Montrose Local

08/21/2026

Took a stroll through The Montrose Truck Stop this afternoon.
Event was sponsored by Montrose DART and Friends of the Black Canyon.

I finally managed to catch Colorado Philly and ordered the Colorado Special. It was delicious!

I also grabbed a Prickly Pear Limeade from Good Day Sunshine Lemonade. I’d never tried one before—I'm usually a cherry limeade fan—but I thought I’d mix it up, and I’m glad I did.

After seeing the size of the half cheesesteak from Colorado Philly, I didn’t think I’d still be hungry afterward. It turns out I was right.

Despite that, I still got Funnel Cake Fries from my friends at Grub:30—because there’s always room for dessert! If you haven’t tried them yet, you have to. That strawberry dipping sauce is delightful!

08/19/2026

Local businesses often have a website, page, booking link, ordering page or payment service—but customers may still have to hunt around to find the right one.

Bookcliff Media, the company that operates Montrose Local, is soft-launching another option for local businesses.

Bookcliff Tap provides one simple, mobile-friendly page containing the customer actions and links that matter most. Businesses can share the direct link, add it to their social-media profiles or use the included QR-code image.

For the local launch, the first five businesses can get a custom digital Tap Page for $20 one time. The regular price will be $29. Initial setup, basic hosting and basic analytics are included, with no required monthly subscription.

See how it works, try the live example and send an inquiry here:

https://tap.bookcliffmedia.com

08/18/2026

Have you ever found a loose dog—or had your own pet get out? How did the finder reach the owner?

When a pet gets loose, someone often makes a Facebook post and hopes the right person happens to see it. Even if the pet reaches a shelter, getting them home can take longer when current owner information isn’t easy to find.

Bookcliff Media—the company that operates Montrose Local—is developing and testing another option: a personalized pet ID tag that a finder can tap with a phone or scan using its QR code. Either method opens an updateable profile with the pet’s photo, owner contacts, and important information. No app is required.

The tag’s size, durability, and finish are still being tested. Nothing is being sold yet, and joining the interest list is not an order or commitment.

If this is a problem you’ve experienced, you can see the prototype, try Maggie’s sample profile, and follow the project here:

Tap or scan to open an updateable pet profile. See the prototype and join the early-interest list.

08/14/2026

📷 Meet Montrose photographer Alyssa Roberts

If Alyssa looks familiar, you may know her from Zoomiez Beverage Hut. But there's another side of her that you may not know about — she's the photographer behind Through Lyssa’s Lens

Photography has been part of Alyssa's life for years. She grew up around photographers in her own family, started taking photos herself as a kid, and launched Through Lyssa’s Lens as a teenager.

After moving to Montrose in 2024, Western Colorado gave her an entirely new landscape for her work — mountains, changing terrain and scenery very different from where she started.

But what stood out to me while getting to know Alyssa's story wasn't just where she takes her photos. It was how she thinks about the people in them.

Alyssa doesn't want every client to walk away with photos that simply fit her style. She pays attention to the person in front of the camera and wants the finished photos to feel like them.

In her words:

“It’s very important to me that a client is purchasing photos that fit them, not photos that fit me.”

Alyssa is the first Featured Local Artist on Montrose Local — a new series giving local artists and creatives room to share both their work and the stories behind it.

Meet Alyssa, see more of her photography and read her full story:

🔗 montroselocal.com/arts/through-lyssas-lens/

🌐 Portfolio: throughlyssaslens26.mypixieset.com
📅 Booking & inquiries available through her portfolio
📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/through_lyssas_lens/

08/13/2026

📍 Taqueria el Jaliscazo
🍽️ Ordered: Torta Ahogada
📌 Location: 216 N. Townsend Ave., Montrose
⏰ Hours: Mon & Wed–Sun 9:30a–9:30p • Closed Tue
📞 Phone: (970) 596-1575
🌮 Mexican food: Tacos, tortas, burritos & more
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584145130482
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taqueria_el_jaliscazo/
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/

A taste of Jalisco in Montrose

I stopped by Taqueria El Jaliscazo at 216 N. Townsend Ave. after they invited Montrose Local in to try something from the menu.

At their suggestion, I went with the torta ahogada, and there’s a reason this dish has a special place on their menu.

Taqueria El Jaliscazo started as a family project in late 2025. The family is originally from San Isidro Mazatepec, Jalisco, with additional roots in Durango, and they opened the restaurant to share the food, traditions and flavors they grew up with.

The torta ahogada is part of that story. It’s one of the dishes closely associated with Jalisco, and for the family, serving it here is a way to share a little piece of home with Montrose.

Mine came on a soft, bolillo-style roll filled with tender, seasoned shredded pork and refried beans, with onions on the side. The savory red sauce was served separately, so I could decide just how “drowned” I wanted it. I went media ahogada—partially drowned—rather than bien ahogada, the traditional fully drowned preparation.

The pork was tender and flavorful, and adding the sauce a little at a time let the bread soak it up without overwhelming the sandwich.

They also serve tacos and the Jaliburger, their Mexican-style burger—which definitely gives me a reason to come back.

08/12/2026

🎸 Free live music this Friday!

Mesa Moon Band brings classic rock to the Montrose Elks Lodge during Rock Fest.

📅 Friday, August 14
🕖 7 p.m.
📍 Montrose Elks Lodge, 801 S. Hillcrest Drive
🎟️ Free and open to the community and Elks members

See the full event details on Montrose Local:
https://montroselocal.com/events/rock-fest-featuring-mesa-moon-band

Discover • Explore • Support Local

08/10/2026

📍 Zoomiez Beverage Hut
🥤 Ordered: 32 oz. Chinese Crested — approximately $5
📍 Location: 1522 N. Townsend Ave., Montrose
⏰ Hours: Tue–Fri 6:30 AM–1 PM and 4–6 PM; Sat 9 AM–1 PM; Sun–Mon closed
📸 Instagram:
🎵 TikTok:

Last week I stopped by Zoomiez Beverage Hut. I ordered the 32-ounce Chinese Crested, a peach-pineapple black tea. It had a light, fruity flavor, with the peach coming through first and the pineapple adding a little extra tang. It was sweet and refreshing without feeling too heavy.

Zoomiez offers smoothies, energy drinks made with Red Bull, Monster, or Lotus, flavored teas, chai, coffee drinks, and matcha. The menu includes a wide range of fruit, coconut, caramel, chocolate, and other flavor combinations, so there are options for just about any kind of drink preference.

The menu board makes it easy to browse the choices and see what flavors go into each drink. Whether you’re looking for coffee in the morning, something fruity in the afternoon, or an energy drink to keep you going, Zoomiez has plenty of options to try. They’re also available on DoorDash if you’d rather have your drink delivered.

08/09/2026

📍 Sunny Thai Food Truck
🍜 Ordered: Pad Thai
📌 Location: Camelot Gardens, 16612 S. Townsend Ave., Montrose
⏰ Hours: Mon-Thu 11a-7p
🗺️ Facebook: Sunny Thai food truck

While attending Func Fest today, I stopped by Sunny Thai Food Truck and ordered the Pad Thai.

Sunny Thai serves authentic Thai cuisine, including Pad Thai, drunken noodles, spicy basil, Thai fried rice, curries, spring rolls, cream cheese rangoon, Thai iced tea, and more.

The Pad Thai was one of the better versions I’ve had in a long time. The noodles were flavorful, and the combination of egg, bean sprouts, green onions, crushed peanuts, and lime came together really well.

Sunny Thai’s regular location is Camelot Gardens, where they are open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Online ordering is available through their website, and Facebook is a good place to check for current information.

If you’re looking for Thai food in Montrose, stop by Sunny Thai and give them a try.

Disclosure: Sunny Thai provided the Pad Thai complimentary for this visit.

08/08/2026

📍 Los Doggos
🌭 Ordered: Nuevo Mexico
🍟 Served with: Fries
💵 Price: $14
📌 Location: 335 N Townsend Ave., Montrose
📱 Facebook: Los Doggos

After a couple of recommendations from locals, I stopped by Los Doggos. I ordered the Nuevo Mexico, which I found out is their most popular hot dog, and got it exactly as it comes—a juicy sausage wrapped in a Hatch chile and bacon, then topped with pinto beans, mayo, mustard, ketchup, fresh tomato, and sautéed onion.

The flavors worked really well together, especially the Hatch chile with the fresh tomato and onion. There’s a lot going on, but this definitely isn't your standard hot dog.

I also had a chance to try the Rodeo Burger ($16), a hefty burger with cheese, sausage sliced in half, ham, New Mexico chile, fresh tomato, lettuce, mayo, mustard, and ketchup. It was well cooked and served with fries. Between the beef, sausage, and ham, this is definitely one to order hungry.

I also tried the Salchipapa ($16)—octopus-shaped fried sausage with cheese, mayo, ketchup, and nacho chiles (jalapeños). Everything melded together well, with the jalapeños adding a nice bit of heat.

All in all, everything was delicious and appropriately spicy. There was some heat throughout, but it never overpowered the other flavors.

Needless to say, there was no way I was eating all of that myself, so the wife and kid got recruited to help me finish it. 😂

Disclosure: Los Doggos provided the Rodeo Burger and Salchipapa complimentary for this visit. I purchased the Nuevo Mexico and fries.

Have you tried Los Doggos? What should I try next?