23 Best Restaurants in Southwest Colorado, Colorado

Seven locally owned food trucks, serving global cuisine that includes everything from breakfast burritos to pizza to sushi, surround an outdoor courtyard with picnic-table seating. Ernie's Bar anchors the eating collective and offers craft beers, tap cocktails, and a wide tequila and mezcal selection. Don't miss the Chicago-style popcorn and Thai-rolled ice cream.

Locals go wild for the creative American cuisine with an Asian flair here, served in the building's intimate dining space. Top options include the black-sesame seared rare tuna with baby bok choy or the garlic rib eye with sweet potato gnocchi.

This Telluride institution turns out heavenly bagels, sandwiches made with baked-in-house bread, pizzas, hearty soups, and house-made pastas (try the Alfredo), as well as huge salads. Order your meal to go or grab a seat at one of the communal-style tables, where you can enjoy displays from a local art school.

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

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.

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.

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.

Asian food gets a bit of a Latin treatment in this inviting space. The menu has a strong Japanese bent, with sushi and sashimi, tempura, beef, and other traditional dishes elegantly presented and layered with complementary, often Southwest-inspired flavors.

As much a museum as an eatery, this restaurant is crammed with mining artifacts, odd antiques, and taxidermied animals. The hearty menu includes steaks, ribs, hamburgers, chicken, pasta, prime rib, and chicken-fried steak, all with homemade sides and sauces. The elk burger is a local must-try.

For a delicious summer detour, head 10 miles north of town to James Ranch, where you'll find a pleasant organic farm, with an outdoor grill that features homemade cheeses, homegrown meats, and produce grown on-site. The menu keeps things simple, featuring a short list of burgers, sandwiches, and salads. After visiting the goats, shop the local market next door.

Locals pack out this small restaurant, famous for its Baja-style tacos. Favorites include the Dos Dynamite Diablos: two roasted Hatch green chilies stuffed with mozzarella cheese and hormone- and antibiotic-free top sirloin. Fun fact: Kip's started operating out of a caboose on the side of the highway in 1996. In summer, request a spot on the deck overlooking the main street.

This upscale steak house is arguably Telluride's best. Here you can choose your meat (sirloin, filet mignon, and succulent bison rib eye are among the choices), then your topping (think caramelized onions, blue cheese, or glazed wild mushrooms), and then your sauce (anything from béarnaise to chimichurri).

Located within the Camel's Garden Hotel at Chair 8, Oak serves mouthwatering barbecue and southern fare. Fill up on the likes of gumbo or a Carolina-smoked pulled pork shoulder sandwich, along with creative salads, veggie dishes, and southern sides like fried okra and red beans and rice.

This three-level brewpub boasts an amazing rooftop patio, with great views of the surrounding canyon as well as the goings-on below on Main Street. The beers include four standards plus a few seasonal offerings while the food is typical pub fare, with a sprinkling of more interesting entrées like smoked-beet Reuben sandwiches.

Upscale versions of tavern comfort food—burgers, pork chops, gourmet grilled cheese, and the like—are served in an old-world-style pub, with wood and stone decor and arched doors. The house-brewed beers include red, wheat, pale, and cream ales.

Sit inside beneath sweeping tapestries in a Japanese-style booth (seating on the floor) or opt for a table on the deck to enjoy amazing pizza in a mind-bending array of formulations—from the "Notorious F.I.G." (prosciutto, dried figs, and truffle oil) to the "Mac Daddy" (with Thousand Island, shaved rib eye, pickles, and a sesame seed crust).

Inventive tacos, many with an Asian flavor profile, anchor the menu at this casual eatery with edgy, tattoo-parlor-style decor. Gnar's famous side of queso blanco tater tots pairs nicely with the tacos.

Known as "Teo's," this Mexican restaurant is housed in a small, historic building and is a local favorite for tasty takeout (or a claustrophobic eat-in experience). You can get a generous portion of tamales, burritos, or tacos for about $10. Lines can be long, so allow plenty of time.

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.

This craft brewery serves gourmet Himalayan fare and features live music on the weekends. Staples include tikka masala and momo dumplings, which you should be sure to pair with a pint made on-site. The restaurant is family friendly, though after dark, expect the true ski-town pub experience, as the bar fills with locals and travelers alike toasting the day's turns.