Two
views of El Rancho
El Rancho's dinning room (check out the *"backwards" chairs.)
The
El Rancho Restaurant,
nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains -18 miles west of Denver,
off I-70 - has been serving superlative Prime Rib for years. The
restaurant has been in business since 1948. This rustic restaurant in
the pines also offers a tavern and a
**gift shop
(Native American and cowboy items.)
Driving up I-70 from Denver,
you will pass the pasture of
The Genesee Bison Herd.
(see video clips below)
ACCESS EL RANCHO FROM THE EAST:
Take I-70 West,
past the
The Genesee Bison Herd to Exit 252-Evergreen Parkway, then right at US
40 (1st Light)
FROM THE WEST:
I-70 east to Exit
251- then take US 40 west 2 miles to El Rancho
Click El
Rancho's website for maps & directions.
The restaurant has had
several owners over the years and the menu has changed, from time to time,
though the Prime Rib seems to remain constant.
Elk, Buffalo, Venison,
Rattlesnake, Rabbit, Turkey and Trout are among the Rocky Mountain
specialties on the menu. California cuisine items are new: Pastas
(gnocchi, penne and tortellini,) appetizers, salads, soups etc..
In the 50's the menu was
about the meat, (simple) potatoes, soups and salad - starting with a relish tray
consisting of pickled watermelon-rind, carrot-sticks, celery-sticks, green
onion, bread and butter...They still do a (limited) relish dish with bread
and butter. The bread was excellent.
Even if the food
were
marginal, I'd come back to this mountain retreat because of it's unique
ambience, location and surroundings, even if the magic of the area is
fading: The building used to stand mostly alone in the woods.
Standing outside in the evening, one could hear the sound of the wind
blowing through the pines, and an occasional coyote (of course little
kids hear the bears, lions & tigers.) There is now a McDonalds
across the road, a Motel up the hill and other businesses nearby. The
good news is: The view is still magnificent
and the area is still more mountain than city.
