Meander Riverside Eatery

RUN don't walk. This place was phenomenal. We happened upon it by accident and was the best 2 meals (cause we went back 2 days in a row) that we've ever had out. Smaller portions, great for sharing and such a diverse menu.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Make reservations

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Meander gets 5/5 stars…no…10/10 stars!!!
Incredible pairings and incredible flavors.
Try the olive oil ice cream…OMG!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Holy cow, one of the best meals I’ve ever had. Service was incredible, atmosphere cozy and the food was off the charts. Was not expecting this level of culinary experience but I’d put it in top 5 meals I’ve had. Can’t wait to come back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We are locals here in Pagosa Springs Colorado and had been to Meander at the time it first had opened. I didn't remember that it was fantastic then but when the New York Times listed the restaurant in it's top 50 list we decided to check it out again. We came with friends for dinner, all of us being aware of the prices and the New York Times listing. Three of us started with the pear and blue cheese salad and I had the pasta with rabbit and arugula pesto, both appetizers were large and could have been split between two people. Everyone enjoyed the salad with the only remarks being that there could have been more blue cheese. My pasta was very salty, but I was hungry and ate it. The wine helped to cut the salt; We got a bottle of Aligote' from the Bourgogne region of Burgundy which was delicious for a special price of $40.00
For our entrée's two of us got the Scallop dish which had onions, carrots and potatoes in a light cream sauce; they enjoyed their dishes. There were only 3 Scallops, and in my mind for $65.00 or $20.00 a scallop It seemed a bit expensive.
Another dish we had was ramen with pork belly, he enjoyed his dish. I had the short rib with adobo sauce and polenta, I found the adobo to be completely overpowering for the dish; because of that none of the components of the dish could be tasted beyond the adobo. It was also very salty and I am a person that believes in salting food. Still it was too much salt for me and I felt the dish was poorly executed.
All in all we had a nice time, I suppose I should have mentioned the salt situation of my dishes with the server, but I really didn't want to cause a fuss with our friends. The tab came to around $370.00 which we pretty much expected. I'm not sure I would come back but the rest of the party felt that it was good and would be okay for special occasions due to the prices.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 5

The service was lovely, our waitress Sarah was so attentive, informative & friendly.

The food was served quickly - we appreciated the unique flavors & intentional menu. The wine list is fabulous.

We got the Dutch pancake, the harrow pear salad, the kung poa cauliflower & the fingerling potatoes. I recommend all of those items - especially the Dutch pancake!!!!! Wow!!! We will definitely be coming back to try more things on the menu + see what new Dutch pancake the chef comes up with!

Also - the homemade ice cream…… was amazing.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Fingerling Potatoes

It’s a cute little place next to the flowing river. The food was amazing and the service matches it.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Overall I would give this restaurant a 4.5 out of 5. Very good experience. Food was great! I had the steak my husband Rabbit. Our waiter was pleasant. I was dissapointed they did not have house ketchup or ranch. I was told they don't carry regular and did not have house substitutes. For my fries 😭 then I was also given a butter knife for my steak. I asked for a steak knife and was given one. It was our anniversary I think overall it is a good restaurant. Some details such as those I mentioned were missed. I would return perhaps not for a special dinner.

Parking: It was a very packed lot. This could have been that it was late and dinner rush.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Just go and try this. It may bring more people to the area than the springs, once it’s established.
I wasn’t hungry for much, a friend told us to try it on our way out of town. We didn’t know what to expect. It was a surprise of epic proportions. I got a kale salad with pear and blue cheese. Sounds pretty standard, right? It made me weep.
Can’t wait to go back with reservations to savor more of the menu.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

This was a delightful birthday dinner experience. The food was elegant and sophisticated, but entirely approachable and not over wrought with fine dining complications. The high quality ingredients were showcased and left to speak for themselves.
Starter - Stuffed Mocking Crow Farms Pimento, colorado quinoa, whipped parmesan, smoked tomato sugo, celery salad - The smoked tomato sugo is a delight and the celery salad provides a brightness and crunch. I loved this dish.
Mains - Cast Iron Chicken Shawarma, lavash, pickled beet hummus, marinated beans, rose harissa, confit sunchokes - outstanding dish that could easily be split. That pickled beet hummus is where it’s at!

Pan Roasted Alaskan Halibut, apple lemon butter, roasted fall root veg, confit shallots, arugula, boquerones vinnie - My partner’s dish so I only got a couple of bites. Delicious and warming with fall veg flavors.

Dessert - Olive oil ice cream paired with Mr Black Coffee Liqueur - this made my entire night. Olive oil ice cream is rich and silky with a delicate sweetness. Each spoonful was a joy. But what really got us was the Mr Black Coffee Liqueur as a chaser for each bite. Worth moaning over, for real.

Our service was a little spotty. We were supposed to get glasses celebratory (our reservation had noted the bday) bubbles prior to dinner, but they never arrived. A second server brought out the drinks, but after our meal was served. It didn’t jive with either of our dishes. Our server was kind and mostly attentive.

I truly did not expect such a lovely dining experience in Pagosa. Pretty freaking great birthday - a hike, a soak, and an exceptional meal. We’ll be doing it again for sure.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

Some may say food is overrated. Our fish dish is overcooked and they are very kind to take it back.
We are pleasantly that the Rabbit dish turns out well for its tenderness.
Steak itself is good and I recommend you to request the complex sauce/dressing to be served on the side.
Finally we are seated indoor with the sunlight on our faces so some of us have to wear our shades to eat 😂

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Service was amazing, everyone was very nice.
Ordered beef broccoli and it looked nothing like the pictures I've seen on other peoples reviews it kind of looked like they ran out of broccoli and just chopped up left over and served it; also extremely salty and overly seasoned.
But the chicken shawarma was pretty amazing.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

Blown away by this place! What a treat ....

Signature drinks!
Chef designed food!!

Staff made us (and those around us) feel like they were happy for our business.

My only knock was the beef and broccoli dish. It was burnt/tangy and tasted like it was cooked with another dish. Everything else was amazing. Not proud to say I ate rabbit but goodness it was one of the best dishes I've had in a long time.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Beautiful restaurant on the river. Definitely 5 stars.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I agree with some of the other reviews saying the food is overpriced/over hyped, but the ambiance and service is lovely.

I had the salmon which was very high quality (caught recently, never frozen), but under seasoned. It was served on a bed of an underwhelming salad that was the majority of the dish, which was very vinegary. My fiancé had the steak which was good, but undercooked for medium rare.

Come for the service, ambiance and comprehensive beverage menu, but don’t expect too much from the food for the prices.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 4