Restaurants in Denver

940 S. Federal Blvd. Southwest Denver

303-935-4141

The kitchen at DaLat Vietnamese Cuisine is run by Ha Tran, a mother of five who infuses a home-cooked feel in every dish listed on the behemoth menu -- make that menus. This embarrassment of riches can make ordering a challenge, if only because there are so many dishes that beg for your attention. Still, while the pages go on...and on...and on, the seafood hot pot is always worth a stop, bubbling with perfectly cooked seafood, crisp vegetables and astringent Vietnamese basil. DaLat’s surroundings may be nothing special, but the food coming out of its kitchen definitely is.

7 articles

Glacier Ice Cream

4760 Baseline Rd. Boulder

303-499-4760

Ice Cream, Restaurants, Best Of, Sponsor, Menu

Here’s the scoop: Glacier Ice Cream, a Boulder-based chain, offers a seasonal selection of flavors, including caramel Oreo, spicy chai, Junior Mint and dulce de leche. Those flavors are so good that the company earned a Best Ice Cream award in the Best of Denver 2012. And we’re not the only ones who’ve recognized Glacier’s goodness: The company partners with local breweries, cake-makers and eateries to create special one-off batches. There are now several Glacier shops in the metro area, and the company also packages its more popular flavors, which can be found at retail shops around town – and on many restaurant dessert lists.

6 articles

Hopper's Sports Grill

10051 I-70 Frontage Road N., Wheat Ridge North Denver Suburbs

303-233-1331

American, Restaurants, Sponsor

Meritage

500 Interlocken Blvd., Broomfield Northwest Denver Suburbs

303-438-6600

American, Restaurants, Best Of, Sponsor

Omni Interlocken Resort sits right off the highway between Denver and Boulder. But once you’ve parked your car and entered into this stunning complex, you feel like you could be a world away – especially when you’re dining at the Meritage, a casually elegant restaurant with a stunning setting. The menu features a wide range of fare with an emphasis on local ingredients; you can dine indoors by a huge stone fireplace or on the outdoor patio looking up at the Front Range. But the best time to experience Meritage may be during Sunday brunch, when the restaurant puts out an incredible spread.

2 articles

Neat Market

1368 26th St. Downtown Denver

Vegan, Restaurants, Best Of, Sponsor

1 article

Pho Saigon

8101 S. Quebec St., Englewood Southeast Denver Suburbs

303-694-6494

Vietnamese, Restaurants, Recommended, Sponsor

There are some restaurants where the world does not intrude -- rooms where time does not pass, weather never changes, current events go unnoted. Pho Saigon is one of those places, unaltered by time and circumstance, with service that"s always quick and friendly. Another constant is the excellent pho, but the menu also extends to commendable versions of simple Vietnamese comfort foods: grilled meats, spring rolls, noodle bowls and the like.

3 articles

Venice Ristorante

5946 S. Holly St., Englewood Southeast Denver Suburbs

720-482-9191

Italian, Restaurants, Best Of, Sponsor

While owner Alessandro Carollo’s restaurant in LoDo gets most of the attention, his Venice in Englewood is almost always packed – and with good reason. Once you walk in the door of this elegant restaurant, it’s easy to forget that you’re in a strip mall. The surroundings are sumptuous, with white linen on every table and affable servers attending to groups of regulars from around the upscale neighborhood. The dishes are classic, upscale Italian, with an emphasis on specialty pastas and meats. There’s just one drawback: The great happy hour offered at the LoDo Venice is not available here.

4 articles

Zanzibar Billiards

2046 Larimer St. Downtown Denver

303-308-9999

Bars and Clubs, Restaurants, Sponsor

After being Bar Rescue'd by Spike TV and host Jon Taffer, Zanzibar Billiards emerged with a fresh coat of paint and a new lease on life. Yes, owner Ami Benari jettisoned Taffer's chosen name — Solids & Stripes Badass Billiards — and decided to reinstate free pool in a nod to the bar's regulars. But the other cues that Zanzibar took from Taffer, combined with the steady flow of people intrigued by the Bar Rescue gig, have reinvigorated this particular pool hall. Diners can also enjoy all manner of grilled and fried items from Zanzibar's kitchen, as well as Mediterranean snacks inspired by Benari's Israeli background. Just keep it off the felt.

5 articles

A & A Fish Market

2896 Fairfax St. East Denver

303-399-3730

Seafood, Restaurants, Menu

Enter the A&A Fish Market and ask the woman behind the counter about her specialty, and she'll probably answer, "Honey, everything I make is special." Fair enough: This freestanding joint is the kind of place you'd expect to find on a back road in Mississippi. It's like a fish out of water in north Park Hill -- and speaking of fish, the offerings here include deep-fried catfish, perch and other varieties, served with no-frills sides of fries and bread. But the only accompaniments these crispy dishes need are hot sauce and ketchup. Watch for A&A's specials on the weekend.

4 G's Mexican Restaurant

2200 S. Broadway South Denver

720-328-2120

Mexican, Restaurants

7 Leguas Mexican Grille

4550 E. Colfax Ave. East Denver

303-322-4431

Mexican, Restaurants

3 articles

8 Rivers Cafe

1550 Blake St. Downtown Denver

303-623-3422

Caribbean, Restaurants, Recommended, Menu

In LoDo, where 8 Rivers moved in October 2008, chef/owner Scott Durrah has a decent-sized space -- not huge, but maybe three times larger than his old spot in Highland. He has a bar set with bottles of Mount Gay and Appleton Estate rum, and decorated with album covers from reggae and dub bands. He has a suitable and relaxed staff that moves easily between the widely spaced tables. He even has a fireplace. Above all, he has a nice buzz going, as customers keep coming for his wonderful and traditional Jamaican and Caribbean food.

10 articles

A+ Food Station

2751 S. Parker Rd. Aurora

303-755-1111

Korean, Restaurants

A+ Food Station

2751 S. Parker Rd. Aurora

303-755-1111

Korean, Restaurants

Addis Ababa Ethiopian Restaurant

2222 S. Havana St. Aurora

303-368-8021

Ethiopian, Restaurants, Menu

1 article

Ali Baba Grill

8800 S. Colorado Blvd., Littleton Southeast Denver Suburbs

720-344-2650

Middle Eastern, Restaurants, Recommended

See Golden location.

1 article

Amass

2240 Clay St. Northwest Denver

720-287-1895

French, Restaurants

Jefferson Park is an up-and-coming part of Denver -- but has it arrived as a dining destination? Amass was opened in the fall of 2014 by chef-owner Joe Troupe, formerly of Lucky Pie Pizza & Tap House, who took over the space in a new residential development that Corner House had vacated following an eighteen-month run. Amass bills itself as a French bistro -- but the restaurant doesn't look the part. Instead of candles, curtains and quaint photos of the French countryside, Amass's art-free dining room sports wood paneling set in light and dark horizontal stripes, contemporary bulbs and floor-to-ceiling windows that look like black mirrors after dark. The room is much more welcoming in the daytime, when those same windows let in views of the trees across the street; it would make a lovely coffee shop. And that might be a better idea for this neighborhood than Amassâ??s current concept. "French food is the best food in the world," says Troupe, who has a very ambitious menu â?? one thatâ??s perhaps too ambitious for his tiny kitchen.

8 articles

Amore Gelato

535 16th St. Downtown Denver

303-825-0609

Gelato, Restaurants, Best Of

The line can be long at Amore Gelato, which opened on the 16th Street Mall in summer 2010. But for those who prefer Italian-style gelato and sorbet to ice cream, its more calorie-rich American counterpart, the wait is well worth it. Styled as a modern European sweet shop, Amore Gelato draws tourists walking off big mall meals, movie-goers and those with a taste for unusual flavors: Honey sunflower and mojito are among the sweet offerings in rotation. Locally owned, Amore Gelato proudly buys all of its dairy from local farmers, though some of the ingredients come from Italy. Frozen yogurt, gelato shakes and sorbet smoothies are special draws at this cute creamery.

2 articles

Angie's Restaurant

6797 W. Ottawa Ave., Littleton Southwest Denver Suburbs

303-979-0645

Italian, Restaurants, Menu

Aoba

1520 Blake St. Downtown Denver

Asian, Restaurants

7 articles

The Apothecary

1314 Coffman St., Longmont Northern Colorado

303-702-4402

Marijuana - Medical, Restaurants

Arap's Old Gun Shop

3866 S. Broadway, Englewood Southeast Denver Suburbs

303-761-7823

American, Restaurants, Retail, Best Of

Modernity is not a virtue at Arap's Old Gun Shop, where mounted game heads hold court over day-drinkers and night-crawlers. A classic Englewood dive hunkered down in an old gun-supply store, Arap's offers inexpensive no-frills swill and bar snacks, such as jalapeno poppers, wings and pizza. If you want fancy, you obviously didn't heed the sign, which reads "Eatin' Drinkin' Darts" and pretty much sums up the scene and selection. Remember to be polite to the regulars, some of whom have been coming to Arap's for almost forty years -- and who can surely school you in darts.

3 articles

Araujo's Restaurant

2900 W. 26th Ave. Northwest Denver

303-455-3866

Mexican, Restaurants, Best Of

Araujo's occupies a modest storefront across from a Safeway and smack in the middle of the Best Breakfast Burrito Neighborhood; Araujo helped the area win that title with its 99-cent to-go burritos. But Araujo offers so much more: There's the daily Mexican buffet, filled with the greatest hits of Den-Mex cuisine: good green chile, excellent rice, and whatever else the kitchen is cooking up that day. But you can also choose from a huge assortment of items on the standard menu, everything from breakfast skillets to carnitas burritos to seafood dishes. No matter what you order, the booths in the modest, friendly dining room are a good place to linger over a couple of Coronas.

5 articles

Arugula

2785 Iris Ave. Boulder

303-443-1365

Italian, Restaurants, Slideshow

While it's squashed into a small mall overlooking a parking lot, the interior feel of Arugula is gracious, modern and warm - and the Northern Italian food turned out by chef/owner Alec Schuler has the same contemporary hominess. The seasonal menu features farm-to-table ingredients, many of them locally sourced; the roster is rich with such rustic pleasures as Colorado lamb and sirloin stew, black-pepper-rubbed pork tenderloin, and seared scallops with a strawberry risotto. The pastas and gnocchi, available in half or full portions, are equally impressive. And the eclectic wine list, which reaches far and wide, is full of fine picks.

34 articles

E's Just Good Eats

11705 Airport Way #200, Broomfield Northwest Denver Suburbs

Restaurants

Backcountry Pizza and Tap House

2319 Arapahoe Ave. Boulder

303-449-4285

Pizza, Restaurants, Menu

10 articles

Baker's Palace

550 S. Federal Blvd. Southwest Denver

303-936-2279

Bakery, Restaurants, Slideshow

You won't need to hock Grandpa's watch to afford banh mi at Baker's Place, a clean but spartan Vietnamese bakery on Federal Boulevard; everything here is still on the cheap. There are over a dozen variations on the classic Vietnamese sandwich -- including a fried-egg version, along with the standard pork, beef and chicken fillings. A few stools along a street-facing counter comprise the only seating at Baker's Palace, so a takeout order may be a better option for savoring your banh mi, boba smoothie and rice-based dumplings.

1 article

Big Hoss Bar-B-Q

3961 Tennyson St. Northwest Denver

720-855-3061

Barbecue, Restaurants, Recommended

This is the kind of neighborhood joint that everyone ought to have in his neighborhood, a place that's both casually friendly and aggressively social, that serves both PBR on tap and super-call whiskey, and that offers the menus of both a champion barbecue restaurant and a decent locals-only steakhouse. Carolina pork shoulder, closed-pit Texas brisket, fried cheese and half-chickens in Alabama white sauce -- what are you waiting for? Big Hoss Bar-B-Q is one of the best all-around spots in town.

10 articles

Big Papa's BBQ

6265 E. Evans Ave. Southeast Denver

303-300-4499

Barbecue, Restaurants, Recommended, Menu

There's no grizzled old papa at Big Papa's standing watch over a hickory fire in the parking lot, but rather one giant Southern Pride smoker in the back. This little storefront outfit works fast -- and with barbecue, speed is made possible only by the intelligent application of technology and mass-production methods. The ribs, the brisket, the chicken and the link sausage all get hours of straight hickory smoke -- which infuses the meat with as much magic as any real pit smoker could -- before they're considered done, wrapped, packed away in the coolers, and then served with Papa's great sauces.

10 articles

Big Papa's BBQ

5151 S. Federal Blvd., Littleton Southwest Denver Suburbs

303-476-6245

Barbecue, Restaurants, Recommended

There's no grizzled old papa at Big Papa's standing watch over a hickory fire in the parking lot, but rather one giant Southern Pride smoker in the back. This little storefront outfit works fast -- and with barbecue, speed is made possible only by the intelligent application of technology and mass-production methods. The ribs, the brisket, the chicken and the link sausage all get hours of straight hickory smoke -- which infuses the meat with as much magic as any real pit smoker could -- before they're considered done, wrapped, packed away in the coolers, and then served with Papa's great sauces.

5 articles

Big Smoke Burger

650 S. Colorado Blvd. Southeast Denver

303-756-3145

Burgers, Restaurants, Menu

4 articles

Billy's Gourmet Hot Dogs

2445 Larimer St. Downtown Denver

303-284-2714

Hot Dogs, Restaurants

Hot dogs are high art at Billy's Gourmet Hot Dogs, which brings a taste of Chicago to the Ballpark neighborhood. Billy's serves all-beef Vienna dogs, homemade sausage, veggie and even salmon dogs spruced up with an array of fixings, from traditional kraut, onions and mustard to hot peppers, cheeses and chili. One of many house specials, the Tijuana Dog combines avocado, pico de gallo and sour cream in a yummy, satisfying treat. A gluttonous selection of french fries -- topped with blue cheese, among other things -- rounds out the menu. With a large patio, friendly counter staff and daily beer specials, Billy's draws crowds at lunch, dinner and game time.

7 articles

Billy's Gourmet Hot Dogs

2950 S. Broadway, Englewood Southeast Denver Suburbs

720-398-8096

American, Restaurants, Menu

Hot dogs are high art at Billy's Gourmet Hot Dogs. The Chicago-style joint serves all-beef Vienna dogs, homemade sausage, veggie and even salmon dogs spruced up with an array of fixings, from traditional kraut, onions and mustard to hot peppers, cheeses and chili. One of many house specials, the Tijuana Dog combines avocado, pico de gallo and sour cream in a yummy, satisfying treat. A gluttonous selection of french fries -- topped with blue cheese, among other things -- rounds out the menu. Billy's also serves its own house-made ice cream and offers an impressive selection of local beers.

2 articles

Restaurants in Denver

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