Heck's Tavern
Regional · Tabernash
Heck's Tavern Opening Hours
About Heck's Tavern
Heck's Tavern, located in Tabernash, offers a dining experience enriched by its scenic views and inviting ambiance. Chef Maggie's culinary talent shines through the menu, which features flavorful dishes and offers flexibility to accommodate preferences. Guests often commend the quality of the food,...
Heck's Tavern, located in Tabernash, offers a dining experience enriched by its scenic views and inviting ambiance. Chef Maggie's culinary talent shines through the menu, which features flavorful dishes and offers flexibility to accommodate preferences. Guests often commend the quality of the food, particularly the wagyu chili, and the attentive service. While some experiences may vary, many patrons find Heck's Tavern to be a delightful stop, whether for a special occasion or a casual meal enjoying the beautiful valley views.
What Customers Say About Heck's Tavern
Heck's Tavern receives mixed reviews. Many praise Chef Maggie's food, highlighting the wagyu cheeseburger and tips and dips. However, service is a major concern, with complaints about slow service, long wait times, and inattentive staff. Some also mention high prices and inconsistent food quality.
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Tip: Request a window seat when making reservations.
Frequently asked questions about Heck's Tavern
Heck's Tavern Tabernash Reviews
We ate here for lunch and dinner for a few days while we were at the resort. It was incredible!! Have you ever cut a pork chop with a fork? I HAVE! Have you ever loved a meatloaf so much you crave it again? I HAVE! Have you ever seen a bison short rib fall off of the bone? I HAVE! We were so stuffed after every meal. Truly the worst part was that we couldn’t take the chef and kitchen staff home with us. It’s kind of rude that they are so far away from where we live!! In all seriousness, we loved eating here. We even hung out there a few times with drinks or an app because the huge windows and fireplaces were so welcoming and cozy. The waitstaff were all very friendly and we had great service. They might be a tad understaffed, but what place isn’t these days. As some of the other reviews mentioned, it was a little pricey, but nothing that I wouldn’t expect. You’re paying for the convince of the on-site restaurant and delicious food. It’s nothing different than a nice restaurant in Denver. Overall: 10/10, would recommend, would visit again, will be crying because it’s far away from my home.
We stopped in for nostalgia sake (we got engaged at Devil’s Thumb 26 years ago) and stayed for lunch on the deck overlooking the valley. The service was excellent, as was the food. We had the wagyu cheeseburger, tips and dips appetizer, ugly tomato salad and the wedge. Beautifully presented. Special shout out to Maicon and Ty for taking care of us. Thank you!
Heck’s is back!! There was a moment where things (service, etc) were a little disappointing but that’s all changed with Chef Maggie. Her flavors, more extensive menu, ability to fluctuate dish items, food sourcing… *chefs kiss!!!* - what a true creative professional she is. The service was also lovely. Staff was attentive and accommodating. No complaints. Devil’s thumb is a really special place. A Colorado gem. You don’t get privately owned resorts to this caliber often. Owners did a good job making the restaurant piece right again. We’ve been coming here for over ten years and will continue to spend time here for many years to come.
This place is incredible. Chef Maggie does an amazing job with the food and it saddens me that it’s received such negative reviews. The service was exceptional and we had a wonderful time. My issue? There were SEVERAL people coming to the bar making requests and responding unkindly when it took more than 5-10 minutes for the staff to fulfill those requests on a very busy night. Where I come from, that’s standard and considered great service because each guest was taken care of and not made to wait for over 8 minutes. The staff is 5 star. Kind, hard-working and accommodating. It’s the guests that need to step up. I’m a travel advisor and my husband and I travel for work, and I have never been anywhere where the guests have been so incredibly rude to the hard working, talented individuals that keep this place running smoothly. This ranch is priced fairly and well staffed (considering it’s the slow season) when comparing it to the surrounding competition AND to the industry in general. We will always recommend this gem to anyone looking for an exceptional experience.
I saw the mixed reviews claiming the service was hit or miss. My wife and I tried this place while staying at the resort and I would say it was overall a pretty good experience. We were seated by the window upon request. The appetizer and entrees we ordered were pretty good overall, albeit a bit expensive for what they were. Overall, this place is a solid stop if you want to grab a quick dinner or lunch. I also dropped in a couple times just to grab a cocktail or two and sit by the fireplace. Even during off hours, there were some very friendly and knowledgeable staff members who fixed me a knockout cocktail and were good for a quick chat. I love the little touches and knowing the staff enjoy working here and go out of their way to give the guests a great experience. This all really surprised me, especially since it was off-season for the resort.
Last week I had the opportunity to travel to Devil's Thumb Ranch in Tabernash, CO for a site visit where our company plans to host its annual manager retreat. Concluding our tour of the property and rooms, our host treated us to lunch at Heck's Tavern. The architectural design was inspired by the Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood in Oregon. The floor-to-ceiling fireplace in the middle of the room is quite spectacular. The hexagonal shape of the restaurant makes for many panoramic views while dining. The menu features several ranch to table options including their own Wagyu beef. I tried the BBQ Wagyu Ranch Burger which was topped with onion rings, BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese. The burger was awesome; juicy and flavorful! In lieu of fries, I ordered the salad as my side dish. It came with a creamy lemon parmesan dressing that was very pleasing. $22 might be hard to swallow, but since my meal was comped and it was so tasty -- swallowing was not an issue. But honestly, for hyperlocally raised Wagyu beef amdist absolutely stunning views, I would highly recommend it! Note: one doesn't necessarily need to stay at the lodge to visit this restaurant. They are also open for breakfast and dinner. If you are in the Winter Park area, stop on by.
Food was good. We had two appetizers. We also had drinks. The non-alcoholic mixer I had was particularly good. Service was good and a nice atmosphere.
Christmas dinner 2022 was a wonderful time. There was a slight delay in the delivery of each course, but it's understandable considering the special occasion, and many other guests being served simultaneously. I have no complaints about the service, as they were apologetic and kind, (working on Christmas day!), and at least the alcohol was brought out promptly, which is, you know, pretty important. Haha. The prime rib was absolutely perfect, served medium with plentiful sides. It was apparently the chef's birthday too, and he did a fantastic job. In the future, hopefully they are able to time the arrival of the entree better, so it doesn't show up while I'm still trying to eat the salad.
The first day we went, the food took sooooo long!!! When we got the food I was a little disappointed especially considering the food was very expensive. It is very over priced and the food is very inconsistent.
Stayed at the ranch last week and went to have dinner. Was told they couldn't accommodate anyone else in the dining room so we could order to-go or delivery. Since we were in the main ranch house we opted for delivery. We were told it would be 45 minutes to an hour. When the food finally arrived there was a 20% surcharge on the bill. When asked what it was for they explained it was due to having to put the food in to go containers. It would have been nice to know that reservations were required when checking in as it really is the only option for food, and that take out was going to cost extra on an already $35-40 a plate meal. For plastic utensils that didn't even cut the meat. Luckily for us they forgot a portion of our order and my husband went back for it and got us steak knives. The food is very good but not worth an extra 20% for the "pleasure" of eating it off plastic.
We stopped in on our way up to Steamboat for a little breakfast, the couple we were with thought the world of this place. Maybe it was because of the high expectations that made this place fall flat for me. Out of the gate the service was sub par considering what little people were in there. I received two cups of coffee, one at beginning and one at the end, not much in between, but that's real nitpicky small potatoes. To my surprise considering the hype was that my meal was nothing to write home about, pretty basic really. On top of that, it was on the spendy side. On a positive note, the place is beautiful and I could certainly drink there if I was staying, otherwise there is no draw for me.
Stayed at the resort for a week with my husband. We came here for our honeymoon and expected really great food since all the staff raved about the convenience and tastiness of Heck’s. The menu was interesting and appealing so we were initially excited! However, the price for each meal and entree was ridiculous! We dismissed it in the beginning as the food was “farm to table” and they served Wagyu beef. We tried various things on the menu— both in the restaurant and as room service. I have two words to describe it all— under seasoned. It seemed like everything lacked flavor!! The burger was okay but nothing too special— which is definitely not worth its $27 price tag. Whatever you do, don’t get the bean hummus— we dumped so much salt into it… it’s crazy! The chips on that dish were ALSO unsalted. I don’t think the chef purchased salt for the restaurant and if they did use it, we certainly couldn’t taste it. The staff was nice— nothing compared to the southern hospitality that we are used to. But they took forEVER even though the restaurant was practically empty. And yeah— everything is house made… do you make the water too?? Is that why it takes so long to refill our drinks? The chili was good! And so was the hot chocolate, but I would rather much recommend going into Fraser and Winter Park for dinner rather than spending so much at heck’s. Especially if you like flavor.
The food is horrible.The food looks, tastes, and feels like it’s all microwaved. It would be a great choice of restaurant for someone who is watching their salt intake because they definitely don’t use it. The staff are extremely friendly and wonderful.
Service is incredibly slow even when they are not busy. The food is terrible. We’ve stayed at the resort for two weeks in the past 6 months and purposely plan our day to avoid Heck’s Tavern because it is so bad. In addition to terrible food with slow service it is extremely overpriced. $38 for their special … it was one pulled pork slider with fries. Really? This morning I paid $20 with tip for 2 bagels with cream cheese to go to get store bought bagels. It took almost 20 minutes and there were 2 tables seated in the entire restaurant. I would describe it as just frustrating.
I’ve been going here and staying here for… over 15 years I think. I’ve stayed in every building and multiple times in the cabins. Tried to get lunch and they turned everyone away who wasn’t staying at the hotel despite it being empty. So completely stupid, but also in line with the declining service over the years. It’s such a shame because I have so many memories here.
I have been coming here for at least a decade. Since 2020 the service has been getting worse but still acceptable. This year though it’s just gone to Heck’s. 30 minutes to get bread, another 15 to get bread plates. Etc. I know good help is hard to find in 2024 but for the prices of the food you can get talent by paying them fairly and snipe from other places in town. 2025 I’m likely going to Dutton instead.
I went to take a group of entrepreneurs to dinner tonight. The roads were questionable but we figured we would dine at the steakhouse or Heck’s while we charged our EV. Unfortunately the steakhouse was closed. Heck’s Tavern refused to serve us because we did not have a room, must be a hangover COVID-19 policy. The restaurant was basically empty with four staff standing around at the hostess stand. DTR was a staple for our business meetings in Grand County. I doubt I’ll return as the staff had no empathy and no solution other than sending us on our way in a snow storm.
Where the Heck’s my server? Got seated and waited about 20+ minutes in an empty dining room. Three separate service staff walked by but none of them checked in on us. Was not assisted for 20+ minutes with menus sitting open on our table. Staff seemed shocked that we were leaving and asked if we would give them a second chance. We left and went into Fraser to eat at a Mexican restaurant where we got amazing service, and most likely better food.
My 5-star review had to be dropped to one, since non-hotel guests are no longer allowed in the restaurant. Having a Google page at all in that case is completely misleading. We’ve come here almost every weekend, but don’t always stay at the hotel. I will miss going and sitting next to the fireplace having delicious cocktails and apps with friendly service after a day of Nordic skiing, but I suppose the owners don’t like business at their EMPTY restaurant. As soon as this nonsensical policy is lifted, I’ll gladly switch to 5 stars, but until then it’s a shame to not be welcome at our favorite place in Colorado that I recommend to everyone coming up to Winter Park.
Beautiful setting, but ridiculous service. We waited 30 minutes to be acknowledged. Then waited another 30 minutes to get our soft drinks. (One of them flat). We couldn't figure out what was taking so long for a simple beer. We then walked up to the bar to ask for one. Got back to the table when the waiter showed back up letting us know they were out of clean glasses for the beer. We showed him the plastic cup we got from from the bar. 2 burgers were ordered. At $26 each!! One was very dry and tasteless. By the way, the food came an hour and 20 minutes into our seating and after we went up to get our own beer. We never did get the fizzy flat soda replacement. The spinach dip and Brussel sprout appetizers were delicious. The next night at the other resort restaurant, an employee told us that place is referred to internally as "Hectic Heck's". Food prices at this resort should be illegal. But they have you trapped because you are in the middle of nowhere.
Had 6pm reservations for Thanksgiving dinner here. It took 3 hours (no exaggeration) to get all of our food. It took nearly 2 hours to get our first course which was a tiny cup of cold soup. Didn't receive the turkey dinner until over 2 hours in at 8pm. It was a joke. I think they ran out of food because we were given a pile of shredded bits and pieces of turkey (skin, bones, and hard dark meat). It was absolutely disgusting. We were looking forward to this meal for weeks and I'm still in disbelief with what we were served. In the 3+ hours we were there our drinks were never refilled. It was a very miserable experience overall.
OH HECK'S NO!!! We visited with out of town friends last night and had the worst restaurant experience ever. I'll keep this brief. Limited menu became even more limited with 3 of the 6 dishes ordered were not available. Took 1 hour to get our food which was not correct. One dish never did arrive. It was finally packed to go. Not sure if staff and chef are new but for such a lovely place the service left a lot to be desired. I'll think twice before ever visiting with out of town guests again. Simply embarrassing.
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3530 County Rd 83
Tabernash, CO 80478
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