Good Eats in Salida, Colorado

If you’re looking for a Colorado town with good eats, Salida is the place to go

We’ve been through the Arkansas Valley many times. It's home to Buena Vista, Salida and the Arkansas River. We’re often on our way to parts of southwest Colorado, however, it turns out that you actually want to be in Salida. Not only is it a beautiful and dog-friendly town, something that came in handy on our recent trip there, but it is also authentically Colorado.

Arkansas River, Salida, Colorado.

Salida is a town that feels vibrant—stores are open and few buildings are vacant. This is central Colorado so it is a favorite vacation spot for many Coloradans who have easy access. Salida’s location means that they have great skiing at nearby Monarch Ski Area and good green chile. After all, this town is less than two hours from Pueblo and its farmers market, which runs through October 19, featuring roasting green chiles from DiTomossa Farms in Pueblo. 

Here's a roundup of where you'll find good eats in Salida

Little Red Hen Bakery fresh bagels.

We popped into Little Red Hen Bakery for breakfast on our recent trip to Salida. We had our puppy with us and needed to find somewhere with a patio and this place fit the bill. Little did we know that we had chosen well.

This isn’t a breakfast spot, per se, it's more of a bakery with freshly baked bread that will leave you craving more. On Saturday mornings they make fresh bagels and we ordered the everything bagels with cream cheese. My bagel was so scrumptious that it has forever ruined grocery store bagels for me. 

Little Red Hen Bakery is the place to stop for a coffee and muffin or coffee and cinnamon roll or coffee and bagel. I think you get the picture.

When we left, the line snaked outside, but this bakery in Salida is worth the wait.

Brown Dog in Buena Vista

The Brown Dog has locations in Salida and Buena Vista. We’ve been to the one in Buena Vista dozens of times because it’s not far from Johnson Village (the spot where Hwy 285 veers to the south). 

This cafe has great coffee drinks and delectable homemade food. I highly recommend any sandwich here as well as their soup. Just order the special and you’ll be happy.

Please note that this place can be very busy and odds are that you’ll stand in line to order. Believe me, the food will be so yummy that you’ll forget about the wait.

Mama D's Deli

This historic spot in the heart of Salida has been in town since the 1940s, and it has a nostalgic feel with hand-painted art on the walls that’s famous.

We’d stopped at Mama D's Deli for lunch to-go because it was close to Salida’s Riverside Park where we were going to dine at a picnic table because we had the puppy with us. We’d also gone here because Ryan loves Chicago Dogs and they have one on the menu. My gyro was tasty and Ryan enjoyed his Chicago Dog.

Chicago Dog from Mama D's at Riverfront Park in Salida, Colorado.

As I waited for our meal, a man approached the counter and inquired about milkshakes. 

“I hear you have the best milkshake in town,” he said before ordering a vanilla shake.

I didn’t stick around to hear his verdict, but since the place has a little history, they’ve probably learned to make a mouthwatering shake.

Amica's in Salida, Colorado.

This pizza joint has been the go-to spot in Salida for a number of years now and I’ve been here a handful of times. It has a fun, Salida vibe with an order counter and wall menu to make things go smoothly. 

There is a bar up front and high top tables in this area. The second room (if I remember right this used to be the only room) has standard tables for hungry families.

The menu features pizza, pasta, calzones, sandwiches and salads. On our last visit, I ordered a Thai Pizza and Ryan ordered the lasagna. We also got two craft sodas. The puppy was with us so we ate back in our room at the Amigo Motor Lodge. As usual, the food was delicious.

The next time you’re looking for a Colorado town with good eats, you can’t go wrong with a stay in Salida.