The Big Eat Is (Finally) Back, Celebrating Independent Restaurants

Denver's independent restaurants will gather again for the first time since 2019. Nikki Rae Photography

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After putting its annual celebration of the city's independent restaurants on hold for two years, EatDenver's The Big Eat is coming back in full force with an in-person event in the Galleria at the Denver Performing Arts Complex on Thursday, July 28, from 6 to 9 p.m.

A limited number of early-bird tickets will go on sale at 11 a.m. on May 17 for $70 per person. After that, the price will be $85 per person.

But at any price, this event is a hell of a deal: It's one of the city's best, most straight-up fun culinary happenings.

EatDenver is a nonprofit membership organization for the city's independently owned restaurants, and while it's long been a valuable resource for the culinary community, it became a lifeline for many of its 275 members during the pandemic. Through its members-only email list, information was shared at an incredible pace, especially in the hectic and stressful days around the indoor-dining shutdown in March 2020.

The organization remained proactive in helping restaurants navigate the messy and ever-changing regulations of the past two-plus years, and its members stepped up with support and advice for each other. Now it's time to celebrate — finally.

Nearly sixty restaurants will be on hand, organized by neighborhood so that you can truly eat your way through Denver. Tickets include bites from all of the eateries as well as cocktails, beer, wine, cider, tea and kombucha.

click to enlarge

The Big Eat 2022 is on Thursday, July 28.

Nikki Rae Photography

Here's the full list of participating restaurants:

• Ace Eat Serve
• Aloy Modern Thai
• Avelina
• Bellota
• Birdcall
• Blackbelly
• Blue Agave Grill
• Bodega Denver
• CAFE 180
• Cap City Tavern
• Chook Charcoal Chicken
• Comida at Stanley Marketplace
• Culinary Creative Group
• Culture Meat & Cheese
• El Camino Community Tavern
• Elevation Charcuterie
• Fish N Beer
• French 75
• GQue Championship BBQ
• Ironton Distillery & Crafthouse
• Jax Fish House and Oyster Bar
• LoHi SteakBar
• Los Dos Potrillos
• Lost City
• Meta Asian Kitchen
• Mizuna
• ND streetBAR
• Nocturne
• Room for Milly
• Root Down
• Rooted Craft Kitchen
• Santo
• Steuben's
• Sushi-Rama
• Tacos Tequila Whiskey
• The Bindery
• The Kitchen American Bistro
• The Lobby
• The Pig & The Sprout
• The Post Chicken and Beer
• Ultreia
• Vero Market
• Woodie Fisher Kitchen & Bar
• And more to be announced

Bars and beverage brands scheduled to participate in The Big Eat 2022 include:

• Attimo Wine
• Avanti F&B
• Cervecería Colorado
• Ironton Distillery
• LALO Tequila
• New Belgium Brewing
• Rowdy Mermaid
• Stem Ciders
• Stranahan's Colorado Whiskey
• Teakoe
• Terminal Bar
• The Family Jones
• Tito’s Handmade Vodka
• Topo Chico
• And more to be announced