Food & Drink

Mandolin-playing pitmaster Alejandro Barbosa moved to Denver in December 2019 after gaining a following in Baton Rouge with his barbecue pop-ups business venture. Now he's on a similar path in the Mile High, serving up meats cooked over live fire from his food truck, which regularly rolls up at places like Banded Oak Brewing, Zuni Street Brewing and music festivals. Along with smoked meats available on sandwiches and by the pound, look for such specials as beef cheek barbacoa tacos, wings, pozole, gumbo and more.

Annie's, which has been serving comfort food since 1981, may have to close or relocate soon — the building it currently occupies (the former home of Goodfriends) was listed for sale in late 2021. In the meantime, we'll be visiting this Colfax classic as often as possible, especially for breakfast. While it's open for lunch and dinner, too, the friendly (to the point that you feel like family) service and crowd-pleasing menu options — ranging from buttermilk pancakes to chicken-fried steak to a green chile-smothered breakfast burrito — make it the perfect place to start your day.

Open daily for breakfast and lunch only, this Louisiana-inspired favorite got its start in Boulder in 1980 and now has six locations in Colorado. Your experience here comes with a dash of Creole country kitsch, with knickknacks hanging from the walls and silverware wrapped in brightly colored fabric. Start with powdered sugar-covered beignets and your own personal-sized bottle of bubbles with freshly squeezed juice, or a cup of Lucile's chicory coffee. The giant, buttery biscuits with housemade jam are a must, too. And no matter what entree you get, you can (and should) opt for half grits, half potatoes on the side. Douse it all with the housemade hot sauce, and enjoy your trip to the South.

We like to get ducked up at Onefold during breakfast and lunch, and if it were open for dinner, we'd get ducked down in the evening. The Uptown eatery, founded in 2008 by Mark and Terese Nery, now has a sister location in the Union Station area, and both are heavy on the bird. Breakfast burritos and tacos are filled with potatoes cooked in duck fat, while the breakfast fried rice includes two fried duck eggs. Not ducked up enough for you? Try the duck congee, made with duck broth, duck confit and a poached duck egg, or the fried rice at lunch, which is also made with duck confit. No disrespect to the almighty chicken — we'll always adore your availability — but breakfast is an extra level of quacktastic at Onefold.

Mimosas by the bottle? Check. Novelty cocktails with fun names? Check. A full menu of actual food options (eggs Benedict! Breakfast tacos! Lemon blueberry ricotta pancakes!)? Check. Jaw-dropping drag entertainers? Check. The Triangle serves up drag brunches with a different theme — think anything from Legally Blonde to the discography of Janet Jackson — every Sunday. Tables are available for parties of two, four, six or eight guests, and the cover fee is per table instead of per person (around $5 a head if you split it). And if you need extra time to sleep off your hangover, there are both morning and afternoon shows.

For four high school friends in Golden, getting breakfast burritos made by an elderly Mexican woman named Cecilia, who sold them out of a small yellow trailer, was a ritual. Fast-forward several career moves: One of those friends noticed the trailer was for sale and brought the group back together to start a business. In the years since, the burrito joint has made two moves — first to a larger trailer, and then to a brick-and-mortar location in Golden, where crowds gather for foil-wrapped creations like the Chupacabra, loaded with eggs, hash browns, chorizo, sausage, bacon, chipotle crema, cotija and cheddar cheeses, and your choice of mild, 50/50 or "fuego" green chile. Bonus: Bonfire also serves a mean spicy Bloody Mary.

Alen Ramos and Carolyn Nugent have impressive résumés — the two met and fell in love while working under world-renowned chef Joël Robuchon and went on to travel the world, earning such honors as being the thirteenth and fourteenth Americans to be invited to work in the kitchen of Spain's el Bulli (San Pellegrino's Best Restaurant in the World), learning from legends like Thomas Keller and leading Tartine's first expansion. During the pandemic, they began selling baked goods out of their Parker home under the name Ulster Street Pastry. In late 2021, they opened Poulette, where they serve up insanely gorgeous pastries, loaves of bread, naturally leavened bagels and other goodies made with world-class skill.

Funky Flame got its start as a delivery-only cottage-foods business in December 2020 and quickly gained a following for its wood-fired bread — and for owner Allison Declercq's Instagram videos of herself dancing with her dog, Magoo, in front of her bright-yellow wood-fired oven. Now you can find Funky Flame cooking (and maybe dancing) at the Radiator in Sunnyside on a regular basis. Declercq has expanded her offerings to include Funky 'Za pizzas, hand pies, pastries, snacks and more, but picking up a loaf of the OG bread — which sometimes appears in fun colors like green (made with spinach and spirulina) and yellow (thanks to turmeric) — is a must.

Shawn Bergin moved to Denver with dreams of starting a bakery business, but he never imagined it would take off the way it did. Bakery Four drew long lines of fans and quickly outgrew its small Highlands home. Now it's back, in an expansive new space that will allow Bergin to make much larger quantities of his sought-after pastries, bread and bagels. There aren't many options for bagel lovers in Denver, but Bergin's naturally leavened take satisfies even East Coast natives with its mild sourdough tang, perfect chewy insides and ideal crunch outside.

Founded in Indiana by a father-and-son team, Parlor Doughnuts made its way to Denver in 2021 when a family friend of the original owners who lived in Colorado took an opportunity to ditch his sales career and opened locations here. Parlor's signature layered doughnuts are plump, tall, fully draped in icing and made with laminated dough for an extremely indulgent effect. Offered in flavors like French toast and raspberry pistachio, these become more than a doughnut; they're a full-on sweet culinary experience.

Once located inside Zeppelin Station, Dandy Lion made a move to Park Hill in September 2021. With the move, owners Duc Huynh (the man behind banh mi favorite Vinh Xuong Bakery) and his wife, Dominique, added a unique spin: The latest iteration of Dandy Lion is part coffee shop, part plant store. Lush with greenery, the bright space is a tranquil spot for sipping lavender lattes, Vietnamese iced coffee and chai paired with bites like croissants and breakfast burritos.

Filled with art, items from local makers for sale and boundless good vibes, the Noshery is more than a cafe; it's a neighborhood hub for the Northside — and don't you dare call the area by any other name. Co-owner Justa Ward Alvarez is just as passionate about the neighborhood's history and future as she is about pastries, pies and custom birthday cakes for kids of the cafe's regulars — of which there are many. Whether you're popping in for a latte or lunch, the Nosh will be there for you with scratch-made food, a caffeine fix and a friendly face.

When the shelves at the big grocery stores went bare during the pandemic, small neighborhood markets became lifelines for many. But Pete's Fruits & Vegetables had already been just that for the Hilltop neighborhood for over forty years. Under the watchful eye of two generations of the Moutzouris family, Pete's stocks top-quality produce and local packaged products (Sweet Action ice cream, the Real Dill pickles, Tender Belly bacon); it also operates an on-site butchery and offers prepared meals with a Greek flair. We're particularly enamored of its feta bar, bacalao (salted cod) and Greek pastries (and booze). And the baklava that's sold at the register is nearly impossible to pass up.

While Denver has lost some of its classic diners since the beginning of the pandemic (RIP, Breakfast King, Denver Diner and Tom's Diner), the pancake-flipping neon chef above Pete's Kitchen remains a beacon on East Colfax. Owned by the Contos family since 1988 — and bearing the name of patriarch Pete Contos, who passed away in 2019 — it satisfies like no other, whether you're there for a gyros omelet, a burrito smothered in green chile or just a burger and fries. And you can stop in at all hours (at least on weekends), when it's one of the only 24-hour options in town.

Romero's is serious about pleasing your pooch while providing a safe and clean atmosphere for humans. Some restaurants allow dogs on the patio, but this Lafayette beer bar takes the time to register dogs before they're allowed in the leash-free outdoor beer garden. It really is a club, with passes that can be purchased for a day, month or year; there's a temperature-controlled pavilion for on-leash furry friends, as well as a humans-only indoor bar. Even better, you'll find a stellar craft beer list and bar snacks for both you and your faithful companion.

The only thing better than sipping a glass of Lambrusco and noshing on Joy Hill's sourdough-crust pizzas is enjoying both on its patio. Located at the back of the restaurant's upper level, it's technically a rooftop patio — though at only two stories up, it's not going to trigger anyone's fear of heights. It does, however, offer an unobstructed view of the Rockies. Snag a seat at sunset for the ultimate colorful Colorado experience.

Size does matter. Located on the roof of the new Catbird Hotel in RiNo, the Red Barber boasts (nearly) 360-degree views from its perch six stories above the city. And while there are many other rooftops in town with both city and mountain views, this one has 3,300 square feet of open, inviting space in which to sip cocktails, enjoy bites like wings with Caribbean hot sauce and Korean beef hot dogs, and play a game of cornhole. Comfy couches are prime spots for lounging, or opt for the grassy picnic area or a spot near a fire pit — there's even amphitheater seating for live music performances. This is basically the ultimate backyard, in the sky, staffed with bartenders.

From your morning coffee run to lunch meetings on the patio and evening cocktails at Curio Bar, Denver Central Market is an all-day destination for all things delicious in the heart of RiNo. Its eleven vendors sell everything from pizza, raw oysters and charcuterie boards to ice cream and gourmet chocolate — but this isn't just a place for dining in. The vendors here also offer baked goods, meats, specialty foods and pantry items for home use so that you can pick up dinner essentials while grabbing a lunch sandwich to go.

Housed in a circa 1860 grain mill overlooking Clear Creek, the airy Golden Mill food hall also boasts a rooftop patio with views of Coors Brewery. But even without the ambience and ample seating, this would be a prime destination for food and drinks. On the ground floor, the self-pour tap system makes for easy access to a well-curated list of beverage selections, and there are several stalls with options like fried chicken sandwiches, barbecue and tacos. Upstairs you’ll find a hidden gem: Sushi Sora, which serves some of the best sushi in metro Denver.

Since quitting her executive-chef job of twenty years, practicing her dumpling skills for the better part of a year, building out a food truck and launching Yuan Wonton in late 2019, chef Penelope Wong has been serving some of the best food on wheels — and in Denver, period. Through the pandemic, she navigated ways to deliver her much sought-after dumplings and other specials safely, moving to a pre-ordering system with pick-up times. Now she's back to more regular services, with customers happily waiting in line for whatever Wong's got on the menu that day. The pro move is to order one of everything so you don't miss out on anything.

While a lot of kids' menus offer chicken fingers, cheeseburgers and grilled cheese, Acova — often lauded for the whimsical names on its roster — gives these staples real flavor. Save for the pasta dishes, each freshly made meal comes with a side of homemade chips, cut veggies, fruit or regular or sweet-potato fries, as well as the knowledge that you're not just feeding your little ones, but also giving back to the community: For every item ordered off the kids' menu, Acova donates $2 to a local children's charity, which changes each month.

Carmine Lonardo's, a family-owned Italian market and deli, has been around since 1976, and it's way more than a sandwich shop. The cozy shop's shelves are lined with imported pasta of all shapes and sizes, olive oil, canned goods, frozen foods like housemade sausages and so much more. Still, the sandwiches — huge, messy masterpieces loaded onto freshly baked rolls, which you can custom-order with that Italian sausage and a variety of other meats in hot and cold varieties — are unbeatable, and reason enough to visit.

We don't mean to disrespect a pizza parlor by giving it an award for sandwiches: This Berkeley neighborhood restaurant founded by Drew and Leah Watson makes a mean slice, traditional and otherwise, and Thursday's $5 Detroit pie special could be the best weekly pizza deal in town. But we can't let you miss out on the sandwich of the week. Monstrous portions of pulled pork, chicken parm cutlets, smoked tri tip, Korean and Nashville fried chicken or turducken routinely fill the eatery's homemade bread, and that's just the start of the mouthwatering options; you might also be lucky enough to get an aged white cheddar grilled cheese with duck confit, crispy prosciutto and cherry-habanero jam, or even a chicken pot pie calzone. The real star, though, remains Leah's grandmother's meatball sub, made with provolone, caramelized onions and a balsamic reduction.

When Beth Ginsberg and her partner bought the 35-year-old Zaidy's and resurrected it in the Virginia Vale neighborhood in 2021, they brought along most of the menu, including the Jewish deli's classic Reuben. For $16.50, you get a huge sandwich laden with corned beef, Russian dressing, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut, all grilled together on homemade seeded rye bread. It's the perfect balance of tangy, sweet, meaty and cheesy; get the dish with a side of potato salad, chips or fries laced with Zaidy's own secret spice mix. Although at first glance this sandwich may look like enough for two meals, after a couple of bites, you'll know the whole thing will be devoured in one sitting.

The first new spot at Denver Central Market since its debut five years ago, Lunchboxx opened in August 2021 with a slew of (mostly) healthy options that are ideal for lunch breaks. Among the offerings from chef Zach Spott (who also runs GreenSeed at the market and was formerly chef at now-closed LoDo cocktail bar Brass Tacks) is a must-eat sandwich with craggy, crunchy buttermilk fried chicken glazed with gochujang honey. It's served on a sesame brioche bun and gets a hit of brightness from cherry pepper slaw and chile lime mayo for a balanced yet flavor-packed experience.

Sure, hot chicken is everywhere right now. But back in 2016, when the original Music City Hot Chicken opened in Fort Collins, there were no other restaurants specializing in this regional dish from Nashville. Even though the competition has heated up, MCHC's big, juicy sandwiches, crispy tenders, vegan versions, stellar sides and varying heat levels (including a green chile-spiked option) make this the hottest ticket in town — especially since it opened a Denver outpost inside TRVE Brewing in 2021.

This small, family-owned spot has been specializing in wings for two decades, and the experience shows. The wings are on the smaller side, but with tender meat, a nice, crisp bite and a whopping 46 killer sauce and dry-rub options, size really doesn't matter. Not sure where to start? The garlic parmesan is a customer favorite, while the hot honey mustard offers a sweet and tangy experience with a kick. Orders are placed at the counter, and you can go half-and-half on flavors when getting wings by the pound — an essential move if you're looking for variety. Wing Hut also has a lineup of Cajun items, including po'boys, gumbo and fried okra, but our favorite wing side remains the classic curly fries.

The slow-cooked, grilled wings at King of Wings definitely live up to the name of the place, but the business itself has had a rough go. Two friends with no prior restaurant experience started it as a food truck before opening a brick-and-mortar location in June 2020, in the midst of pandemic uncertainty. Then, as it was gaining momentum, a December kitchen fire forced King of Wings to close. The restaurant is planning a comeback, but in the meantime, owners Eddie Renshaw and Evan Pierce have let other small businesses hold pop-ups in the space.

This soul-food spot is a hidden gem tucked a block off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The outside may not look particularly welcoming, with its caged-in windows and barred door, but you'll find a comforting vibe (and a bar) inside, along with a menu full of comfort-food classics including — as the name suggests — chicken. And, oh, what glorious chicken it is, fried to order and seasoned to perfection, with a thin but crispy coating giving way to moist meat underneath. Pair it with sides like mac and cheese or slow-cooked collards with shreds of ham hock for a home-style Southern feast with plenty of friendly hospitality thrown in.

Chef Merlin Verrier has experience in Michelin-star fine dining, but when it came time to open his own concept, he opted to create a funky, vibrant spot that specializes in the world's street food. Street Feud got its start at Avanti and later moved into Number Thirty Eight in RiNo, but in late 2021, Verrier finally found the right spot to open his own place, covering the walls in DIY collages and street art. Like a mixtape, the menu is loaded with hits, but the French fries stand out thanks to an extra coating of potato starch that makes them extra crispy (while remaining gluten-free) — even when you opt for toppings like braised lamb and curry aioli or crispy pork belly, kimchi and cheese sauce.

There are a lot of reasons to visit Ginger Pig. With no background in the food industry (and prior careers in both sportscasting and law), Natascha Hess started the business as a food truck with the guidance of mentor and Top Chef alum Carrie Baird. In 2020, Hess debuted her brick-and-mortar location, where she cooks food inspired by her time living in China, including menu hits like arancini-like Bangkok Balls, sous-vide char siu and the Korean cornflake dog — real street food-style snacking. A Nathan's all-beef frank (the top dog of hot dog brands) is coated in a yeasty dough, crispy panko breadcrumbs and cornflakes. Served on a stick with a drizzle of ketchup and mustard plus sesame seeds and scallions, it may not be traditional, but it sure is fun to eat.

How many pickles is too many pickles? At Split Lip, which has found a home inside Number Thirty Eight in RiNo, the limit does not exist. This venture started as a series of pandemic pop-ups from longtime hospitality pros who've now turned to creating a menu of crave-worthy, hyper-regional dishes full-time. While Split Lip offers several burger options, the Mississippi Slug Burger was the OG fan favorite from its pop-up days and remains a lesson in cheeseburger perfection, dressed simply with American cheese, "sawse" and, yes, a fuck-ton of housemade pickles on a soft sesame seed bun.

Owner Michelle "Meesh" McGlone and her business partner, Nate Collis, are both from Minnesota (the birthplace of the molten-cheese-stuffed Juicy Lucy), and both have a background in touring — McGlone as an aerialist and Collis as the longtime guitar player for hip-hop group Atmosphere. Now they're putting their energy into this small burger joint that opened in August 2021. Here the cheese spills out in a satisfying river of orange American mixed with beefy juice from the cooked-to-a-perfect-medium-well patty. Red ketchup bottles and baskets of yellow mustard packets are readily available for those who want to add a condiment — but try it without first, in order to get the full impact of the simple yet supremely tasty combination of flavors. Just remember to take one bite, then put it down and nosh on some fries or sip your drink while the hot interior cools to a palatable temperature.

A great veggie burger doesn't have to pretend to be meat (we're looking at you, Impossible and Beyond patties). At So Radish, a plant-based eatery with an '80s video-game theme, the house burger is a quarter-pound housemade black-bean patty served on a wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, red onion, dairy-free American cheese and barbecue sauce. It's tasty enough on its own without any mock-meat gimmicks. So Radish also has a rotating "burger" of the month, so even if you visit often, you can expect fresh flavor options.

You won't find the words "vegan" or even "plant-based" anywhere at Tricia and Sam Maher's Mediterranean-style eatery (named for lyrics in a Davie Bowie song), which opened in 2019. Instead, you'll find what they call a "vegetable-forward dining experience," with housemade pastas and small plates built without meat, dairy or eggs. In fact, there are no animal products in the building; even the barstools are upholstered with a pineapple-based textile that emulates leather. A solid list of creative cocktails and biodynamic wines, along with a beachy decor, make Somebody People a welcome stop for anybody, and its affordably priced, prix fixe Sunday dinners are a tasty tradition that has thankfully survived the pandemic.

While most barbecue joints in Denver these days specialize in Texas-style ’cue, Roaming Buffalo stands out for rooting itself firmly in Colorado culinary history with pulled lamb, huge bison ribs and venison sausage. It also serves more traditional meats such as pork ribs and brisket, available by the pound, heaped onto sandwiches or on plates, with sides like smoked poblano cheddar mac and Southwest potato salad. While purists may bemoan Roaming Buffalo’s use of pellets, that’s also fitting for Colorado ’cue, as we don’t have a natural supply of hardwoods for smoking — and pellets are more eco-friendly.

With encouragement from his wife, Sherrita, Aaron Gonerway started selling barbecue out of his home during the pandemic and quickly gained a following for his plates piled with ribs, pulled pork, chicken and more. A grant from Kingsford Charcoal's inaugural Preserve the Pit program helped Gonerway fund the opening of a takeout spot, where he serves up 'cue on Saturdays starting at 11 a.m. until it sells out.

Mardi Gras happens every night at Henry Batiste's New Orleans-themed bar and eatery. Beads and masks adorn the walls, fleurs-de-lis decorate the bar top, and housemade pickle shots pour freely alongside pints of Abita beer. Batiste was born and raised in the Big Easy, and he ran restaurants there before moving to Colorado. That's why you can trust the tavern to serve up rib-sticking gumbo, rich crawfish étouffée and the best red beans and rice (with real red beans, not inferior kidney beans) outside of Louisiana. You can even get those sausage-studded beans atop fries, if you don't mind straying from tradition a little. NOLA Voodoo Lounge is a Creole dream for Southern-fried fare (don't skip the alligator!) and bons temps.

For years, Denver's best Ethiopian restaurants have been clustered along a slightly dilapidated stretch of East Colfax Avenue, or even farther east in Aurora. Now west-siders can finally get the same quality of Ethiopian fare without the trek. Konjo is nestled inside Edgewater Public Marketplace, and the counter-service setup means you'll be able to load up in mere minutes on tangy, springy injera flatbread (a gluten-free version is available, too); succulent beef, chicken and lamb tibs imbued with the flavors of niter kibbeh (a spiced, clarified butter); and vegan sides including a knock-your-socks-off misir wot seasoned with the perfect jolt of berbere. That's a vast improvement over the extended wait you'd face in some sit-down spots — though if you decide to linger over your meal, it certainly won't be a hardship, thanks to Edgewater's other offerings: people-watching and a roster of excellent drinks from Roger's Liquid Oasis, the food hall's bar.

Walking into Three Saints Revival, which opened in November 2021, feels like stepping into a dream, with its pink-hued design scheme and whimsical touches. But even if you're eating with your eyes closed, executive chef John Broening's tapas-heavy menu, which pulls influences from all over the Mediterranean, is stellar. Dishes like patatas bravas, creamy croquettas and shrimp and chorizo swimming in a broth so good you'll sop up every last bit are executed with restrained simplicity. The beverage program, which includes cocktails made with ingredients like drinking yogurt and Aleppo pepper and wines from various regions in the Mediterranean (which even beginners can explore easily, thanks to the map on the menu), is the perfect complement.

You won't find the Syrian shawarma listed on the online menu for this no-frills strip-mall spot. The offerings there include standard Greek and Mediterranean options like kabobs, hummus and falafel on a typical round, slightly thick pita. A laminated card on the counter is the only sign that shawarma is an option at Gyros Town, but despite its low-key billing, it's a thing of beauty. Available in beef or chicken, it comes tightly wrapped in a much thinner, almost flaky oblong-shaped flatbread loaded with toum (a garlicky condiment), hummus, pickles and tomatoes. Sliced into enough pieces to share (though you won't want to) and served with fries or a sumac-dusted salad, it's a top-notch meal at a budget-friendly price.

Alon Shaya's Safta, which means "grandmother" in Hebrew, has been considered one of the best restaurants in the city since it debuted at the Source Hotel in 2018. The chef/restaurateur's first eatery outside of Louisiana is inspired by his grandmother's recipes and the cuisine of Israel, where he was born. While it's nearly impossible to find a miss on the menu, the biggest hit remains the pita and hummus. The bread is pulled from a wood-burning oven and arrives hot, puffed and slightly sour from its 100-year-old starter. The only thing better than ripping off a piece and dipping it in za'atar-spiced olive oil is pairing it with Safta's impossibly smooth hummus, available in several styles including one topped with a savory, slow-cooked lamb ragu.

Freshness and balance are the keys to great Thai cuisine, and this low-key Lakewood eatery, which opened in 2019, serves up both — though not from a voluminous menu. Instead, it offers a smart selection of house specials bold with herbs, spices and other imported ingredients, such as the Floating Market noodle soup with its rich, brown broth, and northern Thai kao soi that balances sweet coconut milk with complex curry and has both soft and crispy noodles. The standards, from pad thai to pineapple fried rice, are solid, but order something new to you for a truly transportive experience.

Filled with knickknacks, Kiki's is cluttered in the way your favorite aunt's house might be — but that just adds to the homey vibes of this casual, under-the-radar eatery that specializes in authentic country-style Japanese food. There is an entire ramen menu to explore as well as sushi offerings, but Kiki's also serves up dishes like agedashi tofu, karaage (Japanese fried chicken), takoyaki (fried balls made with wheat batter and octopus), tonkatsu (pork cutlet) and a lineup of noodle dishes.

When the pioneers of Denver's sushi scene open a new restaurant, it's something to see — and Temaki Den, from the team behind Sushi Den, is certainly worthy of a closer look. This sleek sushi bar inside the Source has quickly gained a reputation that lives up to its much older sibling's legacy. It specializes in aburi, or flame-seared sushi, and hand rolls (temaki) assembled in front of diners who are instructed to eat quickly and efficiently so as not to upset the delicate balance of the perfect bite — crispy nori, warm rice and cool fish. Although the bar setup has limited seating, Temaki has an expansion in the works, so that more people can soon get a taste of its standout sushi.

When Louie and Regan Colburn started slinging poke out of a walk-up window in 2016, the Hawaiian classic was hardly a bump in the Colorado culinary scene. Fast-forward six years and one pandemic later, and now there seems to be a poke spot on every corner. While most rely on endless customization options and toppings, Ohana's simple, classic take remains the best. As in Hawaii, the poke here is served in a way that lets the ahi tuna itself shine. All you have to do is choose between shoyu and spicy — and decide how many Spam musubi you're getting on the side. ("At least two" is the correct answer.)

Along the stretch of South Federal Boulevard where noodle houses outnumber lowriders on a Sunday night, a handful of no-nonsense Vietnamese spots, most serving rice plates and steaming bowls of pho, have stood the test of time, and Pho 79 is the standout. The restaurant's decor is warm and inviting, and the menu is comforting in its simplicity (no analysis paralysis here). The broth — a true test of any pho shop's worth — is stout and flavorful, and the accompanying bean sprouts, jalapeños, basil and lime wedges are always fresh and crisp. That said, we rarely pass up the opportunity to order one of the house specialties: bun bo Hue, a spicy soup studded with thin-sliced beef, pork sausages and unctuous pork hock.

The best ramen starts with the noodles, and Ramen Star is nearly alone in Denver in its dedication to fresh ramen noodles made in-house daily. The process is time-consuming and difficult, but it results in springy, flavorful noodles that hold up in a hot bowl of broth down to the very last spoonful. Chef/owner Takashi Tamai fills his bowls with both traditional and unique ingredients, from supple chashu pork to crisp-skinned potato pierogi. Serious ramen lovers go straight for the tsukemen, which offers thick noodles served separately so that you can dip them in an intense, velvety broth. We'll slurp to that!

Is bigger better? Once you sink your teeth into an imposing "giant dumpling" (really, that's what they're called on the menu!), you'll never go back to diminutive dumplings. The baseball-sized giants come stuffed with chopped noodles, veggies and a variety of meats, each one threatening to burst its perfect pleats. But if you're into something dainty, Seoul ManDoo sells standard-sized steamed or fried mandoo, too, and you can even buy a frozen pack to take home and cook whenever you get a craving. With Seoul ManDoo, you can go big and go home.

This sparsely decorated Denver Tech Center strip-mall spot, which still bears the "Blue Ocean" sign and online presence of its predecessor, offers an array of traditional Chinese dishes found on a lengthy Chinese menu that's MIA online. The main draw at Little Chengdu: noodles hand-made by the owner at a small station outside the kitchen entryway, where he pulls them with mesmerizing efficiency — something you can't find anywhere else in the city. He works solo, running both the front- and back-of-house operations, so plan to take your time when you visit. But visit often, so that you can eat your way through other specialties, too, like hot pot cooked at your table and handmade Szechuan wontons stewed in chili oil.

Opened by the daughter of the founders of New Saigon in 2019, Savory Vietnam has a cavernous dining room and, somehow, an even bigger menu. While the sheer number of options can be overwhelming, the dozens of soups, salads, noodle and rice dishes, stir-fries, hot pots and chef's specials reflect the wide range of styles and influences in Vietnamese cuisine. Go with a group that likes to share, and start with a mounded platter of finger food and fresh herbs that you wrap in rice paper to create your own rolls. Then dig into other selections, all of which arrive from the kitchen vibrant with color, aroma and flavor — like a tour of a busy street market.

Located right off of I-70, this Wheat Ridge bar is a familiar stop for truckers, bikers, sports fans, and...Vietnamese food lovers? Skip right past the burgers, wings and green chile-drenched burritos and you'll find a full menu of Vietnamese favorites, including pho, spring rolls, rice noodle bowls and more. Long Shots' deliciously inauthentic take on the banh mi, simply dubbed a "Vietnamese sandwich," includes your choice of marinated grilled steak, chicken, pork or lamb, with cucumber, cilantro, lettuce, jalapeños and green onion served on two thick, golden slabs of buttered Texas toast. It's a long shot from a regular banh mi, but it's also particularly tasty — especially when enjoyed alongside the kitchen's crispy fried green beans and an ice-cold beer from one of the bar's many taps.

Don't judge this place by the cartoon chicken logo that looms over the entryway. This Woody's, a sparsely decorated strip-mall joint in Westminster (which is not affiliated with the Aurora or Arvada locations), sees a steady flow of diners who fill the booths and long tables. They flock here not for the wings (though there are a couple of varieties available), but for the binder full of dishes with their roots in the Indochina peninsula. Much of the Woody's staff hails from Cambodia, the source of many of these dishes, but there are also items whose origins lie in Thailand, Vietnam, China and Laos. From Thai duck larb to canh chua, a Vietnamese sweet-and-sour fish soup, a stop here is a crash course in Asian cuisine.

In an age when dining out is serious business and frequenting restaurants is your patriotic duty, settling down for a meal at Thank Sool Pocha is just plain fun. The place is hopping, with families speaking Korean and English while digging in during the early evening hours before being supplanted by groups of all ages focused on knocking back tiny glasses of soju. There are dishes for adventurous eaters (steamed sea snails and cow-stomach barbecue) as well as those who aren't so interested in investigating intestines as food (mix-your-own rice balls, kimchi pancakes and Korean fried chicken). All of it is served in a lively, convivial atmosphere that's so comfortable you'll feel like a treasured regular by the time your check arrives.

The Porklet, with its adorable porcupine logo, is so named because pork cutlets are the specialty, jacketed in an almost painfully crunchy breadcrumb shell and dripping juice with each bite. But you'll also find two kinds of fried chicken on the menu at this little joint that's small on space but big on flavor. There's a chicken version of the house cutlet, called the Chicklet, of course, served sliced and presented on a wire rack to keep the bottom as crackly as the top, but there are also meaty wings that somehow manage to maintain their crunch beneath a sticky layer of sauce. Choose from sweet honey butter, tangy Buffalo, savory Garlic Bomb or the messiest of them all, the Black & White BBQ. It's okay to make a pig of yourself with fried chicken this good.

Many Americans are stuck in a rut when it comes to Indian food, and if chicken tikka masala and saag paneer are as adventurous as you want to get, Tikka & Grill's takes are exemplary, full of fragrant spices and depth. But you can also dig further into Indian — and Nepali — cuisine here. The street-food section of the menu offers the chance to snack with a newfound appreciation for the textures and bright, fresh flavor of items like bhel puri. Momo, Nepali dumplings, are a draw as well, along with a slew of curries and other dishes that will expand your taste horizons.

If you didn't grow up in a South Asian household, you may not be familiar with the wonders of Indian grocery stores. K Indian Grocery can fix that. It's only been around about a year, but it has become a staple for Indian and Nepali specialty goods, and is one of the rare Indian grocers on the west side of Denver. From fresh produce and bulk dry goods to frozen momo (for which there is a months-long waiting list), this place has all the South Asian goodies you didn't know you needed. Pro tip: Once you see how affordable it is to get herbs and spices in bulk here, you will never spend $15 on another tiny jar from the grocery store.

The longest-running Peruvian restaurant not just in Denver, but perhaps all of Colorado, Los Cabos has been open for over thirty years. Although it recently saw a passing of the baton from founder and pioneer Francesca Ruiz to Noel Plasencia and Lisa Nique, the duo behind Kero Peruvian Food in Aurora, it remains a destination for "puro Peru," or pure Peru, which the original owners adopted as a mantra. From the Peruvian rotisserie chicken to parihuela, a Peruvian bouillabaisse, Los Cabos dishes up specialties that are hard — or maybe impossible — to find anywhere else in the city.

While Cafe Brazil has been a haven for Mediterranean-inflected South American cuisine for more than thirty years, it’s also a prime destination for anyone avoiding gluten. According to owner Tony Zarlenga, 98 percent of the menu is gluten-free — meaning the wheat-averse can tuck into slow-roasted meats, baked sweet plantains and satisfying seafood stews, like the coconut milk-enriched moqueca de peixe, loaded with large prawns, bacalhau and sea scallops and infused with dendê oil. Wash it all down with a rum flight or a pour of cachaça from the bar and forget all about the bland, gluten-free pastas and rubbery gluten-free breads of meals past.

Decidedly un-stuffy, with a fun, modern take on French cuisine, Brasserie Brixton opened in the summer of 2020 as one of the most exciting new additions to Denver's culinary scene. But then pandemic restrictions put a damper on the party, and the restaurant temporarily converted into a pizzeria in order to survive. Now it's back to doing what it does best: offering dishes like steak tartare with truffled egg jam, and duck with radish cake, alongside natural wines and low-key, neighborhood-eatery vibes.

When French 75 originally opened in 2017, it was a pretty classic take on a French brasserie, but with its 2021 reboot following an eighteen-month pandemic-related closure, it feels like a completely different place. The decor didn’t change, but the energy and menu sure did. Some former staples remain, but they're offered in a new and improved way — like the French dip now served on a soft roll baked by Milk Market's LoDough Bakery. And it now has a roster of unexpected additions, including the lobster ramen that gained a cult following at Frank Bonanno's now-closed Bones; pork dumplings served in a gochujang butter; an eclectic playlist; and $1 pours of Prosecco flowing during happy hour.

Dining at Spuntino is like poetry. In fact, Elliot Strathmann, who owns the restaurant with his wife, chef Cindhura Reddy, composes playful poems about Spuntino's new dishes that he shares on Instagram. The couple has been running the intimate eatery since 2014, and managed to keep every employee working through the pandemic — quite a feat in an era of mass layoffs. Here, hand-rolled pastas and braised meats are the stars, and Colorado-raised goat and creamy arancini have become signature items. At the bar, Strathmann has amassed a collection of Italian amari (some of which he makes himself) that give diners one more reason to linger.

Pasta perfection: That's what you'll find at this Washington Park restaurant from the culinary dream team of Heather Morrison (front-of-house hospitality expert), Austin Carson (who heads up the bar) and pasta-making pro Ty Leon. Olivia opened in January 2020 — terrible timing for a fine-dining establishment. But it made it through the pandemic one lasagna to-go at a time, and now it's back to focusing on what it does best — which includes Leon in the kitchen folding pasta into intricate shapes for your wonder and amusement.

If your idea of frozen food is just Stouffer's mac and cheese and Trader Joe's, well, everything, think again. Some of Denver's best Italian food is being made by Kelly Crobu and her husband, Mario, a native of Sardinia. The longtime industry pros started selling frozen meals to family and friends as a side hustle, but with ample free time during the pandemic, they officially launched Casa Crobu in July 2020. All of the food is made in a commercial kitchen, and none of it sits for long, which means the frozen lasagna Bolognese delivered to your door was likely made the day before — and tastes that way, no matter when you decide to cook it. The Crobus also sell several specialty items, including culurgiones, a Sardinian filled pasta that's a cross between a pierogi, a dumpling and ravioli.

There's nothing innovative about the seventy-year-old Gennaro's, and that's just the way we like it. From the black-and-white-checkered linoleum floor to the weathered wooden bar, every nook and cranny of this joint screams nostalgia. Naturally, that extends to the menu: You won't find "twists" or "takes" on anything here, just satisfying, stick-to-your-ribs Italian-American classics. Start with an enormous loaf of garlic bread and marinara or fried ravioli for the table, then chow down on the aptly named colossal calzone, Italian sandwiches, pizza or sausage and peppers. The neighborhood atmosphere is bolstered by regular trivia, live music, open-mics and bingo nights.

When Spencer White and Alex Figura, the owners of fast-casual pasta hit Dio Mio, started toying with the idea of getting large deck ovens in order to expand their baking capabilities, the concept morphed into a pizza place. Enter Redeemer, which debuted in July 2021. An entry through the back alley marked by a neon slice sign leads to the slice window, where you can pick up one of that day's specials: New York-style and thick Sicilian options are both available. In the front dining room, you can order whole pies along with appetizers, wine, cocktails and more. All of the pizza is made on sourdough crust, but Redeemer mixes its artisan approach to dough with classic, craveable components like ooey, gooey, low-moisture mozzarella. Don't forget to order sides of both the hot honey and dilly ranch dipping sauce.

This LoHi restaurant from the Culinary Creative Group is a standout in the fine-dining Italian scene, but while its pastas, brunch and happy hour are all notable reasons to visit, ordering a pizza here is a must. Chef Russell Stippich, who took over the kitchen at Bar Dough just before the pandemic put the kibosh on indoor dining, has finally gotten the chance to hit his stride, which includes perfecting Bar Dough's, well, dough. The wood-fired pies come in several options, including a classic margherita, with seasonal topping combinations like the Il Sovrano, with mortadella, spring onion, ricotta di bufala and garlic oil.

It was her mom's sesame-crusted pies that sparked Audrey Sherman's longtime love of pizza, which led to a mentorship under thirteen-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani before she opened her own place. Since October 2015, Sherman has been slinging pies from a small spot tucked away on the back side of a shopping center. While whole pies — including the sesame version — are on the menu, those in the know wouldn't dare make a trek through Boulder without a pit stop at the Garage for the gigantic (seriously, they're huge) slices, which come out hot and fast.

Pizza isn't food that often inspires a road trip; usually, the best pizza is the one closest to you when the craving strikes. But Rosalee's is worth a trip. It specializes in what it calls "old world East Coast style" pies, which are based on American immigrants' earliest takes on what's now one of the most popular foods in the U.S. With a slight char and topped with hand-grated cheeses, sauce made with the highest quality tomatoes and additions like house-ground pork sausage, Rosalee's pies are available in both round and thicker square-cut versions. Bonus tip: Don't skip the sausage knots.

You may have tried pickle shots or pickle beer — but have you tried pickle pizza? The Real Dill pizza at Ritual Social House is an innovation that speaks to carb lovers and pickle enthusiasts alike. This mountain lodge-themed spot takes a standard dough, then creates a white-sauce base and adds bacon and dill pickles. At $17 for a 12-inch pie and $24 for 16 inches, it's great for sharing — or you can take the leftovers home and keep the pickle party going.

Denver has plenty of delicious pizza joints, but Benny Blanco's takes things to a whole new level with its Ghetto Jesus pizza boxes. The artwork depicts Jesus with a black bandanna across his forehead and a tattoo underneath one of his eyes, with "Benny Blanco's" written in an urban street art font. Ghetto Jesus is also holding a slice of pepperoni, while a delicious full pepperoni pizza halo frames his face. All that's needed to complete the Bronx Jesus look would be a puffy North Face, but Jesus would probably get hot in that with all the pizza ovens around.

Ben Todd has a passion for fighter jets that began with a toy given to him by his grandfather, who was a fighter jet instructor in the '40s. He also picked up a penchant for making a unique calzone dough during his days as a student at Purdue. In 2018, he combined the two and launched the Danger Zone Calzones food truck; the concept led to a brick-and-mortar shop in 2021. Copyright trouble led to a name change, but the magic dough remains the same. Far more than just a pizza folded in half, these 'zones are a sleek, handheld version of the pizzeria afterthought, ideal for late-night, after-bar sustenance or even a quick on-the-go breakfast.

Polish cooking smacks of home kitchens and generations of family members working together all day to create a celebratory feast. That's what you'll find at Baba & Pop's, which opened just days before the restaurant shutdown in March 2020. Fortunately, frozen bags of pierogi kept the business afloat until the dining room could reopen, and now guests can enjoy a full menu that includes such Slavic staples as cabbage rolls, kielbasa, sauerkraut soup and tangy cucumber salad. But a little Colorado has rubbed off on Polish-Canadian owner Jeremy Yurek and his wife, Katherine, so don't be surprised to find some zingy green chile hiding inside your pierogi.

Armenian cuisine doesn't get much attention in Denver — at least it didn't until House of Bread opened in late 2020. Now those in the know flock to the east-side bakery for ajaruli khachapuri, canoe-shaped bread filled with bubbly cheese and sunny-side-up eggs — and one of three styles of khachapuri sold at the bakery. There's much more to explore, though, whether you're craving dumplings (ask for the beef-filled sini manti), grilled meats (choose from several styles of kebab) or specialty breads (just pick something warm and fresh from the rack). House of Bread also serves a full range of coffee drinks and fancy pastries, so there's always something tempting, whether for breakfast, lunch, dinner or dessert. A visit is a delicious way to get to know Armenia a little better.

Union Station has been swimming in seafood since Stoic & Genuine opened in 2014. Chef/co-owner Jennifer Jasinski and her crew have turned out beautiful seafood dishes from the start; the staff is still sourcing super-fresh, sustainable seafood from multiple coasts, and has one of the top oyster programs in the city. Start with a plate of salmon sashimi tossed in chili oil and yuzu-soaked orange peel, then follow it with a bowl of seafood bisque and a few choice items from the raw bar, such as Maine lobster and snow crab legs. While known for its innovative and delicious seafood entrees, Stoic & Genuine also claims the rights to a really great burger.

Despite the city's distance from either coast, fresh oysters make their way to the Mile High via Denver International Airport — often arriving faster here than they reach coastal cities by truck. But while there are a lot of places to slurp these briny bivalves in Denver, one Maine native is stepping up the oyster game. You may have spotted Ben Wolven, the man behind Oyster Wulff, shucking at Forget Me Not in Cherry Creek, or caught his oysters on the menu at A5. He has the goods shipped to him directly from Maine, and is not only an actual championship shucker, but also a pro at talking oysters and sustainability, spreading the word about the positive impact that oysters have on the environment — which makes eating them even sweeter.

Of course we love Cart-Driver for its wood-fired pizzas, but the dining experience is elevated when you order a tray of whatever oysters are on offer on a given day, served raw with a tiny fork for the bivalves and a tiny spoon for the mignonette. But to reach true Cart-Driver pro status, you need to dig into the restaurant's selection of tinned fish. At the newer, larger LoHi location, that means sardines, but the RiNo original also has a selection, including smoked trout, codfish and stuffed baby squid. Whatever you choose will arrive on a tray with charred, fluffy piada bread, black olive butter, sambal pepper relish...and even more tiny silverware.

Denver has spent years trying to shed its cowtown reputation — which includes trending away from steakhouses toward a much more diverse culinary scene. But A5, which opened in 2021 in the former home of Morin, takes the classic steakhouse and infuses it with a modern sourcing ethos as well as fun, retro vibes. The result is a spot that feels anything but stuffy, thanks in large part to a menu from chef Max MacKissock that includes not only high-quality steaks — including the must-order Japanese wagyu striploin — but also updated takes on such classic steakhouse fare as a wedge salad with crispy guanciale and a crunchy seed mixture, and a beef tartare katsu sandwich with a perfectly soft-boiled quail egg tucked inside.

With its iconic sign, sunken bar and mid-century aesthetic, Bastien's is a holdover from times past — and we wouldn't have it any other way. The family-run business dates back to the 1930s, but the current incarnation was constructed in 1958. That sign touts its famed sugar steak, but there are twelve preparations to choose from. And whether or not you splurge on a full steak dinner, nothing beats sipping Colfax dirty martinis delivered by friendly servers who've been working at this classic for years.

When Columbine Steak House won Best Steak House — Low End in the very first edition of Best of Denver in 1984, the joint was already 23 years old. And after 61 years in business, not much has changed, thankfully. The dining room is packed at lunch and dinner with people noshing on steaks cooked to order and served up with a side salad, a slice of Texas toast and a buttered baked potato — which you can get for under $20 if you opt for the sirloin or New York strip. Nothing on the menu is over $30, but don't forget to bring cash: Credit cards are no good here (though there is an ATM on site).

A pandemic success story, Right Cream got its start when David Right began making and delivering ice cream via Instagram with his business partner, Josh Siegel. The idea quickly gained popularity thanks to Right's creative flavors and commitment to quality — he makes his own ice cream base and loads up his pints with mix-ins, all of which he makes from scratch. An ever-rotating array of flavors with fun names like Jason Mochamoa (coffee-steeped ice cream with coconut fudge gooey buttercake "chonks" and caramel swirls) and Clark W. Griswold (cream cheese vanilla bean ice cream with Ritz cracker toffee, strawberry jalapeño jam and candied pecans) keeps customers guessing as to what's coming next.

Ice cream can be so overpriced these days; what was once an affordable post-soccer game treat for kids has become the culinary equivalent of cold gold. But Magill's is the exception. With a nostalgic vibe from decades ago, Magill's offers a heck of a lot of ice cream that won't require that you break the bank or fork over lots of cold, hard cash. For added fun, go on a summer day and enjoy your ice cream outside on the benches, licking up the Magill's experience.

There's ordering from a menu, and then there's interacting with the menu — which is what Ian Kleinman's dessert bar is all about. Inspired by the 1971 Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory film, the chef has incorporated a slew of science tricks to make ice cream freeze right before your eyes, candy dry out and become light as air, and liquid chocolate transform into edible modern art. All of this happens by using liquid nitrogen, compression and freeze-drying technology and applying the techniques to sugar. Here, a sweet is never just something you pick from a menu; rather, it's a full experience for the senses. Currently the shop is open by reservation only, and dates and times for the Inventing Room's "Sugar Science" demonstrations can be found online.

A great hotel restaurant not only serves guests of the venue, but it becomes a destination for local and visiting diners, as well. Such is the case with chef Paul C. Reilly's latest venture, Apple Blossom, which he runs with his sister, Aileen Reilly, and her wine-expert husband, J.P. Taylor Jr., in the Hyatt Centric Downtown Denver. The restaurant is a culmination of chef de cuisine Russ Fox's work at the team's other spot, Coperta, as well as the recently shuttered Beast + Bottle. The food on the Apple Blossom menu is approachable but with an elevated twist, which is reflected in dishes such as the chicken-fried duck livers and handmade pasta laced with uni.

When you're bowling, sometimes French fries and a slice of frozen pizza will have to do. But at Holiday Lanes, a Lakewood bowling alley and billiard room since the '50s, the in-house Elbow Room offers not only the usual suspects, such as mozzarella sticks and onion rings, but also calzones, patty melts, country skillets and even weekend breakfast. Our favorite part of the lineup, however, is the Tex-Mex lineup. Crispy chiles rellenos, hearty green chile and chimichangas the size of Paul Bunyan's forearm are popular enough to bring in hungry visitors who have no intention of hitting pins. With a menu this deep, there's no way you can strike out.

While green chile may rule in Denver, the Tex-Mex chili reigns supreme at Sam's #3, a local chain of diners with a pages-long menu of Greek, American and Mexican staples. The origins of Sam's date back almost a century, and while the original closed over fifty years ago, the Armatas family opened another downtown eatery on the same block in 2003, with additional outposts in Aurora and Glendale. All of them serve the Tex-Mex chili, a combo of Sam's pork green chile and its red, Coney-style chili, ladled in a cup or bowl over pinto beans, topped with cheese and diced onions, and served with a large, warm flour tortilla. Though green chile purists may bemoan this move, one bite and you'll understand the crossover appeal.

El Taco de Mexico is a beloved institution that has been serving Mexican eats in Denver for 36 years, a fact that was honored in 2020 when it won a James Beard Foundation America's Classics Award. Much of that success can be attributed to its green chile, which stands out in a city saturated with the stuff. Fans flock here from breakfast through dinner for burritos, huevos rancheros and chilaquiles all smothered in the deeply flavored, dark-greenish-brown-hued chile verde. A carnitas burrito blanketed in it is a must, but you should also get a large side order on its own, served up in a Styrofoam cup with or without pork, to stash away for a fix long after your burrito has been devoured.

While the traditional chile relleno is soft, decades ago Denver came up with a unique variation: the egg roll-style relleno. And you'll find the city's best example of that version at La Fiesta, which has perfected it during the sixty years that the Herrera family has run this spot in an old Safeway in Curtis Park. The relleno starts out with an Anaheim pepper stuffed with cheese — not Velveeta, we've been assured — and is then wrapped in a wonton wrapper, dried until the exterior is crisp and the interior molten, and finally smothered with a sense-searing green chile. It's delicious — and unique to this city, according to Gustavo Arellano, author of Taco USA. "In my travels across the U.S., the only place I've found them is in Denver," he says. "Next to the Mexican hamburger, Den-Mex at its finest." Of course, La Fiesta has a pretty good Mexican hamburger, too. Be aware that hours here are limited to weekday lunches, Fridays until 9 p.m., and Saturday evenings, when the restaurant resurrects its old supper/salsa club feel.

For 25 years, Pochitos has been a staple in Sunnyside. Not only does it make tortillas that are served in dozens of Denver eateries, but it's a destination for tamales. At Christmas, there's often a line out the door with people queueing up for this specialty, but you don't have to wait for the holidays to enjoy them. In fact, the smart move is to buy them by the dozen and keep them frozen for a quick and flavorful snack or meal anytime.

Known to regulars simply as El Tep, this Englewood staple has been serving the neighborhood since 1978. In 2015, the original location closed, with plans to reopen a few blocks farther south. Cravings grew nearly out of control as nearly two years passed before El Tep finally debuted in its new home, in a large space with colorful walls and tables, wooden chairs that bear the restaurant's name and piñatas strung from the ceiling. While it boasts some of the best green chile in town, the true can't-miss option here is the carnitas, served simply on a plate with rice, beans and a tortilla on the side. The slow-cooked pork studded with onions and peppers is crisped before serving, and is an exemplary take on the classic.

Chef Dana Rodriguez has worked magic again with her latest concept, the Mexican street taco joint Cantina Loca. It's a vibrant spot bursting with complex flavors, all packaged in bite-sized entrees and finger foods. Rodriguez, who brought us Work & Class and Super Mega Bien, opened Cantina Loca not only to deliver charcoal-tempura cactus and housemade chorizo tacos to the neighborhood, but also to showcase her fantastic mezcal and tequila. After all, what goes better with a succulent pork carnitas taco than a dram of smoky mezcal? On the less traditional side, don't pass up the doraditos, which are fried tacos stuffed with cheesy potatoes and lemon cabbage salad, then topped with a spicy avocado sauce.

The original location of La Fogata was opened by Danette Calhoun on East Evans Avenue back in 1990; a second spot was added in the Denver Tech Center in 2004. Both eateries are staples in their neighborhoods, and regulars are greeted warmly by longtime staff — and the house margarita. Made with a secret blend of juices that give it a pink hue and a more mellow lime flavor than most, this marg is everything a great margarita should be: strong, sippable and the perfect pairing for burritos, Mexican hamburgers and chiles rellenos.

Ironton was what this neighborhood along the South Platte was named in the 1800s, and over a century later, Kallyn Peterson and Robbie Adams kept the moniker for their distillery, opening in the space previously owned by Ironton Studios, a founding member of the RiNo Art District. The distillery does Colorado proud both with its strong array of spirits such as vodka, rum, aquavit, gin and whiskey, and the great tasting room where you can try them. With a 10,000-square-foot outdoor space (dog-friendly for canines on leashes) and an art-filled indoor area, it's an ideal place to sit back with a Scandinavian Sex Monkey (barrel-aged aquavit, orange liqueur, turmeric shrub and orange) or a Huntin' Wabbits (rye, carrot juice, apple juice, herbal bitters and sage). And don't just come for the booze and art — though both are reason enough to visit: Ironton Distillery also sells wood-fired pizzas, charcuterie and seasonal salads by Angel's Share Pizza Kitchen.

When co-owner Paul Tamburello (the man behind the Little Man ice cream shops and plenty more) brought the Family Jones to LoHi in 2017, it was with the idea of creating a stunning space where guests could try the distillery's locally made spirits. And those are stunning, too: Master distiller Rob Masters has created Annika Jones vodka, Juniper Jones gin, Mo Jones rum and Atticus Jones rye, but he hasn't stopped there. He's always working on new spirits, such as the recently released Earl Grey Juniper Jones and Ella Jones bourbon, as well as concocting collaborations with breweries and other institutions around town. All of the liquor is made using local purveyors — grain from the Whiskey Sisters, malted grain from Root Shoot Malting and potatoes from Jones Family Organics — and Masters also creates the mixers used in the bar's unique cocktail program. As a result, this is one family you definitely want to join.

What started as a home hobby turned into an award-winning business for Daniel and Talia Haykin, who officially opened Haykin Family Cider in February 2018. Unlike at most cideries, apples here are treated much like grapes in winemaking, with a focus on highlighting single, heirloom varietals with names like Redlove, Dabinett and Porter's Perfection — several of which are grown locally. The sparkling beverages are available in liquor stores as well as the cidery's tasting room, where they're poured from Champagne-like bottles.

At Noble Riot, you can sip really good vino and learn about it at the same time. For $69 a month, Noble's Flight Club is a great way to do both, as sommelier Troy Bowen or co-owner Scott Mattson lead guests in monthly wine tastings, dinners and special winemaker highlights. Of course, you can just pop in for a glass of pet nat or elegant rosé, too, no reservation needed — and if you don't know what to order, the skilled staff will guide you. Finally, you'd be hard-pressed to find another place that offers crispy fried chicken to pair with that glass of sparkling Le Monde Ribolla or light and airy gruner veltliner.

Cheese and chocolate are always great, but if you want to take your beer pairings to another level, Cerveceria Colorado has you covered. This taproom offshoot of Denver Beer Co. has served up everything from pan dulce pastries, churros and empanadas to tamales, salsas and guacamole. The staff has even paired beer with, yes, bugs. While that might have been a tough one to stomach, the other food pairings work well with brews like an horchata blonde ale, a chipotle pepper amber and a churro stout, all inspired by Mexican ingredients and often made in collaboration with Mexican breweries.

There have always been bars that cater to the early-morning crowd. Some of us need a drink after working an overnight shift, some like to watch the sun rise with a beer, and some of us, well, some of us just drink too much. Breweries, on the other hand, tend to open late, especially during the week, when 3 or 4 p.m. can be the norm. But not FlyteCo Brewing. Nope, this West Highland spot runs a coffee shop on site, which means its staff is up early and ready to open the draft lines, too. And that means you can stop in for a beer as early as 7 a.m., seven days a week. Ski Plane Stout pairs especially well with the dew at dawn.

When the snow starts dumping and you simply can't drive home (or just don't want to), with any luck you're stuck at Bull & Bush. The brewpub has become part of the bedrock of Denver, and nowhere feels more warm and secure in the cold. Eyes strong enough to peer through the dim lighting will see barflies, families, lovers and old friends sharing stories and pints over dishes fit for a midshipman, some of which have been on the menu since Bull & Bush opened in 1971. Prime rib, Sunday night suppers and Iowa breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches keep the place comfortably stuck in the past, right where we want it — but the beer lineup, which was full of fine Belgian imports and craft brews decades before juicy IPAs took over Colorado, has always been ahead of the game. Fight for a seat by the fireplace, peruse the extensive list of Scotch, and get cozy. Even if the weather clears up, you're going to be here for a while.

Jade Mountain Brewery & Tea House takes its inspiration from Asian ingredients, with a hint of Mexican flair. But owner Sean Guerrero doesn't discriminate against anyone — or any beer style. Which is why, in less than a year since the brewery opened, he's collaborated with at least a dozen other breweries, from old classics like the Wynkoop to experimental upstarts like Black Project and everything in between. He's also brought in cuisine for pairings that you won't find anywhere else, like Vietnamese flan, moon cakes and Korean cupcakes. Look for Guerrero to continue collaborating in 2022, gathering knowledge and spreading a little of his own.

Rooftop patios are a rare treat; there's nothing quite like them. Not only do they let you soak up the sunshine, but they provide a physical manifestation for the sweet escape we're all looking for during an afternoon or weekend drinking session. Odell Brewing's newest Denver taproom — which opened in 2021 in a refurbished historic building — has a particularly special rooftop patio, with quintessentially Denver views of Sloan's Lake, tons of space, and a delicious variety of beers that are brewed beneath your feet. Enjoy the perspective.

Most breweries keep their patios front and center, where people can see them and envy the people who sit there during Colorado's three (and a half) seasons of great patio weather. Bruz Beers, on the other hand, offers more of a secret oasis at its Bruz Off Fax location in Capitol Hill. Tucked away at garden level, the patio serves as a courtyard between a couple of other businesses, though it has plenty of space where you can imbibe the brewery's big Belgian beers, and also supplies some quiet respite near the hectic intersection of Colfax Avenue and York Street.

Since it opened its first taproom on Platte Street in 2011, Denver Beer Co. has been one of the hottest spots in the city for relaxing on the patio, drinking local beer and people-watching. It later added a similarly buzzy place in Arvada, and in 2021, it expanded into a vibrant, sprawling south Denver taproom, eatery and beer garden, complete with a separate ice cream parlor. This third spot, which also comes with its own beers, lives up to DBC's standards of being the kind of place where you want to stay for a while. But the brewery isn't done: In 2022, it will add a second patio on Platte Street, and after that, a fourth location in Lowry that promises to be the best one yet.

As a kid, one of the most comforting things to do in the middle of a Denver snowstorm was to take a field trip to the warm and steamy insides of the Denver Zoo's Tropical Discovery and pretend you were on vacation. Although there's no (literal) steam at Wah Gwaan Brewing, the new taproom gives adults that same feeling with its Jamaican inspiration, reggae tunes, vibrant murals and beers made with tropical ingredients like durian, mango, pomegranate and coconut. Plus, there are tie-dye pop-ups, First Friday nights and the occasional spontaneous dance party, not to mention food trucks featuring dishes from Haiti, Ethiopia, Kenya and other less common cuisines. What's going on? Wah Gwaan is going on.

It's rare for a brewery to come along these days and offer something totally different, but that's what Cohesion did when it opened last August. The elegantly decorated brewery focuses almost exclusively on Czech-inspired lagers — not just in name and style, but in every detail of Czech brewing and beer culture. Examples include Cohesion's custom-roasted grains and water filtration system, along with its side-pouring faucets and water-bathed mugs that make an impression on customers. But the best part is the way the beer is poured in different sizes and in three different foam options: hladinka, snyt and mlíko (a nearly full glass of sweet, creamy head that feels almost like drinking a latte). Make Cohesion your new foamy home on the range.

Perhaps no brewery was hit harder by the pandemic than Bierstadt Lagerhaus, a large, two-level space that relied almost exclusively on people showing up to eat, drink lagers and have a good time. But Bierstadt fought back, adding cans, creating a patio and inventing food-prep kits to go, all the while continuing to brew its world-renowned beers. Today the brewpub, with its party games downstairs and retro-funky elegance upstairs, is even better than before, having built new garage doors and continuing to host fun events. While you can now get its beers, from standards to seasonals, in liquor stores, you don't want to miss a night here. Bierstadt has become one of the hubs of craft beer culture, and Denver wouldn't be the same without it.

A properly made Old Fashioned is a thing of boozy beauty. Smooth and strong, it's a classic cocktail that's made a huge comeback, and while many places in Denver do them well, none is quite as dependable as the iteration at American Bonded. Made with your choice of bourbon or rye, it's available anytime but is just $6 during happy hour, which runs 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and all day on Sunday. Bonus: the rooftop patio and eats from T.S.R. (This Shit Rules), which serves out of the bar's kitchen.

Founded in Austin, the Denver location of Uchi debuted in 2018 and quickly became a hotspot for sushi lovers. While dinner here is a sublime experience, guided with gentle expertise by the stellar staff, it can get pricey, fast. Enter happy hour, which is available from 4 to 6:30 p.m. daily. A staggering eighteen dishes are available at a discounted price; they range from nigiri and temaki (hand rolls) to hot bites like scallion pancakes and a wagyu meatball. There's even a dessert option so that you can truly make a whole meal of the experience, as well as boozy deals on select cocktails, sake, beer and wine.

Popular with both Regis University students and longtime Regis neighborhood residents, Rocky Top Tavern is a prime place to eat and drink on a budget without sacrificing taste or environment. Inside the bar there's a pool table and plenty of high-tops, while the recently expanded patio has an area with picnic tables that overflows with neighborhood dogs during warm weather. The tavern offers $4 well drinks all day, every day, and a rotation of daily specials that can't be beat. Highlights include $4 smothered breakfast burritos and $3 mimosas on Sundays, and Wednesday wing nights, when patrons can get twenty wings for $15.

Not every tiki bar is created equal, and the bright, beautiful and classy design of Jungle makes it a tropical paradise. Thanks to beverage director Jake Novotny, so do the drinks, many of which come in whimsical tiki glasses. For example, Sea Stories, with bourbon, Batavia Arrack, carrot, yuzu, coconut and soda, is served in a colorful octopus mug. A cactus-shaped cup is filled with Tijuana Slowdance, a mixture of mezcal, Oaxacan rum, kiwi, orange, lime and honeydew. But don't stop at admiring the pairing of your drink and glass: These cocktails also work well with burgers, fish tacos, plantain fritters, fries and jerk fried chicken.

Broadway got a boost when the Roxy took over the former Syntax Physic Opera space in August 2019, but just six months later, the pandemic silenced the stage at the vintage-cool venue. Although the shutdown nearly forced the place to shutter, owner Paula Vrakas took the time to renovate the kitchen and staff lounge. And now the Roxy is back full force, pouring 1920s-inspired cocktails served alongside a menu that's as eclectic as the nightly live entertainment, which ranges from open-mic nights and comedy to acoustic sets, rock, blues and jazz.

While the Sportsbook also has locations in the Tech Center and Highlands Ranch, it's the basement-like Washington Park outpost that we love, for its secret clubhouse feel. On game days, fans pack the place, making you feel like you're at a raucous house party that happens to be really well stocked with beer. And if you have a few too many, a stroll through Wash Park is a pleasant way to sober up. The Sportsbook also does breakfast on weekends for early-game sustenance; all-you-can-eat wings and fries on Thursdays for $14.99 (with purchase of a drink); and all-you-can-eat tacos on Tuesdays for $9.99.

Given how successful Premier League club Liverpool has been in recent years — not to mention what Ted Lasso has done for soccer's popularity — it's no wonder the Liverpool FC Denver fan club found a festive outpost for its Saturday game-watching. The club posts up at the Abbey Tavern for all Liverpool games, and the bar gets completely packed. This is definitely the best place to watch a soccer game for Reds fans. Just don't show up wearing blue.

In June 2020, when new guidelines finally allowed bars and casinos to reopen, the 1Up got left out because shared gaming devices were still a no-no. The extended closure might have been the end for our favorite place to play retro favorites from '80s pinball to NBA Jam, but it eventually reopened (with plenty of hand sanitizer). And we're damn happy it did. We dare you to find a better place for cheap suds and classic vidya games. So put a few dollars into the quarter machine, try to reach a high score over some Tecates, and keep the change, ya filthy animal. You'll be surprised at how little you spend.

With the Broncos adding star quarterback Russell Wilson, the Rockies snagging former Major League Baseball MVP Kris Bryant in free agency and Nuggets star Nikola Jokic making the case to earn his second MVP award in the National Basketball Association, things are looking up for Denver sports fans — and there's no better place to catch a game than at the city's most valuable sports bar. Blake Street Tavern has game sound in each of its many rooms, a menu that includes sports-bar comforts done expertly, and a full bar with friendly waitstaff around every corner. Whether you just want to casually catch a game or are searching for a spot to focus on your favorite, Blake Street scores.

Tight End, owned by Steven Alix (co-owner of the Squire Lounge) and Sudy Kudva, is Denver's first (and only, officially) gay sports bar. Watch the game on one of nine televisions, sip a boozy beverage on the sound-equipped patio, and enjoy a safe space to take in all sports. The drink list has all your sports-bar favorites, such as beer — lots of beer — as well as shots of liquor and simple mixed drinks. On quiet nights when there aren't any big games, Tight End also hosts karaoke and drag bingo, which to some are the greatest sports of all.

For a decade, Priscilla Jerez worked at Tooey's Off Colfax, a haven for those looking for drinks and camaraderie with a side of punk spirit after a long shift. Now, along with business partners Chris Maynard and Dale Canino, she's re-created that atmosphere of late-night revelry at the Crypt, where the smoking patio out front is filled with people trading stories (and lighters) under the moonlight. And inside, you're highly likely to run into at least a few old friends while grabbing a cocktail or vegan late-night bite.

Edgewater's newest (and only) tiki bar doesn't take itself too seriously, regularly hosting month-long themes that involve Jurassic Park, Krampus and good old-fashioned satanism. The art on the walls includes portraits of a half-naked George Costanza, Patrick Bateman, a tyrannosaurus, Frank Reynolds, Dr. Steve Brule and fat Elvis, and you might see a ceramic penis pop up every once in a while. But don't you dare accuse the Electric Cure's bartenders of screwing around with the drinks. Each theme comes with an elaborate drink menu full of rums and liqueurs, with the latest Devil-inspired go-round featuring names like Deplorable Day Trader, Passion of the Christ and Honey, I Shrunk Your Head.

There's no better place to get trashy on Chicago's famed (for its bitter AF taste) spirit Malört than this bar that debuted in 2021. Owner Erin Homburger spent most of her twenties living in the Windy City and has re-created the cozy, lived-in vibes of its neighborhood bars on South Broadway, in a comfortable space complete with pool table, large back patio, Montucky cans, "trash charcuterie" (aka Lunchables) and a long list of beer-and-shot combos, including the Chicago Handshake — a shot of Malört and a can of Old Style.

Inside a building shaped like a castle (no surprise there) is one of the friendliest bars in metro Denver, a sunken square presided over by tattooed staffers and surrounded by captain's chairs, with high-tops and cozy booths circling the action. The vibe is relaxing and unpretentious, as are the patrons. Snag a 20-ounce personalized mug for $20, good for a lifetime of 20-ounce pours for 16-ounce prices (enjoy them at the sunken bar), and settle in for the night. The fare is simple but tasty, with budget food specials such as 75-cent wings every Thursday and buy-one-get-one-half-off burgers (among the best in town) on Tuesdays. With karaoke, bingo, trivia and chatty regulars of all stripes, you'll never be bored when you storm the Castle.

Although it only opened in May 2021, the Dew Drop Inn already feels like a longtime neighborhood mainstay. That's because it comes from a team of longtime bar pros — the same women behind such staples as the Horseshoe Tavern and Embassy Tavern, among others. On cold days, the inside is a lively yet cozy respite from the snow; a large patio out front is ideal for summer sipping. Cocktails range from classics to new creations, there are two happy hours daily, and you can get a beer-and-shot combo for $8 anytime. All that is bolstered by the food from Fush, a man who worked at the iconic Falling Rock Tap House for 22 years until it closed. Here he's getting the chance to let his culinary talents shine with big bowls of mussels in spicy red curry, poutine with house-smoked pork, crispy Japanese-style fried chicken and much more.

If you're planning a night of bar- and restaurant-hopping, you don't need to wear your hiking boots for this crawl. Start off at Fish N Beer for happy hour, which kicks off at 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and whet your appetite with raw and chargrilled oysters and a beer-and-shot combo — best enjoyed at a counter seat in front of the wood-fired stove. Then head next door to Hop Alley (you'll want to make a reservation) for some of the best Chinese food in the city from Uncle owner Tommy Lee: Don't skip the la zi ji and bone-marrow fried rice. Afterward, full and buzzed off booze and Szechuan peppercorns, saunter across Larimer for late-night drinks at the Embassy Tavern, where you can soak in the success of the night on the back patio.

We first got to know chef Bo Porytko's rebellious take on food at Rebel, which shuttered in 2018. But Porytko made a comeback in 2019 when he took over the kitchen at Middleman. Instead of serving up typical bar snacks, though, Misfit pushes the bounds of culinary creativity — and you never know what you're going to find on the menu (except for the signature burger, which is one of the best in town). From a tempura-fried whole head of broccoli that looks more like a turkey leg than a veggie dish to duck and foie gras fried dumplings and andouille sausage Scotch eggs, we'll eat whatever Porytko is cooking.

More than a (very talented) chef and (successful, well-liked) business owner, Caroline Glover emerged as an inspirational, honest industry leader over the course of the pandemic. Never shying away from sharing her struggles, fears or wins, Glover took a totally transparent look at the reality of pivoting, from figuring out the logistics of curbside pick-up to building greenhouses on Annette's patio to choosing to cut brunch service in order to improve the quality of life for herself and her staff. Plus, her pastries are the stuff of sweet dreams, her burger on a housemade English muffin is fast becoming one of the city's most iconic foods, and she has a flair for making perfect deviled eggs and pork cutlets.

When restaurateur Delores Tronco returned to Denver from New York City to open the Greenwich, a restaurant inspired by NYC with homages to the city filling the space, she brought along chef Justin Freeman. He, in turn, brought years of cooking experience — and his wife, infant son and sourdough starter, which he held between his knees while he drove to keep it safe. He uses that starter in the dough for the Greenwich's stellar pizzas, which are topped smartly with combos like Colorado lamb meatballs and honey labneh. Then there are the heaping plates of perfectly roasted chicken, and the freshly baked bread, and the elevated takes on simple veggie dishes like creamed spinach with brown-butter hazelnuts and fresh horseradish. This is supremely shareable food that is supremely executed; we hope Freeman keeps cooking it for Denver for a long time to come.

We may live in a taco-saturated city, but it's impossible to beat Jose Avila's dedication to traditional Mexican dishes and cooking techniques that are uncommon in Denver. He's a 2022 James Beard Award finalist in the Best Chef, Mountain division for his Sunday-only series, El Borrego Negro, in which he cooks sheep barbacoa Hidalgo-style, in an hoyo (an outdoor pit oven). But you don't have to wait until Sunday to get a taste of Avila's talent thanks to La Diabla, which he opened in June 2021. It's Colorado's first pozoleria, where you can get huge bowls of the soup in four varieties (blanco, negro, verde and rojo). But pozole is just the start. Here you can also find specialties like relleno negro (turkey cooked in a black sauce), costras (meat wrapped in griddled cheese), pambazos (sandwiches dipped in guajillo chile sauce) and much more. And if you see a rotating stack of slowly roasting meat on a trompo outside of the restaurant, you know the first thing you must order.