Colorado

Where to Eat: Colorado

June 10, 2022

Although Alex and I didn’t focus as heavily on scoping out the best food on this trip as we do on some of our others (mainly because we were too busy enjoying the great outdoors), we were still able to find some yummy meals across the Denver area. Keep reading to see where we ate and overall thoughts!

Denver

Russell’s Smokehouse

Our first meal of the trip was at Russell’s Smokehouse, an underground barbecue restaurant whose low-lights and fancy plating give more of a date-night vibe than the average casual barbecue joint. Because this barbecue restaurant was a bit more upscale than normal, the prices were a bit higher than a typical barbecue restaurant although the food quality was about what your average barbecue joint would be. We started out with a special, which was a barbecue “charcuterie board” featuring different meats, sauces, and sides. We each then got the Smokehouse Combo Platter consisting of a protein and two sides and mixed and matched so we could try a bit of everything. I would recommend Russell’s Smokehouse if you’re in need of a safe choice for a meal, as the food options were familiar and the meal was hearty.

What the Pho

Located along the 16th Street Mall, What the Pho offered us a filling meal before we headed to the airport for our flights. What the Pho offers both traditional Vietnamese food and a variety of pho, and was one of the few local restaurants we found along 16th Street Mall. Alex and I both customized our own pho bowl and agreed it was pretty good! This restaurant was also extremely busy, probably a sign that their other menu options were just as tasty as our pho.

Breckenridge

The Motherloaded Tavern

Probably our favorite meal of the trip was in downtown Breckenridge at the Motherloaded Tavern. The Motherloaded Tavern has a great selection of comfort foods, all of which hit the spot after a long morning of hikes. Our waitress said they’re known for their meatloaf, so I ordered the meatloaf and mashed potatoes and Alex ordered the chicken and waffles. We also split the fried mac ‘n cheese bites between the two of us. Everything was great and I definitely recommend this restaurant, conveniently located right on Main Street, after a day of skiing, tubing, or hiking for some hearty food and fun atmosphere.

Greater Colorado

Dutch Bros

The best (chain) coffee shop ever is found all over Colorado and the Western states. Dutch Bros is half the price of Starbucks with a menu 5x as big, and caters well to coffee and non-coffee drinkers alike. With fun tea combos like the Astronaut and Eclipse, as well as juice refreshers and coffee, there is something for everyone here. Alex and I made it a point to stop at a Dutch Bros drive-thru everyday to get our fix! My drink: an iced Eclipse tea with almond milk and a honey drizzle. So yummy!

Closing Thoughts

Looking back, I’m happy with the local restaurants that Alex and I were able to try in Colorado. This was definitely not a food-centric trip, but the places we ate gave us a nice glimpse into local Colorado food. One essential Colorado food we didn’t get to try was Colorado green chili which was recommended to us by several locals, so highly recommend trying to scope that out if you’re in Colorado!

And don’t forget to try Dutch Bros 🙂

Eating outside at the Motherloaded Tavern, along Main Street in Breckenridge

I hope you enjoyed this blog post and found it helpful in planning your trip to Colorado! If you loved this blog, feel free to leave me a comment below and share with your friends!

Don’t forget to connect with me on Instagram for my latest travel updates! @MeganAcrossAmerica

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