My family has dined at Pine Creek Cookhouse many times over the years, and until this past visit, I would have gladly given it 5 STARS. But, this visit was SO bad - and the server and manager - so rude, we will likely never go back. I do want to separate the ski touring center from this though because the XC and snowshoeing trails there are top notch - super well maintained & so much fun! Now, back to dinner - on this visit, the food was nowhere near the caliber it has been in the past. It was still good, and we could have accepted that except that our dinner service was non-existent and rude when present. We were a party of 2 this trip, and clearly treated as unimportant (there is an automatic 20% gratuity so apparently they don't care about good service) - it was how fast can we get their order, throw all the plates on the table, ignore them and get them out. At one point, they put 3 courses on our table at the same time - we had already commented twice that the kitchen was sending it out too fast and we felt rushed. The manager brought a dish over, my dining companion noted it was too fast, and the manager said "yes, the kitchen is fast" and walked away! We had to get a pitcher for our own water refills. We spent $675 on dinner for 2 with wine, and were treated horribly. We asked to speak with the manager again, and he claimed he hadn't been to the table the first time and basically told us he didn't care, then stared away in the other direction as we paid and got ready to leave. I have never been treated so badly in a restaurant that is supposed to be providing a quality dining experience in a special atmosphere. As my dining companion put it, one does not drive 30 minutes down a dark road, XC ski 3 miles round trip and pay $675 for fast food and rude service. One could go to McDonald's for that and likely get better service. Beyond disappointed that this formerly fantastic place has become a nasty money suck. read more

Horse drawn sleigh ride dinner. Great experience and great food. February 2nd dinner reservations with full moon. Group of 9 and we were quickly checked at the cabin. Sleigh had warm blankets and the scenery on the way to and from restaurant was breathtaking; especially under a full moon. Food was great with an amuse bouche and three courses; 1st course had two options, 2nd and 3rd had three options. Price was great given it includes both the sleigh ride and dinner. Service was spot on and courses were paced appropriately. Entire party was VERY glad we booked this dinner. *Note- drive is through the mountains and leave for plenty time for driving. Also check with your ride share if they are willing to make this drive. read more

Are you from out of state and want the Colorado experience? Hell, are you IN state and want the Colorado experience? Look no further than the Pine Creek Cookhouse. Here's the deal. You drive out to this remote patch in the woods where a sleigh drawn by GIGANTIC horses awaits (seriously, these horses are huge). The sleigh will take you to the top of the hill where the Cookhouse is (it's not drivable terrain), which is where you will dine on delicious game. The price per person includes the sleigh ride, the meal and tip. The interior of the cookhouse is a gigantic log cabin with a roaring fire. It is just BEAUTIFUL in the winter. It's very cozy. The menu is set - you pick one appetizer, one main course and one dessert. Some entrees incur additional costs, but some don't. We started off with warm, crusty bread. Mmmm. I love bread - it's my crack. Anyway. For my app, I chose the salad with cranberries, candied pistachios, apple, balsamic dressing and cambozola cheese. It was delightful. If I had to change something I would have included more of those delicious pistachios and the cambozola cheese. So tasty! For my entree I chose the herb roasted salmon served over a root vegetable puree and string beans. FIrst off, this salmon was cooked perfectly. It was so tender, it just fell apart. With fish, there's a fine line between undercooked, perfection, and overcooked, and Pine Creek Cookhouse found the sweet spot. I LOVE root vegetables (this may have been rutabaga?) so obviously I was knee deep in that vegetable puree. Everyone else ordered the elk and inhaled it. My husband loved his. For dessert my husband and I got the pecan pie with creme anglaise. My aunt and uncle got the apple crisp. My aunt and uncle's crisps could have served 2+ people each, seriously. They were huge. Our pie slices were normal sized and super tasty. I don't have pecan pie too often (once a year kind of thing), so this was a nice treat. The creme anglaise was a nice touch. This place is pricey, but it's more than just a meal - it's an experience. If you make it out to Aspen, I highly recommend it. read more

Pine Creek Cookhouse - Inside the cookhouse - New American Near Me - Aspen, Colorado

Freaking love this place it's an experience you must partake plus the fabulous food!! But the views are unbelievable a must!!

View is gorgeous and the space is cool but the menu is completely overpriced for what it is, especially the kids menu. Food is good but not great and not worth it. read more

I don't even know where to start? This was overall the most disappointing part of our entire Christmas vacation, which has been wonderful. First off, I think in my life I have made 2 reviews on yelp, I am actually making this the second we walked into the condo from returning from the "pine creek experience". The food was frankly nasty. From the appetizer that came cold, which they still charged me for, to my son's mean that came with chips instead of the potatoes and brocolli on the menu, to my raw burger, to my daughter getting pasta (gross) instead of the burger she ordered, to my daughters chicken strips which were soooooo gross. This was literally the worst meal of our trip and the manager could have cared less. Do not waste your money- this cost me $750 and a $300 ride to get there- it was the most wasted money of our trip. read more

Gorgeous setting. Enjoyed sitting outside. Price fix menu is confusing. Recommend they simplify rather than add ons.

WOW, just wow! This was such a treat! Between the views, the lodge, and the food - truly felt like the Aspen experience I was looking for! I would definitely come back to show it off to friends and family! read more

From the moment we walked in the service experience was terrible. They refused to let us sit at a table with an umbrella even through it was empty and couldn't offer a better alternative. There was a pre fixe menu that was exorbitant for lunch and no options for my children who would not eat $75 worth of food. The food arrived and was not even good and besides our actual waiter who was great, it was all around a miserable experience. Even more disappointing as we used to love this place in the old days and always made it a part of our stays in Aspen. read more

I love Pine Creek Cookhouse. We've been going for years and the food is always amazing. I do think the cost is overinflated but you are also paying for an amazing setting! Stephanie, our server was fantastic! I realize things are out of sorts due to Covid but the reservation process was horrible! It took a ridiculous amount of phone calls to finally connect with someone. Then to confirm was another comedy of errors. PCC - your voicemail was often full and no email option for individual reservations. Perhaps a general email might help you trace requests and arrangements made? Or, maybe a log or dated file so the people making & confirming reservations have better communication? It took so much time making this happen... hopefully things smooth out for you. read more

We went to Pine Creek cookhouse with our family in a group of ten people. It was the worst experience possible . It was a very cold night. We were suffering in the sleigh and could not take the cold anymore . After 20 minutes, We asked the man driving the sleigh how much longer as the kids were really cold. he lied to us saying that was still 40 min more to get to the restaurant Which was a lie as it was really 10 minutes . We had 4 young kids in our party . Instead of making us feel better that we were getting close and enjoyed creating much stress and some cry . What a jerk! The rudeness didn't stop there. At the restaurant the waiter was equally as rude . They probably think they don't have to be nice since 20% is charged automatically on big parties. He ordered the wrong food for me and had to rush to make another one. The result was a raw steak that I order medium . Even worst the kids steak came raw and my husbands over cooked. Besides everybody food coming out the wrong temperature, the food was bad . I could not believe a place like that would make such a bad food . To finish this Terrible night we had to pay a $2.570 bill . If you want to ruin your trip, this the perfect place to go ! Run Away! read more

Incredible location at the top of the world surrounded by the towering peaks of the Elk Range. Classic European cuisine and always prepared well. Service can be on or off, has been consistently better as of late. Requires a one mile hike, snowshoe, ski or sled ride over snow covered road during winter months. Be sure to confirm hours during off season and reservations are highly recommended and possibly required. read more

Good food, drinks, setting and great service from our waitress. Even seeing a bear as we were leaving was a treat.

pine creek cookhouse is amazing! extraordinary food cooked to perfection! one of our favs for decades! my one wish a specialty cooking class maybe offered 3 times a year! I want a class! read more

Nothing better than the patio in the summer! Love this place again and again. It is easier to make reservations now so it's a no brainer!

Such a great experience! We had dinner at the Pine Creek Cookhouse and took the sleigh ride out to the restaurant. Both the ambiance and the food here are more than what we were expecting. The ride out to the cookhouse via sleigh is about 20min and the views of the mountains and stars are spectacular. I though that maybe this restaurant would be all about the experience and not so much about the food, but I was so wrong! Everything from the starters to the dessert were delicious and the staff was excellent. Although pricey, if you can afford to come here, you should!! read more

Pine Creek Cookhouse - New American Near Me - Aspen, Colorado

To say we were underwhelmed is a gross understatement. The best part was the horse drawn sleigh ride, but other than that, the price does not even come close to what we received in return. My wife and I ordered medium rare sirloin while our two girls ordered medium. My wife's and mine were well done (charred actually) and our daughters were overcooked as well. We mentioned this to the server and got an "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry." The manager happened to pass by about 15-20 minutes later on so I stopped them. I told them about our experience and got the same "I'm sorry to hear that" response. I was informed they have a new(er) head chef, but again, just the "sorry" comment otherwise. The manager then came back and said they removed a glass of wine and another drink ($35 worth). Mind you we paid $1300 for four people for this "amazing" experience and dinner, only to be extremely let down. I mentioned that Outback Steakhouse has much better steaks than what we were served, and for a mere fraction of the cost at that. The look of shock on their faces was priceless. It was almost as if they felt they are too good to be told that. We saved up to go on this trip to Aspen and to also go to this restaurant (it's the ONLY thing my wife wanted to do actually since she doesn't ski). We could have eaten lunch and dinner all four days we were in Aspen for what we paid for this one dinner, it was horrible. To add insult to injury, we did not realize we had to get a "private driver" to take us to dinner from Aspen Village, as there are no Uber/Lyft and the Mountain High Taxi service does not go up to the restaurant this time of year. This ride cost us $400 ($200 each way). Other companies wanted $400 each way so we figured $200 each way was a "bargain" I guess? Granted, if we had a car we wouldn't have had to pay for a ride but nearly everyone who flies in town for winter does not get a rental car because they can rely on shuttles or just walk since everything else is so close. Not to mention most have probably never driven in snowy/icy conditions. So, all in all we spent $1700 for a less than Outback Steakhouse quality dinner and got absolutely nothing in return other than 2 free drinks. Are you kidding me??? Aside from the sleigh ride, TOTAL disappointment. Save your money and go elsewhere. read more

Seems that it is a common thread when reading the previous reviews that the sleigh ride was the best part. Absolutely! This is definitely not a dining experience. The food was terrible and the service was worse. They got you on the preset price so no real need to give even mediocre service. This felt like a complete gouge. Honestly, the owners should be ashamed. Sad. read more

Delicious summer lunch. The smoked trout melt may have been the best sandwich that I have ever had. Really. price was high. The portion was small. read more

Pine Creek Cookhouse - From the pond. - New American Near Me - Aspen, Colorado

Hike in was worth it, food excellent. Loved the duck confit sandwich especially. Highly recommend.

We love going up to the Pinecreek Cookhouse every year w/ friends & family. It's always good food & the views are spectacular

It is a beautiful setting and the service was friendly and attentive. food is just ok and would have loved for the hostess to welcome our group with a smile. ordered the trout which was a little disappointing. read more

Great food. Great service. Great view. Always a highlight. Especially good if you've ridden there.

Wonderful evening....excellent service, great atmosphere. Will take all future out-of-town guests.

Last year came with a group and it was a 6 out of 5 stars-best meal of 2021 and loved every bite!! Truly special. Was excited to come back this year and experience it all over again but was disappointed by a few things...ordered the ratatouille as an app because it sounded delicious and it was nothing like the dish it claimed to be. Ratatouille is a French dish with a heavy tomato presence cooked in a casserole dish. I asked the server if it was baked in a casserole dish and she said yes. What came was basically a bowl of sautéed veggies no tomato to be seen and not all the veggies listed were even present. $32 for a cereal bowl sized portion of sautéed veggie hunks not worth it. We all ordered either steak or boar chops and the portion of mashed potatoes was miniature. Like two forkfuls. Boar was extremely chewy but flavor was good. It was fine but not memorable. If you are going to charge so much for a dish, at least load me up on some of the mashed potatoes and sides! Desserts were delicious, highlight of the meal other than the bread rolls. Server was very nice, service was quick for so many courses and ambience and scenery is epically beautiful. Truly a magical place but tonight the food did not get the home run it did last year and that really bums me out. In light of this probably would not recommend. read more

Beware of the fine print! This place gives no refunds even though we had to cancel our entire trip due to a Covid exposure. They refused to budge. I canceled almost a full week before our reservation, so I'm sure they were able to fill our seats in the sleigh and at the table. Bad business practice in a time when we have little control over our circumstances. Even our hotel gave us a 100% refund. read more

We have been to PCC at least 15 times. We always loved the location, experience and food. Service has always been hit or miss, but it's fine. This time was very different. Given Covid restrictions, lots of restaurants in the Aspen area are charging minimums, etc. But at PCC, they pretty much doubled the prix fixe menu amount, obligate everyone in the party to order the full menu, and charge all the rest on top. It is not explained clearly when you reserve. They simply say $125 pp is charged, which to me means a minimum not an obligatory force-feeding. Just to summarize, our 6 person lunch cost $1400. Not cool and though the location is nice, this is way more than what a soup and a burger is worth. I think they have lost perspective -Covid rules should not mean clients pay the entire cost. Then when Covid is over, no clients. read more

Totally a wonderful experience both the Colorado blog building, excellent food and super staff. Once a week they were having a country western band which was a lot of fun. read more

Always a great experience. We were so happy to see our darling server, Rachel again. We walked from Ashcroft Nordic Center and it took about 45 minutes each way. If you take an Uber to Ashcroft make sure you get the Uber drivers name and try to reserve something before they leave. Cell service is nonexistent. And you have to rely on their landline at Pine Creek to reserve a ride. Food and wine is amazing.as are the views!!! read more

Pine Creek Crook House! I have visited this restaurant many times in the past and most recently during the winter break. Their email confirmation is not clear enough as to how the minimum food consumption works. Their service staff is great but the manager John is the most unprofessional person I have ever spoken with. Change the management and be clear and upfront with customers and this place will be great again. read more

We had a great time at Pine Creek Cookhouse. The food was great, the service was amazing and the sleigh ride was spectacular. We celebrated a 50th wedding anniversary there and our experience was worthy of such a momentous event. The entire team worked really hard to ensure we had a great experience and they delivered. read more

Love this place. The food, scenery is awesome. We usually take a hike in the area and come back for a gourmet lunch.

Most of the times when you go to a restaurant for the view, the food lacks severely - NOT at Pine Creek. For starters we tried the trout, which was completely delicious and I wish I could order something like that at home (you'd think in Miami that type of dish would be available!). For our lunch, we had the burger, bratwurst, and the mushroom and spinach crepe. The crepe was delicious and tasty but a bit oily. The bratwurst was probably my favorite dish out of all of them and although I didn't try the burger, my husband liked it. The service was good. So, yeah, I'm a fan! You can't beat the view and a good meal. read more

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This place is aaamazing!!! This is my first visit here and hopefully will not be the last. The food, the people, the view and the road that leads to this winter wonderland is what makes this place beautiful and unique. We took the cat mobile to the cookhouse and the sleigh ride on our way back. Just getting back and forth in itself is an adventure worth the visit. The meal we had was fresh, healthy, filling and cooked to perfection. We were in a group of 4 and we had quite the selection: smoked trout, mushroom soup, fresh salmon, buffalo burger and the elk. As we dined - the view of the snow capped mountains can be seen through the large windows. read more

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Food was fine but service was horrible. We had hoped to order wine to pair with out meal but our server went MIA as soon as we placed our order. We were also seated in the sun and starting to burn. When we sat down we asked for an umbrella, server said no (even though another server brought an umbrella for the table text to us). We asked to swap tables for one in the shade, were again told no because another seating would happen in an hour and a half. We asked to move inside, again told no. While the food was enjoyable and views are nice, with service this poor... it was not worth it. read more

The overall experience of a visit to Pine Creek Cookhouse has never disappointed. Whether you arrive by foot, snowshoe, skis, or sleigh...the cozy welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff, and amazing food is awaiting you. Expensive, but well worth it! read more

An incredible place for a great family meal. The setting is the best in Aspen -- panoramic mountain views. The service is always excellent, and the waiters are invested in making the meal a fantastic experience. We have gone every year for 10 years, and it has never failed to be one of the highlights of our time in Aspen. I'd recommend getting the pine creek salad -- the cheese they use is unusual. Go when it's still light out to take pictures! read more

Such a worthwhile experience! Some girlfriends and I decided to eat here while visiting Aspen, and I felt like it was totally worth the high price tag. We chose to cross country ski out there and the guides were really friendly and helpful with teaching us how. We felt like we earned our food after arriving at the cozy cottage. The food was even better than expected! Each course was delicious and perfectly prepared. The service was wonderful at the restaurant as well. I would definitely recommend this experience to anyone visiting Aspen! read more

Outstandingly prepared food. Such a beautiful rustic setting. Remote and lovely. Will go again and again!!!

Dropped $450 or so, in a sleigh ride and lunch, and the sleigh left us going back down. Manager was argumentative about refunding us for the ride, and ultimately refused. Food was ok. Scenery stunning. read more