Sometimes, after camping in the middle of nowhere for several days, nothing sounds better than having a hot meal prepared for you. Other times, when passing through a small town that captivates us with it’s character, there’s no better way to become a part of it for an afternoon than by stepping inside the local diner, ordering a burger and listening to all the town gossip. Either way, we love trying new restaurants, especially on road trips. Not one small town restaurant is like the other, there aren’t any Chili’s or Applebee’s out here and that’s what we love about it. Whether the food is excellent or not, it’s always an experience.
Whether it’s for the food, the atmosphere or both, here’s a list of some of our favorite restaurants we’ve found while wandering around the West. (In no particular order)
Frisco, Colorado: Food Hedz
Midway, UT: Tarahumara Comida Mexicana
Monticello, UT: The Peace Tree Cafe (pictured above)
Cottonwood, AZ: Red Rooster Cafe
Aspen, Colorado: White House Tavern (pictured below)
Winter Park, Colorado: Mountain Rose Cafe
Ridgway, Colorado: Kate’s Place
Green River, Utah: Ray’s Tavern (pictured below)
Kingman, AZ: Sirens Cafe, Redneck’s Southern Pit BBQ
Lake Havasu City, AZ: Angelina’s Italian Kitchen, Red Onion
Paonia, Colorado: Flying Fork Cafe
Williams, AZ: Red Raven Restaurant (pictured below)
Bozeman, MT: Montana Ale Works
Kremmling, CO: Quarter Circle Saloon
Apache Junction, AZ: Mining Camp Restaurant
Meeker, CO: Meeker Hotel & Cafe
Telluride, CO: Brown Dog Pizza
Kingston, WA: Oak Table Cafe
Payson, AZ: Miss Fitz 260 Cafe
Bullfrog Marina, UT: Anasazi Restaurant (pictured below)
Dillon, Colorado: Pug Ryan’s Brewery
Idaho Springs, Colorado: Smokin’ Yards BBQ
Steamboat Springs, Colorado: Creekside Cafe, Cruisers Sub Shop
Boulder City, Nevada: The Coffee Cup Cafe
If you’re ever in the neighborhood of any of these places, be sure to stop in!
What are some of your favorite small town restaurants? How do you enjoy getting to know more about the towns you travel thru?
We’ll route our trip just to have breakfast at the Patio Pancake Place in Salida, CO.
We’ve gone back three times in the last two years for the Carne Adovada dinner at the High Country Restaurant in Chama, NM.
On our many trips north to the Canadian Rockies, we always time it to have breakfast at the Swift Creek Cafe in Whitefish, MT.
Out on the SW Oregon coast, the tiny town of Port Orford became home for a week and a half this past summer (at Cape Blanco State Park), and TJ’s Diner filled our bellies on several occasions. Enormous breakfast (dinner platter-sized pancakes) and so much bacon we had to get a to-go box… that’s a first. Burgers at lunch that were awesomely simple and delicious.
Bryce Canyon Pines restaurant (just outside the NP gate) has amazing pie and homemade chicken noodle soup to die for, but they don’t make it every day.
If you don’t blink and miss Hanksville, UT on the way to Capitol Reef NP, Duke’s Slickrock Diner has great food and atmosphere. Best cornbread ever. Tasty and filling dinners, awesome breakfast. Hanksville is 22 miles south of Goblin Valley State Park and Temple Mountain (old uranium mining area). Great free camping for a passing-through night at Temple, with amazingly clean vault toilets.
On the east side of Glacier Park just outside tiny Babb, MT, the Two Sisters Cafe is the spot to eat, but be prepared to wait, it’s well known by the locals.
Ron, what an awesome compilation! You make me want to set off on a dining tour, hitting up every place on your list. We’ve been to Slickrock Diner in Hanksville and I completely forgot. Great little spot. We love that barren area of UT, so much to be explored. Thanks so much for sharing!
The Twin Rocks Cafe in tiny Bluff, UT has good Bs & Gs.
Papa Joes at the side of the road in Gallina, NM is a hole in the wall with great burgers and flat bread.
Not a small town, but Starvin Arvin’s in Montrose, CO is a destination eatery for their ham steak, cinnamon rolls and cat’s head biscuits with homemade jelly.
No run down through the curves of US 12 out of Montana-Idaho’s Lolo Pass would be complete without a stop at the scenic Lochsa Lodge, open 365 day a year, all meals are amazing.