Mama Jo’s Biscuits and BBQ

A lot can happen in four years: Just ask husband-and-wife duo Ben and Jodi Polson, who launched their food truck, Mama Jo’s, in 2021. Recently, they took their business to the next level by opening a brick-and-mortar location in the former home of Steve’s Snappin’ Dogs on Colfax. The inspiration for the original food truck […]

Som Dee Thai Kitchen

When Orrapan Botthaisong moved to Denver from Thailand a decade ago, she had just $300 to her name. Ten years later, she’s the owner of two Thai restaurants: the more casual La Mai Thai near Sloan’s Lake, which is named for her mother, and Som Dee, which opened in December and is named for her […]

Teocalli Cocina

In 2019, Grant Hopfenspirger, son of the restaurateurs who created the local retro-diner chain Gunther Toody’s, opened Teocalli Cocina in Lafayette. In 2022, he debuted a second location of the Mexican eatery in Olde Town Arvada, in a space that had not been occupied since the closing of Griff’s Hamburgers in 2015. The addition has […]

O Lien Kitchen

This Vietnamese spot got its start inside the Viet Hoa supermarket before moving to a brick-and-mortar space in late 2023. While it has standards like pho and rice and noodle bowls, O Lien is also dishing specialties from Huế, including bánh khoái, a fried crepe made of rice flour that has a yellow hue from […]

Luchador Taco & More

Chef Zuri Resendiz is a Chopped champion who trained under Elise Wiggins at Panzano and Cattivella before a brief stint heading up the kitchen at a high-end steakhouse. After realizing he wanted to focus on sharing the cuisine of Latin America, he struck out on his own, launching a food truck before debuting his first […]

Chopstix Fusion

The word ‘fusion’ can be a red flag for diners looking for pure flavors undiluted by American or European tastes, but in the case of Chopstix, which opened in May, it’s simply an indication that you’ll find a smattering of Thai dishes on a menu that otherwise offers a deep taste of Hong Kong – […]

Westbound & Down

Where else in Colorado can you drink beer in an alley? At Westbound & Down’s Free Market location in Denver, patrons can grab some of Colorado’s most award-winning beer and hang out in the well-kept Dairy Block alley. From IPAs to dark beers, spritzy lagers and Hefeweizen, Westbound manages to offer an array of top-notch […]

No Name Bar

Phil and Erika Zierke, the owners of Englewood Grand, know how to create a neighborhood staple – and that’s exactly what they did (again) in 2022, when they opened a welcoming watering hole near DU that has everything but a name. You’re likely to find Phil behind the bar at one of his two spots, […]

The Night Owls

Tucked between a Burlington Coat Factory and the Yard House inside Colorado Mills mall is an unexpected cocktail destination. The Night Owls is a bar connected to Prismajic’s Shiki Dreams, an immersive art installation, though you don’t need a ticket to step inside for a cocktail. The space is filled with forest-like touches and many […]

Bedlam

Longtime industry pro Jacob Berndt debuted his first solo venture in May 2024 inside the long, narrow downtown space that was home to Deep Roots Winery & Bistro before sitting empty for four years. With the help of his siblings, Berndt has transformed the space with art and knickknacks that give it the vibe of […]

5 on Lawrence

In late 2023, the owner of Max Market added a sports bar next door, outfitting 5 on Lawrence with plenty of TVs for watching Nuggets, Avs, Broncos, Rapids and Rockies games, plus Arsenal soccer matches. It also has an arcade room so you can distract yourself if a televised game isn’t going your way. The […]

Xiquita Restaurante y Bar

The highly anticipated Xiquita opened in August 2024, helmed by the team from Park Hill favorite Lucina. Its menu features familiar Mexican classics like ceviche and carne asada, but the kitchen dives deeper with its focus on the nixtamalized corn used to make masa, one of the foundational ingredients of the country’s cuisine. Xiquita’s tetelas, […]

Odell’s Bagel

Denver’s bagel game has gotten far more diverse in 2024, and in October, Odell’s Bagel opened in the Highland neighborhood. The bagels themselves come in options such as furikake and rosemary, along with the standards: plain, sesame, everything, poppy and cinnamon raisin. But the real stars at Odell’s are the fishy toppings, particularly the pastrami-spiced […]

Osteria Alberico

Osteria Alberico, which is owned by Frasca Hospitality Group, opened in an unlikely location in July 2024: the King Soopers shopping center at South University Boulevard and East Hampden Avenue in Englewood. It’s more casual than Boulder’s Frasca or Denver’s Tavernetta, but more upscale than Pizzeria Alberico in Boulder. Here, diners will find pizza served […]

Brooklyn’s Finest Pizza

There are practically endless combinations of tomato sauce and dough, and the expansive menu at Brooklyn’s Finest Pizza boasts at least 85 percent of them. Meatball Parmesan sandwich? Check. Sausage and pepper stromboli? Check. Create-your-own calzone? Double meatball pizza? Garlic knots and pepperoni pinwheels? Check, check and check. The most recent outpost of Brooklyn’s Finest, […]

Babe’s Tea Room

Babe’s Tea Room is a grown-up tea party come to life. Full-service afternoon tea includes a variety of classic tea sandwiches such as cucumber and chive cream cheese or vegan chickpea salad along with scones and other sweet treats (including gluten-free and vegan options). You can also stop in anytime to sip on options like […]

Spice Room

Owner Kal Pent opened the original outpost of Spice Room in a strip mall in the Highland neighborhood in 2017. Since then, it’s expanded twice, adding a location in the former Steuben’s in Arvada and another in the former Annie’s Cafe in the Bluebird district, which is three times larger than the OG spot. We’re […]

Wok Spicy

Before it closed in 2023, Twin Dragon was a staple for Chinese eats in Englewood for nearly fifty years. The space sat empty for just over a year before another locally owned Chinese restaurant debuted – but this one specializing in Szechuan fare alongside American Chinese classics. Opt for the enormous cumin-lamb bao buns, crunchy […]

Dan Da

Dân Dã has deep roots in Denver’s Vietnamese restaurant scene: Chef-owner An Nguyen is the sister of Thoa Nguyen, who owns next-door sandwich shop and bakery Banh & Butter; their parents were the original owners of the late, lamented New Saigon restaurant. Now An, who shuttered her last restaurant, Savory Vietnam, in late 2023, is […]