Things to do in Grand Junction: Dining & Drinks

New to town? Looking for some things to do in Grand Junction that include eating or drinking? I have compiled a list of some of our favorite places to go. For some, it’s outstanding food or drinks. For others, the views or the atmosphere stand out.

Take your pick and let me know what you think. If you have any suggestions for my wife and I to try, send me an email or call/text (612) 306-9558. We enjoy trying new places.

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Breakfast Options

Our favorite breakfast spot is Main Street Bagels in downtown Grand Junction. During summer they have the best Peach smoothies, yum! Their bagels are fresh, with more than just a cream cheese smear. You can get sandwiches, soup and salad here too. We eat here for breakfast or lunch and it’s a nice central place to meet up with people and clients.

If you are looking for a sit-down full breakfast service try Pufferbelly in Grand Junction near the historic Union Depot Train Station. Very good food, generous portions, wide selection and a popular place to go.

Distilleries

We have visited all three of the distilleries, Clark’s and Peach Street in Palisade and Highlands in Grand Junction. All are great places to stop anytime for a meal or appetizers. Relax and enjoy the views. Clark’s Distillery has great food and a wide selection of spirits – it overlooks the Colorado River! Peach Street Distillery is in downtown Palisade near other related establishments and offers some unique cocktails and delicious food. We take friends here a lot. Highlands is in North Grand Junction on a Lavender Farm. Peaceful with great outdoor seating under umbrellas hanging from the trees. Exceptional cocktails!

Breweries

We’ve dined at breweries, multiple times at Rockslide and Trail Life in downtown Grand Junction, and gone to several of the wineries for a glass or wine tastings. That is always a fun experience, especially when friends come to visit.

Wineries

Carlson Vineyards (for the wine) and Colterris (for the view) are a couple of our favorites. I recommend you investigate Palisade wineries by what type of wine the wineries offer before you go for a tasting. The first time we did a tasting we spontaneously stopped at one along our route. To start, we ordered their sampler only to find out that they primarily serve dry wine. Oops, we don’t like dry wine. After that, we went to a Meadery across the street after that to taste wine made from honey, that was very interesting. Bought some chocolate dessert wine! There are lots of great Colorado wineries to pick from!

Popular Local Restaurants

We try to go out to dinner on Friday nights, so we’ve been to a lot of restaurants for dinner. The Hot Tomato in Fruita is one of our favorites for pizza. Be prepared for a wait if you go during primetime. We recently tried Base Camp Provisions in Fruita too, that was wonderful. We ate outside in February! They have beer, wine and spirits. The Ale House in Grand Junction has a large menu and it is also a popular place. It’s near the CMU Campus on 12^th Street.

Palisade Pizza and PourHouse near I-70 in Palisade opened in early 2025. Their pizza is amazing, we love the BBQ Chicken Deluxe. Their dough comes from Italy. Very easily one of the top 3 places to go for pizza in the Grand Valley. And you get a wrist band to use on the “tap wall” that includes wine, ciders, cocktails, and brews so you can pour yourself a small amount or mix if you want to. It was fantastic. We went back a week later with our daughter and son-in-law. It’s new, so they are still finalizing some things. They have an adjacent boutique and wine shop with wines from several wineries in the area. Follow them on Facebook – they make great posts!

More Common Restaurants

The Grand Valley has its fair share of chain restaurants too if you are looking for something familiar. In Grand Junction, we just got a Panda Express, and a new place called The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, delicious! Try the Greek soup called, Avgolemono. It’s chicken, rice, and lemon juice, so delicious, better than chicken noodle soup! We’ve eaten at several Thai and Asian restaurants, a few Indian ones, and of course Mexican food is everywhere and always so fresh.

For fast fresh Mexican we like Costa Vida and Café Rio near the GJ Mall. For authentic Mexican and the best house Margarita I’ve had in a long time, go to Fidel’s in Palisade. You might want to make a reservation for peak times. The best place for an affordable steak is in Loma at the Cattlemen’s Bar and Grill. They have a fresh salad bar too! Nothing like a good bar and grill in Grand Junction CO!

Food Trucks

Farmers Markets during the summer have a variety of food trucks to try as well as fresh produce to make your own meal. Grand Junction’s Farmers Market is on Thursday evenings on Main Street. Fruita is Saturday mornings downtown and Palisade’s is downtown on Sunday mornings.

The Lowell School off 7^th Street in Grand Junction has “Grand Valley Food Truck Fridays” which is a convenient way to experience a variety of food and beverages. There are food trucks in other places around town too. It’s nice to support the local restaurants and restaurateurs.

The Business Incubator Center near the Colorado River in Grand Junction offers entrepreneurs a commercial kitchen to prepare their food for the food trucks and other endeavors. A great resource for anyone starting a business. Their mission is to support the launch, growth, stabilization, and long-term success of business enterprises in Mesa County and the surrounding region. Business Incubator Center.

Local Markets, Snacks and Picnic Food

I like Fisher’s Market in Grand Junction for picnic food. Excellent smoked fish, huge variety of cheeses, meats, and lots of crackers and jarred treasures. They have a deli to buy meat and seafood for the grill and delicious ready to go salads too. Skip’s Farm to Market on Aspen Ave in downtown Fruita offers more local food options than a traditional grocery store. We haven’t been yet, but I think the Hog and Hen in downtown GJ will be another great place to buy snacks and lunch.

If you go on a road trip, or even just a day trip, always bring plenty of snacks and water. Sometimes you don’t know where your next opportunity for food will be. We have come to appreciate having a roadside picnic with our own food in a scenic location, at a time when we are ready to eat. It’s peaceful. Sometimes we shop at Sprouts Farmers Market in Grand Junction near 25 Road and the Business Loop for a variety of healthier snack and drink options for our road trips. They have an incredible bulk section, great for trying something new. Bring your own container for bulk food if you’d like.

Learn More

If you are new to the area and haven’t spent much time at 4600+ ft elevation or higher, be sure to read my post about How to Avoid Altitude Sickness. And if you are road tripping to GJ from Denver, read my post about what it’s really like to drive I-70! Looking for adventure? Read my Top Day Trips from Grand Junction post.

If you are coming for a visit to the Grand Valley area, give me a call. I’d love to fill you in on our local real estate if you are considering moving to Grand Junction, Fruita, Palisade or anywhere in Mesa County. Find out why people are flocking to Grand Junction.

Live Your Vacation Everyday when you Move to Grand Junction!

Text or Call (612) 306-9558

PAUL ASPELIN, REALTOR®
GRI, SRES®, CNE

Grand Valley Relocation & Listing Expert
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