4 Best Restaurants in South Central Colorado, Colorado

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. 

With a focus on the historical cuisine of the Four Corners region where Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado touch borders, chef Brother Luck's restaurant serves up creative tasting-style menus sure to impress his Top Chef fan base. Along with the Four Corners significance, the number four represents Luck's four key sources of ingredients—hunters, gatherers, farmers, and fishermen; the four seasonal menus; and the fact that Luck is the fourth generation in his family to have the name Brother Luck. The four-course suggestions are perfectly paired modern American dishes often featuring beef, wild game, or seafood, served up in a clean, modern dining room with a casual atmosphere for passing plates and allowing seasonal dishes to shine in flavor and presentation.

With stunning views of Cheyenne Lake and the main hotel, this "restaurant of the lake" features an open kitchen and cozy lounge. Smaller portions allow guests to try a variety of authentic Italian dishes from antipasti and wood-fired pizzas to lasagna and house-made sausage. Ask your server or the house sommelier which of the restaurant's 150 selections of wine to pair with each course.

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.