Forget Burgers And Pizza, High-End Ski Resorts Get Big Bucks For Wagyu And Caviar

It's midday on the slopes, and those riding the lifts starts to daydream about lunch in the lodge. 

So it's out from the cold and into the warm, inviting smells of cheeseburgers on the grill, chili from a pot and pizza in the oven.

As the cost of skiing continues to skyrocket with lift ticket prices up 3,600% since 1972, ski lodge dining is catching up with more exotic offerings that can hit the wallet hard.

In Teton Village, home to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Fondue Suisse at the Alpenhof Lodge goes for $68 and is a group experience, while for $19 there’s the Schwedische Fleischbällchen. 

It’s a Scandinavian-style meatball dish served with mashed potatoes and asparagus topped with "Ski Queen" sauce, according to the lodge's menu.

Sushi, Thai curries and Peruvian ceviche are also creeping into the dining scene of American ski culture.

At Aspen's Cloud Nine Bistro in Colorado, located at 10,900 feet, the menu features $42 Wagyu beef tartare, a $75 salad with salmon and caviar, and a $75 per person Gruyere fondue with black and white truffles shaved tableside. 

The Ajax Tavern at Aspen's Little Nell hotel offers a $30 Wagyu double cheeseburger, which Powder Magazine describes as a menu item that "perfectly encapsulates Aspen's blend of high luxury and ski culture."

At St. Moritz's La Marmite in Switzerland, diners enjoy truffles and Bellinis with mountain views, according to the site Ski Solutions. 

And Chef's Pencil, an international food magazine, reports that the most expensive Michelin-starred restaurant in an alpine ski resort is Sylvestre Wahid in Courchevel, France, where the tasting menu runs $510 per person, not including drinks. 

SKI Magazine's 2025 Reader Resort Survey found that on-mountain dining has become a defining feature at elite resorts. 

At Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, readers singled out the turkey chili and the ahi tuna poke tower at Royal Street Café. 

The survey also captured reader frustrations about the increasingly complicated ski menus that come with hugely inflated costs, with complaints about "pricey French fries."

Chili For The People

Now in this era of the $300 lift ticket at the leading resorts, skiers on a budget especially appreciate access to the foods mom-and-pop ski areas were built upon.

At the nonprofit Antelope Butte Ski Area in the Bighorn Mountains above Shell, Wyoming, a cheeseburger costs $13. The chili is $8. A slice of pizza runs $6. 

"My personal philosophy after 38 years in the industry is that I just want to make sure you get value for price paid," said John DeVino, general manager at Antelope Butte.

DeVino spoke on Christmas Eve while the lodge was closed for a brief staff break before the post-holiday rush. Opening weekend drew 350 skiers one day, 450 the next.

"Great for us for before Christmas," he said. "We haven't seen numbers that robust."

Affordable food remains part of the appeal.

A regular burger runs $11. Chicken tenders and fries cost also $11 and sell nearly as well as the cheeseburger, he said.

"We literally sold within 50 units last year of cheeseburgers," DeVino said of the chicken tenders. "Kids love the chicken tenders and fries. We do a nice waffle fry that's batter dipped."

Chili mac runs $10, and sales of chili and chili mac track closely throughout the season.

At Granite Creek Pub and Pizza upstairs, a cheese slice costs $6, rising to $8 or $9 with toppings. A fully loaded 18-inch pie runs $24, or about $32 with a pitcher of beer.

Other Bighorn Option

Across the Bighorn Mountains near Ten Sleep, Meadowlark Ski Lodge takes a similar approach.

"Cheeseburgers are still $10," said Holli Jones, who co-owns Meadowlark with her husband Wayne. They've operated the resort since 2009.

Jones said she's heard stories of prices at major resorts that she finds hard to believe.

"A friend of mine paid $18 for a can of Budweiser," she said. "Outrageous."

She acknowledged that keeping prices down is a constant battle.

"The food costs go up," Jones said.

But the lodge has made down-home cooking a point of pride.

"The food is spectacular," Jones said. "We do our homemade food, chilis and soup and lasagna and homemade cinnamon rolls and brownies.”

Back At Antelope Butte

Last year, Antelope Butte peaked at 651 skiers on its busiest day, the third Saturday in January following fresh snow. DeVino expects to reach 600 more frequently this season.

"I think we cracked 600 maybe four or five times last year," he said. "But even with that, I mean, we're doing 8-minute lift lines. So people are pretty happy."

The lodge has expanded seating capacity by about 38%, from 72 seats on one level and 84 on the other to 104 and 124.

"People are very happy with actually being able to finally find a seat," DeVino said.

Antelope Butte's business model differs from larger resorts. 

Children under 18 ski free, which means the mountain relies on food, merchandise, lessons and donations for revenue.

cDeVino started in the ski industry in 1990 as an intern at Sunday River, Maine, earning $5.51 an hour. He recalls making meals from a hunk of salami and the condiment bar when he couldn't afford lodge food.

"We actually have signs that basically say, ‘Hey, we just gave free skiing to any kid on the planet who was under 18, so please buy our food, buy our merchandise, take a lesson, make a donation,’" DeVino said.

"Our prices aren't cheap, but they're definitely right in line and actually, they're probably on the cheaper end around the industry," he said.

David Madison can be reached at david@cowboystatedaily.com.