To much buzz around Montrose, Eatery 66 North has opened at 232 E. Main St. in downtown, adding what is essentially a second location for the Ridgway-based restaurant known for locally sourced ingredients and approachable food.
Inside, the restaurant reflects a Western Colorado ranch meets modern diner aesthetic. The ceiling appears preserved, anchoring the space in the building’s early-20th-century history, while tile floors and Western Slope–inspired decor line the walls. The room feels intentional but relaxed — not themed, not trendy — with a full bar anchoring the far side of the dining area.
“We didn’t want it to feel overly modern or precious,” said Spencer Graves, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Katie. “We wanted it to feel comfortable — like a place you can actually come hang out.”
The main dining room seats about 65 guests, Katie said. The concrete bar was custom built for the space, designed to support Eatery 66’s counter-service model while functioning as a full bar serving cocktails, wine, and beer.
“It’s always about flow,” Graves said. “Making sure things work without making it feel like you’re standing in line.”
Built with intention
The restaurant occupies a historic downtown building that underwent extensive renovation prior to opening. The property’s owners purchased the building in 2021 and began improvements, with Eatery 66 North finishing the interior and kitchen build-out earlier this year.
For Graves, a chef with more than three decades of experience, the Montrose location offered a rare opportunity: designing a state-of-the-art kitchen from the ground up.
“This is the dream right now,” he said. “We planned the flow, the equipment — everything.”
The kitchen includes a grill capable of smoking with different woods, along with a large prep area that allows the staff to keep the menu tight while rotating seasonal specials. It was partially funded by the City of Montrose’s kitchen grant program.
A menu built for repeat visits
Eatery 66 North’s menu closely mirrors the Ridgway location, with a few variations and rotating specials meant to keep regulars engaged.
The menu centers on burgers, sandwiches, tacos and composed plates, supported by salads and house-made soups. Burger options include the 66 Burger, made with local grass-fed beef or a veggie patty, and the Stockyard, a double-patty burger topped with white cheddar, bacon, caramelized onions, and fire-roasted Hatch chiles.
Sandwiches range from a pork belly BLT with Korean barbecue pork belly to a Nashville hot chicken sandwich finished with hot honey glaze and apple cider chile slaw. Fish tacos — beer-battered cod with pico de gallo and avocado sauce — round out the handheld offerings.
Plates lean slightly more elevated without crossing into fine dining. Options include steak frites with truffle parmesan fries, El Puerco, a chile-rubbed pork chop with smoky mole sauce, and Southern Draw, featuring blackened shrimp over parmesan polenta with collard greens and tomato broth. A chickpea and lentil stew called Shala Love anchors the vegetarian plate options, with add-ons available.
“We try to make food that’s good, clean, and satisfying,” Graves said. “But it’s also food you can eat a few nights a week…”
It’s not fine dining, he said, but it’s done with the same care as fine dining.
Local sourcing remains central to the concept. Much of the beef comes from Downs Ranch, a relationship Graves said has been in place for nearly eight years.
“That connection to the land and the people producing the food has always mattered to us,” he said.
A rotating specials board allows the kitchen to experiment while keeping core menu items consistent.
A downtown fit
The Graves family has lived in Montrose for several years, and opening the new restaurant downtown felt like a natural extension of what they built in Ridgway.
“We live here. Our kids grew up here,” Graves said. “This is home for us.”
They see Eatery 66 North as part of a movement along Main Street, where dining, walkability, murals and new businesses are drawing people downtown.
“If people are parking, walking Main Street, grabbing dinner, and supporting multiple businesses, that’s how you build a real community,” Graves said.
Eatery 66 North employs about eight to 10 people to start, with plans to expand gradually as needed. The new location also creates opportunities for longtime staff to take on additional responsibility.
“That second location gives our team room to grow,” Katie Graves said. “That’s important to us.”
The Ridgway Eatery 66 location closed briefly during the Montrose launch to give staff time off and allow experienced team members to help open the new restaurant. It reopened Jan. 1 and continues to operate as usual.
“That place is the foundation,” Spencer said. “We’re not going anywhere.”
Looking ahead
For now, Eatery 66 North is focused on dinner service, operating from 5 to 9 p.m. daily, but closed Wednesdays. Lunch service, expanded use of a private dining room, outdoor seating tied to nearby improvements at Demoret Park and events are planned for later phases.
Late in the process, the Graves family also took on a lease for the entire building, which includes an adjacent space that could be used in the future. They say stay tuned for that part. For now, the focus remains on establishing the restaurant itself.
“Our goal is always to grow one step at a time,” Graves said. “Never all at once.”
Eatery 66 North is open for dinner at 232 E. Main St. in downtown Montrose.
Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.
