Reader: Restaurant Food Is Bad — Stay Home and Eat a Nice Salad!

Denver takes its fast-casual seriously — very seriously. In fact, some of the country's biggest fast-casual chains have gotten their start in this city. There's Chipotle, of course; founder Steve Ells opened his first store at 1644 East Evans Avenue more than twenty years ago. But Denver has also given...

By Patricia Calhoun

February 18, 2015

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Denver takes its fast-casual seriously — very seriously. In fact, some of the country's biggest fast-casual chains have gotten their start in this city. There's Chipotle, of course; founder Steve Ells opened his first store at 1644 East Evans Avenue more than twenty years ago. But Denver has also given birth to Noodles & Company, Tokyo Joe's, Smashburger, Garbanzo and many other concepts — enough that we had no problem coming up with our list of Denver's Five Best Homegrown, Fast-Casual Chains.

But one reader definitely has a problem with our list. Says Jann:

Actually, they all suck. None of them are any good for you. All their food is bad. Restaurant food is bad. Stay home eat a nice salad.

Or go out for a nice salad — maybe even at one of the places on our list! What's your favorite fast-casual spot in town? And would you eat a salad there? Post a comment by clicking on the conversation icon on the far-right on the top of this page.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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