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Wapiti Bar & Grill
Categories: Restaurants American (Traditional) Restaurants Burgers American (Traditional), Burgers [Edit]
247 W Elkhorn AveEstes Park, CO 80517
(970) 586-5056
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Drive-Thru:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
21 reviews for Wapiti Bar & Grill
21 reviews in English
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Review from Tara S.
10/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Interesting place. Amazing Colorado beer list, although the beer I had, recommended by our server and on tap, was flat.
My husband started with a cup of clam chowder (probably not the best choice for the middle of the Rocky Mountains) and it was... meh... definitely just canned soup. I, on the other hand, started with the hot chili. HOLY MOTHER OF CHILI. I like hot food. In fact, I like really hot food, so hot that many people couldn't eat it. This chili was playing no games. During my first bite, not anticipating the level of heat that I was about to partake in, I must have breathed in when I had the food in my mouth or right under my nose, and I broke out in a coughing fit! The hot peppers actually made me cough. But once I knew what I was getting myself into, I finished the entire thing. My husband, who likes hot food too (not quite on my level, but you really can't be married to me and not like spicy food), took one bite and had to go blow his nose. Basically, I thought this chili was amazing, but it is unbelievably hot. I sort of felt like the servers or cooks were probably watching from the kitchen, wondering if I could do it. There really should be a little more description on the menu, or at least have the servers advise people who are about to order this chili, "Have you had this before? Do you know what you're getting yourself into? Are you paid up on your life insurance?"
For entrees, I had the grilled salmon sandwich. It was fine. The salmon was very mild, which is the only way I like salmon (no strong fishy flavor), and had a nice aioli on it. It was a little boring, but after the chili, that might have been a good thing. My husband had a chicken philly sandwich with lots of peppers and onions, it was huge and he enjoyed it.
I would definitely suggest Wapiti for a quick, no frills lunch or dinner after a day in the mountains, especially if you've got a chill and think the only way you're going to warm up is a fire from within. Then get the hot chili. -
Review from Amy M.
1/23/2012 2 photos
Popped in here for a quick bite to eat. By this point in our trip my bf and I had not had the best culinary experiences in Estes Park. Seriously where does everyone eat? Both of us ordered grilled cheese's. You are allowed to pick up to 3 cheeses at no extra charge. I went with the side of onion rings which were crisp and tasty. Bf went with the fries which were thick cut and fresh. I was very pleased especially considering the 1 star meals I had this weekend. When the check came they also give you snack size packages of Oreos. The restroom was a little weird as there is a toilet that is flush against a wall so that you would have to sit sideways to use it.
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Review from Wendy K.
San Antonio, TX
6/23/2011
Two stars is a generous rating. The service was extremely slow. We were there for over an hour before we got our food. My drink was never refilled.
I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich. It was a bunch of chicken pieces pressed together and pan fried - not at all what I expected. Lettuce was wilted, but the other veggies on the plate were fine. The sweet potato fries were the only redeeming food item at the table- although I believe they were frozen. -
Review from larry b.
Woodstock, IL
11/6/2011
crappy service, cold , greasy food. ordered the Elk burger which was waay overcooked and flavourless. Locals call it the What a Pity Bar. Stay away gentle reader. Stay away.
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Review from RandyCP U.
Palo Alto, CA
7/12/2011
Free appetizer (up to $8) with Yelp. We got rib tips ($6) which were tasty but boney with a good sauce.
Poor draft beer selection, only 2 plus Bud. But lots of bottled beer. My draft (Fearless Youth) was horrible. When was the last time you left part of a beer behind at the end of a meal?
The girls split a 1/2 pound burger with onion rings ($12). They liked it. I got the bacon cheeseburger with a bison patty and sweet potato fries ($15). Burger was dry, sweet potato frys soggy and flavorless.
There were several issues when the check came. First they brought the bill for another table. Next they forgot to take off the free app.
Overall only a so so experience. I will try someplace else the next time I'm back in Estes. -
Review from David T.
Truth or Consequences, NM
7/25/2011
First of all, I'll start with the good. The burger I ordered (try an elk burger) was pretty good. Not amazing, but a perfectly good sandwich. The onion rings were a bit soggy with grease, but certainly edible. And the waitress was friendly.
Now the bad. The first issue was our seat, which was under a hot lamp that attracted lots of flying insects that kept landing on our table. One even landed on my friend's plate. I had to continually brush the insects aside or trap them under my glass. Health inspector, anyone?
The service was fine but slow. Some people were complaining when we got in that they had to ask for their check three times. Not sure if they ever got it...
I imagine there are nicer places in Estes Park to go to for about the same price. They're open until 10, so if you're desperate, you can go here (just don't sit under the hot lights in the back. -
Review from Nicole C.
3/28/2011
My husband and I stayed in Estes Park for our honeymoon and we decided to eat here after some other restaurants were very crowded. This one was pretty slow, so it was either unknown or really bad. Luckily for us it was really good!
Our waitress was very nice. I ordered a bacon chicken sandwich and my husband got a double burger (he added the extra burger patty for a couple dollars). We were both very pleased, especially because we weren't expecting much. It was one of the best chicken sandwiches I've ever had, and I order chicken sandwiches almost everywhere I go. He was very happy with his burger, too. The fries were good, but I barely remember them next to that delicious sandwich! Next time we are in Estes for lunch or dinner we will definitely go back! -
Review from Amanda M.
Tiverton, RI
11/10/2010 3 photos
Almost turned back to eat at one of the other restaurants on the street when we saw this place hidden in an alley. Good choice.
The fireplace was a great touch and the menu was huge. Took the suggestion for the Mahi Fish Tacos and also got an Elk Burger.
Also started with the buffalo wings which were not very meaty but still very tasty and they didn't skimp on the carrots and celery which I appreciate.
The Elk Burger wasn't my cup of tea, but that's my own taste. My boyfriend's Mahi Fish Tacos was delightfully enjoyed and devoured.
Service was fast and pleasant. -
Review from Angelica F.
Denver, CO
1/12/2011
Ate here for lunch yesterday on our day trip to Estes Park. The restaurant is cute and very warm in the 9 degree weather. However, the restrooms smell like old wood and it made me gag.
My friend ordered the pulled pork sandwich and had to order more sauce. I ordered the Salmon Salad and the salmon was very dry on iceberg lettuce. Meh, if you come here, order something else. -
Review from Deb G.
5/6/2011
Nice place in beautiful Estes Park! Cabin lodge feel with huge glass windows bring in lots of light and view of an indoor courtyard. The food was just ok. Could not eat the salad because it was too wilted, but I am very picky about a fresh, crisp salad. Too funny.... The salad was topped with Chex mix in lieu of croutons!!! Never seen that before. Very creative, actually. It crunches!!! The battered shrimp and onion rings were good and my friend liked the Kobe burger. Our waiter was great - he was very friendly and funny. First person, besides my wonderful Scottish hubby to describe everything as a "thingy." He, he.
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Review from Mahu J.
Denver, CO
7/15/2011
Overall, a pleasant experience. The service and establishment get 3 stars the food earned the 4th. I had the bison bacon cheeseburger with onion rings and a honey wheat ale. The beer was soo good as well as the burger. Always order bison if it's available as it's much leaner than beef and doesn't leave you feeling blah. The wait staff was a tad slow but I was in no hurry so it didn't completely bug me. The nachos appetizer will feed at least 4 people. Do not order if there's only two of you eating. They also had live performances going on with decent local musicians.
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Review from Adam S.
Albuquerque, NM
6/11/2011
3 stars for the food, plus one more...
Wapiti Bar has some pretty good food, no doubt. The atmosphere is nice but there were a few too many families with kids running around for my taste.
My wife had the buffalo burger with sweet potato fries, they were both quite good. The buffalo burger was served with cheese, coleslaw and homemade potato chips on it--unique (and slightly offputting to me) but it was surprisingly good. Only drawback would be that the burger was cooked to medium rare/medium instead of the requested rare/medium rare.
I had a half slab of ribs. It was a quite big half slab. The coleslaw was very good, the onion rings were good and the ranch dressing it was served with was outstanding. I'm pretty indifferent to ranch but this was excellent. Big drawback here, the ribs were obviously boiled and boiled pretty thoroughly before being thrown on a grill for finishing. While they were smokey and quite tasty, I find boiled ribs to be an almost unpardonable sin.
What gives Wapiti the extra star was one of the BEST menus of microbrews I've ever seen an a bar. They were all Colorado microbreweries and there were several selections from each one. About 13 breweries and maybe 60 beers in total. I've lived and traveled in several states that have a lot of microbrewers (Oregon, Washington, Michigan) and I don't think I've seen a bar that so well represents their state's beers. Extra plus because there wasn't a single Coors beer on the menu. I spoke to the owner who said that he was planning to bring the total to 75 and eventually to 100 beers. Very impressive and a great commitment to local beer.
So overall, pretty good food but spectacular beer. If you're a beer snob and really want a taste of Colorado microbrews, get smashed at Wapiti! -
Review from Karen M.
Carlsbad, CA
6/27/2011
SLOW service, average food. My son ordered mac & cheese and under the bowl was a wad of wilted lettuce. It was either a very poor attempt at unneccessary garnish or a very dirty plate. Our server was pleasant enough but had too many tables and no sense of urgency. We won't return.
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Review from Sandi D.
Aurora, CO
10/28/2009
Exactly what I expected from an Estes Park Bar & Grill.
Down, Dirty, & Mountain-like without trying to be "quaint" -- if that makes sense.
Super friendly, quick and efficient service.
Not a ton of menu choices; just the basics.
We both went with burgers; although we ordered them medium - rare, they both came out medium; but to their credit, it was still juicy and tasty, so neither of us considered complaining.
My onion rings weren't very good, but there wasn't that many of them anyway. The hubby said the fries were just OK -- very thick battered steak fries; a matter of taste whether you like those or my favorites, the shoestring.
All in all a solid place for a beer and a burger ! -
Review from Mike J.
Louisville, CO
9/6/2009
I stopped in here with my wife for lunch. It took a bit to get seated, and then a little bit for the waitress to get to us. I got the red chili and a cheeseburger with sweet potato fries. The food came extremely fast, so that's one plus. Atmosphere was ok.. It stunk like grilled onions.
The food was bad. The chili was bland, mild, and way too high bean-to-beef ratio. It tasted pretty similar to the chili from Wendy's, but with more tomato flavor. The burger was bland, dry, and not very good overall. Sweet potato fries were just ok.
My wife votes one star for this joint. I'll give it two just since we've only been there once.
We won't be going back.. There is a place nextdoor called Penelope's that looks like what we should have done for a burger. -
Review from Emily M.
8/22/2007
We rolled into Estes Park looking for a place to eat. This place caught our eye because of the reviews posted outside its door - someone said the waiter had a nice accent. Indeed he did - I think it was Russian(?).
Buffalo wings were eaten. I had a BLT, which was unspectacular. Others got elk and buffalo meat burgers, with varying degrees of spiciness. My two spice loving colleagues were impressed at the spiciness and were sweating madly with joy.
All in all a good meal and a good day. -
Review from Bill W.
Silver Spring, MD
5/11/2011
Like much of Estes Park, this place shuts down at 9 pm. A friend and I stopped by at 10 or 15 minutes before closing, and asked if we could still get dinner. We were greeted (and I use that term loosely) by three staff (yes, three), told yes, and then promptly seated.
And that's where our luck ran out.
Two different waitresses walked back and forth, passing our table at least a half dozen times. Eventually we thought looking at our menus was a signal we weren't ready, and we put them down. I even got up to peruse the bar offerings.
Seriously, it was like we were invisible.
It was apparent that one of the waitresses was rushing a nearby customer who had come in prior to us, but who was still being served from the kitchen. I hope that poor lady's food was worth the brash service she received.
Heck, at least she received service!
About 9 pm, we got up and left. I mentioned to one staff (one of the three who "greeted" us and who walked by us several times) on the way out that we were leaving since no one wanted to serve us. She made it obvious that she didn't care.
I'd love to rate Wapiti's food, but that's impossible since we didn't get any. Not even water! Not even the time of day (or night)!
We eventually found our way to Lake Mary Lodge, where we had both excellent food and friendly service. There was even live music. TIP: skip town and head directly to this lakeside treasure! -
Review from David H.
Sacramento, CA
3/11/2009
The place was pretty empty, but we were there during the off-season and on a Thursday Night. The food was pretty good. I tried the elk burger (first time having elk). Good stuff!
Anyway, if you're going to have dinner in Estes Park I recommend this place. Especially if you are looking to try an elk or buffalo burger. -
Review from Rachel M.
Aurora, CO
11/2/2010
Went here over the weekend, ordered the Elk Jam, which is their sampler platter. Round tip steak, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, & hot wings. HUGE! The sticks were not the typical frozen ones you fry. Homemade! I ordered a pulled pork sandwich which came on a corn-dusted bun. Delish. Hubby ordered the Fire burger-BIG MISTAKE! He took one bite and started sweating and drinking tons of water. Normally he can take spicy-to-hot food, but not this one! The waitress came back and he ordered something else and she comped his fire burger. The waitress was right on top of everything, constantly refilling our drinks and cleaning up. They also offer buffalo burgers and elk burgers for all you red meat eating people!
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Review from Dave F.
Denver, CO
8/15/2011
I got the elk burger. (To be fair it was to-go.) But I wasn't late picking it up, and it was beyond dry. I asked for it medium, and it looked well-done. Just not that good. Perhaps if I was eating in, it would have come out better, but what can I say?
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Review from M G.
Sacramento, CA
3/23/2009
Food was OK, and they had a good selection. We had a vegetarian in the group and she was able to find something to eat. I had the trout and it was cooked very well. Also, they give the option of getting fresh veggies instead of french fries as a side!
