What’s New in Silverthorne, Colorado? Tacos, Tequila & More

I hadn’t realized how much I’d been missing the Colorado mountains this summer. There is just something extra special about the air, the flowers, the aspens. And this trip to Silverthorne, Colorado, was just what I needed.

We were in town for the Keystone Wine & Jazz Festival in River Run Village, an event that is amazing and just a short, free bus ride away from Silverthorne.

Not only is Silverthorne home to the Blue River, Lake Dillon, and has mountain views all around, there are a lot of tacos. Yes, tacos. However, I don’t want to get ahead of myself.

It’s been a few years since we spent time in Silverthorne. Turns out, they’ve been busy building stuff in town. I didn’t recognize Blue River Parkway. That is the main drag through town if you’re heading towards Kremmling and Steamboat Springs.

Bluebird Market, a food hall, the only one in Summit County, and Kúcu Tequila Bistro and Hotel Indigo, have all gone up in a row on the west side of the street.

Here is what you need to know.

Hotel Indigo has big rooms, comfy beds, swinging chairs and a pool. I’ve been dreaming about getting in a pool for months and each morning, I was in that pool. By the way, this hotel is dog-friendly, but since we were going to a wine festival, we left Fritzi at boarding.

The hotel could not be better situated. It is across the street from our longtime favorite coffee shop, Kúcu Tequila Bistro is inside the hotel, and Bluebird Market is next door. Also, Hotel Indigo has a happy hour for guests every day and of course, we partook.

Now, where do I to start with all this deliciousness?

I’ll start with a place we’ve been going to for many years. We will go out of our way to come to Red Buffalo Coffee & Tea for coffee when we’re on the way somewhere else in the Colorado mountains. This is the best coffee in Colorado, without a doubt.

And you don’t have to take my word for it. The line was out the door when we stopped in for a breakfast of avocado toast with smoked salmon, a bagel, and of course, two coffees. Eating on the back patio in the sunshine is like sitting in a Colorado postcard.

The back of the coffee shop is trail side and riverside. The morning was blissful as we drank our coffee with the sound of the Blue River as our background music.

This post is mostly going to be about eating and drinking but isn’t that what we travel for? I mean, occasionally I write about where we hiked, or walked the dog and farms I visited, but highlights here are often food and drink. This post is no exception.

There’s nothing better when it comes to food and drink than a food hall. They are popping up all over Denver, but Bluebird Market is the first food hall in Summit County.

There is an array of food vendors here, including Colorado Bakery & Marketplace. The owners used to own the much-loved Silver Grill in Fort Collins, Colorado (my home area). I’ve known them for years, and I am so happy that they have found a space here.

Specializing in grab and go items for breakfast and lunch, they were cooking pork when I visited and the smell was wafting out into the street causing bystanders to peek in. They also create amazing cakes and pastries here. I ate a soft and chewy snicker-doodle from Colorado Bakery & Marketplace that rocked my world.

There are other kinds of food at the market like pizza, empanadas, fried chicken and more. Plus, there is Baja Chimayó where I got two tacos; one fish and one beef. As most of you know, I write TacosandPho.com and tacos make me very, very happy. These were no exception.

From TacosandPho.com: Want Tacos? Head to Silverthorne, Colorado

We came to the Bluebird Market’s Mighty Bar for a drink while we waited for pizza from Tilford’s Wood Fired. Taking it over to the courtyard at Hotel Indigo, we devoured it and some excellent queso fundido from Kúcu Tequila & Bistro.

By the way, at the beginning of our trip we popped into A-BAR at The Pad and I must give this place a shout out. It is located across the river from where we stayed. I had a tasty and boozy sangria while sitting at the bar. The Pad may be a hostel, but the bar attracts people of all ages and demographics. It’s got a super fun vibe.

I know I am jumping all over the place as far as our timeline, but don’t you really just want to know where to eat in Silverthorne? The Bluebird was good, but I have to say that we loved Kúcu Tequila Bistro. I’ve been stalking them on Facebook since they opened, and I admit, I’ve always wanted to try their tacos.

This Silverthorne restaurant lived up to the hype I created in my head. We ate breakfast, dinner and late night queso fundido there, so I should know. As I wrote in TacosandPho.com, the tequila selection is the best in the mountains at the moment. If you follow this blog, you know we (especially Ryan) are tequila connoisseurs.

Our dinner consisted of a flight of Don Fulano, chips and salsa, and Ryan ordered poblano rellenos and I got a couple tacos; the chicken special and bison flank steak. Plus, we got a bottle of Vinho Verde from Portugal.

This was a memorable dinner with lots of laughter. We’d go back in a heartbeat and that’s always the mark of a great restaurant.

We enjoyed breakfast on the sunny patio at Kúcu Tequila Bistro (it’s also Hotel Indigo’s courtyard). I got the breakfast burrito, and took half home. It was huge! And delicioso.

This was a somewhat sloshy weekend in Silverthorne (and Keystone), but the fun factor was off-the-charts. From sipping coffee and wine in the mountain sunshine, to taking a dip in the Hotel Indigo pool, to eating taco after taco, Silverthorne, Colorado, provided a weekend we won’t soon forget and wouldn’t want to.

Thank you to the Town of Silverthorne for our stay at Hotel Indigo & to Keystone Festivals for our tickets to Wine & Jazz.