Red Lion

We had wonderful food and service at the Red Lion! Vegetarian options at this restaurant are excellent. We ordered a veggie burger for me and a burger for my husband, and we both had the jalapeño style option. For dessert we shared the avalanche brownie. The portion sizes were large, we found the pricing to be reasonable compared to most other options in Vail, and our server was so friendly and fun. We also enjoyed the live music and outdoor seating.

We decided to stop by for a late afternoon drink and to check out the dinner menu for that evening. Unfortunately, our experience started off on the wrong foot with a rather cold and indifferent reception from the hostess – it honestly felt like we were disturbing her afternoon. Inside the bar area, service was initially good until the shift change. The new waiter clearly had an attitude problem and seemed uninterested in serving anyone. When we were joined by some family members, we asked to move outside so our 1-year-old wouldn’t disturb other guests. This request was met with more attitude and a visible lack of enthusiasm from the waiter. Once we moved outside to finish our drinks, no further service was offered. We eventually had to go back into the bar area to ask for and settle the bill ourselves. Needless to say, we didn’t return to the Red Lion for the rest of the week. Fortunately, there are plenty of other pubs and restaurants in the area that value their patrons and genuinely appreciate the business.

I had the crispy chicken sandwich with onion rings and it did not disappoint! It was so delicious! The only thing I would change is upgrading the cheese to Bongards (we’re dairy farmers here, so it matters) just by doing that would take the sandwich to a whole new level!

Was unimpressed with the food, I think I had higher hopes for it due to being in Vail. We ordered the Vail burger, build your own burger and two kids mini corn dogs ($10 each). The burgers had no flavor, very bland. My cheese was wrong on my burger, but didn’t say anything since it’s just cheese. For $25 a burger, and the board out front saying “best burger” it should be flavorful and good. I would not recommend eating here.

Have been coming here over two decades. Never disappoints. Went to Greece last year had lots of Gyros. The gyro at red lion is amazing, but French fries in it for the Greece experience.

First off, Google maps should fix the ratings on here for a restaurant. Not the lodge. Anyway, Texan visiting vail, go figure right? I've been to Red Lion multiple times for some Après and it is a great location to grab a drink and listen to some live music when they have it. It can get very busy in here so large groups may have to wait for a table. Solo traveling I've always been able to find a single seat at the bar. Lucky, I guess. Out if all the times I've stopped in before I had dinner plans so I'd never tried the food although I've eyed the mountain of nachos at others tables and taken in the smells of the smoked BBQ. I figured as a Texan I would give the BBQ a try and opted for the ribs and brisket combo plate. Most would/could probably share this plate but, I skipped lunch for more runs on mountain so I'd worked up an appetite and did not leave hungry that's for sure. The ribs were fall off the bone and super tender. A hint of smoke on them not heavy like Texas BBQ. The brisket I'd say the same. Very tasty but we're not in Texas here so things are done a little different in Colorado for sure, which brings me to the sauce. Was not bad but not my favorite by far. The sauce was like the meat a hint of smoke. The sauce also had a bit of a tang to it but also a bit of vinegary flavor. In my opinion it's as if they mixed a Texas sauce with a Carolina style BBQ sauce. Maybe that's what Colorado BBQ sauce is? Again it wasn't bad. But was different compared to what I'm used to. Try it out and formulate your own opinion. Food 4 stars Service 5 stars Atmosphere 5 stars.

Pretty much the most over priced mid food ever. World famous nachos are nothing special. BLT had way too much bacon and barely any tomatoes. Fries were good.

Food was fine. But my man Jad was incredible server, always there when you need him and never when you didn’t, super funny guy! Couldn’t ask for a better server having worked in the restaurant industry for several years. Pay this man his respect and pay him more

First day in Vail. Snowing like a - - - -'er outside and we were already tired of the snow in our faces. It looked busy inside, but warmer where they were watching all of the games on the TVs. A couple of cold beers and some of the famous, and very good, stack of nachos that seemed to be on almost every table. They were very good. We even took the leftovers home to make chilaquiles the next morning since there was cheese stuck underneath every chip. The onion rings were unquestionably house made as the uncommonly thin, but very tasty batter coated the large slices of onion and made something for the house-made ranch to stick. Good stuff! Their beer list worked hard as did our Argentinian server. We forgot his name, but his characteristic accent was obvious to the wife and I (she's Argentinian), so I ordered anything with Chimichurri. He said, "no sorry, we don't have anything with that", but made for a light and pleasant conversation. Somehow, a large mouse appears in a blue costume behind me. WTF? I think the beer was kicking in. What do these people in Vail do? Stop in for a cocktail and beer. Dicks

Summary: do not come here. Rude and racist staff, mediocre drinks, and dirty. Staff checked my party's IDs upon arrival at the entrance on a Saturday evening at 10pm. We waited patiently for a table and was guided to a dirty table. We waited again for a long time for the table to be cleaned. During this time no staff helped us or asked for our order. We went to the bar to order as the staff was not helping us. After getting our drinks the table was finally cleaned. The waiter, John, asked us why we did not order at the table because in order to keep the table we must order through him. We could not order at the table because we were not helped at all. We did place future orders through him and were asked for our IDs 3 additional times even though we were checked at the door. They did not do this to any other people at the establishment. My friend tried to order a whiskey sour ($8) and the waiter, John, stated that they taste terrible and recommended an Aperol spritz ($15). We had tried the whiskey sour and it was fine. It was a clear dishonest tactic to pressure us to order more expensive drinks. After our drinks were served, the staff constantly pestered us to order more and check our IDs. The staff kept making up different excuses to shoo us away from the table and eventually used a fake dress code to kick us out. If the dress code was real, it should've been informed/enforced at the door. Overall, this bar is a scam. They use cheap immoral business practices to upsell their drinks and kick you out if you are a person of color. They treated other non-poc with respect, but constantly harassed my party with ID checks and ordering more drinks. We had a terrible experience and I would not support this business.

Had been here several times in past years for the happy hour live music etc. Dropped in for evening food, had burgers, and we were all pretty disappointed. Great location but they could really do better with the quality of the food.

i had one of the most disappointing and offensive experiences . The staff's behavior was blatantly discriminatory towards Palestinians. When I identified my background during a casual conversation, their demeanor changed entirely, treating me with disdain while other customers received polite and attentive service. This kind of racism is not just hurtful but unacceptable in any setting. It's disheartening that in 2024, such attitudes still exist, especially in a place meant to bring people together over food. I strongly urge the management to address these issues through proper staff training and accountability. Until they take action, I will not return, and I encourage others to think twice before supporting this establishment.

This was a great place to eat lunch after shopping and skiing. The drinks were delicious and food was very good. The portions are large and food was affordable. The gyro was very filling. Our waiter was very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. Very casual vibe perfect for a pit stop and a drink or two.

If you like mediocrity, come here. Food average. Service average. I had the chicken sandwich, it was not good. They'll charge you $6 for 4 onion rings, but I guess that's Vail? My party also got a steak quesadilla and a burger , which they said was okay.

Service and food were horrible and expensive! Long wait to get food. Angelita, the waitress or the hostess, was very rude and ignored me several times when I asked for our table. I will never come back, and I do not recommend this place to anyone. There are plenty of restaurants around.

It's not the worst spot if you want a bite and are looking to get out of the snow/off your legs the second you get off the slope. The servers were nice but overall, the service was rather slow and it took a while to get our food. While we didn't mind as we weren't in a rush, we sure were hungry. The food was okay. We ordered a veggie burger, a side of mac and cheese, and soup of the day (tomato basil). My partner's veggie burger came to us as a beef burger and thankfully, he noticed before taking a bite into it. We sent it back and the staff was super accommodating which we appreciated but it added to the time he had to wait before being able to eat. My soup was good but the white mac couldn't definitely be improved. It was dry and cold to name a few things but the overall flavor was also lacking. Overall, there are other places in the area that might be better.

Just noticed not all of my pics posted in my last review so updating this. I think the shotski picture needs to be seen! We look forward to cold beers on the warm sunny patio this season. Can't wait!

Came here for lunch on a beautiful Sunday afternoon after hiking Booth Falls. We got a seat in the outside patio and it was so nice with the sun shining on us and the slight breeze. The waiter was very nice and attentive. We both got burgers and it was made just right. I asked mine for medium rare. I got the sweet potato fries and it was crunchy but still moist inner fry so it was made just right. Price was a little expensive for a burger, but not bad considering you're in Vail.

Every aspect of the Red Lion was amazing. From the nachos, to the chicken parm sandwich, and the Vail atmosphere.

It's awesome! A great experience every single time I have been here - this time it was late on. Sun night ~815 pm. First time I have been here where it wasn't packed . Maybe 10 people total, and we sat at the bar. Awesome service (always here - even when packed after skiing) and delicious food. My son loved the burger & I had the brisket (wonderful w excellent barbecue sauce) and a couple of Vodoos. Happy, full and tired = good times & better food!

We had no experience as we were asked to vacate our table by a rude host, who was not at the entrance when we walked in, nobody was waiting there, but us. Seemed like no host was on duty. We walked inside to the main seating where live music was on. Asked to a couple waitresses for a table and they informed nobody was closing their check for the moment. None of them told us the tables were in control by a host. Then, we spotted a party that was leaving, we sat, hung our jackets, had a waitress greet us, brought us water, explained the menu was the QR code, starting to look for the menu, and suddenly the host came and asked us to vacate the table as it was reserved. She offered us to sit at the booth area and we preferred to leave, go somewhere else. Hospitality skills ? None. Would never come back

Hey, this is a good solid bar and restaurant in downtown Vail. I enjoyed the BBQ ribs, friends had a Sierra Madre burger and another beef Stew, appetizer Chips, and Queso. service was good. Most of the people working were from Argentina, which I thought was interesting. Restrooms are down a long narrow flight of stairs, not accessible. Plenty of food. Not the best ribs ever, the fries were good, the coleslaw so so. Friend loved the burger. Beef stew was rated 7/10, Vail prices, but could be worse.

Delicious chili and corn beef sandwiches. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the service. It was a very chilly day so we warmed up inside but have eaten there outside on a beautiful day.

We chose the Red Lion for lunch because it was more low-key and less expensive than most of the restaurants in Vail Village. The chicken ceasar and nachos were pretty good but the game creek bowl salads were nothing super special. Service was also friendly but quite slow. The ambiance was great sitting on the porch in the summer and listening to live music!

Grabbed an early dinner at Red Lion after a fun day of skiing. Per the recommendation of a friend, I ordered the Vail Burger, which was advertised as being 1/2 lbs. I was hungry, and this burger delivered: it meaty, topped with onions, mushrooms, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and Swiss cheese. The burger had a nice char and I enjoyed the consistency of the potato bun. Given all of the toppings, it proved difficult fitting everything into my mouth, which made for a messy (yet satisfying) eating experience. It was a very filling meal along with the side of fries. My only critique is that the bottom bun was kinda soggy, but I was too hungry to pay it much attention. If you're feeling famished after a long day of skiing, walk straight off the chairlift and give Red Lion a try.

This has been one of my favorite spots in vail for years. Although it gets very busy during the day, my group and I have not had any issues getting a table or finding a seat at the bar. The bartenders, waiters, waitresses, and hosts are always great to us and I appreciate that so much. After a long day on the slopes, we were starving. We decided to get three plates to share between three people. The plates can be pricey but the portion sizes easily make up for it. We could have easily just shared the anchors between two of us and been full. We got one of my fav (the gold) wings. This sauce is amazing. The wings are huge. Our smiles were bigger. I absolutely loved these with blue cheese and they are a perfect meal! The half rack of ribs was basically falling off the bone and perfectly coated in sauce. My brother said the onion rings were fantastic and we left nothing on that plate. We usually go with the beef and chicken nachos, but decided to give the black bean and pork nachos a try! Although I do wish there was a bit more meat on them, they were absolutely delicious. Let's just say we didn't need dinner after this amazing lunch! Thank you red lion!

Really fun place and atmosphere! The place was pretty packed but we came at a busy time and still found a spot at the bar. Food was reallt good and we met some super kind people, also. Am glad we went. Thanks for having us!!

Nothing beats the lion. You can stray but always coming back. Nachos, bulleit, and this guy!

The Siera Madra is genuinely the best burger I have ever had in my life. Would really recommend coming here.

Can't beat the location in the heart of Vail Village. Inside is not the nicest, but if looking for bar/American food this is a good spot. Service is extremely nice and pretty quick considering how busy this place gets. GO EARLY! Good sized menu and highly recommend the nachos, although they are massive so please don't try to eat them by yourself. Burrito and chili also looked good from the people at our table and have heard good things about their burgers. Definitely pricey but you are in the village so on brand with all the other restaurants.

Was visiting Vail and seeing the sites during the Summer, and was looking for interesting locations to try in the resort area. Due to the many closures in the village during renovations and it being off-season, there unfortunately were not too many restaurants open during this time of the year. Among the sparse dining options, Red Lion popped up as a convenient place to grab dinner, so we decided to swing by on a Sunday around 6pm and were promptly seated. The ambience of restaurant gives off classic sports bar with tables and various TVs displaying everything from basketball, baseball, and football. There are also options for seating outside, which is nice in combination with the sunny weather. Service is relatively fast, and upon ordering, we received our food in about 10 - 15 minutes. I got the Crispy Chicken Sandwich as my entree - I would say this sandwich was only alright at best. Though the chicken was crispy as advertised, it was more like something you would get from Tyson in the frozen aisle in terms of taste - not much flavor and a slightly spongy texture. The cheese was not very appetizing - It definitely was your classic artificial american cheese doesn't really contribute much in terms of both taste and texture - just look at the picture! The fries were alright - not really seasoned but in the end, there really isn't too much to critique in terms of fries. In the end, this meal was $19 before tax and tip. I would say in terms of chicken sandwiches I've had before in the past, this definitely ranks on the lower end for the price. I'm not sure if I would revisit this restaurant if I'm in the Vail area unfortunately, but if you are in the area looking to check out the Red Lion for yourself, go for it!

Food was average. I didn't really like the chicken in my salad and the salsa was bland. Service was horrible. They were extremely busy- I had to go to the bar to ask for more water, drinks, etc. The servers were very kind, just too busy. The patio was a great people watching spot!

I had a burger that cost $27 (before tax and tip!). It tasted like lighter fluid. Disgusting. Never again.

There really isn't much to say about Red Lion. It's an unpretentious, classic ski bar & restaurant ripped right out of the early '80s. There's ample indoor/outdoor seating, friendly service, large portions, and live music. The only downsides are the QR code menus (which seem in direct contrast to the old-school vibe of the place), while the food can get quite pricey. Ultimately, it's somewhat memorable and does have a certain "je ne sais quoi" going for it, but I can guarantee it's probably even more fun coming off the slopes during ski season.

Friendly staff and amazing food. I had the beef stew bread bowl. Super satisfying on a chilly day.

I have been here many a time for aprè margs and nachos, which both are a must. The late night scene is just as fun with live music and tons of space to dance/ mingle/ shot ski. But it was time to try the real food menu, no drinks involved. Which pleasantly surprised me! A salad and fries run you what you would expect for vail but good portion. Salad was fresh. Easy pick up.

If I could give this place zero stars I would. This is the worst old fashioned I've ever had in my life. I took my girlfriend here after dinner for a quick night cap and her dirty martini tasted like lighter fluid. I'm not sure if they have Stevie wonder or Helen Keller behind the bar, but arguably the worst overpriced drinks I've ever had.

Horrible. Our party of nine comes in and they seat us at a six top while we wait for the table next to us to finish. No big deal we were okay with this. After we order our meals, the table we are waiting for does not leave so we ask to change to a larger table. This turns into an apparent big issue even though the place is empty. We could hear the servers verbally fight over it. After we finally get approval to move to a table that can fit our party size the service continues to go downhill. We ask another server for help with something, and she doesn't even acknowledge us and says "I'm not your server" while walking by. We get our food and it's...something. Beef brisket had actual mold on it. Huge white spots and the meat was gray in color Bacon on top of wedge salad was gray in color and smelled. Wedge salad is also just a chunk of lettuce with dressing and three pieces of bacon Chicken tenders were clearly frozen and were hard. Chips were insanely stale and had no crunch. Baked potato had clearly been sitting out for a long time and was not fresh We asked to send back the beef brisket and the manager comes over clearly upset with us. The first thing she says is "so now I hear you have more issues after moving tables four times". Insane. We moved once and literally received moldy old meat. We were not being rude nor loud but just wanted the manager to be aware of the food quality, we did not even mention the horrible service. Just don't. Don't eat here. They did try to make it right by offering us shots and 20% off which was appreciated but the attitude we received by literally the entire staff was just unbelievable. We just decided to leave after paying $350. After we left, we noticed as well that we were double charged for drinks and also had drinks we didn't order on the receipt. Our experience was so bad that we didn't even bother going back to get this corrected. Not worth our time or energy. Horrible service and food

Stopped in for BBQ and wasn't disappointed. The smoked ribs had a slightly spicy dry rub ... get the sauce on the side so you can taste the meat. Will come back to try so of the other menu items.

The entire place smells of mold and mildew. Very old old old location. Every dish is not tasteful and overpriced. The manager's really do not show any care for the employees and or the client. Some of the locals call it "the Applebee's Of Vail"... aka a garbage chain spot. Poor food quality and Poor and or international staff that are very hard to communicate with. Messed up our order serval times.

Stopped here after a day on the slopes. Was able to get a spot at the bar and was immediately greeted by the bartender. Ordered up some ice cold beers and thankfully they were the tall boys! We weren't going to eat but once I saw chili on the menu I couldn't say no, and I'm glad we got it! The bowl of chili was huge! Perfect for sharing. It also came with a generous portion of tortilla chips. Overall a solid chili and a great option to warm up after the cold weather all day. Cheers!

Just arrived here in Vail yesterday and was looking for a place to eat. Came to Red Lion and ordered their nachos with beef, ceasar salad and a bowl of cream of broccoli soup. Their nachos is a large portion good for 4 people. Staff are friendly and welcoming. The place is clean and fun to dine in. The prices is also great!

It was alright to get a meal. My Caesar wrap had too much dressing for my liking but the ambiance was nice. They had a live singer that was singing some bluesy tunes. The waiter had us wait a while before asking if we needed boxes or the bill. The outdoor patio is nice and doggy friendly which is a plus.

Sometimes you just have to shake your head in disbelief... I was traveling alone and went there for dinner and I was told I had to sit in the bar area which was fine as I told the hostess I could watch a game on TV. The bar area wasn't busy and I started to sit at one table but the view of the TV wasn't great so I moved to the table next to it, which was the same size. The hostess told me I couldn't sit there because it was reserved for parties of five or more and I had to go back to the other table - again, the next table over that was the same size in a place that wasn't busy. Didn't even waste my time trying to explain basic common sense to the hostess and left.

Ski and sip. Stay and play here. We are always down for meeting new people and eating new favorites. The nachos are almost as big as the slope hill. Ski all day and then chill but don't spill. The clients and locals mix well like the strong cocktails on Mondays. Live music starts at 5pm. Get a place close so you can stumble home. Leave the car keys in your chalet. So much fun here! We adore the old school hot dog hang!

Great food and awesome service!! Staff was courteous and friendly. If you're looking for something to share for the table I'd recommend the nachos. They were huge and more that enough for 4 people.

Got takeout because they had options on the kids menu that my kids wanted. Got to our room and 3 out of 4 orders were wrong. We ordered 2 rice bowls (aka naked burrito) and both were missing the rice and guacamole. We chose "carrot sticks and ranch" for one of the kid's meal sides and they gave us bbq sauce instead. My 5 year old was upset lol. One of the rice bowls was mine but I chose it specifically to share with my sick toddler because he likes rice and he didn't want to eat much today. We were super disappointed with this restaurant and we won't be back.

The regular people place to have a beverage in Vail. Returned to the scene of the crime (more to come) last week to have lunch with Mrs G. Usually this is an apres ski drink spot but Mrs G suffered a season ending injury. Anyway, the food was much bigger and better than I expected. I had the Iceberg Wedge Salad with Beef. She had the French Dip. So, the back story is that in 1989, we launched our relationship here on a corporate ski & seminar boondoggle. Got married the same year and are still in love.

I always thought this place is a bar/party place but they actually have good food. We got in after a long flight and just walked in to wherever was open. I got the Vail burger with beans and it tasted. Service was attentive and friendly. The ambiance is casual. You can customize your burger so that was good too.

Great selection of different kinds of food. Beer was cold and several tvs to watch the games

Stopped in for a quick lunch. The waitress was great she was super cheerful and helpful. The place is probably pretty popular based on its location. I had the fish and chips was really good but the rest left something to be desired. The mac and cheese for kids was either not made fresh or whoever made it never made Kraft and cheese at home before. The burger was just OK nothing special. The waitress did make the kids kiddy cocktails which was a huge hit. Probably would try something else before going back.

Vegas bombs sucked Waitress will come around to serve you once and hour Would love to leave but she wont give us the tab

I've gone to Red Lion many times over the years. Last week was the worst service I've ever had I think in a restaurant. We arrived at the restaurant and said we would sit outside. After a few minutes a waitress came out and rudely told us that the menus are on the card and we can scan them. Eating there two nights previous I know there's lots of menus to hand out all over the place. She walked away not even asking if we wanted a drink. After 15 minutes and no return by the waitress my son got up and looked for someone at the entryway, no one was around so he came back and sat down. After 5 minutes longer I was ready to get up and she came out and she asked us what we would like to order. She took our order and she was never seen again. A gentleman delivered our food and no one ever came back to check on us to see how our meal was or if we wanted another drink. After sitting there for quite some time I had to get up and go inside and ask for our check and ask for to go containers. I might as well have worn the uniform and served ourselves. Service was absolutely horrible. Then a waiter came out to our table as we were packing our food and apologize and said she had other commitments with another job she had. She had to talk about a police matter. Not my problem. Give better service.

Live music most nights. I use to hang 30 years ago apre ski. Ok beer list. I did not have any food but onion rings looked big and amazing.

Great food and awesome service! Come hungry or share, very generous portions!! Yummy soup and chili, big bowls. Salad veggies were super fresh.

The best after ski spot in Vail. We had so much fun here between the live music, friendly atmosphere & shot skis. Appetizers were able to be shared & various options for drinks.

We are here three times while in vale. Burger with blue cheese was fine. Cesar chicken wrap was good. I got a small side salad once which was nice.