Located in the San Juan Mountains of Southwest Colorado about 25 miles north of Durango, Purgatory Resort is a must visit ski mountain for incredible powder, fun and twisty glades, killer terrain parks (5 of them!), and a huge variety of trails to satisfy skiers and snowboarders of all levels. The best part though, for me at least, is that the crowds are manageable and 3 of its main lifts are high speed! Less time in lines or on the lift means more time in the snow.
Is Purgatory vegan friendly though? I deem it not bad but not great. Here’s your full vegan guide to dining on the mountain.
tl;dr the best vegan-friendly options at Purgatory
- Powderhouse (frontside, off lifts 1 and 2): huge, fresh salads that are surprisingly satisfying
- Dante’s (backside, off lifts 5 and 8): a cafeteria-style dining hall with the best variety of vegan options on the mountain
An Overview of Dining at Purgatory
Pugartory has a small village at its base, which includes access to the Purgatory Lodge, shops, and a handful of dining options. Entering the village as you walk towards the lifts, you’ll first see Paradise Pizzeria and Village Market & Deli on the righthand side after passing the shops.
Walk up the stairs to reach the lift and find Waffle Cabin‘s cute and discreet snack stand on the right, and the very prominent Purgy’s Slopeside Restaurant on the left, directly across from the Lift 1.
Once you get up the mountain, you’ll find that The Powderhouse is the most conveniently located rest stop on the front side of the mountain, and Dante’s is the best on the backside — lift 5 even has a midpoint exit that takes you right to its entrance!
Vegan at Purgatory Resort
While I have tried my best to list hours for each dining option below, the hours and days open do change throughout the course of Purgatory’s season. The following is up to date as of 3/27/2023. For the latest information, please check Pugatory’s website directly.
Paradise Pizzeria
Been here before? Share your experience with [email protected] and your input could help future Vegan Outside readers!
Located in the small village at the base, this pizzeria was only serving by the slice when we were there (meaning no custom orders to get a pizza without cheese), but not sure if that’s how it always is. If pizza’s not your thing anyway, you could perhaps you get a salad here.
Village Market & Deli
Open daily 8am-4pm (hours may change throughout the season)
Across from the pizzeria in the base, this classic deli offers a veggie sandwich off the menu that can be made vegan, or you can design your own veggie sandwich from scratch. The fillings are your classic deli toppings, such as lettuce, tomato, and onion, though, with no particularly special veggie ingredients to mention. Small groceries are available here too, for your snacking needs.
The Waffle Cabin
Open daily 9:00am – 4:00pm (days open may change throughout the season)
Though you won’t find vegan waffles here, this food stand does serve coffee, tea, and some simple snacks, such as granola bars.
Purgy’s Slopeside Restaurant
Open daily 11am-9pm
This central spot right across from the bottom of Lift 1 is popular for its outdoor fire pit and convenient location. You can order a veggie burger and fries here, but seating may be tough during peak hours — the majority of visitors seem to naturally flock here for their midday meal on the mountain.
The Powderhouse & Pitchfork Pub
Open daily 11:00am – 3:30pm (days open may change throughout the season)
Located off of lifts 1 and 2 on the mountain’s frontside, Powderhouse is a great place to stop mid-run, whether your yen is for a beer or a bathroom. The top floor is a pub only, while the lower level serves food.
There are a few salads on the menu that can be made vegan with modifications, but don’t let that make you think they’ll be less than a meal. Both the asian noodle salad (ordered without chicken) and the Powderhouse salad (smoked beets, walnuts, and cranberries, ordered without cheese) were delightfully fresh, filling, and delicious. The noodle salad was a particularly substantial meal, as it was basically a full bowl of peanut noodles on top of a bed of greens. The only downside is that the noodle salad costs a couple dollars more than the others because of the inclusion of chicken in the menu item, so you end up paying a vegan tax for ordering without the meat. However, you may be able to ask for a substitution (like a bag of chips) if that is important to you.
Dante’s
Open Daily 11:00am – 3:00pm
On the backside of the mountain is this cafeteria-style dining hall directly off of Lift 5 (also accessible from Lift 8) with a number of dining options inside.
The Mexican station offers veggie tacos filled with squash and mushrooms, which are paired with a tray load of tortilla chips and salsa, creates a filling meal. The grill station offers a veggie burger and a platter of fries, which, as the name implies, is also enormous.
Backside Bistro
Been here before? Share your experience with [email protected] and your input could help future Vegan Outside readers!
Days open change throughout the season; lunch hours are 11:00am – 2:00pm
Supposedly on the backside, honestly, I never even saw this spot on the mountain. As it serves French cuisine, I have a feeling vegans won’t be missing out on much by not visiting, but let me know if you’ve been here and experienced differently.
