Do you want to eat, drink and après ski like a local? Here’s how.
The number one insider tip at A-Basin? Eat breakfast. Everyone knows about lunch and après, but A-Basin’s breakfast is actually pretty great. Visit the Legends Café for huevos or blueberry pancakes or on weekends during the high season, grab a breakfast burrito as big as your head from the Taco Truck. Don’t forget the Bacon Bloody Mary.
The Limelight Aspen is the number one Après/Happy hour spot in town. No matter what season it is, Aspen Snowmass calls their happiest four hours of the day “après.” Ask anyone and they’ll tell you it’s the place to be in Aspen from 3-7 pm each day. Après at the Limelight also features some of Aspen’s favorite local bands to the Lounge’s stage from Thursday to Monday 4:30–7:30pm.
“Cooper’s General Manager cooks Cheesesteaks on the grill on the Cooper deck and they are amazing!” – Several insiders, gushing over their favorite dining trick at Cooper.
Copper has a variety of great patio spaces for guests to unbuckle their boots and take advantage of over 300 days of Colorado sunshine. Downhill Duke’s is the latest addition to Copper’s patio scene and features a dog-friendly heated patio, outdoor stage hosting live music throughout the season, craft cocktails and a diverse menu.
Echo’s restaurant and bar has received great reviews over the last 2 seasons and will continue to offer delicious food and drinks at affordable prices. All food is cooked to order and the menu has something for everyone. Echo has also increased the number of local beers they have on tap so guests can sample more of the great brews Colorado has to offer.
Eldora’s prime locals eatery is The Lookout, located at the top of the Corona chair lift. Enjoy a tasty meal at 10,800 feet. Served with panoramic views from the Continental Divide to the Great Plains, you can enjoy freshly made gourmet pizzas, sandwiches, chili, beer, and more – all without having to head down to the base.
Granby Ranch’s 8350 patio is a great place to watch your kids ski and grab a cocktail. If you do visit the Granby Ranch Grill, get the Kicking Horse nachos – piled high with pepper jack cheese sauce, black beans, sliced jalapeno, black olives, pico de gallo, topped with sour cream. Add the guac.
Take advantage of Howelsen’s $10 First Tracks Ticket (11 AM to 1 PM) to get in a few runs, and stop by the concession stand for an inexpensive lunch. Don’t forget to purchase a chocolate chip cookie, they are the best in town!
Loveland’s best-kept dining secret is the Ptarmigan Roost Cabin for on-hill dining. Located at the top of the Ptarmigan Lift at an elevation of 12,050’, The Ptarmigan Roost Café offers burgers, soups, chili, light snacks, hot chocolate, beer and wine. Enjoy the stunning 360-degree views from the giant deck and watch skiers and riders carve up The Ridge or warm up by the fireplace while you take a break and enjoy a snack.
Hot breakfast and a latte can be had at the Java Stop at 7:30 a.m. Visit the Sidewinder Saloon early between 10:30 and 11:30 a.m. to miss the lunch crowd. On weekends and holidays, Elmo’s Bar in the Pioneer Room is a great place to warm up with a great libation or local craft beer. Grab a tamale with green chili to fuel your next on hill adventure.
The Powderhorn Pub has great pizza, wings and beers. They’re changing menu items and adding specials every week. Great for an après ski relaxing time.
Located on the backside of Purgatory, the Backside Bistro features a full bar, where locals recommend the “Backside Bulldog,” which is a specialty beverage made with locally crafted Steamworks Backside Stout, Kahlua, and vodka. The Stout, brewed by Durango’s Steamworks Brewing Co. was named after the backside of Purgatory and has won multiple medals at the Great American Beer Festival. You can also enjoy this tasty drink at any of the bars around the mountain and for après ski.
The best location for après ski is on the Purgatory Ski Beach, complete with a plethora of Adirondack chairs, convenient bars and live bands or dj’s spinning tunes and creating the cool mountain vibe. Enjoy the warm sunshine while watching skiers come down the slopes.
No running water at the base area! Bring plenty of water, and they have beer on tap and other refreshments at Grady’s Bar in the tent. Ask the bar tender for a Gut Shot.
Steamboat has two new additions to the dining scene this season, Timber & Torch and the Taco Beast. Timber & Torch will feature expanded indoor seating for 290, a new outdoor heated patio, two indoor/outdoor bars, an exterior fireplace and a new outdoor BBQ. The new restaurant, named for the resort’s legendary trees and Olympian heritage, will feature bistro-inspired food, including an open-face steak sandwich, the T&T Rachel, hand-cut Parmesan fries, drunken mussels in locally brewed beer, flatbreads and charcuterie boards.
Taking the food truck to new levels, the Taco Beast, an on-mountain, roaming snowcat redefining “slopeside” dining, will serve carne asada and al pastor trail tacos, the resort’s take on street tacos, breakfast burritos, esquites (Mexican street corn on the cob) and Mexican-style beer. Guests can find out more information about the Taco Beast including expected locations, dates and times of operations and how to track the Taco Beast online at Steamboat.com/TacoBeast.
As a Sunlight season pass holders, you are automatically enrolled in the Friends of Sunny VIP Value Program entitling you to 10% off food items at the mountain, plus discounts and several top restaurants in Glenwood Springs and Carbondale.
Telluride’s flagship restaurant at the top of the gondola offers an incredibly unique mountain top dining experience at 10,551 feet. General Manager Mario Petillo welcomes guests into the warmth of Allred’s to enjoy an evening of fine wines, hand crafted cocktails and a memorable dining experience. Enjoy drinks and a light supper in Allred’s cozy bar while taking in the beauty of alpenglow as the sun sets over the town of Telluride, a few thousand feet below.
Brand new for the 2018-19 season, Winter Park resort will offer Sunset Mountaintop Après. Beginning January 3, you can take the new Winter Park gondola to the Lodge at Sunspot for a daily après from 2:30- 5:30 pm. You don’t even need a lift ticket as all foot passengers will be allowed up for free after 2:30 pm. Live music will be included Fridays and Saturdays.
Guests who arrive before lifts are turning or who skipped breakfast before heading up are in for a treat when stopping by Prospector Grill for a homemade breakfast. Prospector Grill breakfast menu items include a smothered breakfast burrito with handcrafted Green Chili Stew, breakfast sandwiches on freshly baked croissants, made to order omelets and the classic biscuits with gravy. The Continental, on top of the Treasure Lift, offers specialty coffees, waffles and Danish pastries.
Skiers and boarders who are out on the mountain are able to stop into the Raven’s Roost, the second level of the Raven’s Nest, to grab a slice of gourmet pizza while enjoying a beer from a local brewery. The Raven’s Roost is a prime location for lunch goers to watch skiers and riders explore the mountain while indulging in a delectable homemade pizza slice, gourmet salad bar or enjoying a cup of famous Santa Fe style spicy Green Chili.
