Ore House at the Pine Grove - Steamboat Springs — Restaurant in Four Corners States

If I could give this place zero stars, I absolutely would. We arrived as a party of 12, including 5 children, fully understanding the challenges of accommodating a large group. That’s why we called ahead to confirm they could handle us—and they assured us it wouldn’t be a problem. But from the moment we walked in, the hostess made it abundantly clear that we were not welcome. Her demeanor lacked even the faintest trace of warmth or enthusiasm. Coming from the South, where “Southern Hospitality” is a way of life, this immediately set an unpleasant tone. Still, we gave them the benefit of the doubt and proceeded with the evening.

What followed can only be described as a series of catastrophes. While the initial service was fine, things quickly unraveled when the food arrived. Orders were either completely wrong or horrifically overcooked. When we raised our concerns with the waiter, we were met with defensiveness and condescension. He actually brought out a menu to explain the dishes we’d ordered—as if we didn’t know what we’d asked for! Repeatedly, we insisted that this was not what we ordered, but instead of addressing the issue, he stormed off, seemingly more annoyed with us than concerned about fixing his mistake.

What came next was beyond bizarre. Rather than simply correcting the order, the waiter returned with a plate of ingredients and instructed us to just “use this” and treat it as the same dish. Excuse me? It was nothing short of insulting. Frustrated, we asked to speak with a manager, hoping for someone to take ownership and rectify the situation.

Big mistake. If I thought the waiter’s attitude was bad, the manager’s was worse. He approached us with a question—“What’s the problem?”—but as soon as we began explaining, his dismissive response was, “What do you want us to do about it?” Truly unbelievable. The lack of accountability and care was astounding.

To sum it up: if you enjoy overcooked steaks, botched orders, and combative service, this is your dream destination. Otherwise, spare yourself the frustration and dine anywhere else. Steamboat offers countless great dining options, but Ore House is emphatically not...

Ambiance: 9.8 Value: 8.8 Cleanliness: 10 Taste: 9.2 Quality: 9 Service: 9.3 Meets Expectations: 9.8 Overall: 9.4/10 Price Range: $$ to $$$

Converted from a barn into a Western style steakhouse in 1971, The Ore House offers a wonderful dining experience that leaves your wallet not too wounded. My first big meal for my bachelor party, we stumbled in as a 7 top (we had reservations). Service was pretty good throughout, and the needs of the table were met well and in a timely fashion. The esthetic is dark, wood everywhere, clean, and inviting. It feels nearly perfect for what it is. I started with the Mountain Margarita, Mezcal, Green Chartreuse, Maraschino Liqueur, lime juice, and agave nectar. It's a unique take on a Last Word, subbing in Mezcal for the typical gin. I have to say it was exceptionally well balanced, and the smoke from the Mezcal does some magical things with the herbaceousness of the Chartreuse. Mexican, Italian, and French delights combine for an absolute treat on ice. Apologies for my photo taking, I seemed to be on a role with photos before the last bite. We ordered potato skins for the table. They were hearty, cheesy, and exactly what I would want in one. The salad bar is a nice addition. It comes with a meal. Everyone at the table was a fan of the wasabi ranch, an unexpected find but a very enjoyable one. For my meal, I ordered the special, a bison ribeye with sides of onion rings and the house potato. Order whatever you want when you come here, but for the love of everything, order the house potato. Think of it as flash fried mashed potatoes with cheese sauce on top. The steak was well cooked and nicely seasoned, and everything was just as I would hope for. One of the members at our table did unfortunately have a steak cone out not cooked to their specification, but such things do happen. A very nice experience, if I lived in Steamboat, I'd frequent the Ore House very often, and from what I hear, it is a local favorite. If you make your way up, be sure to stop in. Just be careful saying the name quickly to strangers. It can sound like a place you might not want to tell people you...

This was, by FAR, the worst experience I've ever had at a restaurant. The ONLY thing that was a plus was the interior decor. There was a fireplace and it looked nice.

The hostess was rude and had NO class. Just when you would think she was terrible, the waiter showed up and was even worse. As a matter of fact, the waiter was the worst waiter I've ever run across in my life. Here's exactly what happened. We ordered the Steak Ore House. The menu says it's a "Bacon wrapped center cut filet with crab meat and bearnaise." We also ordered a bone in ribeye and various other steaks. When the food comes out, the "Steak Ore House" was a 1/2" thick piece of burnt steak with NO bacon, NO crab meat, and NO bearnaise. When we pointed that out the waiter, who looked like he hadn't bathed in a week, with matted long hair and ungroomed facial hair INSISTED we got exactly what we ordered. This was bad enough because he said that and walked away. When he came back we persisted and he looked at us and walked away again. THEN he came back with a cup of bearnaise and 2 pieces of burnt bacon. He then said we can just put it on the steak ourselves. This was just insane! Then we asked for the manager and a man showed up with gages in his ears and an even worse attitude than the waiter. He took the side of the waiter and the whole thing just blew my mind. It's like being on another planet. Here's my recommendation: If you want to be treated like a piece of garbage and be served garbage, and you want to pay way more than that garbage is worth, go straight to Ore House at the Pine Grove and enjoy the cruelty. I'm serious. The experience was profound. EVERY other restaurant I will ever go to will be better, now that I have been...