Buena Vista on an overnight 🍽
What's new (to us) since we last dined and drank around one of the most enjoyable mountain towns Colorado has to offer. Mezcal, vikings, pop tarts and more.
I have old favorites I like to visit when in Buena Visa, such as Deerhammer Distillery and Eddyline Brewing, but I’m always on the lookout for what’s newer since I last visited. And sometimes I’ll realize that a couple years or so will go by since my most recent trip, making me feel overdue to drop in. (I can say the same for everyone’s other favorite, nearby, riverside town, Salida.)
So, as with the post-pandemic revenge travel itch I scratched and scratched, I set out to make things right in my world, with sidedishsidekick along for the journey, of course.
Below you can check out what we got into a few weeks ago, which you should certainly consider for your next day-trip or overnight, if not a full weekend. Enjoy. And maybe take action.
Coyote Mezcalería y Cervecería
Coyote is instantly one of the best bars I’ve set foot in: stylish, sincere and soaked in desert essence, which is to say mezcal and tequila. It’s quite likely my favorite spirit category (to include other agave and agave-adjacent drinks like bacanora, sotol, raicilla, pechuga, etc. I love them all!)
Owner Steve Trujillo shows true hospitality and knows his shit, should you choose (and have time) to converse about the more than 300 products available. After bartending in Denver and considering a sommelier track, he discovered a passion for mezcal and tells me he generally found the agave spirit world less pretentious. He studied up on his own and soft-opened Coyote on Cinco de Mayo 2024.
His partner Jen Cousins says: “Steve brought mezcal to BV, and I brought fashion.” Her very cool store Hi-Lonesome Boutique (which we stop by the next day) on Main Street predates his bar by a couple years. She describes it to me as “men’s and women’s clothing with desert-mountain vibes inspired by music and a love of Western style.” Hi-Lonesome and Coyote feel like sister businesses, both hip and artsy, with a common theme that now includes hat bars for designing one’s own custom cowboy hat (properly fit, brim shaped how you want and decorated as you please). The Lonesome Hat Bar inside Coyote just opened for a sneak peek on Feb. 13 — they were excited to tell us all about it during our late January visit.
But this night we were here to have drinks before dinner across the way. We want to try everything, naturally, and we labor to make decisions. Would that I lived here or nearby, I’d join their membership program and partake in monthly educational flights to work my way through the list. (Or at least I like to believe I would, given the time and dime and liver fortitude.) We finally decide on the eponymous Coyote cocktail and a variant of the M&M.
The first is Madre Espadin Mezcal (said to have inherent notes of pine, ginger, mesquite and sandalwood) mixed with a house pomegranate-ginger syrup, lime and ginger beer. That last ingredient lends it a mule vibe a little, plus sweetness to balance the pom pucker and mezcal smoke and heat. It sips refreshing and joyous throughout.
The M&M starts with Bozal Ensamble, self-described as a blend of three different magueys (agave plant varietals) designed to be slightly smoky, herbaceous and citrus forward. Amaro Montenegro is the other “M” and is a classic Italian herbal bitter liqueur, also crafted to be citrusy and botanically bold. Where Trujillo further brings it into Coyote’s wheelhouse (paying homage to Mezcal’s home in Mexico) is with the addition of chocolate and mole bitters, which connect to ancient Mayan and Aztec cultures via the cacao and spice essences. This M&M drinks gorgeously, making me think of descriptors like lavish, regal, or just special — but not how we say it casually when referring to nightly menu specials; more like when you tell your person they really mean something to you. (Which could totally happen after a couple drinks here.)
Anyway, I’m clearly in love with Coyote after one too-brief date, and I rate it an 11 out of 10. I think that’s partly because Trujillo capitalized on the concept of focusing on one thing (agave stuff!) and doing it really well. Hitting it out of the park (or over the river, if we’re talking Buena Vista lingo).
That’s something I’ve talked about with many chef friends over the years, by way of simplification and putting on blinders. Things so good you don’t need a wide menu, just to become legendary for your item. Coyote is like that in its own way.
In fact, if you end up needing food while you sip, you can only get a bowl of chips and the house salsa, which doesn’t break character or spoil the evening’s magic because it’s not an afterthought either, but actually some kick-ass chip dip that’ll leave you wondering if everything this place touches turns to gold.
Veya Coffee Bar
Let’s cut to the chase: Visit Veya for their spectacular pop tarts. No joke, the finest I can remember eating, anywhere ever.
And this is coming from someone who generally cares little about pop tarts. I haven’t eaten the commercial ones since I was a kid; I rarely order the homemade versions at other coffee shops; and I generally try to avoid excessive sugar. But Veya’s stand apart from the pack. I’ve since had that confirmed by other frequenters of Buena Vista, who also venture in every time for the item.
Our affable barista tells us that Veya’s co-owner Mary Lou has a baking background (it shows!), and that she’s taught him to prepare these delicacies in the back of the house. He says the pop tarts essentially work out to around 24 layers of pastry through the laminating process (folding butter into the dough to yield airy, flaky pastries).
We order one of the flagship flavors, strawberry, from a limited (as in nearly sold-out) selection this day. I find out that the reason it’s not a cloying child’s item (like too many pop tarts) is that the inside filling is just real strawberries, reduced down to a soft gel consistency, with no added sugar. Hence natural flavor, not “natural flavor” as a BS ingredient on a commercial label. The only enhanced sweetness comes from the strawberry icing, flecked with dehydrated strawberry bits as garnish. Yum and yum.
Damn, that’s four paragraphs on a pop tart and I’m supposed to be writing about a coffee shop. Ahem. Okay, so they get beans from Storyline Coffee Roasters just down the road and also from celebrated bougie brand Onyx Coffee Lab from Arkansas. Veya started as a coffee cart around five years ago we’re told, and opened in brick-and-mortar at the top of Main Street (at the Highway 24 intersection) in May 2025.
From a short list of seasonal drink specials, we order a Winter Pine Latte with house-made rosemary honey syrup. The woodsy evergreen element is subtle but detectable, balanced with the mild sweetness, making for a delightful drink… but how ’bout them pop tarts, huh!
The Buena Viking
By Lauren Hug
In C. Springs, Matthew is the expert and lead finder for all things new and interesting. When we travel, though, I take on the research role — looking for anything that has opened relatively recently and anything interesting that’s unique to the area.
While researching for Buena Vista, I discovered that after several years as a popular food truck, Buena Viking moved into brick and mortar within the past two years. That satisfied the “new” criteria, but hitting a burger place wasn’t initially scratching Matthew’s novelty itch. That is, until he saw the special-of-the-day sign announcing “The Cluck Norris” (hilarious!), plus the horn handles on the eatery’s front doors. (Oh, and the sign also said “There is no theory of evolution, just a list of animals Chuck Norris allows to live.”)
Wandering inside we were greeted by spectacular turquoise fish-scale tile half-wall below a rack of horn beer steins, signage reminiscent of a renaissance fair, and a welcoming space filled with locals gathering for the soon-to-be-aired Broncos playoff game. Instant charm.
The whimsy carried over to the menu with creatively named burgers and sandwiches accompanied by entertaining prose that begs to be read out loud. Alas, I don’t think Matthew fully appreciated my readings of several humorous descriptions.
Ordering the Cluck Norris daily special (cornmeal chicken tenders, hot honey pickles, and rosemary garlic sauce on a brioche bun) was a no-brainer since it was what drew us in. The sandwich delivered every element of the description, and each bite was wonderful.
We also opted for the Sunday special: any burger (except for the daily sandwich special or the epic, two-burger “Berserker”) and a Bloody Mary for $18. What a great deal! It was a challenge to choose just one burger option from all the interesting spins. We finally opted for the Crisp Air Don’t Care — a burger with sharp white cheddar, maple-dripped bacon, whisky caramelized onions and Granny Smith apples. While I would’ve preferred a more medium-rare cooking temp for the patty, the flavors melded beautifully, with the apples providing a pop of freshness and sweetness.
I also zeroed in on multiple drinks incorporating aquavit, a Scandinavian spirit known for its caraway or dill flavor, of which I am a huge fan. After chatting with our server about the different executions, we went with the aquavit negroni, which is something we haven’t seen anyone else do yet. Matthew loves classic negronis. I don’t. But both of us were wowed by this aquavit version. The spices in the spirit elevated the familiar cocktail and delivered an unexpected finish.
With unique cocktails, interesting flavor combinations and a cozy gathering space, Buena Viking is much more than a burger spot. I’d consider it a must-visit the next time you’re in town.
Surf Hotel
By Lauren Hug
Let me start with the hot salt water pool. This relaxing, luxurious experience rivals nearby hot springs (minus the minerals). The water is actually hot, not just warm, and it’s included in the cost of your stay. The pool — added recently to the nearly 8-year-old hotel — is in an enclosed courtyard surrounded by beautiful stone walls, lit by natural light during the day and the glow of a fire pit and rustic outdoor lighting at night. A large indoor fireplace with cozy leather seating is housed between the pool and indoor changing rooms. It’s magical.
The hotel shows careful attention to detail. The distressed wood flooring in the lobby area is arranged in an intriguing zigzag pattern, and a giant fireplace is flanked by a variety of inviting leather seating. Each window along the front is turned into an window seat with the inclusion of a cushion and a metal foot rest.
Rooms are sparsely decorated, but lovely in their simplicity and comfort. You don’t need much in the way of decoration when the natural beauty observable from the windows is so stunning. Despite frigid temperatures, we spent a fair amount of time on the wraparound balcony taking in the scenery. I didn’t expect to enjoy the entire experience as much as I did. I’m already planning a trip back.
Wesley & Rose
Far surpassing the sadness that becomes too many lobby bars inside hotels, Wesley & Rose shines as the Surf Hotel’s vibrant and happening local gathering place. It dabbles between casual pub food like pizzas and pastas to finer dining options like an elk rack or local beef ribeye. You can keep it chill with beers and small plates or go ham with expensive bottles of wine and top shelf cocktails.
The decor pulls in a little NOLA-evoking, Colonial architecture with high ceilings and rows of tall windows and blends it with an open beer-hall vibe complete with long community tables. Menu design has a naturalistic, art nouveau feeling with a touch of Nordic sensibility — which in writing those words all together seems very original and damn cool. Inviting exploration.
By night:
We’re half-assing Dry January (’cuz obviously we’re coming from a mezcalería) but decide to make it a mild evening with mocktails once we hit Wesley & Rose.
The Salted Paloma fakes it well with grapefruit, lime, tonic, cucumber juice, salted syrup and chile lime salt on the rim. It’s bitter-citrusy but hydrating, refreshing and lively with the pops of heat. An iced turmeric tonic adds to the underlying carbonation bite of sparkling Topo Chico with fresh turmeric, lime juice, black pepper and red pepper corns (floating in the drink as garnish) buffered only by a little local honey sweetness. It’s zingy and invigorating.
We start with a bread board that’s elegantly rustic and simple, reminding me of something served to me once in a Czech beer hall abroad. It’s just an organic small loaf of house-baked bread served with organic butter (because yes it’s the type of place that points out its better sourcing, as one should), plus a generous dollop of chèvre drizzled with honey, and a whole bulb of roasted garlic. It’s laborious to de-paper each garlic clove to scoop out the tacky paste, still with a faintly biting raw edge to it (which I love). But I appreciate how it makes you slow down and work for each spread over the bread, hearkening to the slow food movement that asks us to pause and appreciate the labor and love that goes into producing food, and to consume it mindfully and reverently. Yes, even if it is just humble bread and butter with easy accouterments.
Next comes an equally provencal dish, which is wonderfully hearty Tuscan soup that’s perfect for the extremely frigid conditions this particular weekend (when the Arctic blast came through). It hosts white beans, baby kale and sweet potato in a thin, warming broth.
We follow that with a (gluten-free) Crispy Chicken Osso Bucco served in a cast iron skillet as a trio of thickly breaded, delightfully crunchy pollo lollipops. They’re floated in a truly spicy-sweet Medjool date and chipotle chutney and topped with a cilantro raita for herbal accent and a slightly cooling creamy factor. They’re fantastic, like a serious level-up for people who love chicken wings. I write down that this dish, as-is, could fly at Latin Social in C. Springs. Or any esteemed fine dining spot.
We skip edible dessert in favor of some drinks from the thoughtful wellness beverages menu. The first, MUD/WTR Rest, has weary travelers in mind as a blend of organic functional mushrooms with rooibos tea, and calming herbs like passionflower, chamomile and valerian root. The next is Rose Almond Drinking Chocolate Elixir from Santa Fe based Kakawa Chocolate, with 100-percent cacao, coconut sugar, almond, rose, chipotle morita chile pepper and Mexican vanilla. Yes, all the staff really has to do is heat water and stir so it’s no credit to them for the making of the drinks, but kudos for the curation of quality, truly healthful items that feel special as after-dinner sippers.
By day:
We skip Sunday brunch (the only day it’s offered) to venture to the other spots we’ve written about here. But we do duck by the bar to sip a cortado and cappuccino. And since I’ve become a little obsessed about the wellness beverage menu, I can’t resist the Blue Moon Brew and Golden Brew.
For both we select an oat milk base. The latter is the conventional mix of turmeric, ginger, cinnamon and black pepper (with pink, white and green added), plus coriander, clove and cardamom. You can add CBD for $3 but we don’t. It’s a good Golden Milk rendition.
The Blue Moon Brew is listed as “for purification, peace and calm,” and contains Clitoria ternatea — not a part of a woman’s body you’ve never found (loser) but the botanical name for butterfly pea flower, which I’m sure you’ve seen in drinks. With it comes lavender, vanilla, charcoal and edible mica for magical sparkle (the same food-grade “mica-based pearlescent pigments” that are in glitter bitters at cocktail bars). It’s fun to watch it be poured and appreciate the baby blue color in the glass, and it’s even more satisfying to drink it. I taste the oat milk body mostly, with hints of the lavender and vanilla, as the other elements are more for color and gut scrubbing.
Anyway, with sunlight flooding in, Wesley & Rose is prettiest by day. You’ll be tempted to linger at the fireplace, under an arched stone hearth that splits the eatery from the actual lobby check-in counter and small retail gift shop. We pause for a pensive moment to savor the scene, then step out into the cold for adventure.
Joyful Coffee
By Lauren Hug
Directly across the square from Surf Hotel and next door to Coyote Mezcalería is Joyful Bakery and Coffee, a small, cheerful coffee shop serving excellent pastries (according to our server at Wesley & Rose, the hotel restaurant).
As tempting as the pastries (which included vegan options) looked — and believe me, I was very tempted by chocolate peanut butter brownie I saw in the display case — we were visiting too early in the morning for a dose of dough and sugar. Instead, we grabbed drinks to go as we headed out on a chill snow walk along the riverbank.
The Lavender Cayenne Latte provided a unique combo of calm and heat while the House Made Chai (dirtied up with a shot of espresso) balanced warming spices with just the right amount of sweetness. Both measured up to quality, craft standards. Like Veya Coffee Bar, Joyful also uses beans roasted locally by Storyline Coffee Roasters.
With easy access to a riverfront trail, Joyful — which opened in this location in the fall of 2024 — was a convenient and pleasant spot to fuel our morning walk.
Parting shot
Reading this while at Veya coffee. Great choices in BV nowadays!