10 Great Restaurants in Crested Butte

Crested Butte’s Secret Stash sports a bohemian-meets-punk-eclectic vibe. It’s the kind of restaurant you’ll want to treat yourself to the store merch: trucker hats and tanks with the flaming skull logo. To top it off, the pizza is legendary.

Plan to spend some time at Secret Stash because you’ll want to try it all. The menu features unique flavor combos such as the likes of coconut curry and tofu, fig and blue cheese, mushroom and meatballs, and many more. Many of the pizzas can be made vegan upon request. 

The Sunflower is an aptly named restaurant in Colorado’s wildflower capital. It’s one of Crested Butte’s best restaurants, especially if you’re looking for fresh ingredients. The from-scratch-made dishes are all true farm-to-table delicacies.

The menu changes to accommodate what’s in season. However, you can expect to find things like house-made burrata with zucchini bread crostini, macadamia-crusted halibut, and pork chops served with ricotta gnocchi. Enjoy these culinary delights amidst The Sunflower’s warm and inviting atmosphere. Dine on the patio under twinkling lights for a lovely date night. 

Many of Crested Butte’s best restaurants can be found along the main stretch of Elk Avenue, including Teocalli Tamale. The Mexican restaurant has a chill mountain vibe, fully embracing the local adventure culture. Case in point: In the winter, it’s totally cool to wear your ski boots right into the restaurant.

So, what’s on the menu at Teocalli Tamale? Burritos and tacos with your choice of meat or veggies, and tamales. Order your tamale “hot” for a chance to try their homemade green chile stew, a Colorado favorite. 

Breadery’s master creations start from 1 place: a 60-year-old sourdough starter named Trisha. From there, they make some of Crested Butte’s best bread and pizza crusts. You can pop in just to buy a loaf of sourdough, but to really appreciate Breadery’s genius, we recommend you stay for a meal.

The full Breadery menu has a very farm-to-table spirit featuring fresh salads, pastas served with locally sourced meats, and flatbreads on the aforementioned sourdough crust. Whatever you order, we recommend starting with a hunk of sourdough with your choice of butter, like honey butter, vegan black garlic butter, or tomato butter. 

One of the best restaurants in Crested Butte is the adorably decorated spot called The Slogar. The restaurant offers an experience unique to the small mountain town with its 3-course family-style menu, all surrounding a stellar entree: homemade fried chicken.

The first course includes tomato chutney, cottage cheese, coleslaw, and salad. Then the main chicken course, or veggie stuffed peppers for vegetarians, comes with bottomless sides. It’s all finished with ice cream sandwiches. It’s a whole event, to say the least. For smaller appetites, cozy up to the bar for the “parlour menu,” a smaller version of the second course. 

For fine dining in Crested Butte, Soupcon is the place to be. The French-inspired restaurant is tucked in a small cabin in a downtown alleyway. The menu features delectable bites spanning a caviar menu to fresh salads and locally sourced lamb, duck, and elk. Vegetarians can find a satisfying top-tier dish or 2 here. We recommend you try the root vegetable wellington.

Soupcon is small and seats only twice per evening: once at 5.30 pm and then at 7.45 pm. You’ll need a reservation to get a table. 

Colorado is a haven for craft beer lovers, and Crested Butte’s Eldo Brewery carries on that tradition, brewing its delicious hops in-house. Try the Study Buddy, a porter brewed with local Camp 4 Coffee. While you’re drinking, order some food made famous in the eastern mountains of Tibet and India. The attached Himalayan restaurant serves dishes like chicken korma, shrimp pakoras, and soup momo.

The Eldo Brewery is more than a brewery and restaurant, though. It’s also a lively music venue. Local country-western and folk groups and singer-songwriters rotate through each week, adding the right amount of ambiance to your experience. 

Public House serves good old-fashioned pub fare with its own flair. Think Brussels sprouts, flatbread, mac ‘n’ cheese, burgers, and a well-rounded kid’s menu. For dessert? Mochi, affogato, and other trendy yet delicious bites. The big draws, though, are their impressive draft beer list and weekly live music.

If you fall in love with Public House and don’t want to leave, you can also stay in one of the 3 lofts attached to the restaurant. Each one is designed with rock ‘n’ roll in mind. 

For a small mountain town, Crested Butte has a large variety of cuisines, and one of the best restaurants you can eat at is Pitas in Paradise. The Mediterranean restaurant is well-known for its friendly staff, hearty portions, and mouthwatering gyro French fries: all for a reasonable price.

More than just a place you can stop in for some falafel, though, Pitas in Paradise has an American sports bar vibe. Come in to catch the game of the day while enjoying happy-hour drink specials. 

A trip to the Wild West wouldn’t be complete without visiting a top-notch steakhouse like Elk Avenue Prime. It’s the ideal spot for a date night or special occasion. Of course, you can expect some well-cooked steaks here, but don’t miss out on trying their other specialties like elk tenderloin, various fish dishes, and rich vegetable sides like cauliflower au gratin.

The perfect complementing drink awaits. Elk Ave claims to have the largest wine list in the valley. Or trust the mixologist behind the bar to craft something special for you. Note: Reservations are recommended.