From fast food to fine dining, a decent number of Mile High restaurants often nod to 4/20, whether through deals or promotions, specialty menus, pun-filled dessert names or takeout specials loaded with stoner-inspired delights. If you're looking for a highly religious dining experience that doesn't involve Easter this Sunday, here are five places worth checking out.
Brutal Poodle
1967 South Broadway
720-379-6281
If you're into heavy metal music — the bar's constant soundtrack — all the better, but even if you're not a headbanger, this is still the most satisfying, stoner-loving menu in Denver. Start with classics like loaded tots, chips n' queso or smoked wings, or go all in with spicy-savory-sweet delights like the Poodle Bites (jalapeño-cheddar corn breading, smoked sausage, stone ground mustard aioli and sriracha-maple syrup), the Holla Peña Lollipoppas (bacon-wrapped shrimp lollipops stuffed with cream cheese and jalapeño, served with a raspberry-jalapeño jam) or the And Justice for All Egg Rolls (stuffed with seasoned steak, four-cheese sauce, shredded cheddar jack, onion and jalapeño, and served with a creamy sweet-chili sauce.)
The entree section is even more impressive, highlighted by "Hot Box" mac-and-cheese (cavatappi pasta with four-cheese sauce, smoked brisket, cole slaw, fried onion straws and house barbeque sauce), fried chicken and waffle sandwich, Brutal burger and bowls of green chili and pho. If there's any room left in that THC-enhanced gullet, try the Nutella bread pudding, churro waffle sandwich and ice cream, or the Italian drop doughnuts. Since you'll probably need an Uber (and a forklift) to get you home, give the $2.50 roll of Tums on the menu serious thought.
The Brutal Poodle is holding a happy hour from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on 4/20 that includes discounted beer, wine and well drinks.
The green chile at the Brutal Poodle
Molly Martin
Cheba Hut
Nineteen Colorado locations
Few restaurant chains, if any, have embraced the plant quite like Cheba Hut. The sandwich shop's subs are named after popular cannabis strains, each location is decked out in stoner-friendly art and cannabis brand stickers, and you can usually smell more herbs on the customers than in the kitchen. Also important: The sandwiches are delicious and the beer is cheap. What else do you need on the weekend?
Deals, baby. Sweet, sweet deals.
On 4/20, Cheba Huts across Colorado will offer $4.20 Nug-sized subs and give away free frisbees to customers. A small number of locations could be closed for Easter on April 20, according to Cheba Hut; in that case, the shops would hold the deals and giveaways on Saturday, April 19. Call your local toasted sub shop to make sure.
Mecha Noodle Bar
2801 Walnut Street
720-844-7577
Whether you're spending the weekend at the Denver Cannabis Week party at Tetra Lounge two blocks north or are just in the RiNo neighborhood and need to eat, Mecha Noodle Bar is ready. The Asian-American menu has sweet boba drinks to cure cotton mouth, with flavors like mango lassi, strawberry matcha and Thai iced tea, as well as shareable food and mochi flights for dessert.
On 4/20, Mecha is running its happy-hour menu all day, with half-off appetizers like Japanese-inspired poutine, crab rangoons, dumplings, egg rolls, wings, spare ribs and more. And if you want to sleep extra hard after a fun and filling day, check out Mecha's sake offering, which will also be half-off on April 20. Kanpai!
Steuben's
523 East 17th Avenue
303-830-1001
The homestyle menu at Steuben's is always stoner-friendly. Who wouldn't want fried chicken, meatloaf, smashburgers or mushroom Philly sandwiches at 4:30 p.m. after a high holiday session? You can go even deeper into munchie lore at Steuben's on the big day, though. Start with its wink-wink appetizer Steubie snacks (braised-then-fried pork shoulder covered in powdered sugar with a side of chili-garlic aioli), sip on cannabis-themed cocktails, and stuff your face with a 4/20-inspired menu that includes a Tokyo cheeseburger served face down in a bubbling cheese sauce, a Steubie’s Flight of specialty tater tots, and crispy baklava blunts for dessert. Zoinks.
Voodoo Doughnut
Four metro locations
After spending hours on your feet (or on your ass hitting joints) at the Mile High 420 Festival, few things are as satisfying as biting into a thick, sugary doughnut. Good thing Voodoo Doughnut has two locations near Civic Center Park (and two more in Boulder and Denver International Airport) full of doughnuts fit for a fried mind. Voodoo's menu has options like the purple, grape-flavored Grape Ape, classic Homer with pink frosting and sprinkles, or various creations covered in cereal, cookie crumbles or bacon.
For 4/20, the doughnut chain has added a limited-time option to the menu as well as a steep discount on one popular cannabis-themed treat. From April 18-20, Voodoo is offering a chicken-and-waffle doughnut and $1 Maple Blazer Blunts to customers. The new doughnut is dipped in chicken-flavored frosting, topped with crunchy waffle bits and then drizzled with maple syrup, according to Voodoo. To get a $1 Maple Blazer, just use the promo code MUNCHIES during online orders.
