"Wendy Mitchell's farm-shop kitchen made The Infatuation's 18 best Aspen tables — graze charcuterie and macadamia-crusted halibut at the counter."
About Meat & Cheese
Meat & Cheese is two things at one address on Restaurant Row, 319 E Hopkins Ave: a farm shop stocked with cured meats, cheeses and pantry goods, and a restaurant that cooks from the same larder. It grew out of Wendy Mitchell's Avalanche Cheese Company and opened in 2014, and The Infatuation lists it among the 18 best restaurants in Aspen. The anchor is the meat & cheese board — three cheeses, three cured meats — at $39 for two, and the kitchen ranges from there to a macadamia-crusted halibut at $52. It is walk-in only, first come first served, which fits the come-as-you-are mood. Our seven signs of a great restaurant set the bar it clears.
The Kitchen
Wendy Mitchell is a cheesemaker first — she founded the Avalanche Cheese Company in 2008 with a goat dairy in Paonia before opening Meat & Cheese in 2014 — and the restaurant reads as the retail counter's dining room. Infinite Hospitality took over the group in 2023 and has kept the world-farmhouse brief intact: cook globally, source locally, build everything around the boards.
The signature is the board itself — three cheeses, three cured meats and accoutrements at $39 for two, $72 for four — but the kitchen has range. The all-day menu runs Vietnamese chicken noodle salad, banh mi with crispy pork shoulder, quesabirria tacos and a buttermilk fried-chicken sandwich; dinner adds kalbi short ribs at $56, a Korean bossam pork board at $64 for two, and the macadamia-crusted halibut at $52 with melted leeks and yuzu beurre blanc. The award-winning mac and cheese is a $14 side worth the order. The Infatuation's 18-best listing is the dated proof; the steadier evidence is a #4-of-108 standing among Aspen restaurants. It belongs on our fine-dining and seafood guides for travelers who want range over ceremony.
The Room
The shop and the restaurant share a space, so you browse cheeses and cured meats on the way to a table — part deli, part dining room, fully unfussy. It runs all day, 11am to 9pm, with a buzzy lunch and a calmer dinner, and the counter seating makes it one of the few genuinely comfortable solo tables in a town built for groups. There is no dress code and no reservation: it is first come, first served, so arrive early on a powder week. A 3% surcharge and the usual large-party gratuity apply.
Best for Solo Dining or a Casual First Date
Make Meat & Cheese your solo lunch or low-key first date because the counter seating and farm-shop browsing give a single diner something to do, and the shared boards turn an early date into an easy hour without the pressure of a tasting menu. No reservation, no dress code, no ceremony — just good charcuterie and a glass of something. See the best restaurants for solo dining, the first-date tables, and the wider fine-dining guide.
Not for
Not for a reservation-led special occasion — it is walk-in only, first come first served, and the all-day deli buzz is wrong for a hushed anniversary or a formal client dinner.
Frequently Asked
Is Meat & Cheese in Aspen worth it?
Yes — it is one of the few Aspen rooms that pairs a serious cheese-and-charcuterie counter with a kitchen that can cook, and The Infatuation lists it among the city's 18 best. The board is $39 for two and the macadamia-crusted halibut $52. It is walk-in only, so arrive early. See the Aspen dining guide for the wider field.
What should I order at Meat & Cheese?
Start with the meat & cheese board ($39 for two) — the dish the place is named for — then choose by appetite: the macadamia-crusted halibut ($52), the kalbi short ribs ($56), or the banh mi and quesabirria tacos at lunch. The award-winning mac and cheese ($14) is the side to add. It is built for grazing, so order to share.
Does Meat & Cheese take reservations?
No — it is first come, first served, walk-in only, open 11am to 9pm daily. On busy ski weeks arrive before the lunch and dinner rushes, or use the slower mid-afternoon window. The counter seats are usually the easiest to land and the best spot for a solo diner.
How expensive is Meat & Cheese?
Boards start at $39 for two; mains run $52 for the halibut and $56 for the kalbi short ribs, with sandwiches and tacos around $24 to $27 at lunch. Figure on $40 to $70 a head depending on whether you graze or order a main, plus a 3% house surcharge. It is mid-range by Aspen standards.
Is Meat & Cheese good for solo dining?
Yes — the counter seating and the farm-shop browsing make it one of Aspen's more comfortable tables for one, which is why it lands on our solo-dining guide. No reservation and an all-day kitchen mean you can drop in off the mountain, order a board and a glass, and never feel out of place.
Reserve a Table
Visit Meat & Cheese
Walk-in only · first come, first served · call 970-710-7120
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address319 E Hopkins Ave, Aspen, CO 81611
NeighbourhoodRestaurant Row, downtown Aspen
CuisineNew American / charcuterie
Mains~$24–$56 · boards from $39
SignatureMeat & cheese board ($39 for two)
FounderWendy Mitchell (Avalanche Cheese Co.)
ReservationWalk-in only · first come, first served
RecognitionThe Infatuation, 18 Best in Aspen
Good forSolo dining, casual dates, groups
