During all of July and August, riders can take any bus and light rail line for free thanks to RTD's Zero Fare for Better Air program. Many of the routes traverse some of the city's best areas for eating and drinking, so we're breaking down some highlights. This week, take a ride on the 16 bus.
Route details: The 16 runs every ten to fifteen minutes, depending on the time of day, from Colfax and Broadway to Lakewood's Oak Station. See the full schedule for the 16.
Neighborhoods: Downtown, Auraria, Sun Valley, Sloan's Lake, Edgewood, Lakewood
Where to eat and drink: While route 15 is the bus to take for adventures on East Colfax, it would be a disservice to America's longest Main Street if you didn't also head west. Amid all the motels and used car lots, riders on the 16 can find some quirky spots for food and drinks.
Hits the Spot Diner, off the Eaton Street stop, harks back to the 1950s, even though it's only been open since 2011. It's decked out in typical classic diner decor, with black and white checkered tile, red accents and a gray and white marbled bar. There are two rotating dessert cases chock-full of homemade pies, cheesecakes and cakes, and a hulking shiny metal cash register. The menu includes all the typical items, and many of the breakfast dishes come with a full stack of pancakes, which are huge, but also light enough to serve as a reasonable side dish. For another neighborhood diner option, check out Swift's on Colfax, which is tucked into a small shopping mall off the Tennyson Street stop.
For a more elegant breakfast in a cozy cafe, bus riders can stop at King Street for Brew Culture Coffee. It serves typical espresso drinks alongside pastries and burritos, but has the added bonus of also being the taproom for Elevated Elixirs kombucha. There are seven to eight kombuchas available on tap at any given time, all of which are brewed in Wheat Ridge with the exception of one rotating guest tap. The brewery Seedstock, which has a ton of bar-room events such as music, bingo and trivia, is next door and shares a patio with Brew Culture.
At Winona Court, Side Pony serves a more robust breakfast menu that includes a ham and cheese croissant, avocado toast and the Naughty PB&J board, with a baguette, raspberry jelly, peanut butter and white chocolate cashew butter. Side Pony is also open for evening service, with a 2 to 7 p.m. happy hour, extensive cocktail list, wine, beer and shared-plate savory snacks.
Farther down Colfax, hop off at Teller Street, where Mint & Serif Coffee House has something for everyone. It serves tea, craft beer, wine and coffee, as well as a small menu of sandwiches, burritos, fruit, quiche, soft pretzels and pastries. But the best part of Mint & Serif is the space itself. It's weird, artsy and quirky and is made for gathering or getting work done. A long, narrow high-top table, dubbed the community table, usually has a puzzle or items to color on it and is the place for any visitor to meet a friend — or five. There are tables as well as little couch nooks for friendly catching up.
The gift and plant shop All Its Own shares the space, displaying charming little plants, gem collections, mugs, art and more in the back and along the walls. There is also local artwork displayed, including a small, phone booth-sized room that guests can peek into, offering a mini immersive art experience. There's a selfie museum, too — a surprisingly charming space with displays to pose in, complete with light rings.
We'd be remiss not to mention Casa Bonita, off Route 16's Pierce Street stop, but it's still in soft-opening mode, so for a Mexican food fix, consider one of the nearby restaurants like Viva Burrito, which touts its fare as "the best authentic Mexican fast food." Since it's right across Colfax from Casa Bonita, you can grab a burrito (or tacos, enchiladas and tortas) and gaze longingly at the Pepto-colored tower, dreaming of cliff-diving adventures to come.
Just past the pink palace is Max's Mexican Restaurant, a bright, colorful eatery with a bar, booths and tables with beautiful, specially made chairs. The classic Mexican menu includes tightly packed flautas, enchiladas, tamales and more. On Tuesdays from open to close, you can nosh on generously sized street tacos for $2.75 to $4 and enjoy half-priced margarita and tequila specials. You can get your sopaipilla fix at Max's, too: They come out huge and airy, nearly the size of your head, served with a dusting of cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, a bit of caramel and all the honey you can pour on.
Bonus stops: The growing Lakewood 40 West Arts District is a collective of galleries at stops between Kendall and Teller streets. It includes the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design galleries, Benchmark Theatre, Pirate: Contemporary Art and more. The district has its own First Friday, which Mint & Serif takes part in.
The infamous Lake Steam Baths, at King Street, is a fully nude bathhouse spa with a hot tub, massages, a steam room, sauna, salt scrubs and more. Men's and women's days are separate, and the environment is body-positive and relaxing.