17 Incredible Restaurants in Salida, CO You Need to Try
Salida is a river town. The Arkansas River runs right past downtown, rafters and anglers fill the streets in summer, and most of the best restaurants sit within a few blocks of Riverside Park, along F Street, Sackett Avenue and 1st Street. A second cluster sits along U.S. 50, the highway through town.
This guide covers 17 places, from a farm-to-table dining room and a new Italian trattoria to Nepali dumplings, riverside fish tacos, two longtime pizza brewpubs and a solar-powered crêpe cart. Ratings and review counts come from each restaurant’s Google listing in October 2026.
Shavano
Shavano sits at 113 E. Sackett Ave., directly across from Riverside Park, in the downtown space that used to be The Fritz. It calls itself Salida’s farm-to-table restaurant, and owner Robbie Balenger says it was inspired by small, family-run restaurants in Europe. The kitchen is led by chef Jesse Rogers, who worked at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs and at Dunton Hot Springs in the San Juans.
With 4.9 stars from more than 200 Google reviews, Shavano is one of the best-rated tables in town, and it says it was named Best Restaurant in the Mountain Mail’s 2026 Best of Salida awards. Dinner is built for sharing, and visitors single out the lamb kabob, the ribeye, roasted carrots and eggplant. Weekend brunch brings blackened trout and grits, shakshouka (eggs poached in spiced tomato sauce), mushroom toast and the signature Warrior Pudding.
Dinner is served Wednesday through Sunday and brunch on Saturday and Sunday, so check the hours before you go. Reservations are taken for parties of six or more, and smaller groups can walk in. Kabobs and mains are à la carte, so order a few sides and plates for the table. Plan on one of the pricier dinners in town, and ask about the patio on warm evenings.
Address: 113 E Sackett Ave, Salida, CO 81201
Website: friendsofshavano.com
Lago Trattoria
Lago Trattoria is a small Italian restaurant at 148 W. 1st St., next to the Office Bar and a short walk from Riverside Park. It opened in 2026 as a sister to Shavano, with the same owner group and the same chef, Jesse Rogers. The name honors a town in Italy that is a sister city to Salida, and owner Robbie Balenger said the room would be more casual than Shavano, built around single plates.
Lago’s 4.8 stars come from 70 Google reviews so far, which fits a restaurant this new. Chef Rogers has said his favorite dish to make is cacio e pepe, the Roman pasta of pecorino and black pepper. Diners also point to the bolognese, the rigatoni, mafaldine (ribbon pasta with ruffled edges), focaccia with sardines, a fennel salad and prosciutto with figs. The salads follow classic Italian lines.
Lago serves dinner only, Wednesday through Sunday evenings, and is closed Monday and Tuesday, so check hours before you go. Reservations are not advertised, so plan to walk in and consider an earlier seating. The menu is short, and dishes change, so treat the list above as a guide. Dogs are allowed, and the downtown location makes it an easy dinner after a walk along the river.
Address: 148 W 1st St, Salida, CO 81201
Currents Steak & Seafood
Currents Steak & Seafood is a long-running downtown restaurant at 122 N. F St., a short walk from Riverside Park. Two Salida residents, Brad Smith and Chris Tracy, opened it in January 2011, and it is known for oysters, steaks and seafood specials. The restaurant says it has the largest wine selection in Salida.
With 4.4 stars from more than 1,200 Google reviews, Currents is a good pick when your group wants variety. Regulars return to the full fried chicken, the stroganoff, calamari and lobster queso, and they also mention French onion soup, fish and chips, chicken pot pie and a bangers and mash made with pheasant sausage. Steak and seafood are the headline, and the Coho salmon salad is a lighter choice.
Currents is open seven days a week from 11 a.m., closing at 9 p.m. most nights and 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, so check hours before you go. It does not take reservations, so it is first come, first served. Online ordering is available for takeout. Expect prices a step above the pizza and burger places, and ask about happy hour.
Address: 122 N F St, Salida, CO 81201
Website: salida-currents.com
Boathouse Cantina
Boathouse Cantina has stood on the bank of the Arkansas River at 228 N. F St. since 2007, and its deck looking out over the water is the draw. It is within a block of Riverside Park. Owners Ray and Penny Kitson have lived in Salida for more than 30 years, and the restaurant says it makes 98 percent of what it serves from scratch.
Rated 4.4 stars from more than 3,300 Google reviews, it is one of the most-reviewed restaurants in town. The menu mixes Baja-style Mexican food with American pub favorites. Order the Baja fish tacos with wild-caught snapper and Cajun remoulade, Sage’s pork green chili (a Colorado stew of pork and green chiles), the Boathouse rellenos wrapped in an egg roll shell, or the Cowboy fish and chips, battered with Salida Brewing Company red ale. About two dozen draft beers are poured.
Boathouse does not take reservations. Put your name on the list and the restaurant texts you when a table opens, and there are spots to wait with a drink or an appetizer. It opens daily at 11 a.m. and closes at 8 or 9 p.m. depending on the day, so check before you go. Well-behaved leashed dogs are welcome on the street-side patio, and there is a kids menu.
Address: 228 N F St, Salida, CO 81201
Website: boathousesalida.com
High Side! Bar & Grill
High Side sits on the Arkansas River at 300 W. Sackett Ave., a couple of blocks from Riverside Park, with a riverside patio where rafters can float up, grab a drink and eat by the water. The name is a whitewater call, the shout a raft crew gives to shift weight and keep the boat from tipping. Longtime team members Hallie Whittington and Johnny Shepard took over in September 2024.
Rated 4.5 stars from more than 800 Google reviews, High Side is part sports bar, part patio. The headline item is the build-your-own smash burger, made with Colorado Angus beef, Salida Sauce and a brioche bun. Starters include ahi tuna nachos, southwest egg rolls, fried pickles and wings in sauces such as hot honey and mango habanero. The hot honey fried chicken sandwich and the truffle parmesan mac and cheese round out the menu.
Live music plays on Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m., and the big screens carry NFL Sunday Ticket. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday from 3 to 5 p.m. and late Monday through Thursday from 9 p.m. to midnight. Reservations are not mentioned, so plan on walking in. Check the hours before you go.
Address: 300 W Sackett Ave, Salida, CO 81201
Website: highsidesalida.com
Amicas Pizza & Microbrew
Amicas is at 127 F St., in the historic Gambles building, a couple of blocks from Riverside Park. It has been part of Salida since 2002 and moved into this building in 2016. Its original location had once been the town’s funeral home, which inspired plenty of ghost stories. Several longtime team members became co-owners in 2020, and the restaurant describes itself as employee-owned.
With 4.7 stars from more than 2,300 Google reviews, Amicas is one of the most popular spots in town. The thin-crust pizzas range from a classic Margherita to the Michelangelo, with pesto, Italian sausage, green chiles and goat cheese, and a Thai pizza with chili peanut sauce. The salads won Best Salad in the 2026 Best of Salida awards. Save room for tiramisu or the flourless chocolate torta di seta, and take home a bottle of the house spicy oil.
Amicas is open seven days a week, and you order at your table. Baked pastas such as the lasagna come with a side salad and garlic toast. Parties of eight or more get an automatic 20 percent service charge, and card payments carry a small fee, so read the menu. Gluten-free crusts, dairy-free cheese and vegan options are available, though the kitchen is not gluten-free.
Address: 127 F St, Salida, CO 81201
Website: amicassalida.com
Moonlight Pizza & Brewpub
Moonlight opened in 1994 and calls itself Salida’s oldest restaurant. Founders Dave Ward and Andy Vigil bought a Daylight Donuts on Highway 50, found pizza equipment inside and decided on donuts by daylight and pizza by moonlight. It now sits at 242 F St., on the site of an old Presbyterian church that later became a Sinclair gas station. Kyle and Brenna Buskist became the sole owners in 2023.
Its 4.6-star rating across more than 2,900 Google reviews makes it one of the town’s most-reviewed restaurants. Pick a specialty pie: the T-Guns, with spinach, pepperoni, tomato, cream cheese and jalapeños, is billed as a local favorite, and the Mirkwood Chicken mixes chicken, green chiles and cream cheese with barbecue and red sauce. The Cosmic Hawaiian, with pineapple and Canadian bacon, is a visitor favorite, and the Caveman piles on pepperoni, sausage and Canadian bacon. Beer has been brewed in-house since 2011.
A lunch special of one slice and a drink runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and happy hour is Sunday through Wednesday afternoons. The patio is pet friendly. Beer comes as pints, flights, cans and growlers, and the brewery now sits next door in the former DMV building. The restaurant is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Gluten-free crusts are available, though it is not a gluten-free kitchen.
Address: 242 F St, Salida, CO 81201
Website: moonlightpizza.biz
Siam Noodles
Siam Noodles is a Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese noodle restaurant at 216 N. F St., across the street from Riverside Park, in a cozy space that for years held a family-run Italian restaurant. Thuma Ritthikrai runs it with his sister and her husband, who also own Sushi Thai around the corner on W. First St., which has been open in Salida since 2021.
With 4.8 stars from more than 100 Google reviews, Siam has a loyal following. Start with khao soi, the Northern Thai curry noodle soup, served with a whole chicken leg or beef over egg noodles with crispy noodles and pickled vegetables. The Japanese-style ramen comes with soy, tonkotsu (pork bone) or spicy miso broth. There is also Vietnamese pho, Eggplant Basil and Pad Woon Sen, a stir-fry of glass noodles made from mung beans.
Siam is open every day except Monday for lunch and dinner, with an afternoon break, and it takes reservations by phone at (719) 207-4699. A local news report from the end of 2025 listed lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m., so call to confirm. Ramen bowls are priced like a sit-down dinner. Beer, wine, sake and Korean soju are on the menu.
Address: 216 N F St, Salida, CO 81201
Website: siamnoodlessalida.com
Sherpa Cafe
Sherpa Cafe serves Nepali, Tibetan and Indian food at 1110 E. Rainbow Blvd. (U.S. 50), on the east side of town, just under a mile from Riverside Park. Prayer flags out front are easy to spot from the road. It opened in Salida in January 2022 as an extension of Sherpa Cafe in Crested Butte and Gunnison, run by a team from Nepal, and the owners say locals had been asking for it for about five years.
Rated 4.7 stars from more than 300 Google reviews, it is a good stop for a warming bowl. Order momo, steamed Tibetan dumplings filled with vegetables, chicken or beef, and thukpa, a big bowl of Tibetan-style noodle soup. The Sherpa stew has chicken, lamb, vegetables and flour dumplings, and the saag, a creamed spinach dish, comes plain or with tofu, paneer or chicken. Naan is baked in a tandoor oven.
The restaurant lists lunch and dinner every day and offers dine-in and take-away. Check its Facebook page or call (719) 207-4116 for current hours and any seasonal break. There are plenty of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices, and prices are moderate. Reservations are not mentioned, so plan to walk in.
Address: 1110 US-50, Salida, CO 81201
Website: sherpacafesalida.com
Casa Calaca
Casa Calaca is a Mexican restaurant at 413 W. Rainbow Blvd. (U.S. 50), on the west side of town about a mile and a half from Riverside Park. It has a full bar and a large patio, and reviewers mention skull art all over the dining room. The owners have more than 15 years of restaurant experience.
Its 4.6-star rating across more than 800 Google reviews rests on big, familiar plates. The carne asada plate and the street tacos are the favorites. Cheese enchiladas, chicken mole enchiladas and a crispy chile relleno (a roasted green chile stuffed with cheese and fried) come up often too. The chips arrive with a spicy salsa, and the margaritas are made with fresh-squeezed lime.
Casa Calaca is open for lunch and dinner every day, closing around 8:30 or 9 p.m., so check hours before you go. At busy dinner times expect a short wait at the door. Takeout and delivery are offered, and the patio is pleasant on warm evenings. Portions are generous, so plan on leftovers. Prices are reasonable, and there are happy hour specials.
Address: 413 W Rainbow Blvd, Salida, CO 81201
Soulcraft Brewing
Soulcraft Brewing calls itself Salida’s hometown brewery, and it sits at 248 W. Rainbow Blvd. (U.S. 50), between G and H streets. Founder Mike LaCroix had been head brewer at Amicas before he and his partners opened Soulcraft in 2016, and the Salida Chamber of Commerce named it Business of the Year for 2018. It is about 1.2 miles west of Riverside Park, outside the walkable downtown.
Soulcraft has 4.7 stars from more than 700 Google reviews. The beers include X-Ray IPA, All Mountain Amber, a Mexican lager and a green chile beer, plus lagers, stouts and seasonal pours that rotate. The kitchen turns out smashburgers (the Colorado adds roasted green chiles and chipotle aioli), a lemongrass chicken banh mi (a Vietnamese sandwich on a baguette), brisket nachos and tomato soup with grilled cheese.
The taproom is open from noon to 9 p.m. and the kitchen closes at 8 p.m., according to the brewery, so check the hours before you go. Visitors say you order at the bar and pick up food when a buzzer goes off. There is a large indoor taproom and a beer garden, and the events calendar includes live music and trivia. Dogs are welcome on the patio, visitors report.
Address: 248 W Rainbow Blvd, Salida, CO 81201
Website: soulcraftbeer.com
The Crossroads
The Crossroads is a small burger spot at 142 W. Rainbow Blvd. (U.S. 50), on the west side of town about 1.2 miles from Riverside Park. Owner Eric Burns has cooked and run restaurants for more than 25 years, and locals may remember him as “The Burger Guy” from the Crossroads Cafe burger truck in Centennial Park. The restaurant has indoor seating and a place to sit outside.
Rated 4.9 stars from more than 500 Google reviews, it keeps the menu short and local. The burger is a hand-pattied third-pounder made from locally sourced beef, and the fries are twice-cooked. Order the Gyro Burger, topped with pan-fried lamb and beef and a horseradish-feta tzatziki, or the Crossroads Cubano, built on house-smoked pork loin, ham, Swiss and mustard. The Smokey, slow-smoked and sautéed in barbecue sauce, is a house favorite.
Hours are short and daytime only, roughly 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and sources disagree about Monday, so call (719) 239-0392 before you drive over. You can dine in or take out. Burgers are among the more affordable meals in town. Gluten-free bread, a tortilla or a lettuce wrap costs a dollar extra, and half racks of apple-hickory-smoked ribs are sold to take home and bake.
Address: 142 W Rainbow Blvd, Salida, CO 81201
Website: ccsalida.com
The Biker & The Baker
The Biker & The Baker is upstairs at 129 W. Sackett Ave., at Sackett and G Street across from the SteamPlant, in a three-story building it shares with Sweetie’s Sandwich Shop. Both are owned by Rob and Sarah Gartzman. Rob is the executive chef, and Sarah is the pastry chef who also brings sommelier skills. Sweetie’s opened in 2012, and The Biker & The Baker followed in 2017 as a wine and dessert bar.
Rated 4.6 stars from more than 400 Google reviews, it began as an evening wine and dessert bar and now serves brunch every day. At brunch, try the Biker Bennie, its take on eggs Benedict on a poblano polenta cake with chipotle hollandaise, the Baker Bennie on buttermilk biscuits, the kimchi hash or the sourdough French toast. Dinner is small plates, from charcuterie to whipped feta and salmon croquettes, plus desserts like the Porto tiramisu.
Brunch is served daily from 8 a.m. to noon, and dinner is Thursday through Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m. The wine list is long, and the cocktail list is split between the Biker’s tequila and mezcal drinks and the Baker’s martinis and espresso drinks. It is a good stop for dessert after a day on the river. Reservations are not mentioned online, so call 719-207-4001 if you want to check.
Address: 129 W Sackett Ave St, Salida, CO 81201
Website: thebikerandthebaker.com
Sweetie’s Sandwich Shop
Sweetie’s Sandwich Shop is on the ground floor of 129 W. Sackett Ave., in the same building as The Biker & The Baker upstairs, a couple of blocks from Riverside Park. Rob and Sarah Gartzman founded it in 2012 and own both places, and the two moved into this building together in December 2020. The shop makes more than 60 sandwiches, plus bread, pastries, seasonal soups and salads.
Sweetie’s 4.7 stars from more than 900 Google reviews reflect a very long menu, and the shop says it has been voted Best Sandwich in the local Best of Salida awards since 2013. Hot and cold sandwiches have their own sections. Try the Mona Lisa, with prosciutto, stracciatella cheese, arugula and olive oil on sourdough, the Don Draper, with pastrami, horseradish havarti and caramelized onions, or the #23, a rib-eye cheesesteak on a baguette. Every sandwich comes with a pickle.
The shop is open every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can order online for pickup or call (719) 539-4248, and your order waits at the pickup counter. Gluten-free bread is available on request, and half sandwiches are an option for smaller appetites. If baguettes run out, sourdough is substituted.
Address: 129 W Sackett Ave St, Salida, CO 81201
Website: sweetiesinsalida.com
Bunny & Clyde’s Corner Cafe
Bunny & Clyde’s Corner Cafe is a coffee and breakfast spot at 203 W. 1st St., a short walk from F Street and Riverside Park. The menu leans healthy and vegetarian-friendly, with plenty of vegan and gluten-free choices, and the cafe says everything is homemade. Several visitors say the building used to be an auto garage.
With 4.6 stars from more than 300 Google reviews, it is a morning favorite. The Clyde is a breakfast burrito with bacon or sausage, roasted potatoes, green chile, cheddar and egg, and you can smother any burrito in green chili or gravy. Biscuits come with sausage gravy, or with a vegan cashew-mushroom gravy. At lunch, look for chicken makhani (Indian butter chicken), Peruvian beans and rice and the Buddha salad bowl.
The cafe lists hours of 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, until 2 p.m. on Saturday and until noon on Sunday. Breakfast is served until noon and lunch runs from noon to 4 p.m., so a late breakfast can run into the lunch menu. You order at the counter. Coffee drinks and smoothie bowls are part of the draw, and there is seating outside on sunny days.
Address: 203 W 1st St, Salida, CO 81201
Website: bunnyandclydes.com
Mojo’s Eatery
Mojo’s Eatery is a breakfast and lunch spot run by Misty and Andrew Modrzejewski, who bring more than 20 years of restaurant experience. It is at 142 Old Stage Rd., which Google lists as County Road 105, on the east side of town near U.S. 50. That puts it outside the walkable downtown, about a mile from Riverside Park, so plan on a short drive.
With 4.8 stars from more than 500 Google reviews, Mojo’s is worth the detour for brunch. The menu goes beyond the usual: Pork Belly Benny on cheddar-garlic biscuits with chipotle hollandaise, Very Berry French Toast with mascarpone and raspberry coulis, breakfast fried rice with pork belly, and a Farmhouse Hash. At lunch, look for the blue crab cakes with a citrus salad, the short rib melt or the Mojo Burger.
Mojo’s is closed Mondays. Breakfast is served until 11 a.m. on weekdays and noon on weekends, then the lunch menu takes over, and the kitchen closes around 2 or 2:30 p.m. Check the hours before you go, since they vary by day. Call (719) 207-6656 for pickup orders. Reservations are not mentioned, so plan on walking in.
Address: 144 Co Rd 105, Salida, CO 81201
Website: mojoseatery.com
Crêpe Magouille
Crêpe Magouille is a food cart, not a restaurant with a dining room: a vintage horse trailer, a family heirloom, converted to run on solar energy and propane. An American and French couple have served traditional crêpes from Brittany, France, in Salida since September 2024. The cart moves, so there is no fixed storefront, though Google lists an address at 404 E St.
With a perfect 5.0 from more than 100 Google reviews, it is the top-rated stop in this guide. The savory galettes (crêpes made with organic buckwheat flour) are naturally gluten-free. The most popular is the Classic, with Gruyère, thick hickory-smoked ham and a fried egg from Monte Vista, and spinach and green onions can be added. For dessert, try butter and sugar, Nutella or homemade salted caramel, topped with fruit or whipped cream.
Follow its Instagram account, @crepemagouille, for the weekly schedule, which has included Phoenix Coffee on Fridays, and for catering. Hours and locations change from day to day, so check before you go. Each crêpe is made to order, so allow a few minutes. Sweet or savory, one makes a filling breakfast or lunch.
Address: 404 E St, Salida, CO 81201
Website: instagram.com/crepemagouille
Final Thoughts
Salida runs on outdoor time. Eat a big breakfast before a day on the river or the trails, grab a table by the water in the late afternoon, and save Shavano or Lago for the evening, when walk-in tables go quickly. Hours shift with the seasons, so check before you go, especially outside summer.
Planning the rest of your trip? See our guide to the best things to do in Salida, CO.
Main photo, from left: Bohdan Stocek, Nik Owens and Svitlana / Unsplash
