Two Elk

Solid mountain top lodge. Acceptable food, decent bathrooms, but challenging to find a spot to sit (it's busy).However, not much sure what more you ask for on top of a crowded mountain.I had the gilled cheese (excellent) and tomato soup (marginal).If the prices bother you do t go skiing here. Its expensive.

Pricey (basically $20 per person for lunch) but plenty of space and quick service. I'd recommend over other places

Overpriced cafeteria food. Drink prices not listed. Canned vodka mule was $15. No bartender. Next time I'll wait till the base or tote my drinks w me. Employees were rude and could care less.

This is the real hidden gem on the mountain. While all of the other dining establishments on Vail Mountain are bursting at the seams with hungry visitors, Two Elk is a (comparatively) quiet haven on a lesser traveled side of the mountain. Around 12:30 we had several seating options (with views!) and very short to non-existent lines for food. They serve pasta, pizza, burgers, chicken sandwiches, chili, stew, snacks, drinks, and coffee. The cozy log cabin restaurant looks very unassuming from the outside, but the vaulted ceiling inside with large windows makes this space bright and airy and very welcoming. There are bathrooms located on either side of the building with a chairlift and runs, both greens and blacks, right from the door. This has become my new lunch spot on the mountain for sure!

I was very disappointed with my recent visit (1/12/2022). Total chaos in the food service line. After waiting 10 minutes in line I was told I could not get an order of fried because I was in the wrong line! I asked how I would know I was in the wrong line as I was staring at a big bowl of fries right in front of me! Was told those fries were ONLY to be added to a burger of chicken plate. Wtf... No signage saying, "Line up here for FRIES ONLY" Next, the soda fountain was out of Pepsi syrup - just spewed carbonated water into my glass. And $20 for a basic burger seems a bit much, even for Vail Resorts. Food selection was basically limited to burgers, pizza, or chicken fingers. Not up to the previous great selection. Blame it on Covid, but VR had best ramp things back up soon or I'll be packing a sandwich with a can of coke.

So it's a lodge...on top of a mountain, that has amenities like a normal cafeteria or dining hall. Pretty impressive if you think about it. Has ample seating and obviously incredible views.I'm knocking 1 star off because it's absurdly expensive, even more than you usually see at mountain based lodges. Don't eat here to save money, grab a small bite and take a break during your laps of the back bowls. If you eat a big meal mid ski day you're already losing...

I absolutely love two elk. If you plan on coming here on a blue sky day expect there to be a ton of people. We arrived at around 11:30 am and it was pretty empty (we were still in East coast time). We grabbed a table next to the window and then went to grab our food. I asked for the penne pasta with Alfredo sauce. I think this is my favorite dish on the mountain. Simple and yet so so good. I tried the French fries too which were really good. My only complaint about this place is the pricing. It is extremely expensive for what the food actually is.

The "Epic Burger" is kinda meh. The best food and for the best value is the burrito station, much like a Chipotle. For $14, you can get a fully stuffed chicken burrito bursting from the poor tortilla so desperately trying to keep it together. The beef burrito is $15.This place gets EXTREMELY crowded on weekends, even remotely close to lunch time (so avoid 10:30am to 2pm if at all possible). Even the overflow add-on area is completely packed. And the outside patios are just as full.

Perched on the top of Vail mountain is Two Elk, a majestic lodge that may just be the largest ski lodge you will ever visit. Two Elk is one of Vail's newer dining destinations. It is located near the top of the Sourdough lift, as well as the Orient Express lift, so it is accessible to tons of diverse terrain and skiing abilities.Two Elk is huge, but it has a unique intimate atmosphere. You are greeted by hosts with Kleenex boxes as you walk in the door (when you come in from the cold it is a nice treat!). There is a gear shop right inside the front door in case you need anything. There are a number of food stations that serve pasta, pizza, burgers, burritos, salads, and soups. There is a full bar in the food area as well. The restaurant check-out is pretty efficient, and there are literally hundreds of table spots available to sit at. Vail is huge as well, and there are lots of people, but once you get seated it is one of the more comfortable spots to hang out.

Two Elk is the pretty thing you took to prom b/c y'all would look just adorable in photos together, you blew hella dollar bills on the limo, and then he/she/pronoun of choice didn't put out and you were left dazed and confused by how something with a visage so lovely could leave you feeling so empty inside. A cavernous mountain lodge at the top of 21/36, it's where you should eat if you've spent the morning hitting the backside hard - though, be warned, during peak season, finding a table is an effing blood sport...and I can't say that I may or may not have delicately nudged a 6y out of the way diving for somewhere to rest my wary, Gortex-covered bones. No regrets.If you're a budget conscious skiier, pack a lunch and don't even attempt to do a spin around the nosh area. Personal pizzas are $15.5, soup $12-13, burritos $14, salads $10-14 and I think the burgers are $12ish - my snack this afternoon of hot cocoa and an orange was $9. Not a typo.The quality is decent - some of the soups are pretty lovely - the veggie chili I enjoy, Papa N usually gets the tortilla chicken thing - and Lordy Jesus, that cornbread - it's sweet, moist, and all things comforting. The burritos, quite hefty in size, may light up those taste buds going down, but I can almost guarantee that brick of tex-mex will sideline your desire to tackle Highline in the PM, if not for the rest of the trip. The salad bar is decent, fresh - even fussy me can get down with it. Overall, warmer, more scenic than Mid-Vail - sure, it's crazy overpriced, but, at this point, if you're on the mountain, you're used to just lighting money on fire, temporarily amnesic to the horrifying cost due to the knee-deep powder you've been in all morning - so - though it's my preferred mountain caf, each year it continues to get increasingly expensive to the point where that the small soul I have left inside of me cannot get down with paying $5 for a mini pudding, no matter how cute it is, and still be able to sleep at night. So, Two Elk, you own me with your mountain bougie charm, but I resent you for the price I must pay for it.