clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

The Best Spots for Eating & Drinking in Steamboat

Our answer to the question, "Can you recommend a restaurant in...?"

View as Map

Steamboat's restaurant renaissance shows no signs of letting up, with new concepts continuing to emerge and challenge the established players on the dining scene. The old hands aren't so easily upset, however, which means narrowing the field of top restaurants and bars involves tough choices between longstanding favorites and insurgent newcomers. Curbed Ski took those choices head on to update our list of the best places to eat and drink in Steamboat Springs.

Please note that this list is not ranked. As always, with only so many spots to fill, some worthy contenders got left out. Take to the comments to defend their honor and wonder at our poor taste. Have a tip? Let us know.

Read More

Mazzola's

Copy Link

Restaurants don't last for decades through the seasonality of a ski town without a strong following, and Mazzola's has maintained that even as it's moved, changed owners, managers, staff and menu items. This basement-level Italian joint has some of the best pizza in town, excellent specials and a friendly bar. Come for dinner with the family then send them back to the hotel while you grab another drink, throwing back meatball sliders once your buzz kicks in.

Cafe Diva

Copy Link

Cafe Diva is how you woo that special someone. With the most intimate dining experience in Steamboat, this white-tablecloth restaurant set a consistently high bar long before the rest of the town's scene rushed to catch up. The fixed menus on special nights are great ways to take in the experience for a little less coin.

Sumatera

Copy Link

Sumatera boasts fare from around the Pacific Rim, which goes beyond their amazing Thai curries to dishes from Indonesian and Singapore. The location, tucked around the side of a building, is a little hard to find the first time, and the close quarters and spices in the air might make your eyes water. But this is a Steamboat favorite not to be missed.

Bistro CV

Copy Link

Bistro CV provides upscale downtown dining with an award-winning wine list and excellent staff. With so many great options on the menu, how can we recommend the burger? There's only one way for you to know for sure.

Laundry Restaurant

Copy Link

This is the craft cocktail bar and restaurant Steamboat needed when Rex Brice decided to start his fifth establishment in town. Jars of infused spirits line the wall behind the bar, running the gamut between practical (ginger) to zany (candy Hot Tamales) and always changing. Dining is a shared plate concept, which is good because you'll want to try everything.

Aurum is among the newcomers to Steamboat's dining scene that believed there was a food culture just waiting to be tapped in this old ranching town. Sitting on prime Yampa River real estate, the restaurant focuses on local flavor, seasonality and a killer cocktail menu. It even has a deal in place to be able to offer its own Colorado wines. Aurum brings the kind of event dining to Steamboat that we'd never have thought possible a few years ago while managing to incorporate the town's laid back vibe. Did we mention the happy hour is a steal?

Sweet Pea Restaurant

Copy Link

The quaint red house with the big deck overlooking the Yampa River is home to Sweet Pea. On a nice summer night under the glow of lights strung overhead, there's no better atmosphere for enjoying open-air dining. Chef Pete List left Denver and the reputation he built there to take over Sweet Pea's kitchen, and he's let his creativity run wild, including this winter's new foray into multi-course farmhouse dinners on the weekends.

The Paramount

Copy Link

The Paramount is a great breakfast option and hangout spot for the weary during ski season. The S**t on a Shingle is a breakfast bite unique to them in town, but for our money, there's nothing better than a big bowl of chilaquiles with a fried egg on top. Throw in some mimosas with fresh juice, and we're thinking that the hill will be there tomorrow if we decide to have a few more drinks.

Taco Cabo

Copy Link

We're not sure how Kent Hall comes up with some of these creations (macaroni and cheese with pistachio in a burrito!), but his taco stand north of downtown on U.S. Highway 40 is definitely worth the trip. The chorizo breakfast burrito is a show-stopper, and go heavy with the sauces prepared in house.

Carl's Tavern

Copy Link

This popular hangout is named after the father of Steamboat's skiing scene and namesake of Howelsen Hill across the river, Carl Howelsen. The menu is heavy on comfort food, and standalone sides, like the mac and cheese or crispy Brussels sprouts, can be meals unto themselves. This place can get packed, so call ahead if you can.

E3 Chophouse

Copy Link

E3 is shorthand for an error on the first baseman, but there are no missteps in sight at this steakhouse owned by Chicago White Sox star Adam LaRoche and his brothers, Jeff and Andy. The beef comes straight from their Kansas ranch of the same name, which pioneered the E3 logo sported by country star Luke Bryan and members of the Duck Dynasty crew.

Creekside Cafe

Copy Link

This breakfast spot is a must try whenever you stop in Steamboat, but it shines in warm weather, when the patio along Soda Creek is at its best. The menu is anchored by a number of excellent takes on eggs benny. Their breakfast burrito is a favorite, as well.

Sunpie's Bistro

Copy Link

This beloved watering hole is family-friendly and a great spot for Cajun eats during the day before turning into a raucous party at night. Beware the hurricanes, which have been known to put unseasoned drinkers or visitors from sea level right on their backs. There's always NOLA-favorite brew Abita there to pace yourself.

Storm Peak Brewing Company

Copy Link

Storm Peak just missed being the first craft brewery to open in Steamboat, but they've been working overtime since, brewing an impressive number of beers and now canning and representing Steamboat across the state. Their tap room on U.S. Highway 40 across from Taco Cabo has board games, TVs and can fill your growler.

Back Door Grill

Copy Link

Back Door Grill really did start life serving delicious burgers out of a window around the back of a Seventh Street venue, but since the burger joint moved to bigger digs on Oak Street, the name is more of a figure of speech. Whether you opt for a classic burger done to perfection or take a chance on something with pineapple or a fried egg, we've yet to hear of someone walking away unsatisfied.

RED BOWL World Curry Haus

Copy Link

Red Bowl opened with little fuss on the edge of downtown but quickly made a name for itself and the range of curries it offers. Leave it to Steamboat's new dining scene to have vindaloo being served by an Australian in Northwest Colorado. Red Bowl is also one of the best bests in Steamboat for those with celiac and the menu is marked for which options are gluten, dairy or nut free.

Low Country Kitchen

Copy Link

This homage to lowcountry cuisine has received about as close to a warm Southern welcome as Steamboat can give. It helps that the owners, Katy and Brian Vaughn, had plenty of Steamboat experience from their first restaurant in town, bistro c.v. The reception has been so great that Low Country has already undergone an expansion.

Mazzola's

Restaurants don't last for decades through the seasonality of a ski town without a strong following, and Mazzola's has maintained that even as it's moved, changed owners, managers, staff and menu items. This basement-level Italian joint has some of the best pizza in town, excellent specials and a friendly bar. Come for dinner with the family then send them back to the hotel while you grab another drink, throwing back meatball sliders once your buzz kicks in.

Cafe Diva

Cafe Diva is how you woo that special someone. With the most intimate dining experience in Steamboat, this white-tablecloth restaurant set a consistently high bar long before the rest of the town's scene rushed to catch up. The fixed menus on special nights are great ways to take in the experience for a little less coin.

Sumatera

Sumatera boasts fare from around the Pacific Rim, which goes beyond their amazing Thai curries to dishes from Indonesian and Singapore. The location, tucked around the side of a building, is a little hard to find the first time, and the close quarters and spices in the air might make your eyes water. But this is a Steamboat favorite not to be missed.

Bistro CV

Bistro CV provides upscale downtown dining with an award-winning wine list and excellent staff. With so many great options on the menu, how can we recommend the burger? There's only one way for you to know for sure.

Laundry Restaurant

This is the craft cocktail bar and restaurant Steamboat needed when Rex Brice decided to start his fifth establishment in town. Jars of infused spirits line the wall behind the bar, running the gamut between practical (ginger) to zany (candy Hot Tamales) and always changing. Dining is a shared plate concept, which is good because you'll want to try everything.

Aurum

Aurum is among the newcomers to Steamboat's dining scene that believed there was a food culture just waiting to be tapped in this old ranching town. Sitting on prime Yampa River real estate, the restaurant focuses on local flavor, seasonality and a killer cocktail menu. It even has a deal in place to be able to offer its own Colorado wines. Aurum brings the kind of event dining to Steamboat that we'd never have thought possible a few years ago while managing to incorporate the town's laid back vibe. Did we mention the happy hour is a steal?

Sweet Pea Restaurant

The quaint red house with the big deck overlooking the Yampa River is home to Sweet Pea. On a nice summer night under the glow of lights strung overhead, there's no better atmosphere for enjoying open-air dining. Chef Pete List left Denver and the reputation he built there to take over Sweet Pea's kitchen, and he's let his creativity run wild, including this winter's new foray into multi-course farmhouse dinners on the weekends.

The Paramount

The Paramount is a great breakfast option and hangout spot for the weary during ski season. The S**t on a Shingle is a breakfast bite unique to them in town, but for our money, there's nothing better than a big bowl of chilaquiles with a fried egg on top. Throw in some mimosas with fresh juice, and we're thinking that the hill will be there tomorrow if we decide to have a few more drinks.

Taco Cabo

We're not sure how Kent Hall comes up with some of these creations (macaroni and cheese with pistachio in a burrito!), but his taco stand north of downtown on U.S. Highway 40 is definitely worth the trip. The chorizo breakfast burrito is a show-stopper, and go heavy with the sauces prepared in house.

Carl's Tavern

This popular hangout is named after the father of Steamboat's skiing scene and namesake of Howelsen Hill across the river, Carl Howelsen. The menu is heavy on comfort food, and standalone sides, like the mac and cheese or crispy Brussels sprouts, can be meals unto themselves. This place can get packed, so call ahead if you can.

E3 Chophouse

E3 is shorthand for an error on the first baseman, but there are no missteps in sight at this steakhouse owned by Chicago White Sox star Adam LaRoche and his brothers, Jeff and Andy. The beef comes straight from their Kansas ranch of the same name, which pioneered the E3 logo sported by country star Luke Bryan and members of the Duck Dynasty crew.

Creekside Cafe

This breakfast spot is a must try whenever you stop in Steamboat, but it shines in warm weather, when the patio along Soda Creek is at its best. The menu is anchored by a number of excellent takes on eggs benny. Their breakfast burrito is a favorite, as well.

Sunpie's Bistro

This beloved watering hole is family-friendly and a great spot for Cajun eats during the day before turning into a raucous party at night. Beware the hurricanes, which have been known to put unseasoned drinkers or visitors from sea level right on their backs. There's always NOLA-favorite brew Abita there to pace yourself.

Storm Peak Brewing Company

Storm Peak just missed being the first craft brewery to open in Steamboat, but they've been working overtime since, brewing an impressive number of beers and now canning and representing Steamboat across the state. Their tap room on U.S. Highway 40 across from Taco Cabo has board games, TVs and can fill your growler.

Back Door Grill

Back Door Grill really did start life serving delicious burgers out of a window around the back of a Seventh Street venue, but since the burger joint moved to bigger digs on Oak Street, the name is more of a figure of speech. Whether you opt for a classic burger done to perfection or take a chance on something with pineapple or a fried egg, we've yet to hear of someone walking away unsatisfied.

RED BOWL World Curry Haus

Red Bowl opened with little fuss on the edge of downtown but quickly made a name for itself and the range of curries it offers. Leave it to Steamboat's new dining scene to have vindaloo being served by an Australian in Northwest Colorado. Red Bowl is also one of the best bests in Steamboat for those with celiac and the menu is marked for which options are gluten, dairy or nut free.

Low Country Kitchen

This homage to lowcountry cuisine has received about as close to a warm Southern welcome as Steamboat can give. It helps that the owners, Katy and Brian Vaughn, had plenty of Steamboat experience from their first restaurant in town, bistro c.v. The reception has been so great that Low Country has already undergone an expansion.