For the discerning meat-lover, it’s important to compare all of your options when it comes to selecting the perfect steakhouse!
Nestled amidst the majestic Rocky Mountains, Estes Park offers not only breathtaking views but a worthwhile journey for culinary carnivores.
Amidst the stunning backdrop, you’ll find a select pool of top-tier steakhouses to choose between.
Whether you’re dining solo, wooing a date, or taking the kids, each will require different dish options, atmospheres, and price ranges to cater to your fine-dining preferences.
Whether you lean toward well-done or blue-rare, dim-lit indoors or mountainous outdoors, sustainable wine, or local beer, we’ve compiled a list of places that offer delicious steaks cooked to perfection!
For those who appreciate quality, ambiance, and premium personalized service, read on to compare the best steakhouses in Estes Park!
Twin Owls Steakhouse
- Overall Rating: 4.4 stars ( #14 of 61 Restaurants in Estes Park )
- Location: 3110 S St Vrain Ave Suite B, Estes Park, CO 80517 (Open in Google Maps)
- Phone: +1 970-586-9344
- Ambiance: Elegant-casual, fireplace, live music (acoustic/guitar), mountain views, bar
- Price Range: $40 – $100
- Reservations: Accepts reservations
- Accessibility Info: Indoors, Kid’s menu, Vegetarian/GF options, Dinner hours only
- Website: https://taharaa.com/twin-owls-steakhouse/
Set against the backdrop of Rocky Mountain National Park, Twin Owls Steakhouse is well-known for its elegant and classy atmosphere.
It has recently relocated to the Taharaa Mountain Lodge, offering a fine dining experience as breathtaking as the views.
With the restaurant facing the mountain range, a window table here is difficult to beat and certainly well worth the wait!
Their extensive menu offers a wide array of steaks, wild game, and seafood – all beautifully presented and often paired with a busy atmosphere of live music and a crackling fire.
Some of their signature dishes include bacon-wrapped scallops, prime rib, elk steak, and Long’s Peak burger. Twin Owls Steakhouse is overall highly praised, with an average rating of 4.3 – 4.5 stars.
Cascades Restaurant at the Stanley Hotel
- Overall Rating: 3.7 – 4.0 stars (#29 of 61 Restaurants in Estes Park)
- Location: 333 E Wonder View Ave, The Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, CO 80517-9665 (Open in Google Maps)
- Phone: +1 970-577-4001
- Ambiance: Elegant-casual, historical building, indoor-outdoor, patio firepits, full bar
- Price Range: $20 – $82
- Reservations: Accepts reservations
- Accessibility Info: Vegetarian/GF options, Lunch + Dinner hours
- Website: https://www.stanleyhotel.com/cascades-restaurant-lounge.html
Cascades Restaurant is a traditional steakhouse with a unique backstory: it’s located in the 109-year-old hotel that inspired the film “The Shining”!
Cascades focuses on local and sustainable ingredients, and boasts a cocktail and whisky menu with over 1000 varieties!
As classic American cuisine, their signature dishes include the Colorado Game Meatloaf, Filet Mignon, and Grilled Elk Loin.
If you’re heading here in the warmer season and a fan of dining al fresco, ask to be seated outside. Their outdoor covered patio includes a seasonal bar and a stunning view of the cascade waterfall.
Hunter’s Chophouse
- Overall Rating: 3.8 – 4.4 stars (#18 of 61 Restaurants in Estes Park)
- Location: 1690 Big Thompson Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517-8938 (Open in Google Maps)
- Phone: +1 970-586-6962
- Ambiance: casual, rustic, airy, hunting-lodge style, fireplace, indoor-outdoor seating
- Price Range: $20 – $75
- Reservations: Accepts reservations
- Accessibility Info: Kid’s menu, Dinner hours only
- Website: https://hunterschophouse.com/
Hunter’s Chophouse, complete with a whisky and wine bar, is a much-loved friendly, family-owned steakhouse.
It is rustic and airy, with wooden beam ceilings, taxidermy-themed decoration, and hunting-lodge-style surroundings.
If you’re lucky, you’ll even get a live elk show by simply looking out the window!
They serve up absolutely delicious beef, poultry, seafood and elk dishes, with many reviewers applauding the quality of their wild game options.
With ratings between 3.8 to 4.4 stars, Hunter’s Chophouse was awarded as a Travelers’ Choice in 2023. Wineaholics, take note: Hunters Chophouse wine program is recognized for its excellence by Wine Spectator!
Bird & Jim
- Overall Rating: 4.6 stars (#10 of 61 Restaurants in Estes Park)
- Location: 915 Moraine Ave, Estes Park, CO 80517 (Open in Google Maps)
- Phone: +1 970-586-9832
- Ambiance: Rustic, dim-lit, modern, full bar with happy hour
- Price Range: $20 – $69
- Reservations: Accepts reservations
- Accessibility Info: Vegetarian/vegan options, Brunch, Lunch & Dinner hours, Kid’s menu.
- Website: https://www.birdandjim.com/
With a section of their menu dedicated to ‘cast-iron’ cuisine, Bird & Jim take their carnivore catering seriously.
The artisan approach to cooking is showcased through a creative and ingredients-driven menu, boasting sources from the Front Range mountains of Colorado and farms beyond.
Their chef philosophy revolves around local, healthy, and sustainable cooking.
Bird & Jim can best be described as a “rustic yet modern” charm, with incredible views of the Rocky Mountain National Park.
Some of their signature dishes include the pheasant chowder, Carnivore Plate, and wild game meatloaf!
As the other recipient of the Travelers’ Choice Award (2023), and a 4.6-star average rating, Bird & Jim is an absolute steakhouse favorite amongst locals and tourists alike!
The Rock Inn Mountain Tavern
- Overall Rating: stars (#6 of 61 Restaurants in Estes Park)
- Location: 1675 State Highway 66, Estes Park, CO 80517 (Open in Google Maps)
- Phone: +1 970-586-4116
- Ambiance: intimate and relaxed, local live music/artists, fireplace
- Price Range: $16 – $33
- Reservations: Does not accept reservations
- Accessibility Info: Diverse vegetarian/vegan options, Dinner hours only.
- Website: https://www.rockinnestes.com/
The Rock Inn Mountain Tavern is a popular woodsy-style restaurant, located at the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.
During the warm season – with casual outdoor seating and a stone firepit – their patio displays incredible views of the continental divide!
The Rock Inn is commended for its affordability, diverse eco-menu, and casual, lively atmosphere.
Although less of a formal experience than other steakhouses, its bustling ambiance and mouthwatering menu are well worth the trip.
The Rock Inn is especially unique for a live music schedule consistently showcasing the local talent, set on a 3/4 century-old stage. See their frequently updated Music Calendar for upcoming line-ups.
They boast a focus on organic, all-natural, and sustainable ingredients – including Certified Angus Beef and All-Natural Colorado chicken – to pair with their selection of organic teas, local beers, and sustainably produced wines.
If you’re a meat-lover dining with a grains-and-pasta-lover, this is the place on our list that can cater to both of you!
