Food & Drink

Noble Riot in RiNo is one of Denver’s best wine bars, especially if you’re into sipping – and talking about – fun, funky fermented grapes with a bunch of equally enthusiastic vino lovers. That may not sound like the kind of place you’d also hit up for fried chicken, but Noble Riot serves up a seriously good take on the classic, with a thick, crackly crust that also happens to be gluten-free and pairs perfectly with a glass of sparkling Le Monde Ribolla or a light and airy Grüner Veltliner.

The circa 1890 Lumber Baron Inn has a haunted history, but even those who aren’t interested in the supernatural will find sustenance in a delightful afternoon tea at the historic mansion-turned-bed-and-breakfast. For a price that truly feels like a steal, guests are treated to the architectural wonders of the inn, as well as tea sandwiches, sweet treats and piping hot cups of whatever tea strikes their fancy.

No restaurant in town embraces the beauty of the oyster more than Jax, which originally opened in Boulder in 1994 and now has five Colorado locations, plus one in Kansas City. Jax presents a rotating selection of bivalves available raw or chargrilled, and even hosts an annual festival dedicated to all things oyster. One staple is the Emersum oyster, Jax’s proprietary name for the Crassostrea virginica variety of the mollusk that is sourced from a family-owned company that sustainably farms them in the waters of Virginia’s Rappahannock River. Jax also recently added a second proprietary oyster, the Crackerjax, which has a salty bite balanced by a touch of sweetness.

Located in the open space of the Source Hotel’s market hall, this two-year-old treasure serves high-quality sushi in an approachable, no-frills atmosphere. Temaki Den specializes in aburi sushi — or “flame seared,” in Japanese — so be sure to include a charred nigiri in your order. Favorites include eggplant, scallop and wagyu New York strip. If you’re going for lunch, choose one of the insanely affordable hand roll (temaki) sets, and for dinner, let the chef choose in an omakase experience, during which your server will customize the potential plates based on your food and budget preferences.

Tinned fish has been trending on TikTok and other social media platforms, prompting the masses to go out searching for preserved mussels, oysters, herring and more as people embrace a delicacy that’s been the standard in countries like Spain for…forever. It’s not new to Denver restaurant menus, either, but our favorite spot for digging into this specialty is the RiNo location of Cart-Driver, where you can choose from a variety of options that are served on a tray with charred, fluffy piada bread, black-olive butter and sambal pepper relish. Add some oysters for a seafood-centric feast, or follow it up with one of the restaurant’s perfectly charred pizzas.

Brothers Luis and Heriberto Gutierrez opened the Italian eatery Cucina Bella in November 2022 after working in Denver eateries for over two decades. Everything from the pizza to the pasta to the desserts impresses, thanks to Luis’s extensive experience cooking in fine-dining restaurants, which he’s able to fully flex now as an owner. Among the many hits on the menu, one has been a customer favorite from the start, and for very good reason: The generous portion of delectably crispy calamari, which is drizzled with a slightly spicy Calabrian chile aioli, is perfect for sharing — though it’s tempting to keep the whole plate for yourself.

The second location of Reckless Noodles, which found success in Seattle after debuting there in 2018, opened in Capitol Hill in December 2022. It’s already made a big first impression owing to fun design details like bronze mermaids hovering over the bar and a collage of rock-climbing images covering the bathroom walls. The menu was created by chef Kenny Lee, whose résumé includes notable Asian eateries Lionhead and Din Tai Fung. The star here, though, is the plate of caramelized prawns, which have a crisp, almost candied coating that’s heavy on fish-sauce flavor. Squeeze fresh lime over the top before digging in, but fair warning: These will disappear quickly.

Bigger may be better for some things, but smaller and louder are no-brainers when it comes to instant ambience — and Fish N Beer, from Kevin Morrison of Tacos Tequila Whiskey fame, has it in spades. The kitchen hums with confident precision; grab a seat in front of the wood-fired grill and watch as oysters and other entrees are prepared with skill. The possibilities range from small bites like smelt fries straight from Lake Superior and clam chowder kicked up with andouille sausage to larger plates like the fish-and-chips basket with Ratio Mexican Lager-battered cod and Alamosa bass with spicy devil butter.

The team behind upscale tasting-menu concept Beckon added the à la carte Major Tom — the name is inspired by David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” — in February, and it’s already making a big impression, thanks in large part to one substantial entree: the 25-ounce heritage pork chop, with its expertly rendered fat and drizzle of brown butter and red wine vinegar on top. It’s pure pork perfection, plain and simple.

This local New Orleans-inspired brunch chain does a lot of things right. Its beignets are piled high with powdered sugar, the mimosas are made with fresh-squeezed orange juice, and the menu is filled with hits whether you opt for giant flaky biscuits with sausage gravy or shrimp and grits. Whatever you choose, add on a side of the slow-braised collard greens studded with shreds of smoked ham hock, then douse the whole thing in Lucile’s own brand of hot-pepper vinegar for a true taste of Southern cooking.

We could talk about A5’s thoughtful sourcing of some seriously high-quality beef that’s always cooked just right. Or about the fact that you don’t even have to order steak at all to have an indulgent, memorable meal here, with options like oysters, the beef tartare katsu sandwich and the French dip (which is available only at the bar). But what we really love about this restaurant, which joined the scene in 2021, is that it’s downright fun, bringing fresh energy to the classic steakhouse concept that was once the darling of the Denver dining scene.

In Northeast Park Hill, one block off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Blazing Chicken Shack II may look unassuming from the outside, but it’s pure Southern-style hospitality when you walk in the door. Since 2015, Blazing Chicken has been serving up a menu filled with down-home staples, from fried chicken, catfish and gumbo to mac and cheese, collard greens and black-eyed peas. One must-order, though, is the perfectly seasoned oxtail-and-rice special, which is only available on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

On December 30, 2021, the Marshall Fire swept through Boulder County, causing massive destruction. Wayne and Sam Shelnutt, the husband-and-wife owners of Wayne’s Smoke Shack, lost their homes; they lost a car, too. And while the building that held the business they had been running for nine years still stood, it suffered severe smoke damage. But just over a year later, Wayne’s reopened, welcomed by its many fans who continue to line up on Fridays and Saturdays for a taste of its Texas-style ‘cue. The relaunched joint also has an expanded market, where you can stock up on grab-and-go options, including frozen barbecue for easy at-home meals.

After the much-loved barbecue joint Owlbear closed in January 2022, a trio of friends, two of them former employees, took it over and reopened it as Pit Fiend Barbecue. Since then, they’ve been keeping the fire stoked in RiNo. While the Dungeons & Dragons-themed eatery kept some old favorites around, like Owlbear’s Texas-style brisket and legendary mac and cheese, the new pitmasters excel at experimenting with barbecue traditions from around the world, bringing unique items such as ras el hanout lamb, vegan smoked mushrooms and a rotating sausage of the week to the menu.

An understated facade and simple “FT” signage belies Fellow Traveler’s airy, globally inspired interior, decorated with vintage world maps and pull-down images of iconic travel vistas to enliven the backdrop of your booth. The rotating food menu hosts transcontinental vegan delights, including a coconut curry aloo gobi, green chile chilaquiles, pineapple fried rice and a mixed street taco plate filled with the flavors of ingredients such as Thai curry-marinated tofu. The back bar is also an international affair, with deep dives into Mexico’s mezcals, a Malört tasting flight and bottles of limoncello that are made in-house by co-owner Joe Philips and available for sale to take home.

Atomic Cowboy, Fat Sully’s and the Denver Biscuit Company make up a three-in-one concept that has grown to seven locations and is known mainly for towering biscuit sandwiches and giant slices of pizza. It also serves up an unexpected item known as the Lights Out Burger. And it’s perfect: Two smashburger-style patties, aged American cheese, housemade pickles, a layer of minced onions and a tangy burger sauce are all loaded onto a garlic butter-toasted brioche bun. The resulting burger is greasy in all the right ways and completely impossible to put down until every drippy bite is gone. It also rings in at just $8.95, and is an even better deal during happy hour, when the price drops to six bucks.

The fast-casual Gaia Masala & Burger offers straight-up Indian dishes, a smattering of Mediterranean entrees like falafel and shawarma, and a handful of burgers. But dig deeper into the menu and you’ll find the really exciting stuff: neon-orange tikka masala cheesesteaks; a burger topped with mint, cucumber and tikka masala sauce; and (our fave) cheesy masala fries served plain or piled with a choice of chicken, lamb or cheesesteak. The best part? You can dig into these loaded fries until 2 a.m., as Gaia is one of the few Denver eateries open ’til the wee hours.

The green chile cheeseburger at Steuben’s has been on the menu since Josh Wolkon opened the restaurant in 2006, and there’s no plan to ever change that. The original inspiration came from a manager at the now-closed Vesta Dipping Grill, who tapped into his New Mexican roots to bring a taste of his childhood to the Denver spot, adding chopped Hatch green chiles and American cheese to the beef patty. The whole thing comes on a soft brioche bun, and you can add any combo of tomato, onion, mayo, lettuce and mustard. But even without the accoutrements, the balance of smoky chiles, melty cheese and fatty beef make this burger a winner.

Back when Big Red F had Lola, it introduced an unusual brunch entree for a Mexican coastal seafood spot: a great chicken-fried steak smothered in chorizo gravy. Today the space that was once home to Lola is one of the Big Red F’s Post Chicken & Beer, but Lola’s great chicken-fried steak remains a hallmark of the brunch menu. The gravy is now the more traditional, but still tasty, country kind that comes with all the actual chicken dishes, but here it accompanies Texas toast, brunch potatoes, an over-easy egg and collards.

There’s a reason we were salivating for Eddie Renshaw and Evan Pierce’s King of Wings to open up again after a December 2021 kitchen fire and permitting delays forced it to pivot to smashburger pop-ups to stay afloat. But while Snipeburger was a hit (and one the owners plan to bring back), the chicken wings are simply the best around. Each order gets grilled — adding a deep, smoky essence and a charred caramelization to the skin — before being doused in one of ten sauces, including Thai BBQ, bourbon Buffalo or tangy gold. Visit the now-reopened Wheat Ridge location, which doubles as a taphouse, and watch for a second location to open in Golden soon.

When the original Music City Hot Chicken opened in Fort Collins, there were no other restaurants in Colorado specializing in the regional dish from Nashville that’s exploded in popularity since. Now hot chicken is everywhere, and Music City brought its version to Denver in 2021 with an outpost inside TRVE Brewing. These hefty sandwiches are available in varying spice levels, from heat-free classic Southern and a mildly hot green chile seasoning to “flammable solid.” As a bonus, you can score one (plus a bag of chips) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays for just $6, with the option to add a 10-ounce beer from TRVE for $3 to cool your tastebuds.

Denver is lucky to have a lot of great French dip sandwiches available, but for a stellar classic version, head downtown to Frank Bonanno’s French 75. First, there’s the hoagie roll itself, which comes from the restaurateur’s nearby bakery, LoDough. On top of that soft, chewy bread sits a heap of shaved, mid-rare rotisserie-roasted sirloin. The final kicker is the umami-rich jus to dip it in, not to mention the pile of crispy fries. Bonus: The $21 sandwich is huge, and it could, if you have the willpower, last for two meals.

Tucked into a back patio at the end of a thin walkway and pinched between a couple of old Five Points buildings sits Duke’s Good Sandwiches. Flanking the walk-up order window are old photos of famous Dukes of history, from jazz musicians to actresses, but the real stars are on the menu: a streamlined four-sandwich list of Italian sausage, meatball, Caprese and the main attraction, the Chopped Cheese. That last option is an old-school New York City delight consisting of griddle-cooked ground beef and white cheddar cheese melted into gooey harmony and folded into a soft hoagie roll. Here, though, it also comes topped with fresh onions and crunchy pepperoncini. “Good” is a massive understatement.

Spinelli’s opened in Park Hill in 1994, and is a friendly neighborhood market stocked with essentials as well as some gourmet finds. For a varied assortment of hot and cold sandwiches, head directly to the deli counter in the back, and don’t forget to grab a pickle once your order’s up. In a nice twist, Jake Riederer, owner of the now-closed sandwich concept Open, is working at the market these days and has brought back its popular spin on a French dip, the Lee, which comes with a spicy Sichuan peppercorn dipping sauce. More Open throwbacks could make an appearance on the menu board in the future.

In 2022, Jose Manuel Marquez opened the Churreria de Madrid stall at Stanley Marketplace, where you can pick up freshly fried, light and fluffy Spanish-style churros sugared to order. The best part, though, is the rich, thick drinking chocolate served alongside for dunking and sipping. It’s made with 65 percent cacao and only a hint of sugar, for a treat that’s light on sweetness while delivering a big dose of satisfaction.

David Right began making and delivering ice cream via Instagram with his business partner, Josh Siege, during the pandemic. The venture quickly gained a following for its creatively named concoctions, which are super-rich and creamy thanks to a housemade base and flavors that are loaded with mix-ins, most of which Right also makes himself, including Oreo toffee, “almost-too-salty” caramel and ooey-gooey butter cake. After a couple of moves, Right Cream made the right call, and now serves pints, scoops, cones and sundaes next to Denver Beer Company’s Downing Street location.

A piano bar that has been open since Prohibition ended, Charlie Brown’s has hosted all sorts of colorful characters over the years. While you can’t go wrong bellying up to the bar, it’s the expansive patio that beckons those who are driven to scrawl prose into worn notebooks or type furiously in the glow of a laptop screen. Cigar and cigarette smoke wafts through the air, drinks are cheap, service is fast and friendly, and there are plenty of outlets to keep all your technology charged while you sip away afternoons that turn seamlessly into evenings at the longstanding landmark.

When City Park Tavern reopened in 2020 on the City Park Golf Course, it gave guests one of the best views of the city, period. Originally at the corner of York Street and 26th Avenue, the tavern-slash-clubhouse moved to a higher point on the slanted course, with a fifty-seat patio. While snacking on pub fare like nachos and burgers, diners can enjoy a nearly 180-degree view of the Rockies, the Denver skyline and the sweeping green golf course leading to the stately spires of Saint Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church. In rough weather, they can still take in the scene from inside the restaurant, which has floor-to-ceiling two-story windows that face west.

Located in LoHi, Zuni Street Brewing has welcomed patrons and their beloved four-legged companions for the past six years. The brewery boasts a massive open-air front patio and enclosed back patio with picnic-style tables that accommodate large groups and ample room for furry friends. Beyond being extremely welcoming to canines, Zuni Street delivers tasty suds and hosts a weekly roster of some of the best food trucks around, as well as a regular live-music schedule. So if you find yourself walking your pooch in the area, drop in for a craft beer pit stop.

For twenty years, Tom Messina ran the 24-hour Tom’s Diner in this Googie-style building on East Colfax, but he nearly sold it in 2019 to developers before a few members of the community launched a petition to get historic designation for the building. Messina eventually got on board, reimagining the space as a Palm Springs-inspired cocktail bar. As part of the makeover, the outside area at Tom’s Starlight, including most of the former parking lot, has been transformed into a Capitol Hill oasis, complete with an artificial turf-covered lawn area, fire pits, tiki totems, private cabanas, fountains and more.

Maria Rangel officially launched her food truck, Maíz, in May of 2021. Rangel’s love of gorditas inspired her to make a big life change, transitioning from her work as an EMT to the food business to share her passion with the community. Even more inspiring is that Rangel had to overcome a fraudulent food truck fabricator before she could embark on her new career. With her struggles now in the past, she’s focused on her food, using fresh corn masa to make a variety of deep-fried gorditas inspired by her mother-in-law’s recipe, with fillings like chorizo and potato, corn and squash, and eggs and cheese. Rangel also delivers a big punch with her stellar green chile, and all of her dishes are gluten-free. Find out where to get in on this goodness through Instagram or on the truck’s website.

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Entering its fourth year in business, Edgewater Public Market offers a variety of food, drink and retail vendors to satisfy a wide range of visitors. The convenient and easy layout allows patrons to grab a Belgian-style beer at Barquentine Brewing Co. or a cocktail at Roger’s Liquid Oasis (which offers all-day happy hour on Mondays) before deciding which food stall to hit. From tacos and empanadas to Ethiopian and Greek fare, the market hosts an appealing assortment, including its newest addition, Black Box Bakery, which offers truly out-of-this-world pastries. Beyond the eats, you can check other to-dos off your list, too, like getting a haircut at True Grit Grooming or a new tattoo at Ink Den.

The 16th Street Mall has long gotten a bad rap — and sometimes for good reason — but that’s (finally) beginning to shift as more local business owners opt to open new concepts along the stretch that runs from Union Station to Civic Center Station. In 2023, chef Mary Nguyen, the owner of Olive & Finch, introduced its sister concept, Little Finch, a welcoming all-day cafe that’s the perfect place to post up with a laptop while enjoying a pastry and espresso, meet with friends for happy hour or take down a healthy lunch — and everything in between.

Late-night food is hard to come by in the Mile High these days, and 24-hour joints are even rarer, but the pancake-flipping neon chef above Pete’s Kitchen remains a beacon on East Colfax for those who need to sate their hunger in the darkest hours of the night — on weekends, at least, when the eatery keeps the grill hot all day and overnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Owned by the Contos family since 1988 — and bearing the name of patriarch Pete Contos, who passed away in 2019 — Pete’s satisfies like no other, whether you’re there for a gyros omelet, a burrito smothered in green chile, or just a burger and fries.

Denver’s diner scene has dwindled in recent years, but it’s certainly not dead, as evidenced by this eatery that claims to make “the fastest egg in the West.” Founded by Manuel and Trish Gatsiopoulos in 2011, the aptly named Hits the Spot is more than just a speedy fix. The rotating pie cases are filled with tempting options, and the counter seats offer a view of the tasty plates coming through the kitchen window, from pancakes and cinnamon-roll French toast to pork chops and breakfast burritos smothered in the diner’s excellent (and gluten-free) green chile.

Denver’s longest-running cheese shop, Truffle Cheese originally opened in 2001 and is now run by Lisa Morris, who started working at the store part-time when she needed a break from the nine-to-five of her accounting career. Now she’s all in on the cheese game. With a knowledgeable and energetic team that includes her son, Samuel Farber, Truffle Cheese turns a visit into way more than a shopping trip; it’s also a chance to learn more about the rotating selection of cheeses from around the world, all of which are cut to order. That makes it a must-stop for anyone putting together a board for a picnic, party or simple at-home snacking.

What began as a love of the outdoors and also the kitchen blossomed into a botanical-inspired bakery, aptly named the Botanical Bakery of Denver. Located inside South Broadway plant shop Birdsall & Co., the bakery, which opened in September 2022, spreads whimsy and joy with its tasty pastries and events. Owner and baker Dylah Ray finds inspiration in nature to bring unique flavor pairings to a daily offering of mini pies, scones and croissants. Plant-forward pastries come topped with fresh herbs and colorful edible flowers, like the signature lavender shortbread pansy cookies, so you can have your plant and eat it, too.

The Spring Fling cake was a signature at Larimer Square staple the Market until it closed in April 2020 after 42 years in business. For nearly three decades, Melchor Ocampo served as the Market’s head baker, and now he and his family are bringing back some favorites from the shuttered business, including the much-loved fruit-filled cake. But every cake at Eternal Flavors Bakery is celebration-worthy. Stop by for single slices, or pre-order whole cakes for any occasion…or no occasion at all, because you don’t need an excuse to eat cake this good.

Banh & Butter, where have you been all our lives? Pastry chef Thoa Nguyen, whose family formerly owned New Saigon restaurant on South Federal Boulevard, debuted her own bakery in April 2022. It’s an excellent emporium of flaky sweet nothings, including green tea cruffins, French apple tarts, crêpe cakes, savory Danish and other pretties piled high with ube (purple yam) cream. It’s also a banh mi sandwich palace and an East-meets-West coffeehouse where you can order an espresso or a Vietnamese coffee poured over housemade flan. Don’t think twice: This East Colfax gem is going in the right direction.

Shawn Bergin moved to Denver with dreams of starting a bakery business, but his original small operation quickly outgrew its Highland home. In March of 2022, Bakery Four debuted in a new, expansive space that allows Bergin to make much larger quantities of his sought-after, naturally leavened pastries, bread, bagels and more. There is a line almost daily, and rightfully so, as fans load up on everything from flaky cream-filled cruffins to savory sausage rolls to sandwiches on fresh baguettes. Next up for Bergin: adding a second, bagel-focused concept dubbed Rich Spirit in Wheat Ridge.

Since opening in November 2022, this cafe has quickly become a force in the vibrant Denver coffee scene. Owners Kristin Lacy and Vivi Lemus channeled their love for Guatemala and community into creating Convivio, named for the tradition of get-togethers centered around food and drink. Lemus focuses on her roots for Latin-inspired eats, while Lacy brings her background in coffee agriculture and retail work to source teas and beans from Guatemala. From mural-adorned walls to Latino artwork, Convivio Café provides a home away from home in its West Highland location. It’s also become a hub for Central American immigrants and culture, with a mission to set tables where all are welcome.

This European-style cafe from the owners of ice cream favorite High Point Creamery opened inside the 11th Avenue Hostel in the summer of 2022. Eiskaffee works as either a coffee shop or an ice cream shop, but the best options are those that combine the two, like affogatos made with any flavor (definitely try the Bavarian cream), shots of espresso served in chocolate-coated edible “cone” cups, and the namesake eiskaffee, a combination of coffee made with locally air-roasted Kaladi beans and ice cream topped with whipped cream and served with a waffle-cone cookie.

No opening, restaurant or otherwise, is as highly anticipated as the upcoming reboot of the iconic pink palace under new owners Trey Parker and Matt Stone. That means the pressure is on for one of the main characters in this South Park episode-in-the-making, chef Dana Rodriguez — though the fiery and talented Loca, as she’s known, is well equipped to handle the heat. She’s risen through the ranks, from Casa Bonita castoff (she was denied a job there back in 1998) to owner of Work & Class, Super Mega Bien and Cantina Loca, and now executive chef behind the buzziest debut of the year. So far, all we know about her plans for overhauling the famously bad food at Casa Bonita is that the famed sopaipillas will be on the menu. But we’re confident that Rodriguez is poised to impress the masses when Casa Bonita finally welcomes fans again come May.

Meanwhile, back at El Rancho… Seventy years ago, a couple from Wisconsin bought a roadhouse that stood alone on the road leading to Evergreen, turned it into a bakery/eatery, and five years later passed it on to their daughter, Donna, and her husband, Paul McEncroe. Together they transformed it into such a classic Colorado destination restaurant that when Interstate 70 was built right outside, El Rancho got its own exit. In the 35 years since the McEncroes sold the place, it has gone through many owners and incarnations, but the current revival looks like a winner: Bonanno Concepts is running the operation, treating tourists and locals alike to updated versions of traditional Western dishes as envisioned by chef/entrepreneur Frank Bonanno and his wife, Jacqueline.

An elegant French eatery could easily feel out of place in Denver, a city that happily embraces a decidedly laid-back lifestyle. But Noisette fits right in while also raising the bar when it comes to ambience, service and fine-dining fare. Tim and Lillian Lu, who both graduated from the French Culinary Institute in New York, opened the restaurant in August 2022 in a revamped space that’s definitely upscale, but not in a stiff, white-tablecloth kind of way. The white decor with pops of pastel and a mix of modern and vintage is inviting and transportive. Small vases of flowers on each table add a romantic touch, as do the mismatched flatware and floral antique plates. The menu is an elevated take on cuisine bourgeoise, or French home cooking, with entrees like braised beef shank and crispy duck breast along with decadent, showstopping desserts. You can also swing by during the day, when the bakery cafe is open, offering a selection of pastries, sandwiches, coffee and other noshes in a more casual setting.

Bar pros Mary Allison Wright and McLain Hedges resurrected Yacht Club — once located inside the Source — next door to Brasserie Brixton in late 2021. The bar effortlessly mixes high and low with a killer wine list and cocktails alongside a menu of hot dogs, all paired with an easygoing vibe that’s still cool enough for a first date. In 2022, their efforts were rewarded when Yacht Club was named one of four U.S. finalists for Best New U.S. Cocktail Bar at the 2022 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards. While it didn’t take the top spot in the country, it’s the kind of club every Denverite is lucky to have as an option.

Hell brings fire, Tiki brings tropical, and Doug Frank brings his leopard-print Speedo. It’s part of his job as the fire-breathing, lap-dancing, cocktail-serving man of leisure at Hell or High Water, the “haunted gay pirate tiki bar” that’s been a LoDo hot spot since opening in the summer of 2022. With a killer list of tiki drinks, boozy drag brunches and Curse of the Cocktail happy hours, your vision tends to get blurry inside the tiny bar’s bamboo jungle decor. But remember, your old pal is always nearby when you need another cocktail: He’s the one with “Dammit Doug” written across the ass of said Speedo.

Food and drink. Server and guest. These are the simple combinations that create our most enjoyable experiences as both diners and service-industry workers. Hey Kiddo premiered in early 2023, serving up a sleek yet casual atmosphere, excellent service and an array of indulgent offerings with lighthearted twists, like chicken liver mousse on Texas toast and “bling bling” market-price caviar. Ok Yeah, concealed behind an unmarked door in the restaurant’s rear hallway, serves an impressively diverse list of cocktails at a slick, three-sided low-lit bar. These two unique spaces describe themselves as “good and fun,” and we couldn’t agree more.

Erin Homburger opened TrashHawk — a neighborhood watering hole inspired by the bars she came to love while living in Chicago — in October 2021, and its many fans have been bellying up ever since, downing shots of Malört and cans of Montucky between bites from a stellar food truck lineup. Although it’s less than two years old, the bar feels like an old-school staple, thanks in large part to the decor. The forest-green walls are covered with retro objects, many of which came from Homburger’s relatives — like the Denver Broncos plaque that used to be in her grandmother’s basement. The bathrooms are plastered with old cigarette and booze ads from LIFE magazine, the spacious back patio is decked out with booze brand signs, and a chalkboard wall is filled with scrawled messages from Trash BBs — the term of endearment that Homburger has bestowed upon the bar’s regulars.

Since the ’70s, R&R Lounge has been an openly proud gay bar, serving as a trailblazer for creating a safe space in the Mile High City’s gay community. But it also doesn’t adhere to strict labels. In 2018, owner Rich Illgen told Westword that anyone is welcome, as long as “your money is green and you can get along with everyone.” It’s ideal for those looking for a cozy dive bar with cold beers and solid drinks at a good price. It’s also uniquely Denver, with a solid Broncos watch party on game days, a neon martini glass glowing above its East Colfax front door, and a proud sense of inclusion.

The extinction event of the past few years — aka COVID — left a number of Denver’s longtime punk venues counted among the dead. But the Crypt didn’t earn our vote for Best Punk Bar by simple process of elimination. It was formed from the ashes of Tooey’s Off Colfax in the summer of 2022 after longtime  industry stalwarts Priscilla Perez and Chris Maynard moved on from their long tenures there. Flooded in red light, it’s decked out in vintage metal posters, with slasher films on the TVs, louder-than-loud bands playing every other night, and a vegan bar menu that hits the spot after some PBRs and a hardcore show. The Crypt was built to party, and no one does it better.

The Irish Rover’s dark wooden interior, splashed with sunlight streaming in from South Broadway, is the perfect place for a Saturday-afternoon buzz, preferably kicked off with a proper pint of Guinness providing the low-ABV hit your system needs to right itself after a long night out. The Rover is also where it’s at on a dreary winter weekday that needs to be lightened up by the dim, comfy confines of a pub. After a drop of the hard stuff and a cold glass of beer, good conversations are sure to follow at this longtime Denver standard.

“Interesting food made by dumbdumbs” is what Misfit Snack Bar’s Instagram bio reads, but a quick scan of its concise rotating menu proves that there’s obviously tremendous skill in the kitchen, which is led by chef de cuisine Dylan Rigolini. Chef Bo Porytko launched Misfit inside Middleman bar in 2019 to let his culinary mastermind run wild, often creating innovative and irreverent renditions of classic comfort foods. In recent months, Misfit has served up successful stunners like ham and cheddar cheese croquettes and dry-aged kji-cured sirloin with Hollandaise foam, humbly dubbed Steak and Eggs. Only a dumbdumb would dismiss Misfit’s creative (and downright delicious) food.

Don’s Club Tavern has been a dive-bar staple in Denver for over 75 years. Here you’ll find games like Skee-Ball and pool, a vending machine filled with everything from corn nuts and koozies to Banquet pot pies and K-Y lube, and a back patio filled with characters. Don’s daily drink specials are another draw, with standard deals like discounted pitchers and buckets of beer. But what really steals the show are the pickle shots, which are just $4 all day, every day. While we’ll take one down anytime, they’re a particularly effective hangover cure.

The iconic sign in front of this old-school steakhouse dating back to the 1930s boasts its signature item, the sugar steak, but for us, no trip to the Googie-style building would be complete without an ice-cold martini served in a metal cup, best enjoyed at Bastien’s sunken bar. While the staff will mix up any style ‘tini for you, it’s the Colfax-worthy Filthy Martini — made with your choice of Beluga vodka or The Botanist gin along with Carpano Dry vermouth, olive and banana pepper brine, cracked pepper and an olive garnish — that keeps us coming back for another round.

Best friends Lauren Beno and Denise Day long dreamed of creating a safe space where women, BIPOC and queer communities in particular could gather for parties and events. So in 2022, they rolled up their sleeves to crowdfund, making their dreams come true by building Town Hall Collaborative in a warehouse in the Art District on Santa Fe. Outfitted with a bar and coffee shop, it works as a haven for performances, workshops, parties, expos, fundraisers and anything else you can think of, all with a built-in spirit of inclusiveness and respect.

Although it’s difficult to imagine now, there once was a kinder, gentler era of air travel, complete with Sky Chef meals, roomy seats, “stewardesses” in fashionable uniforms and above-and-beyond service. Whether or not you remember that golden age, you can still get a taste of it over a cocktail at Sky Bar inside Stanley Marketplace. Created by partners Skye Barker Maa, Brandi Shigley and Patrick McMichael, it’s a snazzy tribute to the building’s roots in the aviation business. Dress up like folks once did to fly, then take the elevator to the third floor and enjoy the sunset view paired with a selection of classic cocktails and updated libations named for exotic travel destinations.

The Sportsbook Bar & Grill’s Wash Park location feels like a hidden oasis, with a door opening to the alleyway and a descent down a flight of stairs, where a print of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow greets those who enter. The bar may be best known by Bengals fans as the place to be on game day, but it’s always a great bar for watching any game, thanks to some of the best food and drink deals in town and a waitstaff that is spot-on, even during the busiest times. With no shortage of TVs, seating or local brews on tap, as well as food for every mood, you’re sure to have a good time, whether your team wins or loses.

Although Stoney’s has an Uptown outpost and a Mexican spinoff on Broadway, the original on Lincoln Street is our go-to on game days. It plays host to fans of more than ten professional and college sports teams, from the Denver Broncos to the Miami Hurricanes. Plenty of TVs showing all the sports are on at all times, and there’s room for everyone in the large bar, including a patio for when the weather is nice enough to get you up off the couch. Stoney’s serves up a solid selection of pub fare, too, such as nachos, wings, burgers and loaded fries. Along with its dedicated watch parties, the bar’s atmosphere makes enjoying any sporting event here a winning experience.

For the past thirteen years, the Bardo on South Broadway has offered a quiet reprieve from the otherwise busy bar scene on the strip. Free of alcohol, loud music and dancing, it’s a safe place for night owls to converge and students to pull an all-night study sesh. After COVID-19, the Bardo reopened with reduced hours, but it’s slowly been extending them; currently, two of its three locations are open until midnight. With any luck, it will return to its pre-pandemic glory days of welcoming guests until 2 a.m. or later, but for now, we’re satisfied knowing we can find high-quality caffeine after 6 p.m. on a weeknight.

With cheap drinks, sticky floors and a decided lack of frills, Monkey Bar, the Santa Fe art district’s premier dive, has been a constant in the rapidly changing neighborhood. Although the bar doesn’t host any official leagues, patrons can partake in a plethora of games, most of which are free to play. Darts, billiards, ping-pong and foosball tend to attract a crowd near the entrance, while beer pong and giant Jenga spill out onto the back patio. There are also video games like N64 and four-person Pac-Man, all available on a first-come, first-served basis. Gather your friends — human or canine, as the bar is dog-friendly — and come monkey around, or start an informal league of your own. Loser buys a round of pickle shots.

Wonderland Brewing has continued to grow its large array of games, recently adding another nine holes of mini golf, bringing the grand total to eighteen. With twenty pinball and arcade games along with table tennis, pickleball and cornhole setups, Wonderland is an ideal destination for anyone looking for some friendly competition. The eclectic beer menu includes some English and Belgian styles that are fast disappearing in the beer world, as well as more popular hoppy and dark American styles. There’s something for every taste at the Broomfield-based brewery, perfect for pairing with a putter or paddle.

Most taprooms sit empty during the early mornings, since few patrons are out drinking at that time. In a novel approach, Novel Strand’s intimate and attractive space is occupied by Queen City Coffee Collective until mid-afternoon, when the beer starts flowing. Novel Strand specializes in excellent hop-focused and European beers, and Queen City’s coffee has a top-notch reputation around town. The brewery’s building, a corner unit with tall ceilings and windows that make you feel connected to the outside neighborhood, offers a lovely place to drink it all in, day or night.

On the first Friday of the month in RiNo, grab a liter of excellent lager at Bierstadt Lagerhaus and take a ringside seat for Rocky Mountain Pro Wrestling. The acts aren’t as dramatic as the entertainment wrestling of the ’80s and ’90s, but there are always laughs to go along with the evening’s impressive physicality. And what better choice to accompany the fun than Bierstadt’s helles, a very well-made beer that tastes great and goes down easy? Just keep an eye on your glass, as some of the wrestlers have been known to snag a sip or two from unsuspecting fans sitting in the front row — and no, you won’t get a replacement, because you’re now part of the show.

Warm season is Kölsch season. No, not the spiced and/or fruited ales that too often unnecessarily use the name, but the delicate, clean, crisp, slightly hoppy pale beers served in 200-milliliter (6.7-ounce) cylindrical glasses called stangen. In Cologne, servers (or köbes) will pour an endless stream of these fresh beers, one after another, while marking them off on coasters until patrons cover their glass with the coaster to signal that they’ve had enough. Fritz Family Brewers, along with a handful of other local breweries, started offering this service in 2022. What separated Fritz from the pack was the use of a single dedicated server, which means no long waits between beers, and the kind of personalized service you’d expect in Cologne — albeit a little friendlier than the notorious köbes of the Rhine. The beer is damn good, too, snagging one of our top beers of 2022 slots.

Raíces means “roots” in Spanish, and that describes why we love this Latino-owned and -operated brewery so much. Along with crafting delicious cervezas, Raíces supports Denver’s Latino community with a lineup of food trucks outside dishing up Mexican, Puerto Rican and Central and South American fare. The brewery also hosts Spanish-language and Latina book clubs, hosts pan-Latin artisan vendors every Saturday, and more. If you’re looking for that “mi casa, su casa” ambience, make Raíces your go-to.

Over the years, many American breweries have tried to convey to drinkers the difference between hladinka and mlíko pours, or the importance of foam on beer in general. But Cohesion is the first that truly seems to resonate with customers. And while the beers are on point and authentically accurate — from the local, undermodified malt to the open fermentation, decoction mashing, horizontal lagering, natural carbonation and unfiltered finish served from side pull taps — the quality of service really stands out. How many times have customers initially paused and questioned the healthy amount of foam that comes with these beers? The same number of times that the team here has happily explained that it’s traditional in the Czech Republic, as it protects and enhances the flavor.

Goed Zuur made a strong impression on the beer scene when it opened just over five years ago. The sour beer and cheese bar was launched by chef Anthony Lopiccolo and John Fayman. Fayman was already well known for opening Backcountry Pizza & Taphouse in Boulder, but Lopiccolo is getting his time in the spotlight now with a special chef’s tasting counter — a three-part series that explores his life through food. Goed Zuur has always been more than a beer bar, though, and projects like the tasting counter really highlight the team’s range and risk tolerance. The beer cellar list is also deep and frequently updated, with top-notch selections from around the globe.

Coloradans are fortunate to have quite a few high-quality producers of specialized beers, from makers of barrel-aged stouts and Belgian, English, German or Czech-style brews to South American and Mexican-focused breweries and, of course, IPA houses. Some of the most dedicated to the craft are Brandon and Lisa Boldt, who have built a real gem at Primitive Beer in Longmont, producing some of the best spontaneously fermented beer in the world. Primitive is also home to one of the best guest beer lists in the state, complementing its more singular focus and giving visitors to the brewery a variety of options.

Cannonball Creek has long been known for making hop-forward beers, and making them well. But in recent years, the brewery has expanded its menu to focus more on lagers — which, not surprisingly, are very good, too. From Dad Squad pils to Let’s Talk About Mex!, you can always find tasty options here. The brewery mixes in a few other interesting styles, from Belgian golden beer to porters and saisons, that will tempt those looking to venture outside the realm of IPAs and lagers. You’ll have to go directly to the source for these beers, as Cannonball Creek doesn’t distribute cans, and you’ll rarely find a keg outside of the taproom. The upside is beer that’s always fresh, and the Golden location is prime for pre- or post-outdoor adventures, with a lively crowd and rotating food trucks.

When Pablo’s opened in 2001, coffee shops were primarily places to meet for a cup of joe and conversation, hang out with friends for hours, or even read a book in public (yes, we’re talking about pre-wi-fi days). Now, over two decades later, Denver’s first craft coffee roaster is still in its nook on the corner of Sixth and Washington. Although it has expanded, moving its roasting facility and adding new shops along the way, the OG Pablo’s — where deep maroon walls backdrop plants that have (probably) been there since its inception — retains the spirit of Old Denver, before the city, and craft coffee, became cool. With consistently good coffee and small bites, Pablo’s — which still has no wi-fi — is a true neighborhood gathering spot, and the ideal place to relax and unwind.

Nikki Harwood and Dave Lotierzo made lemonade out of lemons, so to speak, when they ran into COVID-related delays in opening their new brewery. The additional planning time allowed them to find their ideal builder, and after a smooth construction process, Danico Brewing opened in late 2022. The pair brought on veteran brewmaster Chris Kennedy, launching Danico with one of the best-tasting lineups for a fledgling brewery in recent memory, with delicious beers like Front Porch Porter and Tookah the Tucker Munich Dunkel. Both are available among the dozen or so rotating brews available in the gleaming taproom, with its groovy mountain-like, turquoise-accented backdrop and comfy back-supported bar stools. Pair these excellent brews with a snack from one of the food trucks that pull up outside.

Daniel and Talia Haykin officially opened Haykin Family Cider, which has a simple tasting room in an industrial part of Aurora, in February 2018. Here, Haykin produces single-variety ciders from apples (many of them grown in Colorado) that are picked, pressed and fermented in season, allowing the distinct flavor of each to shine through. Crisp, clean, complex flavors make Haykin the Champagne of ciders — and it can be found sold in champagne bottles at liquor stores across the region.

When Stephen Gould and Karen Knight launched Golden Moon Distillery in early 2008, the husband-and-wife team started small. Fast-forward fifteen years, and the pair has expanded its spirit offerings and added a speakeasy in downtown Golden that works as both a trendy bar and a tasting room for the distillery’s vast portfolio. Many of the spirits are made using historical recipes and techniques, thanks to Gould’s collection of rare books on distillation and concoctions, some dating back to the 1500s. Taste the dedication by sipping drams of REDUX Absinthe, Amer dit Picon and Ex Gratia Génépi. The lineup of whiskeys is just as delightful, and Golden Moon’s gin is one of the best in its category.

Meagan and Patrick Miller were inspired to open what became America’s first single pot whiskey distillery, Talnua in Arvada, while on their honeymoon in Ireland. At the distillery’s tasting room, spirits are highlighted in a collection of reimagined takes on the classic Old Fashioned, with such options as the Elvis, in which whiskey is infused with plantains and peanut butter that has been fat-washed with bacon; the Wasabi Tsunami, made with wasabi popcorn-infused gin; and the Lemon Espress Old Fashioned, which combines Hunter Bay Moose Drool coffee and lemon oleo.

When it comes to hospitality and wine, no one does it better than master sommelier Bobby Stuckey and the team at Frasca Hospitality Group. Inspired by the tradition of European wine bars, Sunday Vinyl offers accessible vino for all, from casual sippers to true aficionados. Sure, you can splurge on pricey bottles here, but you can also enjoy an $8 glass during happy hour; the knowledgeable and friendly staff will help guide you to new flavor profiles without the slightest hint of condescension. As reflected in the name, the chic eatery also has an extensive vinyl collection, along with an impressive sound system; both are best experienced every Wednesday, aka Flight Night, when Sunday Vinyl presents a curated wine list paired with great tunes. The food is a draw in itself, and new chef David Zboray is set to debut an even more expansive and approachable menu this year.

Drink gritty, not pretty. Dive bars are drying up in Denver, swept away by tides of development. That makes the survival of Carioca Cafe — better known as Bar Bar, thanks to the neon sign outside — something to celebrate, if perhaps with a penicillin chaser. For more than a century, this spot has held down the corner of Champa and 21st streets, serving drinks to an assortment of regulars, would-be great American novelists, hipsters, transients and rockers (during the Eisenhower era, it reportedly served something else in the game room, then a whorehouse); today the entertainment focuses more on endless inebriated conversations, though the illicit live music could make a fully licensed comeback. The drinks are stiff, the bathrooms awful, and the atmosphere beyond compare. Leave the credit cards at home; this place is strictly cash and carry on.

For close to fifty years, tipplers have gathered at the Lakeview Lounge on the last day of Daylight Saving Time to toast the sun as it rises over Sloan’s Lake shortly after the place opens at 7 a.m. From the well-worn bar, they have a great view of Denver — and just how much Denver is changing. Cranes mark the downtown skyline to the east; development is exploding to the south. We have seen the future, and it’s enough to drive us to drink. Fortunately, the Lakeview is there to serve.

In 2022, chef Caroline Glover took home the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mountain for her six-year-old Stanley Marketplace eatery. While dinner at Annette can get pricey, depending on how many of the shareable plates you pick, its happy hour is designed to offer indulgence on a budget. Available from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday (yes, you can get these deals on weekends, too) and all day on Tuesday, the specials include $25 bottles of wine, $10 classic cocktails — including a stellar martini — and food deals like $1 off oysters, excellent egg salad on toast for $10, and the real star: steak frites with grilled onion butter, peas and pickled shallots for $26. That makes us very happy, indeed.

Taco House is a Colorado institution that has specialized in old-school Tex-Mex since 1958. Its three remaining locations, in Denver, Littleton and Lakewood, haven’t changed their recipes for six decades, so the appeal is partly nostalgia-based. But Taco House is also a straight-up good deal, where a good meal can still be had for just a few bucks. Our favorite: two cheese enchiladas, which ring up at $4.80. At that price, you can afford to splurge, so add a lettuce-and-cheese topping for $1.50 or a blanket of red or green chile for just $1.25.

Order this dish and you may not be the most popular person at this longtime Mexican joint with a huge menu, but you’ll be so pleased with the Higado Encebollado ($14.95) that you can afford to lose a few friends. Here a big slab of liver is fried with not just onions, but jalapeños, which cut nicely through the iron-rich meat when chopped up and served alongside beans and rice. Mix in some sense-searing green chile, and you’ve got an indulgent meal that just has to be good for you.

A husband-and-wife team with personal connections to the founder of Parlor Doughnuts, which got its start in Indiana, brought the concept to Denver in 2021, adding a second, smaller outpost in Aurora the following year. Its signature croissant-like layered doughnuts are plump, tall and fully draped in icing. With an array of tempting, playful flavor combinations like the sprinkle-topped Carnival and customer-favorite French toast, sweet dreams are made of these.

It’s rare that something as ubiquitous as chips and salsa ignites excitement, but chef Hosea Rosenberg’s ode to his northern New Mexican roots, Santo, serves a version that’s like no other. The eatery gets blue-corn tortillas from a Denver-based company called Garcia’s and fries them in-house to make the chips, which gives the finished product a teal-like hue. Paired with Santo’s salsas, which come in a trio of options — including sweet smoked pineapple, tomatillo-based verde and salsa Mexicana made with roasted tomatoes — this starter is no afterthought.

Now a two-time James Beard Award nominee, chef Jose Avila opened La Diabla in 2021 with a focus on pozole and mezcal. Besides hosting a killer happy hour, Tuesday street taco deals and two-for-one pozole on Thursdays, this eatery is also slinging some of the best agave spirit-based drinks in town. Its house margarita is simple perfection, made with only agave syrup, citrus and tequila (you can also sub in mezcal for a smoky note). At $6 each during happy hour, it’s tempting to spend an entire afternoon knocking back these libations.

While the Mile High is well known for Den-Mex, its regional take on Mexican fare, brothers Joshua and Ryan Carrera missed the sort of south-of-the-border food they’d grown up enjoying in California. In 2019 they launched Carrera’s Tacos as a catering business and soon moved into a food truck, adding a brick-and-mortar location in April 2022, when the family-run operation moved into a space next to eatertainment giant Pindustry in the Denver Tech Center. If you’re craving French fry-filled California-style burritos, fully loaded street fries and queso tacos with extra-crispy griddled Oaxaca cheese, this low-key location is more than worth the drive from anywhere in the city.

A two-year-old food truck that debuted just as birria tacos were taking hold all over social media and restaurant menus, Kiké’s Red Tacos really does them right. Enrique Silva Figueroa (aka Kike) spent his whole life working in restaurants and managing kitchens in Jalisco, Mexico. Now, with the help of his family — including son Cesar Silva González — his birria has a whole lot of passionate fans. While the truck’s menu is limited, the family plans to open a brick-and-mortar this year, which will allow them to expand the taco temptations.

A north Denver staple, Pochitos Tortilla Factory is a humble Mexican spot where everything is made fresh and sold in bulk. From tortillas and chips and salsas to refried beans and Mexican rice, the family-owned business is the place to go to stock up for an at-home feast. But the tamales are the true standout, available in both red and green styles and sold by the half or full dozen. While Pochitos also sells masa for those taking on the labor-intensive task of making tamales at home, one taste of these will convince anyone to leave it to the pros.

The green chile at Efrain’s, which moved in May 2022 from its longtime home to a location near McGuckin Hardware in Boulder, is the kind of dish that’s destination-worthy. While the restaurant might have new digs, the pork-studded green chile remains as fiery as ever. The heat hits hard from the very first bite, but this chile also has a depth of flavor that makes it nearly impossible to stop eating — except, of course, to take a sip of the sweet-and-sour house margarita that is a must-order alongside it.

Taking inspiration from his roots in New Mexico and his family’s Filipino heritage, Blaine Baggao launched Adobo as a food truck in 2016, quickly building a following for staples like lumpia and green chile with smoked carnitas. He then expanded, adding a location inside First Draft in RiNo, and in 2022, he added his first stand-alone brick-and-mortar on Federal. In addition to offering a full menu of tantalizing options, including tacos, wings and chicken adobo, the spacious restaurant has plenty of room for big groups, hosts live music on the weekends and has a full bar.

Create Kitchen & Bar co-owners Erasmo “Ras” Casiano and Diego Coconati set out to open a Latin eatery that honored the food they grew up eating, which includes taking inspiration from a variety of places, from Mexico and Argentina to Peru, Venezuela and Puerto Rico. The result is Lucina, named for Casiano’s mother, which debuted in March 2022. The sleek space is filled with pops of color that echo the vibrant fare, like agua chile negro, the mojo pork chop and the ever-changing paella of the moment, which is available only on Fridays and Saturdays.

In 2021, owner Delores Tronco and chef Justin Freeman opened the Greenwich, an homage to New York City. While it’s far more than a place for pizza, the pies stand out thanks to an expertly made sourdough crust loaded with toppings that push traditional boundaries, such as pickled pineapple and bacon jam, or whipped mascarpone, Gruyère and creamed leeks. The rest of the menu is filled with taste-tempters, but don’t worry about over-ordering, because these pizzas also make great leftovers.

White Pie, a sleek Uptown eatery that also has a location in Colorado Springs and is one of the few pizzerias that serve brunch, is known for its New Haven-style pizzas — on the thinner side and more oval than round. But you don’t have to be familiar with the regional take to be impressed as you watch the chefs load pies into the wood-burning oven that centers the bright, airy room. Not surprisingly, the white pies are standouts, but so are the House Puff — a signature starter of ultra-puffy pizza dough — the burrata and the meatballs. We recommend going with a group that likes to share lots of food.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles-themed Casey Jones opened in Baker in May 2022, bringing yet another pizza option to an area where pies are plentiful. But the slices here are a standout, largely because of the skill and passion of pizza chef Mat Shumaker, a native New Yorker with some strong opinions, including a ban on ranch (though you can bring your own) and pineapple. Whole pies are available, but the slices — cheese, pepperoni or the chef’s special of the day ($3-$5) — come out quickly and are loaded with melty mozzarella for some cartoon-worthy cheese pulls. Cowabunga!

This counter-service taqueria on Santa Fe has been serving up some of the best Mexican fare in town for over 35 years — a fact that was honored by the James Beard Foundation in 2020 when it received the America’s Classics Award. Between the tacos, green chile and smothered burritos, it’s tough to choose favorites, but a stop at El Taco de Mexico hits particularly hard in the morning, whether you opt for a breakfast burrito, huevos rancheros or the special breakfast with eggs, ham, bacon, potatoes, rice and El Taco’s stellar refried beans.

Since 1976, the family-owned Italian market and deli that is Carmine Lonardo’s has been a community staple for an assortment of goods, including imported pasta of all shapes and sizes, olive oil, canned goods, frozen foods such as housemade sausages, and so much more. But this is one place where you should shop hungry, because it also has some of the best sandwiches around — huge, messy masterpieces made on freshly baked rolls that you can custom-order with that Italian sausage and a variety of other hot or cold meats.

This Englewood eatery may have debuted less than five years ago, but it has all the markings of a classic. The family behind Gallo is from Sicily and takes pride in regional inspiration, as seen in creations like the limoncello made with the addition of cream. The space is split between a bakery counter and a sit-down dining area complete with a full bar. As diners dig into savory sausage cannolis, chicken parm and lasagna Bolognese, the staff marches tray after tray of Italian cookies and lobster tail pastries over to the bakery counter, where you can load up on treats to devour at home.

Ever since chef Cindhura Reddy and her husband, Elliot Strathmann, took over the Spuntino space in 2014, the menu has slowly evolved based on the chef’s heritage and the couple’s travels. What started as a restaurant dedicated to locally sourced, handcrafted Italian fare has now shifted, meshing those European techniques with flavors from India, a nod to Reddy’s upbringing. This means the ever-changing menu might showcase malai kofta gnocchi with cashews and Indian-spiced tomato sauce, an entree of yogurt-and-spice-marinated cauliflower, or wild elk tartare with ginger, garlic and a toasted masala aioli. Diners will recognize plenty of other Italian dishes, too, such as fresh burrata di bufala, hand-rolled capellini, charcuterie and arancini, which comes spiked with another non-Italian ingredient, Hatch green chiles from New Mexico.

The Culinary Creative Group is a powerhouse on the Denver dining scene; it’s behind such heavy-hitters as A5 Steakhouse, Señor Bear, Mister Oso and more. At Bar Dough, the group’s Italian eatery in LoHi, chef Russell Stippich and his team excel at consistently delicious and creative fare, from pizza and pasta to small plates that highlight seasonal ingredients. The restaurant’s most recent makeover brought in moody tones, making it a striking date-night destination, but it’s equally impressive when you’re sipping an Aperol spritz at the bar during happy hour or indulging in the weekend brunch.

This small eatery, which opened in January 2023, is rooted in chef Bo Porytko’s Ukrainian family culture while doubling as a rebellion concept in the lens of global conflict. Its Eastern European comfort food is akin to a warm hug, even if the dishes themselves may be unfamiliar to most of us in the West. The menu offerings at Molotov Kitschen + Cocktails are gorgeous platings of homestyle fare like braised-duck dumplings in a ruby-red borscht made from smoked sour cherries, glistening pork pâté pelmenis, and beet grits with pork shank, all served alongside frozen infused vodkas and Austrian Rieslings. Porytko has created a lively atmosphere in which to share his personal history through lovingly curated family recipes. All of it seems to carry a simple message in a flaming bottle: “From Ukraine with love.”

Capitol Hill neighbors who’d frequented Potager since it opened in 1997 were worried when founder Teri Rippeto sold it in early 2019. But their fears have been allayed by the restaurant’s continued dedication to locally sourced, seasonally driven ingredients under current owners Paul and Eileen Warthen and Nik Brand. Potager was a bellwether for a style of cuisine that’s become almost cliché, but few new restaurants are as good or as devoted to simple, honest cooking with premium ingredients, and the back garden may be the most peaceful place in Denver to enjoy a meal.

Denver diners mourned the loss of the eight-year-old Beast + Bottle when it shuttered in Uptown after its building was sold in 2021. But the loss stung a lot less when Paul and Aileen Reilly — the brother-and-sister duo behind the now-closed eatery — moved a new concept with a similar mission into the Hyatt Centric Downtown Denver. Unlike their former space, this eatery is open all day, serving breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner, but like Beast, Apple Blossom focuses on responsible sourcing. It takes inspiration from regions all over the country, serving dishes like housemade spam, Paul’s Southern-style fried chicken, a French dip made with confit duck leg, and grilled swordfish from Santa Barbara.

Chef Zorba’s resides on a calm and tree-shaded block of Congress Park. Locals have been dining here since 1979, and when Karen LuKanic bought the spot in 2018, she kept many of Zorba’s traditional dishes, while also making some modern updates to the space. One tried-and-true staple is the chicken-lemon-rice soup, also known as avgolemono, which has a refreshing lightness from the citrus while still being filling and hearty enough to battle even the most stubborn hangover.

Some of the best Turkish food around can be found at a strip mall in Englewood. The family-owned and -operated Bosphorus serves huge portions at extremely reasonable prices. Dig into tender lamb shish kebabs, juicy stuffed grape leaves and freshly sliced lamb and beef gyros on puffy pitas, and pair it all with strong Turkish coffee. There’s limited seating for dine-in, so takeout is the safest bet, but if you do manage to snag one of the few tables, you’ll get to enjoy the best feature of Bosphorus: its attentive and hospitable staff, which is willing to go to any lengths to make you feel like family.

French fare is having a moment in Denver, and while there are a variety of new additions to the scene, Bistro Vendôme’s recent move to a new location has given it fresh energy. After shuttering the original locale in Larimer Square, chef and restaurateur Jennifer Jasinski and partner Beth Gruitch’s restaurant is back in Park Hill and better than ever. With fresh and modern decor and an updated menu from chef Jeremy Wolgamot, this is the place to go for classic French, including steak frites and coq au vin alongside dishes like allium soup and bourride (fish stew).

In the nearly three decades that it’s been in business, not much has changed at Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant. Although Colfax has grown around it, the tiny strip-mall restaurant still boasts some of the city’s best African food. What sets it apart from other Ethiopian eateries — and there are a lot within a stone’s throw — is the homestyle cooking of proprietress Zodi Aboye, who acts as host, server and chef. The smell of rich, warm spices fills its cozy quarters, which are decorated with folk art and photos from the horn of Africa. Dishes are eaten by hand, using only the tangy unleavened injera as a vessel. Platters of flavorful stewed meats and vegetables offer a sampling of options, and the comfort foods, like lamb and lentils, are savored best with a cup of seasoned tea or honey wine. Because of Queen of Sheba’s limited seating and popularity, reservations are recommended.

If there is one food item besides green chile that Coloradans are passionate about, it’s breakfast burritos. Most people are fiercely loyal to their favorites, but Pablito’s is worth mixing up your routine for. This trailer, started by the team at Abrusci’s Fire & Vine, operates in the restaurant’s parking lot from 7 a.m. to noon on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on weekends. Pablito’s offers four standard burritos, with the option to build your own or turn it into a bowl. The go-to is dubbed The Best Damn Burrito…Period, and it lives up to its name: Packed with chorizo, bacon, eggs, hash browns, green chile, a three-cheese blend and avocado crema, it’s a filling feast wrapped in a tortilla. Plus, if you sign up for Pablito’s loyalty program, your first burrito is on the house.

While chef Charles Mani doesn’t claim to make the “traditional” Indian fare with which most Colorado diners are familiar, plenty of items on the menu at the three-year-old Urban Village Grill speak to the classic recipes. But thanks to Mani, the butter chicken, 24-hour dal and coconut curry come with a French culinary twist, too. Surprisingly, they also come with just one spice level; diners can up the heat quotient with the chef’s special hot sauce — the better to impart the greatest flavor and health benefits, according to Mani. Another unique aspect of the Park Meadows restaurant: outdoor grilling stations where diners can order plates of marinated meats to cook al fresco.

Seoul K-BBQ & Hot Pot sports two delicious, quintessentially Korean dining experiences, with the left side of the restaurant dedicated to all-you-can-eat hot pot and the right devoted to Korean barbecue. On the hot pot side, diners select a base broth and meats before selecting ingredients from the vast buffet of options. From noodles to vegetables to spices and, of course, kimchi, the possibilities are endless. For barbecue, bring a group and go for one of the combinations that includes a smattering of banchan, along with soup and the choice of beer or soju.

The quaint Esme Cafe debuted in Englewood in late 2022 and doubles as a low-key Thai restaurant. Stop by in the mornings for a cup of coffee, a cappuccino or a dirty chai paired with a pastry, then come back for lunch or dinner to dive into the rice and noodle dishes. Popular staples include boat noodle soup with a rich, deeply flavored broth, khao soi and salmon fried rice.

Thai Pot Cafe got its start in a small space on South Colorado Boulevard and moved into its current large and airy home a few blocks away in 2014. While there’s a lot to love on the menu, it’s the drunken noodles that have become a best seller. There’s always a nice char on the thick noodles, plus you can choose any heat level (zero to seven is “American hot,” while a ten is “Thai mild,” with options going up from there). The best part, though, is that the dish is loaded with a variety of veggies, including eggplant, green beans, tomatoes, onions and broccoli, making for a nourishing veggie-heavy meal, whether or not you decide to add pork, chicken, beef, tofu, shrimp or squid.

This ghost kitchen from owner Jonathan Konsila operates out of a ChefReady facility, and he runs it alongside his wife and brother, as well as his parents, who are from Thailand. The bold flavors from the delivery-only concept deliver big, with a number of dishes not often seen on menus around town. The pad Thai and tom yum soup are excellent, but the moo nam tok, a grilled pork salad with roasted rice, mint, shallots, green onions and Thai chile powder, left us ready to eat our way through the rest of the menu. Pro tip: Get the mango sticky rice, too.

Tom kha, larb, green curry, drunken noodles, pineapple fried rice: The menu at US Thai, which has been a favorite in metro Denver since it debuted in 2006, is packed with hits. But what distinguishes the no-frills eatery is that it truly brings the heat. It even offers a menu warning about its spice level: “Hot, not recommended for the first-time visitor.” Go mild unless you can handle the punch from Thai chiles, which are used liberally here, along with generous amounts of other spices — galangal, lemongrass, garlic, kaffir lime leaf and ginger — adding depth to the fiery fare.

Doris Yuen and her husband, chef Kenneth Wan, launched Meta Asian Kitchen inside Avanti after moving to Denver from the East Coast in 2019. Now Meta is set to “graduate” from the food hall, as they say, and has taken over the kitchen at Honor Farm on Blake Street as Yuen and Han work toward opening their first stand-alone restaurant, called MAKfam, in Baker later this year. But no matter where Meta is or what’s on the menu, one staple we love is the trio of condiments, which come on some dishes and are also regularly available to purchase by the jar. Uncle Tony’s Chili Oil packs a lot of heat, while the soy- and vinegar-heavy dumpling sauce is a bit gentler on the palate, but the standout is MAK’s XO Chili Sauce, which combines a milder punch with a whole lot of umami flavor.

Golden Saigon has occupied the same strip-mall space in Aurora since 1995, all the while serving up homey Vietnamese staples like pho along with entrees you don’t often find on other Vietnamese restaurant menus — curry, for example. Though owner Mama Le’s daughter, Van Le, admits that Vietnam isn’t known for its curries, Golden Saigon’s version is actually the dish that keeps customers coming back. It’s not a green or red curry such as those found in neighboring Thailand, though. Instead, it’s made from Indian madras curry powder, coconut milk and lots of lemongrass, keeping the dish solidly grounded in Vietnamese flavors. But that’s just one of many reasons to dine at this longtime family-owned establishment.

The name “Noodles Express” really doesn’t do justice to the many dishes this nondescript Szechuan spot off Colorado Boulevard does very, very well. If you’re craving carbs, the dan dan noodles are a must-order, and veggie-forward options like the eggplant with garlic sauce and pan-fried green beans are winners, too. But those craving the mouth-numbing sensation of Szechuan peppercorns should opt for the chong qing pepper chicken, aka laziji, small chunks of crispy deep-fried chicken loaded with plenty of heat.

Meet & Eat debuted in the former Mr. Hao location on East Hampden in 2022, serving up a wide selection of Szechuan fare. The menu includes items that are tough to find at other eateries in town, including steamed eggplant with salted egg yolk and fried lamb with cumin. Meet & Eat’s take on mapo tofu is a standout, though, thanks to its bold flavor, which is bolstered by a generous sprinkle of ground Szechuan peppercorns on top, plenty of savory ground pork, and super-silky cubes of soft tofu.

Alon Shaya is known for creating an impressive spread of modern Israeli fare at Safta, located inside the Source Hotel in RiNo. But during the weekend, the team pulls out all the stops for its brunch buffet. For $50 a person (plus tax and gratuity), guests can dig into a spread of individual-sized cast-iron pans of shakshuka, fresh pita made from locally grown and milled grains, a variety of tasty dips, pastrami hash, smoked fish, latkes, golden pastries, cheese bourekas and much more. Our only advice: Get a reservation for the feast, which runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Star Kitchen has been in business for over fifteen years, and is well known for its dim sum, which draws a big crowd every weekend as fans flock here for char siu buns and cheung fun. But it also serves the best Cantonese fare in the city. If the line for weekend brunch has kept you away, visit on a weeknight for standouts like steamed fish garnished with aromatics, salt and pepper squid, Singapore-style rice noodles with shrimp and barbecue pork, and shredded pork in hot garlic sauce.

Miki Hashimoto ran Japon, a sushi spot in Washington Park, for nearly two decades before opening Tokio in 2014. While the inviting eatery serves sushi along with a variety of small plates and grilled fish, the real focus here is noodles. Before opening Tokio, Hashimoto returned to Japan to take ramen-making classes, an experience that’s reflected in the commanding flavor of the broths, which are loaded with plenty of collagen and fat from pork and chicken. While some stick to tradition, Tokio has unique creations as well, like the Cremoso Diablo, a spicy pork and chicken broth made with heavy cream and loaded with veggies and cha syu pork, then garnished with cheddar and Jack cheeses.

Chef (or shef, as she prefers) Penelope Wong launched her food truck, Yuan Wonton, in 2019 after quitting her executive-chef job of twenty years and practicing her dumpling skills for the better part of a year. Crowds line up, and pre-sales sell out in seconds as fans scramble for whatever she adds to the menu. But the highlight remains her expertly pleated dumplings, including plump xiao long bao, wontons in chile broth, Szechuan eggplant dumplings and more. It’s also proving to be a big year for Wong, who snagged a James Beard Award nomination and is getting closer to opening a brick-and-mortar in Park Hill with two other small businesses (fellow food truck Pho King Rapidos and Sweets and Sourdough, a woman-led bakery).

In need of a fresh start after the pandemic, chef Edwin Zoe rebranded his Boulder eatery Chimera as Dragonfly Noodle in 2022, adding a second location on Denver’s 16th Street Mall later that year. This sister concept to his casual Chinese restaurant, Zoe Ma Ma, boasts noodle dishes that span Asia, from Japan to Singapore to Vietnam to Taiwan. The stars, though, are the six ramen bowls. Dragonfly Noodle is one of only two spots in town that make fresh ramen noodles in-house, and the deeply flavored broths illustrate a dedication to traditional ingredients and methods paired with just enough experimentation — like a ramen piled with tender char siu ribs and another loaded with butter-poached Maine lobster tail — to set it apart from the pack.

Pho is supposed to be comforting, reliable, stomach-filling and heartwarming, and that’s exactly what you’ll get at Pho Broadway, which has been satisfying customers with its clear, flavorful broth since 2017. The secret is in the traditional broth technique, which requires twelve hours’ time, allowing the flavors to fully develop. It serves as the rich and savory base for sixteen different iterations of pho, from the classic P1 — packed with steak, brisket, flank, tendon and tripe — to the P14, loaded with imitation crab, shrimp, and shrimp and fish balls.

Chef/owner Jeremy Song opened Turtle Boat, a counter-service restaurant on South Broadway, in 2017 and has been serving stellar “Colorado poki salads” ever since. What exactly does that mean? He’s taken the traditional Hawaiian dish and added his own spin, with a selection of seafoods that can be heaped onto fully customizable bowls loaded with a huge selection of add-on options, from furikake and wasabi peas to seaweed salad and spicy green papaya. For a filling mix of flavors and textures, don’t be scared to go all in, adding anything and everything that tempts your tastebuds. This is poke maximalism, and it’s really, really good.

With its bright and cheery interior and even cheerier staff, Fox Run Cafe has come a long way from its challenging beginnings. After permitting delays pushed its original opening date from January 2020 to March of that year (the very week that restaurants were ordered to shut down because of the pandemic), it opened with just three staff members and offered takeout meals only. Now it has plenty of people on hand as it serves up a menu packed with standouts: Start with an extra-thick slice of griddled banana bread (yes, you do want honey butter on the side) before digging into choices like a tahini Caesar with just the right amount of crunch and a stellar fried chicken biscuit paired with crisp-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside fried potatoes.

Breakfast Inn has been a south Denver staple since 1976, known for its friendly service and the model train that makes loops above the dining room. Although the “and Dinner Too” portion of its name and hours have been dropped, it’s still a laid-back breakfast mainstay. While you can’t go wrong with options like chicken-fried steak or the Greek omelet, every meal here should be served with a plate of Breakfast Inn’s thick, ultra-fluffy sweet cream pancakes for the table to share.

Chef/owner Cliff Blauvelt (who grew up on the Northside) opened this neighborhood sandwich shop and eatery in August 2022, and it has quickly gained a whole lot of fans. While Bodega Denver serves much more than breakfast (don’t miss the double cheeseburger and chili crisp fried chicken sandwich at lunch time), it’s the breakfast menu that’s made many into regulars. From the basic breakfast sandwich loaded with bacon, eggs, cheese and crispy tater tots on a squishy Kaiser roll to its counterpart, the Boujee — an egg sandwich on focaccia with herbed feta and goat cheese, arugula, muhammara and za’atar — and the standout breakfast burrito, Bodega makes mornings much more palatable.

Throughout the Thin Man’s 22-year history, says owner Eric Alstad, one thing he’s heard repeatedly from many of his longtime regulars is that it was here, in his cozy Uptown tavern, that they had their first dates. It’s easy to see why, from the soft glow of the red lights strung across the rafters and the vintage garage rock on the stereo to the warm aroma of cloves wafting from the hot mulled wine simmering behind the marble-topped bar. It all swirls together to create a lovely space that encourages your true self to shine and celebrates sincere interactions — so snagging that second date is on you.

First of all, why are you breaking up with someone in public? But if you must, a busy place with plenty of noise is far superior to an intimate dining or drinking establishment, and you definitely don’t want it to be one that could be mistaken for a special-occasion destination. Enter the casual Happy Camper, which is pretty much always packed, making it an easy pick for saying your piece before disappearing into the crowd. Then it’s a quick hop across the street for a cocktail at Avanti, where you’ve got a good chance of meeting a rebound on the rooftop.