SEASONED - An American Bistro

As a local business owner myself, I understand the value of honest feedback, especially when the experience misses the mark. I don’t make a habit of leaving negative reviews, but I know firsthand that we only grow when we’re open to hearing where things went wrong. My family and I chose your restaurant for my birthday dinner on April 4th. My partner and I regularly support and enjoy many of our local restaurants, and we were excited to try something new. Unfortunately, we left disappointed, not just by one aspect, but by the overall experience. My son and I both ordered the salmon Wellington, and my partner had the eggplant dish and a salad. We also shared the mushroom soup. I’ll start with the portions and pricing: at nearly $250 for 3 people with tip(we had waters), for the meal, we were genuinely surprised by how little food was served. So much so, in fact, that we stopped at McDonald’s on the way home. That’s a first for me, and I’ve dined at many high-end restaurants across the country. The salmon Wellington was beautifully plated, but it lacked substance. My son and I both kept asking each other, “Where’s the salmon?” Seriously, It was difficult to find more than a few very smallbites of actual fish. The mint sauce overpowered everything, which made the dish look better than it tasted. The eggplant, while flavorful, also came up short. The portion was small, had to dig to find the one eggplant, and we all agreed it would have benefited from a good crusty bread and a bit of grated parm to round it out. For the price, it simply didn’t measure up. I could have fed my whole family eggplant parm dinners from the Olive Garden for the cost of one at your restaurant. Extremely overpriced dish. Although all the dishes felt like that. We really wanted to like the mushroom soup, but it fell way short of the mark. Very little flavor and something wasn't right about it. Within an hour of getting home, all three of us were experiencing stomach pain and severe diarrhea. I personally ate the majority of the soup, and I spent the rest of my night in the restroom hating life. As for the service, our server was kind and friendly, which we appreciated. That said, the level of service did not align with the pricing. When asked about the dishes, she wasn’t familiar enough with them to offer real insight or recommendations. I’d expect a server to be well-versed in the menu, especially at a place charging premium prices. I’m not writing this to tear anyone down. I’m writing because I would want to know if one of my own customers had this kind of experience. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and unfortunately, ours was not a good one. I hope this message is taken in the spirit it’s intended, with honesty, respect, and the hope that it might help strengthen your business in the long run. I sent this above letter to the owner and his response was what's your address I'll mail you a check. Nothing else.. Don't bother going here, they don't care enough to be in business. Food: 1/5 | Service: 2/5 | Atmosphere: 3/5

Really nice little place with friendly staff and good service... Food was inventive and good... Don't forget to get Hunny dessert..

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Showed up at 11 on a Sunday. I would say the place was 15% full, but they couldn’t seat us for an hour. Went next door to Clair’s and had a great breakfast.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Couldn’t tell if the host was having a bad day or overly pretentious.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 1

This place is such a gem. The staff is lovely and so attentive- they even greet you with a splash of complimentary champagne. The food is top notch- our party had multiple dietary restrictions, and they were able to accommodate with multiple options per person. Their menu changes seasonally, but I highly recommend their rattlesnake/pork/rabbit meatballs. All around a lovely experience!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Smoked Trout

We love this place so much that we have gone back for two anniversaries in a row. And we tried brunch this most recent weekend too. The food is delicious, interesting and obviously carefully curated. I so appreciate the seasonal menu and the local produce that influences the dishes. The grits and albondigas with chili oil were stunning, the soup was amazing and the desserts were memorable. It's such a refreshing addition to the generally underwhelming Estes food scene. Thanks for the amazing meals.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

My husband and I made reservations in advance for a 5 pm seating. We arrived 20 minutes early thinking we could get a drink before dinner, but the doors were locked and they had no bar, so we went to Claire’s two doors down. The was our first experience at Seasoned, so if you don’t know, there is pay parking in front, and the meter maid is very militant! We saw two people get tickets. Park up the hill for free if you can walk a bit. The Seasoned restaurant has maybe 10 tables inside, but plenty of outdoor bistro tables outside. They claim they are open year round, so I suppose people don’t mind sitting in the cold with propane heaters? Anyway, we were the second couple in the door once they unlocked. We told the hostess that we had reservations and asked if we could sit at a two seated table near the window, looking towards the park and away from the music speakers as my husband is hard of hearing. She got snippy with us and said that she could not, as she had that particular table “double booked”. What? She sat us at a 4 seated table (why?) and we had our very expensive common brand glass of wine ($20), none less than $17 per glass. We had the trout ( good but not 5 star) and the Albondigas meatballs ( very spicy and not great). Service was good, but I expected better for an empty restaurant, as We waited a bit for our wine. We were there maybe an hour and the whole time the two seated table was empty! The hostess turned away people without reservations, probably 6 people were turned away. Before we left the restaurant got to 80% full, mostly locals from what we could tell. Overall the bill was $150.00 so over priced in our book. We can’t recommend this place after the actions of the hostess and the wine prices. She is a Very snooty lady in clogs. And they obviously think they’re something special. We prefer Twin Owls MUCH better! Oh and by the way, the menu online is from 2023….

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 4

Service: 4

We are visiting Estes Park to hike at Rocky Mountain National Park and to celebrate my birthday. We read nice reviews of Seasoned and decided to give it a try. Great decision! The room is spacious and warm. Our young Hungarian waitperson was personable and helpful and very professional. The wine selection was lovely and we enjoyed the Momo Sauvignon Blanc immensely. The bread was fresh from the oven,warm and served with honey butter. I had a cup of the Clam Chowder and it was easily the best that I have ever had, chock full of clams and seasoned perfectly. My wife had the pork belly served in a sort of stew and loved it. I had the Colorado trout with Brussel Sprouts and whipped potatoes and came close to licking my plate. We finished our meal with a rhubarb and strawberry tart with cream that was light and just the right mix of sweet and tart. This was a wonderful dining experience and worth the trip to Estes Park! I understand that they have a Sunday brunch and that they change the menu frequently. I cannot wait to come back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Soup, That'll Do Pig

We stopped here for brunch after a visit to Rocky Mountain National Park. The staff were very friendly and the service was prompt. The food was fantastic. I would highly recommend this restaurant.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

A cozy farm to table restaurant with an ever rotating menu based on what products are available. Best food we have tried in the Estes area for dinner and we have gone to many of their old standbys.
Owner Joanne was running the hostess stand and was able to get us in for our reservation early so that we didn't need to wait on this amazing menu.
Highly recommend this restaurant for anyone that loves food made with a passion. Dishes are plated perfectly, staff is wonderfully personal, and the end of night check is criminally underpriced.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Everything was wonderful. The food was unique and outstanding. Could not recommend more highly!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had a very nice meal. Really recommend for a high-end dining experience in Estes Park.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Comically bad

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 3

We had a private party here for my brother-in-law’s rehearsal dinner. The staff was amazingly accommodating. They made the night so special.

The food was phenomenal. You have to try their cheese puffs. Their taste and texture will blow your mind. Same goes for their smoked rainbow trout spread. It was out of this world. All the drinks were delicious too. They have a good selection.

The restaurant itself is beautiful too. It was a wonderful atmosphere inside. It’s bright, fresh, and very pretty. Natural light is all around. The patio is a great spot to sit as well, and you have a nice view of the downtown area.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Cheese Puffs, Pickle, Corn Soup, Hunny Pot, Smoked Rainbow Trout Spread

I must say it was great to have some light meal . Very delicious food. Best in Estes. Lovely atmosphere . Service very friendly . Felt home

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5