Colorado residents must visit this steakhouse near Cheyenne Frontier Days

If you’re heading from Colorado to Cheyenne Frontier Days for one of the annual events, you’ll want to put this place on your agenda. Start your trip with a great meal or go after you’ve seen a rodeo.

Wyoming is known as “The Cowboy State” and this place fits right into that theme, especially if you include it in your visit to “The Daddy of ‘Em All”, Cheyenne Frontier Days.

The place has a history that goes back to the “Old West” where there was gambling, outlaws, a saloon and (you would expect) good old cowboy fun. While you may not see the gambling or outlaws these days, the fun is still there.

A steakhouse outside of Cheyenne that you must visit

On the west side of I-25, about eight miles north of the Cheyenne Frontier Days campus, you’ll find a small restaurant at the base of a large cell phone tower. If you’re speeding, you could easily miss it.

The Little Bear Inn is a must-visit

A friend and I were driving back to Colorado after a trip to Montana, and as we approached Cheyenne, I saw a little “white spot on the highway.” Wondering what this place was, I looked it up: The Little Bear Inn.

Little Bear dates back to the 1870s

The original building (west of the current building) was built as a post station along the route from Cheyenne to Deadwood.

After the train arrived in the area and the stagecoaches stopped, the Little Bear Inn became a saloon, restaurant and gambling hall, like those seen in Westerns like “Tombstone.” There was even a trapdoor in the floor so criminals could escape “the law.”

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Today, the new building, in use since 1958, features a fantastic steakhouse (Cheyenne’s original steakhouse) and a fun little quaint bar (with a big teddy bear) and party rooms.

An example of a Yelp review from 2023:

A must if you visit Cheyenne. Looks small from the outside but it isn’t. Has a quirky branded bar that is worth seeing and a giant teddy bear. Old school supper club vibe. I always go when there is live music but it’s not too loud and always good. Steaks are the best choice – it’s Wyoming – but fish is good too.