First visit: Jun 2023 (Monte Vista)
---8/7/25 update (Monte Vista)
We are back to the original scene of the crime at the Monte Vista Quincys. Less crowded than on our Father's Day visit, we were seated in a nice quiet space in the back of the middle row. Nothing has changed as far as menu size goes. It's Filet Mignon, or Filet Mignon. Choose. We'll go with Filet Mignon, which comes with the wedge salad and baked potato. With the limited selection, the kitchen has complete focus and the food is delicious. While still no doubt the best bargain around, prices have gone up significantly. I even noticed the bill was higher than the menu (by 50 cents, not to make a federal case out of it). So even Quincys is not immune to the high costs. Labor being top among them. Regardless, if you like steak, and you're in one of the towns the restaurant exists in, then you'd be insane for not going to Quincys. Most of the negative reviews I read are for the lack of diversity on the menu. Yea, well duh, it's not like they state different.
Quincys currently operates in 4 mountain towns: Monte Vista, Florence, Buena Vista, and Leadville. They recently shut down their Salida location. Seems that store wasn't as well run as the others. We haven't been to the Buena Vista restaurant to compare.
---3/10/24 update (Florence)
Mrs. RJG and I have now added Florence as a biannual getaway destination. It's a great place to wander around and browse through the antique shops. We both usually come home with a few things, though it's a fairly sad situation overall. The town was mostly empty on this beautiful Sunday afternoon, and the wares on sale are mainly unwanted and overpriced. No one seems too eager to offer discounts, so it's more like a living museum than a real marketplace.
As noted below, Florence is the first time we became aware of Quincys. We didn't eat there, but had our first occurrence in the more lively town of Monte Vista. One month later, we also tried their location in Leadville. A much larger space, it was also a popular dining destination. Because we were there on a Saturday night, we tried their prime rib, which is also excellent.
Both of us, however, prefer the filet mignon dinner, and Sunday night is one of the five nights they have that selection on offer. Recall that Quincys only has one meal per night, which plays a major role in keeping their prices down. It appears they've raised those prices $2 since we last checked in. Either that or Florence is more expensive than Monte Vista, but probably not. All the same, Quincys remains the best deal in all of Colorado - perhaps the nation. We arrived at open which is at 3:30 on Sunday. We were starving and planned for this to be our primary meal of the day, having only a light breakfast prior. The restaurant was still about half empty when we left over an hour later. Though it's likely to have eventually filled up. The location here is larger than Monte Vista, and about the same as Leadville. They have two dining areas in Florence's locale.
I didn't mention this prior, but the wedge salad is also excellent. One big chunk of cold and crisp iceberg lettuce, with a very nice ranch and Dijon sharp dressing. And it includes a wonderful slice of fresh French bread. The potato and steak came out cooked to order and were delicious. The Florence location doesn't offer anything in the way of craft beers, other than New Belgium brands. But better than nothing, as we were both thirsty by the time we got there.
---6/18/23 review (Monte Vista)
From Three Sisters, we drove to Alamosa and walked the campus of Adams State University while enjoying an ice cream cone from a local gas station. It was a beautiful day, though a bit windy which set off Mrs. RJG's allergies. From there we headed to our ultimate destination of Del Norte. However the restaurant we'd circled was closed on Sunday, and nothing else looked that great, so we backtracked to Monte Vista, a nice looking old town that deserves a walk around.
We'd first seen a Quincys (no apostrophe) while in Florence, not realizing it was a small mountain town chain. They advertise insanely low prices for steaks. We've been in the mood for that lately, so let's give it a whirl. It's Father's Day, so we figured it might get crowded, so we went not long after opening at 4:30. Sure enough, it was packed, and since we didn't have reservations, only the bar was available to us. That's not a problem for me - though sometimes the Mrs. doesn't like that option. But she was already sitting down by the time I was thinking about it. Haha.
The restaurant's environment couldn't be better. Sitting inside an old historical building with square copper ceilings, dark interior, and a long wooden bar. They don't have taps, but do offer local beers in a can. We started with 2 glasses of Riesling, and eventually moved to beer. The menu is incredibly simple: Filet Mignon with a baked potato and a "wedge salad". If you don't want that, then you get nothing to eat. On Friday and Saturday's they offer prime rib as an alternate. If you're a vegetarian, don't go here. There's nothing here for you (except the potato and salad). And the price of a 6 ounce filet? $14. Are you kidding me? In 2023? I went 9 ounces for $3 more. I haven't seen prices like that in 30 years for a steak. I guess the simplicity of the menu allows for them to keep costs in line. And the best part? It's a delicious steak. Mrs. RJG loved it too. Like The Ranch House rather than K-Bob's to bring in a couple of current examples. This is the best deal in Colorado. Go here.
6/18/23 (new entry); 3/10/24; 8/7/25
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