Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Where to Eat at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Get to know all the best places to eat in the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo before you visit! With multiple spots to stop for a meal, you’ll have plenty of options for fueling up after wandering North America’s top mountainside zoo. The altitude and incline have a way of working up an appetite!

Real Meals at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

Grizzly Grill

Centrally located in the zoo near the antique carousel. | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. (9:30 a.m. in winter) | Menu

If you’re looking for food in the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo that everyone can agree on, the Grizzly Grill has exactly what you need. It has a stacked menu of classic American fare, a kid-friendly menu and soft serve ice cream. What more could anyone want? The location is great, too, providing weary zoo goers a central place to rest and re-charge before visiting more of the animals. It’s close to the carousel, which is still one of the cheapest (and fastest) rides in the state, and near a play area for the kids — for when they miraculously recharge while you’re still debating a nap in the Big Backyard cabin.

What to Eat at the Grizzly Grill

• Chili Crisp Chicken
• Mesa Burger
• Winter Berry Salad
• Mac and Cheese
• Hot Italian Sandwich

Pizza with a View

Located across from the Grizzly Grill and the carousel. | 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. (last order at 4:30 p.m.) | Menu

We are super big fans of the zoo’s choice to add a pizza place to the zoo. Who doesn’t love a slice of pizza after meeting budgies, feeding giraffes and checking out art and reptiles? Pizza with a View also happens to have fantastic food — no microwave cardboard pizza here, folks. Their pizzas are tasty, made with fresh ingredients and quality sauces and cheese. The apps are a pretty big deal, too. Think savory meatballs, creamy spinach artichoke dip and chicken croquettes. In the zoo. With one of the best views of the city and the rolling plains beyond.

What to Eat at the Pizza with a View

• Margherita
• Smokehouse Yardbird
• Il Porco
• Seasonal Fruit Cobbler

Rocky Mountain Barbeque Co.

Located just past Pizza with a View | 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., June – October

For the people who align more with the carnivores at the zoo, the Rocky Mountain Barbeque Co. has a smokin’ hot menu loaded with your barbecue favorites. The only downside about this place is that it closes seasonally. Snow and super cold temps just make it harder to hold that perfect temp for delicious, tender meats. (The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo is open year-round.) It is, however, open for Spring Break, as well as the peak summer months, so you have ample time to score yourself a plate. Onions, pickles, sauces, bread, Rocky Mountain knows what to pair with their selection of brisket, pulled pork, chicken or whatever else they’re serving for the day. The menu varies, but the food is always hot. And the views? Hot as the coals that smoked your lunch.

What to Eat Rocky Mountain Barbeque Co.

• Family meals
• Sriracha Bacon Deviled Eggs
• Watermelon Jicama Salad
• Cajun Coleslaw
• 1/2 Bird
• Smoked Chicken Wings

Snacks, Treats, Beer and Coffee

You may not want a whole meal while you’re exploring the zoo, but everyone loves to stop for a little snack now and then. These shops and kiosks have treats for the whole family.

Elson’s Place

African Rift Valley (near the lion enclosure) | 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., May – September, winter weekends & Spring Break | Menu

Elson’s Place has churros, cotton candy, pretzels and popcorn, plus ice cream, coffee and canned alcohol. It’s located early in the zoo, so if you have cranky kids you forgot to feed, you can easily give them something to eat without filling them up too much. Check out their Cheyenne Mountain Zoo souvenir cups so you can commemorate your experience!

Top Treats at Elson’s Place

• Affogato
• Churros with Dulce de Leche
• Fresh Popcorn
• Hot Pretzels (cheese or mustard)

Cozy Goat Espresso Bar

Located below Pizza with a View | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Menu

A coffee bar at the zoo has been needed for a long time. Many a parent has longed for their favorite fuel when taking the family out for the day and with the Cozy Goat, they will long no more. The espresso bar has tea, coffee, specialty drinks and assorted pastries served daily all year long. The zoo specials have cute animal names like Lion’s Mane and Black Bearry and there’s even cold beverages for folks who aren’t coffee and tea fans.

Top Treats at Elson’s Place

• Selection of Hot Teas
• Zebra Hot Cocoa
• Cold Brew
• Americano
• Cappacino

Trolley Treats

Located above the Australian Walkabout next to the Amur leopards. |10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m, May – October

Local, hand-dipped ice cream, shaved ice, candy and other seasonal treats.

Dippin’ Dots

Located in Rocky Mountain Wild | 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., May – September, winter weekends & Spring Break 

The ice cream of the future in all your favorite Dippin’ Dot flavors. These cold treats don’t melt easy, making them a great summer snack while you explore the Rocky Mountain Wild at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.