Pagosa Springs restaurants cover all the gastronomic bases, from family-owned Mexican restaurants and beloved pizza joints to buzzing cafes and upscale riverside dining. These eateries are right near the flowing and beautiful San Juan River, many with patios overlooking the water, and are easily accessible by foot from our Pagosa Springs hotel – a few of them are right next door, our friendly neighbors on the banks of the river.
Come for the mountain adventures, which are endless in our region of southern Colorado, and prepare to be delighted by the wide-ranging and impressive restaurant scene in Pagosa Springs.
Artisan Coffee, Homemade Bread, and Outdoorsy Fun on the Riverwalk
Start your morning with a stroll along the Riverwalk Trail, accessible right from your Riverwalk Inn room, which takes you along the river into downtown Pagosa Springs. Whether biking, going for a casual walk, readying for a river float, or bird-watching, the Riverwalk is the scenic artery following the river’s winding path and home base for Pagosa outdoor recreation.
Cafe Root House
445 San Juan St, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
Near the big turn in the river, you’ll find the hip cafe Root House, which pours everything from macchiatos and dirty chais to coffee-tinged cocktails like Cowboy Coffee (hint: it has an extra kick from whiskey). Get some avocado toast, upgraded with garlic and hemp seeds, or bite into one of their signature cinnamon rolls, made even more delectable with their maple espresso glaze. True coffee connoisseurs will also appreciate the devotion shown in their pour-over coffees, made to order with single-origin beans. After getting caffeinated, continue your walk along the river to check out the geodesic gardening domes next door and then finish with a soak in the free Hippie Dip hot springs, just a short walk away.
Pagosa Baking Company
238 Pagosa St, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
On a different morning, indulge your inner bread lover at Pagosa Baking Company, where you’ll be hard-pressed to choose between quiches, wraps, blueberry walnut coffee cake, and more muffins than you can imagine. Lifelong baker Kathy Keyes started the bakery out of her garage over 20 years ago, harnessing her craft and developing a loyal following for her prowess with baked goods. The bakery’s home is a cabin dating back to 1906, adding to its rustic vibe, and the pies are as mouth-watering as their daily selection of fresh loaves of bread, perfect for bringing home a rye, challah, or green chile ciabatta, a savory souvenir of your stay in Pagosa.
Authentic Mexican Cuisine, A Beer Mecca, and an Upscale Date-Night Eatery All Right Next Door
We’re grateful to have several Pagosa Springs restaurants as neighbors, nestled alongside us between the San Juan River and East Highway 160.
Beny's Authentic Mexican Restaurant & Bar
180 E Pagosa St, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
Beny’s is a local favorite and family-owned, where you’ll find tried-and-true Mexican food and a welcoming ambiance, with brightly-colored decor reminiscent of an eatery in small-town Mexico. You’ll find all the Mexican food classics like enchiladas, tacos, chile relleno, seven different burritos (including veggie options), and specialty items like pozole and mole. Try their tasty margaritas, made in the traditional style or with twists like prickly pear and blood orange. They’re also open at 7 am, a convenient way to grab an early breakfast (their morning menu has Mexican choices like huevos rancheros and machaca, but also french toast, hash browns, and eggs benedict) before hitting the Pagosa hot springs or heading out for a day of OHV-riding on the nearby trails in the national forest.
Riff Raff on the Rio
356 E Pagosa St, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
On the opposite side of Beny’s relative to our location, you’ll find two of the most popular Pagosa Springs restaurants, each bringing their unique small mountain-town charm. Riff Raff on the Rio is the newest outpost of Riff Raff Brewing, which has been crafting quality craft beer in town for a decade. You can’t miss their massive silo outside, housing the grain for their 15-barrel brewing system, where they make hoppy IPAs, creative beers like a green chile ale, and seasonal brews like pumpkin ale and oatmeal stout.
Share a plate of Canadian poutine or sweet potato fries as you sip on frosty beers, followed by comfort food like meatloaf or eight different burgers (try the jalapeno cream-cheese burger for an inventive twist). Fitting right in with the earthy ethos of Pagosa Springs, Riff Raff is proudly “earth-powered,” harnessing the thermal power of the hot springs to heat their building, melt snow in their parking lot, and provide heat during their brewing process.
Meander Riverside Eatery
358 E Pagosa St, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
Meander Riverside Eatery shares similar riverside views as Riff Raff but is a step up in price and a bit more refined, ideal for a romantic date night. Although a newer restaurant in Pagosa, head chef Justin Jacobs brings serious kitchen chops harnessed in Denver and Boulder to his menu, all seasonal and sourced from local farms. Whether lamb kabobs, pork rillette, Italian sausage rigatoni, northern Thai style Khao Soi, or homemade ice cream and 16 specialty cocktails, the food is as mesmerizing as the San Juan River rushing by their covered back deck.
The Best Pizza in Town and Classy Fare at Alley House
Mountain Pizza & Tap Room
175 Pagosa Street, Pagosa Springs, Colorado 81147
Following an epic day of skiing or snowboarding at nearby Wolf Creek (legendary for its snowfall totals, often the most of any resort in Colorado), warm up with a delicious pie and microbrew at Mountain Pizza and Taproom. Since opening in 2018, they’ve become one of the hottest Pagosa Springs restaurants – their indoor dining room is always packed, and the outdoor patio is full of locals socializing, listening to live music, and trading stories about the day’s rafting, hiking, skiing, or waterfall-chasing outings. Share one of their specialty pizzas – one is aptly named the Wolf Creek Pass – or choose from calzones, fettuccine alfredo, and garlic knots.
Alley House Grille
214 Pagosa St, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
Just across Pagosa Street, you’ll find the Alley House Grille, named for the historic Lucille Alley cottage from which they converted their stylish and elegant eatery. Their “New American” menu includes roasted butternut squash, Chilean sea bass, apps like calamari and pork belly, and main plates like elk tenderloin and prime filet. They also sling pizzas to rival their neighbor across the way, taking it up a notch with toppings like garlic cream, Calabrian chiles, harissa aioli, and smoked blue cheese. Happy hour is the perfect time to sample their delicious offerings – from 4-5:30 pm, all appetizers, cocktails, and pizza are 25% off.
Stay with us and indulge your taste buds with the best of what Pagosa Springs restaurants are serving up!