Fresh Burger Stop — Restaurant in Estes Park

We're local, and have eaten in Every restaurant in Estes. This is truly some of the best food/burgers that we've had, (even in Denver and many places in between). For many years Estes has not been known for having the best food, (it's hard to keep up with so many visitors) but the past several years this has begun to change and this little place has definitely figured out what matters and how to do it right. My family, myself as well as co-workers have all eaten here no less than 30 times (ie. not 2) and have Never had a bad or even iffy experience with the food OR the service.

Yes, it's in a gas station, but it's a nice gas station lol and they do have indoor and outdoor seating, a drive thru (as well as easily driving to wherever you want to enjoy the view if you choose to). I can't remember the last time I was in a fast food chain and thought "wow this has such amazing ambiance", but then too I am of the generation when people knew that some of the best food to be found was in "hole in the wall" restaurants, and this is far from that, but people have gotten to be so chain oriented, they lack imagination and flexibility. Fresh Burger is clean, creative, affordable and uses fresh, high quality ingredients. They are a young couple living their dream; can you ask for more??

We love the Mario's Spicy Burger (which you can get extra spicy), with real, fresh peppers, not the pickled jarred bleck that every other place routinely uses. There is Nothing not to love about this place. Ok, I will say their fries are not my favorite, but even they are made fresh daily, and their onion rings and cheese sticks are very good. Their name says it all- Fresh Burger, Not Fast Burger, we already know what you get with fast.. There is nothing that we have tried of theirs that was not very good. Not only that but they are more affordable than other faster options. You get what you pay for does Not apply here; they are friendly, clean, affordable and don't screw up their orders. On their worst day they would still have to be better than the majority on their best day, so do yourself a favor and...

This burger joint was highly rated. There were 3 of us dining so we tried a variety of items. The Classic Double Patty Cheeseburger on bun was good. They had ketchup but no relish. Requested no veggies. I ordered hand cut fries but I think they were missed as they were not included but we weren’t charged either. The burger was a satisfactory meal on its own. I ordered the Number 2 Avacado Burger. It was made as requested with their “special sauce” and no mayo. I enjoyed the sauce! There were 3 very tiny thin slices of avacado. It was advertised as a double patty and it was. I liked it. I also ordered the fried pickle spears which we shared and finished. The beer battered onion rings were good. I was too full to eat more than a couple. Lastly there was a number 3. It was supposed to be a double bacon burger and we ordered it with no onions and extra pickles. It was supposed to have special sauce on it and the person who ordered it did not feel it was a double patty. There were definitely not two burger patties on her bun and the one burger patty which she felt was fairly thin. There was no Special Sauce- thankfully there was no onion and they did put extra pickles on, I think it might’ve been a miscommunication during the ordering by telephone. She also ordered a special order of green chili fries-(I think that was what they were called)-she said they were delicious! So we had quite a variety amongst us. I would like to give some of the other items a try …..the sopas and the breakfast items. The Ranch dressing tasted, homemade, and was very good. Everybody used it to do their fried pickles in. Wish they had online orders so that you could document exactly what you wanted with the less chance...

When my husband's burger craving hit, Fresh Burger Stop wasn't even showing up in our searches - but thank goodness I remembered spotting their unassuming sign earlier! This turned out to be one of those perfect local finds that tourists probably drive right past.

Why we loved it:

Lightning-fast service: Our to-go order was ready in just 10 minutes (we practically had to sprint back to pick it up!)

Convenient options: Drive-thru OR walk-up counter inside a gas station (don't judge - the food is fantastic)

Burger perfection: My loaded mushroom/onion burger and my husband's classic cheeseburger were both juicy, fresh, and made with quality ingredients

Spot-on patties: That ideal thickness - not too thin, not overwhelming

Shockingly reasonable prices in an otherwise expensive tourist area

The Horchata: The regular horchata was so good it made me instantly regret not ordering their famous horchata milkshake - reason enough to return!

Local Vibe: You can tell this is where the regulars go - no flashy tourist traps here, just honest, delicious burgers served quick.

Final Verdict: If you want an high-quality burger experience without the tourist markups, this is your spot.

Pro Tip: Keep your eyes peeled for their sign - it's easy to miss but so...