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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.