Bus It: Strip Mall Finds for Food and Drink Along Route 24

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 24 bus.

Route details: The 24 runs every hour on weekends and weekdays from Clayton to Centennial. See the full schedule.

Neighborhoods: Clayton, Whittier, City Park West, Congress Park, Wash Park, University, Cherry Hills, Greenwood Village, Centennial

Where to eat and drink: This long bus line stops off at well-known food corridors like Cherry Creek North at the University and Third stop, and the Bonnie Brae area at the South University and Exposition stop. To the north, the route is mostly residential, with a few neighborhood treats to find, while in the suburbs to the south, you can find lesser-known restaurants tucked into strip malls.

Heading north from Colfax, hop off at the York and 21st Street stop to visit Cafe Miriam, a tiny, out-of-the-way breakfast and lunch spot serving classic savory and sweet crepes as well as salads, pastries and sandwiches that come with a mini croissant. Farther down, at York and Bruce Randolph, a two-block walk brings you to Rivers and Roads Coffee, an entirely gluten-free coffee shop with a large, dog-friendly patio.
At the 3600 Block stop on 40th Avenue, Prodigy Coffeehouse, which hires local young adults as apprentices to learn the trade and train as community leaders, serves up a caffeine fix and snacks. The airy and comfortable cafe has two patios; on the menu are burritos and pastries by Rebel Bakery, including its "everything puff," a puff pastry with everything bagel seasoning and a cream cheese center. Across the street from Prodigy is the Park Hill Supermarket, a grocery store with fresh produce and a variety of Asian, HIspanic and African products and snacks.

Heading south, before you hit the strip malls, jump off at East Evans and South University Avenue, where Mustard’s Last Stand has been dishing out classic dogs, burgers and hand-cut French fries since 1978. The interior is small, but there's a woodsy picnic table-filled patio that, despite the proximity to the busy street, gives off a summer-vacation vibe. It serves a number of vegetarian options, too, like the tofu Rueben, a veggie dog and veggie chili.
Just across the street is Two Hands, a Korean corn dog chain that recently debuted its first Colorado location. Here you choose your style of dog and filling; for an extra crunchy treat, opt for the crispy rice dog.

The block is also home to Phở Saigon Star; the classic Pete’s University Park Cafe; a low-key neighborhood bar with no name; and Tacos El Metate, where you can score a Jarritos soda spiked with tequila for $6 or a michelada served with a half-dozen shrimp on the rim for $16.

South of the University of Denver, the strip mall hunt begins. The shopping center at Orchard and South University in Greenwood Village is home to breakfast favorite the Original Pancake House, as well as one of the locations of the fast-casual Chook, which serves rotisserie chicken in salads and sandwiches, or as a plate with what it calls "sides of glory" like falafel, mac and cheese, smashed cucumbers and mashed potatoes.
At the Arapahoe and South University stop, there are a number of chains; skip those and opt for two locally owned Asian spots instead: Shanghai Garden and Land of Sushi. Nearby, at the Euclid and South University stop, check out Señor Sol for margs and Mexican food.

At the Dry Creek Road stop, the strip mall is home to Bop & Gogi, where you can get Korean specialties like hot stone bibimbop, as well as Korean fried chicken at Mono Mono. There's also Shawarma for Mediterranean, local bakery Cakeheads and sushi from Taku Sushi.

At Zell's, a fast-casual spot that makes crepes and panini, you can get traditional combinations, like Brie with turkey and Nutella with strawberries, along with options like PB&J, pizza, Italian meats and barbecued chicken. Zell’s also has Red Bull-infused juices, like the Supernova with huckleberry and vanilla, for those looking for an energy kick.
At the County Line Road stop toward the south end of route 24, you'll find Bahama Buck's, a shaved-ice chain that started in Texas and has two Colorado locations. The ice is so finely shaved and flavorful, it’s like eating a frozen, flavored cloud. The menu includes specialty concoctions like the Oreo cookie and mango with chili salt, and there are lots of traditional fruity flavors for mixing and matching.

Bonus stops: The 24 goes by some of Denver's arts and culture hot spots. Both the Denver Zoo and the Museum of Nature & Science are a short(ish) walk through City Park from the 23rd Avenue and York Street stop. There's also a stop at Ninth Avenue and York, right in front of the visitor center for the Denver Botanic Gardens, which is showing works by Ansel Adams through October 1 in the Freyer-Newman Center art gallery. Also accessible along the line are the University of Denver's student theater (Evans and South University) and the Newman Center for the Performing Arts (Wesley and South University).