The Best Places to Eat and Drink Along I-70 While You Wait Out Ski Traffic

Well, your last turn was at 2, your quads are shot, and it’s time to call it a day so you can recover in time for the next pow day. The ever-so-slight problem? You’re not getting home anytime soon. Instead of parking it—literally—on I-70 and cursing the thread of burgundy streaking across your maps app, might we recommend taking a load off?

Below, we’ve picked out our favorite roadside hideaways for grub and bevvies. Replenish lost calories, wet your whistle, and kick back while you wait out the mayhem. Friendly reminder: No one enjoys you when you’re hangry.

Best Restaurants off I-70

If you’ve found yourself coming down from Vail, Copper, Breckenridge, Winter Park, or even just Echo Mountain, you’re not alone—and you probably know it. Here, our favorite highway escapes along the I-70 corridor from Beaver Creek east to Golden.

Edwards

You’ve got a long drive ahead, but instead of filing into the aisle of Subarus and Jeeps, channel your inner Bo Nix and call an audible—in the form of a little culinary detour along Edwards Village Boulevard. The strip is booming with some of the valley’s tastiest eats.

You skied Beaver Creek’s steeps, bumps, and aspen-loaded glades from bell to bell and your legs are Jell-O. Happy hour (daily from 4 to 5:30 p.m.) at Craftsman (56 Edwards Village Boulevard, #112, Edwards) will have you ready to hit the pavement in no time. Margs and old fashioneds are just $10 and snacks range from a $6 plate of parmesan fries to a juicy $12 burger with griddled onions, pickles, and special sauce.

Nothing calms road rage nerves like a little brie, bleu, and wine. Let the cheesemonger and vino experts at Drunken Goat (56 Edwards Village Boulevard, #104, Edwards) set you up with a happy hour (daily from 3 to 5 p.m.) spread worth lingering over. Nibble on $2 oysters and $8 glasses of wine while the open-format kitchen preps your black pepper goat cheese bruschetta and shaved New York strip pimento cheesesteaks.

The buttery sourdough garlic knots and cacio e pepe pizza at Il Mago (56 Edwards Village Boulevard, #112, Edwards) will quickly help you forget your traffic woes, especially when washed down with a cucumber spritz. Plus, kids love the gelato sundaes—so the whole family can enjoy the pit stop.

Vail

Instead of fighting the crowds to leave after a weekend spent in Vail, settle into a seat at Los Amigos (400 Bridge Street, Vail) in Vail Village near the base of Gondola One. You will pay Vail prices for objectively meh food, but hear us out: Time it right and a window seat provides A+ rubbernecking of gapers optimistically opting for the black-diamond Pepi’s Face instead of the green-circle cat track. Dinner and a show!

Looking for a more upscale menu? Check out El Segundo (223 Gore Creek Drive, Vail) along Gore Creek in the Vail Village and toast your day’s turns with fresh-shaken citrusy margs and a pool of Hatch-chile-laced queso fundido. The eclectic menu features everything from 24-hour-brined and slow-roasted carnitas to Korean barbecue-style wagyu beef tacos. Or, if that’s not quite your speed, check out the always amicable and affordable Westside Cafe (2211 North Frontage Road West, Vail) in West Vail for red elk chili burgers and pints before hitting the road.

Craving a treat-yourself après scene? The dream team from Sweet Basil brings the heat at Mountain Standard (193 Gore Creek Drive, Vail) where chefs cook over an open wood fire. Warm up over smoked clam chowdah, wood-fired lamb kafta, and corned pork shank.

Leadville

If you choose to try to dodge I-70 altogether by cutting down to U.S. 285 through Leadville, do not miss High Mountain Pies (115 West 4th Street, Leadville). Made in the highest incorporated city in America, these pizzas are wacky and so worth it (try the Crocodile: barbecue sauce, mozz, shrimp, jalapeños, bacon, and cream cheese). If you’re more of a traditionalist, there’s always the build-your-own calzone, a sub on a baguette, or a plate of wings to tide you over before you brave the road again.

For nourishing, sustainably sourced bites, stop by Treeline Kitchen (615 Harrison Avenue, Leadville) and order the local grass-fed beef meatballs, vegetable curry, or roasted vegetable and baby kale winter salad. The kids menu is built around classics that include buttered noodles and chicken tenders, and the warm peanut butter cookie skillet with concord grape ice cream is something the whole family can get onboard with.

Frisco, Silverthorne, and Dillon

Most folks peeling off I-70 before the Eisenhower Tunnel file into gas stations and fast-food joints—don’t follow them. Just off the highway, Outer Range Brewing Company’s strip-mall-adjacent location (182 Lusher Court, Frisco) means parking is easy, and there’s plenty of seating spread throughout its two stories and multiple dog-friendly patios. Place an order for self-described Thai-ish fried chicken and a side of poke tots at Bird Craft’s food window before snagging one of the state’s best hazy IPAs.

In the same parking lot as the brewery, find Pure Kitchen (116 Basecamp Way, Frisco) and its uber-clean menu of from-scratch organic bowls, flatbreads, and salads. Try the Summit stir fry noodle bowl or the fig and prosciutto flatbread for a feel-good nosh before braving the I-70 eastbound onramp.

If you’re coming from Breck, consider stopping off at Prosit (313 East Main Street, Frisco) before hitting the highway. An authentic German beer hall, Prosit’s carb-heavy menu of brews, sausages, and pretzels is sure to satisfy the hangriest passenger for less than $20. Popping off Exit 205 and heading toward Dillon leads you to locally owned Saved By the Wine (765 W. Anemone Trail, Dillon), where sips of pinot and bites of charcuterie and fresh-baked French bread are best enjoyed on the velvety couch over a game of chess.

Georgetown

Cabin Creek Brewing (577 Twenty-Second Street, Georgetown) might be the best-kept secret on I-70. Tucked in Georgetown (population: 1,200), this lakeside pub serves up killer views down Clear Creek Canyon and even more decadent delights worthy of flipping your right-hand blinker, from loaded Colorado tots (applewood bacon, green chiles, queso) to elk bratwurst cooked in Argentine amber lager. And the house-brewed beers? They’ll help you forget about the interstate altogether.

Idaho Springs

This little mining town packs a culinary punch with fan favorites like Tommyknocker Brewery (1401 Miner Street, Idaho Springs) and Beau Jo’s (1517 Miner Street, Idaho Springs)—so don’t be surprised if you hit another queue on your quest for relaxation. You might have better luck at lesser-known Westbound and Down Brewing (1617 Miner St, Idaho Springs), which dishes up a fried chicken sandwich that’s to die for, or Smokin’ Yards (2736 Colorado Boulevard, Idaho Springs), one exit later. There, it’s all about the barbecue: chopped beef brisket and craveable sides like fried pickles and country-style mac and cheese.

Golden

You’re so close, we know—but if you need one more beverage to ease your traffic temper (or you know there’s no food in the fridge at home), Over Yonder Brewing (18455 West Colfax Avenue #103, Golden) can turn things around. Tip back a Tree Skier pale ale while you browse the charcuterie boards and gourmet sandos of neighbor Launch Café, which will deliver to your table at the pub. You can also step next door to Vice Kitchen (18445 West Colfax Avenue #104, Golden) if you want something a little more upscale: wine, whiskey, and entrees like elk tenderloin, bison ribeye, and a grilled salmon BLT. Call ahead for a (highly encouraged) reservation: 303-216-2568.

Best Restaurants off U.S. Highway 285

Whether you’re homebound from Crested Butte or you booked it south to U.S. 285 right as weather put the kibosh on I-70, you’re in for slow goings here, too. Luckily, some of our favorite watering holes litter this route. Here, our tried-and-true highway escapes along the U.S. Highway 285 corridor from Buena Vista east to Conifer.

Buena Vista

Whether you’re sneaking over from Crested Butte or Monarch Mountain, Buena Vista has the treats you need to fuel up for the ride home. Hit up Eddyline Brewery (926 South Main Street, Buena Vista) for beer and steak frites with hand-cut truffle fries or the hearty layered shepherd’s pie. Carbo-load at the historic Lariat (206 East Main Street, Buena Vista), where green chile mac and cheese and a short-rib blend burger highlight a menu that will make you want to move to the mountains. Another option: Toast a perfect adventure with a cocktail at Deerhammer Distillery (321 East Main Street, Buena Vista), where views of the Collegiate Peaks swallow you whole.

Fairplay

If the wind picks up, U.S. 285 can shut its doors at Fairplay. Consider yourself lucky: Highside Brewing’s (411 U.S. Highway 285, Fairplay) third and newest outpost sits at the crux and offers up plenty of distraction. Order a Blue River IPA or aptly named Fairplay Windbreaker imperial stout and play pinball, pool, darts, or foosball while the Colorado BBQ Company food truck puts the finishing touches on your smoked wings with pickled veggies.

Across the highway, casual counter-service gem Otto’s (450 U.S. Highway 285, Fairplay) is serving up America’s highest fried chicken at 9,995 feet. Owner Brian “Otto” Beck stands by his roadside eatery’s slogan “don’t eat and drive.” Pull over for his famous hot honey chicken sandwich instead. It’s marinated in buttermilk, tossed in homemade hot honey buffalo sauce, and served with a crunchy pickled serrano pepper house slaw—a dripping handheld that consistently packs Otto’s parking lot.

Grant

Add virtually no mileage to your itinerary when you stop at the Shaggy Sheep (50455 U.S. Highway 285, Grant), a roadside haunt serving lunch and dinner, plus “small bites” like burgers and wings, during the winter season. Best bet for weary travelers? An overflowing bowl of house green chile and one (OK, two) $4 Fat Tires.

Bailey

While you may be tempted to simply stop for gas and keep on going, Bailey offers up a scrumptious diversion if you’re over the two-lane traffic: the Cutthroat Cafe (157 Main Street, Bailey). Chow down on the best down-home cooking along the 285 corridor with delicious entrees like chili dogs, country-fried steak, and loaded baked potatoes. If you’re headed back early, catch the breakfast menu until 2 p.m. on weekends—the French toast and chili relleno will have you thinking less about the road and more about the next time you can return to the Cutthroat.

Conifer

You might be close to home, but don’t pass up a shrimp po’boy or Philly cheesesteak pita wrap. Rocky Mountain Wraps (25997 Conifer Road Units A & B, Conifer) serves up the cure to road rage with a fast-casual menu that allows for ordering ahead. Snowpack Taproom and Pizzeria (11863 Springs Road #210, Conifer) dishes up everything from Detroit-style pan pies to a pistachio cream, stracciatella, and applewood smoked ham panino on toasted rosemary and sea salt focaccia. The bottle shop also hosts an impressive collection of boutique Colorado beers if you want to buy a celebratory drink for enjoying when you finally make it home.