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About Us

Opened in 1967, The Greenbriar Inn is an elegant restaurant, tavern and private event space located in the north Boulder countryside and nestled at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. The surrounding 20 acres features two ponds, striking woodland and thriving vegetable, fruit, and flower gardens. The cuisine focuses on seasonal, American classics and is complimented by a 1200 label award-winning wine cellar.

The History

The Greenbriar Inn has been a Boulder County landmark for over 40 years. Originally constructed in 1873 as a home, general store, and post office, the building was located in the heart of the town of Altona. Altona was established in 1863 as a supply and transportation center for the gold miners of Jamestown and Ward. By 1916, due to the decline of mining in Left Hand Canyon, the post office was closed and the town of Altona went with it. In the early 1920s, the general store added gas pumps and remained open until 1960 when a house fire forced the store to close. In 1967, the property was purchased by restaurateurs in the hopes of creating a new and inspired dining option in the area.

What began as a simple Continental-style restaurant with strong German and Austrian influences, has evolved into an elegant restaurant, tavern and private event space with a world-class wine list. Over the years The Greenbriar Inn has honed its commitment to farm to table cuisine and we create Seasonal American classics from our three vegetable gardens.

Today, The Greenbriar Inn is home to nightly dinners, outdoor weddings and special events and our holiday dinners and brunches are enjoyed by guests from all points in Colorado. Owned and operated by its former chef, The Greenbriar Inn continues a 44 year tradition of exceptional cuisine, fine wine, and elegant service in a unique romantic country inn atmosphere.

The Grounds

GBI Gardens

When we planted our first garden 15 years ago, there was no way to know that we were setting a trend. Today, the grounds are home to over 7,000 square feet of pesticide free and 100% natural gardens that give us everything from edible flowers to snap peas to fresh eggplant to our five varieties of lettuces. Our herbs and produce are grown using high density farming techniques, organic fertilizers, and aged compost made from all non-protein organic matter from the restaurant and manure from local farmers. Our commitment to the environment is rounded out with our comprehensive recycling and repurposing program.

Greenbriar Falls

The property's ponds are an impressive ecosystem, producing 360 gallons of rushing water a minute. The upper pond serves as a nursery and hatchery for the bigmouth bass and crayfish as well as brown and rainbow trout that flow via waterfall into the lower ponds. Cat tails and wild grasses surround the water and the rustic sandstone path provides the perfect walkway for an evening stroll before or after dinner.

Wildlife

Deer, elk and rabbit all grace our property and our free range aviary includes hawks, eagles, great blue herons, robins, sparrows, meadowlarks and blue jays. The crayfish jump about in our three ponds and make way for our rainbow, golden and brown trout. All this activity takes place under the watchful eye of our "guard" dog, a sweet little Jack Russell named Nutmeg.