want to move to Colorado - Move to Grand Junction CO

Things to do in Grand Junction: Dining

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.

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, Wineries and Breweries

Highlands Distillery - things to do in Grand Junction

Highlands Distillery in NW Grand Junction

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!

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. Carlson Vineyards (for the wine) and Colterris (for the view) are a couple of our favorites. I recommend you investigate 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. We ordered their sampler only to find out that they primarily serve dry wine. We don’t like dry wine. 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!

Popular 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!

The “tap wall” of wine, beer, cider and cocktails at Palisade Pizza and PourHouse

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.

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.

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. Want to move to Colorado now?

Paul Aspelin at Palisade Pizza PourHouse

Move to Grand Junction… we’ve been waiting for you!

Text/Call 612-306-9558

PAUL ASPELIN, REALTOR®
GRI, SRES®, CNE

Grand Valley Real Estate Expert
Connect with me on LinkedIn or send me an email.
Learn more about my experience and how I serve my clients

by Paul Aspelin, REALTOR

Relocating to Grand Junction is all about Location

It’s All About LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

I am amazed at the number of unrepresented home buyers that are relocating to Grand Junction who attend open houses. These buyers come into town for a long weekend to get a feel for the area. They casually attend open houses to gauge the real estate market.

It’s no secret that thousands of people each year are considering relocating to Grand Junction with all the recent national press and accolades the Grand Valley has received. Grand Junction has become a hotbed for attracting home buyers and retirees from all over the country. What’s not to like? A mild climate with four seasons and unlimited access to outdoor activities. Plus, views that will continue to amaze you for years to come. Moving to Grand Junction isn’t about buying a home, it’s about experiencing a new lifestyle.

Flying over Grand Junction – read about our Grand Junction Airport Experience

If you are going to take the time to plan an exploration trip to see if relocating to Grand Junction is in your future, just call me! Whether by plane or car, allow me to make the most of your time while you visit. I understand many of you are early in your decision-making process. Still, “thinking about it” is all part of the natural process. I get it.

I am truly excited to show off this valley and a few homes along the way. I am happy to give people an afternoon or entire day of my time for them to decide if Grand Junction is right for them. No strings attached. I understand that location, location, location is at the heart of every home purchase, but have you ever thought about the true meaning of repeating that word three times?

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

The first “location” refers to the city itself, or in our case, the entire Grand Valley. Does the city have the amenities you need? Where is the nearest grocery store? How about a Target, Best Buy, or local farm to table dining options? How far away is the nearest airport? Does it have a quaint downtown area? Is there a sense of community? Do I feel safe? The questions differ for everyone, but the process remains the same. Everyone starts from a 10,000 ft point of view.

The second location is filtered down one more segment to which part of the broader area interests you? Will you end up relocating to Grand Junction, Fruita, Palisade, Whitewater, Glade Park or up on the Mesa? Some of this will be dependent on the price range you are considering, but not always. Do you want to be able to walk to downtown? Are certain schools important to you? Do you have a need for some elbow room and acreage? Is a view important? Would you like to walk out your back door and be on world class trails within minutes? Is the distance to your work something to take into consideration? Where are the new construction developments in the area? Everyone has different wants and needs.

Finally, the third location narrows things down to neighborhoods and the actual home location within those neighborhoods. How does it feel when you first drive down the street? Are yards well taken care of or do they look like everyone is having a year-round yard sale? Is there a large undeveloped parcel behind the neighborhood that offers space now, but in the future is designated to be a rock quarry? Are you looking for newer homes or one with a more historic feel?

These are just some of things people relocating to Grand Junction take into consideration while they process if a move is right for them.

Why choose to Retire in Grand Junction post by Paul Aspelin

Your Location Guide

Now, imagine if you had a guide to help narrow things down. A guide who could also give you insight into what people do in their free time? From farmers markets to summer concerts in Los Colonias, or best day trips from Grand Junction or tips on where your best chance to see bighorn sheep might be? There is so much more to understanding an area than aimlessly driving around and attending a few open houses.

I understand the thirst for knowledge and understanding an area before moving. I tell people all the time that there is no more obsessive Googler than someone looking to relocate. I know, I was one of them for two years before I moved which is also why I started this blog. Let me make the most of your time while you are here. Even an afternoon together can set you off in the right direction to explore on your own the next day.

You may have wished you had a friend in the area to show you around, now you do. Call/text me with confidence 612-306-9558. Want to move to Colorado now?

You might also enjoy my post called Retire in Grand Junction- your kids and grandkids will thank you and What I Learned After Living Here for 3 Months. Things to do in Grand Junction: Easy Hikes, oh, and the one called What It’s Really Like Driving I-70!