Farm-to-Table in Greater Grand Junction, CO

Locally sourced cuisine is a staple for Greater Grand Junction-area eateries.

By Amy Antonation on January 9, 2024

Devon Balet

Because the Greater Grand Junction, CO, region is known for agriculture, it’s no surprise many area restaurants buy directly from local producers, incorporating fresh fruits and veggies, locally raised meat and Western Slope wine and beer on their menus. 

For many of those businesses, using a farm-to-table approach isn’t a nod to a culinary trend, it’s a way of life and simply the right thing to do for neighbors, farmers and diners in their community. 

Local First 

One popular eatery that works with local farmers is The Winery Restaurant, a dining staple in downtown Grand Junction since 1973. 

“We serve choice short loin and ribeye meat cuts that we get from other parts of Colorado and beyond, but we often use local area farmers to supply us with produce when in season,” says Steve Thoms, The Winery Restaurant owner. “I look to buy produce first from Grand Junction and Mesa County farmers, then expand to Colorado and surrounding states.” 

Thoms says seasonal fruits and vegetables purchased locally by his restaurant include cherries, apricots, pears, apple butter and peaches. 

“The peaches are especially delicious in the peach martinis we serve,” he says. 

Strong Roots 

Rockslide Restaurant and Brewery has been a Grand Junction staple for 30 years, and based on the brewpub’s website, customers wouldn’t know the spot is committed to using local ingredients: There’s no mention of local farms or ranches. 

But General Manager Brian Oliver (who also operates Dream Cafe, a breakfast-and-lunch spot just half a block away), believes Rockslide’s longevity can be attributed to its community involvement. 

“The more you’re about the community … the longer you’ll stay alive,” he says. “We’ve always been part of the community. To do that, you need to buy from your neighbor.” 

So at the peak of Colorado’s growing season, Oliver sources up to 50% of his ingredients from local growers – more if he’s considering wine and beer. 

“Everything I do, I look at Grand Junction first, then Mesa County, then Colorado, then surrounding states,” he says. 

Grow Your Own 

Coleman Bowers, chef/owner of Palisade food truck Dango Burrito, estimates that in the slower growing months local ingredients comprise about 50% of his operation. 

“In larger months, it’s more around 75%,” he says. 

Those impressive numbers are due in part to his own microfarm. Bowers tends 15 rows of crops, in addition to running his mobile kitchen. 

“One of the reasons we’ve always done this is because we grow things other farmers won’t,” he says. Coleman often grows ingredients that provide a specific flavor or color in dishes – tomatillos, heirloom tomatoes, edible flowers – but are a “nuisance” to a larger operation’s established plot, he explains. 

For items he doesn’t grow himself, Coleman relies on his neighbors: “Utilizing other local farmers and ranchers is always advantageous. It keeps money in the community.” 

Megan Kuxhausen/Café Sol

Worth the Effort 

During peak months, Grand Junction’s Cafe Sol also obtains up to 80% of its ingredients locally, says co-owner and chef Nicholas Santos. That isn’t without its challenges. 

He points to the logistical realities of purchasing food through distribution companies: When a national distributor began selling Palisade’s famed peaches, which are grown less than 20 miles from Cafe Sol itself, Santos learned the distributor would truck the fruit over the Continental Divide and nearly 250 miles east to Denver before shipping it back to him in Grand Junction. 

“If you’re aware of how that works,” Santos says, “you make the decision to buy local.” 

In summer months, Santos particularly appreciates local tomatoes, apricots, cherries, lettuce and, of course, peaches. 

“A lot of producers came to me once the cafe was open,” he says of how he’s built relationships with suppliers.