This is a guide to the best restaurants in Minturn Colorado. Well, actually, it’s a guide to ALL the restaurants in Minturn. There are only 11 restaurants, so it felt weird to leave any out. But for such a small town, Minturn is blessed with a fantastic array of unique restaurants. All within a half mile along Main Street, you can choose from a variety of affordable and scrumptious dining options. We have been to all of them at least once, here’s our review.
These are listed in order from North to South.
Vail Mountain Coffee and Tea
This micro-roastery serves up a wide variety of coffees and loose leaf teas. As well as some pastries. It’s the best place in town for lattes, cappuccinos, or other coffee shop favorites. The interior is kind of a rustic-chic. Not a bad place to do a little remote work or checking emails. They have giant glass windows that let guests see into the roasting area.
The negative about this place is that the location isn’t the greatest. It’s a little bit outside of town, in a block of businesses. It’s the only restaurant in Minturn that can’t easily be walked to from Main Street. Not a huge deal if you are driving, but otherwise you need to walk along the shoulder of Highway 24. I’m sure the people who work right there come here often, but most others probably don’t even know it exists.
The Mexican Bar & Grill
A truly authentic Mexican restaurant with a big menu. They serve all the classics, like tacos, burritos, fajitas, enchiladas, etc. But also can really expand your Mexican cuisine horizons with ceviche, oysters, chili rellenos, fried ice cream, and more.
Their homemade salsa is made with fire-roasted peppers is always delicious, although always a little runny. Which I understand to be more authentic to Mexico, but definitely the polar opposite of the Tostitos thick & chunky salsa you might be used to.
They have classic mexican cocktails like margaritas, micheladas (like a mexican bloody mary), and more.
They place nearly all entree plates in the oven, to melt the cheese, and ensure your meal stays hot while you eat. I personally love this subtle touch of Mexican restaurants.
Minturn Saloon
A locals’ and travelers’ favorite, this bar and restaurant has been a part of Minturn’s history since 1901. It’s most well known as the place to go after you have completed the Minturn Mile (a side-country ski run that connects Vail Ski Resort to Minturn). This route is only recommended for experienced skiers and riders who are prepared for the dangers and risk factors of out-of-bounds skiing.
We have always gone to the Saloon with friends, and it’s fun bar atmosphere is hard to beat. But it’s a little tough to write about The Saloon at this moment since it changed owners and is currently undergoing renovations (which this historic building almost certainly needed). But based on some local papers, it sounds like the Saloon is headed in the right direction.
The food was never really the main draw to the Saloon in the past, more like just a fun bar to get drunk on cheap margs and free chips and salsa. But the new owners are revamping the Tex-Mex menu to hopefully be a place locals would come to just for the food. They are bringing this 120-year-old building up to code, while still retaining the saloon vibe that everyone knows and loves. The photos and memorabilia have been saved to once again adorn the walls of the new space.
Magustos
A fun casual bar and restaurant to hang with friends and enjoy some pizza and pub food. They have foosball, pool, and other games to entertain. The highlight of the menu is definitely the pizza and calzones, but they have other classics like wings, burgers, etc. And if you don’t feel like going out, they are the only restaurant in town that delivers.
They have generous portions and reasonable prices. Even the small pizza or calzone is enough for two people. They are very generous with the toppings and the sauce is good. Our only complaint is the crust. It’s just a little dense and bready, which is not our preference.
Minturn Country Club
Nope, there’s no golf course here. At this unique restaurant, you will be cooking your own steak, chicken, fish, or shrimp on one of their lava rock grills. This one kind of requires a longer review because it’s not your typical restaurant. With your purchase of a cut of meat, you get unlimited salad bar and bread. Additional sides are a la carte and made in the kitchen while you cook your meats.
We got an 8oz NY Strip for $19.95 and a Yellowfin Tuna steak for $25.95. Both cuts were tasty when properly seasoned (by us). (Pro-Tip: go early because the grills are cleanest then). But sadly, following their cook-time guidelines lead us astray. They are supposedly based on medium rare, but luckily I sensed that they were getting overcooked and barely salvaged a medium-well steak. So if you are not an experienced griller, you could easily be unhappy with your results. There is no “send it back to the kitchen” if you are unhappy with the done-ness of your steak.
The included salad bar is rather subpar, and the bread is literally just a bagged loaf of Texas toast.
The servers encourage you to start with the salad bar and bread, and then cook your steaks after. We are not big eaters, so we didn’t order any additional sides. But this is sort of a mistake, because then when our steak and tuna was ready, we were literally just eating meat. We could have of course gotten more salad or bread, but we weren’t hungry enough. So that part of the experience felt a little disconnected.
The presence of servers is rather awkward in this restaurant format. They are really just there to bring drinks and any sides you order. So then when it comes time to check out, tipping %20 just feels a little steep for the service provided, but we just cannot bring ourselves to tip less. They could almost do away with the servers entirely since you have to be up and about anyway.
So, in conclusion, the Minturn Country Club is a unique culinary experience to cook your own steaks. But it doesn’t quite deliver in terms of value for us. Most locals would probably resolve to just cook their own steaks at home and save some money. But if you bring a couple of friends and share some beers around the grill, that would be a fun time. As long as you are prepared to pay near steakhouse pricing for pretty basic food and a tired interior.
Sunrise Minturn (V)
Our favorite tiny brunch spot in Minturn. From healthy bites, to hearty breakfast classics, Minturn Sunrise has something to please everyone, yes even vegans. They work with the local Avon bakery and Village Bagel for their breads and bagels. If you want a quick and cheap breakfast on the go, you cannot beat their breakfast burritos. Or if you want to sit down for brunch with friends, they have a great atmosphere. And their cocktails are delicious (our fave is the fresh-squeezed OJ Mimosas). Or if you are not feeling boozy, they make real fruit smoothies.
They have the classic American breakfast options (eggs, bacon, pancakes, toast, biscuits & gravy) or you can try something a little more unique like gyros, reubens, or the Mountain Christo (like a ham and swiss sandwich made on french toast), Yum!
And we know how hard it is for vegans to find good dining options. Minturn Sunrise is definitely the best restaurant in Minturn for you! They have several vegans options on menu, our favorite is The Raj. And there are also several vegetarian options that can be easily modified.
Thai Kitchen
An awesomely authentic Thai restaurant, with fresh and flavorful Thai classics. From delicious pad thai and fried rice, to curries and soups, you can stick to the basics or try something more adventurous. Starters include dumplings, spring rolls, chicken satay, and salads. The spicy margaritas and other cocktails are delicious and beautifully garnished.
In some ways, Thai Kitchen is the most expensive and fancy restaurant in Minturn, but admittedly, that bar is not very high. There are just a couple of entrees that exceed $30. And their presentation and plating can be very elegant. So if there is any place in town that Emily and I will get dressed up for a proper “date night”, it’s here.
Thai Kitchen is (justifiably) very popular, but their seating area and kitchen are very small. They are also closed Mon-Tues, so expect to wait for a table most days if you show up without a reservation. And plan well in advance if you have a large group.
The Agora
Not like any “restaurant” you’ve ever been to before. A unique community gathering place for eating, drinking, socializing, and even free concerts. This outdoor courtyard is open during summers, serving brick oven pizza, ice cream, and acai bowls on the weekends. The pizza we ordered was perhaps a little pricey for the size, but definitely delivered in terms of flavor and ingredients.
But unique to The Agora is that visitors are welcome to bring to-go food and drinks from any of Minturn’s restaurants. (There is no open container law in Minturn). So if your group just cannot agree on one restaurant in Minturn, you can order from different places and still all eat together at The Agora. Pretty neat!
The space has eclectic decor with lots of upcycled materials. It’s a funky little gathering place to enjoy the warm weather with friends, food, and drinks.
Rocky Mountain Taco
A modern counter-service Mexican restaurant that’s super tasty and affordable. This is our favorite and most frequented restaurant in Minturn because it’s a perfect balance of price and quality. (We’re also big fans of Mexican food).
What began as a humble food truck, has blossomed into a Vail Valley institution, with multiple mobile food trucks and their first brick & mortar restaurant right in Minturn!
Rocky Mountain Taco doesn’t complicate things, they have just a few delicious meat/fillings options, and then you choose how you want it served, choose between tacos, burrito, quesadilla, nachos, salad, or torta. Then you can help yourself to some of their house-made salsas and cremas.
If we are feeling gluttonous we go for the Alambre (sirloin, bacon, and chorizo) green-chili smothered burrito. Or if we are trying to eat a little lighter or healthier we go for tacos with either White Chick (chicken) or Hippie Crack (sweet potatoes) with poblano and anaheim peppers. The Hippie Crack can also be served without cheese for a delicious vegan option.
Backcountry Wings at the Cowboy Bar
This is definitely a wings place, like paper towel roll on every table kind of place. I think the only other thing we have ever ordered here is beer and cheese curds. But fear not, the wings here are awesome! You choose from a variety of sauces and then choose your heat level which corresponds to ski run trail ratings (green circle, blue square, black diamond, and double black). In our experience they are a little inconsistent with the heat, I would stick to blue or green unless you can handle some serious heat.
The only issue with Backcountry Wings at the Cowboy Bar is that they seem committed to running the place with a skeleton crew. The staff is nice and works as fast as they can, but weekday or weekend, expect a long wait for your food. We always joke that we should go before we get hungry so that by the time the food comes, we have had time for a couple beers and worked up an appetite.
The Cowboy Bar has a great rustic vibe with natural wood interior and old western decor that is tasteful. Conversely, they have some huge TV’s, so it would be my first choice in Minturn to catch a game on TV.
Kirby Cosmos BBQ Bar
The local BBQ spot in Minturn serving up some classic favorites, like pulled pork/chicken, ribs, wings, cornbread, mac and cheese, and other stand-bys. They have a great atmosphere you would expect for BBQ. There are a few small TVs, not really ideal for a die-hard sports fan, but serviceable.
I really want to love this place more because I’m a sucker for BBQ, but ultimately the smoked meats are good, not great. In my opinion, Moe’s in Vail has more tender, more flavorful meats (wrote about them in my other post, Most Affordable Restaurants in Vail).
Map Of The Best Restaurants in Minturn
Conclusion | Best Restaurants In Minturn
Besides Minturn’s amazing access to the great outdoors, the restaurants are our favorite thing about the town itself. It’s rare to have such a small-town feel, and yet be able to walk to 11 different restaurants. From Mexican and Thai, to Pizza and BBQ, you can certainly find something to please everyone. The variety of dining options is enough to keep visitors right in Minturn, and even draw people from nearby towns.
Most of the restaurants in Minturn are affordable and laid back, which makes them great for locals and tourists alike. Anyone trying to escape the expensive restaurants in Vail and Beaver Creek will be pleased to find some more reasonably priced options. There is some room for improvement at a couple of these restaurants, but overall their uniqueness makes them all worth a visit.
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Tips For Making Your Ski Vacation At Vail & Beaver Creek "Cheaper" - tworoamingsouls
Thursday 4th of May 2023
[…] To access the Minturn Mile you can go from the top of chair 3 or 7. (Click here for more details) The trail will bring you to the Minturn Saloon where you can get cheap margarita’s and free chips and salsa! Or visit an of these other delicious restaurants in Minturn. […]