Wildwood Smokehouse Profile Photo - Restaurants in Vail CO
Wildwood Smokehouse

Restaurants
 Vail, 81657

Send Message
Show Phone Number
Do you own or operate Wildwood Smokehouse? Claim this listing now. Claim this listing

About

Wildwood Smokehouse sits at nearly 11,000 feet at what Vail calls the Back Bowls hub, where Wildwood Express (#3), Game Creek Express (#7) and Sun Down Express (#17) all top out. There is no gondola cabin to ride up in and no road: Vail lists both lift access and skier access as required, so everyone at the tables arrived on skis or a snowboard.

That makes it a lunch stop for people already deep into a ski day. If your group is working the Back Bowls, Game Creek Bowl or the upper front side and does not want to drop all the way to Mid-Vail or Eagle's Nest, this is the hot meal already on the way.

What is on the tray

The kitchen smokes meat on site every day, and Vail bills the Chicken & Wild Rice Soup as the house favourite. Specials such as onion rings and mac & cheese fill out the American barbecue menu, and the full menu is posted on Vail's dining page. There are no reservations, which suits a group that wants to eat and get back to the lifts.

Timing your lunch

Wildwood is a winter-only restaurant with a short midday window, opening mid-morning and closing mid-afternoon; exact hours are in the FAQ below. It is Epic Mountain Rewards eligible, so pass holders should have their pass ready at the register. It does not operate in summer, so warm-weather visitors riding the gondolas should plan on the restaurants at the top of them instead.

Other places to eat on the mountain

Skiers who want a meal closer to the front side can head to Mid-Vail, at the top of Gondola One, or to Eagle's Nest above Lionshead, where Bistro 14 adds a full bar. Both can also be reached by non-skiers riding up by gondola, which Wildwood cannot.

Sources: Vail: Wildwood Smokehouse, Vail mountain dining, Vail Resorts 2026/27 opening dates. Checked September 23, 2026.

Get Directions View Larger Map

Contact Information

Company Name
Wildwood Smokehouse
Phone Number
Show Phone Number
Location
Top of Wildwood Express (#3), Vail Mountain
Vail, 81657

Wildwood Smokehouse Photo Albums

Posted by Wildwood Smokehouse
Wildwood Smokehouse Photos
Wildwood Smokehouse Photos

Photos of Wildwood Smokehouse.... View More

We may earn a commission from links on this page, at no cost to you. Disclosure

Visit Website View Menu

About Wildwood Smokehouse

Quick answer: Wildwood Smokehouse is a restaurant at Top of Wildwood Express (#3), Vail Mountain, Vail, CO 81657. Winter-only barbecue at nearly 11,000 feet in Vail's Back Bowls hub: daily smoked meat and Chicken & Wild Rice Soup, reached on skis only.

Last updated

Wildwood Smokehouse sits at nearly 11,000 feet at what Vail calls the Back Bowls hub, where Wildwood Express (#3), Game Creek Express (#7) and Sun Down Express (#17) all top out. There is no gondola cabin to ride up in and no road: Vail lists both lift access and skier access as required, so everyone at the tables arrived on skis or a snowboard.

That makes it a lunch stop for people already deep into a ski day. If your group is working the Back Bowls, Game Creek Bowl or the upper front side and does not want to drop all the way to Mid-Vail or Eagle's Nest, this is the hot meal already on the way.

What is on the tray

The kitchen smokes meat on site every day, and Vail bills the Chicken & Wild Rice Soup as the house favourite. Specials such as onion rings and mac & cheese fill out the American barbecue menu, and the full menu is posted on Vail's dining page. There are no reservations, which suits a group that wants to eat and get back to the lifts.

Timing your lunch

Wildwood is a winter-only restaurant with a short midday window, opening mid-morning and closing mid-afternoon; exact hours are in the FAQ below. It is Epic Mountain Rewards eligible, so pass holders should have their pass ready at the register. It does not operate in summer, so warm-weather visitors riding the gondolas should plan on the restaurants at the top of them instead.

Other places to eat on the mountain

Skiers who want a meal closer to the front side can head to Mid-Vail, at the top of Gondola One, or to Eagle's Nest above Lionshead, where Bistro 14 adds a full bar. Both can also be reached by non-skiers riding up by gondola, which Wildwood cannot.

Sources: Vail: Wildwood Smokehouse, Vail mountain dining, Vail Resorts 2026/27 opening dates. Checked September 23, 2026.

Barbeque Smokehouse

Quick Snapshot

Neighborhood: Vail Mountain (Back Bowls Hub, top of Chair 3)
Cuisine: BBQ
Service: Lunch
Show Phone Number

Business Hours

Open daily · 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM

Amenities at Wildwood Smokehouse

  • Counter/cafeteria-style service
  • Outdoor deck with picnic tables
  • Walk-in only
  • Epic Mountain Rewards eligible
  • Back Bowls views
  • Lunch only

Frequently Asked Questions

Can non-skiers get to Wildwood Smokehouse?
No. Wildwood Smokehouse is ski-in only. Vail lists both lift access and skier access as required: it sits at the top of Wildwood Express (#3), Game Creek Express (#7), and Sun Down Express (#17), there is no gondola cabin to ride up in, no foot-pass or scenic-ride ticket that reaches it, and no road. Everyone at the tables arrived on skis or a snowboard, on a lift ticket or pass. If someone in your group is not skiing, plan lunch at Mid-Vail (top of Gondola One, from Vail Village) or Eagle's Nest (top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola, from Lionshead), both of which non-skiers can reach by gondola, and meet up in a village afterwards. Wildwood is not at Eagle's Nest, whatever an AI summary may tell you; it is a separate building at the Back Bowls hub.
When is Wildwood Smokehouse open?
Lunch only, in winter only: 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. while the winter season and its terrain are open, and closed at all other times. There is no summer operation, no breakfast, and no dinner or après service; the venue closes for the year when the mountain closes in spring and does not reopen until winter, in 2026/27 with the mountain's planned opening on Friday, November 13, 2026, and on-mountain restaurants opening as terrain allows, so its first day can lag the mountain's if the Back Bowls hub is not yet open. Any page, including this one's hours field in its current form, that shows a 10:30 a.m. opening on an ordinary daily pattern is describing the winter window, not a year-round schedule: in October and May, Wildwood is simply closed. Check Vail's dining pages or the Vail app on the day, because hours can change with conditions.
Where is Wildwood Smokehouse, and how do skiers get there?
On Vail Mountain at nearly 11,000 feet, at the spot Vail calls the Back Bowls hub, where Wildwood Express (#3), Game Creek Express (#7), and Sun Down Express (#17) all top out, with Game Creek Bowl, Sun Down Bowl, and the Back Bowls beyond it. It is not in Vail Village or Lionshead, it is not at Mid-Vail or Eagle's Nest, and it has no street address; any street address attached to its name (456 Vail Valley Drive circulates on other sites) is at village level and is wrong for finding it. Skiers reach it on those three lifts (from Vail Village, Gondola One to Mid-Vail and then Chair #3 is the usual route; from Lionshead, the Eagle Bahn and then Chair #7), or by skiing in from the upper front side and the bowls. You cannot park at it or drive to it: park in a village structure, and the rest of the journey is lifts and skiing.
What does Wildwood Smokehouse serve?
American barbecue, smoked on site daily, served counter-style. The signature is the Smoked Chicken & Wild Rice Soup ($16.79). The sandwiches, each served with a choice of side, are beef brisket, pulled pork, and shredded chicken, plus a portabella mushroom sandwich, all $25.99. Beyond them: a half rack of ribs ($28.99), a half chicken ($27.99), chicken tenders and fries ($24.99), loaded waffle fries with pulled pork or chili ($22.79), beef and veggie chilis ($16.99), a house salad, and sides led by mac & cheese ($15.99), onion rings, waffle fries, baked beans, and coleslaw. Portions are generous and reviewers share them. Two things that circulate online are not on the current official menu: there is no multi-meat "2 Mile High Plate" and no pot pie. Prices are from Vail's official menu document, filename-dated November 26, 2024; check the current board for the season's prices.
How much does lunch cost at Wildwood Smokehouse?
Google's $20 to $30 band is, for once, about right, and the menu shows why: sandwiches are $25.99 with a side included, the ribs are $28.99, the half chicken $27.99, and the soups and chilis that many skiers lunch on are $16.79 to $16.99, with sides from $4.99 (coleslaw) to $15.99 (mac & cheese). Epic Pass holders pay less at the same counter: the official menu prints an Epic price beside every item, roughly 20% lower (the brisket sandwich is $20.79, the ribs $23.19), because Wildwood is Epic Mountain Rewards eligible, so have the pass ready at the register. There is no extra access cost to add to the meal, unlike the gondola-top restaurants: everyone here already holds the lift ticket or pass their skiing required.
Does Wildwood Smokehouse take reservations?
No. Vail lists no reservations for Wildwood Smokehouse; it is walk-in, counter service. The practical constraint is seating at the peak, not booking: reviewers advise arriving before the 12:00 to 12:30 lunch rush, when tables, especially the window tables and the deck, fill. A group that wants a bookable on-mountain table is looking for a different venue (The 10th, at the top of Gondola One, is Vail's full-service, reservations restaurant), and should not arrive at Wildwood expecting a held table.
What do reviews say about Wildwood Smokehouse?
Reviewers like the food more than the headline numbers suggest, and the numbers need care. As of October 2026, Yelp rates Wildwood 4.4 out of 5 from 25 reviews. Google's record is split: the snapshot behind the knowledge panel shows 3.9 from 22 votes for a place Google titles "Wildwood Express Cafe" (the rating an AI answer in the research corpus repeated), while another Google-derived snapshot shows 4.2 from 9 reviews. In the review text itself, diners praise the brisket sandwich, the ribs, the loaded fries with pulled pork, the generous portions, the friendly staff, and the views, and more than one calls it the best food on the mountain, ahead of Two Elk; the complaints are the noon seating crush, lines at peak, and resort prices, plus the obvious one, in a reviewer's own words, that "it isnt exactly accessible except by ski lift". Treat any single star figure for this venue with suspicion unless its platform and count are attached.
Is there outdoor seating at Wildwood Smokehouse?
Yes. Beyond the indoor room (where the window tables carry the views), Wildwood has an outdoor deck with picnic tables and lawn chairs, the seat reviewers aim for on a sunny day, with the Back Bowls spread out in front of it. It is also the first seating to fill, along with the window tables, which is the practical half of the advice in question 6: come before the noon rush if the deck is the plan. There is no separate terrace menu or deck service; you order at the counter inside, in ski boots, as everywhere else here.
Does Wildwood Smokehouse have vegetarian or gluten-free options?
Vail publishes no dietary options for Wildwood Smokehouse; its official field is "N/A", and no dish on the official menu is labeled vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free, so do not rely on a dietary claim from any listing, including this one. What the menu board does contain, unlabeled, is a portabella mushroom sandwich ($25.99), a veggie chili ($16.99), a house salad, a cheese baked potato, mac & cheese, and most of the sides, so a vegetarian skier can put a lunch together here. A gluten-free skier has no labeled option to rely on and should ask at the counter before ordering, or plan on Mid-Vail or Eagle's Nest, where Vail does state gluten-free options. In both cases the time to decide is before skiing over: the next restaurant is a lift ride and a ski away, not a walk.
Is Wildwood Smokehouse good for kids and groups?
For families already skiing together, yes; as a destination, no. There is no separate kids menu on the official menu, but the counter is family-shaped: chicken tenders and fries, mac & cheese, and sandwiches in portions reviewers describe as big enough to share between two. Seating is the pinch point at noon, so an early lunch is the comfortable family plan. Groups work the same way: this is a walk-in counter lunch you ski to together, with no reservations, no private events offer, and no catering (Yelp's record agrees), and the hard limit is membership: anyone who is not skiing or riding that day cannot be at the table at all, because there is no other way up. Groups with a non-skier in them belong at the gondola-top venues (question 1).

Winter in Vail

Book a Vail winter extra

See all Vail tours

More restaurants on VailVacay