Every Opening and Closing This Week: Eight New Places to Eat and Drink

The former Sancho's space reopened as a bluegrass bar, there are three new spots for tacos, and more.

October 12, 2024

Mila's Cantina is now serving in the former Uno Mas Taqueria on East Sixth Avenue. Mila's Cantina

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There were already a lot of delicious tacos in the metro area; now diners have three new options.

Last month, Mila's Cantina debuted in the former Uno Mas Taqueria location on East Sixth Avenue. (Uno Mas still has spots on South Pearl Street and in Fort Collins.)

The team behind the Taco Block food truck is now serving its Mexican fare from a brick-and-mortar location in Wheat Ridge. It's been in soft-opening mode, but starting October 15, its hours will expand from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

At Parkside Eatery, a small Aurora food hall, Tacos El Belicon, which started as a food trailer in Thornton, has replaced Taco Choi. That outfit shuttered in August.

Also making its debut is Velvet Banjo, a bluegrass bar, pool hall and venue that's celebrating its grand opening in the former Sancho's space on Saturday, October 12, and Sunday, October 13, with happy-hour pricing and free pool all weekend,11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Two juice bars joined the scene. Organic Squeeze, which has four locations in Oklahoma City, is now open in Cherry Creek. World Juice Bar already had an outpost inside the Westminster H Mart and recently added a second inside the Montbello Save A Lot grocery store.

Other additions include the Indonesian-inspired cafe Coffeegraph and Keke's Breakfast Cafe, a chain born in Orlando, which made its Colorado debut in Highlands Ranch and has plans to add more metro area locations.

We reported two closures this week: Blush & Blu, Denver's oldest lesbian bar, and Stay Tuned, which had only a ten-month run in the Ballpark neighborhood.

In other openings-and-closings news:

Learn more about Duets, which is now serving wings, beer and more in Curtis Park.
Two Colfax favorites are closing soon: Steve's Snappin' Dogs (October 19) and Fox Run Cafe (October 21).

Here's the complete list of restaurants and bars that opened and closed this week*:

click to enlarge

exterior of the velvet banjo venue in denver

The former Sancho's space is now Velvet Banjo.

Joshua Kravette

Openings

Coffeegraph, 3800 Julian Street
Keke’s Breakfast Cafe, 1164 Sergeant Jon Stiles Drive, Highlands Ranch
Mila's Cantina, 730 East Sixth Avenue
Nopal by Taco Block, 6551 West 44th Avenue, Wheat Ridge
Organic Squeeze, 180 Steele Street
Tacos El Belicon at Parkside Eatery, 14515 East Alameda Avenue, Aurora
Velvet Banjo, 741 East Colfax Avenue
World Juice Bar, 4874 Chambers Road

Closures
Blush & Blu, 1526 East Colfax Avenue
Stay Tuned, 2162 Larimer Street

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

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

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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