Bus It: Route 28 Will Take You to Pockets of Neighborhood Spots for Food and Drinks

During all of July and August, riders can take any bus and light-rail lines for free, thanks to RTD's Zero Fare for Better Air program. Many of the routes traverse some of the city's best areas for eating and drinking, so we're breaking down some highlights. This week, take a ride on the 28 bus.

Route details: The 28 runs every hour from Central Park through downtown to Wheat Ridge. On weekends and evenings, the bus only runs from Wheat Ridge to Five Points, stopping at the 30th and Downing station. See the full schedule here.

Neighborhoods: Central Park, Park Hill, Skyland, Whittier, downtown, Lower Highlands, Jefferson Park, Sloan's Lake, Wheat Ridge
Where to eat and drink: The 28 travels a largely residential route, giving riders access to pockets of neighborhood spots.

At East 29th and Pontiac, riders have a short walk to Central Park's East 29th Avenue Town Center, where they''ll find Little India, Bluefin Sushi and Four Friends Kitchen.

Closer to downtown, jump off at 19th Avenue and Pearl Street for access to Uptown's restaurants, like Walter's 303 Pizzeria and Publik House, a local bar with a buy-a-friend-a-drink board, and the Mexican restaurant Las Delicias.

On the other side of downtown, the 15th and Platte Street stop hits the end of a line of restaurants and shops along the Platte, most notably My Brother's Bar, Denver's oldest bar and former hang of Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac (plus it serves one of the best burgers in town).
Hop off near Sloan's Lake at 26th and Sheridan, where you'll find Lakeview Lounge, which has been open since the ’70s. This cash-only dive serves drinks ranging from $3 to $8 and offers a daily happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. And the patio boasts a lakefront view of the downtown skyline. The only food options are beef jerky sticks, chimichangas and frozen pizzas, served warm, for $3 to $9 (depending on size and toppings), so save your appetite for the nearby Edgewater Public Market.

The food hall is more of a destination than a neighborhood place, and it's just a ten-minute walk from the bus stop. The selection is super varied, with tacos, sushi, ramen, a brewery and a full bar, Ethiopian fare, a juice station, pizza, crepes, mac and cheese bowls and more.
Edgewater's ice cream concept, Happy Cones, serves New Zealand-style soft serve, which is mixed with real fruit. You can also grab poke bowls from Mugi Ramen that are generously heaped with veggies, rice and fish. If you're still thirsty, hit up one of the best rooftops in town at nearby Joyride Brewing.

Get off at 26th and Clay to visit the Jefferson Park neighborhood, tucked between downtown and the Highland neighborhood. Jefferson Park's Ros Siam is a Thai restaurant in a Victorian mansion with a lovely side patio. The Federal Bar & Grill has a menu of typical pub fare, and its salads are served in huge bowls (like the ones used for a bag of chips) chock-full of fresh veggies. Down Clay Street, there's Briar Common Brewery + Eatery, which also has a rooftop patio with park views.

Along East 28th Avenue between the York Street and High Street stops, riders hit the Whittier neighborhood, which is home to four notable stops on a six-block stretch: Genna Rae’s, one of our picks for the best wings in Denver; Point Easy, a bright and airy restaurant with an impressive seasonal menu; Ephemeral Rotating Taproom, which hosts rotating out-of-state breweries; and the Plimoth, a small neighborhood spot that serves some seriously high-quality eats.
Farther up East 28th, jump off at the Fairfax Street stop to visit Long Table Brewhouse, a low-key, welcoming spot with neighbors that include Sexy Pizza, Trellis Wine Bar and Em’s Ice Cream (plus a number of new eateries opening soon).

Long Table bartender Chelsea Denrigo says that nearly every guest at the brewhouse lives in the neighborhood. The staff and regulars have a fantasy football league, a kickball league, an ongoing group-text chat, and a “buy your neighbor a beer” board. It also regularly hosts food trucks, and its tables are painted like Scrabble tiles.

Bonus stops: The 28 passes briefly through Quebec Square shopping center, where there are Home Depot, Ross, Goodwill and Walmart stores. The route ends at Olinger Cemetery and Wheat Ridge's Crown Hill Park, which includes a small wildlife refuge with ten miles of trails around Kestrel Pond and Crown Hill Lake that open July 1.