The Western Saloon & Grill

This place has been completely renovated and reopened May 2023. This is the BEST dinner spot in Ouray hands down, and is easily one of my top 5 favorite restaurants in Colorado. Make reservations as it’s quite popular, and if possible request the chef’s counter for an immersive dining experience. They use a lot of fresh, local produce and are all about highlighting the importance of each ingredient. They also feature a wood fire oven, so everything has a nice semi smoky flavor to it. Chef Nic has a very impressive background and you can tell he pours his heart and soul into these dishes. We started with several apps: A Tale of Three Sisters (local beans, a delicious mole and cornbread crumble-this was fantastic), the Blue Corn Bread (a perfect light but savory dish), and the Anasazi bean hummus (served with wood grilled vegetables that were beyond delicious). I ordered the wood-fired ruby trout served with caramelized potatoes and asparagus, and it was fresh and phenomenal! My husband had the saloon steak and is still raving about how unique the gravy was. We finished off an epic dinner with a unique dessert of cherry & goat cheese pie with butterscotch ice cream. I have to admit I was hesitant, but our server convinced us not to miss this and we were thankful she did. It was a perfect balance between light, rich and sweet-you won’t be disappointed. Lastly, our server was very attentive. She didn’t rush us and made sure our drinks were always full. They have a great cocktail menu and we enjoyed sipping while listening to the live music in the background from the main room and the chef’s banter at the counter. Don’t miss out on this 5 star gem!

I recently dined at The Saloon at the Western Hotel and had a generally positive experience. Upon arrival, we experienced a slight delay with our initial server. However, this minor hiccup was quickly resolved when a second server named Sierra took over. Sierra's exceptional service truly made our dining experience memorable. She was attentive, friendly, and ensured that all our needs were met promptly. Sierra, along with her fiancé who also works at the restaurant, went above and beyond to make us feel welcome. They both exuded warmth and genuine hospitality, making us feel like valued guests. Their teamwork and dedication to excellent service were evident throughout the evening. The food at The Saloon at the Western Hotel was fantastic. The menu offers a great variety of options, catering to both vegan and non-vegan diets. Each dish we ordered was flavorful and well-prepared, demonstrating the kitchen's ability to accommodate diverse dietary preferences without compromising on taste or quality. Moreover, the restaurant's atmosphere was welcoming and comfortable, making it a perfect spot for both casual and special occasions. I highly recommend The Saloon at the Western Hotel for anyone looking to enjoy a delightful meal with excellent service, thanks in large part to Sierra and her fiancé's outstanding efforts.

Wow! The renovations to this historic hotel are amazing. You can eat in the saloon, tableside at the wood-fired grill, or in the dining hall that used to be the ballroom. We had drinks in the saloon. Great bartenders and a nice selection of spirits, many from Colorado. Dinner in the dining hall was excellent. Great views as well. There's also a grotto spa in the basement. Hope to try it next time.

This place is an experience in food culinary cuisine. Nestled in the mountains of Ouray, CO. Get ready for some fantastic food and all around great people and service. I took my son here for his 15th birthday and told him to order whatever he wanted. There was a live trumpet player whilst there, but it sounded like a French horn because he was using one of those plunger mutes I believe. Absolutely fantastic. I took a video and will share it. Seriously one of the best times. Wood stove near by. Original wallpaper is still showing in some places. The bar is original. I love history and stepping back in time here was a treat. Enjoy. Bonus there was a St Bernard in bar area off to the side. Named Segar. Made my day.

My friend and I came to town for the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. We happened to stay in Ouray and came across this beautiful place by chance. The restaurant is beautifully designed. After being seated in one of their comfortable booths, we ordered drinks, apps, and dinner. Both of us enjoyed our drinks. I ordered the Dusk ‘til Dawn which had smokey Mezcal. Really nice. My friend ordered a draft and enjoyed that as well. Our apps were the blue corn Bread and Piñon gazpacho. I really liked the gazpacho. It’s different, so be aware of expecting something different. It is not your usual Gazpacho. I personally loved the complex flavors, the bite of the pine nuts, and sweetness of the grapes. Chef- be sure the grapes are crisp and sweet or this might not work. The Blue corn bread is a rich treat. The blue corn bread itself was perfectly baked, but I personally thought it was too sweet. My friend did not. I would suggest a delightful thick smear of butter instead of the mound provided, and a little less honey. But to each their own! On to our dinners: we both had the Wood-fired Ruby Trout. Both really loved it! The sauce was delightful. The grilled asparagus perfect accompaniment. Roasted potatoes were excellent. All worked beautifully together mingling with the sauce. I would absolutely order this again. After our meal Chef Nick came out to ask us about our experience and meal. Nice touch!! We had a great little conversation. He is so genuine, easy to talk with, and I could tell loves to play and experiment with flavors and sauces and create divine (and rich) food to please his customers’ palates and make them swoon with delight. We highly recommend this restaurant for the food and experience.

Gorgeous place to stop for lunch after a trip to Box Cañon. Hummus plate is tasty and pulled pork divine. Highly recommend the players ball cocktail for a refreshing reward for making it up the high trail!

Stopped here for a few beers and an appetizer. I couldn't tell you which 2 draft beers we chose but they were good. My wife and I split the charcuterie board and it was amazing. We sat at the bar area and it was great. We loved the atmosphere and the fact that our check was brought to us in a Louis L'Amour book. Great touch. They have a limited menu but I can only assume that everything here is wonderful.

Thoughtful, romantic and comfortable drinking and dining experience with upscale touches. The food and drink program is quite impressive and so is the staff - everyone did an exceptional job and took value in their work; from hostess to server and everything in between.

Stopped in for drinks and they were amazing! Such a cute vibe and the food looked amazing. Would come here for dinner next time.

We sat at the chefs counter husband‘s birthday. The food and experience was awesome and Sierra was a fabulous server.

Wonderful dinner. A bit bummed they had 3 items on the shareable and by 7:00 one was gone. The feta appetizer was amazing as was the short rib!

Extraordinarily beautiful interior, charming service, and delicious food options at a price rivaling many far less compelling local establishments. I eagerly anticipate my return to this restaurant, and it will be a factor in bringing my family back to Ouray again.

We had drinks only, outstanding! Eric and the whole staff were great!

Such a cool and unique experience! Our waitress Emily was amazing, the food was delicious and the ambiance was divine! From their specialty cocktails to their twists on traditional entrees, we will be back! A great addition to Ouray for fine dining.

Very well done. In an old western hotel, the service was lovely but not overbearing, the decor is really well done without being cartoon-ish “western hotel”, the cocktails were well put together and the food was way better than I was expecting. We were blown away! So glad we were turned down elsewhere and found this place!

Great cocktails and dessert. Upscale Western vibes. Perfect for date night or girls’ trip.

The Western Grill has such a cozy, intimate atmosphere - we sat at the chef's table in front of the wood fire and it was wonderful. Highly recommend the lamb rigatoni for dinner and any of the drinks from the bar - especially "Poncho's Left Hook" !

We loved our dinner at the Chef's table. Chef Broening and his team served up a delicious eggplant spread on toast as an amose bouche- don't you love a surprise! My husbands pork chop was grilled on the open fire- superb, and my fish of the day, red snapper, was excellent! Be sure to save room for dessert- the chocolate pudding was so good that we came back for dessert the next night too! No surprise to find such a great restauant in Ouray given Chef's reputation in Denver over the last 20 years. WE've enjoyed all of his concepts adn didnt realize he was Chef here now! Enjoy!

Absolutely the finest restaurant I’ve come across in quite a while. Great ambience in a tastefully restored historical landmark. Great menu selections, a bit pricey but beautifully executed. If you’re a foodie, this is the place. It is obvious that someone is paying attention to detail, very refreshing. The short rib for 2 was absolutely delicious. An entire rib, that I literally cut with my fork in a beautiful, delicate sauce. Amazing. My only disappointment was that the entree didn’t come with sides…..at all. Perhaps I wasn’t paying close enough attention to the menu (after a couple of quite generous pours of Crown Royal), however it would have been helpful to have been informed of this whilst ordering. A small knock on an otherwise truly wonderful dining experience. Make a reservation or you will wait……but it’s worth it.

OMG! We love this hotel. The entire grounds are so detailed, so thought-out. From the entrance of the hotel to the perfect cups and silverware in the super clean rooms. The beds and pillows are very comfortable. The layout is perfect in the room. They have complimentary snacks in the room for you as well cold water waiting for you in the cutest Frigidaire refrigerator. They have wonderful smelling shampoo, conditioner and body wash. Offer heating racks for your towels, and a blow dryer akin to a Dyson. The bar area is quaint and they make great cosmopolitans. They offer little bits of Southern Charm everywhere. I can't wait to go back!

Our favorite place in Ouray! Great food, cocktails and service. Shout out to Nico,especially! And the great mixologists behind the bar. Can't recommend this place enough. 🫶 7/23/25

Loved our experience here. Booth table with Mountain View’s, cocktails 10/10, service 10/10, enjoyed our food and especially the coconut flan with a double espresso. Next time we hope to stay at the hotel and sit at the chef’s table. Favorite dinner spot in Ouray.

We ate in the main dining room. Beautiful atmosphere. Everything was delicious! We just came from a 5 day stay in Telluride and this was by far the best meal we've had during our trip!

Don't eat at the Western on your first night in town...because it will ruin the rest of the restaurants! The drinks and food taste amazing and are seasonally-inspired. The wood fired grill imparts very good flavors, and so do the sauces and accompaniments they create, like red pepper walnut pesto and tomato jam. I have a smaller appetite and an entree was the right size for me to finish, so someone with a larger appetite might want to order a starter(s) and an entree. We went back for the short rib ragu with house made fettucine because it was so good! It is rare for us to eat at the same place twice, and it was a treat to enjoy food, service, and atmosphere as good as this.

Holy smokes; what a spot!! If you can get a seat at the bar, don’t miss it. Eric is crafting extraordinary cocktails and the by the glass wine offerings are exceptional. Paired with a curated selection from the kitchen — we had the fried chicken and roasted eggplant — you’re in for an off the charts experience.

We ate there after a day or exploring the town. The building is as beautiful as the scenery. We had a small wait for a table, so sat at the bar. Bartenders make great cocktails and are extremely friendly. Then at our table the servers were very knowledgeable, prompt, and kind. The food was absolutely incredible, everyone at the table was blown away. The food is pricy yes, but you wont be disappointed. Months later I called and asked the manager Kelly for an odd request about the restaurant. She went well above and beyond to try and help me out. I am thankful as she could have just blown me off. Gorgeous place and views, nice relaxing atmosphere, strong yummy drinks, delectable food, terrific staff, and very well managed establishment. I was a manager of a restaurant for many years so I have high standards, but I could not recommend this place more!

Craft cocktails delicious. Pretty good selection of reasonably priced wine. Two shrimp dishes were exceptionally flavorful and shrimp cooked perfectly. Dessert excellent. On the pricey side overall, but we felt it was worth it. Off-season, so we ate in the bar side as the main dining area was shut -- the service was excellent.

We came for a celebration dinner and our server Dario was so kind and fun. We loved all the food including the empanadas, blue cornbread, trout and OH MY GOODNESS the desserts! The lemon pudding and chocolate cake was phenomenal. The cocktails were great too! Lucky to have gotten a reservation. Very unique decor inside and would love to stay here some time and learn more about the history. Thank you so much for helping make our night special! With love from Tucson, AZ and Ogden, UT.

The Western Hotel is lucky to have the talented Chef Marcus Parrott! Our meal was exceptionally cooked over an open flame on local fruit wood. The combinations of flavors were top notch. I’d order anything off the menu, trusting it would be delicious. The atmosphere in the hotel is so cozy and stately, the service was laid back but attentive and kind. We will certainly be back!

Ate in the bar late after yoga. Smoked trout mouse, salad and lamb boulinaise. Whiskey sour and a moxie paradise. Everything was SO yummy. The bar is an amazing space and the food and drinks are the best around. We need to make the short trip to Ouray more often.

Stopped for dinner and drinks and was thoroughly impressed. The interior perfectly blends modern design with historic tradition. Staff were incredibly professional, helpful, and attentive – especially Elias the new bartender. His knowledge, service, and execution were outstanding. Every drink was perfectly balanced, tasted incredible, and served just right, try his creation Smoky Sunset! Even when it gets busy, service and quality is great. Food was delicious too. A truly satisfying visit – we'll absolutely be back, and next time we're staying in their rooms!

The staff was very friendly and the bar was memorable. I definitely recommend that anyone planning a trip to Ouray stop at this historic place to eat and drink. It is the real deal. The food was generally very good, but the steak was a bit tough and the Halibut was scrimpy, but the presentation of both was excellent. The Green Goddess salad was superb and so was the wait staff.

The bar atmosphere was laid back with good service, great cocktails and music. We moved from the bar to the dining area. The dining area didn't have music and just didn't seem as comfortable as the bar area. We ordered ravioli and the half chicken. The ravioli came out on a hot plate but the actual ravioli was cold. The chicken was pretty dry. The dinner took a little longer to come out than the people around us and we just didnt want to send it back and wait again. The flavors were good! Just a little underwhelming. When we mentioned it to the server, he said they struggle with their heat lamps for the food. With tip we had a $240 underwhelming dinner. We will be back to try something different bc the cocktails were on point! Kudos to the bartender for being our highlight!

I really wanted to leave this very cool restaurant a 5 star review and I would if it were based on my meal only. Let me explain: the large menu portion had 3 entrees - they were out of 2. Bummer. The bean hummus was excellent, plated beautifully, but not much hummus or beans. The baked feta was excellent too. Toasted bread with both great. Considering we had 2 apps and shared the sturgeon large plate (excellent but served with nothing but olive tapenade), I thought pricey. I'm ok with all of that until the bill came with 5% KITCHEN LIVEABLE WAGE FEE WHICH GOES DIRECTLY TO PROVIDING OUR HARD CULINARY TEAM WITH A LIVEABLE WAGE...I was and am fuming. Shouldn't the employer be providing liveable wages? Sorry, I won't be recommending or visiting this place again.

The bartender and drinks were amazing, but the food was definitely lacking. The charcuterie board was disappointing—just one type of deli meat piled on a plate with sauces in metal containers and directly on the plate. A proper board would have made for a much better presentation. The mushroom ravioli also fell short; it lacked any garnish, and the portion was small—only six ravioli with barely any mushrooms inside. I’d be surprised if they used more than two or three mushrooms in total. Overall, great drinks, but the food could use some improvement.

Drinks were good, staff was friendly, ambience was nice but food was lacking and way overpriced. The tomato and cucumber “salad” was 3 pieces of tomato in some oil with tiny slivers of cucumber for $19 which was almost humorous - honestly crazier than even nyc/brooklyn prices.

It's blowing my mind how terrible this meal was. The host/manager was rude and just unpleasant. I'm assuming because we are not local since she treated locals really well but a couple of parties of tourists not well. The food was not good, especially for the money. The shrimp were over done, rubbery, and not cleaned. The "chorizo" was three pieces of sliced ham less than 1cm by 1cm. And 4 shrimp with watery broth. The steak was the fattiest, worst cut of meat I have had in a long time. The chard veggies tasted a bit like ash tray but the mashed potatoes was good so that's a plus. This was probably the worst food experience I have had in recent memory. We ended up going to Colorado boy after for pizza because the food was so terrible. The entire experience was terrible, from sitting next to three parties in the middle junk tables (with all the booths open) to the food. This was not worth 1/5 the costs. Then to top it off a 5% gratitude is added for the chefs, but this was one of the worst cooked meals I have had. To top it off it was my fiance's birthday and I couldn't be more disappointed in this restaurant.

Our meal here started out great, with the steelhead mousse appetizer being very tasty. We all ordered different cocktails, each of which were delicious. However, things started going downhill when the server made a mistake with one of our orders and three of the four of us ended up eating without the fourth person in our party, by the time she got her meal we were finished. Of the four meals served, the sausage served with the lamb chop was way overdone, as well as the shrimp, to the point of rubbery. One of the most expensive items on the menu, the halibut was also a disappointment, the halibut bland and the sauce too smoky to compliment the fish. One of the party ordered their meat well done,which was served a medium rare. The one cake dessert we took a chance on ended up being mostly flavorless, and the texture was less than desirable. That being said, the ambience of this historic building was the best part of our evening.

Horrible customer service. Actually, non existent. I called to make sure they could accommodate a table on the patio, they said they would. I arrived and waited at the host stand for 5-7mins finally someone came and greeted me. They said I could pick whichever table I’d like on the patio. I sat out there for 12 minutes and nobody ever came out. I then called to give the manager some feedback. Her response was “ok”… Unbelievable

Prepare to be taken advantage of. They charge different than what is on the menu. Had a large party and ordered 8 old fashions and other drinks. Didn’t get an itemized receipt. After payment and seeming it was a bit excessive, we asked for one, and yep, charged wrong. After bringing it to the waiters attention, he argued and said no, that’s the price! We showed him the menu and then he “acted” surprised with “oh! Good catch!” Lol. I guarantee you the menus have not been corrected and they continue to sucker people. Also, stamped ice is extra which was not mentioned when making the drink.