What to Eat in Steamboat Springs
A foodie's guide to the Colorado ski town
There was a time when the restaurants in Steamboat Springs restaurants only served up standard steak and hamburger fare, but those days are long gone. Today, the culinary scene has been kicked up a few notches by places like Laundry Restaurant and Aurum Food & Wine.
The good news is that you can still find some great food deals in Steamboat alongside the fine dining options. Here are a few of my picks for best cheap eats in Steamboat Springs and a few places you should splurge.
Photo courtesy of Steamboat Chamber
AURUM FOOD & WINE
811 Yampa Street
I think this restaurant has one of the best locations in Steamboat Springs, especially during the summer. Their huge patio overlooks the Yampa River and in the summertime patrons sip their chardonnay as rafters and tubers float by.
Photo courtesy of Steamboat Chamber
They have a seasonal menu of fresh options such as mushroom fondue, roasted beet salad, and pan-seared scallops and pork belly served with tamarind chili jam. Dinner here on a warm summer evening is a magical experience and worth the fine dining menu prices.
Save a few pennies by dining on one-half price appetizers during Aurum’s daily happy hour from 4:30 to 6 p.m.
MAHOGANY RIDGE BREWERY & GRILL
435 Lincoln Avenue
I have a happy hour obsession; nowhere is my need fulfilled more than at Mahogany Ridge Brewery & Grill, a place we’ve been visiting for more than a decade.
Mahogany’s happy hour runs every day from 4 to 5:30 p.m. and features half off all drinks and a $1 tapas menu with items such as brie and mango filo cups, Spanish chorizo and marinated olives, ghost chile dry rubbed wings and more. Get one of each and you’ll have a delicious and filling $10 meal.
Photo: Larry Pierce, Steamboat Ski Resort
HAZIE'S BRUNCH ON THE MOUNTAIN
Steamboat Ski Resort, top of the gondola
Offered during the summers and only on Sundays, Korbel Sunday Brunch On the Mountain is a bucket list sort of experience.
You must make reservations in advance to experience this culinary outing where you're served on the upper level of the Thunderhead building at the top of the gondola at Steamboat Ski Resort. Your reservation covers the gondola ride and brunch.
This brunch spread is the most amazing I’ve ever encountered and the view is even more incredible. This meal will set you back a few dollars, but the experience is priceless.
Taco Cabo tacos at Storm Peak Brewing Co. [Photo by Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer]
TACO CABO
1755 Lincoln Avenue
Locals love Taco Cabo, so there’s often a line out the door, but take it from me: it’s worth the wait. The barbacoa taco is heavenly (I like to order a side of roasted jalapenos).
A meal here is affordable by ski town standards. Plus, the place is owned and operated by a local family so you can feel extra good about doing business here.
There’s not a lot of inside seating, so if it’s too cold to eat outside, grab some tacos and head across the street to Storm Peak Brewing Co.
