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  • Mountain Standard

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Mountain Standard
Mountain Standard

Mountain Standard Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Dining
  • Website: http://www.mtnstandard.com
  • Email: info@mtnstandard.com
  • Phone: (970) 476-0123
  • Hours of Operation: Lunch: Daily: 11:30am - 5:00pm
    Dinner: Daily: 5:00pm - 10:00pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: American, Seafood, Steak
  • Executive Chef: Paul Anders
  • Dress Code: Smart Casual
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Bar Dining, Beer, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, View, Wine

Getting there

  • Public Transit: The Vail Village free in town bus shuttle is available year round throughout the village. Take the bus to the Covered Bridge stop and proceed as noted below. Free public transportation is also available from East to West Vail into the Transportation Center at the main parking structure.
  • Parking: Public Lot
  • Parking Details: Mtn Standard is located in the heart of the Vail Village, which is a pedestrian village. Take interstate 70 to the Vail exit #176. Proceed through rotary intersections so that you wind up heading East on the So. Frontage Road (ski mountain side of the highway). Go eastbound approx.¼ mile to the Vail Village parking structure. Exit the structure out the middle portal to the south. Go across the Covered Bridge another 75 yards, and go right on Gore Creek Dr. We are down the steps past the Fountain
A word from Mountain Standard
From the creators of Sweet Basil in Vail Colorado comes a fresh, innovative new restaurant opening December 2012. Aptly named Mountain Standard, this rustic and relaxed tavern aims to set a new standard in the Vail valley by using an ancient form of cooking.

The majority of Mountain… Standard’s menu will be prepared via the most primal cooking method: over an open and live wood fire. The only restaurant in the valley to devote themselves to this age-old way of cooking, the food at this exciting new restaurant will have rustic, bold and honest flavors, focusing on the purest ingredients in the Rocky Mountain region and beyond.

Service, like the cuisine, will have that perfect balance of providing a first class dining experience with a more casual vibe. There is no smoke and mirrors here - no fuss - just simple, honest, from the heart service and cooking. The beauty of the creek side location is mirrored by the high energy vibe of this dynamic restaurant.Continued
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerHot Spot
Diner Reviews
  • "Two words - kale salad. Delicious! The service was outstanding and we sat at a little table by the window with a great view. All in all - wonderful experience! We'll definitely be back."
    Dined on 4/11/2014
  • "Our group of four lunched at Mountain Standard on a Saturday. All the entrees were very good. The burgers are quite large - may consider splitting if you are not that hungry. Nice assortment of both draft and bottles beer. The signature drinks were both creative and tasty."
    Dined on 4/12/2014
  • "Food is always delicious. Recommend the salmon and pork shank. Kale salad also good!!! Service was a little slow but overall very friendly. Will go back many times!"
    Dined on 4/11/2014
  • "I had the chicken salad. Not great. The lettuce was wet, and it was overpriced. Second time there Will not return."
    Dined on 4/10/2014
  • "Restaurant has a good name but they served under done chicken to two of us. That is dangerous. There are a lot of really good restaurants in Vail. Their sister restaurant Sweet Basil, La Tour, Leonora, The Left Bank, Elways, Lord Gore are all far superior"
    Dined on 4/7/2014
  • "I had salmon and she had the lamb. Both were excellent. Nice wine selection by the glass."
    Dined on 4/9/2014
  • "The selection of starters is fantastic! My favorites are the onion soup (to die for) and the "three little pigs". Definately not for the vegetarian diner, but fabulous all around. I made the mistake or ordering a steak and wish I would have been more adventurous with my entree selection. The special sorbet on the menu was pineapple tarragon and it was out of this world. Also highly recommended is the carrot cake dessert."
    Dined on 4/2/2014
  • "Good quality food very similar to it's older sibling, Sweet Basil's. More limited selection and lacking the gustatory excellence of SB's however. Cost not much off of SB's either. Limited seating and unremarkable decor. I suppose if one is bored with Sweet Basil's, Mt. Standard could provide a change of pace. For me, I'll just stick to the original and forgo the "sub-standard"."
    Dined on 4/7/2014
  • "The staff are friendly, knowledgable and the food is outstanding. Kayla knows her food and was very helpful in making suggestions. Delicious kale salad and the octopus was so tender. Thank you Chef for your creative and tasty dishes."
    Dined on 4/5/2014
  • "I love this place. The atmosphere is great and the food is fresh and delicious. Great for carnivores and veggie lovers alike! I always come here when in Vail, but you need a reservation in advance."
    Dined on 3/30/2014
  • "Cocktails & desserts are consistently great. The meals however can be a bit inconsistent. It's all very fresh; oysters, pork and salad were fantastic but the octopus was undercooked and sun chokes with my fish were plain old boring."
    Dined on 3/26/2014
  • "Excellent food, especially the salmon (done medium rare) means you have to have good fish."
    Dined on 3/26/2014
  • "More of a diner atmosphere than fine dining, and pretty dismal service for Vail. The waiter was very blasé, and promptly disappeared before taking our drink order. When we tried to enlist the help of the hostess, she literally pointed at our waiter across the room and said "he's right there." The staff felt like college students punching a clock. The waiter failed to mention that the "caramelized onion soup" was just a French onion soup - I was expecting a more creative preparation, and wouldn't have ordered it if I'd known it was the traditional heavy cheese preparation. The rest of the meal wasn't bad, but wasn't memorable either. With so many good restaurants in Vail, I can only assume this one is surviving on run-off from Sweet Basil."
    Dined on 3/12/2014
  • "The menu at Mountain Standard surprises you- always in a good way! For example, I've never seen olives cooked on a wood fire with golden raisins, and pine nuts- they were delicious! Steak tartare that was course chopped with grilled endive was also different and quite tasty. The entrees were also excellent. I had corned pork shank and my wife trout- both well seasoned and perfect portion sized. Overall, a great Vail experience. (Make sure you have reservations!)"
    Dined on 3/22/2014
  • "We had a delicious dinner, excellent service, and a great time. Affordable This is one not to miss in Vail."
    Dined on 3/20/2014
  • "This restaurant strikes a perfect balance of upscale and relaxed. The front staff is always friendly and welcoming. The wait staff is extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of food and drink. There is a very cool vibe in this place, and a wonderful mix of families, friends and couples. I must also add that the kitchen staff is very lively. Send some "kitchen sauce" their way and you'll see what I mean. Love them! Food is so delicious and creative!! Excellent seafood and appetizers. I have never been disappointed in this restaurant. Definitely a must whenever you are in Vail!"
    Dined on 3/20/2014
  • "We decided to eat lunch here after learning it is a sister restaurant to Sweet Basil. Ordered a sampling of seafood appetizers that were all delicious and fresh. We were most impressed with the mussels and the scallop ceviche. The mussels had a unique blend of fennel and sausage that were a great compliment to the mussels. The ceviche is one of the best we've had. Fresh scallops paired with razor thin slices of radish, fresh parsley and topped with toasted farro for an interesting contrast in the dish. Highly recommend this restaurant if you love fresh food prepared in interesting ways. Best place we dined in while staying in Vail by a long shot."
    Dined on 3/13/2014
  • "We loved it---good food; polite staff. We'll be back!"
    Dined on 3/13/2014
  • "We have been coming to Vail for more than 2 decades and are very happy to have discovered Mountain Standard on our recent visit. It has a modern but rustic feel with a busy bar, and we sat in a comfortable booth. Even though it was a busy night and we arrived on the wrong day (our oops!) they were kind enough to accomodate us. The moniker for the restaurant is a pig so we thought we might be in for a heavy meat menu, but we were wrong. I am a vegan and i had a delicious kale salad with grilled squash. Then, the chef prepared an OUTSTANDING assortment of vegetables. My husband loved his pork and sea scallops and all the dishes were grilled to perfection. Service was very professional. We will be back!"
    Dined on 3/9/2014
  • "Everything from the location on Gore Creek to the cool ambiance. Had a great time here. The entree list is not large but seemed to have enough variety. Wood fired cooking"
    Dined on 3/10/2014
  • "We always enjoy the food at Mountain Standard. The service needs help. Who's in charge???"
    Dined on 3/6/2014
  • "We order the steak special. Waiter forgot to tell us price. Guess how much? steak was$80!!!!! Yikes."
    Dined on 12/1/2013
  • "Its unaniomous that we eat here as our first pick when returning to Vail. Please add a few more Brussels sprouts to the salmon for total perfection!"
    Dined on 3/7/2014
  • "I've been to Mountain Standard several times, and all have been excellent. It is clear that the wonderful food, service and management of Sweet Basil have been handed down to this "offspring". I recommend it highly!"
    Dined on 3/3/2014
  • "Last Sunday my husband, daughter and I had lunch at Mountain Standard, along Gore Creek in the Vail Village. It is the sister restaurant of Sweet Basil, a long-time favorite. From the roasted tomato Bloody Mary with tomolives to the (shared) slice of cheese cake, everything was delicious and beautifully presented. Grilled flatbread with apple butter, pancetta and taleggio cheese was just plain yummy and enough for 2 or 3. The Colorado leg of lamb salad and the Maine lobster pot pie were perfectly prepared and came in generous portions. Creative dishes come from the open kitchen and the service was excellent."
    Dined on 3/2/2014
  • "I was excited to eat at Mountain Standard because I'd heard such great things. While the food was good, it doesn't hold a candle to sister restaurant Sweet Basil. Fine for a more casual dinner, but the wine list was pretty limited. It was also definitely a lot louder than some other restaurants around Vail - probably great for a group of friends, but not a romantic dinner."
    Dined on 2/25/2014
  • "Try to short rib sandwich. truly outstanding.. Had Lunch after skying and everything was great, but the sandwich was to die for."
    Dined on 3/2/2014
  • "What was all the hype about? The food was good, but just as good as many other restaurants in Vail Village - Not fit for foodies though. The only difference is the other restaurants offer comfort, class and ambience with the price. No table cloths, no candles, no elegance, cardboard menus (guess they think this is chic), and crowded. If you are unlucky enough to be seated at the tables with "the view of the creek", bring a back pillow because they are "cafe style" hard wood table and metal chairs; or better yet - ask to move to a booth. I was not impressed. I wish I would have chosen another venue and for the same high price have gotten more of a relaxing experience than Mountain Standard offered."
    Dined on 2/22/2014
  • "We did not enjoy the food here at all. This restaurant is nowhere near the standard of Sweet Basils - it's parent. The green vegetable was inedible and the meal thrown together in the latest casual style. The desserts are not nice - we had the chocolate dessert which was so dense and heavy we could not eat it. Both of us had indigestion afterwards. Not good food at all. My daughter had eaten here before and on that occasion could hardly eat the ribeye steak for two it was so fatty. But we have it another try. We won't return."
    Dined on 2/24/2014
  • "This was our 3rd visit to Mountain Standard. It is our favorite restaurant when we visit Vail. The atmosphere is warm and inviting and the overall feeling is that you are in a cool, hip restaurant. Their famous Bloody Mary's you cannot go wrong with any of their meals. Even the salads look like a piece of artwork! The portions are perfect and their ingredients and main courses are beautifully presented as well with excellent flavors and quality of food."
    Dined on 2/17/2014
  • "Inventive, modern American menu; fun wine list; vibrant, energetic scene; informative servers; fun open kitchen; super bar area!"
    Dined on 2/16/2014
  • "Our fifth time at Mountain Standard and it was underwhelming. There were several open tables and we were seated next to the kitchen. Staff almost ran us over while we were getting settled at our table and then again when we were leaving. Our server forgot my son's drink twice. No one brought condiments with our food and when we asked it still took 5 minutes of us looking at our food and waiting. Just underwhelmed especially since my last visit I threw a party for 25 people there last season."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "I didn't make reservations quick enough to get into Sweet Basil but was able to try out Mountain Standard for the first time. From the moment you walk in you can smell that wood fire aroma. The atmosphere was excellent, staff very friendly, service excellent. I would definitely return. A less formal place than Sweet Basil- more of a fun, hot spot with amazing food."
    Dined on 2/13/2014
  • "I was sold on this restaurant when I was told that it is Sweet Basil's sister restaurant. It is nearly impossible to get a reservation there unless you plan ahead. We were sat at a window overlooking the ice sculptures. My friend had her baby with us and no one gave us any looks. The service was great. The refilled the water several times without us having to get their attention. I had a glass of wine that wasn't great, but not terrible. We had a salad and a sandwich. They both were great. Suggestion, if you get a salad for a meal, add the protein, otherwise you will leave hungry. The food came out in a short amount of time and was delicious. I can see that the perfect food flavors run in the family."
    Dined on 2/11/2014
  • "A typical Vail restaurant... loud, cold, expensive. Tables along the long front window are cold, and since there is no noise insulation anywhere, the sound reverberating off all surfaces makes it difficult to have a conversation without yelling, which encourages neighboring tables to yell even louder. The food was good, portions reasonable, but prices for what you get are higher than anywhere in the USA. Figure on a minimum of $100pp for a mid-priced glass of wine, soup, appetizer and main course, tax and tip ."
    Dined on 2/11/2014
  • "Sweet Basil has long been our favorite dinner spot in Vail, but their sister restaurant Mountain Standard is now a strong contender for our top pick. Food items tend to be locally produced and expertly prepared. The pork, salmon and trout dishes were excellent and the side of Brussels sprouts converted two people at our table who claimed no love of the vegetable. It can be difficult to bring a larger group here as the place is small and most tables seat 2 or 4 with just a few 6 seater booths. On the plus side, it does has a more intimate feel than most restaurants. Prices seem reasonable for the food quality. Love the pig etched glasses cut from wine bottles. They usually have these for sell if you ask."
    Dined on 1/24/2014
  • "I was impressed the minute I walked into the restaurant! The incredible smell of wonderful food is like walking into a home of chefs!! The corned pork shank is an absolute favorite!! I encourage everyone to put this on their bucket list!! My recommendation for wine is: 2010 Vieux Telegraphe “Telegramme”. It is $90 a bottle and worth every drop. Treat yourself; you are in Vail!!!"
    Dined on 2/9/2014
  • "We've been twice and enjoyed every morsel. Interesting menu with inventive food combinations. The flatbread with apple butter is a must as a shared starter as well as the homemade pâté. The pork shank entree and whole trout were excellent."
    Dined on 2/10/2014
  • "We enjoyed our meal at Mountain Standard. The pork shank was delicious, as was the bone-in ribeye for two. Solid execution from the hostess until dessert. We'll go back."
    Dined on 2/9/2014
  • "Very impressed with our visit to MS last week, the food was imaginative and original - really well presented and very tasty"
    Dined on 2/5/2014
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