We ate twice at Hell's Backbone Grill, and couldn't have found the food better or the service friendlier. Yes, it is pricey for the area, but that is, no doubt, due to the fact that nearly all the vegetables are organic, and much of the meat is locally sourced from artisanal farmers. There is care and love on the plate.

There are several bad reviews on this site, which I frankly can't comprehend, unless they have problems with keeping good kitchen help. I have eaten in many fine restaurants over the last 40 years, and, particuarly when taking into account the location, other than the price (which I think amply justified), I just can't imagine not liking the food.

We had the opportunity to stay at the lodge where this restaurant is for two nights in July and thoroughly enjoyed every item we ordered. Those who complain about the prices need to understand that Boulder isn't a sprawling city with access to food service purveyors. Much of what they do provide is grown on-site in their gardens, right down to the flowers they use as edible presentation on the plates. Their meats come from a farm less than a mile away. We enjoyed 4 different starters, entrees and beverages and enjoyed them all, such as their homemade warm black pepper biscuits, house salad, cold beet and goat cheese salad, roasted pepper quesadilla, organic chicken breast with citrus tarragon creme friache, BBQ pork loin, etc. The portions were hearty--I have a relatively big appetite and had more than enough to eat. Everything was nicely presented. One of the owners, Blake, was our nightly hostess and was very hospitable and welcoming. Prices are comparable to what you see in most larger cities, without the homestyle service, and it is so casual you can dine in shorts. Two thumbs up!

There really is not a lot of choice of upscale restaurants offered in this relatively undiscovered, beautiful area of Utah. I did my best to research the web prior to visiting for reviews of places to eat. We stayed in Escalante, about 40 minutes from Hell's Backbone Grill. We could not go on the night we initially chose, as they were attending to a wedding. When we were able to get reservations, I took the plunge and ordered a steak at $37, the most I have ever paid for a steak and the most expensive item on an expensive menu. I expected a really nice cut of beef for that price. I asked the waitress (who was very pleasant, wide eyed and sincere) what I would be getting. She had to ask the hostess, who informed us it would be a New York Strip Loin on that particular evening. When it came, it more closely resembled a $2 fast fry steak, about a third of an inch thick. The seasoning was interesting, but between the toughness, thinness and overdone nature of the beef, I felt overcharged to say the least. Being a Canadian who does not make a big stir over disappointments, I did not complain and simply went away feeling that the place was not what the owners' website made it out to be. My wife was also unimpressed with the trout she ordered. I don't know what to tell you about alternatives in the area as there aren't many, but save yourself some rather large money and grief by avoiding this place.

We recently visited Boulder, UT, on a 4-day hiking holiday and ate all our meals at Hell's Backbone Grill. Everything we ordered was quite good, especially the lamb enchiladas, chipotle meatloaf, and puff pastry filled with wild mushrooms and other stuff. Nice selection of Utah beers and wines by the glass. Service was attentive and congenial, even the much maligned hostess/owner. Portions are adequate but not large, so hikers are advised to supplement breakfast entrees with side orders such as buffalo sausage.

Prices are high ($4 for 3 strips of bacon is an extreme example), but in context, they don't seem outrageous. We paid $70 for a motel room that would have cost half that at home; and gasoline in Boulder is 20 cents per gallon more expensive that at our local filling station. The menu, with prices, is displayed by the front door, and two other eateries are just a stroll away, yet Hell's Backbone is always busy, and we didn't notice anyone forced in at knife point.