Mountain Fish House

MTN Town Magazine Best Restaurants in Colorado, EAT + DRINK 0

Seafood, Wine and a Lifelong Zeal for Travel brought Mountain Fish House to Edwards, Colorado

by Caren Austin

After a long day on the slopes, there are so many choices for your après or dinner. I’m going to let you in on a special little place in Edwards CO. Just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Vail or Beaver Creek, Mountain Fish House is my go-to place whenever I am in the area, in any season. Locally owned, this restaurant checks all the boxes for after adventuring, and it remains my top pick for dinner or happy hour at a reasonable price in the valley for many reasons.

Lily and Billy Doran are the owners of Mountain Fish House and some of the nicest people you will ever meet. They want you to feel like family when you dine there, and you absolutely will. Lily grew up in Austin, moved to Chicago, and then to New York.

Her journey with fresh seafood began during a summer spent working in The Hamptons, where she discovered a deep appreciation for the flavors of the ocean. This experience ignited a lifelong passion that would shape her culinary interests. After her time in The Hamptons, she pursued her sommelier certification in Chicago, further refining her palate and expanding her expertise in wine.

Lily’s love of travel has taken her to New Zealand, where she gained hands-on experience working at a winery, as well as to Napa, California, and various regions throughout Europe. These adventures have contributed to her well-rounded knowledge of food and wine, making her uniquely suited to appreciate the thoughtful offerings at Mountain Fish House. In 2014 she met someone that had a house in Vail, CO, spent some time there, and after another stint in The Hamptons, she came back to Vail (who wouldn’t?) to make the mountains her home. The Doran’s wanted to open a restaurant that was totally different in Vail, and thus, Mountain Fish House was born in 2022.

Mountain Fish House is unpretentious as far as restaurants in the Vail Valley go, but make no mistake, the quality of the food and the fantastic atmosphere are ever-present at this gem. My husband and I started with the lobster sliders. Think of them as three mini lobster rolls filled with succulent lobster meat. There is a Maine, a Connecticut, and a Colorado lobster slider. While all were delish, the Colorado one was my favorite. It has a honey -cumin vinaigrette, and a tomato corn salsa mixed in, and it was pure heaven.

We ordered the Tuna Poke Nachos next. Spicy and vibrant, the tuna was as fresh as I have ever had. These are a crowd favorite, so don’t miss ordering this dish. If you do not know what to order, get the build your own Sea-Cuterie Board. You can choose from chilled oysters, mussels, clams, snow crab, peel and eat shrimp, and a whole chilled Maine lobster. If chilled lobster is not your thing, you can order a whole lobster served with a cheddar biscuit that will melt in your mouth. All lobsters are flown in fresh many times a week direct from Seaview Lobster Company in Maine, and oysters are flown in direct from Washington state.

One of the best deals around the Vail valley is Mountain Fish House’s Happy Hour. Since 2022 they have been serving $1.50 oysters and the price has never gone up. That’s how the Doran’s want it. Drinks are great at Mountain Fish House, and happy hour has wine and beer specials along with a few other snacks to munch on.

I feel a bit selfish telling readers about this special place because I want to keep one of my favorite dining places to myself. Mountain Fish House has become my go-to spot whenever I am in Edwards, CO, and its welcoming atmosphere and delicious food make it truly stand out. Sharing this recommendation feels like giving away a treasured secret, but the experience here is simply too good not to pass along.

Whether you are local or a tourist visiting the incredible mountains of the Vail Valley, head to Edwards CO. I promise, it’s worth the 10-minute drive to Mountain Fish House.

27 main street, c-106

edwards, co 8163

www.mountainfishhouse.com