Ajax Tavern

Had 5 people wanting to get alcohol and snacks. Waited at least 10 minutes, sitting at our table… saw waiter was cleaning tables instead of serving us! We walked out.

Best spot in Aspen for Apres Ski… everyone knows that.
Yes, it’s a bit of a scene, and yes, you have to get there early if you want a table.
But the view is great, the people-​watching is even better and they usually have a pretty good DJ playing during ski season for Apres Ski from Thursday thru Sunday.
Insider Tip– don’t do what I did and order a glass of Veuve Clicquot Champagne for $ 25, when you can buy a whole bottle of Veuve for only $ 100. That price is unreal, and a steal! A bottle of Veuve will cost you $ 50 in a wine store, so at only a 1x markup, in Aspen, is crazy cheap. You usually see Veuve on menus for like $ 150 or more.
Overall, you can’t go wrong here. Even people who are non-​skiers should come here for Apres Ski as it’s so fun! Highly Recommend!

Favorite lunch spot in Aspen. Cant beat the food, service, quality and atmosphere. Get the truffle fries and cheeseburger apres ski!

Their drinks are average: who can screw up bottled beer, bubbles or a vodka tonic? What makes them below average is the service… some were aloof, others (including the manager) were flat out rude. There’s nothing special about this place.

I got the cheeseburger, which was A-​MA-​ZING. Maybe I haven’t had a good burger in a while, but it was spectacular. Oh and I had the beet salad beforehand, which was a 10! Hubs had trout, which he enjoyed but it wasn’t a particularly hearty portion. For dessert we shared something chocolate, can’t remember name, and it was very good (and very small). Add killer people watching to the great food and our evening was a winner! Service was good/​solid. Waitress was friendly. Not killer service, but fine. I’d definitely recommend it and I’d definitely go back.

Best for outdoor seating! Beautiful view! The staff is very busy but still took great care of us. A little tip, the wait can be 1 hour plus, so put your name in ahead of time and do another run or come back. And bring sunscreen!

This is «the» spot for winter afternoon people watching in Aspen. Right at the foot of Aspen Mountain near the gondola. Perfect spot to break up your ski day and sit outside in the sun for lunch with a glass of wine or beer. Highlights from multiple visits include the burger, French onion soup, and tomato soup with grilled cheese. You MUST start your meal with the truffle fries for the table. Vueve take over this place during spring ski bringing a cool vibe and killer tunes.

Best apre ski place on earth! Not only is it a Veuve heaven, the staff is awesome! We love Taylor David and Jackie!!! We will be back A Lot!!!

Ajax Tavern is once again (this year that is) a five star restaurant (in our opinion). We have now had the Skate Fish Meunière (absolutely delicious and low cal); coq au vin (tender and delicious); mussels meunière (as good [or better] then you get in any French Bistro in France; French Onion Soup (never disappoints); Bibb Lettuce Salad (light, fresh and low cal) and the Pork Schnitzel. We understand that the Macaroni and Cheese is also delicious and has developed a bit of a cult following. The service and staff this year are also excellent; friendly but professional and not too intrusive. Highly recommended.

Great restaurant with outside seating next to gondola and inside seating. Lots of options for food. We had the carbonara (not traditional but very tasty) and the coq au vin (amazing flavor with perfectly cooked pasta and mushrooms). Great local craft beer on draft (limited selection).

Really cool that it’s by the gondola. Prices very high. Staff seemed nice enough. Tomato soup was way too peppery. Loved the hummus brought out with the bread before the meal.

Best place in Aspen to view the bottom of the mountain. Sit at the hi/​top tables to the right near the bar and watch the skiers finish their runs. People watching is an A-​plus.
The food is scrumptious and expensive. Lunch for four with a «cheap» bottle of wine can cost near $ 200.00 easy. That said, somehow when I am there I am always happy. Have the mussels, a huge bowl and comparatively inexpensive.
My whole family loves this place.
Most important, get there at noon during season if you want a table. After 1PM the wait can be as much as a hour.

Stopped in at Ajax for dinner with my sister and brother-​in-​law on a rainy evening. We started with the infamous garlic fries which were well presented but the garlic had more of a powder consistency than grated, which I’m more accustomed to, and sadly, they were overlooked. I had the Sea bass, which was cooked perfectly and had nice flavor. My brother-​in law ordered a burger medium rare and it arrived well done (surprising given the restaurant was fairly empty). My sister had the Verlasso salmon nicoise salad. It tasted ok but the presentation could have been better as it looked like a jumble of iceberg lettuce with gloppy dressing and a piece of salmon on the side. On a more positive note, the service was excellent and our waitress was extremely knowledgeable about the wines. The wine by the glass list was small, apparently due to it being the off/​season, but the list of wines by the bottle was impressive with some very nice French options.

Ajax is in a prime location at the foot of Aspen mountain, so one could understand why it’s such a dynamite après ski spot. Unfortunately with a busy crowd comes an even more overwhelmed staff that doesn’t visit your table until about 20 minutes after bring seated.
I would hate to think their service suffers, because they think that due to their sweet location they don’t need to maintain the quality of customer service to retain guests. Think how much better the experience would be for customers if it was all good things (location, service, food, ambiance) all rolled into one?! The steep prices would be a little more justified, too. Don’t just do it to get by.
The food is pretty delightful. The truffle parm fries are perfectly cooked and seasoned and their salad menu is on par, as well as their cocktail list. All in all, if you’re ready to pay but be in the middle of the action — then you should enjoy!

Came with friends and sat outside. Pleasant wait staff. And good service
Food was mediocre maybe a bad day for the chef or too busy. I had the pork chop which was edible. It was crusted in something sweet and a blend of spices. Not a good combo. The kale was fresh and slices of peach were fine. Dressing was light. It screamed for some acidity but none was forthcoming. There was a bed of sweet cookie style bread at the bottom. Dry. No purpose. Disjointed and not nice.
Also shared some Mussels. Dry. Appeared steamed and then put in a bowl. Not great.
Manager was nice and comped us for bad food but it was not a good experience.
Return unlikely.

While in Aspen we were able to grab lunch on the patio at Ajax Tavern, and even though it started raining (what’s new in CO this year) we were able to switch tables to a completely covered table and still enjoy the lovely patio.
The menu was perfect for what we wanted for lunch but I can see how it may appear limited to others. We ordered the burger, added the truffle parmesan fries just because and the Salmon Nicoise salad.
The burger was classic all the way with a double patty and all the accoutrements for a messy and mouthwatering burger. The truffle fries should be showcased on the Food Network; crispy thin fries topped with oodles of parmesan and dressed generously in truffle oil making each fry utterly delectable. The Salmon Nicoise salad was a refreshing plate of Bibb lettuce, caper berries, olives, potatoes, sun dried tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, anchovies with a creamy dressing. When I want a salad, this is the salad I dream of; the combination of ingredients was exquisite.
The mountain views from the patio are breathtaking. The food is outstanding and the service is just okay (they could use some tweaking). The overall experience was delightful and I’d be happy to dine again when in Aspen next time.

The food is passable — nothing great. I ordered a kale salad which was made entirely of baby lettuces/​arugula and not one sliver of kale.
The servers were among the rudest I have ever experienced. No one came to get our drink order for 15 minutes– we had to flag someone down. They acted annoyed like we were bothering them. They made a mistake on our bill — they left off my husbands latte the first time and I signed it not noticing — and when I asked to rip up the old one, so we would not be charged twice, the waiter said «Oh what? You don’t trust me?» Then stormed away from the table. Totally inappropriate response.
The location is lovely but we wont go back.

Best place for lunch and a drink in Aspen. Delicious steak tartare and butternut squash soup to go with our margaritas while people watching. Convenient location at The Little Nell at the gondola base. Must do while in Aspen.

We stopped in here for lunch in the middle of a day of skiing and left very pleased. I had their cheeseburger, which was amazing, and totally hit the spot after a morning on the slopes. The service was friendly and efficient, but the prices are a little high compared to some of the other restaurants in the area. Nevertheless, I’d go back.

We’ve been here twice, once for happy hour because we were rather broke and once ordering whatever we wanted.
Love the patio, great service and great food. Oh and great people watching. Can’t wait to go back.