Prime River Front Dining

Let a river provide background music for your dining pleasure

By Steve Graham 

With spring here and COVID-19 still hanging around, it’s the ideal season for outdoor dining with a rushing river providing ambiance. 

Colorado has plenty of great patios for eating outside, but a scant few, however, are located along the waters that initiate high in our Rocky Mountains. Here are five rare riverfront gems across Colorado for enjoying a craft beverage and a meal al fresco.

As the temperature creeps up and the wildflowers begin to emerge, take advantage of these chances to chill before or after a mountain adventure. 

Mama Rose’s

Estes Park

Estes Park has a charming riverwalk along the Big Thompson, with a playground, a couple of coffee shops and a Dairy Queen. The best bet for a full meal on the river is Mama Rose’s, which serves homemade pasta and sauces, and classic Italian favorites at reasonable prices for this tourist town. Mama also offers craft beer and an extensive wine list. During quieter times of the year, diners might see an elk or deer wandering the hillside across from the outdoor patio.

Boathouse Cantina

Salida

Sure, it sounds like a beachfront dive in San Diego, but the Boathouse Cantina is actually a Salida restaurant that serves American and Baja Mexican food, and focuses on organic ingredients and local meat, produce and craft beer. And it’s adjacent to the Arkansas River, one of the best rafting spots in the nation. Surely, you’ll want to grab a boat and some gear and head toward the nearest downstream eddy. 

Mishawaka Amphitheatre

Bellvue

The Poudre River is the only designated “wild and scenic” river in Colorado, but it can be tricky to find a place to dine and enjoy that scenery. Thankfully, one of the only options is also among the best riverfront restaurants in Colorado. It also has an established and regular outdoor music venue that is second only to Red Rocks for stunning views. The Mishawaka has pretty good pub fare on its full menu, as well as a grab-and-go outdoor kitchen slinging burgers and dogs all summer. Note that parking is very limited, especially for concerts and nice weekend afternoons.

Rapids Lodge

Grand Lake

Much of Grand Lake is built up around the namesake lake, but the town also boasts a historic lodge and restaurant right on the Tonahutu River. The lodge has been in operation since 1915, and now offers an extensive dinner menu and wine list year-round, as well as a lighter sandwich-focused lunch menu from May through early October. It’s a bit difficult to find but well worth getting off the beaten path to enjoy the surrounding natural beauty.

Rivers Restaurant

Glenwood Springs

Finally, if you want to go upscale and upriver, check out the appropriately named Rivers, a fine-dining establishment right on the Roaring Fork in Glenwood Springs. The menu includes classic steaks alongside Colorado lamb, duck and trout, as well as creative takes on local game, such as the elk and wild mushroom potstickers. 

Steve Graham is a freelance writer and former newspaper editor who takes his two boys biking, hiking and brewery-hopping in northern Colorado.