Bremen's Closes in LoHi After Less Than a Year in Business

Rosa Linda's Mexican Restaurant at 2005 West 33rd Avenue kept the Highland neighborhood fed for more than thirty years, until owners Virgil and Rosa Linda Aguirre decided it was time to retire in 2015. The building, which they own, stood vacant for close to two years before Bremen's Wine & Tap took over in June 2017, bringing an all-day brunch and dinner concept to the red-brick structure that also houses Señor Bear.

The early weekday hours never really caught on at Bremen's, so last fall it switched to dinner hours only, except for brunch on the weekends. But even a new chef, Isabel Ranney, new hours and a new menu weren't enough to save the place, and it closed yesterday, January 28, after brunch service. A note on the front door doesn't offer much in the way of explanation but shows a little humor in what is likely a tough time for founder Dina Castillo and her staff: "Bremen's has closed due to the Sharkalanche...Movie coming out soon!"
Bremen's had originally opened under executive chef Matt Selby, a familiar name to those who enjoyed his cooking at Vesta and Central Bistro (among other places) over the past two decades. Ranney was also there from the beginning, and took over the kitchen at the end of August after Selby's departure, when he told Westword that at the months-old restaurant, "business did not take off like we anticipated, and my high salary needed to be cut."

It's a shame to see a vacancy at an address with a long history of serving good food, whether by Bremen's or Rosa Linda's (which won a Westword Best of Denver award way back in 1985). We're not holding our breath for Sharkalanche: The Movie, but we hope the restaurant space in what's now white-hot LoHi doesn't remain empty for long.

And it's not likely to. Not only did the Bremen's owners do a major update on the space, but it comes with its own parking lot. And Señor Bear, which took over the original Squeaky Bean location, is a real draw. Although Juan Padro and company have their hands full with the upcoming renovation of the Wazee Lounge and Supper Club, they must have a concept or two left that might fit in the spot.