Every Opening and Closing This Week: Longtime Staple Shut Its Doors and More

In the small town of Hudson, located about thirty minutes northeast of Denver in Weld County, the Pepper Pod Restaurant served the community for 114 years. But last weekend, it said goodbye a day earlier than expected. On January 3, the Pod had announced its impending closure, sparking a flood of fans who wanted the chance to say goodbye — much to the surprise of Beth Martin, who’d owned the historic restaurant with her husband, Dave, since 1977.

While the couple originally planned to serve the Pod’s last meal on January 12, they sold out of food on Saturday evening; on Sunday, they announced that they had to close early. Dave’s declining health had prompted the family’s decision to shut down the business, though Beth told Westword, “I keep hoping that someone will come out of the woodwork like what occurred at Casa Bonita and breathe new life into it.” So far, though, the property remains listed for sale for $4,559,000.

During the Pepper Pod’s hectic final days, a special piece of art went missing. “Twenty years ago, our friend Larry McLaren crafted a set of flatware as a gift for my birthday,” Beth shared on Facebook. “They have proudly stood outside our door at the Pepper Pod for all these years.” Until that day, when the large spoon went missing. Thankfully, it was returned to the owners before the Pod shuttered.

Other closures this week include downtown bar Honor Farm, which is gone for good; its sister concept, tiki bar Hell or High Water, will be making a comeback later this year in RiNo, next to Tracks in the space that was previously Miller & Rossi. Samosa Shop, which operated out of Honor Farm’s kitchen, will reopen in a different RiNo location.

GoFish Broomfield has shuttered after more than a decade in business, but it will stay under the ownership of the One Concept Restaurant Group, which plans to reopen the space as the more upscale Yuzu by SYC.

Among this week’s openings is Jordan’s Deli, which took over the former Melita’s space on Lincoln Street. Its menu includes breakfast sandwiches, both hot and cold East Coast-style heroes, and deli-style sandwiches and chicken tenders.

Nearby on Broadway, Adventure Time is bringing a different kind of bar to Baker, with a ticketed immersive experience and some very creative cocktails.

Further south, Pho & Wok from first-time restaurant owner Xirong Liao is now open in the former Szechuan Tasty House location, serving a mix of Chinese and Vietnamese dishes.

Rounding out this week’s culinary action is the comeback of Fire Bowl Cafe, following, yes, a fire in November that caused damage to the eatery. There are also two additions at Denver International Airport: an Einstein Bros. Bagels and a Mile High Spirits outpost.

In other openings and closings news:

• Pioneering homebrew store the Brew Hut is closing at the end of February.
• Littleton mainstay Robert’s Italian is expanding.
• Aldi is coming to Colorado…and readers have many thoughts about where the grocery store locations should be.

Here’s the complete list of restaurants and bars that opened and closed this week*:

Openings

Adventure Time, 101 Broadway
Fire Bowl Cafe, 11435 East Briarwood Avenue, Englewood (reopened after November 2025 fire)
Jordan’s Deli, 1035 Lincoln Street
Pho & Wok, 1000 West Evans Avenue

New at Denver International Airport, terminal B:

• Einstein Bros. Bagels
• Mile High Spirits

Closures

Hell or High Water, 1526 Blake Street (reopening in RiNo in 2026)
Honor Farm, 1526 Blake Street
Go Fish Sushi, 2055 West 136th Avenue, Broomfield
The Pepper Pod, 530 Fir Street, Hudson
Samosa Shop, 1526 Blake Street (reopening in RiNo in 2026)

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

Know of something we missed? Email cafe@westword.com.