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E3 expands offerings in Steamboat Springs, opens The Lounge near ski area base

The dining room inside The Lounge Kitchen + Social Club provides views of the chef's table and the kitchen.
John F. Russell/Steamboat Pilot & Today

With an open kitchen, chef’s table and unique wood-fired grill, restaurateur Jeff LaRoche believes The Lounge E3 Kitchen + Social Club will offer a vibrant atmosphere and a staff dedicated to providing exceptional, elevated cuisine and beverages.

“It’s elevated American cuisine, so we’ll obviously have some touches of E3 Chophouse on the menu as far as steaks and proteins, and then have it be focused on some seafood dishes,” said LaRoche, owner and operator at E3 Restaurants LLC, which also owns the E3 Chophouse. “Nobody in Steamboat really has a lot of seafood options, so we’re going to make sure that we’re getting the seafood game down for sure.”

The Lounge opened earlier this month. The restaurant is now open from 3-10 p.m. daily with a happy hour from 3-5 p.m.



He said the menu celebrates the spirit of Steamboat Springs by sourcing local ingredients and crafting dishes that embody the essence of the area. In addition to the open kitchen there will be a chef’s table where guests can sit and meet kitchen staff.

The restaurant takes over the space at 2165 Pine Grove Rd., where the Three Peaks Grill was located before closing last spring. LaRoche said the space has been completely renovated and has a completely new atmosphere. The counter of the chef’s table was still curing on Thursday, but when completed the new area will provide guests with a unique front-row seat to the activity unfolding in the kitchen. The walls feature photographs by Jace Romick, and while a few of the details are still coming together, it is already apparent that The Lounge offers a new feel.



A new sign welcomed guests to The Lounge E3 Kitchen + Social Club on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025.
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“We went in and took it out of the late ’80s and ’90s look that was there and really tried to modernize everything to bring it into the current decade, at the very least,” LaRoche said. “From a menu standpoint, moving forward we will have an open kitchen, which nobody has in Steamboat for the most part, or at least as open as ours. There are some semi-open kitchens out there, but ours is wide open. We have a chef’s table to be able to sit and meet the kitchen staff while you eat and great service, which is kind of a lost art in Steamboat, so it’s things like that that we’re bringing back to that side of town, and we’re super excited about it, for sure.”

LaRoche said the fondue for two and bison meatballs have been popular with guests so far, and the menu will include a full list of entrees, a lineup of salads and a soup of the day.

LaRoche is expecting growth to continue in the area with a 180-room hotel being built close by, and the planned expansion of the gondola across the street, which could create even more opportunities for The Lounge.

LaRoche plans to offer acoustic musical acts on the weekends during peak seasons. LaRoche said he would love to partner with the nearby Strings Music Pavilion to see if other music opportunities are available. He is excited about the location and is already looking to the future for The Lounge.

Fresh art, fresh paint and a fresh look could be seen inside The Lounge E3 Kitchen & Social Club on Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025.
John F. Russell/Steamboat Pilot & Today

“We’re kind of excited about what the future holds. We might be a little early to the game, as far as putting it there now, but we felt like within the next three to five years we’re going to see a lot of movement in that area with people moving in, commercial locations popping up, in addition to hotels. We know they’re going to be looking for an option for elevated dining, and we’re hoping that they decide to walk over to us.”

The new restaurant is owned by E3 Restaurants, which includes brothers Jeff, Andy and Adam LaRoche, along with investors in Atlanta, Georgia.

Jeff LaRoche said that The Lounge, as well as the E3 Chophouse, donate 10% of everything they make to the E3 Ranch Foundation, which helps combat veterans, fights human trafficking and provides humanitarian aid. The organization was founded by Jeff’s brother, Adam LaRoche, and his wife Jennifer. LaRoche said to  date the E3 Ranch Foundation has saved over 2,000 women who had been trafficked (including 200 under age 12) and served over 10,000 soldiers in need of mental and physical help.

“We’re super excited and proud of that, because most restaurants, you know, don’t do that, don’t have that kind of give-back,” LaRoche said. “It’s a unique foundation that we’ve had for 20 years, and we’re trying to fight the good fight. All our E3 companies have a give-back to the foundation, which helps support all those causes.”

Reservations for The Lounge are available on OpenTable.


The entrance to The Lounge E3 Kitchen + Social Club, a new restaurant at the base of the Steamboat Resort
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