The Ten Best Places to Eat Breakfast in Denver

Denver is a city that loves to brunch — and there are a lot of tasty options to choose from for days that call for a booze-fueled beginning. But brunch isn't an everyday indulgence. Breakfast, on the other hand, is a must when you need more than coffee to tackle the tasks ahead.

A solid morning meal can make the difference between a productive day and hanger-fueled misery. While a fast food drive-thru can be convenient, there are much better options to be found at locally-owned spots that serve breakfast made with care.

Here are ten of our favorites, in alphabetical order:

The Bagel Deli & Restaurant
6439 East Hampden Avenue
303-756-6667
After emigrating from Austria in 1939, Paul and Lola Weiner purchased the original Bagel Deli in Mayfair in 1967. While that outpost is long gone, the location on East Hampden has been a staple since 1971 and is still a family-run operation. One part of the space is a bare-bones deli where you can get black-and-white cookies, celery-flavored Dr. Brown's sodas and scoops of egg salad to go. The other is a dining room where breakfast is served all day and the walls are covered with family photos and other memorabilia. Dig into omelets, pancakes, huevos rancheros and bagels, of course. While you won't find any bacon at this Jewish deli, it dishes up baken made from beef. The Bagel Deli also now has an outpost in Concourse A at Denver International Airport, where you can get a fix of classic deli favorites before getting on a flight.
The French Press
Multiple locations
Cisco Lopez founded the first iteration of the French Press in Lakewood in 2010. Although the original was eventually forced to close, he found a new space in that suburb and subsequently added locations in Congress Park, Aurora and Greenwood Village, all of which are open daily starting at 6:30 a.m. on weekdays. The service is always friendly, the food is always filling and satisfying, and the menu includes a crowd-pleasing range of options including gluten-free and vegetarian dishes. Whether you're picking up a burrito to go or indulging in a treat like almond tres leches French toast, this spot does breakfast right.
Jelly Cafe
600 East 13th Avenue
303-831-6301
1700 East Evans Avenue
720-596-4108
In 2011, Josh Epps introduced Capitol Hill to Jelly, a brightly decorated breakfast joint decked out with retro cereal boxes on the walls and an array of fancifully flavored doughnut bites. A year and a half later, he added an outpost near the University of Denver, with a counter covered in Scrabble tiles and the same menu of creative dishes designed to perk up your mornings. Favorites include the sweet-potato hash studded with spicy chorizo; the Haco Chili Benedict, a poblano, chorizo and tomato mix served on a biscuit with poached eggs and Hollandaise; and the rotating pancake specials in varieties such as lavender blueberry, bacon jalapeño corn and cinnamon roll.
La Fillette Bakery
6217 East 14th Avenue
303-355-0022
We were fans of La Fillette for years when it was in a small spot in Hilltop, in large part because of the bakery's customizable breakfast sandwiches. In early 2023, it made the move to a much larger space in the Montclair neighborhood and debuted a larger breakfast and brunch menu, too. While you can still pick up a duck confit sandwich on a croissant or thick slices of focaccia if you're in a rush, you can — and should — also stop by when you have time to linger over an early-morning meal of chocolate croissant French toast, quiche Lorraine or corned beef hash over a rosti: roasted potatoes with red peppers, Brussels sprouts, shallots and Hollandaise.
Lucile's Creole Cafe
Multiple locations
This Louisiana-inspired favorite got its start in Boulder in 1980 and now has seven locations in Colorado. With a full booze menu including mimosas that come with your own mini bottle of bubbles and a killer Bloody Mary, Lucile's can get rowdy on the weekends. But on weekdays, it's the ideal place to start your day with a side of Creole country kitsch. It's known for its beignets covered with a thick layer of powdered sugar and its giant, buttery biscuits. Other favorites include the omelet stuffed with cheddar, muenster and ricotta cheeses; the Eggs New Orleans, made with fried eggplant slices, Creole sauce and Hollandaise; and the shrimp and grits. Douse anything you like with the housemade hot sauce, and enjoy your trip to the South.

Odell's Bagel
3200 Irving Street
There used to be limited options for bagel lovers in the Mile High but that's changed in recent years, thanks to several notable additions to the scene. Among them is our current favorite for bagel sandwiches that are anything but typical. Miles Odell, who is originally from New Jersey, opened his LoHi shop in October after first slinging bagels at the Highlands Square Farmers Market. Since then, his open-faced sandwiches served on hand-rolled bagels in varieties such as rosemary and furikake have been a hit. You can opt for a classic bacon, egg and cheese, but what we really love here are seafood options like pastrami lox and sushi-grade hamachi. Odell, who has a background in Japanese cuisine, also operates a kaiseki-inspired dinner concept dubbed the Counter at Odell's out of the same space.
Odie B's
2651 West 38th Avenue
1350 40th Street
Chef/owner Cliff Blauvelt grew up on the Northside and opened the first location of his rowdy little neighborhood sandwich shop and eatery in August 2022. In January, a second Odie B's debuted in RiNo, serving all the hits from the original with the bonus of expanded hours — including late afternoon happy-hour specials. While both outposts serve much more than breakfast (don't miss the double cheeseburger for lunch), it's the morning fare that has turned so many customers into regulars. From the standout breakfast burrito to a basic breakfast sandwich loaded with bacon, eggs, cheese and a hash brown patty on a squishy Kaiser roll and its vegetarian counterpart, the Boujee (an egg sandwich on focaccia with herbed feta, arugula, muhammara and za'atar), an Odie B's meal makes mornings much more palatable.
Olive & Finch
Multiple locations
Chef Mary Nguyen opened the first Olive & Finch in Uptown in 2013 with the goal of providing healthy, chef-driven fare at a fast-casual concept. For over a decade, she's done just that while expanding the business to four locations, including Cherry Creek and the two newest outposts at Union Station and the Denver Performing Arts Complex. We love that you can nosh on breakfast favorites like shakshuka and the veggie-filled Green Eggs & Sam sandwich while snagging a grab-and-go lunch salad, too. In 2023, Nguyen also added sister concept Little Finch on the 16th Street Mall, where you can pick up fast breakfast options like individually sized quiches or a savory croque madame Danish.
Rise & Shine Biscuit Kitchen
Multiple locations
Originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Seth Rubin launched his biscuit-centric business out of two Basil Doc's addresses in Denver before moving it into a space of its own. Now Rise & Shine has locations in Sloan's Lake, Lakewood and on South Pennsylvania Street. The concept is simple, with several options named for towns in Rubin's home state, such as the Chapel Hill, with fried chicken, and the Goldsboro, with country ham. There's always a biscuit of the day in creative flavors like lemon poppy and garam masala, or you can opt for a build-your-own sandwich, adding any combo of scrambled eggs, cheese and breakfast meats to a plain biscuit. Tack on a hash brown patty and OJ or coffee, and you've got a familiar-looking breakfast that's just as cheap and quick as what you'd get at a certain popular fast-food joint, but far superior in flavor and quality.
The Universal
2911 West 38th Avenue
303-955-0815
For over a decade, this breakfast-and-lunch joint in Sunnyside has attracted diners hungry for its grits. While the Universal has a few staple items on the menu that are built around Anson Mills’ organic heirloom grits  — you'll even find them in its breakfast burrito — the real fun is the rotating grits-of-the-day option, which runs from Thai coconut curry to chile shrimp. And if you're in the mood to imbibe on a weekday, this spot also offers $4 off Bloody Marys and mimosas Monday through Thursday.
Bonus: Any local diner
Denver's diner scene has taken some big hits in recent years — RIP to the latest, Breakfast Inn, which is set to close on June 8. That loss is yet another reminder to visit the diners we still have, and visit them often. Among our favorites are classics like Sam's #3 downtown, Swift's Breakfast House on Santa Fe Drive, Chef Zorba's in Congress Park and the Butcher Block Cafe in RiNo with its famed cinnamon rolls. There are newer additions that feel like well-worn joints, too, including Hits the Spot in Lakewood; Danny Ray's, the new iteration of the now-closed Danny's Carnation; and Two Brothers Cafe on Federal Boulevard, which is run by two brothers who were longtime employees of George's Cafe in Arvada. If you're craving early-morning comfort food, a solid diner can't be beat.