Last Updated on August 19, 2023 by Leah Hall
Beau Jo’s Pizza is a favorite of ours in Colorado, hope you try it too! Beau Jo’s Idaho Springs is our favorite location.
Oh Beau Jo’s Pizza Idaho Springs, how we love thee! On our way out to Silver Plume, Colorado for a family vacation, we made a stop for lunch in the mountain town of Idaho Springs at Beau Jo’s Pizza. Located about 45 minutes west out of Denver, Beau Jo’s is a Colorado favorite. Beau Jo’s is known for its “Colorado Style Pizza” and inventive pizza pies that you finish with a sweet touch.
Beau Jo’s Colorado-style pizza is famous for its special crusts that use Colorado honey to make a sweet airy golden crust. The outer rim is purposely formed thickly to make big puffy “bread stick” crusts that are perfect for dipping in the Colorado honey. Get ready for your first time at Beau Jo’s for the best pizza and a good time!
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Where is Beau Jo’s Located?
A fixture in historic downtown Idaho Springs, Colorado for more than 40 years, the Beau Jo’s Idaho Springs is the original location. It feels authentically historic with lots of creaky floorboards, antiques and bits of Colorado mining and ski artifacts everywhere. It’s a super easy drive from Denver, if you are flying in make sure to Save 10% on a Weekend or Weekly Car Rental!
The atmosphere is relaxed and whimsical (the salad bar is served out of antique claw foot bath tubs!), even when crowded, which feels charming and comfortable. We dined in the back of the restaurant which has large panoramic windows that overlook the sites. It’s a patio, an old waterwheel, the mountains and and all the traffic that was flowing by on the Interstate on a Sunday afternoon!
Food at the Original Beau Jo’s
From fresh salads, pasta, sandwiches, calzones, and of course pizza, there is something everyone will love! On this particular trip we ordered 2 pizzas, a L’il Italy Prairie Pie and the Pacific Plantation Mountain Pie along with a salad bar.
The salad bar offers the typical salad offerings, along with accompaniments such as cottage cheese, chocolate pudding and various other deli salads.
Their Beautizers (appetizers) range from chicken wings (traditional, buffalo sauce, sweet barbeque and honey-sriracha), artichoke dip and baked fresh mushroom caps.
Fresh choices like green salad can also be ordered off the menu, as well as green chili.
What is Colorado-Style Pizza?
Beau Jo’s Idaho Springs is given credit for the invention of the Colorado-style pizza. This should tell you it’s not your average pizza place. Honey replaces the sugar in the pizza dough. The braided outside crust is crispy and the inside is chewy.
They source locally when they can. Each pizza is usually over 5 pounds! This is because you order it by the pound. That’s right – how much it weighs is how you order it!
The Prairie Pie is thinner with the toppings almost out completely to the edges. The Mountain Pies are bigger with thick crust, and they also have skillet pizzas with no crust! Gluten free is available as an option, too.
A salad bar is the standard operating procedure to eat with your pizza! And Beau Jo’s salad bar is in a claw footed tub.
Pizzas range from the Sky Hawk with Beau Jo’s pizza sauce, green chilies, whole milk mozzarella, and feta cheese. Hipster with roasted garlic-olive oil sauce, spinach, roasted red peppers, pineapple, pepperoncini, mozzarella and ricotta. Cajun with pizza sauce, Andouille sausage, pepperoni, onions, jalapenos, provolone and Cheddar cheeses. Or, go all out with the Pesto Chicken with basil pesto sauce, chicken, tomatoes, provolone, Cheddar, Parmesan and fresh basil!
Some more fresh ingredients offered for their pizza are: sauce of your choice like marinara sauce, barbecue sauce or garlic cream sauce. Cream cheese, artichoke hearts, green peppers, bacon bits, and even plant-based meats.
What Pizza did We Order at Beau Jo’s?
The Mountain pies had the very large almost breadstick-like edges that they encourage you to dip in the honey found on the table. It is a hit with young and old, as our boys and grandpa both were trying to sneak the last crusts! The rest of the crust on the mountain pies is thin and soft, with just enough toasting on it that it holds up to the toppings, but still soft enough that it is deliciously doughy and airy.
Our Pacific Plantation Mountain Pie is one of the signature Beau Jo’s specialty pizzas, and featured Beau Jo’s signature pizza sauce, Canadian bacon, pineapple, mushrooms, red onions, mozzarella cheese and drizzled with honey.
The L’il Italy has roasted garlic and olive oil sauce, pepperoni, Roma tomatoes, mushrooms, black olives, smoked provolone, grated Parmesan cheese, basil and Italian seasonings. The Prairie Pie thin crust was crisp and toasty sweet with a hint of char. Unlike the Mountain Pies, the toppings extend almost all the way out to the edge and there really isn’t much left to dip in honey when you get to the edge.
That extra bread is perfect as a built-in dessert. First, have a delicious pizza, and then save some of the crust for a delicious pie crust dipped in honey! It’s a good experience just dipping and eating great pizza!
What is Beau Jo’s Sauce?
This is another big question people to have – what is in Beau Jo’s Sauce? From what we can find, it’s tomatoes, onions, spices, garlic, salt and honey. Doesn’t matter, it’s just tasty!
Other Colorado Posts
Beau Jo’s Idaho Springs
Our server was fantastic, and was very patient with us, as it took us a while to order, since we couldn’t decide what to eat. You can expect some wait times in the evening, but we got right in on a Sunday morning.
Parking in a public parking lot is located right behind the restaurant for your convenience. At the Idaho Springs location there are even chargers for electric vehicles.
Cocktails are available at their all service bar, as are beer and wine. They offer desserts as well like cookies and crisps. But, we didn’t have room for any of that!
With 6 locations all around Colorado, they are right at your fingertips! They are dedicated to going green and use both wind and solar power as much as they can. They focus on low water usage and high efficiency appliances. Beau Jo’s Idaho Springs is one of our favorites when we travel out that way and its obvious why it might be Colorado’s favorite pizza!
They also offer a loyalty program by earning 1 point for every $1 spent and get a $10 discount for every $100. Sounds like a great deal to me for some free meals!
If you are wanting to stay in Idaho Springs, here is a cute apartment on VRBO!
Beau Jo’s Idaho Springs
1517 Miner Street
Hours: 11-8 Sunday-Thursday, 11-9 Friday and Saturday
If you are in Utah, try out Hell’s Backbone Grill & Farm and Boulder Mountain Guest Ranch!
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Like this post? Check these out below, too!
The Matheson – Healdsburg, California
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Melody Stringer
Sunday 14th of February 2016
pizzzaaaa
orana velarde (@CLFAdventure)
Thursday 3rd of September 2015
I would take forever to pick also! Both the fat pizza and the thin crust pizza look out of this world! They look too delicious I'm just dying here.
The 'Noms.
Thursday 3rd of September 2015
The struggle was real! They were both excellent!
Gunjan
Wednesday 2nd of September 2015
looks soooo tempting!
The 'Noms.
Thursday 3rd of September 2015
It was so good!
dishofdailylife
Tuesday 1st of September 2015
Seeing your post brought back old memories! I lived in Colorado for a number of years and loved Beau Jo's! The crust dipped in honey was such a treat!
The 'Noms.
Wednesday 2nd of September 2015
Awesome! We said it was like a meal and dessert all in one!
aprilmrutherford
Tuesday 1st of September 2015
Well, now I'm starving and it's 6am. This looks wonderful, next time I'm over that way I'm going to have to try Beau Jo's.
The 'Noms.
Wednesday 2nd of September 2015
Haha! Pizza for breakfast can't be beat! I hope you get to try it!