Restaurant Roll Call: Every Opening and Closing in April

Additions to the bar and restaurant scene weren't quite as plentiful in April as they had been in March, when forty new spots opened, but we still reported an impressive 25 openings.

The list includes two happy comeback stories. The 20th Street Cafe, which had been open since 1946 before the pandemic pushed up the retirement plans of its owners, sat empty for three years before reopening last month; it's been taken over by the family that once ran Tarahumara on Colfax and is now serving a Mexican-focused menu.

And in Lakewood, longtime staple Danny's Carnation shuttered, but owner Danny Hopkins is keeping its spirit alive at the new Danny Ray's, a nearby spot that's serving the same diner menu, but with longer hours and a full bar. So far, it's been a success story, drawing so many hungry fans during its first week that it had to take a pause to regroup and restock.

April brought a big shift to the 1900 block of Market Street, as local hospitality group Handsome Boys took over the spaces that were briefly home to El Tejano, Loaded and Smash Face Brewing, replacing them with five new concepts just in time for the Rockies Opening Day.

But the big story of April was another wave of decades-old eateries closing. First was Blake Street Tavern, which celebrated one last Opening Day of its own before shuttering for good after two decades in the Ballpark neighborhood. There are plans to convert part of its space and an adjoining lot into a multi-use building with apartments.
The very first Quiznos, which opened in Capitol Hill in 1981, has also shut its doors — which are covered in notices about unpaid taxes. Although the company says it's looking for another franchisee to take over, the future doesn't look bright for the struggling chain. Its founder, Jimmy Lambatos, who's out of that business but still lives in Denver and now runs Jimmy's Jersey Street Cafe, reminisced about the beginnings of Quiznos after that original location closed.

On April 30 in Englewood, the 47-year-old Chinese eatery Twin Dragon served its last meal, as did the 50-year-old Italian/Mexican restaurant Piccolo in south Denver. The owners of both chalked up the closures to simply being ready to retire — especially after the hardships brought on by the pandemic.

While many fans mourn the end of these longtime eateries, it reflects an inevitable shift in a city that continues to grow and evolve. And even though diners will cherish the memories, there are a lot of reasons to be excited about the new talent that is elevating the scene, as we've found at recent additions like Lucina, Point Easy and Stone Cellar Bistro.

So stay hungry, Denver.

Here's the complete list of restaurants and bars that opened and closed in April:
Restaurants and bars that opened in April:*

20th Street Cafe Mexican, 1123 20th Street
5280 Burger Bar at Colorado Mills, 14500 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood
Burgers and Dreams at Milepost Zero, 1601 19th Street
Con Safos and Agua Bendita, 1949 Market Street
Danny Ray's Food & Spirits, 11353 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood
Dos Abuelas at Zeppelin Station, 3501 Wazee Street
FeastBox, 8246 West Bowles Avenue, Littleton
Fuel & Iron Food Hall, 400 South Union Avenue, Pueblo
Gaucho Parilla at Freedom Street Social, 15177 Candelas Parkway, Arvada
Happy Dumpling, 1024 West 104th Avenue
In-N-Out Burger, 4597 North Central Park Boulevard
Insomnia Cookies, 1370 19th Street
Jaguar Room and El Patio, 1941 Market Street
Linglon Dumpling House, 2456 South Colorado Boulevard
Mangia Panino at Avanti Boulder, 1401 Pearl Street, Boulder
MoCha, 2713 South Parker Road, Aurora
Mon Thai, 750 Santa Fe Drive
Nozomi, 4100 Tejon Street
Orchid, 1448 Market Street
Psychedelic Subs & Salads at Milepost Zero, 1601 19th Street
Tony Tenderonis, 1937 Market Street
Vatos Tacos + Tequila, 1565 Raleigh Street
Yonsei, 3925 East 120th Avenue, Thornton
Restaurants and bars that closed in April:*

Blake Street Tavern, 2301 Blake Street
Cochino Taco, 176 South Broadway
Comal Heritage Food Incubator, 3455 Ringsby Court (moving to a new location)
Honey B's Macarons, 40 Springer Drive, Highlands Ranch
Make, Believe Bakery, 214 East 13th Avenue (still selling from City, O' City and Watercourse Foods)
Meta Asian Kitchen at Avanti, 3200 Pecos Street (moved into Honor Farm)
MobCraft, 2403 Champa Street
Piccolo, 3563 South Monaco Parkway
Quiznos, 1275 Grant Street
Roca's Pizza & Pasta, 13795 West Jewell Avenue, Lakewood
Twin Dragon, 3021 South Broadway, Englewood

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

Know of something we missed? Email [email protected].