Welcome to Curbed Ski's list of the 18 Best Ski Town Hot Spots, our answer to any question that begins with, "Can you recommend a restaurant in...?" This highly elite group will cover 18 restaurants and bars in ski towns across North America, spanning myriad cuisines and collectively satisfying all of your dining and drinking needs. Every couple months we'll be adding places that were omitted or have stepped up there game. Have a tip? Let us know here.
The Steamboat Springs dining scene is enjoying a moment, and The New York Times is ON IT! While we've been enjoying this former ranch town's longstanding foodie gems and impressive newcomers for a while, it's time to give Steamboat Springs' 18 hottest spots for dining and drinking a proper introduction. This list, like those before it, is a curated cross section of all the town has to offer, from white tablecloth splurges to dive bar essentials.
Please note that this list is not ranked. As always, with only 18 spots to fill, some worthy contenders got left out. Take to the comments to defend their honor and wonder at our poor taste.
Mazzola's is a Steamboat Springs original. The basement-level Italian restaurant has some of the best pizza in town, excellent daily specials and staple menu items beloved by locals. Come for dinner with the family then send them back to the hotel while you hang out at the bar, throwing back meatball sliders once your buzz kicks in.
Cafe Diva is how you woo that special someone. With the most intimate dining experience in Steamboat, this fine dining 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 experience Cafe Diva for a little less coin.
There is a good chance you'll need to ask for directions to Sumatera more than once if you've never been there before, there might be a long wait for a spot in the small dining room and the spices in the air when you walk in can make your eyes sting. Let none of this deter you from the best Thai food in Steamboat. Sumatera prepares dishes that hail from across the Pacific Rim, and everything is world-class.
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.
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 a good excuse when you starting reaching over people to eat the marrow out from their dish.
Aurum has staked out prime real estate along the Yampa River and a market for approachable fine dining. The cocktails are spot on, the food is hearty but refined and the staff is among the best in town. Happy hour on the river with bites this good is a special treat, as well.
Sweet Pea occupies a quaint little red house along the Yampa River with big wooden deck strung with lights. On a nice night, there's no better atmosphere for enjoying open-air dining. This tiny spot also poached a noted Denver chef in Pete List, so the menu is up to snuff with Steamboat's resurgent dining scene.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Harwigs is a longstanding fine dining establishment in Steamboat. It has a stellar wine list, and those in the know or well connected might inquire about dining in the cellar. It also has a great happy hour, excellent weekly specials and some of the best bartenders in town.
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.
This old ski patrol trailer turned slopeside bar is where to go to sample the local après flavor. Drop right off the trail into the yard, which will fill to the gills on a bluebird day. Grab a beer from the window, or head inside for a menu that punches way above the ski bum atmosphere.
The happy hour deals are great at this downtown favorite, but the menu item that will haunt you is the pretzel. The cream porter sauce that accompanies this cheese-covered treat of twisted bread is a revelation all its own. We joke about drinking it straight, but it will probably happen sooner or later.
Steamboat's first microbrewery has its own tap room at its facility north of downtown. Check out their staple beers along with some special brews among the tanks and mash tuns. This is one part of Steamboat that might also come to you, as they've been known to travel for beer-related events.
This Steamboat newbie is a one-stop shop for Colorado craft beer. Step down into the below street level location, and check out the chalkboard of brews. Their website also lists the beers that have been added in the past 48 hours so you can know what's fresh before even showing up.
Mazzola's is a Steamboat Springs original. The basement-level Italian restaurant has some of the best pizza in town, excellent daily specials and staple menu items beloved by locals. Come for dinner with the family then send them back to the hotel while you hang out at the bar, throwing back meatball sliders once your buzz kicks in.
Cafe Diva is how you woo that special someone. With the most intimate dining experience in Steamboat, this fine dining 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 experience Cafe Diva for a little less coin.
There is a good chance you'll need to ask for directions to Sumatera more than once if you've never been there before, there might be a long wait for a spot in the small dining room and the spices in the air when you walk in can make your eyes sting. Let none of this deter you from the best Thai food in Steamboat. Sumatera prepares dishes that hail from across the Pacific Rim, and everything is world-class.
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.
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 a good excuse when you starting reaching over people to eat the marrow out from their dish.
Aurum has staked out prime real estate along the Yampa River and a market for approachable fine dining. The cocktails are spot on, the food is hearty but refined and the staff is among the best in town. Happy hour on the river with bites this good is a special treat, as well.
Sweet Pea occupies a quaint little red house along the Yampa River with big wooden deck strung with lights. On a nice night, there's no better atmosphere for enjoying open-air dining. This tiny spot also poached a noted Denver chef in Pete List, so the menu is up to snuff with Steamboat's resurgent dining scene.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Harwigs is a longstanding fine dining establishment in Steamboat. It has a stellar wine list, and those in the know or well connected might inquire about dining in the cellar. It also has a great happy hour, excellent weekly specials and some of the best bartenders in town.
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.
This old ski patrol trailer turned slopeside bar is where to go to sample the local après flavor. Drop right off the trail into the yard, which will fill to the gills on a bluebird day. Grab a beer from the window, or head inside for a menu that punches way above the ski bum atmosphere.
The happy hour deals are great at this downtown favorite, but the menu item that will haunt you is the pretzel. The cream porter sauce that accompanies this cheese-covered treat of twisted bread is a revelation all its own. We joke about drinking it straight, but it will probably happen sooner or later.
Steamboat's first microbrewery has its own tap room at its facility north of downtown. Check out their staple beers along with some special brews among the tanks and mash tuns. This is one part of Steamboat that might also come to you, as they've been known to travel for beer-related events.
This Steamboat newbie is a one-stop shop for Colorado craft beer. Step down into the below street level location, and check out the chalkboard of brews. Their website also lists the beers that have been added in the past 48 hours so you can know what's fresh before even showing up.
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