Restaurant Roll Call: 25 New Spots Debuted in April

From Vietnamese fare and gyros to pie, ice cream and beer, April brought a lot of new options for hungry diners in the Mile High. While it sometimes seems like chains and expansions of existing brands make up the majority of openings, independent operators continue to debut new concepts despite mounting challenges in the industry.

One recent highlight is D’n DÁ£, the new eatery from An Nguyen, the former owner of Savory Vietnam, which made a delicious first impression and proved to be even better on a second visit. Highlights include the clay pot; whole fried sea bass; the noodle bowl with grilled lemongrass-marinated pork patty, grilled pork and betel leaf-wrapped beef; and the signature make-your-own spring roll platter. Since it’s located next door to sister Thoa’s Banh & Butter Bakery & Cafe, we’re looking forward to some fun collabs from the chefs, both of whom are the daughters of the original owners of New Saigon.

Some of our locally owned favorites also added new outposts in April, including High Point Creamery, Chuey Fu’s, Rolling Smoke BBQ and the 49th, which makes one of the best burgers in town using a blend of beef and elk for its patties.

Other standouts among April’s new restaurants are Corsica, from the team behind Barcelona Wine Bar; Kevin Morrison’s Rolling Pin Pizza, which replaced the original Tacos, Tequila Whiskey near City Park; and Original by Greeks, a popular food truck that now has a brick-and-mortar with a drive-thru on South Broadway.

But last month also brought some notable – and surprising – closures. Chef Dana Rodriguez, known to many as the executive chef behind Casa Bonita’s reboot, shuttered her first solo venture, Cantina Loca, citing rising food and labor costs as a driving force behind the decision.

Funky Flame mysteriously closed its doors after just months in business, and Rooted Craft American Kitchen served its last meal just shy of its one-year anniversary, though owner Nick Kayser will soon debut Eat’Ya Pizza on the 16th Street Mall.

One closure, though, was a long time coming. Following the arrest of former owner Jay Bianchi, Deadhead bar and music venue So Many Roads has shut down for good. “May you find a peaceful place to call home, a place to dance and gather, and a place full of love,” it wrote in an April 27 Facebook post. “Please remember the beautiful nights at Roads. May you find a Road to ease your souls…”

Here’s the complete list of every restaurant and bar that opened or closed in April*:

Openings

The 49th, 5350 South Santa Fe Drive, Littleton
Aloha Cones, 601 Broadway
BrewDog Denver, 3950 Wynkoop Street
Chuey Fu’s, 2205 East Colfax Avenue
Corsica Wine Bar, 2801 Walnut Street
D’n DÁ£, 9945 East Colfax Avenue
Desi Bites, 5422 South Parker Road, Aurora
Epic Pickleball Club, 1980 East County Line Road, Littleton
Gayle’s Texas BBQ at Milepost Zero, 1601 19th Street
High Country, 1117 Pearl Street, Boulder
High Point Creamery, 7473 East 29th Place
KPOT Korean BBQ & Hot Pot, 14180 East Ellsworth Avenue, Aurora
Lady Justice Brewing, 3242 South Acoma Street, Englewood
Legacy Pie, 300 East Alameda Avenue
Little Man, 4940 South Yosemite Street, Greenwood Village
LOB, 1755 Blake Street
Lot 46 Music Bar at the Edgewater Inn, 5302 West 25th Avenue, Edgewater
The Olive Tiger, 1701 Platte Street
Other Dog at Town Hall Collaborative, 525 Santa Fe Drive
Original by Greeks, 2300 South Broadway
Queen City Collective Coffee at Town Hall Collaborative, 525 Santa Fe Drive
RiNo Grill and Pizza, 3500 Delgany Street
Rolling Pin Pizza, 1514 York Street
Rolling Smoke BBQ, 7100 West 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge
Sarahi’s Kitchen, 8135 East Colfax Avenue
Scoops, 2247 Kearney Street
TAG Burger Bar, 10155 East 29th Drive

Closures

Alpine Dog, 1308 East 17th Avenue
Cantina Loca, 2890 Zuni Street
Chop Shop, 4990 East Colfax Avenue
Funky Flame, 4994 Lowell Boulevard
Guapo Taco at Colorado Mills, 14500 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood
Madras Cafe, 5422 South Parker Road, Aurora
The PZA, 1501 East Colfax Avenue
Rooted Craft American Kitchen, 3490 West 32nd Avenue
So Many Roads, 918 West First Avenue
West End Tap House, 3945 Tennyson Street

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

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