7 Best Restaurants in Southwest Colorado, Colorado

11th Street Station

$

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.

Absolute Bakery and Cafe

$
It's 20 minutes east of Cortez, but this from-scratch bakery and café is absolutely worth the drive. Breakfast offerings are traditional and scrumptious; lunch options include flavorful soups, salads, pastas, and sandwiches; and the home-baked breads, pastries, and desserts are heavenly.
Breakfast Café Lunch $
110 S. Main St., Mancos, Colorado, 81328, USA
970-533–1200
www.absolutebakery.com
Known For
  • local, organic ingredients
  • house-specialty gluten-free macaroons
  • great value
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner

Baked in Telluride

$

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.

Recommended Fodor's Video

Cavallo's Restaurant

$$
From street level, wind down a spiral staircase to the little slice of Bourbon Street that is Cavallo's, a New Orleans–style eatery that provides a nice departure from Ouray's typical steak and burger establishments. Cavallo's delivers perhaps the town's best breakfast (served until closing time), with creative Cajun omelettes and Benedicts, as well as "daily inspirations" such as strawberry-basil–cream cheese French toast. The lunch menu offers soups, salads, and sandwiches, while the heavenly dinners (served Friday through Sunday) range from seafood étouffée to black-pepper and sage–crusted duck breast. Peruse Cavallo's signature cocktails list to find a nice complement for your entrée.

New Sheridan Chop House

$$$$

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).

Steak House Breakfast Lunch Dinner $$$$
231 W. Colorado Ave., Telluride, Colorado, 81435, USA
970-728–9100
www.newsheridan.com
Known For
  • high-quality beef and game
  • hearty daily brunch options
  • popular wine bar
Restaurants Details
Rate Includes: Closed mid-Apr.–mid-May and mid-Oct.–late Nov.

Secret Stash

$

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).

The Butcher and the Baker

$$

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.