Black Iron Kitchen + Bar

We stayed at the Madeline Hotel and each morning, this was the restaurant where breakfast was served for hotel guests. Our only experience dining here was for breakfast and it was just ok. Main reason for the below than average experience each time we were here was the staff. Even though there seemed to be plenty of staff members, somehow it always took at least 10-15 minutes after we sat down before we were even greeted by our server. This could certainly be excused if every table was full but when you’re only one of about 6 tables taken, it was hard to believe how long it took someone to come over to us. It’s hard to have any kind of pleasant experience anywhere when you sit down and feel like you’re an inconvenience for being there. I’m sure that wasn’t the intention although that’s how the delayed welcome made us feel…two days in a row. It just feels like a restaurant who is associated with a luxury hotel would have better effort from their staff to provide excellent service. Even while we sat there and waited for our food, we hardly ever saw our server. The food itself was fine. I made a poor order the first morning with the chicken and waffles. The waffle part was good but the chicken on top didn’t look like a good piece of meat - it was tough and fatty without much taste. I didn’t eat much of the chicken so luckily the waffle was good. My wife enjoyed her lavender blackberry pancakes but said the flavor got a little strong near the end. The presentation was nice but we’re talking about breakfast here, there’s not much need to dress up the menu items too much. The next morning we played it safe - I got their Rocky Mountain Morning (eggs, bacon, toast, potatoes) and my wife got the Palisade Peach Oatmeal Bowl. It’s hard to mess up my order so it was good and my wife did enjoy her oatmeal. But again, poor service throughout breakfast. Hopefully the servers during the dinner hour are better but I wouldn’t waste your time here for breakfast, especially with the prices being so high. Maybe if the service matched the prices you’re expected to pay but it really made it hard getting the bill each time knowing how unwelcome our servers made us feel. Can’t imagine we’d come back, even if we were given free breakfast through the hotel - it just wasn’t worth it.

My sister and me have dinner tonight in Black Iron, and we have a wonderful dinner! starting with the host Paula is very nice, Reka was our server and was excellent, the back waiters did a excellent job. The food and dessert was delicious. The drinks delicious. I will definitely come back. Thank you to all the staff.

This place is class. I loved the food here, the service , the staff was amazing. Claudia was very nice and helpful with the menu and the service was amazing. I had the burger with the foie grass and is was really good. The foie grass was cooked to perfection. The burger was well balanced and the fries were really good. And don’t forget desert the crème burlee was delicious with a hint of basil and some strawberry and amazing combination.

Our breakfast food was nothing special. We ordered the peach palisade pancakes and the peaches tasted cold and canned. The peach glaze actually took away from the pancakes. The standard egg, bacon, potatoes and toast breakfast plate was fine but, again, nothing special. The ambiance here is cool but the kitchen needs to step it up to match.

My husband and I came here to celebrate our anniversary and we certainly felt special! The service was fantastic including extra celebratory goodies like champagne and dessert. We ordered the duck flappers, mushroom ravioli, and beef tenderloin. Each dish was very tasty and their timing was great. The cocktails were equally delish and well-balanced. We’ll be back!

A Disappointing Experience at a Five-Star Hotel Restaurant Our recent dining experience at a restaurant located in a prestigious five-star hotel was, unfortunately, far from the exceptional service and quality one might expect from such an establishment. Despite having a 6:30 PM reservation and arriving punctually, our evening was marred by a series of missteps that highlighted systemic issues with the restaurant’s service and operations. Upon arrival, we were greeted promptly and seated. However, the hostess attempted to place our party of five adults at a table with only four chairs, a move we had to correct by requesting a larger table. The hostess wanted to pull up an extra chair for a table that was only large enough for four. While our request was accommodated, this set the tone for what would be a disorganized and frustrating evening. After being seated, our server introduced herself and we were offered water before taking our drink order. Unfortunately, it took approximately 20–25 minutes for some of our drinks to arrive, with the remaining drinks following. This delay was a precursor to the prolonged waiting times we experienced throughout the meal. The chocolate martini ordered by one of our party was served in a wine glass and was not what was ordered. Our appetizers, consisting of soups and a bread roll, arrived only after we flagged down a manager to inquire about the delay. When they did arrive—an hour after ordering—the soups were cold, and the bread was initially forgotten. The manager, who informed us it was only his second day on the job and he was brought in to fix some of the issues the restaurant was having, apologized and acknowledged the service issues. He stated that he was brought in similar to the tv show Bar Rescue. The main course fared no better. Four out of five entrees were served after an hour and a half wait, with one hamburger missing entirely. The entrees were cold. Another 10–15 minutes passed before we flagged down a person who identified himself as the hotel manager, identifiable by his distinctive attire. He personally ensured the final entree would be out shortly. The final entree was delivered along with another apology. Throughout the evening, it became evident that we were not alone in our frustrations. The neighboring table experienced similar service issues, with missing appetizers and delayed entrees. While the staff’s apologies and the eventual comping of our entire meal were appreciated, they did little to salvage the evening or justify the restaurant’s high prices and five-star hotel reputation. The staff at this restaurant were clearly not trained to provide the services expected for a restaurant attached to a five star hotel. One example of this was when we asked one of the wait staff assistants who was refilling our water glasses for a wine menu. This was a simple request, but his reply was “I’ll get your server!” Our server was already running from table to table and clearly overloaded. In summary, while the setting and atmosphere of this hotel restaurant hinted at luxury, the execution fell woefully short. Poor service, cold food, and excessive delays overshadowed any potential highlights of the evening. For a restaurant in a five-star hotel, the standards, food, and service should be much higher.

The atmosphere is good, the staff was friendly, and that ends the nice things to say. If this was any small town where a chef took a swing in a direction and charged a reasonable amount they'd have gotten 4 stars. But $200 for three mediocre margaritas, a beer, a starter, and two (of the least expensive) entrees is ridiculous. The margs were 21 each. The duck tacos were at best OK. Mission brand taco sized tortillas purchased from the local Safeway with what I have to trust the menu as duck put on top. The sauce was so overpowering that this could have been chicken or pork and I wouldn't have known. Too bad it wasn't well constructed. My wife ordered the flatbread with mushrooms and goat cheese. What she received was a flatbread smothered in mushrooms that were prepared in the same room a goat cheese log existed in. It took great care to find the cheese, an impressive feat considering how strong the cheese normally is The staff were attentive, caring, and kind. This has nothing to do with them, I only wish they had a better chef de cuisine who would actually make a menu worth paying for.

Some reviews mention service or food being poor, but that was not our experience (dinner on 3/2/25). We got the 32oz wagyu ribeye and it was delicious and delivered promptly. Reka was also an amazing and attentive waitress. Based on our experience, I certainly recommend this place for dinner.