The Verdict
White House Tavern is the small, perpetually busy tavern that Hillstone Restaurant Group opened in 2013 inside a white Carpenter Gothic miner's cottage on Hopkins Avenue, one of Aspen's oldest buildings, dated to 1883. It trades on a short, polished menu and a clubby, wood-paneled room.
The famous order is the crispy chicken sandwich, with sandwiches around 26 dollars; the menu is deliberately tight, heavy on sandwiches and a salad or two. It takes no reservations, so the catch is the wait, which runs long at peak ski-season hours. Come off-peak and it is one of the best casual tables in town.
The Kitchen
White House Tavern is run by Hillstone Restaurant Group, the operator behind Houston's and Hillstone, which as a matter of policy does not put a named chef forward. The menu is short and exacting rather than ambitious: the signature crispy chicken sandwich is the dish people line up for, alongside a few other sandwiches, a burger and a couple of salads, with sandwiches priced around 26 dollars. The kitchen is on view, and the cooking is precise, consistent comfort food rather than fine dining. The restaurant opened here in 2013 and has been one of Aspen's most reliable casual rooms since.
The Room
The tavern occupies the historic A.G. Sheppard House at 302 East Hopkins Avenue, a Carpenter Gothic cottage built in 1883 with a signature red door, painted white with bright accents. Hillstone restored the cottage into a warm, low-lit, wood-paneled space hung with art, small enough that it fills fast. The mood is convivial and clubby, and the compact size is exactly why there is so often a wait at the door.
Best for a Casual Team Lunch
Come to White House Tavern for a casual team lunch or an easy first night in town, when the no-reservations door is manageable and the short menu lets a group order fast. Arrive right when it opens or mid-afternoon to beat the wait, grab a few crispy chicken sandwiches and a salad, and you have one of Aspen's best-value casual meals in a genuinely characterful room.
Not For
Not for a planned celebration, a large party, or anyone who wants to reserve a table. The tavern takes no bookings, the room is tiny and the wait can be brutal at peak ski-season hours, so it is the wrong choice when timing matters or you need to seat a group on schedule.
Reservations
White House Tavern takes no reservations; seating is first come, first served, and waits run long during ski-season lunch and dinner peaks. The move is to arrive at opening or in the mid-afternoon lull. Sandwiches run around 26 dollars, so a casual two-course lunch with a drink lands at a moderate Aspen price. Dress is casual.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does White House Tavern take reservations?
No. White House Tavern in Aspen does not take reservations; seating is walk-in only and first come, first served. Because the restored 1883 cottage is small, waits can be long during ski-season lunch and dinner peaks. The best strategy is to arrive right at opening or during the mid-afternoon lull to get a table quickly.
What should I order at White House Tavern?
The signature order at White House Tavern is the crispy chicken sandwich, the dish most people come for. The menu is intentionally short, focused on sandwiches plus a burger and a couple of salads, with sandwiches priced around 26 dollars. It is precise, consistent comfort food from the Hillstone group rather than an elaborate tasting menu.
Who runs White House Tavern, and is there a named chef?
White House Tavern is operated by Hillstone Restaurant Group, the company behind Houston's and Hillstone. Hillstone does not publicly name individual chefs, so the kitchen runs under the group's standards rather than a celebrity chef. That house style shows in the tight menu and the consistency of dishes like the crispy chicken sandwich.
Where is White House Tavern in Aspen?
White House Tavern is at 302 East Hopkins Avenue, on the corner of Hopkins and Monarch in downtown Aspen. It sits in the historic A.G. Sheppard House, a white Carpenter Gothic miner's cottage built in 1883 and one of Aspen's oldest structures, which Hillstone restored when it opened the tavern in 2013.
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