Finding a meal option that doesn’t require a sit-down-and-be-served situation is vital before or after a hike, bike ride, swim, or whatever you plan to tackle outside in the summer.
You might prefer quick meals for a weekend getaway, but still want quality cuisine. That’s where food halls are handy, and more tasty than fast food restaurants.
Trending worldwide, Colorado has no shortage of multi-stalled food markets where everyone in the group can find something they’re craving.
Three popular summer recreation areas — Vail, Silverthorne, and Fort Collins — are home to next-level food halls.
Avanti Vail
As its flagship Denver location celebrates its 10th anniversary, the new Avanti Vail launched onto a rocket-like trajectory this winter, becoming an instant hub and bringing much-needed buzz to the Golden Peak base area at Vail Mountain.
Options include grab-and-go breakfast (amazing coffee and lots of gourmet egg sandwich choices) at Detoor, which transforms into a high-end brasserie in the evening. It offers bruschetta, meat and cheese plates, and one of the valley’s most comprehensive caviar and oyster bars.
Glo’s raw seafood options are even more plentiful, with fresh sushi and (cooked) ramen bowls.
Boychik’s Mediterranean fare hits the perfect balance of nourishing yet comforting and offers some of the tastiest hummus this side of the globe.
There’s always room for a pizza joint, especially Powder Crust, which serves thin-crust Italian-style pizza using only non-GMO ingredients.
For ultimate comfort food after a long hike or bike ride, you can’t beat Backyard Burgers, especially its dolled-up grilled cheese sandwich. The bar’s offerings are equally next-level, with a long list of creative specialty drinks and at least a few beat-the-heat frozen cocktails.
Winter proved that Avanti Vail is everyone’s new favorite après spot.
Since opening in early season, skiers and snowboarders have thronged the indoor and outdoor spaces, daily noshing on snacks as a live DJ thumped music.
The place doubles down on its outdoor après offerings for summer.
The weekend live entertainment continues with a lineup of DJs, bands, and singer-songwriters as Avanti’s grassy outdoor space becomes a sprawling competition ground for lawn games.
It also hosts weekly trivia, free outdoor movies, and parties. Check Avanti’s Happenings page for the full lineup of summer events.
Nearest adventure: Hike the steep and lush Berry Picker Trail on Vail Mountain.
The Exchange in Fort Collins
Not so much a food hall as an open-air food court, The Exchange is a collection of small businesses housed in shipping containers.
While each restaurant has an indoor seating area, there’s plenty of shared dining space outdoors.
Restaurants include locals’ favorite Vato Tacos, which specializes in creative, affordable, and authentic tacos (the Baja shrimp is a must-order), quesadillas, burritos, and numerous tequilas and cocktails.
If you’re craving something more Italian – but with a similar handheld appeal – La Piadina is the place for fresh-made folded (taco-style) flatbreads.
For visitors with more time on their hands, Penrose is a full-scale pub and taphouse with a spacious patio. It specializes in farm-to-table pub fare, including salads, sandwiches, cocktails, and a lengthy craft beer menu.
Speaking of craft beer, and being situated in its Colorado epicenter, with 25 breweries around town, FoCo Beer Collective makes sampling easy. With a deep, rotating variety of excellent brews from Colorado and beyond, it’s easy to enjoy while everyone in your party grabs their grub of choice.
Another newish neighbor in The Exchange is Yellow Crunch, a Colombian empanada haunt with fried pockets for every palate, arepas, traditional, authentic Colombian dishes, and tasty margaritas. Everything on the menu is gluten-free and made from scratch.
The Exchange offers more than restaurants. It has a putt-putt venue, a pilates studio, and Wobble HiFi, the latest vendor to open a shop. Wobble HiFi is a listening bar with an expansive vinyl collection and high-fidelity sound system.
The Exchange’s centerpiece – quite literally occupying a towering former grain silo in the middle of the action – is Churn ice cream. On busy afternoons, you’ll likely have to wait in line for your cone or cup, but it will give you time to make the tough decision of which (some quite eclectic) flavor(s) to order.
There is a regular rotation of free live concerts on site, as well as cornhole tournaments with surprising talent that is hypnotizing to watch.
Nearest adventure: Splash around at Poudre River Whitewater Park
Bluebird Market in Silverthorne
Most people can agree that there is a dearth of high-quality yet reasonably priced food options near major ski areas.
The exception is Bluebird Market.
This large space is home to Crepes A La Cart, perhaps the most delicious wrap imaginable, whether savory (go for Pesto Chicken), sweet (Lemon Souffle, please) or breakfast (the veggie is oozing with egg, sauce and green stuff).
Nomad Coffee will jumpstart consciousness in the morning, while Summit Scoops (the richest chocolate ice cream around) or a freshly dipped cookie at Cloud City will satisfy your sweet tooth.
Grab a Baja shrimp taco at long-standing local haunt Chimayo, a wood-fired pizza at Melody’s Trattoria, a flaky empanada at Lazo, a green chile burger at Chef Daddy’s, a stacked BLT at Independent Deli, or freshly made soup and bread at Colorado Marketplace & Bakery.
Bluebird’s most exciting new additions include a taphouse (après outpost) of Boulder brewery icon Upslope.
Silverthorne’s historic Old Dillon Inn will reopen this summer for the first time since 2007. In all of its original glory, the inn will be enclosed within the walls and roof of Bluebird Market.
Initially welcoming customers in the 1800s, the structure was moved from Old Dillon to Silverthorne when the Dillon reservoir filled the old town site in the 1950s. The inn’s new menu still focuses on Western-infused Mexican fare and a broad assortment of wine, beer and cocktails.
The Old Dillon Inn, circa 2025, will also serve breakfast and lunch. Keep an eye on Bluebird’s site for further details.
With a small outdoor patio featuring herb boxes where foodies can snip off fresh ingredients, the Bluebird hosts the occasional outdoor live concert and DJ.
However, one of the Market’s most winning features is its indoor PlayGarten — a massive, enclosed area of slides and playground where kids can entertain themselves and burn extra energy while parents enjoy the surrounding biergarten.
Nearest adventure: Paddleboard on North Pond or hike/bike on Salt Lick trail.