Had an overall good experience here. Service was slow due to the kitchen, got our food about an hour after being seated. Restaurant has an ambiance appropriate for the setting, great views. Food was good. Ordered the short ribs, nearly over salted, but overall very satisfied. Also got the Succotash, which was great for a vegetarian meal. Finished it off with the Chocolate Torte which was rich and satisfying. Would return if we were in the area, good restaurant, especially considering the location / convenience. read more

Metate Room - Succotash - American Near Me - Mancos, Colorado

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For $6 as a "seasonal vegetable" I received half (!) of the cold corn on the cob. Also, their hummus is a bland-tasting substance that pretends to be it. My husband seemed to enjoy his salmon, though he mentioned that rice tasted microwaved. Still, gorgeous views is a staple of this establishment, and I'm grateful that it's a dinner option inside a national park at all. read more

Metate Room - American Near Me - Mancos, Colorado

I was so excited to dine here. The food photos on their website looked amazing and the menu items as well...but unfortunately the meal was memorable for all the wrong reasons. The evening started off on an interesting note. I stood at the host stand for a couple of minutes while the hostess was completely absorbed in her knitting (or crocheting--I couldn't tell). She never looked up, so I finally asked, "Can you seat me, or does someone else seat people?" She replied, "Oh, that's me." I honestly thought I'd interrupted craft night. She seated me, went right back to knitting, and when I left, she was still there working on her Afghan, scarf or winter sweater. The salad sounded promising on paper with lettuce, black beans, and corn. I actually loved the idea of the black beans and corn, but the corn had to be from a can. Prove me wrong! Fresh corn would have made a world of difference. I ordered the trout, and the best way to describe it is...meh. It wasn't bad, but it certainly wasn't good. The asparagus, however, deserves its own moment of silence. It had been cooked so long that after one bite, I waved the white flag. Asparagus shouldn't have the texture of overcooked green shoelaces. Then there were the mashed potatoes. They were brown. Not "rustic farmhouse" brown--just brown. I make mashed potatoes at home leaving the skin on sometimes, and somehow they still don't turn into a mystery science experiment. I genuinely have no idea what happened here. The lemon served with my water and trout wasn't fresh either. It had brown spots and was already starting to rot. The one shining star of the evening was my server, Olivia. She was friendly, attentive, and genuinely excellent. She deserved a much better meal to be serving than the one that came out of the kitchen. While I was eating, I happened to pull up the Google reviews on this restaurant... I know, I know I should've done that before dining there. One reviewer mentioned sitting next to a windowsill covered with dead flies and complained about the overcooked asparagus. I looked over...and sure enough, there were three or four dead flies on the windowsill next to me. Sadly, this was some of the poorest-quality restaurant food I've had in quite some time. And this is coming from someone who avoids chain restaurants because I usually find them uninspiring. But if I'm being honest, I'd take a meal at Chili's or TGI Fridays over this dinner without hesitation. The only thing I'd enthusiastically recommend here is asking for Olivia's section. She was outstanding. The kitchen, unfortunately, was not. If I don't end up with a case of food poisoning--or at the very least diarrhea--it'll be nothing short of a miracle. Let's just say I'm hoping my digestive system is feeling especially brave tonight. The view is absolutely spectacular. Unfortunately, it feels like the kitchen knows it and is counting on the scenery to do all of the heavy lifting. Shame on the management and kitchen for turning out such crap that cost $50 for one person. read more

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We went hear during our stay in Mesa Verde. We were excited for the views but were sat by I think the only table tha had a wall by it. We asked to move because there were empty tables thought the restaurant with better views, and they said no because a big table was just sat in that waitresses section. We were okay with it, but it was a little bit of a bummer especially since our waitress later mentioned also having a big table. The food had some highlights and also some disappointments. The braised short rib was great. My husband thought it was great. The Brussels sprouts were not cooked very well and were too tough to chew. I got the chicken flatbread and thought it was pretty good. My friend got the prickly pear margarita, and I thought it was so cute. The menu is a little expensive, but if you're staying at the far view lodge, it's def worth going here at least once to avoid having to drive into town for dinner. I'd go back. read more

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The dinner was sooo disgusting!! Got the hummus plate and short ribs, asparagus was so gross and mushy, and the ribs were small with hardly any meat and very fatty. Mashed potatoes were also gross. Hummus plate was disgusting with water all over the plate from the celery maybe and saltless, stale chips. One of the worst restaurants I've ever dined at. Uneatable!!! Do not go here. Waste of $60! Many of the photos and reviews are totally misleading! Not at all the experience we had read more

Stopped in after a long day of hiking, and rain deterred many from trying their luck in Cortez. Food was probably on the pricy side but considering you are in rural Colorado and an extra hour up the hill in a national park you are paying for reduced economy of scale and claiming back two hours of time to go back down the mountain and back up. Ambiance is kind of not "nouveau" but an effort is made to be slightly immersive to the environment, influencing menu, music choice and decor. read more

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The ribeye steak was pretty good here and the view was fantastic. I would come back if I happen to be in Mesa Verde again! Thanks for the great service and a nice meal. read more

Metate Room - Ribeye - American Near Me - Mancos, Colorado

View 5 Beautiful views of Mesa Verde wherever you sit. Service 5 - thank you Guy and staff for the attentive, fast service. The young lady with the glasses was extra helpful during both our dining experiences. Food - Ribeye all cooked medium not to order, meat was extremely fatty and everything seemed to have too much added butter on it. I did like the 3 sister succotash. read more

Metate Room - Ribeye, 3 sister succotash - American Near Me - Mancos, Colorado

Looking for some fancier food during our stay at Mesa Verde. Amazing view from the dining room, friendly wait staff, and pretty decent food that is not a sandwich. read more

ARAmark must have been awarded the contract on a no bid basis. We ate at all three of their venues and found them all wanting. Matate is their high end restaurant. High end in price only. The trout too salty, the 3 Sister's Succotash was luke warm and only seasoned by the green salsa. The salads are prepared too far in advance and the lettuce had that prep table wilt to it. I mean, how hard is it to prep a mixed salad when ready to serve? They were out of the first 3 things we were interested in two days in a row. The waits are long...45 minutes to a hour. The best things we had and can recommend are the Elk burger, the ice cream, the iced tea (which they oddly had no sugar or sweetener available) and the wine. What bugs me the most is this location is very remote, and the visitors are a captive audience. If visiting the area...which is phenomenal and well worth a visit, pack a cooler for picnic lunches, have an Elk burger and ice cream. read more

Prices were on the luxury side, which is to be expected inside a National Park, but the food was just average. We both got the ribeye and I can cook a better one at home. The butter on top of the steak was amazing! Made up for the mediocre steak. The veggies that accompanied the steak were phenomenal! Service was slow and slightly on the rude side, to be honest. Great view of the park and very classy dining room. The food and service just didn't live up to expectations. read more

Metate Room - Ribeye - American Near Me - Mancos, Colorado

We had the trout and it was excellent. Service was very good and the views are stunning. Nice bar on the upper floor with outdoor patio.

Our server Lucky was great! Friendly positive attitude and probably the main reason we went back a second night. The food was pretty solid. We had the mushroom flatbread and added the elk burger patty to it. It was ok. The patty could have been seasoned some more. The apple churro was really good! The salmon was overcooked but the flavor was good. Pretty large place with great views. Don't worry about dress code. Didn't try the salads but the portions were huge. read more

My friend and I showed up to Metate after a couple of tours in the Mesa Verde National Park. The location is easy to get to given that it's right on the Far View Lodge area where there's plenty of signage bringing you there. And perhaps because we were also there offseason (late September) parking was also a a non-issue. Our seating at the venue itself was also pleasant: since there were only two of us, we were seated right by the windows giving us plenty of light and a view. Inside, the decor itself was simple -- almost reminiscent of that of a rustic home interior. Food-wise, we started with a roasted mushroom flatbread: which was absolutely fantastic. Not only did the food come quickly, the flavor combination on this flatbread worked really well. We finished this dish pretty quickly and got our respective main entrees shortly thereafter. My friend got the pan-seared rainbow trout and I got the black angus ribeye. The trout was a tad disappointing: especially since you didn't really get a lot of trout, the trout itself was a bit on the salty side, and the yukon potatoes were unfortunately too buttery for either of us. The ribeye, however, was a great cut and frankly more than I'd expected to get. It was pretty well-seasoned though I should note that I'd asked for a medium, and the steak itself was definitely closer to a medium-well. Either way, the steak tasted great and I finished my dish with little issue. read more

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Along with other reviews; service was definitely lacking. We got asked 3 times if we wanted water refills(granted we had barely drank much water, annoying!) prior to our server stopping by. Food took awhile and one dish came out 10 minutes after the others. Then sat for about 15 minutes after out plates were cleared waiting for the check. View was great and food was definitely good but just not a great experience otherwise. Wouldn't recommend a cocktail either, none were good. For minimal options in the area, it's nice to be able to get a nice dinner but staff definitely needs some training. read more

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While visiting Mesa Verde National Park we decided to stay at the Far View Lodge on top of the Mesa. For dinner we ate at the Metate Room which is a nice restaurant that served surprisingly good food for a National Park setting. Angel was our server and she was very friendly and efficient with her service. This can also be said about the other support staff as well. The views were outstanding. We had the Lemon Chicken and Colorado Trout each served with asparagus and mashed potatoes. Although the price was a little high than expected, it seemed reasonable given the remote location of this venue which was 20 miles from Route 160 and an unknown number of eyebrow raising switchbacks to get to this absolutely breathtaking view. read more

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Good food, run down location. This is such a great spot in Mesa Verde National Park. Reservations were easy to get. Service was really good and quick. Food was good. Small portions on veggies (3 spears of asparagus!?) but the fish portion was very generous. Overall a good meal. But the upkeep of the place. Very run down and not clean. We sat right near the window for the views, but the ledge was covered in dust and bugs. Disappointing read more

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Food came out cold 45min after ordering. The manager corrected the issue. Beautiful location but the restaurant needs some improvement.

A nice place to dine while you are in Mesa Verde park. We had two nights booked at the Far View Lodge and he decided to try the Metate Room on night two. Add it was a Monday night at the end of their session, I didn't think to make a reservation. But the hostess found us a table right by the window. Do try the elote cauliflower. It's amazing! My husband loved his burger and I had the flatbread as my entree, also delicious. The server was attentive and you can't beat the view. read more

It is rare that I issue a poor review on a place. Even if I have a bad experience, I try to chalk it off to circumstance. In this case, I can't simply walk it off - this may have been one of the 2-3 worst dining experiences I can recall having in the last decade, and I believe it's because Matate Room has a veritable monopoly due to the distance to other real restaurants around Mesa Verde. The meal started fine with cocktails, and we placed an order for the crispy cauliflower. The cocktails were average - my Old Fashioned was a bit diluted, but okay. The cauliflower tasted good. I also ordered the soup du jour, which was a red pepper Gouda bisque. On their own, the appetizer and bisque were meh, but we began dipping the cauliflower into the bisque, and it was great. Then everything went to crap. We were one of the only tables sat at the time prior to dinner rush flowing in and ordered straightaway, so you'd think we'd be out ahead on service. No such luck. After over an hour of waiting, the waiter came and apologized for the slow service, and we brushed it off saying we were enjoying our time. However, rather than expo the meal, we waited another 45 minutes, at which point, we asked for the check and started to leave. Finally, the food came, but that was not a good thing. Food quality: abysmal. The coffee-rubbed short ribs lacked any distinguishable flavor. The flavor of the beef had been cooked out altogether, and they were so underseasoned as to have no note of the coffee rub at all. The trout in chili-lime was over-salted to the point of lacking any of the citrus or spice notes, even drowning out the flavor of the trout. I'm still feeling the compulsion to hydrate due to the sheer concetration of salt they delivered. And my son's pork medallions very clearly say under the warming lamp for the better part of an hour. We each finished little more than a few bites after all that wait, and feel more dissatisfied for having eaten them than if we'd hung things up when we were first inclined. The service timing was terrible. The flavor profiles reflected an amateur chef. And the price for the experience was unconscionable - we'd have a more desirable dining experience at McDonald's. As I noted, I think the one thing Matate has going for it is a perceived monopoly within 30 minutes. It's a shame a restaurant can get away with such a shoddy product due to a captive audience. I'd recommend to anyone reading this that they plan for their meal outside the park rather than be handcuffed into this misery. read more

Ok, I have been on hiatus from reviews for over 18 months due to Covid. I have continued to eat out and explore and have had some amazing meals from Xcalak Mexico to Salt Lake City, Utah. I have chosen to just keep those places and reviews to myself as so many people have not been able to get out and I don't want to rub it in, or seem cavalier. But tonight at the Matate room, this meal quite literally raised the bar to other worldly! And that is not a hyperbole. I had heard it was good and expected it to be good, but Samantha, our server made a fairly bold recommendation in the braised short ribs, and I am here to tell you, these were the best short ribs I have ever had! When my wife said "are you kidding"? After her first bite, I was excited, but then when I had my first bite, my words to the server were..."this should be illegal"! It was a cut of short ribs that had been braised and slow cooked for over 8 hours, laid on a bed of wilted spinach and all placed on top of mashed Yukon gold potatoes with a perfectly seasoned garlic butter and au jus. The cut of meat had a sliver thin layer of fat, as short ribs do, but it melted into ever cut and added a level of succulent deliciousness that for me, literally raised the foodie bar to a whole new level. The salad to start with was great but wow, the main course was spectacular and the donut holes right out of the fryer in cinnamon sugar and raspberry and cream dip was the cherry on the cake of a meal that was totally fit for a 35 year anniversary dinner celebration. So, if you are ever in Cortez Colorado, or Mesa Verde National Park, get a reservation for this place, go and get the short ribs, and then enjoy one of the best meals you will ever have in your life! This is a place I will be coming back to for the short ribs! read more

We were excited to try this restaurant while staying at the Fair View Lodge. Unfortunately it didn't live up to our expectations. For the price, you get beautiful window lined scenery to view. For a dinner course the minimum price was $25. The food was good but our experience was not. We had made reservations a day in advance and still ended up waiting 30 minutes for a table. (After my husband checked our place in line) Once seated, we noted several empty tables around us and were baffled why there were long lines to be sat. Our waiter took another 10 minutes to acknowledge us. So we immediately put in our drink, appetizer and dinner orders. Wine arrived another 10 minutes later. Our appetizer? It arrived 45 minutes later! Our dinner was another 20 minutes. We literally spent the majority of dinner waiting. For perspective, we arrived at 7:45 and left a little after 10 pm. Sad to say we were not the only ones dealing with the slow service. I understand if you are short staffed but there were more than 2 tables that arrived after us and got their food before us. I would hate for someone to drive all the way there and sit. read more

For the location and lack of options, it's a wonderful place to eat. I ate at the restaurant and I suggest not ordering take out, as it doesn't play to the restaurant's pluses. The food would be messed up in a take out box. There is a wonderful view of the park and beautiful windows to look out from. It's large but quiet at the same time which makes it very relaxing after a long day of exploring. Reservations are required which make trying to find a perfect time to eat difficult. I wasn't able to eat until 8:15 because I wasn't aware that a reservation was necessary until 4:40. Now to the interesting part, the food. The main dish of the entree were good, were they amazing... no. They exceeded my expectations but didn't make me drop my fork. The sides were extremely small. I ordered the braised short rib and my spinach and potatoes were crushed underneath my short rib. I suggest skipping dessert . I had some of the brownie and the Apple galette and both tasted like they were just heated up. You can most definitely forgo dessert. I'd say that's it's still a wonderful restaurant inside a wonderful park. read more

We stayed at the Far View Lodge for 2 nights, and ate in the Lodge Dining Room both nights. Note - we made our dinner reservations by calling the lodge a week in advance. Although the lodge was sold out both nights, we were able to get seats by the window for our 7:30 reservation. Because of the expansive views, the large windows and the way they have the tables staggered, there really isn't a bad seat in the house. We saw deer wander by the first night, and an excellent rain storm the second night. Good selection of Colorado brews on tap here. We enjoyed the Modus Hoperandi from Ska Brewing! The second evening I selected a Cab from their list of Colorado wines. Also, very nice. The first night, I had the Elk Wellington and hubby had the Cold Smoked Lamb T-bones. (We had also ordered the sausage appetizer, but the server forgot to put the order in). The Elk Wellington was phenomenal. Excellent flavor, perfectly cooked to medium rare with a nice flaky "crust". Served with green chili mashed potatoes, that had great flavor with a little kick, but had a bit too much salt. Hubby's lamb was a different story. The lamb is cold-smoked then "finished" on the grill. He asked for medium rare. They absolutely KILLED (not in a good way) the lamb - it was charred to black, with not a tiny bit of pink anywhere. That's too bad, because he said it would have been GREAT if just briefly seared on the grill. The second night, we ordered the rattlesnake/pheasant sausage appetizer, and this time it was delivered. And it was great!! Very nicely seasoned and very lean. Served with coarse ground mustard, as well as some sort of poppy seed dressing. I tried a little of the mustard on a bite - it was good, but the sausage really didn't need any help! For entrees, hubby wasn't that hungry so had the flatbread - nothing special - salami, tomato, cheese and basil with pesto sauce. He likes it just fine. I had the pork chop, with is served bone-in with a pomegranate demi glace. Oh, my goodness!!! It was spectacular. Served with simple roasted veggies. Everything was great, as was the service. After dinner we went upstairs to the lounge and had a Porter as we watched darkness creep over the canyons in the distance. read more

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Chef Jake has outdone himself with the salmon tamales! The view was beautiful and the staff friendly. read more

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Very good place to eat. Limited menu but lots of delicious choices. Great daily soups. We started with a tasty Southwest Chicken soup. We split a grilled spare rib and double cheese grilled sandwich with fries and split a house salad with grilled salmon and blue cheese on the side. Staff is limited but friendly- come relaxed and have a leisurely meal. Some excellent specialty drinks, wine and beer. read more

Metate Room - Dining view - American Near Me - Mancos, Colorado

Better than Tom Colicchio, blew away Thomas Keller. We were driving back from Vegas where we were doing the foodie tour of our favorite chefs's restaurants. This review isn't about those places, but the Metate Room was the best meal we had on the entire trip. As brilliantly executed as the classic steakhouse experience was in Vegas the Metate Room brought real creativity and a modern twist to the entrees. A perfect approach to traditional ingredients with just the right amount of southwest flair. The service struggled a bit, but I understand why. It's the Far View Lodge and everyone wants to camp out until the fantastic sunset. It's not their fault that they were overloaded, but they always stayed polite and the food was fantastic. From Vegas to Flagstaff it was the best meal of a great trip. read more

We ate here both nights we stayed in the park. That is certainly a rarity for me; I can't readily recall the last time I had dinner at the same restaurant two nights in a row. However, if you are staying in the park's lodge (and cannot cook for yourself), then the only option you have is the Metate Room. Actually, there are 2 options. They have some sort of bar/lounge upstairs with a scaled down menu (i.e., you can get burgers/sandwiches which are slightly cheaper). If we had stayed a 3rd night, I'd have checked that out. For the main dining room, you'd be wise to stop by the hotel lobby area early and make some sort of reservation for dinner. They tend to book up (given the lack of other options) so planning ahead is definitely advisable. We made reservations the first day around noon; we reserved the 2nd night's slot after our first dinner. Tables for 2 by the large windows are the most popular, but as we had a party of 3 we had to sit a bit back from the windows. As for the food, it was good. There was no hint of it not being fresh. I ended up with a tortellini and beef dish both nights, which I enjoyed. Others had fish, chicken, or the pasta over the 2 meals. We split a vanilla dessert one evening, which was also good. They have a full bar service also. Service was fairly good; when the place fills up, the servers can be stretched a little thin, but then again you likely don't have a long drive (or a drive at all) afterwards, so a relaxed pace isn't a bad thing. read more

I really love this restaurant that just located inside Mesa Verda National Park, while outside is cold and it keeps me warm. However, we waited long time for them to serve the meals, not sure if they were trying to time it against the sunset. If so, they were bit early ( just waited quite a while tho and I was hungry) read more

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I don't like writing negative reviews, however our experience definitely constitutes for this. We arrived 15 minutes earlier than our reservation and weren't seated until 20 minutes after our reservation time. In addition, our water tasted like it came out of a septic tank and none of us could drink it. Our server had an attitude, which didn't help our already bad experience. The food was okay, but did not make up for how slow the service was. The highlight was me finding a hair in my burger which grossed me out more than I already was. I understand that this is the only option for food if you come to Mesa Verde, but I would recommend anyone planning on coming here to stock up on food to last for their stay and steer away from this place. read more

Restaurant located in Mesa Verde at Far View Lodge. This and the Lounge are the only 2 places to eat dinner in the area. Highly recommend Metate Room since it is more spacious and prices are reasonable. Same drink and appetizer menu as the Far View Lodge but a much larger selection for main entrees. Far View Lounge is more sandwiches and Burgers. Those looked good too if that's more what you're looking for. We made a reservation but ended up being seated earlier per our request. Food was good but the views were incredible!! Had a seat right next to the window, also recommend making a reservation around sunset. Those views were the best! Beer selection wasn't the greatest and our favorite wines were sold out since it's the end of the season... so I tried the Peach Mule and it was delicious. read more

Very good food, with a stellar view. The ribeye and the tequila-lime shrimp were both delicious. Everything on the dessert menu was fantastic. The more casual upstairs lounge/bar has the same dessert menu and excellent food, with great rooftop seating. read more

The chef at the Metate Room has won awards for his cooking: http://www.cortezjournal.com/article/20120525/LIVING/705259967/0/SEARCH/Mesa-Verde-National-Park-chef-recognized Chef Brian Puett is indeed talented. Although the menu is omnivore we had some vegan/vegetarian dishes that were as good if not better than Millennium! We actually had dinner here twice. Before our meal we were given a basket with crown bread, chipotle bread and some delish spreads, including a spicy black bean. The first meal we had: Me: Poblano Chile Relleño, which is Puett's signature dish. It consists of a giant Poblano chile stuffed with cheese and covered in an ultra light and crispy batter.....ohhhhhhh so good! The chile was covered with black beans and nestled upon a polenta with red chili sauce. Super tasty! Mr. Rinky had a vegan penne dish that came with a light tomato sauce and vegetables. Also very tasty. For dessert our server brought out a tray with at least 7 different kinds of dessert--each one looking more appealing than the others--I vaguely remember the creme brûlée cheesecake, some puffed pastry with chocolate and whipped cream, chocolate cake, a pie thingy and my pick, creme brûlée with a prickly pear sauce. OMG! OMG! It was so spectacularly good! The crust was perfect and the creme part was so rich and custardy....yeah, I did lick the plate. Meal 2--we both had the vegan special which was also spectacular. I usually avoid Portabella mushrooms but these mushroom were marinated in a balsamic teriyaki sauce---OMG! So delicious. They came with 6 half yukon potato halves stuffed with seasoned potatoes, onions, garlic, squash and other veggies. In the center was a bed of spinach flavored perfectly. We loved this dish so much that I asked our server if she would please hug the chef for us. She did and said he was pleased we enjoyed the food sod much. We were on a group tour so the chef invented this dish for the 8 or so people who wanted a veggie meal. He should put in on the regular menu! Our fellow travelers who had the meat or chicken dishes LOVED their food too. Meals are on the pricey side ($15-$20+) for an entree. A little expensive but not crazy expensive. The vegan meals we had here are probably the BEST vegetarian meals we've ever had! I think if Brian Puett ever decided to go to some big city his meals could easily go for 2-3 times the amount that is charged at Metate. read more

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We had a reservation for 7:15 at the Metate on Friday night. When we arrived there had been some large party ahead of us and they hadn't even seated the 7:00 folks yet. So, we headed upstairs to the Far View Lounge instead. This was a good move! The food at the Lounge was well above your average bar food. Service was a bit slow, but wow, so worth it. In our party we had a burger, a short rib grilled cheese with parmesan crust (that was mine, YUM), and a flatbread with pancetta and mushrooms. Really flavorful stuff! We all enjoyed our meals immensely, and the view was spectacular. Sometimes when you eat at a restaurant where you are a captive audience it can be mediocre at best, but you could tell the food at the Lounge was really well thought out and prepared with care. Saturday night we finally made it to the Metate Room. I cringe at spending money on expensive meals because I'm cheap, but again, the food was way worth it. I had an incredible pork chop with pancetta and fennel that was completely delicious. My parents both had a trout dish that they loved. A nice touch is that my Dad has a pretty severe allergy to black pepper (which makes dining out tough) and the chef came out not just once, but twice, to get more details and to make sure he served my Dad something that wouldn't make him sick. It was really kind. In any case, the food was way better than what I've had in the past at the North Rim or Monument Valley or any other place where you are pretty much stuck eating at the one restaurant around. I would actually go to the restaurants (both the Lounge and the Metate) even if they were here in town and there were other options. read more

Hoo-boy, where do I start. We were staying at the Far View lodge. Metate Room was pitched by the desk clerk as the best dining option there, so we figured "we're on vacation, expense shouldn't be an option!" We got ourselves a reservation, then went on with the day's activities. We show up in time for our reservation, and there's a line. That's fine, but immediately the host is telling one person without a reservation that she can't give him any sort of estimate because she has no idea if people are showing up or not. That, undoubtedly, is the truth, but it's also completely not what someone wants to hear. Give an average, then communicate with that person if that changes. Give a worst-case estimate, then surprise them when they get a table sooner! Basic customer service. At any rate, we wait in the line and then are seated. Nice table, great view. The restaurant looks lovely. Everything's laid out nicely, furnishings are nice, big, beautiful views out over the mesa via the massive windows. Though, there were an alarming number of paintings of roosters. Our server came up and then asked if we or the table next to us had sat first. We told her the table next to us were already seated when we arrived, so she then excused herself to tend to them. She took their order, then came over to us. We placed some drink orders, my wife asking to try a wine, and I ordered a beer. She came back very quickly with my beer and her taster, which she thought better of and ordered a different wine. And then we waited. For a while. Got ahold of our server and asked about the wine, which appeared to startle her, and then she came back with it. This was over, I would guess, about 25 minutes. She then took our orders for food. We ordered, and she committed it to memory rather than writing it down and headed off to the corner where there appeared to be a computer where she could put in orders. She then came back to the table as she could not remember parts of the order, and we reminded her. I noticed that she then did this to other tables as well. I'm not sure if it's restaurant policy that she's expected to remember the orders or if it's her own thing to not write them down, but she should be writing them down. I'm unclear at this point whether its her to blame or the kitchen staff, but she would repeatedly show up with a platter of 5-6 salads that were identical except for the dressing, then have to go ask multiple tables which one they had. I don't know if it's that they weren't saying "these salads are for table n, while these are for table x", or that she wasn't keeping track of the orders and couldn't decipher that for herself, but nonetheless, she would show up with a pile of salads and then start discreetly asking each table who was supposed to get what. Eventually, our entrees arrived. I had trout with fried capers and my wife had "seared" salmon. My trout was quite nice. Flavors were good, nice bit of lemon with some good capers, and the fish was cooked well. Presentation was questionable - if I had to describe it, it'd be "meat flaps", but that's me. My wife's salmon was anything but seared. If I had to guess, it was boiled. No browning on the outside, and overcooked all the way through. She'd asked for it to be rare, on the edge of being raw inside, and it was cooked to death. Sent it back, got another one that was bordering on stepping out of "well done" territory, but just accepted it and moved on. In the meantime, our server was becoming visibly and audibly agitated. Cursing the kitchen staff, angrily muttering to herself. Again, not sure how much of this was her and how much of this was the rest of the staff not supporting her the way she needed, but she was close to a meltdown and handling it in about as bad a way as possible. I do want to point out one of the staff, who appeared to mostly be bussing tables. I wish I'd gotten his name, but he was a guy who had come from Romania and was the most professional and responsive person working there. This restaurant is one of the reasons that now, when I tell my friends what an incredible experience Mesa Verde is, I tell them to bring their own food. The whole thing looks very nice, but all the details fall down. It's like aliens came to earth and read a book on how to make a nice restaurant, nailed the basics, and then just decided to wing it from there on out. It also isn't cheap. Our bill came out to about 30% more than the best meal we had in Colorado, at a great place in Boulder. Way too expensive, confused and bewildered service, hit-or-miss food, and an incredible view. read more

When you walk in to the Metate Room for breakfast, the breakfast menu is placed at the host's station for guests to review before they are seated. This menu is also available on the Metate Room website. However, the menu that they advertise is not what is available. There is no table service, just a breakfast buffet. I no longer eat at buffets due to concerns about cross-contamination, and had to beg the server to allow me to order off of the menu rather than risk the buffet. What they brought me was unpalatable and not what I had ordered-- my eggs were supposed to be over medium but were scrambled, not entirely mixed, cold, and oily. The hash browns were deep fried potato cubes which were very cold and stale. Our dinner from the night before was fine, again, cold, but the flavor was pretty good. The wine list here is the worst I've ever seen. Stick to cocktails and beer here. The only saving grace for this place is the staff. They are attentive, kind, and very accommodating. read more

Metate Room - The breakfast menu: none of these items is actually served for breakfast. - American Near Me - Mancos, Colorado

So definitely the best food *setting* in the park, conveniently located, with a gorgeous view out the window. The menu was admirably ambitious, but beyond the chef to actually execute against. The window seats are the most desirable, but be careful you don't get seated atop an air conditioning register. After the first night, we ate from the reduced menu up a the bar and enjoyed it a lot more. read more

My wife and I visited this restaurant during our stay at Mesa Verde National Park. I ordered the pork belly with prickly pear jelly and she had the petite fillet. Both were excellent. read more

Terrible, we stayed at lodge and ordered take out because we could not get a reservation. They were to call when our order was ready, after an hour and 15 minutes we showed up because we never received a call, no one apologized, they just gave us our order which we paid over $50 for a dinner for two and it was slopped together and cold. We should have stopped at Wendy's!! No respectable restaurant would let food leave like that! read more

A very nice restaurant in Mesa Verde park. The food was delicious, and the staff friendly.