My partner and I discovered Free Range Kitchen while researching fine dining options near Glenwood Springs. We made the 30-minute drive and were initially greeted politely by the host. The environment was intimate and beautiful. However, shortly after being seated, the experience declined.
For context, we are a younger couple, and throughout the evening we felt judged and unwelcome. Our server did not introduce herself and interacted with us very minimally. We were asked if we wanted drinks, but were never offered refills, neither for beverages nor for our water pitcher. She checked on our table only once during the entire meal and eventually dropped off the check without saying a word. Overall, the service felt inattentive and unfriendly.
We ordered the trout dip, the horseradish flavor was overwhelmingly strong but really tasty. My partner ordered the lamb, which the restaurant was out of; it was replaced with venison at the same price. I also ordered the house-made pappardelle, which was decent but arrived with an overly watery sauce.
After finishing our meal, we waited approximately 20 minutes before receiving our check, and when dessert was mentioned, it was asked in a noticeably curt and rude manner.
Overall, this was a disappointing experience after we were so excited for dinner.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
food blogger2026
food was exceptional, but the restaurant was very loud because of one table and the wait staff refused to ask the table to quiet down, this ruined the meal for me and my party
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Kristy Grau
We came here last night to celebrate my son’s 21st birthday, just the two of us, and left feeling disappointed.
The good: The atmosphere is lovely with great lighting and well-spaced tables. We started the evening with an excellent server, Kelly, who made a fantastic tequila recommendation. Unfortunately, she was pulled into the kitchen partway through the meal due to a staffing issue. The meatballs were a great starter, and the potatoes served with both of our entrées were excellent.
The neutral: We both ordered the filet, which was fine but not particularly memorable.
The disappointing: Our replacement server was unfriendly and abrupt, which noticeably changed the tone of the evening.
The biggest issue: Dessert service. Our desserts were delivered to the wrong table. I watched our server leave the pizza cookie (with a lit birthday candle…those guests were understandably confused) but then retrieve the crème brûlée a d deliver it to me after it had already been sitting at the other table for several minutes. I declined it and asked for a fresh dessert, which was met with clear attitude, despite being a reasonable request.
Checkout was equally impersonal — the check was dropped off with a quick “thanks for coming in” as the server walked away.
As Aspen locals who don’t dine out often, spending nearly $300 on what was meant to be a special celebration felt disappointing.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
Ryan Laemel
As a local, I’ve always loved Free Range. But recently prices have increased noticeably — for example, the burger went up almost 30% and most drinks/desserts 15% since summer — and service is not quite as warm as it used to be. For this price, I’d rather drive up to White House Tavern in Aspen.
Mike
The end of an era! Steve and Robin have done an awesome job of providing excellent dining experiences for the last nine years at Free Range. Hopefully the new owners will provide the same level of service
Peter King
We’ve eaten at Free Range several times over the years, and recently ate at the new location with extended family. Unfortunately it was rather disappointing. The new building and the overall atmosphere are great, but the food was inconsistent. Three in our party had the grilled flank steak and found it to be very tough. My wife had the pork chop, which was overcooked (and tough). (None of these are difficult to prepare.) To their credit, the Verlasso salmon was very good.
We’re used to paying more for good wine these days, but we generally get a decent pour. Free Range seems to pour about four ounces in a small glass, which is dishonest.
One last comment is that the wait staff tried several times to deliver food to our table, before we’d even ordered our food! Maybe they could use a table numbering system?
Overall this is not the Free Range Kitchen that we used to know. We won’t be returning anytime soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
Renee
It's always a 5☆ evening at Free Range. Everything is outstanding starting with your welcome by the owners, the chef's delicious food and specials, an enthusiastic and friendly wait staff,and a thank you for your busines when you leave. We are so lucky that Robin and Steven brought Free Range to life in Basalt, CO in such a delightful surrounding.
Jean Korte
Love the staff, atmosphere and location
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joel
It was our first time at the new location, having eaten at the old location several times years ago. Our waiter was definitely overwhelmed. Everything took quite a while to receive once it got crowded but we were not in a rush so it wasn't a problem. I ordered a caesar salad which was brought at the same time as all the entrees. That was a problem. It was very annoying because I would have liked time to savor the salad and not have to eat my entree (the curry) at the same time so it wouldn't get cold. The salad was delicious btw as were all the entrees. No complaints there. The manager stopped by and she generously offered to comp the salad and my wife's dessert which was nice but the screw up might have ruined my night with family. Nevertheless we would return in the future and give it another chance.
Arica Haering Realtor
Positively delicious! Fresh and healthy choices!!!!! Clearly fresh ingredients! Wonderful atmosphere. The crack pie was to die for!
The service sucks! Bunch of untrained kids. Food is okay, but not worth the price. Owner is crabby and bossy.
Caylea
Wonderful spot to dine in Basalt, right along the river. Great indoor and outdoor seating options. Our server José was so friendly and lovey all evening.
Every dish we had — from the gazpacho, arancini, free range salad, to the roast chicken, Colorado corn ravioli, salmon, and burger — were all delicious. We also enjoyed our cocktails! Our party of four loved every last bit of food in a great setting as the sun set. Highly recommend, the flavors, plating, and size of the dishes will not disappoint!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tami
Always a great experience. Food is fresh and delicious; service is excellent and great to be able to sit outside!
My partner and I discovered Free Range Kitchen while researching fine dining options near Glenwood Springs. We made the 30-minute drive and were initially greeted politely by the host. The environment was intimate and beautiful. However, shortly after being seated, the experience declined.
For context, we are a younger couple, and throughout the evening we felt judged and unwelcome. Our server did not introduce herself and interacted with us very minimally. We were asked if we wanted drinks, but were never offered refills, neither for beverages nor for our water pitcher. She checked on our table only once during the entire meal and eventually dropped off the check without saying a word. Overall, the service felt inattentive and unfriendly.
We ordered the trout dip, the horseradish flavor was overwhelmingly strong but really tasty. My partner ordered the lamb, which the restaurant was out of; it was replaced with venison at the same price. I also ordered the house-made pappardelle, which was decent but arrived with an overly watery sauce.
After finishing our meal, we waited approximately 20 minutes before receiving our check, and when dessert was mentioned, it was asked in a noticeably curt and rude manner.
Overall, this was a disappointing experience after we were so excited for dinner.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
food was exceptional, but the restaurant was very loud because of one table and the wait staff refused to ask the table to quiet down, this ruined the meal for me and my party
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
We came here last night to celebrate my son’s 21st birthday, just the two of us, and left feeling disappointed.
The good: The atmosphere is lovely with great lighting and well-spaced tables. We started the evening with an excellent server, Kelly, who made a fantastic tequila recommendation. Unfortunately, she was pulled into the kitchen partway through the meal due to a staffing issue. The meatballs were a great starter, and the potatoes served with both of our entrées were excellent.
The neutral: We both ordered the filet, which was fine but not particularly memorable.
The disappointing: Our replacement server was unfriendly and abrupt, which noticeably changed the tone of the evening.
The biggest issue: Dessert service. Our desserts were delivered to the wrong table. I watched our server leave the pizza cookie (with a lit birthday candle…those guests were understandably confused) but then retrieve the crème brûlée a d deliver it to me after it had already been sitting at the other table for several minutes. I declined it and asked for a fresh dessert, which was met with clear attitude, despite being a reasonable request.
Checkout was equally impersonal — the check was dropped off with a quick “thanks for coming in” as the server walked away.
As Aspen locals who don’t dine out often, spending nearly $300 on what was meant to be a special celebration felt disappointing.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
As a local, I’ve always loved Free Range. But recently prices have increased noticeably — for example, the burger went up almost 30% and most drinks/desserts 15% since summer — and service is not quite as warm as it used to be. For this price, I’d rather drive up to White House Tavern in Aspen.
The end of an era! Steve and Robin have done an awesome job of providing excellent dining experiences for the last nine years at Free Range. Hopefully the new owners will provide the same level of service
We’ve eaten at Free Range several times over the years, and recently ate at the new location with extended family. Unfortunately it was rather disappointing. The new building and the overall atmosphere are great, but the food was inconsistent. Three in our party had the grilled flank steak and found it to be very tough. My wife had the pork chop, which was overcooked (and tough). (None of these are difficult to prepare.) To their credit, the Verlasso salmon was very good.
We’re used to paying more for good wine these days, but we generally get a decent pour. Free Range seems to pour about four ounces in a small glass, which is dishonest.
One last comment is that the wait staff tried several times to deliver food to our table, before we’d even ordered our food! Maybe they could use a table numbering system?
Overall this is not the Free Range Kitchen that we used to know. We won’t be returning anytime soon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
It's always a 5☆ evening at Free Range. Everything is outstanding starting with your welcome by the owners, the chef's delicious food and specials, an enthusiastic and friendly wait staff,and a thank you for your busines when you leave. We are so lucky that Robin and Steven brought Free Range to life in Basalt, CO in such a delightful surrounding.
Love the staff, atmosphere and location
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It was our first time at the new location, having eaten at the old location several times years ago. Our waiter was definitely overwhelmed. Everything took quite a while to receive once it got crowded but we were not in a rush so it wasn't a problem. I ordered a caesar salad which was brought at the same time as all the entrees. That was a problem. It was very annoying because I would have liked time to savor the salad and not have to eat my entree (the curry) at the same time so it wouldn't get cold. The salad was delicious btw as were all the entrees. No complaints there. The manager stopped by and she generously offered to comp the salad and my wife's dessert which was nice but the screw up might have ruined my night with family. Nevertheless we would return in the future and give it another chance.
Positively delicious! Fresh and healthy choices!!!!! Clearly fresh ingredients! Wonderful atmosphere. The crack pie was to die for!
Restaurantji Recommends
Excellent choices, healthy and flavorful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The service sucks! Bunch of untrained kids. Food is okay, but not worth the price. Owner is crabby and bossy.
Wonderful spot to dine in Basalt, right along the river. Great indoor and outdoor seating options. Our server José was so friendly and lovey all evening.
Every dish we had — from the gazpacho, arancini, free range salad, to the roast chicken, Colorado corn ravioli, salmon, and burger — were all delicious. We also enjoyed our cocktails! Our party of four loved every last bit of food in a great setting as the sun set. Highly recommend, the flavors, plating, and size of the dishes will not disappoint!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always a great experience. Food is fresh and delicious; service is excellent and great to be able to sit outside!
Great place along the river. Delicious food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
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