If you’re like much of Colorado’s leaf-loving population, autumn has you lacing up your boots to hike among the gilded aspen… and then immediately Googling the nearest menus showcasing our great state’s field-plucked fall fare.

When your journeys take you to the Western Slope, follow Carbondale townies to Roosters’ stylish patio to sip fresh-pressed juices and fuel up before a day of leaf peeping. Or make the Main Street eatery your post-hike pit stop—brunch is served daily until 2 p.m.

A little whole food holistic, a little home-cooked comfort, Roosters lets you do you. Relax over screwmosas ($8)—a juicy screwdriver paired with a bubbly mimosa—and tequila-spiked Mexican coffees ($8) then revel in the extra Gruyere and crisp hash browns on your open-face sourdough breakfast patty melt ($12). Plant-based eaters can dig into zingy carrot-lemon-ginger juice ($6) and a fluffy tamari tofu veggie hash ($13).

In a nod to the region’s rich soil and devoted farmers and ranchers, Roosters pulls from the harvest to shape its seasonal plates. A glance through dinner offerings reveals Colorado lamb loin chops; fire-roasted corn with chipotle crema; fried local eggplant with burrata and sunflower pesto; and a rotisserie lineup of organic brined and dry-rubbed chicken and rolled pork belly with seasonal chutney.

Roosters in Carbondale
A carrot-lemon-ginger juice on the dog-friendly patio at Roosters. Photo by Lisa Blake

There’s a hipster-on-the-farm vibe thanks to kitschy metal rooster weathervanes, bumping indie tunes, unisex bathrooms, wooden community tables, and Edison-style string lights. Outside, a patio welcomes slow brunching with pillow-lined wagon bench nooks in bright rust-orange tones. Dogs are welcomed with water bowls and ample shade to nap.

Be sure to sip a cup from Mountain Coffee Roasters ($2.50), specially blended for Roosters, and consider the progressive drink add-ons such as activated charcoal or bee pollen ($1) or full-spectrum hemp tincture ($1.50).

Whether it’s before your Mushroom Rock trek or when you’re famished after tackling nearby 12,953-foot Mt. Sopris, Roosters is a charming adventurist destination.

If you go: Enjoy live music during weekend brunch, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Happy hour is 2–5 p.m. daily with a discounted bar menu and $3 draft beer. Ask about the new $5 hand pie selection. 348 Main St., Carbondale; 970-510-3181

Lisa Blake
Lisa Blake
Lisa Blake is a freelance writer and children's book author living in Breckenridge. When she's not writing about food and mountain adventures, she can be found on the river with her son, pug and husband.