First Place: Best New Restaurant
Second Place: Most Scenic Restaurant
Third Place: Best Cocktails, Best Chef (Kris Cannon)

Modern, casual elegance is what Sweetwater Grill at 811 Yampa Ave. hangs its hat on, and that’s what you get every time you saunter in for suds, ceviche and everything in between.

From a year-round, stainless-steel, outdoor fireplace filled with crystals to a bar that would make Norm from “Cheers” feel at home, expect good times, good food, good tunes and possibly a hangover.

“The whole concept is to have people come for dinner between 6 and 8 p.m., and then walk by the lounge and stay for music afterward,” says owner Kim Haggarty. “It’s more than just dining; it’s the whole Sweetwater experience.”

As well as bands, that experience includes such family-friendly activities as igloo- and snowman-building contests and a 45-person, multimedia upstairs meeting room for rehearsal dinners, private parties and company conventions.

The formula works. As well as appeasing locals and visitors, Sweetwater also has become fundraiser central, hosting benefits for such groups as The Lowell Whiteman School, Friends of the Yampa and a rowdy one for the Free Summer Concert Series. “We’re all about bringing a new vibe to the Yampa River,” Haggarty says.