If you're not staying at the lodge, the view is interesting. Food is okay. Service is slow. Only one of us got food poisoning.

Made reservation for the Metate room during visit to MVNP. Only sit down place. My expectations were way low. I hate the way Aramark and Xanterra control so much of the NP business. Always expensive and usually shoddy. And some reviews here were not glowing. Well I have to say I was quite pleasantly surprised. Elk Wellington cooked perfectly and quite tasty. My daughter had the chili relleno and loved it. Prices were steep, but I expect nothing less from Aramark. read more

After reading the yelp reviews, we were going into Cortez for dinner after checking in at the lodge. After the drive up, decided we didn't want to make the drive again! Ate upstairs at the lounge which is a more casual version of the main restaurant. The view is spectacular and our waiter was very accommodating and attentive. Four stars for that part. We had elk quesadilla. They were just ok, kind of elky tasting with prickly pear jelly and some pepper flakes. We tried to stay somewhat conservative, having the fried chicken sandwich, which was fine with the same jelly. Nice bread. Wife had grilled chicken sandwich, overcooked but edible after adding mayo. Fries were good but skimpy. Beer was cold and helped the meal. Eat before arriving if you can, if not, it's workable. Lodge was great and views outstanding. read more

Metate Room - Great place to watch the sunset with a beer. - American Near Me - Mancos, Colorado

Metate Room Restaurant is the 3rd out of 3 eateries offered in Mesa Verde National Park. Located inside the Far View Lodge, this is the more "upscale" restaurant of the bunch but I'd judge that by price over anything else ....well, maybe b/c it's also a real sit-down restaurant w/ real menus Props for offering a couple veggie options in your lineup but have to say my choice was mediocre at best Veggie dish (Three Sisters Harvest) consisted of: Yellow Squash, Zucchini, undercooked Potatoes, a few Black Beans & a few Corn Kernels .....lots of cheese & a dry / stale puff pastry sitting on top. The sauce was good & I was loving the abundance of cheese - just wished there were more beans & corn & that the taters had been fully cooked Buddy got the Chicken & said it was dry - not a lot of sauce came with it. Plate wasn't cleaned Too tired & too full for dessert - they looked tempting but given our average meal, we didn't want to take the chance Would also like to point out that offer a very nice wine list & they had a particularly yummy CA zin. Prices for their glasses were what I'd find here in SF Didn't see a beer list, yet as we were leaving, there was someone w/ a bottle of beer....hmmmm Price for 2 dinner entrees & 1 glass of wine? $42 (before tip) read more

We had dinner here recently while staying at the Far View Lodge in the park. As others have noted, it's one of only 3 options (the other two being cafeteria style) and is therefore maybe slightly overpriced. We arrived in a short window between two bus tours and luckily didn't have to wait long for a table. Our service was great. The focaccia they serve with black bean hummus when you are seated was delicious. The menu offered several interesting/unusual options - I ordered a white sauce pasta dish with chicken, mushrooms and dried cherries. It was delicious - I have never seen dried cherries served in a pasta dish before (cranberries yes, cherries no). The portion was large and I took some back to the room for dinner the next evening. I would definitely eat here again if I were visiting Mesa Verde, just to try another interesting item from the menu. read more

WOW!!! The MOST impressive National Park food I have ever had. If you have time for a nice, romantic, authentic and well-prepared meal...come here!!! Sadly, no reservations are taken here. Yes, the prices are on the higher side (remember the tax is only approximately 2%), but the quality of the finished dishes, service and atmosphere (darkened room, less small children, linen tableclothes, Mesa vistas) is totally worth it. I do not think the prices are unreasonable or unfair. The meal starts with the most amazing basket of bread ranging from pita to corn bread and local pinto/black bean spread. I had the quail- 2 well seasoned quails, a healthy scoop of polenta and sauteed squash. The birds were cooked medium and still very juicy. The side dishes were particularly impressive because corn and squash are native Mesa Verde ingredients, as is quail. I loved the modern twist on the Native American ingredients. My husband had the Elk Sheppard's pie. The dish was HUGE and had a bit of a kick. We took some home as a snack for the next day. The elk had a taste of game, but well done. The quality of the food is in line with major city fine dinning...think NYC, Miami, etc. The service was spot-on; our waitress was very cute, chatty and earnest. She was more casual, which gave the entire experience the perfect, classy national park vibe. Overall, with two glasses of wine, a salad, two entrees, tax and tip our bill was $85. Bottomline: Splurge for the nice dinner- it is totally worth it after "roughing" all day on the Mesa. read more

I'm surprised at the mixed reviews here. My husband and I had an outstanding meal here in October 2014. I had fairly low expectations - it being our only food option unless we wanted a 30-odd mile round trip - but was so surprised how good the food was considering the monopoly they have. I had Masa Chicken Asadero - delicious! Flavourful and a subtle hint of chili. I fully recommend this one. My husband had the market mixed grill which was Elk, Quail and sausage. Pricey but worth it. Desert selection was good and we enjoyed a delicious tres leche. Good wine selection (including lots by the glass) although my first choice wasn't available as they were running down stocks at the end of the season, which was understandable. Service was excellent and the view was wonderful. read more

First time at the Metate Room at the Far View Lodge at Mesa Verde. Beautiful inside and great views! Excellent food: very inventive, very flavorful, and generous portions. I had the mushroom soup with truffle drizzle and the chopped salad. Both were delicious! The salad was huge with mixed greens, avocado, edamame, tomatoes, cukes, carrots, etc. BF had the tortellini with truffle cream sauce, wild mushrooms and short rib meat. Again huge and delicious! Chef came to all tables to check in and found out he's a fellow Johnson and Wales alum - and it shows! Highly recommended! read more

food was average ... nothing special Best service Wonderful view Should have gone back to Durango read more

for what it is, it's very good. it wouldn't be fair to compare it to gourmet restaurants, because it's really a NPS dining room with a great mesa-top location. The views are awesome, the wine we ordered was very good, and our appetizers and entrees were great. As other reviewers have mentioned, the view is part of the experience, so try to arrive well before nightfall, so you can enjoy the panorama. We had a great server & very attentive service, but I heard two different parties complaining to the manager that they were ignored for long periods of time, so YMMV. read more

Some of the best food we have eaten, and for the very reasonable price and incredible views (including of Shiprock in New Mexico), it is worth the out of the way trip to Mesa Verde! I had the blue corn meal coated trout and it was out of this world, as was my wife's portabella mushroom quinoa explosion. Order the carrot cake but have at least two people to eat. read more

Terrible service. Not crowded at all, but the server just couldn't seem to get it together.Service was extreeeemly slow. She brought bread with a bottle of olive oil. Great, but could you bring some balsamic vinegar. She said yes and after waiting 20 minutes, we finally had to ask a different server. Soup finally came and it was so salty we couldn't eat it. Sent it back. Then waited for a menu so we could order something different. Meanwhile order more bread and it took 20 minutes. Ordered a dinner salad listed as having heirloom tomatoes. It had 1 cherry tomato sliced in half. Ordered braised short ribs and what I got was pot roast. An unpleasant two hour ordeal. Never again. Apparently ARAMARK has the National Park concession and this experience was very reminiscent of a 2 hour dinner with terrible service in Yosemite last year. Aramark again. Tightwads need to hire some bus people or more waitresses. read more

The food was good overall. But we had an appetizer of truffle oil potato chips with smoked onion dip. The dip was under the chips which made it awkward to eat. The restaurant didn't seem particularly clean and our table was sticky. read more

Since we spent a night in the Mesa Verde National Park we visited the Metate Room for dinner. We were seated by a polite employee and welcomed by our waiter who introduced himself in an friendly and courteous manner. We were served a bread basket and olive oil with herbs. The oil was very delicious, the basket contained two kinds of bread. Both the bread and the oil were very delicious disregarding that one of the pieces of bread might have been a bit older. We chose Chili Rellano (Roasted Poblano, Cilantro Rice, Currants, wal- nuts, Local Cheese, Green Chili & Asadero Polenta Cakes, Mole Sauce) and Half Roasted Chicken (Achiote marinated, Hatch chili Whipped Pota- toes, Grilled Vegetables). The Rellano was tasty, with a crispy coating and a spicy chili sauce. The chicken consisted of a leg and a breast with a crispy crust. It was served with mashed potatoes and asparagus. For my taste, the chicken could have been spicier. The main shortcoming of the dish was the fact that the asparagus was partly burnt, even black. The waiter apologized for the burnt asparagus and offered a discount. He thanked us for being his guests and politely said goodbye. read more

The amazing view and the delicious rattlesnake pheasant sausage are the only reasons this place gets 2. Bread was hard and all tasted the same. Corn lobster bisque was not good. Elk Wellington was mushy and weird though the elk itself was perfectly cooked. Brussels sprouts were not cooked through and the cauliflower mash was goopy. The ribeye was slightly overcooked, roasted potatoes were dry and the asparagus was mushy. Overpriced mediocre food. Go upstairs instead. read more

Overall good meals and service. Ate here a couple times - three out of four dishes we ate were really good with one being a miss. The pork chop and short ribs were really good. The Short Rib & Cheese Tortellini is a bit of a mess and I would not recommend it. Some say the meals are overpriced, but they include a salad - and for the pork chop and short ribs, we thought the value was good. The service is good - it is a casual pace, but your looking over the park, so sit back and relax. I'd get reservations to be on the safe side. Also, if you start you night upstairs you can bring your drink down with you. read more

Summary based on one breakfast buffet --$13.95 in April, 2016 --ok food selection --ok service --we avoided the pricey dinner and ate upstairs at the more casual, reasonable lounge You're a captive audience in off season when there aren't any other options and the pricing reflects it. read more

4* Metate Room Is at the Far View Lodge, Mesa Verde Dining with a beautiful view of the valley Great food Loved the chile pork stew and the tortilla soup Vegetable salad with salmon was the bests Homemade tres leches dessert was the bomb Excellent wine by the glass Friendly international student interms Holli was the absolutely fabulous food server read more

We made reservations when we checked into hotel bc they said they were full.... reservations were for 8 and we were seated by 8:05. Although I think they were a little caught off guard and understaffed for the number of guests dining in this restaurant as well as lounge upstairs, I think they did a pretty good job. Our waitress, Jessica (I think that was her name), was awesome and really took care of us! Since it was later than we usually eat, we only had soup and salad, but both were exceptional. The chicken posole soup was great, and the spinach strawberry salad and the Cobb salad were both great! Very impressed by the quality of food in the park. read more

So.... This review is actually for the Far View Lounge which is above the restaurant. I gotta tell you, we were VERY impressed. The view from their terrace is surreal, so you're off to an amazing start right out of the gate. We ate there on 3 different nights, and our waiter Christian was outstanding. Very attentive and extremely personable. The other wait staff were also great, and the live music added to the ambiance. They had about a dozen Colorado beers in bottles and 3 more on tap, so the beer offerings will satisfy you for more than 1 trip. The food was very creative and well made. We had most of the appetizers on the menu, including wild boar sliders served with Chipotle pita - unusual and outstanding. Quesadillas with an excellent chipotle cream sauce, Multicolored tortilla chip encrusted turkey strips served with prickly pear and pepper relish, and a queso that was very complex and excellent. I expected an experience worth 3 stars, and have to extend 4. These people know how to deliver interesting fare at a good price for the quality. Foodies will be impressed, so don't hesitate to give them a try when visiting the National Park. They can only enhance an already magical experience. read more

Great view. Incredibly overrated food . Beyond uninterested service( except for very nice hostess ). Four of us shared two appetizers that were fine but not special and all 4 entrees were unexceptional. The flatbreads were soggy and inedible. For four hungry hikers there was a lot left on plates. The after dinner chocolate bars found in the gift shop were the best part of the meal. Go upstairs and eat quesadillas for a lot less money and the same view. read more

My parents and I stayed at the Farview Lodge in Mesa Verde and we opted to eat here both nights. We were pleasantly surprised! None of us could believe this place only got 3 stars on yelp. I'm a foodie and Im very picky about my restaurants. I enjoyed my pork chop the first night and short ribs the 2nd. Both were delicious and tender. The chicken with blue corn waffle that my dad ordered was moist and had a very nice smoke flavor. The vegetarian ancient grain risotto was great as well. Entrees come with a choice of soup or salad and bread with olive oil is served as well. The chocolate cake was great for dessert. The apple gallete looked delicious but was the size of an entire pie...so I opted not to order it. The views were fantastic and both of our servers were very friendly and attentive. read more

Metate Room - Pork Chop - American Near Me - Mancos, Colorado

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I am staying at the Far View Lodge, which I will write a separate review for. Basically, it has a monopoly as the only place to stay within the national park -- it's 20 miles in, up dark windy roads, so pretty much anyone who stays here also eats at Metate Room to avoid having to drive 45 minutes out of the park, on winding roads in the dark. On a Tuesday night, at 7pm, I headed down to the Metate Room, the "fine dining" restaurant, which does not take reservations. There was a wait of OVER AN HOUR. On a Tuesday. In the ONLY place within 45 minutes to eat (there's an upstairs bar that serves only appetizers). The whole lobby area was filled with hungry, grumpy people. And really, there isn't anywhere else to go, so everyone staying here is sort of stuck waiting. Since I was dining alone (here for work), I asked if I could order food to go. I was told by one person that the wait would still be an hour, and by another that it would only be 10-15 minutes. I ordered probably the simplest thing possible-- chili and a side salad and decided to wait. It took an incredible 50 minutes for me to get my extremely simple order. Now I'm no restauranteur, but as I watched the dining room in action, it seemed incredibly inefficient. It was a large space, with sparse tables. They could have easily fit more tables. A table for 8 sat empty the entire time I was there, and could have been split into smaller tops. Servers and the host sort of meandered about, looking un-phased by the incredibly long line of people waiting to be seated. Now really, I wasn't in a big hurry, and might not have even posted a review had the meal been decent, but I about died laughing when I unpacked my to-go order that I had waited 50 minutes for, and cost $41 (I had wine too). Remember, this is a pretty pricey fine dining restaurant. I got my $11 white chicken chili IN A STARBUCKS CUP. And not even a big one-- it was just a tall :) The $9 salad was bitter dry mixed greens with about 10 corn kernels on top in a tiny to go box. Greens without dressing are just cruel. And I even like salad. The only pro is that the starbucks cup chili was actually pretty good, as was the cornbread. If I can figure out how to get a photo of my hilarious meal up here, I will. I mean really, thank god for the wine. read more

Metate Room - My 50 min. wait to-go order: $11 chili in a Starbucks cup (a tall cup no less!) and $9 salad with no dressing. - American Near Me - Mancos, Colorado

Average at best. Metate Room wants to be upscale but settles for mid-range quality. It is a good choice if you're staying inside the park at Mesa Verde, as it will save you the long drive into Cortez and back. The food was ok, but it was nothing special. Hub and I split the rattlesnake & pheasant sausage appetizer which was fairly tasty due to the grain mustard and sherry aioli. For entrees, Hub had the petite filet (he enjoyed it) and I had the Mesa Verde Chopped Salad, which was fresh, but was otherwise bland. The waitstaff was attentive and pleasant. The best thing Metate Room has going for it is its convenience. read more

We ate at the Metate Room for convenience and were very happy with the food and service. Service was friendly and pleasant. The food was delicious. I had the trout. It was perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious. I didn't have soup or salad but my companions said they were both excellent. The dining room itself was lovely with a fabulous view. Conversation was easy to hear and there was sufficient room between tables for comfort and to let the waiters pass without getting too close to the diners. My one quibble is the background flute music. 10 minutes of it would have been charming, but after 20 minutes of it we wanted to stick forks in our ears to make it stop. And it kept going -- on and on and on. It never stopped. You could tune it out for a bit but then it would suddenly arrive back into your consciousness like fingernails on a blackboard. As I said, 10 minutes of it = charming. More than that was just inhumane. read more

Tips for a wonderful evening at Metate: a) Make a reservation b) get Vanna for your server c) if you are seated by the windows (best view) dress warmly d) come hungry the portions are more than adequate e) order anything on the menu that seems to appeal to you. Over two nights, we tried the salmon salad, the tortellini, the short rib, the trout, and the potato chips (the weakest dish, but still O.K). None of the entrees were less than very good. read more

Traveling to Mesa Verde? Avoid this place like the plague, it can ruin your visit. Spam sandwiches while sitting outside on the curb in the midday sun would be an improvement. Server was charming and witty but betrayed by a slow, inefficient, incompetent kitchen. Food was mediocre to bad across the board, the wait time for it was laughable, the prices an insult: they should have paid us for the wasted hours we'll never get back. I emailed management, got a reply that they would address it in a subsequent communication, then...silence. They bought themselves some extremely poor word-of-mouth advertising. read more

When I left here, I was glad that I was in a National Park. You see, I enjoyed the meal so much that it literally hurt to breathe. And I needed to walk off some of that desert. Thankfully, we, my wife and I, limited ourselves to one piece of cake for desert, as it was a massive slab of sugar and calories. Delicious, but I wouldn't want to face that on my own! The appetizers and entrees were really surprisingly delicious for a restaurant located within a National Park. The wine was also delectable. Service was excellent. But the winner for the experience was the location, not surprisingly. Large windows look out form the top of Mesa Verde towards the South. You can easily see New Mexico. What an environment for a 4-star meal! Prices are a little high, so it may not be for everyone. But after spending thousands of miles in the car, camping and eating on the road, this was a treat I'm glad we decided to give to ourselves. read more

The Metate Room, part of Fair View Lodge sits within Mesa Verde National Park. I work in a lot of National Parks so have an opportunity to eat in a lot of the park concessions. They're usually over-priced and under-good. The Metate Room is the rare exception. The food was terrific, a creative regional mix of Southwest and Pueblo cuisines. And it was reasonably priced! I ate there three nights in a row with a group of 8 people, so between us we probably sampled much of the menu -- I never heard a complaint, only raves. Appetizers, main dishes, desserts were all delicious! The decor is simple southwest and most tables have nice views out to the distant vistas. If you're visiting the park, stay up top for dinner before dropping back down to Cortez for the night. If you're in Cortez, consider the trip to Far View for dinner! read more

This review is for the Far View Lounge which is associated with the Metate Room This place should be considered the 4th eating establishment at Mesa Verde and is rarely mentioned. This is good for dinner if you don't want the cafeteria experience of Far View Terrace, fast food experience of Spruce Tree or the fine dining experience of the Metate Room. It is located at the Far View Lodge main building on the 2nd floor and casts itself as a bar with a bar menu with reasonable prices (as far as national park food is concerned). I do not consider it part of the Metate Room restaurant which already has its own bar (small) contained within. You will not believe the beautiful sunsets you will see from the outdoor patio or indoor area with the plateau vistas, followed by the moon rising and stars if it is not overcast. If you are an internet junky--the tables here have great wifi. They have a decent selection of beer (Ska on tap) and wine. The bar menu has some interesting dishes. The hummus "pizza" on Navajo bread was very good. The boar meat sliders using pita bread was excellent. My chicken tenders coated with confettied fried tortillas on a salsa jam was incredibly bland. Staff were nice but seemed poorly coordinated--I found this odd especially since this was towards the downturn of the tourist season. My first server admitted that she usually works the Metate Room. I watched her colleague make a margarita (they're large and served in a beer pint glass) --I don't think he went to a bartending school--and watched people happily drink them down. read more

We stayed 2 nights at the Far View Lodge and it was a great time for us. I made reservations at the Metate Room far in advance and the food was great! we got a great table with AMAZING views! I had the Elk Wellington and that dish was very good but my favorite dish was the Crispy Prickly Pear Pork Belly, definitely recommend that dish to anyone eating at the Metate room. read more

This restaurant has a beautiful view and good service, but some of the worst food we've had ever. It's not cheap either. As my husband signed the bill, all he could say was 'it's a crime.' We love unusual sauces and flavors, but it's got to taste good. read more

I think the 3.5 star average as being spot on. The reason I gave 4 is because my husband thought it was closer to 4. We both had a salad, which were kinda small for the price, but decent. We both had the Elk Wellington, bit I almost changed my mind when the waiter said we couldn't order it med rare. It had to be med to med well! Whoever heard of that!? I felt the puff pastry was slightly undercooked, but over all tasty. The one thing I really liked was the fact that they had mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes and roasted brussels sprouts. I might add that my husband and I always eat at the National Parks upscale dining rooms and this one was in the top of those that we have eaten in. read more

What a wonderful place to eat in a National Park! The vegan and vegetarian dishes were amazing, the soup and salads had great flavor, the wine was super and the view from the restaurant was AMAZING!!! We were in the Park for 2 nights and ate here both nights and loved everything. It was all great quality and the service was excellent. read more

Food was delicious. I had the three sisters vegetarian meal and it was one of the best vegetarian meals I've ever had. Besides the food, the service was subpar. We waited 30 minutes past the wait time they estimated. The host was rude and briskly walked to our table without looking back to make sure we were following. As a result, we almost had to find our table on our own. Once seated a woman asked if we would like wine. I said, I had a beer at the bar and before I could ask for one, she said, "I like beer." then she turned around and walked off. We were dumbfounded. Our waiter, who was very professional, and the food made the visit worth while. read more

It was the amazing dinner. We had the shrimp and steak appetizer. One of the most delicious and memorable ever. The trout was out if this world. Scott, the four and beverage manager and executive chef delivers world class gourmet extravaganza, at most reasonable prices. Thank you Scott for a most memorable experience read more

Horrible food. It gets worse every year we visit. My suggestion would be to eat before you get to the park.

The restaurant had a nice view. I ordered the roasted poblano pepper, which disappointingly was actually fried. It had good flavor; I picked off the fried coating though. My husband ordered the elk wellington, which is only served medium. It was coated with some sort of gravy or sauce in attempt, I think, to hide the fact that it was cooked more than simply medium. Overall, restaurant was a little pricey, but likely the best restaurant around. read more

I've been coming here literally for fifteen years. Sometimes I think it's one of the main reasons I come to Mesa verde, but the truth is, I al out never have a great meal here. Some are good, some are poor but all are dominated by the fantastic view over the mesa that you just can't get anywhere else. Location : The restaurant has about half its back overlooking the Mesa with enormous windows. The best seats are those near the windows and they go fast. Even watching a storm rolling in is worhth the cost of often mediocre food. Service: service varies widely in terms of competence because these are seasonal workers. Sometimes it's good, sometimes not so much. But I've found it to almost always be friendly and pleasant. Food: I've ordered lots and lots of items and seen the menu go through many changes. If there is anything to be learned from these experiences it is to order the simple things. The more complex the more likely I am to be disappointed. I'll review the most recent meal here: I tried the fry bread pizza as a starter. The fry bread resembled dry pita, nothing like usual fry bread. There was a light dusting of flavorless toppings. I ate two pieces just to try to convince myself I was missing something. I wasn't. Left the remainder.couldnt even get the rest of the group to eat it. I also ordered the chile rellenos. This literally gagged me because there was so much stringy cheese in that I couldn't even chew and swallow it. I gave up on the filling after two bites and just worked on the chile itself which was fried in a light cornmeal batter. The rest of the table shared a salad which was fine. We also ordered some food from the chidrens menu to go. This was a good deal. It included spaghetti with marinara, rice and French fries. A note on the lounge upstairs: you can get great views upstairs from inside or from the outside deck ( very windy). They serve small plates, cocktails and beer and wine up there. But our experience was poor due to the service. We asked if they would make a golden Cadillac, the waiter replied, "no, but even if I could you wouldn't want it because it would cost like $12". He was unable to recommend a beer off the list, just kind of shrugged when we asked. He would not give us a new empty glass to pour a watered down Pepsi in, and he was generally unfriendly and inconvenienced by our party. I did not include this experience in my ratings of the restaurant, but would give the lounge only two stars. read more

My $9.50 caesar salad was five leaves of romaine on a plate. The dressing was NOT a caesar but a sweetish balsamic. My server was kind enough to bring another when i mentioned the small portion. But it still wasn't very good. The mushroom soup was fine and the elk pie my husband had was tasty. read more