Small Locally-Owned Colorado Restaurants Worth The Drive
Do you find yourself jumping in the car and driving 60 miles to visit your favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurant or cafe? Do you have a favorite Colorado restaurant, cafe, or bakery you don't mind driving an hour or two to visit?
It appears we tend to do this in Colorado. We pile the family in the car and drive 60 or 70 miles to visit a mom & pop restaurant or cafe. Sometimes, the drive itself is part of the appeal. I posted on Facebook, "Name a small, locally-owned restaurant/cafe/bakery in Western Colorado that's worth making the drive." Judging by your replies, some Colorado eateries have a strong fan base.
Hitting The Road to Visit Your Favorite Colorado Restaurant
Have you ever driven from Grand Junction to Gateway just to have dinner at the amazing Gateway Canyons Resort? Some people make the drive at the drop of a hat.
The website Statista published a report indicating the maximum length of time people would drive to a place to eat. The study found:
- 18% - 1 to 15 minutes
- 51% - 16 to 30 minutes
- 26% - 31 to 60 minutes
- 5% - more than 50 minutes
As you can see, better than 50% of us wouldn't bat an eye at driving up to half an hour to visit a restaurant. Better than a quarter of us are okay with driving up to an hour.
Why We Have Favorites
The website Tani Eat Drink published "Reasons Why People Keep Returning To The Same Restaurant." Have you ever stopped and asked yourself why you are devoted to your favorite eatery?
According to Tani Eat Drink, there are a number of factors that determine why we prefer a particular venue:
- The food is excellent
- The ambiance is nice
- The price is reasonable
- The staff is professional and accommodating
Is it possible that ambiance is a leading factor? There's only one restaurant I go out of my way for, and it's an all-you-can-eat buffet where senior citizens hang out. It's on the opposite side of town from where I live. Each week my commute takes me past 20 other restaurants on my way to my favorite.
Granted, the price is competitive with other restaurants, and the staff is very friendly. On the other hand, there's no evidence to suggest their scrambled eggs and toast are any better than the next joints. Put simply, I like the place. I have yet to put my finger on the reason why.
Your Favorites
Looking at your replies, it appears many hungry customers have no problem making the drive from Grand Junction to Ouray, a 96-mile drive with a travel time of one hour and 49 minutes. Check out the gallery below, and you'll see a long list of Western Colorado restaurants worth the drive.