Wooden Nickel

Can’t go wrong with the Prime Rib & Loaded Baked Potato. My only complaint was the price was a little too high.

Great service and great food. What more are you looking for? Thanks Becky!
I had the elk. So tender. It was fantastic. I’ve been traveling around lately and a meal like this was exactly what I needed. Very nice portions.

We called to make reservation and were told they only had late openings. We wanted prime rib and were worried that they would run out, but they said they could reserve one for every person that knew they wanted prime rib.
We neglected to tell them which size and when they served them it looked like they had reserved the large cut for us, not the modest one we would have ordered. I was pleasantly surprised when the bill came that we had gotten, or at least charged for, the modest serving. I like horse radish and when I requested same was asked, «raw or creamed?»
The wine was excellent and reasonably priced, my niece-​unit also had a margarita that whe reported was quite tasty.
As long as I had been coming up to CB, this was my first trrip to the Wooden Nickel for food and it will not be my last.
I noticed the «Parking» question at the bottom. This is Crested Butte and you either walk or bike everywhere. We never move our car unless we are going on some excursion.

Nice ambiance and great historic vibe, but go for a beer here and eat elsewhere. We went for the porterhouse steak, and it was pricey, so we expected it to taste really good. Unfortunately the steak was really under seasoned, so we kept adding salt… but if you don’t season while it’s cooking, you’re not going to recapture that at the table. We had an order of onion rings, also needing salt, that tasted like they were cooked in old oil. The service was nice, but it’s bar service. Don’t expect to finish your app before they come over and drop your dinner on the table. Loved the visit, and there seem to be a lot of nice people visiting here. I just wish we hadn’t spent so much on mediocre food.

Extremely disappointed with complete lack of customer service and respect, highly recommend you go elsewhere for your night out in Crested Butte — these people do not deserve your money, or respect. After making (And calling to confirm) reservation, we were left to wait for thirty minutes without a glance or mention, while others (no reservation clearly) were greeters, hugged and enjoying their nights while we still waited. We finally left after multiple bs «almost ready» comments, and highly recommend you dont even consider this establishment.

Very very loud and overpriced but I have to say the food was excellent. I still dream of the onion rings. Both the seafood, trout, and steaks were very good. They ran out of baked potatoes and wouldn’t allow us to substitute for the mandatory steak fries. Asked for discount and were refused. Service was very good. Drinks were ridiculously expensive

Good selection of wines. Elk tenderloin was PERFECT, but I’ve never seen a bland salmon served like this EVER. Skip the salmon. Everything under seasoned. Customer service was atrocious! Only giving 3^rd star due to the elk.

For my husband’s birthday dinner with our daughter and son-​in-​law while in Crested Butte, we researched the best steakhouse. It lead us to this location. The ambiance is pretty cool.
It is the oldest saloon and a good steakhouse. Building history and the buffalo on the wall is cool. We sat right under him. Everyone in our group got a different item. Off course they ranged from pricey to pricier… but it was a birthday diner.
Appetizer we tried Captain Jimmy’s Bahamin Conch Fritters. I had better in the Bahaminas but they were okay. The Entrees of our group were 16 oz Prime Rib that melted in your mouth… Elk Tenderloin, Filet Mignon, Sushi Grade Ahi Tuna (I know that was mine at a steak house…) but was it ever good. The sides ranged from asparagus spears, mushrooms, potato. Nothing special about them.
Okay it was a birthday… New York Cheesecake with berries was huge slab. One got the fresh apple pie with side of vanilla, and Triple Chocolate Cake… Well he stayed up all night from the chocolate overload.
Great atmosphere for close intimate dinner to a family gathering.

DO NOT ENTER!!! Wanted to go to elk prime steakhouse (which is amazing) but they had a private event. The host recommended Wooden Nickel next door so we went. Their surf n turf special includes prime rib and lobster. Great. Except, they were out of Prime Rib, so the waitress agreed to substitute filets for the prime rib. No big deal. She came back to inform us that they were only had 2 filets so we’d have to further substitute for a bone in steak. Fine. She left and returned to inform us they were out of baked potatoes (which were supposed to come with the surf n turf) so we substituted further for French fries. Ok, were still having a good time, no big deal. Then… Food came out: over cooked frozen French fries, over cooked rubbery lobster and only passable steak. BUT my issue wasn’t even with the quality of the food, we never complained. My issue was that in the end they CHARGED US FOR FULL FILLET ENTREES, PLUS FULL LOBSTER ENTREES after all the substituting. $ 358 for 3x $ 65 meals at most. We asked to see the manager. No manager around. Got a card for the bars general phone number… Nothing the poor sweet waitress could do. What kind of place serves customers this way? Let alone doesn’t have someone on staff to adjust the bill accordingly? I felt bad for the waitress, working under such shitty management.

Betsy is the best bartender! She is so friendly, knowledgeable when it comes to drinks and provided the entire bar area with great energy.
If you are into steak. Eat here, it’s a Crested Butte staple — rich in history. Then, after dinner make sure you get the chocolate cake.

Portions were large and good. The thick pork chops were very thick and good. Didn’t leave hungry. Could use a larger draft selection, only four on tap. Be sure to bring your pocket book a little on the pricy side.

Food and drink are seriously overpriced. That, along with the servers’ clear intention of up-​selling the customers at every opportunity, cost the place a star. You end up feeling like you’ve been hustled.
The room is charming and authentic, and the atmosphere is good. (Note to manager: dust the buffalo head.)
Steaks were correctly seasoned and grilled. I believe that despite the price, they were choice, not prime. They were short on the juiciness and tenderness that solid prime delivers, and they had connective tissue issues.
The Porterhouse that we split (something like 28 ounces, a house special) was big in terms of square inches, but skinny. Wife got the tenderloin side, I got the strip side, and we were both disappointed. I’m not sure that the steak would have weighed the advertised size on a scale (even pre-​cooked), but I’m not a big enough jerk to ask someone to bring out a scale and prove their case. I take my beating and move on.
What you get with your high-​priced steak is a baked potato with butter and a little baby scoop of sour cream. Cheese, bacon, and chives are each a buck extra. The meal does not include a salad or bread.
Wines are also overpriced, particularly by the bottle, and ours – ordered by the glass – seemed to have been opened a few days ago. The wife’s Duckhorn Decoy was unusually fruit-​forward, and my Raymond Cab was so cloying that I gave up after a couple of sips.
Think about this: at these prices, you could be at Morton’s or the Palm or the Capital Grille. Or Ruth’s Chris. Easy choice. You could also be at Fleming’s, but I don’t recommend it.
My favorite moment was when I was considering the blue-​cheese crumble salad with red onion, tomato, and like that. I asked the server, who was wearing a lovely black hot-​pants ensemble, what kind of greens were used in the salad. None, she said. It’s a cheese salad. A bowl of cheese. Really? Oh, yes, a lot of people like it.
Not me.

Wooden Nickel has operated in one guise or another at this Elk Street location since the 1880’s when silver was king. It holds a special place in my heart. The beautiful wood bar was in the original saloon and survived despite a fire that destroyed the rest of the building in 1985. That bar was manufactured and handcrafted in Philadelphia and made the overland rail and wagon trip over many months to ultimately grace the oldest saloon in Crested Butte. Sitting there today is an privilege, connecting past with present and Philly with this outstanding mountain town.
This is the high end. It is easy to imagine what the scene was like 100 years ago. Straight out of the movie, Silverado. This is where poker was played for the highest stakes in town, and the women were the prettiest. The same is true now.
Wooden Nickel is where you go on the night you are tired of the ski life on Mt. Werner, and you are looking for a romantic dinner with good cocktails and decent wine selection. The staff is still the most attractive in town, and the bartenders I have seen there are right out of your fantasies. OuuuWeee!
The menu is big city diverse, and the steaks are a big deal. There is seafood you’d expect to see on the coasts. For me, when travelling solo, a couple of well spun Margaritas, a local crafty drafty and a fat boy Burger, while sitting at the bar was approaching the good life. If accompanied, a table along the wall with a bottle of Shiraz and a well turned Filet usually complimented a joyous evening.
Downside? Sure. The prices were scorching hot. Manhattan, San Francisco, Chicago hot. So, this was a one night only experience, usually my last night in town. On all other nights, Eldo and a few lesser lights of the Rocky Mountain cuisine world would suffice.
With inflation, Wooden Nickel has become a Walking Liberty Silver Dollar.

Love this place!!! Atmosphere, service, and food was amazing. Another great meal last night.

After two previous trips to Crested Butte, I finally had the chance to try the Wooden Nickel. Erick, the owner, was very cordial and welcoming. He ran the front of house and even doubled as runner. Super nice guy.
Onto the food… I went with the Surf and Turf — 10 oz Prime Rib and 8 oz lobster tail. Prime rib was good both with and without au jus. Lobster was really nice. Moist and sweet. Tried the sautéed mushrooms and they were so-so…little dry for my taste.
Aside from that, my only real knock was the inability to substitute the baked potato for a side salad. Guess they were running low on iceberg lettuce, but generally any place will make that swap.

This place is ok, definitely not worth the price. I thinks they get by because they have a decent atmosphere. Nothing is homemade and seemed super generic. French fries were awful and service was down there with them. Train your staff better WN. Also, get the baked potato IF you do choose here, but you’re better off moving to your next choice.

Well, there’s good and bad here. Honestly, I’d rate them alot higher if the prices were more reasonable and they’d stay out of politics in their ads. They recently did a half page ad bashing a local non-​profit group, which is bad form.
At any rate, the best part of this place is the quality of service which is always good. And, it seems that about 4 out of 5 times the steaks are nicely prepared and served with generous fixin’s. But come on, the portion sizes hardly rate the $ 36-​$ 50 prices! And, I’m not even going to go into the drink prices.
I bet if they lowered their prices by 30%, they be full every night even with locals instead of always seeming on the empty side.

I know your mama told you not to take a wooden nickel, but I think you’ll be ok in this case. I felt a little trepidation when we first came in here based on the previous reviews, but Rikki, our server, laid them all to rest. The service was great, and our meals were terrific.
I ordered the prime rib with a baked potato (which comes only with butter and sour cream as a default), and my wife got the French dip salad. Finally, we topped it off with the apple pie ala mode, which was also good!
It seems as if the wooden nickel may have turned the service corner that put off many of the previous patrons. Give it a try!
P. S. Although pricy, It’s less expensive than Maxwell’s next door.

1 star bc of awful service, but note that the elk tenderloin was good — otherwise they deserve 1 star.
My husband and I arrived around 6:30, there were only a few tables filled and we were sat at an awkward table for 4. The bar and tables continued to get fuller as we were there. The prices were high but we’ve come to expect that in ski towns. We split (if you have read my other reviews you know we split a good bit), we had a 14 oz. elk tenderloin and we had it medium rare (restaurants recommendation) and it was perfect. It came with a baked potato (if you want anything more than butter it’s an extra $ 2.50 which they don’t tell you unless you ask). We also split a wedge salad. Our waitress was well aware we were splitting, yet we still had to ask for extra plates. Our water glasses were completely empty twice before she filled them. We could tell we were not a priority table bc we didn’t have alcohol, apps, dessert, and remember … We split our meal. Trust me, our split meal left us totally stuffed. I think we totaled out around $ 63.00. There was a hostess walking around in a little white dress that looked like a nightgown, with cowboy boots — probably could’ve pulled it off a little better if it wasn’t 12 degrees outside ?! She was hanging all over guys and wasn’t professional at all.
We won’t be back, learned our lesson and should’ve payed better attention to other Unilocal reviewers. Go get elk somewhere else!

This restaurant is the reason we decided to start Unilocaling. So here goes my first Unilocal.
The only reason I am giving this a 2 is because my wife took pity on them. I would have preferred to give them a one.
We arrived in crested butte late and walked down the high street looking for a bite. Everywhere looked fairly pricey which is expected in a small ski town. So we chose this one as they had reasonably priced burgers. With 2 drinks the bill came to $ 50 so you would expect something decent.
How can you mess up a burger?
The food reminded me of my cooking at university, nothing fresh all straight from the freezer banged in the oven and warmed up. So very disappointed and over priced.