Gunnison is a pretty small town. As such, it doesn’t take too long to try every single restaurant when you’ve lived here for years—as we have. These small towns, or towns not particularly known for their foodie scenes, deserve restaurant guides as much as any, so I figured I’d take a stab at writing one about some of my and my friend’s favorites.
I just wanted to compile the type of post I would look for when visiting a new place. Food is an important part of travel for me, certainly getting its own tab on every trip planning Google sheet I’ve ever made. And it seems the smaller the town, the harder it is to find good info.
I hope this guide to my favorite Gunnison Colorado restaurants, as a local who loves going out to eat, will be helpful for whoever comes across it!
Table of Contents
Patcharee’s Kitchen
Vibe: Mainly take-out, super authentic, local favorite Thai food.
Patcharee’s Kitchen is easily my favorite take-out (and honestly, all-around) restaurant in Gunnison. It’s the best Thai food I had since backpacking Thailand, which I could not be more grateful to have here in our tiny mountain town!
To give you an idea of how good their food is—until recently, they did not have a website nor official restaurant space, and you had to order by calling or texting the phone number you could find on their Facebook page. It was a whole thing, and they still regularly had a multi-day wait for availability. If you wanted Patcharee’s food, you took the next available slot and planned around it.
Thankfully, the ordering process is smoother now, if still a little quirky: You can see which slots they have available for pick-up on their website, and then call to place your order, requesting one of those slots. Since they started this system (and I believe, hired more staff) we haven’t had an issue placing day-of orders, though sometimes we don’t get our first choice of pick-up time and have to plan around that a bit. They also have a restaurant space now and you can dine in, but we haven’t tried that yet (surely will as soon as they start serving beer)! Anyway, like I said, the food really is that good, and everyone in town will agree it’s well worth the effort.
My order: Massaman curry ($22) or Pad Thai ($17), a side of vegetarian Som Tum salad ($18) to share with my husband, and Thai iced tea ($6)
Blackstock Bistro
Vibe: Upscale, darker/romantically lit space, special occasion go-to—but with an awesome (read: delicious and affordable) happy hour menu.
Blackstock is considered one of the nicer restaurants in town, though I think that’s more due to general upscale vibes than unreasonable prices. Don’t get me wrong, they have a few entrées that are very fancy and expensive, and it’s many people’s go-to for special occasions. But it’s possible to have a reasonably priced meal here (by mountain town standards), especially if you hit their happy hour or go on a weeknight (Monday through Thursday they have discounts/special/Ladies Nights, that sort of thing).
If you’re going on a Friday or Saturday night, try to make a reservation. It’s hit or miss if you’ll be out of luck if not.
My order: Blackstock burger with bleu cheese ($20), upgrade the fries to bistro fries (not sure how much $ extra, probably $3-$5), and a Crested Butte Mexican lager (need to check next time we’re there—around $8)
High Alpine Brewing Company
Vibe: Very classic brewery: Two stories, semi-industrial, brick walls, open kitchen, wood-fired pizza, lots of beer. Can be loud.
I am just a sucker for a brewery, and am so grateful Gunnison has an actually good one. If you are in the mood for (overpriced, but usually very good) pizza and local beer, head to High Alpine. We try to sit upstairs, outside if the patio’s open for a great view of Main Street Gunnison.
When we lived outside Boulder, we hit up about a bajillion breweries, and I am happy to say that for me personally High Alpine’s beer is up there with the best of ’em. I’ve truly never had a beer I didn’t like here! Their year-round classics are great and it’s tough to pick a favorite, but I love their Gunny Gold Kolsch and my husband loves the Anthracite Amber. Their seasonal beers are also so good—their basil ale and fruited sour have been some of my faves.
My order: My husband and I share the Diavola pizza ($24) and beet n’ goat salad ($10 for small or $17 for large depending on how hungry we are). And obvi I always get a beer ($7-$9).
The Dive
Vibe: Hopping hangout for a younger/20-something crowd, though still family friendly. Small but overall good menu with a trendy spin on typical brewery food.
The Dive is a crowd pleaser with a very cool indoor-outdoor space, with floor-to-ceiling windows that slide up when it’s nice out. They have really good burgers and yummy happy hour appetizers like bacon bleu tater tots, different kinds of poutine, and sliders.And good beer on tap and cocktails, too.
I prefer going when their patio is open and sitting outside. The seating experience can be a little tricky when they’re busy: It’s seat-yourself, and the indoor space isn’t large. So many a time we have walked in, been stared at while we scan the room for a spot, then hurriedly walked out with our tails between our legs.
My order: Shreddy tots ($7), half order of pork green chili poutine ($8), and the Beer + Loathing beer’tail ($10)
Sherpa Cafe
Vibe: A low-key Nepalese joint with good prices and great decor.
I love Sherpa. It’s got big enough tables that we’ve gone with groups of friends and family, but also has a quiet/laid back atmosphere perfect for date nights. The prices are reasonable, and portions generous. They have super cool decor as well, like maps of the Himalayas region on the tables. Their naans and imported light beers are can’t-miss for us every time we go.
Pie-Zan’s
Vibe: Family-friendly pizzeria.
Pie-Zan’s is a good option for take-out or dine-in pizza. It has a ton of seating for groups and families, and a relaxed but fun atmosphere. They have a good kid’s menu, as well as other options like wings, salads, calzones, and pasta dishes. We always get pizza, though. And their limoncello cocktails are shockingly delicious, for your run-of-the-mill family pizzeria.
My order: We share a large Freddie Lynn pizza ($23), paired with any of their limoncello cocktails (~$12).
Thank you so much for checking out this guide to my favorite places to eat in Gunnison! I hope it will be helpful for anyone planning a trip to, or simply passing through, our small but mighty little mountain town. If you liked reading, please check out my other posts and follow me on Instagram and/or TikTok!
