Mawa McQueen is known globally as a James Beard-nominated chef and owner of the Michelin-recommended restaurant Mawa’s Kitchen in Aspen. In her home mountain town, McQueen is also famous for serving what she describes as “the most expensive crepe on the whole freaking planet,” which is stuffed with more than an ounce of caviar.
McQueen has an undying passion for the crepe, which was a staple of her diet growing up in Paris, France. “It’s like a taco, but better,” she said.
When she moved to Aspen 23 years ago, she noticed the town didn’t have many fast-casual dining options. So in 2018, McQueen opened The Crepe Shack in Snowmass to provide a grab-and-go bite that could easily be tailored to customers’ tastes, whether they are vegan, gluten-free or craving something decadent.
After all, this Aspen we’re talking about.
The fittingly named Aspenite AKA Bougie crepe was developed specifically for the local clientele. It features a buckwheat crepe stuffed with smoked salmon, scrambled eggs, onion, a dill cream sauce and 30 grams (1.06 ounces) of Petrossian Ossetra Caviar. Despite the $148 price tag – that’s before tax and tip – it’s one of The Crepe Shack’s signatures and popular to boot.
McQueen said she sells about one or two caviar crepes per day to the apres-ski crowd in the winter. Around Christmastime, reveling holiday tourists splurge for even more.
“Remember, I live in Aspen, it’s the 1%. They use caviar as a facial, you know, it’s nothing to them,” McQueen said. “I’m like, if they use caviar for facials, I might as well put it somewhere they can enjoy, so that’s what we did.”
Though the Aspenite AKA Bougie originated in Snowmass, it’s now only available at The Crepe Shack in Aspen, which opened in 2023. That’s where diners will find a whole menu of premium crepes featuring unique ingredient combinations.
The Barcelona crepe, for example, features iberico ham, arugula, aged manchego cheese, tomato, truffle dust and truffle oil, all dressed with a balsamic reduction. Those seeking an Asian flavor profile can go for the Peking Duck crepe with Chinese five-spice duck confit, hoisin, sambal chili paste, pickled vegetables and scallions.
Then there’s the Birthday Crepe Cake, which is even pricier than the one with caviar. It features at least 25 sweet crepe layers, in flavors like chocolate, strawberry cheesecake and tiramisu, stacked to resemble a traditional cake. It costs $150-plus depending on how many layers the customer wants and because it’s all done by hand, McQueen said.
The Crepe Shack can offer such unique recipes because it features ingredients McQueen already uses at her sit-down restaurant, Mawa’s Kitchen, like the duck — and in her private-jet catering business, like caviar.
“I really wanted to give a different experience to people and to show them that, you know what, you can have a really good ingredient and crepe is just a vessel,” McQueen said.
While the premium crepes are often the most eye-catching, the Crepe Shack’s two locations — which will soon be rebranded under the moniker Crepe Therapy — serve robust menus of sweet and savory crepes at more approachable price points. McQueen’s favorite is called Mawa’s Green, a vegetarian-friendly blend of basil pesto, avocado, spinach, and fresh mozzarella – because crepes should satisfy a full meal, but also be guilt-free, she said.
most of The Crepe Shack’s sweet and savory crepes cost $12.95 to $25, while the premium offerings run $38 to $150 and up. Prices could be increasing soon, however, due to President Trump’s impending tariffs on European goods. McQueen sources her all-purpose, buckwheat and chickpea flours from France because it’s less processed and more wholesome, she said. McQueen is now considering ditching French flour altogether because of the extra expenses.
“I’m still trying to figure that out. You know, how much more can I charge in order to keep it?” she said.
Folks on the Front Range craving her crepes will have the opportunity to try them later this year without traveling the mountains. The business is rebranding this spring before McQueen plans to open her third location in Boulder in July.