Wurstküche Closes on Broadway After Less Than a Year of Sausage-Peddling

Los Angeles-based sausage peddler Wurstküche wedged itself into the triangular space at 2036 Broadway last February with a long list of links and plenty of German, Belgian and American suds. But after less than a year, the grills have gone cold and the umlaut-riddled name above the door is gone...

By Mark Antonation

January 15, 2016

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Los Angeles-based sausage peddler Wurstküche wedged itself into the triangular space at 2036 Broadway last February with a long list of links and plenty of German, Belgian and American suds. But after less than a year, the grills have gone cold and the umlaut-riddled name above the door is gone. Those bold, diagonally striped doors are closed for good: Wurstküche has pulled out of Denver.

It could have been the difficult-to-pronounce name, the odd location in the no-man's land between downtown and the much more frank-friendly Ballpark neighborhood, or the odd configuration that planted the restaurant's beerhall at the end of a long, dark hallway, where diners were required to return to the front door if they wanted more grub. But the design, while not entirely conducive to the mass consumption of wurst, was recognized in the "Back to the Future" category of the 2015 Denver Mayor's Design Awards for "the preservation and adaptive use" of a historic building. Which the California company still owns, after extensive renovations to what was once the notorious Triangle.

So if you're on the prowl for some downtown dogs, you'll have to head elsewhere. You won't need to look far, though: Sausage is king on Denver's trendiest blocks, with the likes of Rhein Haus and Euclid Hall in LoDo and Biker Jim's, Billy's Gourmet Hot Dogs and and Butcher's Bistro all lining Larimer Street.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Mark Antonation is the former Westword Food & Drink Editor. In 2018, he was named Outstanding Media Professional by the Colorado Restaurant Association; he's now with the Colorado Restaurant Foundation.

Contact: Mark Antonation

Follow:

Instagram: @mantonation