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...

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...

I'm convinced that most of these five star reviews were written by friends of the owner, because this place is your very average and very overpriced tourist trap of a restaurant. One hamburger and one beer cost over $35 (and that is probably the cheapest meal you could have here - some of their cocktails are over $20, and their mocktails are over $10?!). At this price, I would at least expect a flavorful burger with handmade fries, but the burger was flavorless and barely better than fast food quality, plus the fries were clearly the kind that come in a big frozen bag from Costco. Additionally, I have no idea what people are talking about when they say it has the atmosphere of a NYC eatery?! Maybe they'd never been to NYC, or any town bigger than a few thousand? The walls are mostly bare and the furniture is what any diner has. The staff are fine, but they clearly are having more fun with each other and their phones than with serving; I was pretty much ignored the entire time. Definitely skip this place if you're used to actual quality...