Niki S.
Google
We came here for Christmas dinner on the recommendation of a coworker. We were staying in Vail and decided to leave the village in hopes of, if not saving money, finding food that was a better value for the expense. Unfortunately, we didn't find it at Juniper.
We walked in and there was no "Merry Christmas" or "happy holidays" or really any welcome whatsoever. We were then led to a high top that was next to a temporary wall, so it was a bit cold. I will never understand why restaurants that charge $45-$75 for an entre will sit people at a high top - this is Uncomfortable. Women in heels do not want to try to find a place for their feet. Also, there was no reason for it - it wasn't saving space. It could have just been a regular table.
The service was lacking. The menu doesn't have a lot of descriptions, including important information about size of beef portions, but the server didn't provide this information until asked. Even the $100 wagyu special made NO mention of the fact that it was 5oz and only one raviolo (though the menu said 'ravioli') - we didn't order this anyway. At a minimum, we expect that servers will explain the menu, make suggestions, etc., but it was hard enough to get someone's attention here. We eventually got to talking to our server and he was lovely, but our initial impression of the service didn't really change.
We ordered the duck confit pizza ($30), pork chop entre ($50), brussels sprout salad ($20), side order of crab cakes ($25), and side order of potato croquettes ($16).
The duck pizza was decent but for $30, the crust was rather flavorless - if the crust was a chewy, charred sourdough, this would have been perfect. At least the duck was good. It was a sizeable portion, so if you're only 2 people and you order this, I would not order another app.
The pork chop was a properly sized entree with tasty sides. It was cooked well and the only complaint we had was that the bacon really took away from the flavor. The menu did say bacon, so it wasn't a surprise, but it was unnecessary to the plate.
The brussels sprout salad for $20 a bit of a disappointment. It was small and overly vinegary. There were 5 small cubes of butternut squash that could have just been boiled. It's a salad, so I'm not expecting fireworks, but like, do something different?
The crabcakes were - as the server pointed out - very small. They tasted great and came with a small frisee salad, and the preparation was good but wow, so small. Not worth $25.
The potato croquettes were the biggest disappointment. They were four TINY pomme dauphines that barely had potato in them - if you pressed on them, they entirely compressed. Do not order this.
And then, we get the bill, and the Bombay martini I ordered was $24.50. The same martini in Vail Village cost me $20 the night before (and the same martini at a comparable place in Denver would have been $18). The other cocktails were $18, so I really can't imagine why this drink would be 30%+ more.
Total was $216+tip. Overall, I can't recommend this place. Just go to Vail and have dinner - at least then, you won't be annoyed at the cost.