Audio By Carbonatix
The historic El Rancho restaurant is back open off of Interstate 70 and Highway 40 after being vacant for more than two years. Like the Buffalo Restaurant & Bar in Idaho Springs, El Rancho reopened in conjunction with a new craft brewery.
El Rancho originally opened in 1947 but has changed hands many times over the decades. The newest owners, the Vincent family, purchased the spacious facility — which once included a gift shop and visitor center along with conference rooms and multiple dining areas — earlier this year and included a brewery in the renovations. Chef and master butcher Tom Vincent runs the kitchen while beer-making duties are the responsibility of head brewer Bard Nielsen.
El Rancho is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. (11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday). For more photos, see our complete slideshow.
When news happens, Westword is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $50,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to this community. If Westword matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.