Silverton's dining scene is small on purpose. A town of a few hundred year-round residents cannot support two dozen restaurants competing for the same regulars in January. What has survived here has earned it, and a couple of newer places have moved into spaces the town still remembers under other names. This is the honest rundown: what is actually open, what closes for the season, and where a slow evening in Silverton, Colorado still works even in the shoulder months.
What's actually open in Silverton?
Fewer places than in July, and the gap matters more here than in a bigger town. Silverton's genuine off-season runs through November and April — the weeks between the fall tourists leaving and the snow settling in, then again between the thaw and summer staffing up. A few restaurants close entirely for those windows or longer. Others run on a shortened, year-round schedule. None of this is a knock on the town. It is what a mining town at 9,300 feet with a few hundred residents actually looks like once the day-trippers head home. Many visitors arrive on a day trip from Durango with only a couple of hours to eat, which makes knowing what is actually open worth five minutes of checking ahead.
Coffee and breakfast: Coffee Bear
Coffee Bear, on Greene Street, is the one dependable year-round anchor for a Silverton morning. It pours proper espresso and bakes its own pastries daily. It has also built a genuine following around its square breakfast burritos — the kind of order regulars stop describing and just call by name. Upstairs, it runs what is genuinely the only rooftop patio in town, which turns a to-go coffee into a reason to sit down when the weather cooperates. Two levels of indoor seating and reliable wifi make it the fallback for anyone working remotely from a Silverton trip, not just passing through.
Lunch and a family table: Golden Block Brewery
Golden Block Brewery, a block up Greene Street, runs on one rule: everything gets cooked in a wood-fired brick oven, and that is the only stove in the building. The result is a menu built around brick-oven pizza and craft beer brewed on site. The owners call it the neighborhood hangout, and in a town this size, it more or less is. It runs daily and is genuinely family-friendly — the kind of place that works for a group split between people who want a beer flight and kids who want pizza. Hours can tighten in the off-season, so a quick check before a winter visit is worth the thirty seconds.
Dinner: Alpine Tavern and Eureka Station
Two spots carry most of Silverton's dinner business, and both reward knowing a little history.
Alpine Tavern, at 1151 Greene Street, is the newer name on the strip. The space changed hands and rebranded from the longtime Avalanche Brewing — worth knowing if you remember the old name from a previous trip or an older blog post. Under new ownership it runs a refreshed menu and takes reservations. It has settled into the same central role on Greene Street its predecessor held.
Eureka Station, on Blair Street, leans into the town's Cornish mining history with cocktails and fuller dinner fare, plus outdoor seating for the stretch of the year when Blair Street's quieter side is worth sitting outside on. It runs Wednesday through Sunday: lunch at midday, a happy hour in the afternoon, dinner into the evening. Plan a Silverton dinner around the middle of the week rather than a Monday or Tuesday arrival.
The summer-only icon: Handlebars Food & Saloon
No honest guide to eating in Silverton skips Handlebars Food & Saloon, and none should pretend it is available whenever you show up. It is a genuine Silverton institution — family-run since 1989, full of Old West decor, and a regular stop for tourists, locals, and the occasional recognizable face passing through. It is also seasonal: lunch and dinner seven days a week, but only from May through October. Show up in December looking for Handlebars and the door will be locked. Show up in July and it is exactly the kind of place that makes a Silverton trip.
A few more year-round options
Beyond the anchors above, Silverton's chamber of commerce lists several other spots that keep the lights on through winter. Two are worth knowing about if the main dining strip is full: Kendall Mountain Cafe on Greene Street, for a straightforward breakfast or lunch, and Dera Deli & Bar, also on Greene Street, for a simpler sandwich-and-a-drink option. Neither needs a reservation. Both are the kind of low-key backup a small town depends on when the more popular spots have a wait.
Where to eat, at a glance
| Restaurant | Best for | Price | Season | |---|---|---|---| | Coffee Bear | Coffee, breakfast burritos | $ | Year-round | | Golden Block Brewery | Wood-fired pizza, craft beer, families | $$ | Year-round (confirm winter hours) | | Alpine Tavern | Dinner, reservations | $$ | Year-round | | Eureka Station | Cocktails, dinner, Blair Street atmosphere | $$–$$$ | Wednesday–Sunday | | Handlebars Food & Saloon | Classic Western saloon dinner | $$ | May–October only | | Kendall Mountain Cafe / Dera Deli & Bar | Casual backup, breakfast/lunch | $ | Year-round |
Prices and hours shift year to year in a town this size. Treat the table as a starting point, not a guarantee, and confirm before you build an evening around any one spot.
Make an evening of it: staying overnight
Silverton's whole dinner scene sits within a five-minute walk of Greene Street. That makes staying the night the easy call if you want a real evening here instead of a rushed meal before the drive back to Durango. Three small, independently run motels anchor that walk:
- Prospector Motel, 1015 Greene Street — twelve renovated ground-level rooms, budget-friendly, and about as close to the restaurants above as lodging gets. If dinner and a short walk home are the whole plan, this is the uncomplicated pick.
- Triangle Motel, 848 Greene Street — pet-friendly with an ADA-accessible room, a book-direct discount, and open year-round. A good base if your trip mixes dinner in town with daytime plans that need a dog along or gear to unload.
- Kendall Mountain Lodge, 1025 Blair Street — renovated rooms on Silverton's historic, quieter street, a block from Eureka Station and an easy walk over to Greene Street for everything else. The pick for anyone who wants dinner on Blair Street to be a short stroll rather than a drive.
For the full breakdown of Silverton lodging — how Greene and Blair Streets differ, and which property fits which trip — see our where to stay in Silverton guide.
Common questions
What restaurants are open in Silverton, Colorado right now? Coffee Bear, Golden Block Brewery, and Alpine Tavern all run year-round. Eureka Station runs Wednesday through Sunday. Handlebars Food & Saloon is seasonal, open only May through October.
Is Handlebars in Silverton still open? Yes, but only during its season — lunch and dinner seven days a week, May through October. It closes for the winter.
What happened to Avalanche Brewing in Silverton? The space at 1151 Greene Street changed ownership. It is now Alpine Tavern, with a new menu under new management.
Where can I get coffee in Silverton? Coffee Bear on Greene Street, open year-round, with the town's only rooftop patio.
Is there a good place for a family dinner in Silverton? Golden Block Brewery — wood-fired pizza, a full beer list for grown-ups, and a genuinely kid-friendly room.
Do I need reservations in Silverton? Rarely, except at Alpine Tavern on a busy summer or Skijoring weekend. Most of the town's dining runs first-come, first-served.
Eating well in Silverton means matching your visit to what is actually open, not what an outdated list says should be. Check the season, lean on the year-round anchors when in doubt, and stay the night if you want the evening instead of the errand. For the rest of the trip, our things to do in Silverton guide and the Durango & Silverton train guide cover everything around the table.
