Casual food carries a mountain town. People who have been on a trail all day want a burger, a smoked plate or a deli sandwich without a long wait or a dress code, and Estes Park has 17 spots that fit. All of them are in the valley, from Moraine Avenue to a store up Devils Gulch.
Casual here means you eat where you can park. I would take barbecue or a deli sandwich to go, drive to something with a view, and skip the downtown line. The elk burgers are worth ordering once.
Downtown
On West Elkhorn next to Park Tavern, this retro burger counter runs on game meat. The elk burger is the order that comes up again and again, with buffalo close behind and an Impossible patty for the holdout.
Right beside the Historic Park Theatre on Moraine Avenue, a few steps off Elkhorn, River Walk Café has tables by the river and a menu that leans on paninis. It opens early and stays a daytime place.
One of the first kitchens in town to open in the morning and one of the last to close at night. The Estes Park McDonald's sits on Big Thompson Avenue near the Visitor Center, next door to the pie diner, with a drive-thru, kiosk ordering and curbside pickup.
The subs carry names like the Uncle Tony and the Jimmy Conway, and the deli behind them uses local bread and Boar's Head meats. Roast beef and the French dip are the sandwiches people order most, along with pepperoni pizza, cheesy bread and a cannoli to finish.
Homemade French bread is what sets this deli apart, and the turkey bacon avocado on it is the sandwich most people order. The Reuben, the Cuban and the shawarma come up often too, and there is sourdough and gluten-free bread for a change.
Late in the evening, when most kitchens in town have shut, this Subway on Big Thompson Avenue is still making sandwiches. It's the standard chain menu of footlongs, wraps and salads, with breakfast in the morning, app ordering for pickup or delivery, and catering for a full rental house.
The same armchair works for a morning espresso and an evening espresso martini at this lounge on East Elkhorn, next to Antlers Rooftop Tavern and Estes Silver & Gold. It runs as a coffee house early and turns into a cocktail room later, with a speakeasy feel.
A bag of sandwiches for the trailhead is the usual job here. Jimmy John's on Steamer Drive, near the Visitor Center, makes the same numbered subs and clubs as every other location: the Billy Club, the Bootlegger, the Beach Club, the Italian Night Club, the Cubano, plus wraps, toasted subs, cookies and the house chips.
The Reuben and the Italian are the sandwiches people name, and bagels and coffee carry the morning at this small shop on East Elkhorn, next to Hayley's Ice Cream. It's one of the newer counters downtown, with homemade desserts in the case and coffee that's worth the stop on its own.
Around the valley
A mile and change out Moraine Avenue, next to Trout Haven Ranch, sits the original Smokin' Dave's, the first of what are now five locations across Northern Colorado. It's on the way to Beaver Meadows, so it works as dinner on the drive back from the Park.
The gyros come up more than the burgers, which says a lot at a place with burgers in its name. Boss sits on Moraine Avenue, a mile and a quarter out of downtown on the road toward Beaver Meadows, and the elk burger is the other thing people come for.
Tortas, carne asada fries and a spicy burger come out of a kitchen inside a gas station on Moraine Avenue, next door to Donut Haus. It's a quick counter with a drive-thru, curly and fresh-cut fries, horchata, and breakfast from early in the day.
For a trail lunch on the way to Beaver Meadows, Scratch Deli on Moraine Avenue builds the sandwiches: pastrami, the Italian, turkey bacon avocado, on focaccia, rye or gluten-free bread. Mornings bring breakfast burritos in country, Spanish, steak and egg and corned beef hash.
The latte is the order here, and the smoothies come close. Bird's Nest is a bakery-cafe on High Drive, about a mile from the Park and a few doors from Scratch Deli, with a pastry case of almond croissants, cinnamon rolls, quiche and a speck ham and fontina croissant, plus breakfast burritos, and soups, paninis and a brisket sandwich at lunch.
The cinnamon rolls are why people make the drive out to Glen Haven, and nearly everyone leaves with a box. They come warm, with cinnamon honey butter if you want it.
Street tacos and the chorizo are the reasons to find La Mexicana, a grocery, carnicería and taquería on Dunraven Street. The counter also turns out breakfast burritos, chilaquiles verdes or rojos, menudo, pozole, quesadillas, barbacoa and tortas, with the carnitas torta coming up again and again.
Brisket is the first thing anyone mentions about LadyBug BBQ, with ribs and pulled pork right behind it and beans and fries holding down the sides. It runs as a food truck on Moraine Avenue, a little over a mile from downtown, set right next to Meadow Mini Golf on the road toward Beaver Meadows.
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All 17 are based in the valley. One of them is a general store out in Devils Gulch, well outside town, and the rest are in or near Estes Park. Summer is the busy season and many businesses cut hours or close in winter, so check hours first.
The list covers more than burgers. Smokin' Dave's BBQ does slow-smoked brisket, ribs and pulled pork. Penelope's and Boss Burgers and Gyros both serve elk burgers, and Penelope's adds buffalo. Delis such as Rocky Mountain Deli and The Sandwich Mafia handle sandwiches on good bread. Fast food and a gas station burger counter are listed too.
Takeout is listed at 16 of the 17, which suits a trip into the Park. Eight allow dogs on the patio, 8 list a kids' menu, and 8 list breakfast. Only 4 have a full bar and only 1 is listed as open after 9 p.m., so plan dinner earlier than you think. Delis on this list also help if you are packing a picnic, and a few places serve breakfast burritos for an early start.
Penelope's World Famous Burgers & Fries and Boss Burgers and Gyros both list elk burgers, and Penelope's adds buffalo patties. Fixtures like Claire's and Elevations Eatery and Bar also feature them under the main restaurants list.
Yes. Smokin' Dave's BBQ on Moraine Avenue serves slow-smoked brisket, ribs and pulled pork, takes online takeout orders and does catering. It opened its first location in Estes Park in 2007. WesTex BBQ also serves Texas-style food at events.
Eight of the 17 listings allow dogs on the patio. Smokin' Dave's BBQ, Boss Burgers and Gyros, Penelope's and River Walk Café are among them. Patio policies can shift with weather and season, so call before bringing a dog.
Takeout is listed at 16 of the 17. Delis like Rocky Mountain Deli and Scratch Deli & Bakery sell sandwiches, and Boss Burgers and Gyros takes online pickup orders. Hours change by season, so check before you drive over.
