Echo Lake Lodge
13264 State Hwy 103, Idaho Springs, CO, 80452
Echo Lake Lodge Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Idaho Springs for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Idaho Springs for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Idaho Springs for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
13264 State Hwy 103
Idaho Springs, CO, 80452 - Phone (303) 567-2138
- Website https://EchoLakeLodgeCO.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Kristin M.
Our weekends are never planned out. In fact, we usually wake up, get dressed and then figure out where we're going. Such is the case with this weekend before last - I woke up, rolled over to say good morning to my husband and his first question was, "Do you want to go to Evergreen today?" We drove out to Evergreen to do some fishing and boating. It was fun and tremendously beautiful. I loved it out there! Before going home, we decided to take a little drive and explore some more. Somehow, we decided to drive up to Mount Evans and the highest paved road in North America. So, here we are in our tank tops, flip flops and boating attire, driving up one of the 54 fourteeners in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. As we drive up, it started to rain. The ranger who collected our day fee told us that if it gets too snowy (YES, SNOWY) up there, another ranger may ask that we pull to the side of the road and wait the storm out. We were cool with that. We were on an adventure. Well, the storm got bad. There was very poor visibility on slick narrow roads next to steep cliffs and lightning striking all around us. People on bikes and motorcycles were jumping off, abandoning their rides, and getting in the cars of strangers to save their lives. "OK, I'm really scared. We need to pull over to the side right now," I begged my husband. All the while, the kids were sleeping in the back, oblivious to the chaos outside. Things calmed down and we made our way to the top. We saw Mountain Goats crossing the road and some of the most incredible alpine tundra scenery I've ever been around. We didn't last long in the snowy, low 40's temps up there (in our summer clothes) and quickly made our way back down, which was much more relaxing than going up. At the bottom of the road, we stopped at the Echo Lake Lodge for dinner. It's an authentic log building turned gift shop and restaurant that's been there since 1926. The gift shop is expansive and I almost wish we would have stopped by there first before heading up the mountain. We could have purchased some sweatshirts and jackets for a warmer mountain top viewing. After filling up, we were ready to drive back home - in the rain and heavy traffic. Mount Evans and the Echo Lake Lodge are only open from May through September (Memorial Day to Labor Day). I told my husband that we should absolutely come back again next year, and this time, pack as if we were camping. Since we are so unpredictable and spontaneous, we need to start thinking like Boy Scouts - "Be Prepared." We never know when we'll hit a snowstorm in July and need to console ourselves with homemade pie.
(3)Amelie and Dan B.
We found this place to be warm and cozy. After we came down from Mt. Evans we stopped in at the restaurant to warm up with a cup of great hot coffee and a slice of their homemade blueberry pie! Yummy! Yes, this place is old (constructed in 1926) and has an older decor, but it fits. Sitting there, you're supposed to be looking outside your windows as your eating your meal (or desert :)), and not paying attention to where the restaurant equipment is..... Hello?!?!? You're in the mountains!!!!!! Enjoy your views! How about noticing all of the beautiful wooden logs, fireplace and just the ambiance of it all? If you are looking for 5 star accommodations - go to Aspen. It's commercialized, and you can find all of the chains/franchises and shopping your heart desires. We loved it here. Because it didn't take away from the beauty, nature and wildlife. It just complemented the surroundings. If this was a Hilton or Marriott, it would destroy the raw and wild feel of it. This place reminded us of mountain hostels in Europe, specifically in the Alps, Carpathians and Tatra Mountains. For the true mountain lovers, the lodge will be a warm and memorable place to catch your breath and rest before your next long hike or trip.
(4)Shun F.
Located right before the entrance to go up Mt. Evans, the Echo Lake Lodge is a gift shop along with a restaurant. The atmosphere can definitely be improved upon, with its plastic picnic garb table covers and cafeteria style seats. The sign outside told me to try their trout and homemade pies, so that's what I did. The trout was pan fried and tasted ok. I've been spoiled recently because I've been catching my own trout and having BBQs with them quite frequently this summer. The reason this restaurant gets 4 stars is for their pies. If it weren't for the peach pie that I had, I would rate it 3 stars. The pie crust was absolutely delicious and reminded me of a croissant. The layers of the pie crust with the crisp outside and softer/chewy layers inside was absolutely fantastic. One of the best pies I've had in recent memory. Add in a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side and it was paradise. Unfortunately, this restaurant is open only seasonally, so I will have to go back next year. Next time I'm skipping the meal and will just be getting pies. Do yourself a favor and go get some of their pie. You won't regret it!
(3)Ariel S.
On a recent visit to Denver, I was taken to Echo Lake Lodge by some family members who were excited to take my father and I to the historic locale. The whole experience, however, was pretty blech. The lodge is dominated by a gift shop filled with "Native American" jewelry made in China and cheap souvenirs. Ug. Not a nice way to start a meal, accosted by crappy "authentic" Americana made in China. You walk into the restaurant and it feels like you've stepped back in time to the early 1960s -- and not in a good way. The decor is decrepit and dingey, the tablecloths dirty and tired. The left wall of the restaurant is filled with restaurant equipment like machines for orange juice and hot chocolate. The equipment, like everything else in the room, looks exhausted. The menu's like something from the 1960s, too -- an era when salad or almost any sort of fresh vegetable was seen as a novelty. An era when no one asks if you want white or wheat because white is all that there is. An era when a scoop of mayo-heavy tuna salad on a sliced tomato was seen as a healthy option. (Credit where it's due: there were slices of hard boiled egg in my tuna salad. That was the one good thing about the place.) I appreciated that the restaurant was run by a family -- mom, dad and teenaged kids were all working that day -- but the food and ambiance set new standards for downtrodden and abysmal. The website talks of fresh homemade pie -- all I know is that the day I went the pie was luke-warm fresh from a microwave. Depressing, really. The restaurant at Echo Lodge made me realize that chain restaurants actually have value ... *shudder* We had dinner that night at a Sweet Tomatoes (that's a salad bar/buffet chain in Denver), and I was happy. As a strong proponent of indie businesses, that was truly a sad moment for me.
(1)Chris E.
This place doesn't get 5 stars but it certainly does no worse than 3 for me. Yes, it is old and the decor is rustic but look where you are. You are at a mountain lake lodge. The decor is part of the whole feel of the experience. We seem to eat here everytime we go up to Mt. Evans. The wife loves there homemade cole slaw and I love the Buffalo burger. The prices are very reasonable also. I think for two of us for lunch it's about $20. There is also a gift shop attached that sells souvenirs for family and friends.
(3)Lil' Piggy G.
Stopped in for lunch with my wife on a cold August day with lots of hail and sleet outside. (It was snowing hard up on the mountain.) Good sturdy food and great service. The dining room has great character. I had buffalo chili and my wife had a turkey salad sandwich. We shared a slice of coconut cream pie. I've gotta go back and try the pan fried trout and butterscotch pie. Snow in August!
(4)Monica F.
We went there today for lunch and ordered burgers. There isn't much else on the menu. I ordered the Bacon Bleu and Mushroom burger. The burger patties were all overcooked, hard, dry, and tasteless. The french fries and tater tots were undercooked (the fries were raw in the middle), greasy, soggy, and unsalted. The bleu cheese they put on my burger was a very low quality, weird sliced bleu cheese--and I've never seen bleu cheese slices before. It didn't taste much like real bleu cheese. The bacon was strange looking, but okay. I wonder where they got it because the edges were perfectly straight, which I've never seen when I buy bacon at the store. Given that the burgers were $11-$13, this was a horrible value. Lastly, even though only half of our food was even eaten because it was so bad, the waitress didn't even bother to ask us if there was something wrong with the food. Overall: Avoid this place. Take a picnic lunch up to Mt. Evans instead.
(1)derek C.
Recently moved to Denver and have gotten in the habit of haphazardly driving west into the mountains to find interesting day hikes. The other day my wife, a friend, and I stumbled across Echo Lake. The lake is obviously beautiful, the little trail around it is nice, but we wanted a bit more and hiked into the trails which had just opened but were covered in a few feet of powdery snow. We spent a few hours tromping through before unexpectedly finding Echo Lake Lodge. We were in shorts, soaked, and a bit bloody about the legs... So a heated building offering warm pie with dollops of ice cream was a welcome surprise. We walked through the kitschy gift shop -to be expected in this sort of place- to a small bar with stools. We were greeted by a very friendly outgoing staff that treated us like locals, we met a man that comes there every sunday who shared some great travel tips, and then we had some amazing pie. Apple for me, blueberry for my wife, and peach for my friend. We all loved the pie, but the vibe of the place -in the bar area- is what made it special for us. I would definitely return, I suggest sitting up at the bar and chatting with the people behind the counter, the people are what make this place. beatoftravel.com
(4)Tori M.
I'm a fan of their buffalo chili -- a steaming, hot bowl with a giant chunk of homemade cornbread after tromping around in the chill of Mt. Evans and Echo Lake? Yes, please. We've been here at least two dozen times. It's an independent, seasonal, mountain diner. You are not going to get gourmet. Go for the hearty soups or chili, coffee, and a piece of pie. The crust is very yummy, although I tend to go for the cold ones, usually the peanut butter chocolate, so I can't speak to the homemade-or-not filling of the fruit ones reviewed here. It's not fast food by a long shot. If you're in a hurry, forget it. If you wanting to unplug and chat, breathe deeply and watch hummingbirds, wait for a window table. The doors to this place are always open, so in the summer you will be getting a fly occasionally. (Try not to look up under the curtains at the fly paper.) The gift shop is all kitcsh, but the log walls and the insane black velvet clowns in frames high above (where it appears rooms were once for rent?) are in a class all their own.
(4)Laura L.
I have to give the Echo Lake Lodge gift shop 5 kitchsy stars. Where else can you please your tourist friends, buy a housewarming present, and enjoy beautiful scenery at the same time? Oh, and did I mention they have black velvet clown paintings? Yeah, it's that good. The shop is an amazing/amusing combination of Rocky Mountain decor, like carved wooden bears, chipmunks, and mountain creatures, antler magazine racks, tipsy gnome wine bottle holders, cheap jewelry, the typical "Colorado" souvenirs, and a side room of gag gifts and antique/flea market goodies, books, and knickknacks. Forget your shoes? You can also purchase a pair of crocs, which are surprisingly popular in Europe. I'm pretty sad that we had breakfast in Evergreen right before we drove up, because I had no room for their famous pie or even a cup of coffee. I totally get that it's a tourist trap, but for me that's what makes is so hilarious. I bought my sister a prairie dog lawn ornament, and my mom supported the economy by purchasing some socks and a few maps. Whee! PS - You can walk straight from the lodge down to Echo Lake, a quick hike that shouldn't be missed.
(5)Anne W.
If you are going up to Mount Evans, to hike Echo Lake, or just want to see a part of Colorado mountain history, you should not pass up Echo Lake Lodge. It is located at 10,000 feet, at the entrance to the Mount Evans Auto Road. The Lodge has a restaurant, which I hear has very good pie, though we did not eat there. It is an amazing structure, built at a time when cars could not drive up the mountain from Denver and back in one day. There were rooms for guests on the second level which are still there. Much of the lodge's first floor is a souvenir shop, which just happens to sell little cans of oxygen for those not accustomed to the altitude!
(5)Kevin T.
Stopped in to escape the rain and get a cheesy souvenir. Sat at the bar and chatted with a pleasant bartender about the circumstances that led to the closure of Evans Road. I got an ice cold beer (dales pale ale in a can) and was tempted to take a swig of Coors Banquet (when in Colorado give real Coors a shot?). The view from the bar is nice and the atmosphere is friendly and cozy. I chatted with the fellow patrons who were grabbing a drink or a coffee. Ended up taking the coconut creme pie to go. Glad I did. A simple place to grab a bite and a drink either heading up the mountain or down. I saw a sign claiming patrons were limited to 2 alcoholic drinks in a visit. Not sure if its enforced, but gives you the idea its a place to rest, not necessarily to drink.
(3)Tonya H.
Stopped in for lunch on my way to summit. They offer a wonder gift shop which can help you stock up on souvenirs, gear for the mountain hike, and of course grub. The restaurant itself is a nice size. To me the food was just ok, I opted for the $9.95 BLT with sweet potato fries. I felt the BLT could have had more bacon and I wasn't impressed with the bacon aoili on the sandwich. The fries however were pretty tasty. My friend and I split a bowl of bison chili with a big Ole slice of cornbread and I had to add a lil bit of salt and pepper to it. I would have given the place more stars just for the character of the place, but the dining room had flies that I had to keep fanning away while I ate. Great views, friendly staff, awesome location. But I'm wasn't the biggest fan.
(3)Khampha K.
After a 25 me home decided to stop here and grab beers. We thought it was a good idea but our waiter did not. He served us but was so rude!! Place wasn't even busy but he printed out our ticket and hastily slid it across the table and said we could pay whenever we were ready. 10 minutes passed and he did the same thing. Printed out a ticket and told us to pay when we were ready. I don't know if he was upset because we only ordered drinks but when dining out we make it well worth your while if we get the service we deserve. What a rude ass. Told the cashier on the way out how much of a jerk he was and the cashier straight up told us that this was the rudest man ever that gets pissed when he has to serve anyone. He even went so far to tell us a few stories about Mr. Grumpy-pants. We had such a great day we decided not to let it bother us. If I owned the echo lake lodge I would immediately fire that man for treating customers like that. How could you have someone like that working for you, driving all your customers away and bringing your business down?!?
(1)Carol J.
It is wonderful to stop in after a hike, for homemade soup, chili, sandwiches, and to top it off, a piece of wonderful homemade pie. Everyone is so nice, Barb is delightful.
(5)Kent S.
The place is cool looking and rustic. It looks like a set-piece from a Twin Peaks episode. The view out the windows was great and hummingbirds flitted and capered in the brisk alpine air. Then the food came and it was awful. The buffalo chili tasted like cheap canned chili. The french dip was fatty and mostly gristle. Service was slow and curt. Stinkeroo.
(3)Smilie G.
I Like This Place. Sit at the little bar and have a beautiful view of the lake. They do have a selection of craft beer in bottles or have a hot chocolate on a cool day to warm you up. Wonderful spot to watch the amazing sunsets over the lake and relax. The staff are always friendly and welcoming. Ask them to tell you about the clown pictures upstairs in the old lodge. Check it out before or after you trek up mt evans..the highest paved road in North America!
(4)Cynthia S.
My husband ate here after traveling to and from the summit of Mt, Evans on our anniversary. I had the fried trout and my husband had the chicken pot pie with steamed broccoli, We ordered pieces of peach and cherry pie to go. This is an excellent restaurant that hits the spot after a white knuckle drive. I love the attached gift shop too with a wide variety of souvenirs.
(5)Mikaila B.
I really wish I was warned about this place. First off, waiting for a table for two took about 20 minute, which is not a big deal since it was during the weekend/holiday. We ordered chili fries as an appetizer-- the fries were stale (or too hard, over-fried maybe?) and underseasoned. Completely mediocre chili over those fries and they didn't bother to melt the cheese. Our burgers came 40 minutes later. No exaggeration. During this time, I was busy swatting at a fly that kept circling around the table. The waitress was a sweet gal and apologized for the wait. I wish I left before our food came. Our burger patties tasted of FISH, and the tater tots were undercooked (cool in the middle, and overly firm). I had to spit out a bite of my burger. Nasty food-- would advise anyone to go elsewhere!
(1)Angela A.
Can you say Tourist Trap! Oh my... I was excited to see the sign out front boasting fresh home made pies. Now, I'm a pie girl. I was so spoiled growing up, My grandmother is a fantastic baker and pies were her specialty. I used to have pie on my birthday instead of cake! So, needless to say, I miss her fresh homemade pies. I ordered up a slice of blueberry. Haha! Totally not so fresh. Yes, maybe home made, but defiantly not fresh. This pie had more goop (and if you pies, you know what I mean) than anything. Clearly canned filler with some berries thrown in. I threw it out! The gift shop is sad. Most items seem to be leftovers from the '70's. Junk. Now, I love to look through junk but this is just ridiculous! I feel bad for all the tourists that get sucked in here.
(1)Kim H.
This place seems to be the only place to eat on the way up to the mountain, so it gets crowded pretty easily. Service is pretty good, but the food is alright, the usual-burgers, salads, etc. But the special chicken pot pie was delicious! And make sure to get a lice of their fresh homemade pies!! :))
(4)Greg W.
Made my yearly trip to Chicago Lakes and stopped in at the Echo Lake Lodge for lunch after. I have been here many times and am always pleased. This year they have home made pie. That was not the case in years past. Who doesn't like home made pie. You could go here just for the pie and be happy. The food is very good. Not great, but solid good food. My biggest problem is deciding what to order. They have several of my favorites. I had the Reuben this time, but I could have easily had the Fish-n-Chips, Steak Sandwich, numerous burgers, French Dip. They are all good. They don't get 5 stars though for a couple of reasons. First, as stated, the food is good not great. Second, the service is not always the best. Friendly, yes, but not speedy at all. Expect to spend a lot of time here. That is not a bad thing though. The view is great. The dining room is quaint and cozy. If you are waiting for a table, the gift shop is one of the best in the state. You don't go here for a quick bite. You go here for a relaxing meal after a 9 mile hike up to Chicago Lakes.
(4)Denise P.
Crazy good, hyper-retro mountain destination. Hearty, down home fare served up by locals and internationals, PLUS an authentic camp-like dining room are only 3 of the countless reasons you NEED to make the drive to ECHO LAKE LODGE! Come for the PIES, stay for the non-dessert food, and then check out the fabulous souvenir shop. The people who work here are friendly, they're happy to tell you about the lodge's history. Echo Lake is nearby as is Mt. Evans. Biking, cycling, driving, hiking, camping are all nearby. TOURISTY? OF COURSE IT IS - BUT, IN AN HISTORICALLY MAJOR GOOD WAY! Add this one to your 'MUST DO' list.
(5)Kurt B.
If you could give negative stars this place would definitely be deserving of a few. The experience started with a very rude host who informed us it's going to be a while after we sat down. It continued on to a one hour wait to place our order and 3 1/2 hours total to get our food. It was so bad we got up and got her own coffee and even poured coffee for other people that were waiting. People were leaving left and right. It was not even crowded. When we finally got our food it was absolutely horrific! We actually went up there to get the pie that in the past has been pretty good. I got coconut cream and the dairy was spoiled. I ended up running for the restroom and throwing everything up. What a way to spend Labor Day weekend, absolutely sick to your stomach. Then, they turn around and charge you $75 for four people. If it wasn't for the tourists that are trapped up on top of the mountain there is no way in hell this restaurant would stay open. If you planning on going up to Mount Evans, be sure to pack your lunch. You'll be way better off in the long run! Sorry, have to run to throw up again! Too bad the health department isn't open this late on a Saturday. I will definitely be calling on Tuesday morning.
(1)