Ajax Tavern has the best outdoor seating in Aspen during the summer time. I heard it is "the place to be" during ski season as well. Have always dined in their patio area to enjoy the sun and breeze as well as the local scenery. Enjoyed their Truffle Fries (what they are famous for), Prosciutto Croquettes (you can really taste the thyme) and Charcuterie board. Tried their Grilled NY Strip - served a perfect medium rare with fingerling potatoes. Service has always been good from taking your orders to serving drinks and food to checking back on you. Will definitely come back.
Review Source:Ajax is where fun begins, you eat, drink and then go up on rockies. tables are easy to come by, staff is cool- We sat outside as it was not that chilly, ordered Boulder Beer, nothing crazy but wanted to try some thing local.
We started with chix pea fries, interesting fries battered in chix pea flour. Lunch was lamb ribs and boy they melted in our mouth, then we were off to mountain:)
Great outdoor seating area right near the gondola, so (as has probably been mentioned a billion times) it makes for an easy lunch or après-ski spot.  The food is a cut above what one might usually find in a restaurant catering to the snow sport crowd, but then again it is Aspen.  On a Monday, the outside would require a 15 minute wait, so we decided to opt for the decidedly less glamorous interior, which had pretty much no wait. Â
Ordering to share a French onion soup and the "Ajax Burger" (with two thin patties similar to a  Double-Double at In N' Out) we didn't exactly stretch our boundaries here, but it was properly hearty and filling.  One small disappointment was that the kitchen couldn't do a lettuce-wrapped burger.  I can get one at my local In N' Out or Red Robin, but here I get a small stack of lettuce and the burger patties on the side to build it myself.  A little thing, to be sure, but an annoyance nonetheless.
I did also want to give props to our server, whom we told we were in a bit of a hurry. Â She apparently prioritized our order to the kitchen, and we were indeed served right quickly.
Anyway, it's a fun lunch spot. Â Pricey but decent food, the great service stands out.
I honestly love Ajax tavern... love the food, love sitting outside... great place.
I'm a snowboarder and usually favor  Buttermilk mountain and Snowmass over Aspen Mountain, but honestly I love Ajax tavern so much that it almost makes it worth riding Aspen!
Seating was easy enough and they had a table outside within minutes, maybe because it was a bit chilly. Â Heat lamps didn't seem to do much which was disappointing but not unexpected. Â
The food is SO DELICIOUS. Â
My mom had a wonderful little salad with beets. Â Not entree size but a nice size for someone who wasn't skiing. Â
I had the lamb ragu with mascarpone and mint... outstanding!!! I enjoyed it immensely... flavorful, not too salty, just the right amount of cream... it was perfect.
Other items ordered...
Tuna nicoise salad was a great size portion and delicious
Cheeseburger- also looked delicious and sizeable though I didn't try it. Â
Overall, the service was relatively quick for a sit down meal, friendly and the servers were knowledgeable.
I love snowboarding and I love food. Â It is SO nice to eat edible food on the mountain that at least makes it easier to spend $$$. Â
Ajax tavern is so worth it.
I'm not sure where exactly this place went wrong. Definitely after the bread and spread that they started us off with; that was easily the best part of the meal. The burger was gross. So gross. Fries were not very good. Charcuterie plate... I think the only good one was the prosciutto. Bland rilletes and overly fatty pepperoni. Croquettes were not very flavorful. Squash was eh.
I have no idea why the food is so unexceptional. The location, atmosphere and service are top-notch. Based on the menu, I had high hopes. But the food, ultimately, did not deliver. Despite this, I would probably come back because it's a pretty sweet spot to sip wine (and they had a great list.)
This place is a staple for lunch or aprés ski.  Although they are known for their truffle fries, Ajax Tavern's menu is full of mouth watering dishes to satisfy any skier after a long day on the mountain.  Some of my favorites include the tomato soup with grilled cheese, pan roasted mussels,  lamb bolognese and the trout meuniere.  If you are not hungry, Ajax is also a great place to get a drink and catch up with friends or make new ones!  Located at the base of Aspen mountain, there is no better location to sit and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.
*They have the best apple cider in town so make sure to order one!
Have been to Ajax over a dozen times over the years and have always had mixed experiences and feelings about this place. Yes, the location is great and some if the food items are good (truffle fries and burgers come to mind), but last week I arrived with my wife and son for our 6:00 reservation and were give a awful table in the hall by the bathroom. Asked for something better, but that's all they had. Then we waited 20 min - no one even brought water. We were frustrated and left... Went to Brexi and ate at the bar which was a great experience. Ajax can be good but I think is really only a great place if you can dine outside.
Review Source:Well, I must say that I agree with many of the reviews. The service is consistently poor. I live in Aspen, so have been at least four times over the last year (the only time-span I consider relevant). Â Every time was bad, either for the service or the food, a time or two even both. The burger is unimpressive and $20 after tax. No, it is not a worth-$20 burger, and there are many far superior burgers in town for much less (J Bar, CP,...McDonald's). As for the people-watching: it's Aspen; go literally anywhere during the ski season or summer. Anywhere. There's even a spot on the other side of the gondola if you're dead-set on being up against Ajax.
Let me use examples. My friend and I were seated outside, where it took (I am not an exaggerator) 20 minutes for someone to even bring us menus. Then another 15 to get our order taken, during which time, the bartender noticed we had not gotten service and offered to get us at least our beers and see what was up with our server; he was great. The other literally 5 other servers who wandered past: not so much. Our server only came after I finally spoke with the manager, whom I had to get up and fetch. The bartender had already spoken with the server himself and the attitude dripping off the idiot server was thicker than the buttery concoction they serve with their bread. After finally getting the oysters we ordered as an app, we decided to leave. Obviously. Nothing was so much as discounted even though the manager had been informed of the matter.
I'm one to give a place a decent chance, especially with the turn-over rate of Aspen businesses. So I went again when a visiting friend said she wanted to try their burger. Service was, wonderfully, only mediocre this time! As for the burger, the components are good, but the patties were dry, tasteless, and seemed to be another Cisco-supplied meatish-patty. If I may I remind you, this cost $20 after tax. Yah. Not worth it.
When another friend offered them up as an option for lunch, I hesitated, but being the off-season, sit-down lunch can be difficult to find. The service was fine this time, thankfully. I'm an easy consumer, but I hate goat cheese; I have a visceral reaction and get sick to my stomach. When I ordered the chicken sandwich, I asked for "just not goat cheese." Naturally, it showed up with the goat cheese presented on the menu. I was too hungry to wait for another, so I ate as much as I could: 2/3 of one half. Left most of the fries too, since they were a mix of over-cooked, tasting like over-used oil, or undercooked with the appearance of fingers after an hour-long bath and flaccid. After the manager heard that I had received the wrong cheese, about which I did not make a stink, he came over to tell me he was sorry that I thought I had gotten the wrong thing, but it was Swiss. He had even talked to the chef! (Ooooh!) Look, buddy, come over, apologize that I was unhappy with what I received, and be done with it. Don't be arrogant, and definitely don't tell someone who was raised in professional kitchens with professional, restaurant-owning chefs and has done a multitude of other food- and kitchen-related occupations that she has mistaken the most dull of cheeses for goat. "Well, even if he was rude, I'm sure he at least took it off the bill since you couldn't eat it!" No. No he didn't. A table of two Aspenites, one of 30+ years, and he decided to make the name-ruining call of charging the $18 (+tax of course) for the uneaten chicken sandwich.
I will do all that I can to make people aware of all of these experiences. Especially if it is ever again suggested by a friend. Let me be clear, though, the food isn't awful, the food+service+management = not worth it considering the options.
Competitive prices, great food and attentive service in a comfortable environment...all pluses for Ajax.
I had the burger and truffle fries (definitely worth the splurge in calories and the few extra dollars) and hubs had macaroni and cheese and lamb ribs.
They accommodated my Meg Ryan order (everything on the side,1 patty instead of 2, no cheese) and I was glad they did. While the thin patties on a double burger may seem scanty to some, 1 was fine for me, especially considering the gobs of fries that came on the side. The fries were dripping with truffle oil without being soggy and have just the right amount of parm to create the perfect flavor.
According to my husband, the ribs were a bit fatty and over sauced, but were otherwise good (this also didn't stop him from finishing his ribs). The macaroni and cheese was the favorite of the meal and had the perfect layer of bread crumbs on top.
Great patio, pretty black and red dining room with a great balance of rustic and elegant and a nice location in town....hard to ask for more.
Decent bistro food, classics are always good. Much better places for burger in Aspen, Truffle fries are a staple. Things that tend to keep me away most times are the prices, but high prices are expected in Aspen. Service is always lack-luster, and this is the biggest thing that I no longer frequent Ajax Tavern.
Review Source:Last time we were in Aspen, we discovered this place and their rockin' happy hour deal: burger and a pint for $15. It was so delicious that we had dreamed of returning. Alas, we did. They still have the special but it was no longer special. The burger was way overcooked- not juicy at all and the fries were undercooked- al dente (though the seasoning was still terrific). Beers were still good.
Great setting at the base of the mountain next to the gondola, but unfortunately we will have to find a new gem.
This is seriously one of the best mountain base patios in all of COs. Â You are right next to the chairs there is a beautiful face in front of you. Â And if you're as lucky as we are you will get to see some serious "Benny the Blade" ski action. Â We quickly learned he is quite the Aspen legend! Â We were lucky enough to have a beautiful spring day so we sat outside for lunch and drinks. Â Our servers were wonderful (we love you Scott and Katie aka KCool) and didn't bat an eyelash we the to Vegans needed their salads remade. Â Drinking here is extremely expensive but to have as much fun as we did it makes it totally worth it. Â Plan on spending a lot and having a real Aspen experience and it will be totally worth it!
Review Source:I have many food restrictions due to inflammation. Â This is one of the few restaurants I've visited where I could order directly from the menu, & the food did not dissapoint. Â The Grains & Greens dish was awesome - really balanced & delicious. Â The Crispy chicken was also fantastic. Â Others at our table were equally pleased. Â
At the bar service was slow & inconsistent; Â in the restaurant it was fantastic.
fantastic place for lunch in aspen. Â i'm sure it's fine for dinner, too, but i've only had the lunch experience here, a handful of times. Â service is decent, but occasionally a little slow, and you can definitely expect a wait around lunchtime. Â
prices are high, but what can you expect at the base of ajax? Â great views of people descending the mountain if it's warm enough to tolerate outside; if not, the room inside is always plenty warm and buzzing with activity. Â everything i've tried at ajax has been very good: Â truffled fries, onion soup, tomato soup, mac & cheese, oysters, etc. Â i think it would be hard work to go wrong here.
This place is a must do at least once per vacation. We love coming here at the begining of our vacation to get in the snow mood! There is nothing better than sitting at the base of Aspen mountain enjoying a warm rum apple cider as people come in from a long run on a couple black diamons.
I have tried quite a few things here, but as I'm sure you can see that they are known for their truffle fries.
Be prepared to wait a couple of minutes if you want to sit inside, they are usually pretty busy. Especially if you come around the end of the ski day.
Hey, after a long day of downhill skiing on double black diamonds, don't you just want to sit at the bottom of the hill and watch the world go by?
Me either. Downhill skiing terrifies me.
I DO, however, like to drink wine and watch people ski. And Ajax is the perfect place for that. It was a little past lunch time and we needed a snack attack. There was no hostess in sight at Ajax Tavern, and we asked a few waiters if we could seat ourselves.
They said sure.
After that, it took us 15 minutes to get a menu. Sigh.
It all went uphill from there, though. I ordered a glass of wine and my husband ordered some french onion soup and a beer. We got a nice piece of crusty bread before the soup came out - it was accompanied with a lima bean dip which was actually pretty tasty. It was like hummus' long lost cousin.
The soup was quite tasty - the onions were sweet, they may have been caramelized. There was tons of cheese (perhaps gruyere?) melted over the top of the soup, which was delightful. The sweetness of the onions made the soup a small but intense dish - we both ate some of it. Â
My aunt and uncle had eaten dinner here the night before and my aunt raved about the crispy chicken - for those who are interested in dinner here.
The views are decent and the food was good. It's a great lunch spot.
This is the most bustling place on Aspen mountain for lunch. It has a nice mix of skiers and fashionistas all looking to sun themselves on the deck or warm up inside with an order of truffle fries. During the busy season, waits are horrendous-seriously over an hour for lunch. But order a drink, enjoy the people watching and hang out.
Food is pretty solid without being remarkable. The tomato soup with "cheese bread" is pretty comforting and the Moroccan chicken had great flavor and is accompanied by a farro salad with almonds. French onion soup is neither the best nor worst I've had and supposedly they have a great burger.
Bottom line: if you are in Aspen, you have to come here at least once, even if only for Après.
This place may be a little on the pricier side (for a Denver-ite like me) but it was well worth the money spent; especially after a cold day of shredding some pow. I highly recommend the Tomato Bisque soup. It the taste it clean and fresh and oh so flavorful! It is also served with a grilled cheese for dipping, which was delicious and perfectly portioned. The TRUFFLE FRIES are a must, they are defiantly pricey for an order of fries but they are unlike any fries I have ever had...party in my mouth! Everyone around us had ordered them as well they were the 'app of choice' after a day of skiing. Great selection of micro brews and domestics and for a reasonable price. Service on the other hand was somewhat slow both times I have visited there and the wait staff a little snobby at times...so make sure you have no time constraints ;)
Review Source:One of the best burgers iv ever had is located here at the base of the famous Aspen Mtn. It comes with these truffle fries that will make you cry they are so good! You will want a huge order of these. Â The tomatoe soup is also amazing especially on a cold day of skiing. Comes with an amazing grilled cheese sandwich. The only downside is the service is not so
Great because they are used to dealing with the snotty aspen -ites! But you can watch them crash as they come down the mtn before they stop to eat and complain here. So it's still a good laugh!
Food....Eh, I'd rate it as Aspen version of bar food....intersting stuff on the menu, but keep in mind it IS bar food....
Drinks/AWESOME. Strong, and the service is quick! Great people watching location, moreso in the winter, where an occasional "movie star" can be seen...but in the summer the patio is nice to sit and have a beer.
It is the place to be for Apres Ski! Anywhere else it's prob. 3 stars, but location location location!
Mussels were saturated in butter, milk and pepper. Â Repulsive waste of money. Â They brought us the wrong order. Â 1/2 order is $10.00, we asked for the full order. Â The way the dimwit waitress explained to us the difference between a full order and half order this way: Â "Well it's like a full order is a dozen and a half order is around half that which you get a lot more if you order the full order"? Â DUHHHH WHAT? Â She won't be attending MIT next semester. Â
She made a comment that they serve dogs better than they do people.  I was not sure where that comment came from and left wondering if she was on drugs?  The wine pour was approximately  of a glass and as I recall $12 for the Sauv Blanc.  We complained and never saw her again.  Someone else brought the check. Â
She had a boy's name. Â I wish I'd saved the check because I really wanted to call to complain.
The table next to us with 5 people had the same issues and just made jokes with us about the farce of service and putrid expensive food. Â
The only good thing about the Ajax Tavern is the view. Â So buy a bottle of wine, have a picnic 20 yards away on the mountain and spare yourself the torture of bad service and expensive poorly done food. Â
HELLO.....management....corporate ownership....I am reaching out to you. Â Service sucks in Aspen. Â What don't you understand about the customer's desire to be served by staff that fall all over themselves trying to please the persons aka customers.....with the money, thirst and hunger.
The food was not great. Â It was eatable, but the flavor was way off on the salmon dish I had. Â The vinaigrette was overpowering and the seasoning of the fish was bland. Â The side was not very tasty. Â I had the onion soup which was good. Â I'd give the soup three stars. Â The salmon two stars the side dish one star. Â The atmosphere at the base of Aspen's gondola was very nice. Â I'd give it three and a half stars. Â The view was the best part of sitting on the patio. Â It gets four and half stars. Â I would not go back.
Review Source:After spending the day at Snowmass, I drove over to Aspen to grab a bite to eat after a day of skiing. I wanted some good food, and Ajax seemed like a decent option. I didn't realize this place was right at the base of the mountain until I got there, and the outdoor patio was very busy. I had a weird vibe from the beginning but continued. I ordered some crispy chicken for $25 off the lunch menu. Welcome to Aspen I guess? Decent enough place if you don't mind the prices, but not worth the money to me. I did notice a number of bling bling type customers. Not exactly my scene I guess. I think I may have just caught them on a very busy day though. I might give it another shot next time I visit Aspen.
Review Source:Wow, what a bash by ex-Mayor Willie Brown, an African-American:
I really knew I was in the wrong world when I walked into a restaurant called the Ajax Tavern for lunch.
There were only two other parties in the place. They sat me back by the kitchen, and when the food came it was colder than my water glass.
I don't think it's a stretch to say discrimination is still very much alive in the snowy white hills of Aspen.
Read more: <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sfgate.com%2Fcgi-bin%2Farticle.cgi%3Ff%3D%2Fc%2Fa%2F2011%2F01%2F08%2FBAPD1H5GUB.DTL%23ixzz1AWOobHkL&s=e634e5c40bd71dd1c31cda25408802d5ab43aba7bd905c00ebb8c91bf94e4646" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.sfgate.com/cg…</a>
I made reservations through Open Table and was pleasantly surprised by the delicious menu and friendly staff. Our server gave us great recommendations on wine and lead us to a better decision on our choice for snowmobiling tours.
We had dinner, so the atmosphere was romantic and moody. Â We tried the next day for lunch, but were too early (I think they opened at noon).
They have a great outdoor dining location at the base of the mountain.
Went on a beautiful Friday fall afternoon. Â I guess it was past lunch so we were given the dinner menu. Â The patio is totally awesome, great for taking in the extraordinary scene that is Aspen. Â Had a glass of Italian rose which was delicious and refreshing. Â Started with shrimp cocktail with jumbo super-fresh and well cooked shrimp. Â Had the burger and fries. Â Fries were perfect. Â Burger had two thin patties and oddly enough reminded me a of Big Mac that you would find in heaven (I don't like McDonald's). Â Really good stuff in summary. Â Not cheap, but typical pricing for Aspen.
Review Source:Take with a grain of salt and what the heck, a bloody mary too ... because I've made a tradition of visiting Ajax the day before the Aspen F&W Classic kicks off, my perspective might be somewhat dewy-eyed. Â
The sun-drenched, mountainside patio is the perfect place to while away the afternoon in an idyllic setting while also watching foodie courtesans pay homage to Batali, Love, Pepin et al. Â
The summer menu features fresh oysters, a delish burger oddly reminiscent of the In-and-Out Double Double, lump crab gazpacho, fresh entree salads and signature truffle frites.
The wine list is tight and well-built. Â The service features ski-town generosity of spirit with white-tablecloth knowledge.
It's the perfect place to acclimate to Aspen's altitude and refined-but-relaxed attitude.
My god, the scene here! It's Aspen, and it's famous, I guess. But still, the scene. I've seen it written up so many times, I had to see what the hell it was all about.
Elbow past the posers, pretty people, millionaires, etc. Grab a table. It's even worth a little bit of a wait. Here's why - 1. the location - wow. literally ....mountainside. sun, sun, sun, a huge outdoor deck and an international crowd. i felt like i died and went back to the slopes in Europe - really not a bad thing. Â 2. the menu - it's an excellent, authentic french bistro menu. well executed. quality ingredients. pretty damn good. Â 3. the service - i'm thinking not so much crappy as international with a bit of potential for language barrier issues - but this is Aspen, this is who works here. it makes it interesting. suck it up order the cheese fondue and re-apply your SPF, darling.
Didn't try the food, though the service is lukewarm... Aspen service is all kind of like this, though, as most servers are just wishing they were cruising down the slopes, especially so for the Tavern servers, right at the base of the mountain.
Like others have said, people watching is great here.
Ate lunch here during the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. Great location at the base of the Little Nell and Silver Queen Gondola, but if you're looking for amazing food, this isn't exactly the place. To be fair, the truffle fries smelled amazing, but the dishes overall didn't come together. The artichoke appetizer was ok, and someone else like the smoken chicken salad, but I was underwhelmed.
Best to order a cold beer or glass of wine (they do have good list) and sit out on the ski deck and people watch.
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