3 Best Restaurants in Salida, South Central Colorado

Pizza wars endure in Salida, where the battle for the best pie becomes more difficult with each addition to town. But the wood-fired pizzas and craft brews at this downtown grub hub come highly recommended by locals. Families stop in for a giant pie that can easily feed a family of four, while white-water rafters, hikers, and bikers unwind at the next table with one of the brewery’s well-known chili beers. Artful pizzas in a variety of veggie-heavy, meat-lover, gluten-free, and build-your-own options all grace the menu. Peer into the working brewery with glass walls that is centrally located and visible from most tables in this lively space.

Pies are also available to go.

Steaks served with three Japanese sauces sizzle on cast-iron platters in this centrally located sushi and steak house. Traditional tempura appetizers and sushi rolls join noodle bowls, fried rice, and curry on the varied menu. The dining options are just as eclectic, with a few casual tables and a sushi bar up front, a large table with pillow seating in the next room, and a formal dining room open for dinner only in the back. For lunch, try a filling bento box with soup, salad, appetizer, sushi, and entrée. 

Piles of sweet and savory baked goods, from salted caramel cronuts to homemade strawberry pop-tarts, some still warm from the oven, cover the coffee bar at this quaint brunch spot downtown. Colorful and vintage-inspired wallpaper and decor create a cozy second-floor dining room that's packed on weekends, but rooftop tables with views of the Collegiate Peaks offer the best spot in the house. Open-face sandwiches, breakfast nachos, and eggs Benedict with dill hollandaise are crowd-pleasers. Dinner is served Thursday through Saturday, and lunch can be found downstairs, where Sweetie's (same owners) offers more than 60 sandwiches made with the same breads and fresh ingredients.