Bus It: Route 6 Traverses Neighborhood Staples and Newcomers

Through the end of August, riders can take any bus and light rail line 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 route 6 bus.

Route details: The 6 runs every ten to sixty minutes, depending on the time of day, from the Auraria campus to Aurora. See the full schedule for the 6.

Neighborhoods: Auraria, Downtown, Cap Hill, Speer, Congress Park, Montclair, Lowry, Aurora

Where to eat and drink: Route 6 offers an interesting tour of both older neighborhoods like Capitol Hill and Congress Park and newer developments like Lowry.

From downtown, the bus passes a number of notable bars on and near Grant Avenue. Vesper Lounge at the Grant Street and Eighth Avenue stop is a neighborhood bar with the motto "No Anger." It's owned by the Bonanno Concepts group and serves a selection of Mediterranean fare, burgers and fries. On the same block is another Bonanno bar, Salita, which opened in January and employs many of the former staffers from the group's now-closed Larimer Square speakeasy, Green Russell. Salita serves as both a cafe and bar, opening at 7 a.m. daily with coffee, pastries and torch-fired breakfast burritos available until 2 p.m. before it reopens at 5 p.m. for cocktail service with light snacks.

Charlie Brown's Bar & Grill at Grant and Tenth has served Denver for ninety years. The dark, wood-filled interior suggests a high-end pub, but the staff, guests and food menu are all friendly and approachable, plus there's a lively piano sing-along every night at 6:30 p.m.
Breakfast and coffee joints dot the early part of the route 6 ride. City, O' City, which is a block from Grant Street and 14th Avenue, offers vegetarian fare and a full bar along with a robust coffee and tea menu. If you get off at the Pennsylvania stop on Sixth Avenue, you can walk to both Lil Coffee Shop and Moe's Broadway Bagels, a local chain with a fun hippie vibe and tasty bagel sandwiches. Pablo's Coffee has a wi-fi-free cafe at the Washington stop, while Novo Coffee, which has been roasting since 2002 and opened its first cafe in 2005, can be found at Williams.

If you're in a car and not busing it, Buzz Cafe at the Corona Street stop has a drive-thru, or you can walk inside and grab a seat at one of the small tables that are ideal for solo patrons. There are also larger tables outside if you're meeting friends. The cafe serves a long breakfast menu of cafe fare like bagels with cream cheese, burritos, muffins, breakfast sandwiches, quiche, breads, pastries and more, as well as a small selection of made-to-order lunch sandwiches.

There are also many upscale eateries along route 6. On Sixth Avenue, the bus stops at Lafayette, where chef Alex Seidel's Fruition has operated for sixteen years. It has a reputation as a place to celebrate special occasions, but it's also approachable enough to be in your regular rotation.

At Sixth and Corona, Table 6, which is now under the ownership of general manager Amanda Davis and chef Aniedra Nichols, offers fine-dining-style comfort food.

There are also three very different Italian places along Sixth: Angelo's Taverna (Washington stop) is known for its $1 raw oyster daily happy hour; Odyssey (Pennsylvania) serves classic Italian fare in a funky Victorian home with a front patio; and Barolo Grill (Milwaukee) offers the white-tablecloth experience complete with one of the best wine programs around.
A highlight along the route is Satchel's on 6th, off the Williams Street stop. After five years in Park Hill, this family-owned business moved to Sixth Avenue twelve years ago. Although the menu is creative and seasonal, with a fine-dining presentation, the atmosphere is low-key. Neighbors bring in records for donation, and the playlist includes jazz early in the night leading to funkier selections as the night goes on. The plates and furniture are mismatched — your wine refill could be served in a carafe or an eight-ounce jelly jar — and the menu is short, with a selection of entrees and appetizers. The current offerings include burrata with grilled peaches; ricotta and pepper jam-stuffed squash blossoms; oysters; shrimp-scallop-crab cakes; and a classic flat iron steak.

As the bus heads to Aurora, it passes a number of restaurants in strip malls and small commercial corners. Hop off at the Havana Street and Peoria Street stops, where you'll find a number of Asian and Mexican eateries among the chains.

Near the end of the line, at Sable Boulevard and Alameda Avenue, Parkside Eatery is a small food hall that debuted last summer. Along with the central bar, it has space for five food concepts. Three are currently open: Lucky Bird, a local chain that serves all things chicken including wraps, sandwiches, salads and tenders; Gina's Kitchen, which has a gluten-free menu of sandwiches on millet oat bread, French fries, salads, soups and pastries; and Taco Choi, which started as a food truck and specializes in a Korean spin on tacos. Opening soon is Gere Coffee & Ice Cream.

Bonus Stops: Along with nearby restaurants, the route's Lowry stops offer access to the Lowry Sports Complex, which has picnic spots, tennis and basketball courts, a walking/biking path and a playground; Great Lawn Park, with a walking/biking trail and lake; and Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum.