Mexican Restaurant Moving Into Former Breakfast King

The popular 24/7 diner on South Santa Fe Drive closed in 2022 after nearly fifty years in business.

July 15, 2024

Breakfast King shuttered in January 2022. Molly Martin

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One of the biggest hits to Denver's diner scene came in January 2022, when the Breakfast King closed without warning after nearly fifty years at 1100 South Santa Fe Drive.

The building has sat empty ever since and the iconic sign remains, but now there's a new sign up as well: La Reyna Azteca is "coming soon" to the space.

La Reyna Azteca also has a location at 9865 East Hampden Avenue as well as two outposts in Aurora dubbed La Reyna Azteca Tacos y Tortas. This one, though, will be La Reyna Azteca & Breakfast — though we doubt it will be dishing up chicken-fried steak 24/7.

That chicken-fried steak earned a mention in Esquire magazine in 2009, when it named Breakfast King one of the 59 "Best Breakfasts in America."

Why did Esquire dig it so much? Because "the waitresses call the regulars by name, guys like Vic and Lou, as in 'No lotto ticket today, Lou?' They come for the country-fried steak, smothered in sausage gravy and so tender you can cut it with your fork," the magazine reported.

If this news has you craving old-school diner classics, we've got a list of 23 spots where you can get a fix.

Molly Martin has been the Food & Drink editor at Westword since 2021. Prior to joining the staff, Molly reported on the Denver dining scene for more than a decade and contributed to Thrillist. At Westword, Molly monitors restaurant openings and closings, offers dining recommendations and reports on Denver-area food news and trends. She also publishes such annual lists as Top 100 Bars and Top 100 Restaurants, and contributes to the yearly Best of Denver edition. In 2023, she was recognized with the Colorado Restaurant Association's Outstanding Media Professional award.

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