Poached eggs on an English muffin slathered in hollandaise? Count us in. While nobody agrees on who invented eggs Benedict (hint: it wasn’t traitor Benedict Arnold), we love a good bennie—and these local spots are flipping tradition on its head by serving up some yolk-filled joy, Steamboat-style. So be a traitor yourself and forsake your typical omelet order for one of the following top bennies in town. Just make sure to wipe that extra dollop of hollandaise off your chin.
Creekside Café
Yeehaw and pass the brisket. Located at 11th and Oak Street downtown along Soda Creek, Creekside Café’s Cowboy Downhill is for ranch hands and mimosa mavens alike. Smoked beef brisket, charred onions, and pickled jalapeños piled high on your classic Benedict base with house-made hollandaise. Choose potatoes or grits (life is about tough decisions). Like your swine? Try their BAT, layered with avocado, tomato and a local cut of thick bacon. And if you’re not sipping their Bloody Mary, what are you doing with your life? www.rexsfamily.com/creekside
Winona’s Restaurant & Bakery
Holy crab. Winona’s on Lincoln Avenue downtown takes things coastal with Maryland blue crab, cream cheese, parmesan and green onions. It’s bougie, it’s rich, it’s everything your Core Trailwalking legs deserve. Comes with your choice of potatoes, green chili cheese grits, hash browns, fruit or lemon garlic kale because…balance. www.winonasrestaurant.cfd
The Shack
No fuss, no frills, just flipping perfectly poached eggs since forever (okay, over 55 years, but who’s counting?). At The Shack at 740 Lincoln Ave. downtown, go Traditional, Veggie, or Southwestern if you’re feeling wild and a bit spicy. Served with hash browns, obviously.
Freshies
Hankering for Southwestern flavor? Located between town and the mountain, Freshies’ Southwestern Benny is a true Georgia O’Keeffe medley of flavors. Served divorciados-style (separated), one English muffin-poached egg is smothered in pork green chili and the other with veggie green chili. Pair it with their crispy breakfast potatoes or beloved green chili cheese grits. www.freshies.restaurant
Yampa Valley Kitchen
Yampa Valley Kitchen might be off main street, but its Reuben Eggs Benedict is off the charts when it comes to flavor. Sourcing locally and sustainably, this take has a house-made buttermilk biscuit as the base for 7X Wagyu pastrami, a spicy and tangy layer of kimchi, 1000 Island hollandaise and chives. Order the Reuben and you’ll be raring to go. www.yampavalleykitchen.com
The Egg
Ham it up with the Hikers Benny from The Egg. Loaded with salty ham, roasted tomatoes and mushrooms, asparagus, a house-made dill hollandaise and two crispy bacon strips, this is the ideal breakfast for before you head outside. Feeling French? Order the Parisian, a benny sans English muffin, piling smoked ham, roasted cremini mushrooms and melted Swiss on a buttery, flaky croissant topped with decadent hollandaise and fresh herbs. www.theeggsteamboat.com
