Beloved Sichuan Restaurant Noodle Express Counting Down to Closure

While the metro area's Asian food scene has been growing in the last couple of years, those seeking Sichuan fare still don't have many easy-to-access options. And soon there may be one less.

Noodle Express is located in the nearly empty Belcaro Shopping Center at East Exposition Avenue and South Colorado Boulevard anchored by a King Soopers — the only remaining business in a complex that once also held a Radio Shack and a Mike's Camera.

The restaurant, which opened in February 2020, just before the pandemic-era indoor dining shutdown, is in a stand-alone structure that it shares with Osaka Sushi. While its name and nondescript exterior may give the impression that Noodle Express is just a quick-service, noodle-focused joint, it dishes up some of the best Sichuan fare in town, including favorites such as chong qing chicken (chile-studded fried chicken), spicy boiled fish, mapo tofu and pan-fried green beans studded with savory, caramelized bits of ground pork.

Shortly after we visited for the first time in 2022, we learned that Noodle Express was facing imminent closure. News spread quickly on social media, and fans showed up in droves to show support. Following a weekend that was so busy the kitchen had to shut down early that Sunday, the owner shared some good news with Westword: He was working to renegotiate the lease so the eatery could remain open.
And it did — but now Noodle Express is in danger again. Signs posted inside note that the current lease is up at the end of August and "the landlord has not offered any kind of extensions yet." The Denver Post has previously reported on redevelopment plans for the entire 6.4-acre site, including the building that houses Noodle Express.

"We will inform our valuable customers as soon as the status changes," the sign notes, and an employee working the counter on June 6 said there are no updates yet.

So while it's business as usual at Noodle Express, we plan on visiting as often as possible.

If you're hungry for more places to indulge in Sichuan fare, check out longtime favorites Sunflower Cafe in Littleton and Szechuan Tasty House on East Evans Avenue as well as a new addition, Wok Spicy, which recently opened on South Broadway in Englewood. Hong Kong Station in Centennial also has a Sichuan section on its menu, as does Happy Cafe on South Federal Boulevard.

Noodle Express is located at 703 South Colorado Boulevard and is open (for now) from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. To place an online order, visit its page on qmenu.us.