214 Best Restaurants in Colorado, USA

Quite the character, Biker Jim was hawking his gourmet hot dogs—split down the middle, with Coca-Cola-caramelized onions and a squirt of cream cheese as a topping option—for years on the 16th Street Mall until someone finally convinced him to open his own raucous place. Now he's got two (the second location is at Coors Field), plus five food carts around town, and they're all always packed with folks eager to try a wild boar dog or a duck-cilantro dog. Sure, Biker Jim will do a plain all-beef version, but why go there when there are a dozen other delectable possibilities? On the side there's nothing healthy, but deep-fried pickles and fried mac and cheese beckon anyway. Chipotle-fired brownies with ice cream sandwiched inside make for an ideal ending.

This intimate eatery delivers an authentic farm-to-table experience, with a French-influenced menu that changes daily, drawing from whatever the restaurant is harvesting from its 425-acre organic farm. Diners relax in leather couches at wall-side tables, with excellent views of the kitchen, while dining on options such as house-raised Tunis lamb and house-raised Mulefoot pork. The chef-chosen six-course tasting menu is always a surprise for diners.

Located mid-mountain, Black Mountain Lodge serves up hearty skier fuel like the staff-favorite barbecue brisket burrito and homemade bison stew. Even non-skiers and summer visitors can enjoy the scenic views on the expansive patio with a passenger lift ticket on the Black Mountain Express.

The atmosphere and food at this modern, airy bistro are about as sophisticated as you'll find in Gunnison. It serves an innovative selection of small and large plates, but the real gem is the happy hour (3 to 6 every day and from 9 to close Friday and Saturday), which offers hearty portions at very reasonable prices.

Locals flock here for the hearty breakfasts of eggs, oatmeal, pancakes, and much more, so you can expect a wait unless you get there early. Neither the food nor the decor is fancy, and the service—while friendly—can be slow, but a meal here will hit the spot. If a hair of the dog is in order, try a morning shot inspired by your favorite breakfast cereals. 

For a quick bite, try this Western-themed watering hole and barbecue-steak joint with a quirky personality. Boss Hogg's is a local institution.

Two brothers from England traveled the southern United States on a quest to learn everything there is to know about barbecue, and they decided to share the information with Denver. The result is some of the best 'cue in town, from St. Louis–style ribs to beef brisket, pulled pork, and chicken. The sauces are a mishmash of their favorites, including a vinegary one and a sweet one, and the baked beans use their smoked meats for extra flavor. Eat at one of the metal tables amid license plates and knickknacks from the boys' travels, or get it packed up nicely to go. There are six other metro-area locations, including one at Denver International Airport.

This local hangout serves a mean pizza in a pub-style atmosphere, and is one of the few places in town that will feed your family for less than the cost of a lift ticket. Brown Dog specializes in Detroit-style square pizza (an international award winner), but it also offers gluten-free, classic American, and Roman-style pies. Load your pie up with unique toppings such as prosciutto di Parma, broccoli, or various chili peppers, or try one of the expertly crafted specialty pizzas

A large patio overlooking the Riverwalk beckons visitors to this brewery with unexpected, elevated pub food. Burgers, especially the slopper, are popular favorites, but the charcuterie board, green chile made with Pueblo's famous peppers, and carne asada tacos with tomato chimichurri exceed expectations. Shareable flights include 10-ounce pours of beer brewed in tanks visible in the main dining room, which doubles as an occasional concert venue. Keep an eye out for remnants of the building's former life as a police station and jail. The gun range is now the women's restroom, and the drunk tank was turned into the restaurant's dishwashing station. 

If hunting makes you queasy, don't enter this Denver landmark and taxidermy shrine, where more than 500 pairs of eyes stare down at you from the walls. The dry-aged, prime-grade Colorado steaks are huge, juicy, and magnificent, as is the game. Try the smoked buffalo sausage or navy-bean soup to start. The handsome masculine vibe—with pressed-tin ceilings, burgundy walls, red-checker tablecloths, rodeo photos, shotguns, and those trophies—probably hasn't changed much since the Buckhorn first opened in 1893.

Fresh farm-to-table fare and a modern-farmhouse feel define the Butcher and the Baker, a bustling café on the town's main strip where locals gather. The delectable baked goods and sandwiches, scrumptious salads, and house-made desserts do not disappoint.

There's usually a wait at this popular breakfast and lunch spot, where meals are cheap, portions are large, and the coffee is perfect. Snag a seat on the patio on weekends when the restaurant can get packed and loud. For those with a sweet tooth, opt for "eggy bread": French toast made with cinnamon fruit bread.

With a focus on locally raised meats, Cache Cache brings a Continental influence to sophisticated yet filling entrées that are served on the patio or in the dimly lit room, with its white tablecloths and black chairs. In warmer months, the chic bistro's vegetable accompaniments reflect whatever is freshest from area farms. Those on a budget can belly up to the raucous bar for less pricey entrées.

The park's only source for food, this small café offers snacks, sandwiches, hot dogs, and soups. A coffee bar also serves fair-trade coffee, espresso drinks, and tea, plus water, juice, and salads. The café is in the same building as the Trail Ridge Store, adjacent to the Alpine Visitor Center, and is open seasonally, whenever Trail Ridge Road is open.

This simply decorated restaurant serves some of Montrose's most creative cuisine, such as its famous green chile chicken and potato soup or shrimp, avocado, and prosciutto pasta (gluten-free options available too). At lunch, salads with house-made dressings, hearty sandwiches, and blue-corn enchiladas fuel hungry hikers. The green and red chile is mild, so ask them to spice it up if you prefer it with a kick.

In a town that loves its steaks, the Rhode Island–based chain was taking a chance moving in and pretending to offer anything different from the other high-end big-boy steak houses. That said, Capital Grille—housed in a dark, noisy, broodingly decorated room typical of the genre—has much to recommend it, including a drop-dead Delmonico, textbook French onion soup, and terrific skin-on mashed potatoes. If you were ever to try steak tartare, this would be the place to do it, and the lobster is one of the best in town. The wine list is long, important, and expensive, but the service is remarkably eager to please.

Named after Karl Hovelsen, the Norwegian ski jumper who brought the sport to Colorado in the early 1900s and who also lent his name to Steamboat's Howelsen Hill, this modern tavern serves updated takes on comfort food, with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients and as many items produced in-house as possible. Local favorites include buffalo meat loaf, three-cheese mac and cheese, and lemon icebox pie, but it's also tough to pass up the prime rib or the banana-chocolate bread pudding.

The "Brews Brothers," Bill and Jim Carver, have about 12 beers on tap at any given time at this Durango favorite. If you're hungry, try one of the signature handmade bread bowls filled with green chile, soup, or chicken stew.

Long a local and Denverite favorite for breakfast, this casual joint makes Belgian waffles that are as delicious as the variety of Benedicts and scrambles with fresh orange or grapefruit juice (not to mention great coffee). Lunch is also served, along with a small but appealing roster of burgers, salads, and happy hour snacks for dinner.

The former chef for Michael Andretti's racing team runs this trendy bistro, in which every dish is cooked in one of two stone-fired ovens. The house specialty is artisanal pizza (try the four-mushroom variety and add the house fennel sausage), although pizza is only a small part of the menu. Most dishes have a Southwestern touch. Housed in a century-old building, Chimayo Stone Fired Kitchen blends historic elements like restored tin ceilings and the original hardwood floor with classy, contemporary decor.

Brought to Denver by the same folks who run the vegetarian-friendly WaterCourse, City O' City is a welcoming, casual, three-meals-daily bakery and café that offers gluten-free, vegan, and all manner of other dietary options in a bright, breezy atmosphere. Add cheese and eggs if you like, go macrobiotic, or imbibe from the wine and beer list—there are no judgments here. Two happy hours run daily from 3 to 6 pm and 10 pm to midnight and involve discounted snacks and beverages. The opulent-looking items in the pastry case are entirely vegan.

Enjoy ranch-raised steaks, chops, and seafood, all of which you can wash down with specialty craft cocktails and microbrews in the Western-inspired, modern dining room with copper tabletops or out on the patio just off the pedestrian walkway. Try the grilled elk and pan-seared trout—a local take on surf and turf—or ask the extremely friendly staff for recommendations.

The dough is house-made (with Italian-imported flour) and the beer is home-brewed at this trendy downtown pizzeria with high ceilings, brick walls, and contemporary decor. Sit at the pizza bar in the back and enjoy an English-style ale while you watch the chefs craft your tasty pie. You can also visit the original Colorado Boy Pub and Brewery in downtown Ridgway or the Colorado Boy Southwest Pub in Ouray.

Classic French cooking is merged with modern techniques and regionally sourced ingredients at this chic, sprawling space that's filled with natural light and offers views of the mountains. Situated at the edge of LoDo and run by the Coohills, a veteran restaurateur couple, the eatery hosts local bands for free in the summer and has a year-round chef's counter, a large communal table alongside the open kitchen that's set up for tasting menus of 5 to 10 courses with optional wine pairings. Fans of authentic French fare can't go wrong with the regular menu, but check the blackboard for each day's more contemporary takes.

Perched on the rooftop level of a downtown building, this sleek, modern, Spanish-inspired steak house has one of Boulder’s only unobstructed views of the Flatirons; grab a seat outdoors on the patio if you can. You can mix and match generous cuts of high-quality steak with seasonally rotating tapas for northern Spain flavor with a Boulder twist—think Vaca Vieja dry-aged tomahawk steak and a Basque-style cheesecake.

The trendy Cosmopolitan lures guests with starters like sushi rolls and lobster corn dogs and keeps them here for some of Telluride's finest dining. Both surf and turf are expertly prepared and presented, and the wine selection is widely acclaimed. Fresh sustainable seafood is flown in regularly, which is obvious in dishes such as the seafood-loaded fish stew and the barbecued salmon. "Turf" options include ultratender Colorado braised lamb, Wagyu beef, and Colorado Angus center-cut filet. Locals rave about the bread, and an exhaustive wine list means there's a proper pairing no matter which dish you choose. Finish with the New Orleans–style beignets with a cappuccino for dessert, cheekily listed as "coffee and donuts" on the menu.

This café's hearty breakfasts and lunches, which are crafted to get folks through a day of skiing or biking, are served in a casual atmosphere that's family—and group—friendly. The most popular item on the menu, and for good reason, is the roster of four eggs Benedict choices, including the "Cowboy Downhill," with smoked beef brisket, chargrilled onions, and pickled jalapeños. On nice days, ask to sit on the patio next to pretty Soda Creek. In season the place is usually jam-packed. Everything on the great kids' menu is $9.

Nearly everything at Dandelions is made from scratch, from the ginger-infused limeade and lemon-tarragon salad dressing to the honey oat bread and superb gluten-free brownies. The small dining area is inviting and open to the kitchen, where the owners cook as they chat with the customers.