Boathouse Cantina
228 N F St, Salida, CO, 81201
Boathouse Cantina Menu
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant menu details.
Visit below restaurant in Salida for healthy meals suggestion.
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
-
Address :
228 N F St
Salida, CO, 81201 - Phone (719) 539-5004
- Website https://boathousecantina.com/home/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Music : Background
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Thu, Fri, Sat
Coat Check : No
Smoking : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
Looky Weed - Buy Marijuana Online
Looky Weed is here to help you navigate the maze of legalized marijuana. We provide you with a complete dispensary directory.
Katy M.
Incredible view overlooking the Arkansas river. Can't go wrong with the food. My favs are the chicken burrito and bacon wrapped jalapeños. Huge selection of beers and other drinks. Great service and killer ambiance. I highly recommend.
(5)Sara M.
I'll say, a bit over a 3, but just can't quite go to 4. The staff and service were just fine. The hostess greeted us right away and gave us a nice table, not window side but with a good view of the river. With the window wall fully open at lunchtime on a beautiful summer day, it was a nice experience. Our waiter was also friendly and efficient. The food was OK. We had a taco plate that was attractive, ample for the two of us for lunch, but fairly ordinary. I thought the tortillas were a bit sour, which I find on occasion at other places too. Not sure if it is the recipe or freshness. There are not a lot of lunch options in Salida, away from the fast food on the highway, and this seemed the better of the two local places we checked on.
(3)Ryan B.
Grabbed lunch here a couple days ago. The host was very friendly but my server not so much. No enthusiasm whatsoever. I ordered the Boater Burger and let me tell you it wasn't impressive for a $13 burger. The meat was dry and sort of the consistency of shoe leather. Now I've eaten here before and the food was good. So maybe this was just an off day... Location is great its cool to watch the riverwalk.
(2)Andy S.
Really enjoyed the food here. Service was so-so but overall a nice spot to eat right on the river. Pretty solid beer menu. The cantina club sandwich I had was delicious. I mean really good. Everything that the group had looked good as well. Would come back here when passing through Salida.
(4)James H.
Giving a 1 star review because zero isn't an option. Shittiest service in my life. All the waitresses are pissed off at the world. Go to Benson's up the street.
(1)Charlie J.
We love it. Boathouse is nearly always busy, but always good. Stuffed peppers, burgers, taco's, you name it, it's good. Love sitting by the window and watching the river roll by.
(5)Chad G.
Great patio and location. Food was decent but not memorable. Service was on par with the busiest place in Salida.
(4)Amber G.
Food was good and had a large variety! view was the best part. Lots of drink options.
(5)Caleb D.
Not sure why this place has only 3.5 stars, ambience alone is superb. Granted we got a table right on the river and the service was excellent. They don't accept reservations but you can call ahead about 15 minutes before arrival and are placed on a wait list. When we came in, we were told they were full but within 30 seconds they had a table ready. We ordered the Boathouse burger and the green chile cheddar BLT. Both were very good. The only thing to mention is that the tomato for the BLT was on the side and almost white with mealiness...so we left it off. I chalk it up to tomatoes not being in season yet. We will be back.
(4)Artem R.
Great food and awesome view! Must visit place if you are coming from out of town. There was a bit of wait but we got to sit right by the river.
(5)Diana S.
Very good little place on the river. Had the fish tacos. Very good. Great weather. Nice lunch on way back to Texas from CO.
(4)Kim S.
Fantastic meal. Boring food. Worth the view of the river, though.
(3)Ann M.
Two, in our group, ordered Seasonal Salad. The menu said salad included Fresh Raspberries, Walnuts, and crumbled cheese, but actually came with a few walnuts, two pieces of small cheese, and NO Raspberries. The lettuce was fresh. If you order this salad be sure to ask what will be on it.
(2)Jamie G.
We tried this place again and were pleasantly surprised. The stuffed mushrooms were super yummy. My husband had the fish tacos and liked them a lot my burger and my sons chicken sandwich were some of the best we have had. Good job to the current owners for stepping it up a notch.
(4)Ann C.
Boathouse Cantina has the BEST views and fantastic Steak Salad! We send friends visiting from out of town to the Boathouse and Everyone loves it!!!
(5)Matthew M.
Staff was great. Free samples of food and beer, sports talk, etc. Just great all around. Courtney was a great waitress. Food was mixed - Bacon wrapped jalepeno poppers were very good, but were a bit odd. First, my mom has one and complains about the heat, and I have no idea what she was talking about. Then my 4th one was like a ball of fire- incredibly uncomfortable. If you like heat, go ahead, but it was horrendous. - Burger was sub-par, fries decent - Three little pigs- a pair of pork tacos, were phenomenal. Good size, really good flavor. Overall, seems like the type of place where some things suck and others are phenomenal. Besides that, good views of the river, nice ambiance, good TV's. Would go back.
(4)Stephanie B.
Great riverfront location, super friendly staff and delicious carne asada made with fresh ingredients!
(4)Sarah L.
Several TVs, nice view of the river, but seems very overpriced. Six shrimp cooked on the flat top over cabbage with a side of soy sauce was $10. Beer $8. The first two items I ordered they didn't have anymore but we're still on the menu. All the appetizers I saw come out to other tables were very small for the prices.
(2)Jannine O.
On the river with views of the Arkansas River and the mountains. If you can, sit at a table by the window to see and hear the river. Comfy-cozy atmosphere with staff singing along to the tunes. Only other bar/restaurant on the river. Typical bar food you can get anywhere, but worth the check out. I is on the river!! BTW, same owners as Absolute Bikes, Rivers Edge.
(3)Heidi L.
Great food, great service, kid friendly. We had 2 kids meals, chicken tenders and cheese quesedilla, the spinach salad and carne asada tacos. Really tasty. I like the presto dressing a lot! Guacamole was not my favorite but overall a great choice!
(5)Shawna S.
Came in for lunch before we hit the road back to Parker. Food was good, atmosphere was great and the drinks. Would go back for lunch.
(3)Jennifer H.
Updated Review: Whenever I'm visiting Salida, I find myself here. The food is good. It's not going to knock your socks off but you'll enjoy it. What gets me coming back each and every time is the location. Literally saddled up to the Arkansas River, this is the most amazing view and people watching. Wait for a table by the windows. It's worth it. While we ate with my kiddos, we watched a person have kayak lessons and learn how to flip herself upright. We saw a paddle boarder working his way upriver. We watched teenagers come by in a caravan of tubes over and over. We saw rafters enjoying the smoother waters. We followed the dogs who kept jumping into the river to fetch balls. This place just can't be beat. Enjoy the food. Stay for the entertainment.
(4)Allen C.
We reserved the private room inside the Boathouse Cantina for our clients to watch the USA Pro bike race. The staff was very helpful in ensuring that we could watch the race easily on their TVs and very welcoming. The food was good, and our waitress was very kind and even watched our stuff so we could go outside when the bike race came through town. I'd recommend this for any groups that want a private/semi private room for an event in Salida.
(5)Madelynn O.
Meh. Great views. Food salty and bland. Calamari app tender (but salty). Carne burrito bland (sadly, Chipotle makes a better burrito for half the cost). Portobello sandwich wet and bun soggy. Aforementioned by another reviewer salad with fruit had blackberries and some bland walnuts, goat cheese didn't taste tangy like goat cheese usually does (not sure what it was). All in all, disappointing. I'd stop for a drink only next time and chips and salsa (which was tasty).
(2)Foodlover B.
Sat by the open window with a nice view of the Arkansas river. What a great location. Tonight was perfect 85 degrees with gentle breeze. We shared the duck tacos. There are three of them which was perfect because there was three of us! I loved them. One person thought the duck was too bland but enjoyed them anyway, We also had the steak salad and the Philly cheese steak. Very good! For dessert we had the sopapillas and ice cream. Good! The service was great. They were fast and efficient.
(4)Scott K.
We really enjoyed the food here - their green chili and chicken burrito were very good. The kids loved the chicken strips too. It's right on the river which was a pleasant setting.
(5)Ricardo B.
Dinner next to the river
(4)Ryan H.
Bartender Deav is awesome and that why they are getting 2 stars! Nothing bad to say about him!! 5:30 pm The girl that was working the host desk was a jackass!! Waited close too a hour for a table! 6:20 Checked with her to find out about our table and she tells us that she sent us a text that we never got! 6:50 Waited 30 more minutes and she tells me she sent us a text that we never got!!! Watched close to 12 groups of people sit down. 7:00 After I said something else to her she tells me that she messed up and hit the wrong so that is why we got skipped and it would be another 20 min!! 7:20 finally got a table!! Our waiter was awesome got us food right away and said he was sorry. Got our food and it was awesome!! Asked to talk to manager and was told the he was to busy and handed me a card to call him tomorrow this place
(1)Randy S.
We've always had great service and food here. Its a good lunch stop with our biker friends. Burgers are big and tasty. The riverfront atmosphere is perfect. We'll be back... Often.
(5)Jessica C.
Really enjoyed this place. The beer selection is great. I really enjoyed the chiles rellenos. The view of the river is also wonderful!
(4)Ali K.
I went to the boathouse during the fibark fest which is probably the busiest weekend of the year in salida. None of the restaurants opened until 11 and by 10:55, the boathouse had a line twenty deep in front of it. We dubiously waited in line and thought that it might be a poor choice... Not so. We were seated quickly at 11 in a high top over looking the river and kayakers. Beautiful views and for a restaurant with a rush like that the service was perfect. The infused spirits were refreshing after a night of camping and being sweaty (try the lucky penny) and I love that they randomly put fried green chiles on their food. Go there. It's like a weird beach bungalow restaurant in the Rockies.
(5)Christine A.
We waited a loooong time for a table but it was well worth it. The waiting area is funky with old sofas, chairs and tables and a ping pong table that is rarely used. I guess no one wants to play and have all the rest of the waiting parties laugh at them. The food is good and cooked to order, the ambiance lively, service attentive and view of the river fantastic. What else do you need? Oh yeah, beer, wine and cocktails are available but it wasn't anywhere near 5 o'clock yet, or I could elaborate.
(4)Michelle S.
This is definitely a enjoy the view of the Arkansas River, tourist kind of place. Good atmosphere and the staff are friendly. Just don't come here if you are in a hurry. As some other reviewers have mentioned, service is slow.... Ordered mini tacos ($10 for 2 tacos) that came with handmade chips. Tasty but maybe a bit over-priced for the portion size.
(3)JP the VP P.
Great view of the river and kayakers. Nice atmosphere. The duck tacos were crunchy, tasty, awesomeness. Service was friendly and prompt. Loved this place!
(5)Tres B.
So great building, huge and historic with great views. Alas the food was bar-average the service slow, disinterested and frankly, dumb. I was cuious as to the history of a one hundred year old building and i asked the gum chomping waitress for its history. She said, "um I think it used to sell rafts". Once my meal was served I asked for another beer. It was served as dessert. I won't come back.
(2)Christina L.
Sooooo good! Our waiter was friendly, prompt, and didn't hesitate to offer great suggestions for things such as good drinks or salad dressings. We had the quesidilla as an appetizer- pretty typical quesidilla and a little small for the price but the salsa was good, tasted fresh.. and the guacamole was delicious!! (What do you guys put in that stuff? YUM!) I ordered the portobello mushroom sandwich with a side salad and pesto dressing. The salad was good- dressing was different and refreshing! There were so many good flavors from the sandwich itself, each component adding to the overall symphony of heavenly foodstuff going into my mouth. Loved the charred touch from the grill and wonderfully tasty hummus. The items we ordered were classic foods that Boathouse uniquely prepares or pairs with other flavors, and it was such a pleasant surprise! Everything tasted fresh and was well-executed. Will absolutely recommend this place to friends and family!
(5)Mark S.
Fibark at the Boathouse was great. Bartenders were cranking out the drinks and keeping everyone happy. Best part was Misty and the girls hiring a DJ and turning the usually vacant back area into a dance club. I literally forgot I was in Salida. Hopefully the Boathouse will realize that they could pack that area every Friday and Saturday night with something this town really needs.
(5)Matt J.
A must stop if traveling or exploring this area. Great food, large craft beer selection, perfect views of Arkansas river. We had great service also. Try the buffalo chili, and mussels. Thanks Mariah!
(4)Minny R.
LOVE the bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers. If you're a crazy bacon lover and/or a jalapeno lover, just order it! :) Service can be a little shoddy sometimes. Nice Colorado-type of ambiance. It's location on the Arkansas River is amazing. :) Enjoy Salida! What a great town.
(4)Dan H.
Solid happy hour specials tonight. Happy hour drink specials reasonable. Solid Margarita mix drink for the money... One of the popular menu items is the chicken parm sandwich ....the club is solid as well per a local
(4)Jeff B.
Best seats by the river! Get Mimosa or Bloody Mary with breakfast enchilada or chilaquiles. No shoes, no shirt, no problem with a drink in your hand! I would say this is a good place for drinks and bar food just hanging out by the river. We went on a Friday and they had a nice band too.
(3)Jenn P.
Really wish I could have eaten here one more time before heading back home. They have great beers on tap and the menu is very dynamic! Sitting by the river is great and relaxing even with the screaming kids floating down the river. The place is set up a little odd so if you walk in the door and it looks like a pool hall, just walk all the way towards the back to find the hostess.
(4)Danny B.
Downtown Salida is a hip place. Maybe a little too hip for me. You see, I'm kind of a person that doesn't like anything that feels too cool (I wish I could have italicized the 'too cool' part). This place was like a cool kid place. This is the local happy hour kind of place. The, "hey bro what's up, you hear about Mickey? Yeah he crashed his moped. Dumba$$. Yo, you gonna come over tonight?" I don't mean that in urban lingo, but that's my idea of how "cool people" talk. I know, I'm an idiot. So, besides it being kind of too hip for a square like me, it was a great foodstuff place. The patio, which kind of flows naturally from the bar and the indoor seating (at least in the summer when I was there), is directly above the river and so you get to watch people going downstream in their kayaks and what not. That was pretty cool and entertaining. The food was Mexican, so yeah, I was right at home. I can't remember what I had, but the guacamole dip was great. This is the kind of place you want to have like 4 beers, get ripped, have a preposterous and ungodly amount of chips and salsa and cheesy Mexican delights, and then stumble out and go "yeah i'll come back here." Don't drink and drive.
(4)Andrew H.
Met a group of fellow motorcyclists here on a Saturday afternoon. The "Best Chicken Strips Ever" aren't, and were unnecessarily expensive. The Honey Mustard was surprisingly spicy, and not in a good way. I really wanted to like this place more.
(2)Jamie W.
Basic pub food with great views of the Arkansas River in an old historic building. The food was average in size and quality. Some of it was served in baskets, not plates. The service was average. The beer selection was impressive, though very limited in type (think heavy microbrews).
(4)Roman V.
Great view of the Arkansas River and fun place to catch a game if you're just passing through. Staff was helpful and quick to help out. Food was average, but great atmosphere and view make the restaurant. Would recommend to others. Elevation on tap.
(4)Captain S.
Great location and river view. Other than that the food and service is hit or miss. I'm a local and have been to the Boathouse many times since it opened. The first thing I noticed is they didn't have fries! I asked the owner and he said they were trying to keep it healthy! What's a burger without fries? They quickly started serving fries. When they first opened they had the best tacos in town with several homemade salsas which were killer. Then they got rid of the salsas and the quality of the tacos went down and lost some flavor. Then they added a really sweet selection of gourmet hot dogs with the option of every combination under the sun on them. The they got rid of them. They have a sometimes killer BLT with green chili strips that one day will be stacked with tons of bacon then the next day you're lucky if they have two pieces. Don't get me started on how burgers are cooked! Overcooked, undercooked, perfect. But that's an almost universal complaint I have with restaurants. Same with the service. Nice and attentive, unfriendly and ignores you. Then they just recently increased their prices which don't yet reflect on the menu here. $10 for a bowl of buffalo chili? It's good but not that good. Maybe if they put less beans in it and increased the amount of bison and pico. They also have a nice room attached to the restaurant for private parties and spill-over when it gets really busy. When they first opened they had a pool table which was a godsend because the only other places in town to play pool suck. Then they got rid of it and replaced it with table tennis/ping pong tables!!! Really? Overall a great place to have a drink and watch the game and get a bite to eat. Not the best place to take friends from out of town for a great place to eat. We rarely ever go there anymore.
(2)Ashley D.
Good food, excellent view (if you can sit by the river), great atmosphere. We were seated with in the "wait time" given to us.
(4)Rachel K.
I really wanted to love this place but found it amazingly lacking. Easily the best thing about it was it's location right on the river, offering some lovely views. We started with an order of chips, salsa and queso which was all just meh. Not bad but definitely not great. The queso was decent but the salsa was boring. My friend had a margarita which was also meh and definitely not worth the price. Probably the worst part, other than the service, was the chili. For the life of me, I have no idea how anyone can make a buffalo and chorizo chili turn out bland and absolutely flavorless but they found a way. I doubt they used any seasonings, whatsoever. It was edible but still so overwhelmingly tasteless that I was ready to go back to the kitchen and give their "cooks" a cooking lesson. It was also served barely lukewarm, so I'm guessing it sat in the kitchen a looong time before the server thought to look for it. My friend's burger was OK but that was about it. The service was also poor, mostly due to our server spending all his time flirting with a group of teenage Texas girls who I doubt were carded before being served their drinks. All of his other tables, including ours, were waiting throughout our entire meals just to get refills on our drinks or be checked on at all. I'm sure this is why my chili was barely warm when it finally arrived. As someone who once waited tables, I can't seem to make myself under tip. He therefore definitely wasn't worth the tip we left. At some point, we might go back for a simple beer and burger or appetizer on the river but I doubt we'll try anything fancier there. The views are the only reason we might even try this.
(2)Barb B.
The Boathouse would have gotten 5 stars for letting us bring our dog on the patio and for the $3 Blue Moon's. But they fell short on the appetizers. My husband got the chicken wings. According to the menu, there were suppose to be 5. He only got 4 and said they were mediocre in taste. I got the stuffed mushrooms. The stuffing was good but they were breaded and fried. Just a bit too much greasiness. I think they would be better topped with breadcrumbs and baked. Maybe their dinner items are better.
(4)Mark E.
What a great location next to the Arkansas River! I've been here several times and the food is always great. There is indoor and outdoor seating. The indoor seating has large garage door type windows that open up, so you can enjoy the breeze. Wings = awesome, drinks = awesome, food = awesome. Come support a great restaurant in a great town.
(4)Phil A.
Had a Philly beef was ok also had side salad not the best. Nice view of river. Good selection of local craft beers they were good. I would return. Rest of group liked
(3)G D.
I have been here twice. The food is good, the drink selection is very nicely selected, the service is adequate and the location is great.
(4)Kevin M.
Come to the boathouse for a quick bite To eat before heading out of town. Was very impressed with the friendliness of the staff and the relaxed atmosphere. My server Heather went above and beyond to accommodate me. She threaded me like I was in her house. Amazing beer selection too!! I love this place and would recommend it to anyone. I will be returning. Thanks Heather!
(5)Shavon G.
I absolutely love this place! Great atmosphere! Great food and service. I went with a group of 7 and everyone was happy and full. You have to try the burgers! The best chili burger and fries I have had in a very long time! The burritos are huge so be careful! Mussels, very good as well! No complaints I will def be back b4 leaving Salida!!
(5)Kelly M.
I went here on a day when Kentucky Derby/Cinco de Mayo festivities were going on. It was a great place to hang out for a while right over the river. Good drinks and pretty good food (although it didn't adhere to one particular cuisine), and some excellent people watching as various contingencies of people came through. The Mexican was definitely good (mine was a tad cold), but I noted how the green chile here and elsewhere around town was different from Denver, even. Good, but different, as it I found it to be very watery and not what I am used to seeing.
(4)Shane J.
Great spot! We only had drinks and munches here so can't really rate the place on an overall basis. This three is based on good service, the venue and the quality of the beer list.
(3)Phase T.
2 stars for the location... We've tried and tried to like the Boathouse but the food is always horrible. The LOCATION is awesome and we love to sit overlooking the river. But there is no value and no cook in the back. So we've sworn off coming here.
(2)Courtney Z.
The food is good, but it's mostly bar food. The Ahi Tuna Skewers were surprisingly tasty for a restaurant that focuses on burgers and sandwiches. It's the ambiance of this pace that made me give it 4 stars. Casual, fun, bright, and happening. A table by the 'garage door' windows, overlooking the river, drinking a beer (or 2!) after an outdoor adventure? Boathouse, you've won my heart! Make sure to check whether it's Happy Hour or not because neither the hostess or waitress mentioned it to us and their Happy Hour menu has some great deals!
(4)Renee C.
Great beers on tap (microbrews), great friendly service and great food. Can sit outside overlooking river. Far out. Fish Tacos and Chile Rellenos especially good.
(5)Lauren G.
Chips and queso was amazing. And the SALSA is the best I've ever had. I would eat here again in a heartbeat. I got the carne asada tacos. Delicious. I came with a group of 20 and the service was incredible, never had to wait. Cute servers too. I will be back
(5)Stacy J.
A super fun place, lively, and by that I mean plan on waiting for your table and food. We lucked out due to being a two-top, so we were seated right away, but receiving our bevs and food was a different story. To his credit our waiter said, 'I'm slammed, if you're ordering a drink you should consider making it a double.' My husband did just that, but for me, I ordered a beer, could see the tap handle feet away from me, could see the bartender working like a champ, "cocktail" four-arm style, but I was never the recipient of his pours. It took me a good 25 minutes to get a tap beer that that should have, could have arrived in five minutes if they were better staffed. Our waiter seemed to be covering most of the floor including two seven top tables. We ordered apps which arrived close to an hour after we ordered them (shrimp skewers and delicious) and then our main entrees came on the scene very shortly after that, before we were finished with the apps and not having any room on the tiny bar table. My cobb salad sans bacon was delicious, and my hubby liked his black and blue burger with fries a good deal. All that to say, even if you ignore us we'll be back, because this place is hoppin with an incredible setting and fun vibe.
(3)Dan S.
We stopped here on the way from Durango to Denver and had a decent lunch. The tacos were a bit above average - not for authenticity, but just for tastiness. There were also good-sized, as advertised. Strangely, we both liked the chipotle chicken better than the pork with bacon, etc, breaking a cardinal rule of food (pork fat makes it better). Both were good, however. The service was a bit spotty. It was nice to overlook the river during lunch.
(3)Ryan B.
The place is on the Arkansas River, for that I give it 5 stars. We just completed a 25 mile off-road adventure from Buena Vista, we needed Beer and that was it. We were able to sit by the river and enjoy an adult beverage, it was nice. I am not giving it five stars because we did not try the food. I refuse to give it four stars because the whole time we were enjoying the round of Beers, I got the feeling from the waitress that she was pissed we were not ordering food. If you happen to be a tourist, this place is worth checking out for a Beer and a view.
(3)J M.
Good atmosphere and decor. Great riverside location. Lots of sports action on the 5-6 big TVs. Good selection of local and Colorado beer. Food is pretty unmemorable. Very few veg options. Stay away from the green chili (extremely salty and horrible consistency).
(2)Miley C.
The good: the food nd atmosphere The bad: the service can be a bit rude. If the service was better we would definitely go there more
(2)Dominick M.
A zip tie was found in my salad to which a free beer was offered in compensation. The margarita punch bowl tasted like sweet and sour. This restuarant has issues with cleanliness and management. Service was pleasant but slow, salsa and wings were good.
(1)Laurie W.
Nice open air place by the river! We really enjoyed the punch bowl drink.. It was made for 4 but 3 of us handled it quite nicely! Split the fish tacos and shrimp tacos with a friend and I think the shrimp ones were just a bit better, maybe.
(5)Mark C.
OK Boathouse............You are pretty, and you have a great menu, and you deliver with good food, but: Your service (in four encounters), feels like "we will get it done in as few steps as possible, without a smile, and you should be appreciative to eat here". I have never had a good experience at the host stand: I have gone there four times and eaten there twice. The staff at the host stand seems confused, hurried, makes no eye contact, there are two lines to get in so that adds to confusion, waves a hand and says "I'll be back in a minute and walks around calling "Jones, party of two"", while there are three groups, in two different lines looking confused. Waitstaff; Maybe the stations are too big, because it takes a long time to meet with anyone after we were seated, both times. My waitress today (Heather), worked my request in in between working three different tasks at two different tables, and that was for a glass of water. Things were forgotten, requests "unheard" or ignored, questions about the food forgotten, and the best part is how she worked in her sidework in front of us. This was done while talking to a manager. Food was good. Menu is impressive for a mountain town. Room is pretty, location rocks. I hope it sticks around so let's get proud about serving your guests.
(2)Michele P.
5 stars for the great location - right on the Arkansas river, with nice big open windows. During our dinner, we got to watch a beautiful sunset, a kayaker doing flips in a rapids, and countless dogs swimming after tennis balls in the river. 3 stars for the food - I had a quesadilla that was pretty average, after being told they were out of my first choice, the lettuce wraps. My companions enjoyed their meals of hamburgers, so maybe that would have been a safer choice. I had one of their drink specials - something with raspberry and vodka - that was quite delicious. Love the laid-back atmosphere of the place - I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in Salida.
(4)Kate K.
I'm a geology student at Oklahoma state on our way back from the field stopped and got dinner. The best tacos I've ever had also great beer!
(4)Jd R.
Food was good. Service was ok. Location is great!
(4)Anita Y.
Location is right. 2 visits in 2 days, not because the food is anything beyond the usual, but because it was located in the right place. #1 visit: The waitress was slow, but nice. Mind you, we were there during lunch on a Friday. But we were there for drinks. #2 visit: We chose it because of location and we had our dog with us and we saw dogs on the patio the previous day. So in we went with our giant lab. We tried to tuck him into a corner, but how can you do that with 97 pounds of furry friendliness? Not a word was said, not an eyebrow was raised. Cool. Big points for that. +2 The food took an incredible amount of time. My glucose was dropping, I was getting very CRANKY. After 30 min or more I finally asked for chips or something, said the food would be right out, but brought a bowl of salsa/chips and said they were on the house because of the wait. +1 for the chips, -1 for not offering them earlier. Now the food. When I announced my choice, the waiter rattled off a list of all the food they were out of. They were out of Calamari, but the person at the table just before us had it. My husband ordered the steak salad, too bad for him, I ate most of it off his plate! It was great even without the ranch (?) dressing served on the side. I wish I had ordered it. My alternate choice, Shrimp Rangoon, was good. I'm a super-taster, so I scraped out most of the cream cheese concoction with the nacho chipz to make the dish last. Even the small salad it sat atop of was tasty, I cleaned my plate, and his.+2 The service was slow. There was an empty table with a "reserved" sign on it in the corner. It sat unused for more than an hour. Finally someone took it under protest from the waitstaff. They sat and declared they would leave if the "reserved" party arrived. Good for them! I suspect the staff just did that to alleviate their workload. Damn, I wish I was that assertive. -1 for sneaky methods. Yeah, we'd probably come again. The location is great and my dog is welcome. For that I will tolerate slow service.
(3)Eliot L.
Nice atmosphere, pleasant wait staff, nice location, great food, good prices.
(4)Jayne P.
Still looking for the fish in the fish tacos. Food is still crappy and services just as bad. Great view just don't bother eating there.
(1)cheryl m.
raining and in an rv so we decided to stop here and grab some appetizers and a few drinks. loved being right on the ark river, watching tubing, kayaking and people not giving a care about the rain. we waited to get a table right on the water, the place was packed! order nacho, buffalo chili and salads, all was very good and much enjoyed by our boys (8 and 12). cute town to hang out in, walk around and just chill! after eating, we even got salsa/chips to go home with, service was good, place was upbeat and fun atmosphere! left with no rain but double rainbows! not a bad day to spend in the rain on the water on vacation!
(4)Nancy H.
went there during salida fiber festival.. pretty busy.. waiter was slow to start, but we warmed up to him... food was real good... and so was the wine!
(4)Kate K.
First Visit: Cheap as hell happy hour (3 drinks for $6.50) but kind of, crappy service. The entire bar seating area is semi-outside and overlooking the river where countless kayakers are practicing/showing off their moves. We ordered food here, waited 45 minutes and finally realized noone ever placed our order (not by asking our now non-existent waitress, but by asking the bartender if we even had an order that had been placed). After we realized it'd be another half hour or so, after our order was REALLY placed this time, we decided f it, and went to Amica's. Three stars solely for the cheap happy hour and view. Can't comment on the food since ours never arrived. Second Visit: I went back the next day (the menu looked really good) and received wonderful service and fabulous food! The chips/salsa are cheap and delish! Highly recommended. Apparently they had just barely opened (surprising since this place was absolutely packed) so my first experience may have been growing pains. Changed from 3 to 4 stars.
(4)Terry B.
The location is sick...right next to the river where you can easily dodge flyfishermen's flies from your seat, watch kayakers continuously go upside down, and peer down on all the people walking their dogs. Food's solid with big ole buffalo burgers, cooked properly. Guac was meh, beer selection was pretty good and it was a ruckus time for the USA - Ghana match.
(3)Jen C.
Great food, friendly staff, nice atmosphere. I read some reviews about the service being slow. I think that some folks may confuse laid back with slow or lazy, and believe me, patience is not one of my virtues, but be a tad patient, your food will come. Get a table on the river, sit back and enjoy the view. We had lunch there and went back for some beverages the next evening. My husband had the Green Chili BLT and said it was awesome, I had Spicy Shrimp Tacos - also great. Everything is very fresh - the menu says that they take pride in their mountains and rivers... and that they use organic, local and farm to table produce and meats....and so on. Very reasonably priced. If we are back in the area, we will definitely visit them again!
(4)Carie G.
We have a cabin in Howard and come here pretty much every trip we get down here. It's SO Salida -- laid back, friendly, beers flowing, windows wide open to the Arkansas River below. As often as we come here, I've never once had an issue with service so I find those comments a little strange. I mean, the place is relatively small so when you ask for something, it has generally arrives stat -- even when the place is full. One Sunday, we brought the dog to sit on the patio with us while we enjoyed Hawaiian French Toast in the sunshine. Along the line of food recommendations: try the Fish Tacos -- mild fish, amazing pico de gallo, and this unusual tortilla they serve -- a flour tortilla with corn bits, served crisp on the outside but with just the right chewiness to be really satisfying. My fiance never strays from the Carne Asada -- he swears by it. I've had several other offerings from the menu, but I have to tell you, those two are the stand-outs for us.
(4)B H.
Avoid the World's Best Chicken Strips. You will be disappointed. Club sandwich is different but awesome. Burrito is above average as well. We arrived about 4:30 and had less than a 5 minute wait for a table overlooking the river. Service was better than most. Also had chips & salsa and an order of fries. Both were good.
(4)Courtney B.
We sat at a table overlooking the river. That in itself is worth the trip! We were tired after a long day in the sun and enjoyed watching activity by the river. We ordered the chips and salsa to start and were given a generous portion. I ordered the shrimp tacos and they were very good! I would definitely recommend this place if you are looking for a laid-back restaurant with good views and good food.
(4)Hailey G.
best atmosphere i've ever been to next to the creek was BEAUTIFUL & the beer list was amazing.
(5)Shook D.
If you like Colorado or micro beers, enjoy good atmosphere, and better bar food than most restaurants offer, your in luck. Sitting right on the Arkansas River in Downtown Salida, this is the place to check out and enjoy. Bartenders remembers names and the beers your most into, which is a must for my beer loving self. Oh, and if your into watching sports, the TV's are huge.
(4)P B.
Riverside location is the best feature. Noisy when half empty during a Broncos game. We requested seating on the patio and were shown to one of the 3 empty umbrella tables on the patio. While perusing the menu I noticed a lot of food litter on the floor under our see through mesh patio table and salsa smeared on the umbrella pole at diner's eye level. Probably a kid mess...can't imagine any adults being that messy. An unsightly view at best. Waitress delivering our beverage was so quick to scurry away, we couldn't get her attention to wipe up the salsa mess till she delivered our food. If they are this casual about cleanliness in the dining area....I'd hate to see the kitchen. Food not particularly memorable. Won't come here again.
(2)Chuck M.
Dined at dinner time over Christmas break after skiing at nearby Monarch. Service was good, food was what we expected for a bar & grill type restaurant. They have quite a number of beers on tap from Colorado micro-breweries, which is a plus. The location is fabulous for Salida - right on the Arkansas river. Even at night in the wintertime, it was nice to sit by a window and watch the ice chunks float by! Great for a casual meal - I recommend the chips/salsa if you enjoy a spicy-hot salsa.
(3)Rt P.
Great location on the river and really good food. I started off with the Eddy & Ginger Line cocktail, which is kind of like a cross between a lemon drop martini and a ginger beer, but not overly sweet. Very nice! We shared a spinach salad with pesto vinaigrette, which was excellent. My wife had the pork green chili, and I had the Black & Blue Cajun burger. Both were delicious.
(5)Food C.
Have eaten here several times and love a table overlooking the river, watching the boaters and all the activity! Food has always been good and good service. Last time there, we all ordered $9+ margaritas and were very disappointed. I mean, if you are going to specialize in them & have a special menu, do a good job. Next time, we'll order beer or soft-drinks. Or, maybe the bartenders should learn how to make a good one?
(3)Kimbo B.
Came here per a suggestion from a local friend. Somewhat OK view of the bridge and kayak park. Had the fajita burrito which was literally black beans, rice and unseasoned steak in a tortilla 'smothered' in watery green chile. By 'smothered' I mean barely perceptible. If I were the chef/owner, I'd feel embarrassed to put something out of such poor quality. Husband had the 'best chicken strips ever' and they were far better than my dish, but certainly not deserving of such a claim. Service was decent. Will not be going back.
(1)Tim M.
Great "joint". I wondered about price when ordering. Then when my BLT arrived I could not believe my eyes. I actually thought there "might" be too much god smoked bacon. Great side salad. My buddy had the fish tacos, also an excellent choice here. It is worth the short drive if you are passing through
(4)Remmer R.
This place is the bomb! Great food, great views, and the city of Salida is an outdoors haven!
(5)Ola B.
I was very pleased with the food! That is the main thing when going to a restaurant right? The beer was very good as well. Service was good although I heard that it can be bad when it is busy.
(4)Hilary C.
The food here was pretty decent, but the service was terrible. Forty-five minutes after we put our name in, we noticed that a lot of couples that had come after us were being seated before us. When we questioned the hostess, it turned out that she had never written our name down and she didn't apologize. Our waitress was nice enough, but took part of our appetizer to another table and then disappeared after serving our food. We sat there with empty drinks for half an hour. When she finally returned, we just paid the check and left. I could understand if it was super busy, but by the time we got our food, half the restaurant had cleared out.
(3)Nicole B.
Their chips and queso are good. My husband had the carnitas tacos and I had the aloha burger. Both were pretty fantastic.
(4)Max R.
great location, friendly staff, good beer selection, tasty food, good prices. ordered the 3 little pigs which were great and a friend had the fish tacos which they really liked. if I lived in salida, this would be a regular "go-to"
(4)Max W.
Food was fantastic, good selection of drinks, staff was pleasent and helpful. Views of the river were fantastic. Dont get down to Salida very often but if do I will definately stop again.
(5)Mike S.
Location, location, location! Sat and watched the kyackers play in the Arkansas river while having a beer and yummy chummy chunga. Good prices and an amazing summer location make it well worth the time
(4)Valerie P.
The realtor's mantra: location, location, yeah you get it. Yes, they'd get 5 stars there. You can take in all the sights of Salida from their patio dining. The food? We went with a party of 6. Two ordered soup only and our meals took over an hour to get. Ok, I understand that I need to calm my Denver dwelling self, but really over an hour for a burrito and a couple of hamburgers? The service was pleasant. The cheap chardonnay was drinkable and my out of state guests were so pleased to have a buffalo burger..that I may return, but possibly only to drink.
(2)B B.
We've been coming here for the past few years and also enjoyed the atmosphere. It's usually busy so you have to wait for a table but it's worth it for the view along the river. The chicken fingers were right on and we inhaled them as well as the stuffed mushrooms which had a beer batter crust.
(4)Daniel L.
Went here to watch football and drink. Beautiful views of the Arkansas River, this place is a must visit.
(4)Ann W.
Very good fish tacos. Although wintry (doors were closed) I can see if would be pretty nice wiht the doors open in summer. Could have liked a little more different selections on the menu. Bartendress was perky and cheerful, which always goes a long way!
(4)Jay Jay V.
I love the boathouse! This is the place to come if your visiting from out of town. You can enjoy your tasty meal while sitting on the Arkansas. The food is great! I really love the chimichanga, and ANYTHING with green chili. It's also nice that they have one of the best beer selections in town. The bartenders and servers are nice and you can enjoy the patio or the front room if you want a quieter experience!
(5)Jimmy C.
Been a few times, it's a good ultra-casual place to grab a beer or some simple food. Nice location on the river, when they roll up the garage-style windows and the kayakers are running the rapids below it can be great. Typical bar food, nothing particularly great, but nothing bad, their green chile BLT is pretty nice, thick bacon piled on and cooked like I like it with guac and a little green chile. Their servers are cute and always been on the ball.
(4)Brian J.
Good food though seems to always be over crowded, especially on the weekends. I would have given it 4 stars, but the service was not very good. I had one waitress lie and tell me that my southwestern skillet did not come with tortillas or green chili when it said that it did on the menu. I even double checked when we went back one night for dinner.
(3)Gene H.
After a great afternoon of mountain biking with two friends who live in Salida we went here for dinner, drinks and to watch the kayakers preparing for the Fibark competition. First impression was cool, great deck with a great view! Grabbed a drink while waiting for a table and had friendly service and good drinks. Then things started to go downhill fast. We sit down and our friendly waiter appears and takes our order. He comes back 5-10 minutes later and asks how we are doing. I reply "great, can you get the chips, salsa and guacamole that we ordered" and Starr asks for a round of waters. He apologizes and quickly returns with chips and salsa but leaves before I can ask about the guacamole. He comes back at an appropriate time to ask how we are doing and we order another round of drinks and ask if he could bring us some water (still haven't received the water we ordered last time and by then we were half through the chips and salsa and since he had not brought the guacamole I figured I would just save the $4-$5 up charge and deal without it). He then comes back about ten minutes later and asks if we want another round of drinks! To which we reply, yes, we ordered another round from you 10 minutes ago. Finally the second round of drinks arrive (but still no water) and food comes a few minutes later (easy 45 minutes from order food until it arrived). Mike and I had the triple pork tacos (carnitas, bacon and BBQ?) that sounded great on the menu. Unfortunately the meat was burnt and very dry which was to bad because the bbq sauce was pretty good. Starr ordered a meal that was advertised as coming with Guacamole yet she received none so after getting our waiters attention he brought her some guacamole. Then the bill came and we noticed that we were charged for an order of chips, salsa and guacamole instead of just chips and salsa. Finally after getting our waiters attention (he had three other tables and a girl he was flirting with at the bar) we explain what happens and he takes the guacamole off the bill. Then we wait 30 minutes for him to come take payment. Before the 30 minute delay we were discussing the horrible service and figuring we would tip maybe 10% (Starr and I have both spent years working in restaurants and I usually tip 20% for good service and 25-30% for great service). Well, after the delay we decided he really didn't deserve a tip at all for such crappy service so we decide not to tip (first time in my life). On the way out the manager gets in our face and yells at us for stiffing his best server and then asks why we did it. Before listening to our complete reply he tells us that that is BS and walks away from us. I get the managers attention and explain the entire story and he says, "sorry, we were slammed". Well every table was full and there were a few groups waiting for tables and having drinks at the bar but having worked in restaurants for the last 20 years (as a bartender) no one would say they were slammed. I will never return to this restaurant.
(1)Mark O.
Nice view. Good fish and shrimp tacos. Food better than I expected. The salsa, pico, cabbage all fresh. Friendly waitress.
(4)andrea t.
Sat night in Salida... eat early - everything was closed by 8:30 but the Boathouse. What a delightful surprise, I had the best protobello burger I've ever had, great bloody Mary, fine service, and enjoyable pub atmosphere. My salad was delish and my husbands chimichange was good too.
(5)E L.
JUST DON'T ORDER ANY MILK! Wow when we got the bill for milk for two kids, I couldn't believe it was $4.00 per glass of milk. I just bought a gallon of milk the other day and it cost my $1.96. I have never experienced this much of a markup on milk for a pretty average restaurant. Everything else was fine. We thought the food was average. Loved the fries. Pretty sure they are still using the unhealthy oil to fry since it tasted so good.
(3)B B.
Great fish tacos and great selection of draft beers . Nice location on the river too!
(4)Kim K.
Just finished skiing over MLK holiday at Monarch. We were way excited about having dinner with our friends at the Cantina because it overlooked the Arkansas river. We got there when it was not busy about 5pm on a Saturday. Our friends arrive right after. We ordered margaritas , nachos and chips and salsa, all seemed great. We placed our food order and then we waited. Finally after 45 minutes of waiting the server came over to my friend and said "I forgot to order your food", my friend said what will you be doing about that and the server said she would not charge us. So we re ordered except my husband he didn't want anything now. So we waited and then our food came out. It was pretty good. Then the server came with the check and my friend said "I thought you were not charging us" the server said "Oh I am not and took the bill back". We left a tip for the server which she really didn't deserve but since she paid the bill that was the least we could do. We walked out and was standing on the porch with the bartender came running out and said loudly, "Hey are you going to pay your bill" so we explained that the server said we didn't have too... We told him to bring out the owner. We told him the same thing. He was actually pretty nice and to make it right asked that we just come back. Well after reading how this place treats their customers, I don't think we will be doing that. We have been in the hospitality and food business too long to get treated that way and never have I had someone run out after me. The server was a poor communicator. Too bad, I loved overlooking the river.
(1)Ola B.
I was very pleased with the food! That is the main thing when going to a restaurant right? The beer was very good as well. Service was good although I heard that it can be bad when it is busy.
(4)Hilary C.
The food here was pretty decent, but the service was terrible. Forty-five minutes after we put our name in, we noticed that a lot of couples that had come after us were being seated before us. When we questioned the hostess, it turned out that she had never written our name down and she didn't apologize. Our waitress was nice enough, but took part of our appetizer to another table and then disappeared after serving our food. We sat there with empty drinks for half an hour. When she finally returned, we just paid the check and left. I could understand if it was super busy, but by the time we got our food, half the restaurant had cleared out.
(3)Nicole B.
Their chips and queso are good. My husband had the carnitas tacos and I had the aloha burger. Both were pretty fantastic.
(4)Max R.
great location, friendly staff, good beer selection, tasty food, good prices. ordered the 3 little pigs which were great and a friend had the fish tacos which they really liked. if I lived in salida, this would be a regular "go-to"
(4)Max W.
Food was fantastic, good selection of drinks, staff was pleasent and helpful. Views of the river were fantastic. Dont get down to Salida very often but if do I will definately stop again.
(5)Mike S.
Location, location, location! Sat and watched the kyackers play in the Arkansas river while having a beer and yummy chummy chunga. Good prices and an amazing summer location make it well worth the time
(4)Valerie P.
The realtor's mantra: location, location, yeah you get it. Yes, they'd get 5 stars there. You can take in all the sights of Salida from their patio dining. The food? We went with a party of 6. Two ordered soup only and our meals took over an hour to get. Ok, I understand that I need to calm my Denver dwelling self, but really over an hour for a burrito and a couple of hamburgers? The service was pleasant. The cheap chardonnay was drinkable and my out of state guests were so pleased to have a buffalo burger..that I may return, but possibly only to drink.
(2)B B.
We've been coming here for the past few years and also enjoyed the atmosphere. It's usually busy so you have to wait for a table but it's worth it for the view along the river. The chicken fingers were right on and we inhaled them as well as the stuffed mushrooms which had a beer batter crust.
(4)Daniel L.
Went here to watch football and drink. Beautiful views of the Arkansas River, this place is a must visit.
(4)Ann W.
Very good fish tacos. Although wintry (doors were closed) I can see if would be pretty nice wiht the doors open in summer. Could have liked a little more different selections on the menu. Bartendress was perky and cheerful, which always goes a long way!
(4)Jay Jay V.
I love the boathouse! This is the place to come if your visiting from out of town. You can enjoy your tasty meal while sitting on the Arkansas. The food is great! I really love the chimichanga, and ANYTHING with green chili. It's also nice that they have one of the best beer selections in town. The bartenders and servers are nice and you can enjoy the patio or the front room if you want a quieter experience!
(5)Gene H.
After a great afternoon of mountain biking with two friends who live in Salida we went here for dinner, drinks and to watch the kayakers preparing for the Fibark competition. First impression was cool, great deck with a great view! Grabbed a drink while waiting for a table and had friendly service and good drinks. Then things started to go downhill fast. We sit down and our friendly waiter appears and takes our order. He comes back 5-10 minutes later and asks how we are doing. I reply "great, can you get the chips, salsa and guacamole that we ordered" and Starr asks for a round of waters. He apologizes and quickly returns with chips and salsa but leaves before I can ask about the guacamole. He comes back at an appropriate time to ask how we are doing and we order another round of drinks and ask if he could bring us some water (still haven't received the water we ordered last time and by then we were half through the chips and salsa and since he had not brought the guacamole I figured I would just save the $4-$5 up charge and deal without it). He then comes back about ten minutes later and asks if we want another round of drinks! To which we reply, yes, we ordered another round from you 10 minutes ago. Finally the second round of drinks arrive (but still no water) and food comes a few minutes later (easy 45 minutes from order food until it arrived). Mike and I had the triple pork tacos (carnitas, bacon and BBQ?) that sounded great on the menu. Unfortunately the meat was burnt and very dry which was to bad because the bbq sauce was pretty good. Starr ordered a meal that was advertised as coming with Guacamole yet she received none so after getting our waiters attention he brought her some guacamole. Then the bill came and we noticed that we were charged for an order of chips, salsa and guacamole instead of just chips and salsa. Finally after getting our waiters attention (he had three other tables and a girl he was flirting with at the bar) we explain what happens and he takes the guacamole off the bill. Then we wait 30 minutes for him to come take payment. Before the 30 minute delay we were discussing the horrible service and figuring we would tip maybe 10% (Starr and I have both spent years working in restaurants and I usually tip 20% for good service and 25-30% for great service). Well, after the delay we decided he really didn't deserve a tip at all for such crappy service so we decide not to tip (first time in my life). On the way out the manager gets in our face and yells at us for stiffing his best server and then asks why we did it. Before listening to our complete reply he tells us that that is BS and walks away from us. I get the managers attention and explain the entire story and he says, "sorry, we were slammed". Well every table was full and there were a few groups waiting for tables and having drinks at the bar but having worked in restaurants for the last 20 years (as a bartender) no one would say they were slammed. I will never return to this restaurant.
(1)Mark O.
Nice view. Good fish and shrimp tacos. Food better than I expected. The salsa, pico, cabbage all fresh. Friendly waitress.
(4)andrea t.
Sat night in Salida... eat early - everything was closed by 8:30 but the Boathouse. What a delightful surprise, I had the best protobello burger I've ever had, great bloody Mary, fine service, and enjoyable pub atmosphere. My salad was delish and my husbands chimichange was good too.
(5)Jimmy C.
Been a few times, it's a good ultra-casual place to grab a beer or some simple food. Nice location on the river, when they roll up the garage-style windows and the kayakers are running the rapids below it can be great. Typical bar food, nothing particularly great, but nothing bad, their green chile BLT is pretty nice, thick bacon piled on and cooked like I like it with guac and a little green chile. Their servers are cute and always been on the ball.
(4)Brian J.
Good food though seems to always be over crowded, especially on the weekends. I would have given it 4 stars, but the service was not very good. I had one waitress lie and tell me that my southwestern skillet did not come with tortillas or green chili when it said that it did on the menu. I even double checked when we went back one night for dinner.
(3)E L.
JUST DON'T ORDER ANY MILK! Wow when we got the bill for milk for two kids, I couldn't believe it was $4.00 per glass of milk. I just bought a gallon of milk the other day and it cost my $1.96. I have never experienced this much of a markup on milk for a pretty average restaurant. Everything else was fine. We thought the food was average. Loved the fries. Pretty sure they are still using the unhealthy oil to fry since it tasted so good.
(3)B B.
Great fish tacos and great selection of draft beers . Nice location on the river too!
(4)Kim K.
Just finished skiing over MLK holiday at Monarch. We were way excited about having dinner with our friends at the Cantina because it overlooked the Arkansas river. We got there when it was not busy about 5pm on a Saturday. Our friends arrive right after. We ordered margaritas , nachos and chips and salsa, all seemed great. We placed our food order and then we waited. Finally after 45 minutes of waiting the server came over to my friend and said "I forgot to order your food", my friend said what will you be doing about that and the server said she would not charge us. So we re ordered except my husband he didn't want anything now. So we waited and then our food came out. It was pretty good. Then the server came with the check and my friend said "I thought you were not charging us" the server said "Oh I am not and took the bill back". We left a tip for the server which she really didn't deserve but since she paid the bill that was the least we could do. We walked out and was standing on the porch with the bartender came running out and said loudly, "Hey are you going to pay your bill" so we explained that the server said we didn't have too... We told him to bring out the owner. We told him the same thing. He was actually pretty nice and to make it right asked that we just come back. Well after reading how this place treats their customers, I don't think we will be doing that. We have been in the hospitality and food business too long to get treated that way and never have I had someone run out after me. The server was a poor communicator. Too bad, I loved overlooking the river.
(1)Kate K.
First Visit: Cheap as hell happy hour (3 drinks for $6.50) but kind of, crappy service. The entire bar seating area is semi-outside and overlooking the river where countless kayakers are practicing/showing off their moves. We ordered food here, waited 45 minutes and finally realized noone ever placed our order (not by asking our now non-existent waitress, but by asking the bartender if we even had an order that had been placed). After we realized it'd be another half hour or so, after our order was REALLY placed this time, we decided f it, and went to Amica's. Three stars solely for the cheap happy hour and view. Can't comment on the food since ours never arrived. Second Visit: I went back the next day (the menu looked really good) and received wonderful service and fabulous food! The chips/salsa are cheap and delish! Highly recommended. Apparently they had just barely opened (surprising since this place was absolutely packed) so my first experience may have been growing pains. Changed from 3 to 4 stars.
(4)Terry B.
The location is sick...right next to the river where you can easily dodge flyfishermen's flies from your seat, watch kayakers continuously go upside down, and peer down on all the people walking their dogs. Food's solid with big ole buffalo burgers, cooked properly. Guac was meh, beer selection was pretty good and it was a ruckus time for the USA - Ghana match.
(3)Jen C.
Great food, friendly staff, nice atmosphere. I read some reviews about the service being slow. I think that some folks may confuse laid back with slow or lazy, and believe me, patience is not one of my virtues, but be a tad patient, your food will come. Get a table on the river, sit back and enjoy the view. We had lunch there and went back for some beverages the next evening. My husband had the Green Chili BLT and said it was awesome, I had Spicy Shrimp Tacos - also great. Everything is very fresh - the menu says that they take pride in their mountains and rivers... and that they use organic, local and farm to table produce and meats....and so on. Very reasonably priced. If we are back in the area, we will definitely visit them again!
(4)Carie G.
We have a cabin in Howard and come here pretty much every trip we get down here. It's SO Salida -- laid back, friendly, beers flowing, windows wide open to the Arkansas River below. As often as we come here, I've never once had an issue with service so I find those comments a little strange. I mean, the place is relatively small so when you ask for something, it has generally arrives stat -- even when the place is full. One Sunday, we brought the dog to sit on the patio with us while we enjoyed Hawaiian French Toast in the sunshine. Along the line of food recommendations: try the Fish Tacos -- mild fish, amazing pico de gallo, and this unusual tortilla they serve -- a flour tortilla with corn bits, served crisp on the outside but with just the right chewiness to be really satisfying. My fiance never strays from the Carne Asada -- he swears by it. I've had several other offerings from the menu, but I have to tell you, those two are the stand-outs for us.
(4)Michele P.
5 stars for the great location - right on the Arkansas river, with nice big open windows. During our dinner, we got to watch a beautiful sunset, a kayaker doing flips in a rapids, and countless dogs swimming after tennis balls in the river. 3 stars for the food - I had a quesadilla that was pretty average, after being told they were out of my first choice, the lettuce wraps. My companions enjoyed their meals of hamburgers, so maybe that would have been a safer choice. I had one of their drink specials - something with raspberry and vodka - that was quite delicious. Love the laid-back atmosphere of the place - I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in Salida.
(4)Kate K.
I'm a geology student at Oklahoma state on our way back from the field stopped and got dinner. The best tacos I've ever had also great beer!
(4)Jd R.
Food was good. Service was ok. Location is great!
(4)B H.
Avoid the World's Best Chicken Strips. You will be disappointed. Club sandwich is different but awesome. Burrito is above average as well. We arrived about 4:30 and had less than a 5 minute wait for a table overlooking the river. Service was better than most. Also had chips & salsa and an order of fries. Both were good.
(4)Courtney B.
We sat at a table overlooking the river. That in itself is worth the trip! We were tired after a long day in the sun and enjoyed watching activity by the river. We ordered the chips and salsa to start and were given a generous portion. I ordered the shrimp tacos and they were very good! I would definitely recommend this place if you are looking for a laid-back restaurant with good views and good food.
(4)Hailey G.
best atmosphere i've ever been to next to the creek was BEAUTIFUL & the beer list was amazing.
(5)Shook D.
If you like Colorado or micro beers, enjoy good atmosphere, and better bar food than most restaurants offer, your in luck. Sitting right on the Arkansas River in Downtown Salida, this is the place to check out and enjoy. Bartenders remembers names and the beers your most into, which is a must for my beer loving self. Oh, and if your into watching sports, the TV's are huge.
(4)P B.
Riverside location is the best feature. Noisy when half empty during a Broncos game. We requested seating on the patio and were shown to one of the 3 empty umbrella tables on the patio. While perusing the menu I noticed a lot of food litter on the floor under our see through mesh patio table and salsa smeared on the umbrella pole at diner's eye level. Probably a kid mess...can't imagine any adults being that messy. An unsightly view at best. Waitress delivering our beverage was so quick to scurry away, we couldn't get her attention to wipe up the salsa mess till she delivered our food. If they are this casual about cleanliness in the dining area....I'd hate to see the kitchen. Food not particularly memorable. Won't come here again.
(2)Chuck M.
Dined at dinner time over Christmas break after skiing at nearby Monarch. Service was good, food was what we expected for a bar & grill type restaurant. They have quite a number of beers on tap from Colorado micro-breweries, which is a plus. The location is fabulous for Salida - right on the Arkansas river. Even at night in the wintertime, it was nice to sit by a window and watch the ice chunks float by! Great for a casual meal - I recommend the chips/salsa if you enjoy a spicy-hot salsa.
(3)Rt P.
Great location on the river and really good food. I started off with the Eddy & Ginger Line cocktail, which is kind of like a cross between a lemon drop martini and a ginger beer, but not overly sweet. Very nice! We shared a spinach salad with pesto vinaigrette, which was excellent. My wife had the pork green chili, and I had the Black & Blue Cajun burger. Both were delicious.
(5)Food C.
Have eaten here several times and love a table overlooking the river, watching the boaters and all the activity! Food has always been good and good service. Last time there, we all ordered $9+ margaritas and were very disappointed. I mean, if you are going to specialize in them & have a special menu, do a good job. Next time, we'll order beer or soft-drinks. Or, maybe the bartenders should learn how to make a good one?
(3)Kimbo B.
Came here per a suggestion from a local friend. Somewhat OK view of the bridge and kayak park. Had the fajita burrito which was literally black beans, rice and unseasoned steak in a tortilla 'smothered' in watery green chile. By 'smothered' I mean barely perceptible. If I were the chef/owner, I'd feel embarrassed to put something out of such poor quality. Husband had the 'best chicken strips ever' and they were far better than my dish, but certainly not deserving of such a claim. Service was decent. Will not be going back.
(1)Tim M.
Great "joint". I wondered about price when ordering. Then when my BLT arrived I could not believe my eyes. I actually thought there "might" be too much god smoked bacon. Great side salad. My buddy had the fish tacos, also an excellent choice here. It is worth the short drive if you are passing through
(4)Remmer R.
This place is the bomb! Great food, great views, and the city of Salida is an outdoors haven!
(5)Katy M.
Incredible view overlooking the Arkansas river. Can't go wrong with the food. My favs are the chicken burrito and bacon wrapped jalapeños. Huge selection of beers and other drinks. Great service and killer ambiance. I highly recommend.
(5)Sara M.
I'll say, a bit over a 3, but just can't quite go to 4. The staff and service were just fine. The hostess greeted us right away and gave us a nice table, not window side but with a good view of the river. With the window wall fully open at lunchtime on a beautiful summer day, it was a nice experience. Our waiter was also friendly and efficient. The food was OK. We had a taco plate that was attractive, ample for the two of us for lunch, but fairly ordinary. I thought the tortillas were a bit sour, which I find on occasion at other places too. Not sure if it is the recipe or freshness. There are not a lot of lunch options in Salida, away from the fast food on the highway, and this seemed the better of the two local places we checked on.
(3)Ryan B.
Grabbed lunch here a couple days ago. The host was very friendly but my server not so much. No enthusiasm whatsoever. I ordered the Boater Burger and let me tell you it wasn't impressive for a $13 burger. The meat was dry and sort of the consistency of shoe leather. Now I've eaten here before and the food was good. So maybe this was just an off day... Location is great its cool to watch the riverwalk.
(2)Andy S.
Really enjoyed the food here. Service was so-so but overall a nice spot to eat right on the river. Pretty solid beer menu. The cantina club sandwich I had was delicious. I mean really good. Everything that the group had looked good as well. Would come back here when passing through Salida.
(4)James H.
Giving a 1 star review because zero isn't an option. Shittiest service in my life. All the waitresses are pissed off at the world. Go to Benson's up the street.
(1)Charlie J.
We love it. Boathouse is nearly always busy, but always good. Stuffed peppers, burgers, taco's, you name it, it's good. Love sitting by the window and watching the river roll by.
(5)Chad G.
Great patio and location. Food was decent but not memorable. Service was on par with the busiest place in Salida.
(4)Amber G.
Food was good and had a large variety! view was the best part. Lots of drink options.
(5)Caleb D.
Not sure why this place has only 3.5 stars, ambience alone is superb. Granted we got a table right on the river and the service was excellent. They don't accept reservations but you can call ahead about 15 minutes before arrival and are placed on a wait list. When we came in, we were told they were full but within 30 seconds they had a table ready. We ordered the Boathouse burger and the green chile cheddar BLT. Both were very good. The only thing to mention is that the tomato for the BLT was on the side and almost white with mealiness...so we left it off. I chalk it up to tomatoes not being in season yet. We will be back.
(4)Artem R.
Great food and awesome view! Must visit place if you are coming from out of town. There was a bit of wait but we got to sit right by the river.
(5)Diana S.
Very good little place on the river. Had the fish tacos. Very good. Great weather. Nice lunch on way back to Texas from CO.
(4)Kim S.
Fantastic meal. Boring food. Worth the view of the river, though.
(3)Ann M.
Two, in our group, ordered Seasonal Salad. The menu said salad included Fresh Raspberries, Walnuts, and crumbled cheese, but actually came with a few walnuts, two pieces of small cheese, and NO Raspberries. The lettuce was fresh. If you order this salad be sure to ask what will be on it.
(2)Jamie G.
We tried this place again and were pleasantly surprised. The stuffed mushrooms were super yummy. My husband had the fish tacos and liked them a lot my burger and my sons chicken sandwich were some of the best we have had. Good job to the current owners for stepping it up a notch.
(4)Ann C.
Boathouse Cantina has the BEST views and fantastic Steak Salad! We send friends visiting from out of town to the Boathouse and Everyone loves it!!!
(5)Matthew M.
Staff was great. Free samples of food and beer, sports talk, etc. Just great all around. Courtney was a great waitress. Food was mixed - Bacon wrapped jalepeno poppers were very good, but were a bit odd. First, my mom has one and complains about the heat, and I have no idea what she was talking about. Then my 4th one was like a ball of fire- incredibly uncomfortable. If you like heat, go ahead, but it was horrendous. - Burger was sub-par, fries decent - Three little pigs- a pair of pork tacos, were phenomenal. Good size, really good flavor. Overall, seems like the type of place where some things suck and others are phenomenal. Besides that, good views of the river, nice ambiance, good TV's. Would go back.
(4)Stephanie B.
Great riverfront location, super friendly staff and delicious carne asada made with fresh ingredients!
(4)Sarah L.
Several TVs, nice view of the river, but seems very overpriced. Six shrimp cooked on the flat top over cabbage with a side of soy sauce was $10. Beer $8. The first two items I ordered they didn't have anymore but we're still on the menu. All the appetizers I saw come out to other tables were very small for the prices.
(2)Jannine O.
On the river with views of the Arkansas River and the mountains. If you can, sit at a table by the window to see and hear the river. Comfy-cozy atmosphere with staff singing along to the tunes. Only other bar/restaurant on the river. Typical bar food you can get anywhere, but worth the check out. I is on the river!! BTW, same owners as Absolute Bikes, Rivers Edge.
(3)Heidi L.
Great food, great service, kid friendly. We had 2 kids meals, chicken tenders and cheese quesedilla, the spinach salad and carne asada tacos. Really tasty. I like the presto dressing a lot! Guacamole was not my favorite but overall a great choice!
(5)Shawna S.
Came in for lunch before we hit the road back to Parker. Food was good, atmosphere was great and the drinks. Would go back for lunch.
(3)Jennifer H.
Updated Review: Whenever I'm visiting Salida, I find myself here. The food is good. It's not going to knock your socks off but you'll enjoy it. What gets me coming back each and every time is the location. Literally saddled up to the Arkansas River, this is the most amazing view and people watching. Wait for a table by the windows. It's worth it. While we ate with my kiddos, we watched a person have kayak lessons and learn how to flip herself upright. We saw a paddle boarder working his way upriver. We watched teenagers come by in a caravan of tubes over and over. We saw rafters enjoying the smoother waters. We followed the dogs who kept jumping into the river to fetch balls. This place just can't be beat. Enjoy the food. Stay for the entertainment.
(4)Allen C.
We reserved the private room inside the Boathouse Cantina for our clients to watch the USA Pro bike race. The staff was very helpful in ensuring that we could watch the race easily on their TVs and very welcoming. The food was good, and our waitress was very kind and even watched our stuff so we could go outside when the bike race came through town. I'd recommend this for any groups that want a private/semi private room for an event in Salida.
(5)Madelynn O.
Meh. Great views. Food salty and bland. Calamari app tender (but salty). Carne burrito bland (sadly, Chipotle makes a better burrito for half the cost). Portobello sandwich wet and bun soggy. Aforementioned by another reviewer salad with fruit had blackberries and some bland walnuts, goat cheese didn't taste tangy like goat cheese usually does (not sure what it was). All in all, disappointing. I'd stop for a drink only next time and chips and salsa (which was tasty).
(2)Foodlover B.
Sat by the open window with a nice view of the Arkansas river. What a great location. Tonight was perfect 85 degrees with gentle breeze. We shared the duck tacos. There are three of them which was perfect because there was three of us! I loved them. One person thought the duck was too bland but enjoyed them anyway, We also had the steak salad and the Philly cheese steak. Very good! For dessert we had the sopapillas and ice cream. Good! The service was great. They were fast and efficient.
(4)Scott K.
We really enjoyed the food here - their green chili and chicken burrito were very good. The kids loved the chicken strips too. It's right on the river which was a pleasant setting.
(5)Ricardo B.
Dinner next to the river
(4)Ryan H.
Bartender Deav is awesome and that why they are getting 2 stars! Nothing bad to say about him!! 5:30 pm The girl that was working the host desk was a jackass!! Waited close too a hour for a table! 6:20 Checked with her to find out about our table and she tells us that she sent us a text that we never got! 6:50 Waited 30 more minutes and she tells me she sent us a text that we never got!!! Watched close to 12 groups of people sit down. 7:00 After I said something else to her she tells me that she messed up and hit the wrong so that is why we got skipped and it would be another 20 min!! 7:20 finally got a table!! Our waiter was awesome got us food right away and said he was sorry. Got our food and it was awesome!! Asked to talk to manager and was told the he was to busy and handed me a card to call him tomorrow this place
(1)Randy S.
We've always had great service and food here. Its a good lunch stop with our biker friends. Burgers are big and tasty. The riverfront atmosphere is perfect. We'll be back... Often.
(5)Jessica C.
Really enjoyed this place. The beer selection is great. I really enjoyed the chiles rellenos. The view of the river is also wonderful!
(4)Ali K.
I went to the boathouse during the fibark fest which is probably the busiest weekend of the year in salida. None of the restaurants opened until 11 and by 10:55, the boathouse had a line twenty deep in front of it. We dubiously waited in line and thought that it might be a poor choice... Not so. We were seated quickly at 11 in a high top over looking the river and kayakers. Beautiful views and for a restaurant with a rush like that the service was perfect. The infused spirits were refreshing after a night of camping and being sweaty (try the lucky penny) and I love that they randomly put fried green chiles on their food. Go there. It's like a weird beach bungalow restaurant in the Rockies.
(5)Christine A.
We waited a loooong time for a table but it was well worth it. The waiting area is funky with old sofas, chairs and tables and a ping pong table that is rarely used. I guess no one wants to play and have all the rest of the waiting parties laugh at them. The food is good and cooked to order, the ambiance lively, service attentive and view of the river fantastic. What else do you need? Oh yeah, beer, wine and cocktails are available but it wasn't anywhere near 5 o'clock yet, or I could elaborate.
(4)Michelle S.
This is definitely a enjoy the view of the Arkansas River, tourist kind of place. Good atmosphere and the staff are friendly. Just don't come here if you are in a hurry. As some other reviewers have mentioned, service is slow.... Ordered mini tacos ($10 for 2 tacos) that came with handmade chips. Tasty but maybe a bit over-priced for the portion size.
(3)JP the VP P.
Great view of the river and kayakers. Nice atmosphere. The duck tacos were crunchy, tasty, awesomeness. Service was friendly and prompt. Loved this place!
(5)Tres B.
So great building, huge and historic with great views. Alas the food was bar-average the service slow, disinterested and frankly, dumb. I was cuious as to the history of a one hundred year old building and i asked the gum chomping waitress for its history. She said, "um I think it used to sell rafts". Once my meal was served I asked for another beer. It was served as dessert. I won't come back.
(2)Christina L.
Sooooo good! Our waiter was friendly, prompt, and didn't hesitate to offer great suggestions for things such as good drinks or salad dressings. We had the quesidilla as an appetizer- pretty typical quesidilla and a little small for the price but the salsa was good, tasted fresh.. and the guacamole was delicious!! (What do you guys put in that stuff? YUM!) I ordered the portobello mushroom sandwich with a side salad and pesto dressing. The salad was good- dressing was different and refreshing! There were so many good flavors from the sandwich itself, each component adding to the overall symphony of heavenly foodstuff going into my mouth. Loved the charred touch from the grill and wonderfully tasty hummus. The items we ordered were classic foods that Boathouse uniquely prepares or pairs with other flavors, and it was such a pleasant surprise! Everything tasted fresh and was well-executed. Will absolutely recommend this place to friends and family!
(5)Mark S.
Fibark at the Boathouse was great. Bartenders were cranking out the drinks and keeping everyone happy. Best part was Misty and the girls hiring a DJ and turning the usually vacant back area into a dance club. I literally forgot I was in Salida. Hopefully the Boathouse will realize that they could pack that area every Friday and Saturday night with something this town really needs.
(5)Matt J.
A must stop if traveling or exploring this area. Great food, large craft beer selection, perfect views of Arkansas river. We had great service also. Try the buffalo chili, and mussels. Thanks Mariah!
(4)Minny R.
LOVE the bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers. If you're a crazy bacon lover and/or a jalapeno lover, just order it! :) Service can be a little shoddy sometimes. Nice Colorado-type of ambiance. It's location on the Arkansas River is amazing. :) Enjoy Salida! What a great town.
(4)Dan H.
Solid happy hour specials tonight. Happy hour drink specials reasonable. Solid Margarita mix drink for the money... One of the popular menu items is the chicken parm sandwich ....the club is solid as well per a local
(4)Jeff B.
Best seats by the river! Get Mimosa or Bloody Mary with breakfast enchilada or chilaquiles. No shoes, no shirt, no problem with a drink in your hand! I would say this is a good place for drinks and bar food just hanging out by the river. We went on a Friday and they had a nice band too.
(3)Jenn P.
Really wish I could have eaten here one more time before heading back home. They have great beers on tap and the menu is very dynamic! Sitting by the river is great and relaxing even with the screaming kids floating down the river. The place is set up a little odd so if you walk in the door and it looks like a pool hall, just walk all the way towards the back to find the hostess.
(4)Danny B.
Downtown Salida is a hip place. Maybe a little too hip for me. You see, I'm kind of a person that doesn't like anything that feels too cool (I wish I could have italicized the 'too cool' part). This place was like a cool kid place. This is the local happy hour kind of place. The, "hey bro what's up, you hear about Mickey? Yeah he crashed his moped. Dumba$$. Yo, you gonna come over tonight?" I don't mean that in urban lingo, but that's my idea of how "cool people" talk. I know, I'm an idiot. So, besides it being kind of too hip for a square like me, it was a great foodstuff place. The patio, which kind of flows naturally from the bar and the indoor seating (at least in the summer when I was there), is directly above the river and so you get to watch people going downstream in their kayaks and what not. That was pretty cool and entertaining. The food was Mexican, so yeah, I was right at home. I can't remember what I had, but the guacamole dip was great. This is the kind of place you want to have like 4 beers, get ripped, have a preposterous and ungodly amount of chips and salsa and cheesy Mexican delights, and then stumble out and go "yeah i'll come back here." Don't drink and drive.
(4)Andrew H.
Met a group of fellow motorcyclists here on a Saturday afternoon. The "Best Chicken Strips Ever" aren't, and were unnecessarily expensive. The Honey Mustard was surprisingly spicy, and not in a good way. I really wanted to like this place more.
(2)Jamie W.
Basic pub food with great views of the Arkansas River in an old historic building. The food was average in size and quality. Some of it was served in baskets, not plates. The service was average. The beer selection was impressive, though very limited in type (think heavy microbrews).
(4)Roman V.
Great view of the Arkansas River and fun place to catch a game if you're just passing through. Staff was helpful and quick to help out. Food was average, but great atmosphere and view make the restaurant. Would recommend to others. Elevation on tap.
(4)Barb B.
The Boathouse would have gotten 5 stars for letting us bring our dog on the patio and for the $3 Blue Moon's. But they fell short on the appetizers. My husband got the chicken wings. According to the menu, there were suppose to be 5. He only got 4 and said they were mediocre in taste. I got the stuffed mushrooms. The stuffing was good but they were breaded and fried. Just a bit too much greasiness. I think they would be better topped with breadcrumbs and baked. Maybe their dinner items are better.
(4)Mark E.
What a great location next to the Arkansas River! I've been here several times and the food is always great. There is indoor and outdoor seating. The indoor seating has large garage door type windows that open up, so you can enjoy the breeze. Wings = awesome, drinks = awesome, food = awesome. Come support a great restaurant in a great town.
(4)Phil A.
Had a Philly beef was ok also had side salad not the best. Nice view of river. Good selection of local craft beers they were good. I would return. Rest of group liked
(3)Captain S.
Great location and river view. Other than that the food and service is hit or miss. I'm a local and have been to the Boathouse many times since it opened. The first thing I noticed is they didn't have fries! I asked the owner and he said they were trying to keep it healthy! What's a burger without fries? They quickly started serving fries. When they first opened they had the best tacos in town with several homemade salsas which were killer. Then they got rid of the salsas and the quality of the tacos went down and lost some flavor. Then they added a really sweet selection of gourmet hot dogs with the option of every combination under the sun on them. The they got rid of them. They have a sometimes killer BLT with green chili strips that one day will be stacked with tons of bacon then the next day you're lucky if they have two pieces. Don't get me started on how burgers are cooked! Overcooked, undercooked, perfect. But that's an almost universal complaint I have with restaurants. Same with the service. Nice and attentive, unfriendly and ignores you. Then they just recently increased their prices which don't yet reflect on the menu here. $10 for a bowl of buffalo chili? It's good but not that good. Maybe if they put less beans in it and increased the amount of bison and pico. They also have a nice room attached to the restaurant for private parties and spill-over when it gets really busy. When they first opened they had a pool table which was a godsend because the only other places in town to play pool suck. Then they got rid of it and replaced it with table tennis/ping pong tables!!! Really? Overall a great place to have a drink and watch the game and get a bite to eat. Not the best place to take friends from out of town for a great place to eat. We rarely ever go there anymore.
(2)Ashley D.
Good food, excellent view (if you can sit by the river), great atmosphere. We were seated with in the "wait time" given to us.
(4)Rachel K.
I really wanted to love this place but found it amazingly lacking. Easily the best thing about it was it's location right on the river, offering some lovely views. We started with an order of chips, salsa and queso which was all just meh. Not bad but definitely not great. The queso was decent but the salsa was boring. My friend had a margarita which was also meh and definitely not worth the price. Probably the worst part, other than the service, was the chili. For the life of me, I have no idea how anyone can make a buffalo and chorizo chili turn out bland and absolutely flavorless but they found a way. I doubt they used any seasonings, whatsoever. It was edible but still so overwhelmingly tasteless that I was ready to go back to the kitchen and give their "cooks" a cooking lesson. It was also served barely lukewarm, so I'm guessing it sat in the kitchen a looong time before the server thought to look for it. My friend's burger was OK but that was about it. The service was also poor, mostly due to our server spending all his time flirting with a group of teenage Texas girls who I doubt were carded before being served their drinks. All of his other tables, including ours, were waiting throughout our entire meals just to get refills on our drinks or be checked on at all. I'm sure this is why my chili was barely warm when it finally arrived. As someone who once waited tables, I can't seem to make myself under tip. He therefore definitely wasn't worth the tip we left. At some point, we might go back for a simple beer and burger or appetizer on the river but I doubt we'll try anything fancier there. The views are the only reason we might even try this.
(2)G D.
I have been here twice. The food is good, the drink selection is very nicely selected, the service is adequate and the location is great.
(4)Kevin M.
Come to the boathouse for a quick bite To eat before heading out of town. Was very impressed with the friendliness of the staff and the relaxed atmosphere. My server Heather went above and beyond to accommodate me. She threaded me like I was in her house. Amazing beer selection too!! I love this place and would recommend it to anyone. I will be returning. Thanks Heather!
(5)Shavon G.
I absolutely love this place! Great atmosphere! Great food and service. I went with a group of 7 and everyone was happy and full. You have to try the burgers! The best chili burger and fries I have had in a very long time! The burritos are huge so be careful! Mussels, very good as well! No complaints I will def be back b4 leaving Salida!!
(5)Kelly M.
I went here on a day when Kentucky Derby/Cinco de Mayo festivities were going on. It was a great place to hang out for a while right over the river. Good drinks and pretty good food (although it didn't adhere to one particular cuisine), and some excellent people watching as various contingencies of people came through. The Mexican was definitely good (mine was a tad cold), but I noted how the green chile here and elsewhere around town was different from Denver, even. Good, but different, as it I found it to be very watery and not what I am used to seeing.
(4)Shane J.
Great spot! We only had drinks and munches here so can't really rate the place on an overall basis. This three is based on good service, the venue and the quality of the beer list.
(3)Phase T.
2 stars for the location... We've tried and tried to like the Boathouse but the food is always horrible. The LOCATION is awesome and we love to sit overlooking the river. But there is no value and no cook in the back. So we've sworn off coming here.
(2)Courtney Z.
The food is good, but it's mostly bar food. The Ahi Tuna Skewers were surprisingly tasty for a restaurant that focuses on burgers and sandwiches. It's the ambiance of this pace that made me give it 4 stars. Casual, fun, bright, and happening. A table by the 'garage door' windows, overlooking the river, drinking a beer (or 2!) after an outdoor adventure? Boathouse, you've won my heart! Make sure to check whether it's Happy Hour or not because neither the hostess or waitress mentioned it to us and their Happy Hour menu has some great deals!
(4)Renee C.
Great beers on tap (microbrews), great friendly service and great food. Can sit outside overlooking river. Far out. Fish Tacos and Chile Rellenos especially good.
(5)Lauren G.
Chips and queso was amazing. And the SALSA is the best I've ever had. I would eat here again in a heartbeat. I got the carne asada tacos. Delicious. I came with a group of 20 and the service was incredible, never had to wait. Cute servers too. I will be back
(5)Stacy J.
A super fun place, lively, and by that I mean plan on waiting for your table and food. We lucked out due to being a two-top, so we were seated right away, but receiving our bevs and food was a different story. To his credit our waiter said, 'I'm slammed, if you're ordering a drink you should consider making it a double.' My husband did just that, but for me, I ordered a beer, could see the tap handle feet away from me, could see the bartender working like a champ, "cocktail" four-arm style, but I was never the recipient of his pours. It took me a good 25 minutes to get a tap beer that that should have, could have arrived in five minutes if they were better staffed. Our waiter seemed to be covering most of the floor including two seven top tables. We ordered apps which arrived close to an hour after we ordered them (shrimp skewers and delicious) and then our main entrees came on the scene very shortly after that, before we were finished with the apps and not having any room on the tiny bar table. My cobb salad sans bacon was delicious, and my hubby liked his black and blue burger with fries a good deal. All that to say, even if you ignore us we'll be back, because this place is hoppin with an incredible setting and fun vibe.
(3)Dan S.
We stopped here on the way from Durango to Denver and had a decent lunch. The tacos were a bit above average - not for authenticity, but just for tastiness. There were also good-sized, as advertised. Strangely, we both liked the chipotle chicken better than the pork with bacon, etc, breaking a cardinal rule of food (pork fat makes it better). Both were good, however. The service was a bit spotty. It was nice to overlook the river during lunch.
(3)Ryan B.
The place is on the Arkansas River, for that I give it 5 stars. We just completed a 25 mile off-road adventure from Buena Vista, we needed Beer and that was it. We were able to sit by the river and enjoy an adult beverage, it was nice. I am not giving it five stars because we did not try the food. I refuse to give it four stars because the whole time we were enjoying the round of Beers, I got the feeling from the waitress that she was pissed we were not ordering food. If you happen to be a tourist, this place is worth checking out for a Beer and a view.
(3)J M.
Good atmosphere and decor. Great riverside location. Lots of sports action on the 5-6 big TVs. Good selection of local and Colorado beer. Food is pretty unmemorable. Very few veg options. Stay away from the green chili (extremely salty and horrible consistency).
(2)Miley C.
The good: the food nd atmosphere The bad: the service can be a bit rude. If the service was better we would definitely go there more
(2)Dominick M.
A zip tie was found in my salad to which a free beer was offered in compensation. The margarita punch bowl tasted like sweet and sour. This restuarant has issues with cleanliness and management. Service was pleasant but slow, salsa and wings were good.
(1)Laurie W.
Nice open air place by the river! We really enjoyed the punch bowl drink.. It was made for 4 but 3 of us handled it quite nicely! Split the fish tacos and shrimp tacos with a friend and I think the shrimp ones were just a bit better, maybe.
(5)Mark C.
OK Boathouse............You are pretty, and you have a great menu, and you deliver with good food, but: Your service (in four encounters), feels like "we will get it done in as few steps as possible, without a smile, and you should be appreciative to eat here". I have never had a good experience at the host stand: I have gone there four times and eaten there twice. The staff at the host stand seems confused, hurried, makes no eye contact, there are two lines to get in so that adds to confusion, waves a hand and says "I'll be back in a minute and walks around calling "Jones, party of two"", while there are three groups, in two different lines looking confused. Waitstaff; Maybe the stations are too big, because it takes a long time to meet with anyone after we were seated, both times. My waitress today (Heather), worked my request in in between working three different tasks at two different tables, and that was for a glass of water. Things were forgotten, requests "unheard" or ignored, questions about the food forgotten, and the best part is how she worked in her sidework in front of us. This was done while talking to a manager. Food was good. Menu is impressive for a mountain town. Room is pretty, location rocks. I hope it sticks around so let's get proud about serving your guests.
(2)Anita Y.
Location is right. 2 visits in 2 days, not because the food is anything beyond the usual, but because it was located in the right place. #1 visit: The waitress was slow, but nice. Mind you, we were there during lunch on a Friday. But we were there for drinks. #2 visit: We chose it because of location and we had our dog with us and we saw dogs on the patio the previous day. So in we went with our giant lab. We tried to tuck him into a corner, but how can you do that with 97 pounds of furry friendliness? Not a word was said, not an eyebrow was raised. Cool. Big points for that. +2 The food took an incredible amount of time. My glucose was dropping, I was getting very CRANKY. After 30 min or more I finally asked for chips or something, said the food would be right out, but brought a bowl of salsa/chips and said they were on the house because of the wait. +1 for the chips, -1 for not offering them earlier. Now the food. When I announced my choice, the waiter rattled off a list of all the food they were out of. They were out of Calamari, but the person at the table just before us had it. My husband ordered the steak salad, too bad for him, I ate most of it off his plate! It was great even without the ranch (?) dressing served on the side. I wish I had ordered it. My alternate choice, Shrimp Rangoon, was good. I'm a super-taster, so I scraped out most of the cream cheese concoction with the nacho chipz to make the dish last. Even the small salad it sat atop of was tasty, I cleaned my plate, and his.+2 The service was slow. There was an empty table with a "reserved" sign on it in the corner. It sat unused for more than an hour. Finally someone took it under protest from the waitstaff. They sat and declared they would leave if the "reserved" party arrived. Good for them! I suspect the staff just did that to alleviate their workload. Damn, I wish I was that assertive. -1 for sneaky methods. Yeah, we'd probably come again. The location is great and my dog is welcome. For that I will tolerate slow service.
(3)Eliot L.
Nice atmosphere, pleasant wait staff, nice location, great food, good prices.
(4)Jayne P.
Still looking for the fish in the fish tacos. Food is still crappy and services just as bad. Great view just don't bother eating there.
(1)cheryl m.
raining and in an rv so we decided to stop here and grab some appetizers and a few drinks. loved being right on the ark river, watching tubing, kayaking and people not giving a care about the rain. we waited to get a table right on the water, the place was packed! order nacho, buffalo chili and salads, all was very good and much enjoyed by our boys (8 and 12). cute town to hang out in, walk around and just chill! after eating, we even got salsa/chips to go home with, service was good, place was upbeat and fun atmosphere! left with no rain but double rainbows! not a bad day to spend in the rain on the water on vacation!
(4)Nancy H.
went there during salida fiber festival.. pretty busy.. waiter was slow to start, but we warmed up to him... food was real good... and so was the wine!
(4)