A Culinary Legacy: The Story of Rex Brice

Steamboat Springs has long been shaped by the people who choose to plant roots here, individuals who understand that community is not simply where you live, but how you contribute to the place around you. For Rex Brice, that understanding has quietly guided more than three decades shaping the culinary and cultural fabric of the Yampa Valley.

“I knew it was going to be my forever home the minute I arrived, and more than three decades later, that feeling remains unchanged.” Rex Brice, Owner, Rex’s Family of Restaurants

Before becoming one of the Yampa Valley’s most recognized restaurateurs, Brice spent years traveling the country as a chef. A graduate of culinary school, he had worked in kitchens from New England to San Francisco, learning under some of the most respected chefs in the industry while developing a deep appreciation for craftsmanship, hospitality, and the kind of dining experiences rooted firmly in genuine connection.

At the time of Brice’s arrival in Steamboat in the early 90s, the culinary scene had a very different landscape than it does today. Access to exceptional produce, seafood, and ingredients was limited, but Rex, the eternal optimist, saw possibility and committed to building a community devoted to growing exceptional culinary offerings.

What followed was not just a single restaurant success story, but the cultivation of an entire hospitality legacy thoughtfully integrated into the Steamboat community. Beginning with Bronco Bob’s One-Hand Sandwiches, a locally made sandwich operation delivered to area gas stations long before elevated grab-and-go options became commonplace, Brice slowly built what would become the Rex’s Family of Restaurants. Over the years, that growth expanded thoughtfully with restaurants including current restaurants, Laundry’s Kitchen & Cocktails, Mazzola’s Italian Diner, Big House Burgers, Lil House Country Biscuits, Salt & Lime, and Creekside. Together, the group has redefined dining in the Yampa Valley while remaining deeply connected to the character of the community itself.

If you ask Brice what defines the work, his answer rarely centers on the restaurants themselves.

Instead, he highlights his team, whose long tenure is a rare exception in the restaurant industry. He prioritizes creating environments where staff feel valued and supported, fostering a culture rooted in generosity, humility, and care.

“As long as we take care of our team,” he says, “they’ll take care of the customer.”

That philosophy extends well beyond customer service.

Over the years, Brice has become heavily invested in the broader Steamboat community through organizations including Rotary, the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association, Colorado Mountain College, local schools, and countless community initiatives. What began as a suggestion from a friend to join Rotary ultimately became, in his words, “the launching point for truly being an active member of the community and not just living in it.”

That distinction resonates in Steamboat.

Here, participation has always mattered as much as presence.

Perhaps that is why Brice describes Steamboat less as a resort town and more as a place where Western heritage and growth continue to coexist with skiing and other outdoor recreation, without losing the authenticity that first drew people here.

Spend enough time in Steamboat and similar themes begin to emerge repeatedly. The people shaping this community are rarely motivated by visibility alone. More often, they are guided by stewardship, by relationships, and by a collective understanding that growth only matters if it preserves the feeling that made it special to begin with.

Brice sees that same mindset reflected across the community today.

“Everyone here has the community’s best interest at heart.”

Sentiments like this continue to separate Steamboat from so many other mountain towns. The foundation beneath the recreation, restaurants, and growth is shaped by people who are passionate about preserving its culture while supporting thoughtful growth for future generations.

And perhaps nowhere is that balance more visible than in the small everyday moments that define the Valley.

For Brice, one memory captures it perfectly: two cowboys sitting at a bar after a long day on the ranch, still wearing chaps and spurs, casually discussing their golf game.

“I thought,” he recalls, “this pretty much sums up Steamboat.”

Because here, authenticity has never required performance. It simply exists in the people who continue to shape the place.