because this used to be the best bar in town. I brought an out-of-town guest after hyping the place up and by the end of dinner I was apologizing to them profusely for the godawful cocktails, awkward experience, and mediocre food.

As far as I can tell, the difference is that the prior manager, Sucil, left. Honestly turnover happens plenty in the industry, so I didn't think much of it. I had high hopes for the new guy and figured that even if he wasn't great, the restaurant would still be good. I was wrong. A decent whiskey selection means nothing if you can't even find the correct bottles. The new manager/bartender, Nick, is just not up to snuff. I'm hoping he was just having an extremely bad day?? He legitimately berated his staff in front of us more than once... This was downright embarrassing.

2024 Edit: I've been back a few times now, and they're consistently excellent. I strongly recommend both the fries and the whiskey-cream ribeye. Absolutely amazing!! If I could give them more stars, I would. This is my favorite restaurant in Estes, hands down.

2022-2023:

The food was delicious, the presentation was amazing, and the service was prompt and polite. I usually don't like the restaurants in the "tourist strip", but this place was fantastic!

I strongly recommend it.

Bonus: They let you have your dog on the patio...

Elevations Eatery and Bar in Estes Park offers a truly delightful dining experience with some standout dishes. I was particularly impressed with their elk tacos – the flavor was absolutely exceptional! The meat was tender and perfectly seasoned, and the overall taste was reminiscent of authentic, high-quality tacos. It was a wonderful and unique twist on a classic, and I highly recommend trying them.

The atmosphere at Elevations is warm and inviting, and the service was friendly and efficient. While I thoroughly enjoyed the food, I did find the Liquor 43 margarita to be a bit too sour for my taste. The vanilla notes of the Liquor 43 were somewhat overpowered, and it was a bit difficult to fully appreciate the liqueur. However, this didn't detract from the overall positive experience.

Elevations Eatery and Bar is a fantastic spot to enjoy a delicious meal with a beautiful view. The elk tacos alone are worth the visit, and I'm eager to explore more of their menu on my next trip. I'd simply suggest perhaps asking for a slightly sweeter version of the Liquor 43 margarita if you prefer a less...