Snorting Elk Cellar Bar & Deli

Located within the Alpine Inn, the Snorting Elk is an infamous old school apres spot to visit after a long day of skiing. This establishment also has a deli in the back that serves outstanding food. If you ski and/or stay at Crystal Mountain, this place is a required visit!

Stumbled across this place looking for food after a nine mile hike and it was perfect. Trust me when I say it’s not the 9 miles of hiking talking, that was one of the best burgers I’ve had. Pretzel was awesome. Great beer selection. Definitely come grab some grub here!

The Snorting Elk is pure VIBES!The bartender Christian has a perfect pour, and even pointed us towards some good runs in this low snow! Huge shoutout to the hardworking crew we met in the deli, Maria and Alec, who had fun conversation and made the best italian i’ve EVER had!Great food, great people, great atmosphere. Always a win.

First, this place is always confused with the Alpine Inn Restaurant. Anyways, it's not because there are no other choices within 5 minutes of walking around Crystal Mountain Resort. But they actually serve good food. We were here during the mid August Summer 2023, the service is quite fast, but I wonder during the winter. So, either you bring your own can good, or spend a little and experience, also supports local.

I had low expectations since we were on the mountain but I was pleasantly surprised by the food. Now, the food isn’t from a world renowned restaurant but I’d favor this over chicken tenders and fries any day! Atmosphere was fun on a Wednesday afternoon. I do recommend the cookies in the deli! We ate it so quick I couldn’t take a pic.

Come for the atmosphere! Old school apres ski bar. Self-seating, ordering, watering. Super chill and laid back. Decent bar food from the attached deli, fun old school decor that reminds you to respect the mountain, and a massive fireplace that warms you up if the drinks don’t do it.

I ordered the green valley and swapped the cheese for spinach. It tastes awesome, the staff is friendly. I asked for sauce and the server got us extra, and it was scrumptious! Great way to end a day on the mountain.

Came here for the first time for the holidays, the cheese on our nachos weren’t melted, but the vibe was cool and some of the bartenders were super cool to talk to!! The really tall bartender is super nice and made a KILLER marg (I’m a bartender to lol)

The food here is seriously next level! Was a little too early for the dinner menu so we shared the BLT planning on coming back after our adventures for the gnocchi (which we did) The bacon on this sandwich was perfect! We also spied the mountain of nachos that were very popular with other diners but too much for the two of us. It was crazy busy when we came back later for the gnocchi and waited over an HOUR even for take out the portion was very small and it definitely diminished our experience. In short, the food is amazing if you can get it.

Came to Crystal Mountain to support my cousin running the marathon in July! It was a great place to eat dinner after receiving her bib and after her marathon as well! The burger was absolutely delicious, I also tried their Elk beer and it paired well with it. The seating area is gorgeous to sit in during the summer, flowers are blooming alongside the tables and the sun hits beautifully along that part of the mountain. It was magical to come visit Washington for a weekend getaway and it was even more magical finding a gem like this to spend some time and eat good food.

We stopped by the Snorting Elk at Crystal Mountain for lunch after snowboarding, and left pretty underwhelmed. We got the prime dip sandwich with chips and the nachos with chorizo -- which was the only meat option available. The prime dip was dry and not very flavorful. It came with a side of plain kettle chips -- no fries or better side options, which was disappointing. The nachos were okay. They were barely sprinkled with chorizo, and the cheese wasn't evenly melted or layered, so a lot of chips ended up dry. The highlight was the guac -- they don't skimp on it, which we appreciated. Prices were steep, but I guess that's expected at a resort. If you're starving, it'll do the job, but don't expect anything memorable.

The food !!! The blazing elk is on fire !! The crust is to die for !! The Service !! It was the cool mountain vibe 420 !! The ambiance cozy enough to cuddle up to by the fire and drink cold ones for hours !!

Loved the outdoor seating. Lots of tables/chairs both inside and out. Bloody Mary's were perfect to us, spicy and delicious. The artichoke dip was epic. Our server was super helpful and had great conversation.

We had an off season 1 night stay at the Crystal Mountain ski resort and were happy this pub was open. You could get table service upstairs in the dining room but we opted to stay in the pub and place our order at the bar. 4 stars because the wagyu burger with a special sauce was outstanding.

Cute cozy lodge at crystal mountain resort! Stopped in after a full day of skiing for dinner. We shared the spinach artichoke dip and the bacon blue cheese burger. I really liked the burger and the dip was standard. Portions & prices were good. Service not the quickest, but we weren't in a rush so didn't mind.

The Mac and cheese was so good. I ordered without bacon. The restaurant was not busy when we arrived. Ordered at the bar and sat ourselves. Definitely a cozy ski resort atmosphere. Located on a ski resort.

Love the cellar! Pints and pretzel post hike. Visions of winter apres ski bliss danced in our heads as we drove up the mountain for this legendary bar. I can imagine it's a crowded scene in here after a day on the mountain. As we were here midafternoon over the Labor Day holiday, it wasn't a problem. We chatted with a cool bartender and a few other patrons while we got beers. The Fort George hazy was an excellent recommendation. We also got one of the huge pretzels and absolutely loved it. Deschutes Black Butte Porter is a favorite of mine and I jumped at the chance to have that off the tap for my second pint. It never fails that some of the characters you meet in your adventures turn out to be the best part. That was certainly the case at the Elk when we met a PCT hiker who regaled us with tales of hiking over twenty five hundred miles since May, encountering mountain lions and bears in the wild and sleeping on the snow. Dude, his beers are on us!

My boyfriend and I went here after getting lost while snowshoeing, being extremely cold, ravenous, and thirsty. The pretzel and wicked cider were absolute perfection. The pretzel was hot and salty, with a crisp exterior and chewy interior, no grease whatsoever. I also ordered a turkey BLT, it was actually pretty good, well proportioned. I liked the Bavarian ambiance, very cozy for a ski resort. Definitely recommend!

I try to have realistic expectations for restaurants in a ski resort but I had to post a review after ordering take out dinner during my stay at Alpine Inn last week. I ordered three things: half order of nachos with shredded chicken, Caesar salad with chicken breast, and the Mac and Cheese. They put way too much dressing for the Caesar salad and the dressing didn't taste fresh/homemade. But the worst part of the meal was the Mac and Cheese. It cost $16 and the portion had to be less than a cup. Again, I don't expect much when eating at a restaurant in a ski resort but charging $16 for a cup size portion of Mac and Cheese is just robbery!

Old and musty ski bum bar. Love it. Been going for many years and even went immediately after getting engaged at crystal

A lesser evil than the restaurant upstairs. We had originally wanted to dine here the previous evening, but our daughter wasn't allowed in the bar ("state law"), so we snuck away for lunch while she was in ski school the following day. The fireplace definitely makes it feel cozy and there's a jovial vibe about the place with its faux German decor. Do not expect anything to be bussed or clean because Crystal Mountain loves to employ only one human being per dining establishment. We ordered two local beers--both great--and ordered some food from the deli across the hall. We were lucky to snag a table by the fireplace and enjoyed chatting with some folks nearby. The "Italian wedding" cup of soup was OK, but anything hot will always make for the best sauce when coming off the slopes. The Italian sandwich had fresher ingredients than expected, but needed a better sauce/topping to pull the whole thing together. When you emerge back into the light of day from this cavern, you definitely realize that you've been in another world. We spent a pleasant hour and change here, and it was nice to have some adult time sans kiddo. 3.5 stars, rounding down, but we will say that the Snorting Elk was the "best" that Crystal Mountain had to offer.

Classic apres ski spot. Feels like stepping back in time to the glory days of skiing and apres watering holes. Prices are what you'd expect, vibes are good. A little musty and Dank inside, as it should be.

Magical setting. Gas lit fires inside half enclosed tents and accommodating servers. Want a bottle of wine to go? No problem. Need a cocktail to take back to your room, sure thing! Gluten free pasta, of course. Dinner with my son on our first night at Crystal Mountain was made really special by dining here. We had a relaxing time eating by the gas fire and enjoying the snowy scene. The ONLY reason I can't give a higher rating is due to the bathroom sitch. Indoor bathrooms were not available (covid) so instead I was directed to a dark port-a-potty. Dark, as in pitch black! Holding my phone in one hand, I attempted to use the outdoor commode in the safest way possible. I wasn't sure if I should be more worried about rubbing against someone else's urine or dropping my phone in the germ infested space. The worst part though was the hand sanitizer was EMPTY. I'm a nurse, and last I checked, good hand hygiene is the number one way to prevent spread of germs. I exited the bathroom, tucked my now certainly germ infested phone in my pocket, and "washed" my hands in a pile of snow on my way back to our table. If I hadn't already had COVID, I'd likely have a pretty good chance of getting it now. Snorting Elk, please consider operating in ways that actually help reduce the spread of covid. I'll gladly give this place five plus stars once this problem is remedied.

Perfectly average but extremely overpriced. Ordered an exterminator pizza (named after a run near by) and a turkey BLT, ordered the Ruben but they didn't have it. The pizza was large but nothing special the sandwich is a dry cold sandwich with zero condiments, lettuce, tomato cold turkey and cold bacon. These TWO items were over $90 and take out cost extra for some reason. Take out being a fee is outrageous especially in a global pandemic where no one should be eating in/exposing themselves to covid on purpose. Definitely won't be ordering from here again.

If you don't give the Snorting Elk five stars then I don't think ski bars are for you. This place is legit! Fireplace, been around forever and serves great food. My favorite by far is the French dip, but the artichoke dip or pizza aren't bad either. Whatever you do, make sure you order an elk frost... made just for this bar and not sure you can find it anywhere else. Have fun on the slopes kids!

Food is great, location is great, service is great. It's just a bit expensive but what else to expect while on piste. Thanks!

We had a delightful lunch at the Snorting Elk following our gondola tour. The Swiss chalet/Bavarian lodge theme is a bit much, but the setting is lovely, my BLT quite good, and the hamburgers delicious. Perhaps it was the mountain air, but I would enjoy coming back in the evening for their schnitzel a la Holstein.

The placed looked promising with the amazing views and interesting huge metal footbridge from the parking lot. The nice looking bridge was a nice change from the ugly and dusty parking lot. Your car will need to be washed after eating here. The service was nonexistent. We had to go to the bar and wait for someone to notice us. Also, they were out of the first two beers we tried to order pitchers of. That was annoying. We ordered two pitchers of something else, and strangely the two pitchers we received weren't the same beer. Both were OK. I think most people would be upset with not getting what they ordered, but we wanted to try new beers since I was with my neighborhood anti-IPA craft beer group. I ordered the Leschi Market fennel sausage pasta. It was not fennel sausage. It was not even sausage. It tasted like cheap plain ground beef with no seasonings. I've had fennel sausage I bought directly from their market in Seattle, and this wasn't it despite the menu claiming that. I sometimes buy when I want to splurge when making my own pizza. It is my favorite pizza topping. I asked a guy I think was a manager about it, and he said they must of run out of it. I asked for a refund since it was priced at a ridiculous $30, and they refused. It was not what they claimed at all. The guy tried to distract me by lighting the fire in the middle of the table since it was getting cool. That didn't work, but the fire was nice and warm. My guess is that someone new accidentally used the meat from their cheap kid's hamburger to make the meatballs. Also, the pasta tasted like it came out of a box dried. Even the worst pasta I've ever had at an Applebee's was still much better than this.

Honestly great, not even "only restaurant in miles" great but objectively good. Maybe 4 stars is more accurate, but the current 3.5 is too low The goulash was excellent, pretzel was pretty solid, brownie was good. Margarita was just ok, as was the spinach and artichoke dip. I came here in the summer--the winter menu is different with pizza and nachos on there.

I had the Hungarian goulash with hot spiced wine and both were fantastic! Servers were friendly and they are doing a great job with Covid precautions.

Maggie is the best server she was very sweet. The food came really fast and she made sure we had everything we needed.

Super nice ski vibes and great food! Love the fireplace and time spent there. I will be back

I came in today to enjoy some cold beer and food after a day of riding with some friends. I saw all these amazing pictures of food on this Yelp page and decided to give that big plate of nachos a try.... we received a tiny fry basket with about 15 chips in it covered with cheese and old soggy tomatoes. Did you change your size because my little basket of chips looked nothing like the nacho pictures on Yelp. Very disappointing considering it cost $12. Servers didn't seem like they were enjoying their jobs at all and always seemed bothered. Not a fun environment.

Worst service ever! Ordered the Hungarian Goulash, which tasted good but was very pricy (including a 25% adder fir tax and fees!), but even though the menu stated that the dinner comes with rolls and chef's choice of accompaniment, we had to ask for these and had a pissed off waitress bring it us while she made us feel like we didn't deserve these! Recommend you avoid this place! On top of that - a glass of beer was over $10! What a rip off!

I really love their Covid set up with tents and the gas fireplaces outside. I had the prime rib and we ordered a pizza that was large enough to take it home for the next day. I'd say it's the best food on the mountain.

Welcome to Crystal Mountain! On our 8-hour family trip from hell, (it was fun, but certain family members needed to be dropped off along the hwy). My uncle decided that visiting Mt. Rainier was not enough; he wanted to go exploring the other mountain. After more twist and turns (and me wishing I took my Dramamine and pondering why I was sitting in the way back of the minivan) I was happy to see a clear opening. A bunch of us Acosta's were getting hungry and some were thirsty (alcohol). We found this restaurant just across a small bridge. To describe this place (I like fellow yelper Jeff S. take on this place): dark wood, 1960 faux-Bavarian themes. A little creepy if you ask me, but the reviews were good and I took my cousin whenever I went to use the restroom. Service was great, and they were able to set up two tables outside for us without any problems. Menu's are simple and printed out brochure style. We all started out with water, and then ordered a round of beers and mixed drinks. Impressed with their selection of beers on tap (always a good sign) their mixed drinks were eh. Our server was great, he got everyone's orders right the first time (there were eight of us all ordering different things). I ordered a Turkey BLT: Turkey, Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Mayo. On a sourdough severed with their own homemade Pasta Salad. The sammie was tasty. At first sight, the pasta salad was sketchy looking, but one taste and wow it was delish, first time I ever seen mushroom involved in a pasta salad. Word to the wise if you are planning to come here: It starts getting really busy around 4:00pm.

Worst nachos ever... so remarkably bad that I'm certain I could make better nachos, blindfolded, using only ingredients foraged from my cat's litter box. The pepperoni pizza was sour, which is scary, because pepperoni pizza shouldn't be sour. Get the bacon cheddar burger and the crocodile cookie - which were delicious.

I have skied almost every mountain on my bucket list and drank till closing in more ski bars than I would like to admit. I'm here to tell you... The Snorking Elk is one of, if not the finest, Apre destinations the US has to offer. Within her four dimly lit Bavarian walls she has heard it all ... The one about the perfect blue bird pow day, the blown ACLs, stories about iconic chairlifts lost, the one about the cutest ski bunny he ever saw, toasts to friends lost, avalanches, the marriage proposals, long falls down Bear pits, funerals, and every story in between. I've sat in her high back wooden booths with a whiskey and watched the snow pile up outside concocting my "get out of work story." I've seen the weary faces on search and rescue walking through her doors empty handed. I've watched locals and visitors dance on tables until the wee hours of the morning. It's events like these that give brick and mortar a soul. The Elk is more than just a ski bar... to many of us it sometimes feels more like home than home. If you haven't been, I highly recommend stopping by after a day on the hill. Do what the locals do...Grab a Landjager, a beer and some Nachos and tell a story or two about how you only made two turns down Pin Ball. If you're already a local, just sit back and enjoy the fact that your bar... Is the best damn ski bar in America!

Stopped in back pre-covid and being able to ski up to the front door was nice. The beer and food was decent. Anything tastes good after skiing all day. The decor was very 1970. Very dark and dank.

Slow and inattentive service. I think it should be obligatory for the server to mention that the Mac n cheese is made from a Kraft box.

Ordered a pizza. After 45 minutes started asking questions. After an hour started asking more questions. Girlfriend had to use the bathroom... No toilet seats in the women's bathroom (I don't mean the paper covers, there were actually no seats on the toilets - and no paper covers). 90 minutes later still no pizza. Told me every excuse but still, no pizza. We finally left without any pizza. Sweet, waste off about two hours.

We do not ski Crystal Mountain very often as we are season pass holders at White. So, we hadn't tried out the Snorting Elk apres ski until this year and we have been missing out! Fun atmosphere and really yummy food. You order at a bar, no table service and the deli for the food is off to the side so can not really say much about service quality. We had a BLT and 1/2 order nachos and they were both very good. We will definitely hit this spot again!

Cool little Austrian inspired ski bar tucked in the basement of the Alpine Inn. Showed up on a Wednesday night which is locals night and was impressed with the selection of locally brewed beers. Only drawback is that the bar closes at 10 PM. Would have received 4-4.5 stars... but then there's the deli and no separate venue on Yelp. The deli... If you like overpriced, mediocre sandwiches made by teenagers constantly checking their phone... while listening to decibel piercing reggae music... then you've found your spot. That is if you can find a place to sit. Seating is extremely limited... especially since parents seam to leave the kids there while they go next door for adult beverages. (Can't stand WA liquor laws...)

You will find this small place across the bridge from the Crystal Mt. parking lot. If you are a Crystal Mt. season pass holder you can get 10% off your food order. This is a great space for lunch because they have very yummy food. I love the Snortin' Elk Italian. Perfectly toasted on a very yummy bread roll. After skiing or boarding you can go in for a pizza and drinks. But this place gets PACKED!! I don't really care to be there when it's so full that you can't move so get there early if you want a seat.

This place is pretty close to heaven... heaven being my family's cabin east of here of 410 along the American River. It is on the north east side of Mt. Rainier at the Crystal Mountain Ski Resort. We stayed over night at the Alpine Inn and grabbed dinner at the Snorting Elk with our kids as it was connected to where our room was. We ate outside on the patio, the weather was fabulous and the surrounding area was simply gorgeous. We ordered appetizers and had a few pints followed by a great dinner salad. The kids were catered to like royalty. This is the kind of place you immediately start planning return trip to...even before you get back home. Our only disappointment with our visit... no snorting Elk were spotted! Maybe next visit!

Been trying to get here for a visit since I saw them featured on Evening Magazine - definitely worth the wait! Even though the AFC playoff game was on & the place was packed, the service was great! Really enjoyed the tap selection, and the ski-themed fireplace really makes it inviting! Not too many restaurants at Crystal that are ski-up; this place is worth the visit!

This place has epic reviews. Now I know why Just go! It's that good! The food was exceptional and the drinks great. I can't wait to go back and work my way through the menu!

This is the best ski bar in America hands down!!! Ok I'm sure it's among the best but they have great food also and it's a real local hangout where you are always sure to see your friends (or make some)!

Underwhelming and expensive. Expect this to a be a long meal based on how long getting anything takes

Very mediocre food. To be fair, went at an off time- a Tuesday at 4:30. But food was sub par and service left little to be desired. Wouldn't recommend. Overpriced for what it is- okay bar food.

Great casual, slightly divey atmosphere. I stopped in today after a long day of skiing at Crystal. What surprised me most was that no one had written a review! My boyfriend and his dad recalled drinking here for the last 12 or so years after hitting the slopes together. And better yet, my boyfriend even remembered not being old enough to drink here and was left to hit up the deli next door whole his dad grabbed a quick post-ski beer. That must've been 20+ years ago! This place looks and feels like it's been around forever. We had Coffee Nudges before our nearly 2 hour drive home. The TVs around the. At were playing awesome 80s ski videos, the food and drinks were solid, and the space felt cozy and aged - in a homey way. The stools around the room are worn and unique. Each looked like it was made 30+ years ago. The fireplace had a big fire crackling in it, and if you were in a big group there were plenty of large booths and tables around the room for people to choose from. Definitely a spot I'll stop at every time I visit. I loved that you could literally ski right to the front door too!

I just had the most unpleasant experience in my entire life at this Alpine Restaurant Crystal mountain. If anyone have an under 2 1/2 years old who cant eat food from the restaurants then don't come to this place. Apparently, I've made some chicken and veg pasta soup (nothing smelly) for Sofia coz she's a fussy eater. By the way, as I was pouring the hot pasta into a bowl and was 1 second away from feeding Sofia. A waiter came right up and said "sorry, we're not allow food from outside because of health & safety reasons". It was so pathetic that I didn't even apologize coz did he expecting a 6 months old eating the restaurant food too? I had to explained 2/3 times to the guy that she is TWO years old and she doesn't like other foods thats why I brought it with me. I get it if she is 4/5 years old and we've tried to save money for not ordering food from there but that was not the case. I was nearly over the roof that he was so reluctant to say it was the restaurant POLICY and they can't do anything about it. We had a table of FOUR adults and 1 child. I was so angry that he wouldn't let me feed her with my own food. As I was trying to put the pasta back into a thermal cup getting ready to leave the shitty place so I can feed her in the car. The waiter then came up with the topic let me speak to the manager. Manager came out with a straight face. He said that we are okay this time but make sure we don't bring in the food next time. I had to explain it to the second guy again that Noooo, she is only TWO years old and that she doesn't like other food. He then said the same thing again.. The way he explained it as though I was committing a crime. How stupid is that? A restaurant that treat me like shit expecting next time? Oh please! How can some people doesn't use their discretion to distinguish between POLICY and COMMON SENSE. Every restaurant and every other thing that has a little print written on it but you have to use your own little part of your brain sometimes before you speak to a person about rules and policies.

So disappointed at the lack of service. It was not busy, it was cold and I had to nearly beg to get drinks. Food was disappointing at any cost. Will not be returning during our stay. I would rather eat a protein bar. Servers looked lost, certainly inattentive at best. Did I mention it was not busy?

Me and my family came here and let me say, we were disappointed. The crab cakes didn't taste fresh, the salmon was undercooked, and the cheese on my pasta dish was cold and mushy. My family also waited for our waiter for 15minutes till we were able to get our drinks and menus. Plus, we politely asked him to shut the door-since our table was next to it-and he forgot to do it each time we asked. Will NOT be returning.

Exclusive beer selection from Elysian Brewers? WOO-HOO! Isolated bavarian themed pub at a ski resort? WOW! Normally ski resorts are ultra modern or very run down and grimy. Not here. They like it classic with the bavarian architecture and old school ski paraphernalia on used as decor on the wall. The best part about this place is how it maintains a "well-kept secret" feel to it. Because it is off to the side behind a row of trees you feel special for discovering it. This comes with the added benefit of not being over crowded or filled with loud children. Also, it comes with its own Elysian brewed beer named after the establishment and sold exclusively here and no where else. Smooth soft tasting beer with a bit of a kick to warm you up. The Pub is also next to a deli where you can get some amazing quick bites to eat before you head out for a run. I really enjoyed the veggie sandwich which served avocado, carrots, lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. More quality than I expected from a pub up in the mountains! Next time, I will spend the night at the Inn above the pub to get the full experience.

Matt is a legend and the nachos were huge. Also the guy maintaining the fire pit was a legend. The bartender made me a fancy drink even though we were annoying (also a legend).

Seriously awesome RIGHTEOUS, RIGHTEOUS All the food is right on. This is a place you'll reminisce over, and the memories are lasting. But watch out, things can get wild on Saturday nights during peak winter season