Best Suburban Beer Scene 2024 | Lafayette | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Suburban Beer Scene

Lafayette

Long anchored by Liquid Mechanics and Odd13, Lafayette has really come into its own in recent years. When Cellar West relocated from north Boulder and expanded its offerings to include fantastic examples of highly drinkable beers, it was a big plus for the area. Then Westbound & Down added a production facility and taproom, with a kitchen led by chef Casey Taylor. The town could also win an award for "best breweries with fried chicken," since both Mono Mono and the Post are located in Lafayette. Plus, Romero's K9 Club & Tap House is a can't-miss beer bar right in town, as well as a great spot to bring your four-legged friend.

Best Brewery to Take Visitors

Bierstadt Lagerhaus

Molly Martin

Exploring the local beer scene is a must for anyone visiting Denver, but if you only have time for one stop, make it Bierstadt. This RiNo favorite also becomes the unofficial hangout for most industry folks when the city holds the occasional Craft Brewers Conference, or the yearly Great American Beer Festival. With three core German lagers, several seasonal brews and frequent collaboration lagers with brewery friends from around the globe, the balance between familiar perfection and something new is unparalleled.

Best Traditional Cidery

Snow Capped Cider

Kari Williams has been toiling away on the Western slope for a decade, making some of the most delicious ciders you'll find anywhere. She sources varieties of apples from around the world — rare and overlooked apples — and brings them to her high-elevation orchards. Perhaps the biggest key to her success is patience. She waits until the cider tastes best — and she isn't afraid of sitting on batches for as long as it takes, resulting in consistent high quality across the cidery's lineup. That includes the Elevation series, a special-release bottle category that debuted in 2023 and focuses on cider from specific blocks and rows in each apple field. Snow Capped is opening a tasting room soon, and it's sure to be a destination spot.

105 Grand Mesa Drive Cedaredge
970-835-7669
snowcappedcider.com

Best Innovative Cidery

Stem Ciders

Stem Ciders

Whether you're making beer, spirits, food or cider, it's best to have a mix of tradition and change, and Stem has led the way in innovative ciders in Colorado and beyond. Patrick Combs joined the cidery in 2021; ever since, he and his team have been churning out varieties that include dry-hopped ciders, tiki-inspired flavors, whiskey cocktail varieties, a space partnership and even the Pommeschlager — complete with actual flakes of gold. Peach- and mango-flavored hard teas debuted recently, too. Even in the core series, you'll find various exciting flavors like Chile Guava, the strawberry-hibiscus Ridgeline and Apricot Haze.

Best Neighborhood for Dining

LoHi

This neighborhood was our pick for the Best Restaurant Neighborhood in the 2011 edition of Best of Denver, and many of the spots we loved then are still around. Other parts of town have been getting more buzz in recent years, but a slew of new additions have brought fresh energy to LoHi's dining scene. Sonny's Mediterranean, Kawa Ni, Jacques, Nana's Dim Sum & Dumplings, Kumoya and Alma Fonda Fina all debuted in short order over the last year. Combined with more established favorites like Bar Dough, Root Down and Duo, LoHi once again has the highest concentration of dining hot spots.

Best Reason to Visit Longmont

Cheese Importers

Mark Antonation

Whether you've been searching for a certain fromage, like Castello's Tickler Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese with Chilis & Peppers, or just want to browse the wide world of cheese, head to Longmont's Cheese Importers to experience the promised land. Lyman and Linda White started selling cheese from a VW pickup bus in 1976; the business moved into its current home in 2012 and is still run by their kids. In addition to a staggering selection in its chilly cheese room, there are shelves of crackers, jams, olives, candies, chocolate, honey and more from around the world. Peruse the kitchen wares and small but curated wine selection, then pretend you're in Paris and people-watch while enjoying your treats on the pretty patio.

Best Small-Town Dining Destination

Lyons

What used to be a place for a pit stop at Oskar Blues on the way to Estes Park has emerged as a culinary destination in recent years. In the summer of 2022, chef Theo Adley opened Marigold in the small town, a restaurant serving dishes that highlight the freshest local ingredients. Next came Farra, a lively Latin spot from a husband-and-wife team with a passion for flamenco and salsa dancing. Music and dancing are a highlight at Ranch House West, too, a piano bar from Shauna Lee Strecker, who is also reviving the world's first butter bar, Bella La Crema, in the space. Soon, Lyons could get even more recognition, as Adley was named one of the 2024 James Beard semifinalists for the Best Chef: Mountain award.

Best Bus Line for Dining

RTD Bus Route 44

While nearly all of RTD's more than fifty local bus lines pass by longtime restaurants and new haunts, neighborhood watering holes and destination breweries, the 44 stands out as a food lover's route. Traveling hourly from the 40th & Colorado RTD station to Wheat Ridge, it passes directly through a number of restaurant-filled hubs, including downtown, RiNo and LoHi. Favorite stops include Little Man Ice Cream, breakfast joint Sunny's, Cafe Brazil and My Brother's Bar, plus breweries, dives with cheap drinks and more.

rtd-denver.com

Best Expansion

Blackbelly Market

Blackbelly Market

Last year was a big one for chef Hosea Rosenberg's decade-old Boulder restaurant Blackbelly, as it debuted an expansion that included a bigger market side and racked up several honors in Colorado's first Michelin Guide, among them a green star for sustainability and the Colorado Culinary Professional award for its butcher, Kelly Kawachi. Blackbelly also has a brand-new market in Denver after recently taking over the former Il Porcellino retail space. Along with Blackbelly's popular breakfast burritos and sandwiches, it's providing room for Kawachi to expand the cured-meats program — a win for the team and for hungry diners, who can pop in for the top-notch charcuterie.

Best Location Change

La Fillette Bakery

Molly Martin

For years, we made early-morning treks to La Fillette in the Hilltop neighborhood, delighting in its breakfast sandwiches and the cozy bakery's ability to perfect pastries — so when an imminent move was announced, it was bittersweet. But we had no reason to worry: La Fillette's new home is in an even more convenient location, and with a lot more space to work with, it now serves one of the best brunches in the city, with a menu that includes everything from omelets, quiche and French toast to a burger on a flaky croissant bun.

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