Buck Stops Here Fresh

It’s so sad when the staff of a busniess ruins your experience. Normally we’ve never had an issue with the Buck Stop but a rude and sarcastic staff member can really change your mind of whether it’s worth investing in their products. Customer service appears to be taking a backseat.

Has to be the best burger, etc. stop in Pagosa Springs. From the Mango Jalapeño Margarita, the chunky Prime Rib burgers, the crab cakes, and the corndogs, our table of 12 were all happy. We wish we had found this place sooner and will definitely be back!

First note: the online menu for this place reads «Be ready to be hungry!» Just pure awesomeness, guys. Really. I have no idea how I could ever be ready to be hungry, but, you know.
The first thing I noted upon entering Buck Stops in Pagosa Springs was the local feel. Just walking to my table, I was eyed — sort of measured up – by a few locals at the bar, if you could call it that. Me and the Fam were… suspicious. But whatever. The second thing I noted was the option to craft my eating experience via the «market» in-​house, wherein you can pick from a solid selection of meats and seafood, they’ll cook ‘er up just for you. So I wandered over to the market and said, «I’m on vacation and I want some crab legs» and they said «Sorry, we’re out of crab legs» and so I resigned myself to the regular menu. And that was just fine.
We were there for lunch, on a Sunday, the televisions were kinda outdated and I wouldn’t recommend the place for sports, but I could make out that the Cowboys were losing (yay!) on the screen near my table. I had the Pickle Barrel Pastrami. My daughter attempted to down the footlong hot dog, not possible for a five year old. My wife had the surprisingly tasty garden salad. We loved the extras, here, particularly the fries, and the service was stellar. At one point my wife noted that she was stared down by a local when she visited the bathroom, and we got the same thing when we left. But I’m guessing they were staring at my round belly, because I gorged. Nice place.

Great ribeye burger and the homemade fried are kickin’! We love the nice tall, red-​headed bartender too. Football on TV, clean establishment, organic meats… It’s a win!

Meat shop and restaurant altogether!
Fresh cut steaks, seafood (some sashimi grade), and a variety of smoked meats as well.
The restaurant side serves sandwiches, salads, and other items made from scratch.
Garden salad with smoked salmon ($ 3 extra) was loaded with arugula, red cabbage, cucumbers, etc.
Everything is top notch!

Went back today for another hot pastrami sandwich. nom P:

We went here about a week ago, and I think they were having an off night. Service was hectic, chaotic, and forgetful. Granted, everyone was nice, but I felt that I kept having to calm the waitress down.
The concept of this meat market and restaurant is interesting. You can choose from the case for something for them to cook from the array of meats and seafood, or they have other options. We choose not to choose steaks or seafood. It was a bit pricey to then have to pay additionally for any sides we may have wanted to try. The whole choosing thing was also pretty confusing probably because there was SO much chaos when we got there.
We ended up getting a half rack of ribs, pulled pork sandwich, waffle fries, and onion rings to share. The food was good, but there wasn’t much to write home about. My husband did really enjoy the pretzel bun the pulled pork sandwich was served on. The onion rings were really tasty. The ribs were mediocre with just a dry rub and not too tender. I’ve definitely had better. The waffle fries were overly crispy and just a touch away from being burnt.
I think this place definitely deserves a second chance. On a not so chaotic night, I’m sure we would have had a much better experience. What a shame.