The 5 Best Restaurants in Frisco, Summit County

Frisco may cover less than 2 square miles, but its dining options draw from a much wider culinary map. Within the mountain town, diners can find scratch-made steakhouse cooking, health-focused meals, New American dishes from a wood-fired grill, longstanding Mexican fare and European-influenced cuisine. That variety serves locals as well as travelers moving through one of Summit County’s busiest crossroads. The Best of Summit recognizes establishments that help make this compact town a destination for a meal rather than simply a stop along the way.

5th Avenue Grille

5th Avenue Grille describes itself as a chef-driven steakhouse and craft cocktail destination, but the kitchen reaches well beyond a conventional steakhouse menu. Its scratch-made dinner offerings include dry-aged ribeye, Wagyu picanha, filet mignon and bone-in pork chop alongside ruby red trout, togarashi-seared tuna and arroz con pollo prepared in a Peruvian a la brasa style. Appetizers bring another set of influences, from chicken teriyaki bao to a garden ceviche with sweet potatoes, peppers and avocado. Diners can choose among several settings within the restaurant, including the main dining room, fireplace-centered Ember Room, tavern and seasonal patio. The tavern and patio also serve a separate sandwich menu with choices such as a Wagyu burger, ribeye dip and shrimp po’ boy.

Pure Kitchen

Pure Kitchen began with the idea that Summit County needed more options for people who wanted to dine out without setting aside their usual approach to healthy eating. The restaurant makes its food from scratch with whole-food ingredients sourced from Colorado farms and regional suppliers, building a menu that can accommodate diners ranging from vegan to carnivore. Paleo, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan dishes share the menu with grass-fed beef burgers, bowls and grilled flatbread pizzas. Organic ingredients and grass-fed meats are part of the restaurant’s broader emphasis on ingredient sourcing. Pure Kitchen also serves lunch and dinner daily, and diners can eat in or order takeout.

Tavern West

Tavern West combines New American cooking with techniques that make fire and smoke recurring parts of the menu. Wood-grilled shrimp, salmon, lamb chops, ribeye and elk tenderloin appear alongside house-smoked pork belly and St. Louis ribs, while rotisserie chicken provides another preparation built around the restaurant’s hearth-driven approach. The Rocky Mountain Bolognese takes a distinctly Colorado direction by combining lamb, bison and elk with house-made pappardelle, stracciatella and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Other choices include a beet Wellington, Kobe beef burger and Reuben. Tavern West sources all-natural Colorado products whenever possible and complements the food with craft cocktails, Colorado draft beers and wine. Happy hour shifts the focus toward the bar and patio, with smaller plates such as truffled tater tots, elote-style corn ribs, smoked salmon and lamb kofta.

Hacienda Real

Hacienda Real has spent more than 22 years serving Frisco and Summit County, building its identity around homemade meals that celebrate Mexican culture. Separate lunch and dinner menus give the restaurant flexibility across the day, while a full bar accompanies the food. The operation extends beyond everyday dining as well. Hacienda Real accommodates large groups with advance notice and offers professional catering for outside occasions, making its cooking available for celebrations and other events. Its location near Frisco’s Interstate 70 interchange also places it within easy reach of travelers heading toward Breckenridge or moving through Summit County. Hacienda Real has a long connection to the local dining community, with a straightforward combination of Mexican cooking, full-service dining, drinks and the capacity to handle groups larger than a typical table.

Vinny's Euro American Cuisine

Vinny’s Euro American Cuisine centers on chef Vincent Monarca’s cooking and a commitment to locally sourced, organic, natural and fresh ingredients. The dinner menu crosses European and American traditions rather than staying within a single cuisine. Starters include mushroom strudel, Oaxacan grilled shrimp and an eggplant tower with Parmesan, while entrées range from chicken Parmesan and duck leg confit to Berkshire pork tenderloin, beef short ribs and lamb shank. Pasta brings another dimension, including Bolognese made with beef, chicken and pancetta, sausage rigatoni with a creamy rosé sauce and bucatini with clams. Vinny’s has also added pizza, with combinations such as duck confit with figs and Boursin, house-made sausage with caramelized onions and an eggplant or chicken Parmesan pie.

– Created or enhanced with ChatGPT