Buffet in Denver

Once owned by an investment group that included vocalist Ella Fitzgerald, the posh Burnsley Hotel has long been home to a first-rate jazz club; local vocalists, pianists and other swingers perform in the lobby bar Thursday through Saturday nights. The upscale, candlelit atmosphere and mellow sounds make this a great date spot. The dining room at the Burnsley Hotel is a little jewel box that puts out a legendary breakfast spread. Later in the day, the menu features an array of reasonably priced entrees. But the best thing to order at the Burnsley is the burger, and the best place to eat it is in the bar, another gem that feels like a private club with its dark woods and cozy tables.

This joint has the best name of any local buffets, as well as the best logo: a creepy, grinning, big-eyed panda with a knife and fork in his hands. Mr. Panda is spotlessly clean and bright, and everything on the multiple buffet tables -- which hold more than a hundred items -- is piping hot and frequently refreshed. But the real reason to come here is for the all-you-can-grab snow crab legs.