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Snowmass welcomes Rock Island Oyster Bar and Grill by Chef Jake Burkhardt

Chef Jake Burkhardt at Rock Island Bar and Grill in Snowmass.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

Just two years after opening Hominy Southern Kitchen in El Jebel, chef Jake Burkhardt has taken over the space formerly occupied by Big Hoss Grill in Snowmass Village. The new concept, Rock Island Oyster Bar and Grill, soft-launched in September with a seafood-forward menu.

Burkhardt said it was an ambitious move to open two restaurants in two years, but had been eyeing a spot in Snowmass for some time.

“We love Snowmass. When we got the offer to take over the space, we thought it would be foolish to pass it up,” he said. “We wanted to create something unique for Snowmass and we looked at what was around and felt that seafood concept would fit in very nicely and fill a void that I think people have been looking to fill. And, doing a seafood-forward restaurant in a mountain town, utilizing local ingredients, utilizing the farms, and being seasonal was a fun challenge for me.”



Seared Scallops with Olathe corn succotash, smoked bacon, carrot puree, and citrus buerre blanc,Rock Island Bar and Grill.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

Burkhardt discovered his love for cooking at an early age while working in restaurants around his hometown of Ooltewah, Tennessee. He completed his culinary studies at Johnson and Wales University with an externship at Castello di Gabbiano in the Tuscany region of Italy. This experience fostered his appreciation for the importance of each ingredient, its seasonality, and locality.

He made his way to the Roaring Fork Valley about seven years ago but “took a detour” to expand his culinary skills in Charleston, South Carolina and other locations.




Before returning to the valley, he worked with the Bacchus Restaurant Group as chef de cuisine at the Village Pub in Woodside, California, where he held a Michelin Star for 2020 and 2021.

“My wife and I moved to California, and I ran the restaurant for 2.5 years, and was doing very well there. But there was a time when we made the realization that we missed Colorado and the mountains,” he said. “I have family here, and my sister’s in Denver, so it was time for us to get back here and try to start something for ourselves, and be close to friends and family.”

Lobster Mac N’ Cheese, Rock Island Oyster Bar and Grill.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

Pulling from his Southern roots, using local and seasonal ingredients, and uniting it all with a dedication to hospitality, are all practices put to use in Hominy Southern Kitchen. He has been recognized with several awards in the community, including Mactoberest 2023 Best Mac N’ Cheese guest judged by cheese lady Laura Werlin, 2024’s Soupskul, and recently won the People’s Choice Award for Best Mac N’ Cheese, 2024.

“Hominy is my comfort food. I grew up in the South, in the Appalachians of Tennessee, and worked professionally in Charleston, South Carolina, so I wanted to create a concept that was unique and something that nobody was doing here,” he said.

He works closely with his farmers, ranchers, and purveyors, like Two Roots Farm and Sustainable Settings, to source the freshest, highest-quality ingredients, a practice he will continue at Rock Island Oyster Bar.

“Simple is better,” he said. “Use great ingredients, and good techniques, and keep it simple but delicious. That’s my philosophy on food.”

Burkhardt said that the new restaurant is a nod to his time working summers on Long Beach Island, New Jersey, and his wife Sarah’s Maryland roots.

To start, guests can expect classics like Lobster Mac N’ Cheese, steamed little neck clams, and a choice of oysters from both the East and West coasts with a $2.50 oyster special for happy hour. Entree highlights include seared diver scallops with Olathe corn succotash, shrimp and grits, and a grilled bone-in rib-eye for non-seafood eaters.

Yellowfin Tuna Poke, Rock Island Oyster Bar and Grill.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times

The space boasts a small stage for live music, a pool table, and several outdoor spaces to enjoy the surrounding view.

The burgeoning culinary empire Steep and Deep Restaurant Group is a locally-owned family affair that includes his wife Sarah, cousin Ken Burkhardt who works for ski patrol on Snowmass, and cousin Chris Burkhardt, who spends his winters here, making it one of the few family-owned restaurant groups in the valley.

He said he wants to extend that feeling to his customers both visitors and locals but hopes, like Hominy, that Rock Island will become a place that locals especially gravitate to and feel welcomed.

“With Hominy, our number one focus was locals, from the beginning, and you know that’s also our focus here at Rock Island,” he said. “We want to have a place where people can come and see their friends and enjoy a great experience.”

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