When you open the door to Off the Beaten Path Bookstore in downtown Steamboat, the smell of freshly brewed coffee lures you in, almost as much as the wide array of books lining the shelves. The two-story shop has been a magnet for locals and visitors for decades and boasts a second coffee shop at the Bud Werner Memorial Library. Atop the wooden staircase inside the 9th Street downtown location, is a seating area which fills up daily with everyone from academics to adventurers. Offerings like a Great Expectations tea and homemade Cowboy Cookies, fuel visitors who sit between walls laden with published titles of fables and facts.
Beard and Braid Coffee
Across Lincoln Avenue towards the arts centric end of 9th Street is the newly opened Beard and Braid Coffeehouse. Huge windows allow daylight to flood the open plan space and give visitors a front row seat to the comings and goings of the frequented sidewalk. Pastries are baked in-house daily and compliment the caffeinated offerings along with organic wines and beer. Locals rave about the Sherpa Chai maccha latte and golden milk infused with turmeric and whipped honey. The known inflation reducer is a tonic to a town filled with fitness fanatics.
Big Iron Coffee Company
Coffee aficionados cannot get enough of Big Iron Roastery’s evolving range of flavors sold in bags or in a cup at their shop Big Iron Coffee Company on Lincoln Avenue. The latest flavor, Finca Los Papales hails from Nicaragua and joins recent offerings from Brazil and Columbia. A recent collaboration with Storm Peak Brewing Company and Hideaway Park Brewery blended their own beans to create a Coffee Kolsch. Ideal for those torn between a post hike coffee or beer.
Mountain Brew
Step inside the bright green door of Mountain Brew on Oak Street, where locals line up to start their day with a hot drink or a smoothie. A cluster of little rooms fill up quickly with friends catching up, location neutral workers and meetings about everything pertaining to Routt County and beyond.
Welcome Dusky Grouse Coffee
Newly opened Dusky Grouse Coffee Shop conjures more than a brew. The one-of-a-kind store, located at 1585 Mid-Valley Drive, is home to a record shop. Live music, albums of the month and a radio station tie-in with KEXP is a Seattle-based non-profit arts organization. The Dusky Grouse, which is named after the mild-mannered Rocky Mountain bird, offers a monthly book club with a focus on mental health. Their Steamboat Little Givers program rewards 4 to 11-year-olds for kindness and giving to the community. Each month children are given a handful of meaningful tasks to brighten the lives of neighbors and friends.
The next time you feel the need for a cup of Joe, take your time about it and savor the engrained sense of community.