Paramount Cafe

Paramount Cafe is a longtime institution on the 16th Street Mall, with a huge patio (with a modest smoking section) perfect for people-watching and an inside ambience that's equal parts trendy diner (lots of wood, brass and black-and-white tile) and sports bar (pool table, plenty of TV screens for big events). The menu is familiar American diner fare, with a slight international flavor in the grilled pupusas, Cubano sandwiches and Kobe beef burgers topped with lobster. But Paramount also gives a shout-out to Colorado with local elk and lamb burgers, and its deep-fried cheesecake burrito smothered with sliced strawberries is definitely unique. Happy-hour specials run all week, from 4 to 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close, and the full menu is served until 1 a.m.