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.

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.