Whether you’re having breakfast, lunch, or dinner, you can have a show while you eat at the Club House Fairway Tavern at the Estes Park 18-hole golf course.
On a picturesque spring day, I enjoyed lunch inside, watching golfers navigate the fairways as a small herd of elk grazed nearby. Those seeking an enhanced view can also opt for outdoor seating.
The restaurant opened May 1 at 1480 Golf Course Road in Estes Park. It replaces the former Mother’s Cafe, ushering in a new dining experience for visitors.
Golfers and non-golfers have much to appreciate in addition to the menu, with beautiful vistas of mountains behind the lush fairways and greens.
Executive Chef Caleb Gafner recently returned from Gastronomicom Culinary School in Agde, France, and from an internship at L’Oustau de Baumanière, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in the region.
Before refining his craft in France, Chef Gafner gained experience in his family’s four Longmont restaurants, all operated by his parents, Sean and Rebecca Gafner.
“I strive for excellence, and that’s exactly what we’re doing here,” he said.
If you’re picturing a formal, white-tablecloth restaurant, think again. The dining room is comfortable and casual, with updated furnishings, a large horseshoe-shaped bar, and several big-screen televisions. On both of my visits, guests gathered around the bar to watch golf.
The crowd was dressed informally, and the atmosphere was relaxed and unhurried, with golfers stopping in before and after their rounds. The waitstaff were friendly and efficient, attentive without being intrusive.
Open daily from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., the restaurant features an American menu with appetizers ranging from $9 to $16, such as coconut shrimp, asparagus with chèvre, and burrata caprese.
The shrimp cocktail I ordered ($16) came with exceptionally large shrimp, which made this appetizer almost a meal.
The lunch and dinner menus have some standouts, like the scratch chowder ($7), elk bolognese ($23), and the Latin-inspired grilled salmon ($25) with gallo pinto and avocado salsa.
The chowder, in fact, had a fan club, which I met in the parking lot. On my way into the restaurant, I asked a man if he had eaten there, and he said, “Yes. Best chowder anywhere.” Another man walking by interjected: “The best.”
A visitor from Texas said he has eaten here “six times, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” even though the restaurant had been open for only nine days. “A great value,” he added.
The hand-held menu has hearty, notable dishes in addition to standard fare. The portobello sandwich, ribeye cheesesteak, and chicken-bacon-guac sandwiches were all praised by diners I interviewed at lunchtime in the restaurant. All three are under $20, including fries or chips.
Hot dogs, burritos, and brats are also on the menu for $9 to $18, and the quarter-pound bratwurst I ordered reminded me of excellent Wisconsin brats.
Typical golf-course appetizers are also available, including nachos and wings with three different sauces, priced at $9 and $16, respectively.
Desserts are also elevated, like the chocolate cake with white chocolate mousse, orange crème anglaise, espresso, and chocolate crumble, big enough to share for $15.
There is also a happy hour menu from 3 to 5 p.m. every day.
Breakfast fare, served 7 to 11 a.m., includes pancakes, breakfast burritos, sandwiches, and platters from $7 to $13. There are gluten-free and vegan options. “Breakfast is great,” said a diner I interviewed. “I’m a huge fan.”
According to Culinary Director Leslie White, proteins sourced locally are key to the dishes served here.
The food is sourced from 14 local farms and cattle ranches, including elk and bison from Wyoming and Colorado.
Executive Director Matt Grimes touted the pastries and desserts, explaining that “all desserts are made in-house, including the ice cream.” He said Pastry Chef Shelley Katz creates all the dessert menu items across all six Gafner Hospitality Group restaurants.
Golf-themed cocktail options like Fairway Fuel, The Mulligan, Azalea, and the Club House Marg sound enticing and refreshing, and almost all are $12 and under.
Mocktails like Island Time and Azalea Squeeze for $6 each are also available, as well as at least 12 beers and several wine varieties. The bar selections are curated from local breweries and distilleries.
Sean Gafner says he is also working to create “a great company to work for in Estes Park.” He offers employees 401(k) contributions, free health club memberships, and health care benefits to attract and retain the best employees.
Gafner Hospitality Group employs more than 100 people at its two Estes Park restaurants, the Club House and Ember Restaurant and Bar, which opened on Lake Estes two years ago.
Originally from California, the Gafners opened The Roost, their first Colorado restaurant, in Longmont in 2015. Now they have three other Longmont restaurants: Jefe’s Tacos and Tequila, Swaylo’s Tiki Restaurant and Bar, and 99 Bar Saloon.
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