Be warned... I wanted to love this place, but the result is quite the opposite.*** Quick Version: It took forever and was not good. 2 hours later, I am not feeling well.***Long Version: We were exploring the local area and wanted to get dinner before the long ride back. We had looked at an Italian Restaurant in Paonia, but saw the menu and pictures for Pj's and thought it would be great. On paper and by pictures, it looked wonderful. There weren't very many people inside, so we went in and sat down. We ordered beer and our meals as well as Caesar Salad and Chicken Bites.While sitting and waiting, the lady next to us had a pizza come out. She was complaining that it was cold. That seemed pretty odd given there were few people, and you'd think it just came out of the oven??? She seemed thoroughly annoyed, and asked them to take it back and microwave it for her. I thought the whole situation was la little odd, and that maybe the lady was just one of "those" people. In hindsight, I now feel for her, as she just had a bad experience too.Back to my table... The Caesar Salad and Chicken Bites came out pretty quickly. The Caesar Salad tasted very good. The chicken Bites were essentially dry chicken chunks wrapped in bacon, with a BBQ Dipping Sauce. Not very good. And pretty insignificant. We had ordered the House Pork Chop and the Elk Lasagna for our main courses.After almost an hour, my dinner partner got up and angrily walked out. We needed to get on the road. I should have followed her, but I saw the server walk back to the kitchen. She then came out with our meals.I decided to try and quickly eat my meal while waiting to pay and get a box for the Lasagna. My pork chop looked lovely. But I found it to be lacking of flavor. It was supposed to have been brined in Apple Cider. Based on the taste, I truly doubt it was. The Mashed Sweet Potatoes were ok. The onions on top looked good, but had a weird flavor. It was super disappointing compared to the elaborate description.The Lasagna Came out in a Square bowl with nothing else. No bread, nothing. It looked okay. But it was topped with Red Pepper Flakes. My dinner partner can't eat spice, and it was very spicy. I cut it up, asked for a box and took a taste in the process. Frankly, spice aside, it was pretty weak. Sadly, it will probably end up never being eaten due to the spice and the poor experience. And we argued the whole ride back because I didn't walk out. I wish I had, but feel bad doing that.2 hours later my stomach is very upset. I don't know which item was the culprit, but I REALLY wish we chose the other place. I don't like leaving bad reviews, but something was not right here tonight. I am fairly certain I overheard another couple complaining that their meals were not up to par as I was trying to leave.I wanted to love this place. But, something is wrong in the kitchen.Trying to leave something positive, for what its worth, another lady did yell out that her trout was delicious.Anyhow... I hope this was just a fluke, but something was off.
Joe McGoldrick
I rarely leave reviews, and I am not the type to try to hurt a small business, but I do feel the need to share an unpleasant experience I had here last week. My girlfriend and I were passing through from out-of-town and this was the only place that seemed to be open on a Saturday night around 8pm. I called ahead and ordered 1 pizza, and was given a pickup time estimate. Since we'd been in the car for hours on end, we really had to use the bathroom. We walked in roughly 10 minutes before the estimated completion time so that we could use the restroom and perhaps warm up a bit while we waited. We weren't obnoxious or annoying, we simply let one of the kind hostesses know the name of our order when we were asked. The older gentlemen (using that term loosely here) at the pick up area was obviously disgruntled due to our slightly-early arrival, as he repeated "8:15" and treated my girlfriend as if she was a nuisance rather than a paying customer. Once the order was ready, he walked over hastily and literally dropped the pizza box on the table we were seating at without saying a word. I don't know the man's life and I understand that people have worse days than others, but I do feel a little respect is due for orderly, paying customers. The pizza was good though.
Norman H
For a cuisine connoisseur who values amazing flavors and unique dishes - this is the place. Staff is incredibly friendly and attentive. Had a wonderful experience. Pete (chef) is incredible. Will definitely be back.
Paige Kearns
One step above terrible. I sat at the table closest to the kitchen and basically watched the staff microwave everything that came out of the kitchen. The corn and crab bisque was actually really good. The elk lasagna, fresh from the microwave, had an over powering nutmeg flavor. The mashed potatoes had ZERO seasoning, a little salt and some butter would have gone a long way. The ribs were cold and the chocolate mousse was gritty. We would have been better off finding a decent burger somewhere. super disappointed, since we were there to celebrate my moms 70th birthday, which wasn't even acknowledged after mentioning it to our waitress. Who's crop top shirt gave everyone a nice view of her belly button all night..... yikes
Leticia Morales
Great experience and great food
Kelly Beach
Awesome food in a casual environment! A classy little joint in a beautiful small town. Really diverse & creative menu-something for everyone! We love PJ's!
Kyle Rodorigo
Best pub/restraunt in town. The owner is an awesome person and his emploees are just as great. The Best food ive had since being in CO.100% Recomend the maple chili bacon wrapped chicken bites they are the best food in existance
ucanhavethisone
Stopped in after looking up restaurants in Hotchkiss online while passing through and becoming intrigued by what the menu offered. Could a place in such a small town live up to what it promised? Indeed it can! I'd never before had elk lasagna, but it's quite good - not your traditional Italian spices, but something unique to this dish. The host and staff were friendly and the space pleasant. If ever I'm in Hotchkiss again, I'll be sure to eat here again.
The James McCormick
Drinks and Food you cannot pass up.
Judy Brooks Brin
Had a fabulous dinner at PJ’s Pub in Hotchkiss this evening. There were 5 of us, celebrating a birthday..all having something different. Food was outstanding..service outstanding..and the Dirty martinis were beyond outstanding. Thank you Peter and staff for bringing fine dining back to our sweet little town! Cheers and Happy Birthday!
At first glance, it looks like a dive bar, but the food is excellent!
Joe K.
I live super close and I love this place. Great menu Great cocktails Great service If I were a richer man I would truly never leave. (Not too expense for what you get, I'm just broke)
Rocky T
Ate here 2 times, for dinner. Place was clean and well maintained. Staff was extremely friendly, And the food was good enough that we came back a second time.
Andrew Mortellaro
I’m rating on quality. This restaurant has an eclectic choice of dishes, from Indian to Italian. I saw and smelled other dishes as they were taken to their tables, and the vegetable korma I had was excellent. I totally understand the critique about small portions, but personally I think that most places over-feed.
Liz Tidwell
Wonderful food and great service! I am so happy we stopped here!
Be warned... I wanted to love this place, but the result is quite the opposite.*** Quick Version: It took forever and was not good. 2 hours later, I am not feeling well.***Long Version: We were exploring the local area and wanted to get dinner before the long ride back. We had looked at an Italian Restaurant in Paonia, but saw the menu and pictures for Pj's and thought it would be great. On paper and by pictures, it looked wonderful. There weren't very many people inside, so we went in and sat down. We ordered beer and our meals as well as Caesar Salad and Chicken Bites.While sitting and waiting, the lady next to us had a pizza come out. She was complaining that it was cold. That seemed pretty odd given there were few people, and you'd think it just came out of the oven??? She seemed thoroughly annoyed, and asked them to take it back and microwave it for her. I thought the whole situation was la little odd, and that maybe the lady was just one of "those" people. In hindsight, I now feel for her, as she just had a bad experience too.Back to my table... The Caesar Salad and Chicken Bites came out pretty quickly. The Caesar Salad tasted very good. The chicken Bites were essentially dry chicken chunks wrapped in bacon, with a BBQ Dipping Sauce. Not very good. And pretty insignificant. We had ordered the House Pork Chop and the Elk Lasagna for our main courses.After almost an hour, my dinner partner got up and angrily walked out. We needed to get on the road. I should have followed her, but I saw the server walk back to the kitchen. She then came out with our meals.I decided to try and quickly eat my meal while waiting to pay and get a box for the Lasagna. My pork chop looked lovely. But I found it to be lacking of flavor. It was supposed to have been brined in Apple Cider. Based on the taste, I truly doubt it was. The Mashed Sweet Potatoes were ok. The onions on top looked good, but had a weird flavor. It was super disappointing compared to the elaborate description.The Lasagna Came out in a Square bowl with nothing else. No bread, nothing. It looked okay. But it was topped with Red Pepper Flakes. My dinner partner can't eat spice, and it was very spicy. I cut it up, asked for a box and took a taste in the process. Frankly, spice aside, it was pretty weak. Sadly, it will probably end up never being eaten due to the spice and the poor experience. And we argued the whole ride back because I didn't walk out. I wish I had, but feel bad doing that.2 hours later my stomach is very upset. I don't know which item was the culprit, but I REALLY wish we chose the other place. I don't like leaving bad reviews, but something was not right here tonight. I am fairly certain I overheard another couple complaining that their meals were not up to par as I was trying to leave.I wanted to love this place. But, something is wrong in the kitchen.Trying to leave something positive, for what its worth, another lady did yell out that her trout was delicious.Anyhow... I hope this was just a fluke, but something was off.
I rarely leave reviews, and I am not the type to try to hurt a small business, but I do feel the need to share an unpleasant experience I had here last week. My girlfriend and I were passing through from out-of-town and this was the only place that seemed to be open on a Saturday night around 8pm. I called ahead and ordered 1 pizza, and was given a pickup time estimate. Since we'd been in the car for hours on end, we really had to use the bathroom. We walked in roughly 10 minutes before the estimated completion time so that we could use the restroom and perhaps warm up a bit while we waited. We weren't obnoxious or annoying, we simply let one of the kind hostesses know the name of our order when we were asked. The older gentlemen (using that term loosely here) at the pick up area was obviously disgruntled due to our slightly-early arrival, as he repeated "8:15" and treated my girlfriend as if she was a nuisance rather than a paying customer. Once the order was ready, he walked over hastily and literally dropped the pizza box on the table we were seating at without saying a word. I don't know the man's life and I understand that people have worse days than others, but I do feel a little respect is due for orderly, paying customers. The pizza was good though.
For a cuisine connoisseur who values amazing flavors and unique dishes - this is the place. Staff is incredibly friendly and attentive. Had a wonderful experience. Pete (chef) is incredible. Will definitely be back.
One step above terrible. I sat at the table closest to the kitchen and basically watched the staff microwave everything that came out of the kitchen. The corn and crab bisque was actually really good. The elk lasagna, fresh from the microwave, had an over powering nutmeg flavor. The mashed potatoes had ZERO seasoning, a little salt and some butter would have gone a long way. The ribs were cold and the chocolate mousse was gritty. We would have been better off finding a decent burger somewhere. super disappointed, since we were there to celebrate my moms 70th birthday, which wasn't even acknowledged after mentioning it to our waitress. Who's crop top shirt gave everyone a nice view of her belly button all night..... yikes
Great experience and great food
Awesome food in a casual environment! A classy little joint in a beautiful small town. Really diverse & creative menu-something for everyone! We love PJ's!
Best pub/restraunt in town. The owner is an awesome person and his emploees are just as great. The Best food ive had since being in CO.100% Recomend the maple chili bacon wrapped chicken bites they are the best food in existance
Stopped in after looking up restaurants in Hotchkiss online while passing through and becoming intrigued by what the menu offered. Could a place in such a small town live up to what it promised? Indeed it can! I'd never before had elk lasagna, but it's quite good - not your traditional Italian spices, but something unique to this dish. The host and staff were friendly and the space pleasant. If ever I'm in Hotchkiss again, I'll be sure to eat here again.
Drinks and Food you cannot pass up.
Had a fabulous dinner at PJ’s Pub in Hotchkiss this evening. There were 5 of us, celebrating a birthday..all having something different. Food was outstanding..service outstanding..and the Dirty martinis were beyond outstanding. Thank you Peter and staff for bringing fine dining back to our sweet little town! Cheers and Happy Birthday!
Restaurantji Recommends
At first glance, it looks like a dive bar, but the food is excellent!
I live super close and I love this place. Great menu Great cocktails Great service If I were a richer man I would truly never leave. (Not too expense for what you get, I'm just broke)
Ate here 2 times, for dinner. Place was clean and well maintained. Staff was extremely friendly, And the food was good enough that we came back a second time.
I’m rating on quality. This restaurant has an eclectic choice of dishes, from Indian to Italian. I saw and smelled other dishes as they were taken to their tables, and the vegetable korma I had was excellent. I totally understand the critique about small portions, but personally I think that most places over-feed.
Wonderful food and great service! I am so happy we stopped here!