No New Restaurants Opened This Week, but Three Closed

After a holiday weekend at the end of a May packed with over 25 openings on the bar and restaurant scene, it’s not surprising that this was a quiet time. While there are a lot of anticipated summer openings (like this one, and this, and, of course, the actual public debut of Casa Bonita), for the first time since I started as Westword‘s food editor two years ago, we have a week with zero new spots to report.

One new eatery is already on the list for next week’s roundup, though. In Five Points, Taco Uprising is opening for limited hours on the evening of June 3, with an expanded schedule starting June 4 as it makes its long-awaited debut.

While there were no new openings, a trio of places closed over the last seven days. Fast-casual fried chicken joint Chicken Rebel is still serving in Westminster, but its Tejon Street location is now closed as it transitions into Wilde, an all-day, brunch-focused eatery from the same owner, Lydie Lovett. You can get a preview of its menu ahead of its August debut at Westword‘s Out to Brunch event on Saturday, June 10.

When we recently updated our list of the ten best barbecue joints in Denver, we had to leave off one favorite: On May 27, Plates by the Pound welcomed a long line of fans for its last Saturday service. Owner Aaron Gonerway and his family are relocating to Texas to raise cattle and, with any luck, keep on ‘cuing.

While the original Tocabe, a Native American eatery in Berkeley, will keep serving, it’s closed its DTC location. But it’s not done with the space, which is being converted into a full-time fulfillment center and Indigenous Marketplace operation, which Tocabe has been growing since 2021.

In other openings-and-closings news:

• Get a full sneak peek inside Casa Bonita, including a rundown of the menu.
• Hard Rock Cafe Denver is closing. Read about why that’s a good thing.
• The Golden Triangle Dozens, which shuttered after a fire last year, will make a comeback nearby.

Here’s the complete (short) list of restaurants that closed this week:

Restaurants and bars that closed this week:*

Chicken Rebel, 3618 Tejon Street
Plates by the Pound, 11601 East Montview Boulevard, Aurora
Tocabe, 8181 East Arapahoe Road, Greenwood Village

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

Know of something we missed? Email cafe@westword.com.