Maybe It Was Something I Ate #39: Rocky Mountain Skillet At Chateau Lake Louise

Rocky Mountain Skillet | $34 | Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise[twitter]When you head to the patio of a place like the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, you’re not there for cheap eats.

The view is priceless, and the menu is just as expensive.

After a late morning, crowd-beating hike up Johnston Canyon with my best friend Chad, and my son, Zacharie, we continued down the Bow Valley Parkway past Morant’s Curve and up to Lake Louise for a late lunch and some patio relaxation.

The original plan was to grab something in the Lakeview Lounge, but with 30 minute waits, we headed downstairs to check out the Glacier Saloon.

The room is dark. Very dark. But peer down a hallway past the swinging saloon doors, and you’ll see the light at the end of the tunnel.

There’s a tiny little perfect patio of 9 tables out in the sunshine. We grabbed one right on the edge next to a patio heater in full glorious view of Lake Louise.

With appetizer prices hitting the high teens, and entrees into the twenties, the $34 Rocky Mountain Skillet looked like the best of all worlds for our lunch. The skillet is half piled high with nachos covered in cheese, hot peppers, olives, and onions, while the other side featured wings, jalapeno poppers, corn fritters, and shrimp.

Now, a Rocky Mountain Skillet featuring shrimp seems a little odd. Some rocky mountain oysters or beef ribs might have fit the theme better, but these butterflied beauties were great. The corn fritters tasted like deep fried cream of corn, and I’m not a jalapeno popper fan.

The most successful part of the patio experience was avoiding the magpies, chipmunks, and grey jays. These birds are bold, and we saw them swoop in and lift a slab of garlic bread right off someone’s beef dip a few tables over.

Zacharie thought it was cool to see the wildlife scurrying around. So keep an eye on your food, and if you head off for a bathroom break, you might come back to an empty plate.

While Chad and I plowed through the Rocky Mountain Skillet, washed back with a Budweiser-esque Lake Louise Lager, Zacharie danced with the animals, relaxed on the big rock wall and scarfed back a cheese pizza off the kids’ menu.

All in all, it was okay. The view was what we were there for, we were hungry, and when we left our bellies were full and my wallet was a little lighter.

Glacier Saloon at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise:
Rocky Mountain Skillet, 2 Lake Louise Lager, Kids’ Pizza – $80 with tip.