Reader: Most Italian Restaurants in Denver Tied for the Worst

Ragu on egg noodles.

May 1, 2022

Image: Cranelli's is in a state of reddiness.

Cranelli's is in a state of reddiness. Molly Martin

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Denver diners love Italian food. There are so many Italian eateries in the metro area — everything from pizza joints to white-tablecloth establishments — that when we started tallying the best Italian restaurants in the metro area, we decided to split the category in two: modern Italian and old-school red-sauce. What's the difference? Ultimately, it comes down to this: If a restaurant has chicken parmesan on the menu, it falls into the red-sauce category.

We served up our list of the ten best modern Italian restaurants in March, and just dished out the twelve best old-school Italian eateries last week.

In their comments on the Westword Facebook page, readers were quick to offer favorites that hadn't made the cut. Where was Angie's? Randi's? Nonna's? Mama Alvino's? And while some agreed with our picks, others had particular problems with a couple on our list. Says Leah:

Check out some of these places. So good!

Counters Jay:

This is exactly the list I would expect from Westword. These places are rundown, old and tired...I would like to suggest Colore on South Broadway as well as Marino's in southwest Littleton.

Adds Angel:

Shells and Sauce should be on this list somewhere. It’s one of a few Italian joints my family likes (and the Italian runs deep in my hubby’s side).

Offers Lex:

If you don’t know the Cherry Tomato, you don’t know Denver sauce joints.

Replies Kyle:

Gaetano's isn’t even worth visiting when Carl’s is but a few blocks away. Otherwise, all Italian food in Denver is tied for worst. Ragu on egg noodles.

Joe responds:

I agree, it's pretty bad. The Saucy Noodle is hands-down the worst Italian food I have ever eaten. Trash. All of it. Angelo's has a good chicken parm. The food in Denver in general is not the best.

And Heather wonders:

Can anyone recommend their fave non-red sauce Italian eatery? I always refer to that style as NJ Italian. But I want the real thing!

Our recent list of the ten best modern Italian restaurants should have some options — and we're sure that the readers who took issue with our red-sauce roster will have suggestions, too.

What are your favorite Italian restaurants in metro Denver? Post a comment or share your thoughts at [email protected].

A message from Food & Drink Editor Molly Martin: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of Denver’s evolving dining scene and the latest culinary innovations our community offers.

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