Good food in Grand Junction/Ouray/Cortez? (Montrose, Ridgway: neighborhood, camping)

[jazzlover]

You won't be eating at Crystal Cafe. It was seized and its assets sold for non-payment of sales and state employee withholding taxes. See article here:

Auction turns restaurant assets into cash

Another sign of the downward spiraling economy.

As for cheap, you probably won't find it anywhere south of Montrose--if you want anything decent. Like the saying goes, food can be good, cheap, or fast. You can pick any two:

If you want good food cheap, it won't be fast.
If you want good food fast, it won't be cheap.
If you want cheap food fast, it won't be good.

[delta07]

[quote=jazzlover;10069021]You won't be eating at Crystal Cafe. It was seized and its assets sold for non-payment of sales and state employee withholding taxes. See article here:

Auction turns restaurant assets into cash

Another sign of the downward spiraling economy.

[quote]

That's a bummer ! It always seems that the good restaurants in GJ don't last.

[DOUBLE H]

[quote=delta07;10069128][quote=jazzlover;10069021]You won't be eating at Crystal Cafe. It was seized and its assets sold for non-payment of sales and state employee withholding taxes. See article here:

Auction turns restaurant assets into cash

Another sign of the downward spiraling economy.

That's a bummer ! It always seems that the good restaurants in GJ don't last.

True. But there is still one place in Grand junction I eat at twice a week, breakfast or lunch. It's the Raintree restaurant just off North Ave. near U-Haul. Food is very good, prices IMO are reasonable. I know the owner personally, a real good guy. Most of the waitresses there have worked there for a few years, maybe more than few. To me, THAT tells me about the establishment itself. If the food is good, people frequent the establishment. A steady clientele is in there. It's not hoity-toity, just a nice place to have a meal. Once you get past Sam's Club and go west on hwy. 50, you'll find virtually everything there is franchised.

Quick note on hwy. 50, another place I stop in is the South Side Diner, heading southeast on hwy. 50 just past the Alco discount store. Good breakfasts!

[brightdoglover]

I used to love the True Grit in Ridgway, but a few weeks ago on vacation, I had maybe the worst paid-for meal in my life there (right up there with my own lousy non-cooking).
I think the breakfast place a block away is called Kate's.

[jim9251]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

I used to love the True Grit in Ridgway, but a few weeks ago on vacation, I had maybe the worst paid-for meal in my life there (right up there with my own lousy non-cooking).
I think the breakfast place a block away is called Kate's.

I have to agree (well except for the own cooking part as I'm an excellent cook). Had lunch at True Grit a couple weeks ago while in Ridgway. Service was horrible, food was bad, and expensive. The place was not really all that crowded but the high school aged wait staff just seemed to be a bit overwhelmed.. Never got a refill of my ice tea, and had to wait a really long time for the check. I was really disappointed, as that was the only negative thing I found in Ridgway.

If you're headed on HWY 50 on the south (I think) end of Delta there's a small place called Butch's which used to be GrandMa's. Amazing food and lots of it, the wait staff are very nice and friendly, prices are right.

Camp Robber in Montrose is amazing, some of the best food I've had in a long long time.

[eofelis]

I just got home from the Kannah Creek Brewery, good pizza and beer!

For Asian food we like the Zen Garden on North Ave across from Walmart.

For Mexican we like Aztecas in Hwy 50 in Orchard Mesa.

[DOUBLE H]

Good choices eofelis! All individually owned, Kannah Creek packs them in for lunch, never been there for dinner.

[80skeys]

Grand Junction: There's a Japanese restaurant on the corner of Patterson and 12th. It's a lower-end restaurant but the food is really good and pretty unique. I can't remember what it's called but it's next door to Blockbuster and the Alehouse, so if you google or punch in your GPS, you'll find it.

[chilaili]

I can't remember how pricey it was but the restaurant at the Lodge in Mesa Verde was very good and if you get a table by the window you have fantastic views over the park. Don't order the fish tho - it was very dry.

[CosmicWizard]

There are no real outstanding eateries in Grand Junction that I am aware of. I pretty much agree with delta07s assessments. My favorite eatery is The Kannah Creek Brewery. The pizza is better than Pablos IMO, and their own beer on tap is the best beer in town. To get there from Horizon, just head toward downtown on Horizon. Get on 12th at the circle and stay on 12th for a mile or two until you see Kannah Creek on your left. Like delta mentioned, the Nepal restaurant downtown has great Indian food, but the service is just like being in India. Be prepared to wait. The clock is just an ornament in India.


Ain't it the truth when jazzlover says:

If you want good food cheap, it won't be fast.
If you want good food fast, it won't be cheap.
If you want cheap food fast, it won't be good.