I live in the Cortez area and am a regular for their smoothies. They have the best smoothies and…read moretheir soup is good too! They carry pastries from Absolute Bakery, which is the best bakery in Montezuma County. This is a great place to pick up healthy groceries that you can't find anywhere else.

So glad I found this place on a recent trip to Mesa Verde National Park! I love that they offer…read moresmoothies. I had a meal replacement smoothie as a healthy alternative to eating unhealthy diner food or breakfast served in a hotel. Staff is very friendly and helpful. Two youngsters were staffing the store when I visited. Very nice kids! This store offers a nice variety of products. I stocked up on healthy snacks and other food for meals while staying in Cortez. I highly recommend visiting and shopping here if you're ever in Cortez!

Big clean store. After summer sales. Great produce. Found…read moreplain black sandals $3. Found great beautiful cucumbers & bananas too!

I'm really not sure why this store has low reviews. I tend to avoid crowds, especially in Walmarts…read morelike a toddler fleeing from wearing clothes, but this was a nice location. The store is HUGE, the shelves are well stocked, and this facility is very clean. Associates everywhere, which you don't even see in smaller locations; I would know. Not sure when Walmart started upscaling their items but they had Yankee candies, bougie soap, and name brand shirts. The superstar I want to call out today though is Nathaniel, a really sweet gentleman running the self checkout lanes. He has such a nice smile and lovely disposition, always offering to help customers and ask how everyone's day is going he refilled my checkout lane's receipt paper before I could even ask. I wish all customer service associates could be like him; the world would be a much better place.

Great store and they have everything you need. When I have a get together I usually make queso and…read moreget a large block of cheese. The lady at the deli was pissed that asked for a 2 lb block of Gouda instead of slicing it and then said next time you'll have to buy the whole block. I gave her the "you can go fuck yourself laugh" and went about my business. She is the only one at the deli that has ever been rude about making one cut. Other than that my experience here is great.

Better not be a white seventy year old male trying to buy a lottery ticket at City Market in Cortez…read moreColorado. You'll be asked for your age and ID and told you better not lie, we don't like liars. City Market is losing customers due to their employees bad attitudes and high prices.

We were drawn to Esmeraldas Ranchito Mexican Grocery Store after reading the reviews lauding the…read moretamales served at this family run store. Esmeraldas, very interestingly, is situated in a former gas station with the gas pumps removed. I believe they serve most items the entire day, so we were able to snag our tamales even though it was only 8AM. There were a couple of other customers inside and it seemed like everyone only visits for the food and not so much for the groceries. I ended up having to order in Spanish even though everything on the menu is in English. It's not an issue though as the person working is very friendly and and patient. Half Dozen Tamale ($13) - They had four types of tamale available for purchase: Beef (x2) - This tamale is filled with ground beef and corn in a red chile sauce, lending a reddish color to the masa wrapper. The masa is a little on the dry side and crumbles apart quite easily, but it doesn't stick to the corn husk much, allowing the tamale to stay well together during the unwrapping process. The beef is pretty lean and isn't seasoned that much, so it's a rather mild flavor. Chicken (x2) - The masa in this tamale completely sticks onto the corn husk, making the tamale basically completely fall apart while trying to unwrap. This might be due to construction - this tamale has a ton of filling, probably more filling than masa. The filling is basically shredded chicken in a light green chile sauce, complete with chile seeds. Like the beef tamale, this one is also on the dry side. The texture of the chicken is very similar to canned tuna and sticks to the teeth while eating. It's very tender without any gristle. Pork (x1) - The pork is shredded well into almost a Chinese pork floss-like texture. Since we ate this later (not on the same day) we ended up steaming the tamale and I have to say that the reheating process really amps up the moisture levels and makes the masa succulent and the meat not necessarily juicy, but definitely not dry. Cheese (x1) - This one smells the best by far. The filling includes plenty of fatty cheese, giving moisture and a good mouthfeel, and is embedded with pieces of tomato, onion, and green chile. The flavors meld together quite well, and due to the extra moisture, this is the most pleasing to eat. I've had tamales before that are still very good even with lukewarm. These ones, on the other hand, have to be eaten fresh or otherwise reheated via steaming. With that being said, when fresh, the tamales Esmeraldas serves are just as the other reviews state - delicious.

My traveling companion wants to propose to Esmeralda. She is so lovely, and her chile cheese…read moretamales are the bomb. We stopped and got tamales on our way to Mesa Verde, and they were so good, we stopped again on our way back to Canyonlands for a refill.

If you're passionate about high-quality meat and supporting local ranching, Bell Beef Country Store…read moreis the kind of place you'll want to know about. Nestled just north of Cortez, this family-owned country store brings fresh, ranch-to-table beef straight from the pasture to your plate -- and the difference in taste and quality is something you can truly savor. What makes Bell Beef special isn't just the excellent product, but the story and people behind it. This operation grew out of decades of ranching experience, with Scott Bell raising cattle for years and his son Kasey and daughter Raedene, stepping in to help build the business into what it is today. The Bell family's hands-on approach means you're not just buying meat -- you're buying something they're personally proud of. Walking into the store feels like visiting a local favorite rather than a generic market. The selection is impressive: premium cuts, ground beef, steaks, jerky, snack sticks, and even bulk freezer bundles are all available, vacuum-sealed for freshness and convenience. It's obvious a lot of thought goes into every choice on the shelves, and customers often comment on how delicious and rich the flavor is. The staff is welcoming and knowledgeable, ready to help whether you're picking out something for dinner or planning meals for weeks to come. The community vibe here is strong -- people return again and again because they trust the quality and enjoy the personal touch. If you're in the Cortez area and want beef that tastes like it came straight from the ranch -- because it did -- I highly recommend stopping by Bell Beef. It's a true gem for meat lovers and a great example of local family business done right.

This 100% grass fed, free range beef is delicious! I have had ground beef, ribeyes, chuck roast,…read morestew beef, organ meat and suet and loved them all! Great prices, beating all online competitors I have seen! Free local delivery by the nicest guy! Keto or carnivore dieters, you gotta try this meat. For the rest of you, here is a dirty little secret that you will never hear from your doctor: grass fed cow's beef and organs are the most nutrient dense foods you can eat. www.meatheals.com www.carnivoremd.com

I found "Books" when I lived in the area, a decade ago. Since, this bookstore has been central to…read moremy visits to Cortez. They have ordered special requests and have a massive selection of literary classics. LOVE this store! Mark B.

Great service! The young lady behind the counter and who was waiting on everyone who came through…read morethe door, was exceptional! She knew the store forwards and backwards! My wife and I were traveling through Cortez and stumbled upon this wonderful bookstore. A massive selection in both hardbacks and paperbacks new and used. If your looking for a book or two this is the place to try!

Cashier was extremely rude, rolling her eyes at my kids and tried to stop me from setting my items…read moreon the belt." We're not done yet! That's not how our lanes work!" Simply cause she hadn't given back change yet to my daughter. Also had the nerve to say " oh, we're marking down chips now?" As if it was our fault they were discounted. After giving me change she just rolled her eyes again without saying a word. I also didn't appreciate how other workers were watching my kids (adults) like they were up to something. Will not recommend others to shop there.

I love this store. Prices on produce, bulk foods, haba and supplements are comparable and sometimes…read morebetter than City Market. The produce is always organic which is important to me. Highly recommended!

Why aren't there 6 stars for those that are extra special? Maybe our friends at Yelp can consider…read morean exception here and there. This would definitely be up for The Big 6!!!!!! What a place. Superb service, amazing produce, fresh local meats and oh yes, the main attraction------bakery items. Fresh in house baked goods that make "slap yo mamma" good seem like a passivity phrase. I mean this stuff is scream worthy. The bagel and cookies are to die for, literally. I'm serious y'all and wait, the pies. Oh the pies. It should be a felony in Dolores to drop one of these magical creations. Triberry was WOW. Rhubarb was killer. What else can I say y'all? Go. Go Getchasum now. You cannot imagine what you're in for people. Pie day is on the way. Who needs a fork. Just go!

We were driving from Grand Junction to Mesa Verde, and this market was a random stop after getting…read morethrough the high-elevation mountain pass. It was an incredibly lucky stop! The market is well-stocked. The bathroom was clean. The sandwiches (we had a roast beef and turkey) were some of the BEST we had ever eaten, and quite affordably priced. We bought a tri berry pie, which had an excellent pie crust. The snacks we got for the road (cookies and brownie) were very good. Also, the cashier, a young man, was very pleasant and gave us a positive interaction. We just ate where we parked, next to the food market, and had no problems. All in all a highlight of that drive.

Was not expecting a place like this out here. I'm from Austin and this place made me feel at home…read more Fantastic quality delicious food. Beautiful place. Some of my favorite products. And the staff was so fun and helpful. We got 3 different kinds of sandwiches, toasted. Chili, pea soup, chicken curry salad, Asian slaw, broccoli salad, tortilla salad, almond flour cookies and lots of fruit and some drinks we'd never tried before. Everything was great. I also like how they have solar panels, compostable flatware and gluten free options.

I AM SO GLAD THEY ARE HERE!!…read more SO VERY GLAD, that I drive over from Cortez regularly. Those "premade refrigerator sandwiches" another reviewer bemoaned? They are then custom-grilled (maybe with love?, because they come out delicious!). There are seats outside on the upstairs patio. Gaze at Mancos Valley and Mesa Verde while you munch on a grilled sammich and a little bag of dark chocolate-covered cherries. Go on, do it; you won't be sorry! No place else to get many of these foods, and every time I go there I feel like my brain and heart shake out the dust and take a deep long breath.