Minturn Saloon — Restaurant in Minturn

I'll preface this review by saying that I was originally going to give it two stars based on my experience alone and the meal I had; however, the missus pointed out that hers was pretty good, so I bumped it up a star.

The atmosphere at the Minturn Saloon was nice. There's a lot of interesting decor and cool history here. Our waiter, Will, was very friendly and polite.

The noise level was rather high when we visited. This was surprising as there were maybe 15 or 20 people there at the time. Of those people there was a group of tourists, and I believe they added to the noise significantly.

Our server, while polite and friendly, seemed quite hurried and would quickly ask us questions as he passed by the table. This often made it difficult to understand him, and it seemed to make it hard for him to hear or understand us. This led to us repeating ourselves on more than one occasion, and we were almost brought drinks again even though we had declined them. Again, it was rather loud in there, so that likely played a part. Given how busy it was, I would have liked him to slow down a bit.

Now on to the part that really hit them in my book. I ordered a steak, which I don't do very often. I believe it was a New York strip steak and it was on the menu at market price.

I've never had a problem paying a decent amount of money for a good steak, or good food in general. That said, the steak was not up to par. The cut was good enough, but I believe the cook needs to take a refresher on the difference between medium rare and medium well. It was quite overcooked, which wouldn't normally be a big deal, and yet given the amount I was charged for this steak it was not quite acceptable.

On top of that, the sides that came with it were incredibly simplistic. Rice and refried beans, which were good, as well as an enchilada. This was, without question, the worst enchilada I've ever eaten in my life. The sauce for it was atrocious, and I'm not sure how they cooked it or what it may have been cooked in, but it had an incredibly bitter taste. ( Guys, if as a kid you ever put your finger in your ear and then tasted it, that's about what it tasted like. Pretty freaking gross. )

Okay. That bit is out of the way. If I had been charged $20 for this meal that would have been fine. I'm genuinely not that picky and am rather easy to please when it comes to food. This meal, however, cost me $39 which is absurd for the quality of said meal. For that price I could definitely have purchased much better steak and cooked it myself properly. Even the convenience of not having to cook was not worth the price I paid for this meal.

The missus got a burger and fries, and while the burger was a bit overcooked, she said the overall meal was quite good. Again, that's the only reason I'm giving them three stars.

The drinks were well priced, the service was friendly, and it was nice that they gave us some chips and salsa before our main meal came. Though, I will say that their salsa was a solid 5 out of 10. There was nothing wrong with it, but it was extremely average, with minimal flavor. Though, when I think about it, this may be by design so that it would be enjoyable to everyone.

I realize this is a pretty long review. Actually, it's probably too long. The restaurant's not bad, I just don't think it was particularly good considering my overall experience.

So here's the funny bit. I've just spent quite a few paragraphs seemingly tearing them apart. But do I recommend them? I do.

The service, as I said, was friendly. And while the steak was laughable and the enchilada was gross, the rest of the food was decent, even pretty good. On top of that, it does have a really cool atmosphere.

While in all likelihood I won't go here again, I'd be willing to say try it at least once. I may have come in on an off day, and you might really like it. I mean, that's the thing with reviews right? It's all subjective. It's all opinion. Right now, smaller towns and smaller businesses deserve to be given a shot, and this is definitely one of those...

This is a new restaurant at the location of a former local favorite that needs to decide what it wants to be. The food was good but expensive. A steak fajita dish was $30 and had enough guacamole, sour cream, and other fixings for just one tortilla. But the dish came with 3 tortillas and the same amount of meat. We had to ask for more. The enchiladas ($25) came with nothing else. Beans had to be ordered as a side, and so did rice. Although it serves Mexican food, the tortillas and dip had to be ordered separately. In fact, virtually every dish was ala carte. At the moment, this restaurant is too expensive for many of its former local clientele and more expensive than its equivalent competitors in the valley. We liked the food. (One local friend took a look at the menu prices and announced he wouldn't join us for dinner.) The owner would do well to do what one of particular, a very successful restaurant owner in this valley, has done, which is to walk from table to table for weeks on end, identifying himself and asking, "What can I do better?" We hope this restaurant succeeds, but the owner(s) must dial it in quickly. Much of its current business comes from locals nostalgically coming into a former haunt. Our suggestion is to dump the ala carte strategy and serve complete meals, especially since you are competing with several other Mexican-style food restaurants in Minturn. If it remains like this, we...

If you're lucky enough to eat at the Minturn Saloon then you're either a "local" or a very wise and well-informed visitor to the Vail Valley. This is so much more than just a great place to eat (and/or drink). It is an institution of the area with a rich history and plenty of autographed photos from famous actors, musicians, athletes and politicians dating back decades.

On a sunny day you can relax on their patio with a refreshing drink (margaritas are a specialty here... just stay well-hydrated with water at high altitude). My favorite menu item for 30+ years was their Shrimp Enchiladas with Blue Corn Tortillas and White Jalapeno Sauce. Rumor has it that it has been deprecated in the post COVID-19 world. If you're resourceful, however, it can be closely recreated by customizing their taco or burrito offering. NOTE: The free self-service chips and salsa have gone the way of the shrimp enchiladas... You'll have to order them from your server now. Nonetheless, you can't go wrong at the Minturn Saloon. Missing it during your visit to the Vail Valley would be like, well... WRONG. (Note: This "might" also be the favorite watering hole/destination for those braving the off-piste Minturn Mile... Not that I would know or...