Colorado Road Trip: 9 Iconic Pizza Spots in Small Towns

Sometimes, all you need is carbs and a car with decent brakes. Like, why pretend anyone’s ever solved their problems with a bag of kale? Friends know the truth: the best therapy is a greasy pizza box on your lap, knees pressed against the dashboard, and that ridiculous Colorado sky above you.

We both know you’re not road-tripping for the scenery. You want cheese that’s borderline inappropriate and crusts you’d punch a bear for (or maybe just a little banter with a bartender who calls you “hon” without irony).

So here it is: the saucy, stretchy, soul-restoring pizza crawl (small-town style) you’ve always threatened to organize but never quite did. Buckle up; this isn’t just food. It’s every oddball memory you’ll talk about ten years from now, still arguing over whose slice was biggest. Let’s get messy.

1. Beau Jo’s

Most legends are overblown, but Beau Jo’s? Actually lives up to the hype. You walk in, and some dude in a Carhartt beanie is probably boasting about their honey-dipped crust, and you sort of roll your eyes; until you try it. The crust is this chewy, whole-wheat, braided thing almost as hefty as your emotional baggage.

At some point, you’ll wonder if you’re here for the pizza or just the permission to pour honey on carbs like a five-year-old with no rules. The place is always packed, partly because it’s basically law in Idaho Springs that you stop by if you exist. Maybe that’s why every table looks like a found family reunion after a decade apart.

If you ask the staff about their wildest guest, they’ll probably mention the guy who brought his own honey and started a debate on viscosity. This is the pizzeria where you can laugh too loudly, wear hiking boots inside, and never feel out of place. Your jeans will never forgive you, but your soul will.

2. High Mountain Pies

Picture this: Leadville, so high up your phone loses the will to live. High Mountain Pies sits at the top of the world, seemingly on purpose. The building is as unassuming as your favorite hoodie, but the pizzas? Not shy at all.

Order the “Crocodile” if you dare: barbecue sauce, cream cheese, shrimp, bacon, and jalapeños. It’s like someone rummaged through a Texan’s fridge after midnight and somehow got it right. The crust is homemade and always has that perfect-for-cold-hands warmth.

Sit outside, even when you shouldn’t, just for the mountain air and the chance to accidentally burn your tongue while a snowflake lands in your hair. Here, pizza tastes like accomplishment, and a little like altitude sickness. Everyone gets a little weird at 10,000 feet, but you’ll remember this pie forever.

3. The Hot Tomato

You know that feeling when you bite into something so good it should be illegal? Welcome to The Hot Tomato in Fruita. The place is run by a couple of ex-punk rockers who managed to swap headbanging for hand-tossed dough without losing any attitude.

Locals and mountain bikers alike stake out the patio like it’s prime real estate, guarding their slices with elbows sharp as their banter. The real magic? Seasonal pies with Palisade peaches, yes, actual fruit. It’s the sort of combo that should be weird but isn’t.

The playlist is always on point, and the walls are covered in old concert posters, making you half-wish you brought your skateboard instead of your Subaru. If you leave without trying the peach pie, you are legally required to return for redemption. This is a slice you brag about later, and not just on Instagram.

4. Secret Stash

Some places just have a vibe; they don’t try; they just are. Secret Stash is Crested Butte’s weird, wonderful heart, where pizza meets global soul. Tibetan prayer flags dangle from the ceiling, and you get the feeling the room’s seen more secrets than your group chat.

Order the “Notorious F.I.G.” for proof: figs, blue cheese, prosciutto, asiago, mozzarella, and truffle oil. It’s sweet and salty, with flavors that shouldn’t get along but absolutely do. Every server here feels like someone you’d trust with your dog, or at least your late-night confessions.

There’s always a little chaos; a sense no one here is pretending. At Secret Stash, you eat, you laugh, you leave smelling like truffle oil and maybe a better person. Or at least, a happier one.

5. Slice 420 Pizza and Crepes Restaurant

Here’s a theory: some of life’s best memories come from places you didn’t plan on visiting. Slice 420 proves that one hundred percent. Walk in and you’re met with neon, laughter, and a menu that says yes to just about everything: pizza, crepes, whatever your heart forgot it needed.

The staff feels like they’ve survived a group project together. Their specialty pies pair bold flavors and fresh ingredients; if you haven’t tried a pizza with spinach, garlic cream, and artichokes, you will now. They also serve crepes, because apparently the universe decided carbs come in all forms here.

It’s the kind of spot where you instantly feel included, no secret handshake required. If your road trip needs a pick-me-up, this is the glitter bomb you didn’t ask for, but absolutely needed.

6. Woody’s Wood-Fired Pizza

Golden feels like the place where you finally exhale after a too-long week. Woody’s has been serving up comfort since 1993; think wood-fired pies that taste like someone’s best effort on their best day.

If you’re lucky, you’ll snag a seat near the oven and watch the magic happen. The crust comes out blistered and smoky, the cheese properly molten. Families crowd booths right next to college kids who look like they just aced finals, or flunked them and don’t care.

People here don’t judge your topping choices (anchovies, pineapple, existential dread). Woody’s is about showing up, being yourself, and leaving full. Golden hour outside, actual golden inside.

7. Gondolier Italian Eatery

Remember when you thought Italian food meant spaghetti and bad garlic bread? The Gondolier in Boulder will set you straight. This place has been a local favorite for decades, long enough your mom probably came here on a date in college.

The pizza is classic, with just enough crunch in the crust and cheese that stretches the way movie cheese should. There’s something nostalgic about the red booths and checkerboard floors, you can almost hear echoes of old breakups and anniversaries in the air.

Pro tip: get a pie with their homemade sausage. You’ll want to eat it with someone who can handle you at your hungriest. The Gondolier is proof that some things get better with age, especially when served hot.

8. Rosalee’s Pizzeria

There’s something about Rosalee’s that tugs at your heart, even if you don’t know why. Maybe it’s the owner tossing dough with the same care you wish your ex had shown you. Maybe it’s the old family photos and brick walls that make strangers feel like regulars.

Their New York-style pies have that perfect balance: floppy but never soggy, crisp without a hint of pretension. People drive from Denver just for a slice they swear tastes like a real East Coast childhood.

You’ll probably spill sauce on your shirt and not even care. At Rosalee’s, nobody’s judging you for grabbing the last slice, not even your best friend’s vegan boyfriend.

9. Brown Dog Pizza

Brown Dog Pizza is proof that not all square things are boring. Their Detroit-style pies look almost too pretty to eat, then you remember you’re starving from hiking and etiquette is for city folk.

Telluride’s got its ski chic, but Brown Dog keeps it grounded; like a local’s living room, only with better lighting. The cheese caramelizes at the edges, the sauce sits on top like a blanket, and suddenly you wonder why all pizza isn’t made this way.

After a day of pretending you know how to ski, this is where you shed all pretense and dig in with your hands. Bonus: rumor says there’s a secret dog-friendly patio if you ask nicely.