Highway 3 Roadhouse & Oyster Bar in Durango, CO

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Telephone:	+1 970-247-4702
Website:	www.highway3roadhouse.com
Address:	955 Hwy 3, Durango, CO, 81301
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:	1.5 miDurango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad
Categories:	Southern Cajun/Creole

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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations	No
Delivery	No
Take-out	Yes
Accepts Credit Cards	Yes
Accepts Bitcoin	No
Parking	Private Lot

Bike Parking	Yes
Wheelchair Accessible	Yes
Good for Kids	Yes
Good for Groups	No
Attire	Casual
Alcohol	Full Bar

Today

Today	–
Local time (Durango)	06:39 Tuesday, 10 June 2025

Business hours

Monday	–
Tuesday	–
Wednesday	4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Thursday	4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Friday	4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Saturday	–
Sunday	–

Description

Specialties

Eat, Drink & Have Fun With Us at the Highway 3 Roadhouse & Oyster Bar

The Highway 3 Roadhouse & Oyster Bar is known as a local’s hangout after work on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday – the only days we’re open. When you come and visit, you are sure to experience some of the best Cajun, Creole and Southern food with recipes straight from Louisiana.

Buried back off Highway 3 in Durango, you have to know that you are looking for us to find us. While we are considered a local’s secret, we do let outsiders in. Why would anyone go to such trouble to get here? Maybe the answer is in some of our reviews. Here’s what a reviewer from Arizona posted on TripAdvisor:

«Worth the wait! The food is fresh and wonderful. service is great, and atmosphere is friendly. Only open 3 days a week, but well worth a dinner here! Oysters are fresh (try the fried ones !), and blackened catfish is awesome. Just love an evening out here and the menu is always changing, so the specials are fresh and fun. LOVE this place!»

From the foregoing, you know that we have a Cajun/Creole/Southern based menu with oysters and catfish. We bet you will also like our étouffée, softshell crabs and awesome mac & cheese. Be sure to save room at the end for one of our sweets such as the bread puddin’ with whisky sauce. Take a look at our menu to see everything but the specials. You can catch those on our Facebook page where they are normally posted on Wednesday mornings.

We look forward to meeting you!

History

Established in 2011.

On Fat Tuesday in February 2011 (also known as Mardi Gras day), the Chef opened his doors to the new Highway 3 Restaurant and Oyster Bar. Since then, the building has grown with additions increasing the seating capacity. During the summer, a wonderful outdoor seating area is available. The newest addition came in 2015 with the «Garage Room» that includes an overhead door opening to the patio.

Meet the Business Owner

Chuck N.

Business Owner

In 1989, Louisiana native, Chef Chuck Norton settled in Durango after being co-creator and owner of restaurants in Hammond, Louisiana; Aspen, Telluride, Ouray and Durango, Colorado. Here in Durango, Chef Norton started Norton’s Catering Company which has been one of the premier caterers in the area ever since. Being a New Orleans native, Chef Norton brought his unique flavors to any theme and a vast array of experiences from Cajun, Italian, Mexican, Southwest and Southern cuisines.

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7 reviews of Highway 3 Roadhouse & Oyster Bar

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Kelly M.

Place rating: 4
Stockton, MO

Food was very good. Would like the étouffée to have been with a little more soup/broth… But very delicious. Red beens and rice was really good with sausage! Hard to find but worth the search and find… Only got lost twice… Sheriff was a GREAT help. Service was good as well!

M-J W.

Place rating: 5
Lake County, IL

SSssshhhhhh!
It’s a secret!
Hard to find, but worth the extra time it takes to find it! You think you’ve just driven past it, when you figure out it’s behind the cars and a building. It’s just tucked behind the parking lot. The architecture is early shanty, with steel roofs, and metal siding and several outdoor areas in which to eat.
Let’s talk about the food… It’s Southern, Cajun, New Orleans food. They offer oysters, gumbo, Étouffée as well as spicy shrimp tacos and other offerings. All reasonably priced!
This restaurant is only open on Wednesday Thursday and Friday evenings. Wednesday night is guys night and domestic beers are $ 2.75 each! Beef sliders were $ 2.50 each!
So far, this restaurant is not listed in any of the guidebooks, or tourist guides given out at various hotels and motels in town. This is strictly a locals hang out! As a local favorite, I’m sure they’d love to keep it quiet — a terrific. Restaurant. And a great menu!

Jan Q.

Place rating: 4
Truchas, NM

This place has FANTASTIC food, atmosphere, and service. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who LOVES good food! The owner came by our table and introduced himself. A native NOLA with a great story, fantastic chef/cook. The beer and wine list is great. It’s a little hard to find but an absolute jewel!

Freddy S.

Place rating: 5
Durango, CO

We hit up The Roadhouse last evening for the first time. We arrived early, before 5PM, and the place was already pretty busy. I was one of a party of 4.
The space: It may be on Hwy 3 in Durango, but it feels more like a shack on the bayou. It is comfortable, welcoming, homey with many different alcoves and seating areas that are not connected to each other, but are spoked off the hub that is the bar area. Each area has its own décor and feel.
The Menu: The Roadhouse’ front door is actually a worm-hole. You have definitely left Durango, and very few of the choices are even remotely «local». Crab, shrimp, crayfish, each offered in a variety of preparations. On a side note, there are sliders on the menu, but those never reached even a slight consideration last evening. We had crab cakes, and soft-shell crabs, and traditional crayfish boil, and oysters. Dozens of raw oysters. At $ 7 per half dozen during «happy hour», they are irresistible. We ate pass-around style, so as to get a good sampling of the myriad of offerings. We were quite happy with each item. For dessert, we ordered the bread pudding with the whiskey (or bourbon, can’t remember) sauce and the chocolate pecan pie with ice cream. Sadly, the pecan pie was already sold out, so we were offered an item that was not on the menu: The Black Nasty. Chocolate mousse pie piled onto a graham cracker crust. Yes please. Both deserts were «perfect», and not an ort remained.
The Service: The staff was hustling, and helping each other out. Good teamwork… all of it watched closely by Mr. Norton himself. You can tell, upon entry of any restaurant, whether the owner is present or not. Chuck was actually AT the front door, taking on the role of dining room host when we arrived. He was spotted completing many tasks during our two hour stay including: host and social butterfly, food expeditor, waiter, busboy, you name it. There was great positive energy in the staff, and it showed in their efficiency and accuracy. Kudos to all. Well done!
The Damages: $ 23 dollars per person per hour for many plates of yummy stuff, adult beverages, and desert, not including a well-deserved gratuity. Overall, not too spendy all things considered. We pulled no punches and ordered whatever we wanted, when we wanted. You could certainly focus your desires and still have a very unpretentious, blue-jean-wearing, five-star-worthy meal and experience for far less money.

Aaron P.

Place rating: 5
Dallas, TX

Incredible! Get there early for specials. They’re going to run out. The best patio in town. Ladie’s Night Thursday ($ 4 Specials). The only thing that will disappoint you is the fact that they’re not open more often.

Sara W.

Place rating: 4
Durango, CO

This review is actually for the Highway 3 Roadhouse. I can’t believe it doesn’t have it’s own page! We were here for the first time 2 weeks ago, and clearly, it has a following. They are only open 3 nights a week, and it was packed. Service was attentive, wine and beer list is great, and the menu is so much fun! New Orleans roadhouse all the way. Oysters, po-boys, soft-shell crab. So exciting to find here in landlocked Durango. Chuck is there every night, making sure everyone is happy. We certainly were. Can’t wait to return!

Bob P.