I love Estes Park coffee shops and bakeries! Maybe because I have a thing for baked goods and hot chocolate, or maybe because they just tend to be nice places to hang out. Either way, I like all the places listed here (although I must admit there are two I haven't been to yet. . .)
Coffee on the Rocks 510 Moraine Ave., (970) 586-5181, $ A brand new shop in a nice location next to the river and a trout pond. The way-cool Dick's Rock Museum is next door. Serving coffee, tea, soups, and super yummy panini sandwiches.
Donut Haus 342 Moraine Ave., (970) 586-2988, $ The best donuts in town, made fresh daily. I especially like the ones with the cream cheesy frosting and cinnamon. Map note: the online maps were off, so I pointed it to Anderson Realty (across the street).
Estes Park Pie Co. 370 E Elkhorn, (970) 577-7437, $$ Veeeerrrrry tasty fresh pies and baked goods.
Estes Perk (at the National Park Retreats) 3501 Fall River Road, (970) 586-4563, $ Standard coffeehouse fare with a nice deck and free Wi-Fi.
Kind Coffee 470 E Elkhorn, (970) 586-5206, $ A bright and airy coffee house. The coffee is roasted locally and is entirely Fair Trade and organic. Free Wi-Fi and on the Riverwalk.
Mocha Angelo's 133 W Elkhorn, (970) 577-1957, $ A coffee shop specializing in foodie sorts of gifts, like syrups and sauces and whatnot. Super nice folks. Note: Looks like it's been awhile since they last updated their website.
Notchtop Bakery & Café 459 E Wonderview, (970) 586-0272, $$ Notchtop has some reliably tasty food and even better baked goods.
Safeway Bakery & Deli 451 E Wonderview Ave., (970) 586-4447, $$ Not my first choice for a sandwich, not because the food is bad, but because this Safeway may be the busiest grocery store on the planet. Unless you go at 7:00 a.m., it will almost certainly be busy. There is a Starbucks in the store too.
Schmidt's Bakery 900 Moraine Ave., (970) 667-9811, $ Bakery items such as donuts, pies, and coffee cakes. Located in the Country Supermarket. They also do wedding cakes.Note: Not sure if their website is up yet.
Starbucks 356 E Elkhorn, (970) 586-1600, $ If you need me to review Starbucks, you probably live in the bush in Australia. 'Cause isn't there a Starbucks on every corner in the world by now? *sigh*
Steamer's Café (at the Stanley Hotel) 333 W Wonderview Ave., (970) 586-3371, $ More Starbucks coffee! (That makes THREE locations in Estes Park.) Plus café sorts of items and Stanley Hotel souvenirs. Worth it just to see the opulent Stanley Hotel, inspiration for Stephen King's The Shining.
My favorite? For coffee lovers, I'd pick Kind Coffee. The caveat is that I don't drink coffee, so what right have I to suggest them? Well, for one, they are a local, homegrown company run by super-nice folks. And, more importantly, they only purchase Fair Trade and organic coffees, and give 1% of their profits to environmental organizations. How cool is that?
As far as bakeries go, I think Notchtop is my favorite. They have a nice selection of cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, and bars, and they're all tasty as can be, plus they are made from quality ingredients.
