Greek in Denver

1035 Lincoln St., Denver Golden Triangle/La Alma

303-629-1624

Greek, Grocery Stores, Recommended, Best Of, Sponsor, Menu

There are people who come to Melita's to bulk up on Greek feta; others stock up on sumac, a lemony powder that Greeks use on, well, just about everything. Still others pop in for the aptly named Hercules burger, five or six inches of heft favored by those whose only afternoon requirement is a really long nap. But it's hard to imagine that they wouldn't be just as happy with Greek classics like spanakopita, creamy pastitsio and flaky baklava. The cozy eatery also offers Greek grocery wares like cheeses that go beyond feta, plus Greek olive oil, candy and olives.

4 articles

The Athenian

15350 E. Iliff Ave. Aurora

720-449-0224

Greek, Menu, Slideshow

The women who work at the Athenian are not there just to serve patrons; they want to get to know patrons. And so those servers see fit to get involved with every dinner decision, sometimes with persuasive forcefulness. They rarely err in their recommendations, though, smiling knowingly while delivering platters of gyros, hummus and saganaki, the famed flaming cheese. Those servers are merely looking out for the best interest of the diners, much as a family member might, and in the Athenian's kitschy blue-and-gold surroundings -- flanked with pillars, potted plants and statues -- it's impossible not to become part of the big Greek family.

1 article

Authentic Greek Cuisine

8 S. Broadway Central Denver

Greek

2 articles

Axios Estiatorio

3901 Tennyson St. Northwest Denver

720-328-2225

Greek, Mediterranean, Critics' Pick, Slideshow

When Brasserie Felix closed the doors on its prime piece of real estate on Tennyson, the location was quickly snatched up by Telly Topakas, a veteran restaurateur who also owns a Greek spot in Colorado Springs. Topakas wanted a more upscale restaurant in Denver, and the menu at Axios Estiatorio captures the joy of Greek culture without strictly adhering to tradition -- and the food, like the place, is fresh, interesting and incredibly tasty. Opa!

24 articles

Chef Zorba's

2626 E. 12th Ave. Central Denver

303-321-0091

Greek, Best Of, Menu

Greek-American diners pepper the stretch of Colfax known as Greek Town, but Chef Zorba's resides just off Denver's favorite street on a calm and tree-shaded block of Congress Park. Neighbors have been strolling to Chef Zorba's since 1979. Owner Karen LuKanic bought the spot in 2018, and she kept many of Zorba's traditional dishes. Among pages of American diner items -- omelets, burgers, green chile cheese fries -- there's a solid mass of recognizable standards, along with a few surprises, like an always solid chicken-lemon-rice soup, also known as avgolemono.

10 articles

Crown Burgers

2192 S. Colorado Blvd. Southeast Denver

303-753-9696

Burgers, Greek, Best Of, Essentials

The casual, kitschy Crown Burgers has been around since 1987, when George Brokalakis opened the place with the same name and menu as a small chain founded in Salt Lake City, where he lived before moving to the Mile High. But this place is pure Denver: Both inside the dining room and from the drive-thru window, the local fast-food institution serves burgers, yes, but also five-egg omelets, breakfast burritos with green chile, tuna melts and baklava. For a pure taste of nostalgia, the Junior cheeseburger does the job, but at the opposite end, there's the Royal, stacked with pastrami in addition to all the standard burger toppings. Call yourself the king if you can handle this one.

4 articles

Deno's Moutain Bistro

78911 US HWY 40, Winter Park Mountains

970-726-5332

Bar, Bistro, Brunch, Burgers, Greek, Mediterranean, Pizza, Seafood, Steakhouse, Menu

Winter Park's original chophouse & watering hole! Originally constructed in the early 1900's of log, stone and brick, the building was a stage coach stop. Sometime in the 1940's, it was converted into a restaurant called the Village Inn, then later the Swiss House of Fondue and the name stuck. In 1976, a young kitchen manager named Deno Kutrumbos bought the restaurant, naming it Deno's Swiss House and Coachman Tavern. Over the past four decades Deno has transformed the old building into a historic icon, satisfying thousands of patrons over the years. In 2007, Nick Kutrumbos, then later in 2009, Teddy Kutrumbos become partners with their father. Together they are paving the way for new generations of customers by improving what their father passed on. This second generation business is the longest running family restaurant in Winter Park. We believe that dining at Deno's should not only be full of flavor but also be an experience. We take pride in the details of our service and food while offering our customers great value. After a long day in the mountains, our goal is to provide a warm inviting atmosphere, intended to create long lasting memories.

Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill

630 S. Colorado Blvd. Southeast Denver

303-757-5900

Greek, Mediterranean, Menu, Slideshow

This homegrown chain is the brainchild of Alon Mor, a native of the Mediterranean region who opened the first Garbanzo in Denver in 2007. The chain has grown quickly since then, attracting fans of high-quality Mediterranean food served at reasonable prices in a fast-casual environment. You pick your style of entree -- pita (white or whole wheat), plate, salad or laffa -- then add chicken, steak, falafel, hummus, greens or any combination thereof, finally topping the whole thing off with salads, sauces, dressings and extras. The result is a tasty, filling and surprisingly healthy made-to-order meal. When Garbanzo eventually takes over the nation, you can proudly say that you're an old friend.

4 articles

The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill

13650 E. Colfax Ave. Aurora

720-681-6844

Greek, Menu

House of Kabob

2246 S. Colorado Blvd. Southeast Denver

303-756-0744

Greek, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Best Of, Menu

House of Kabob is a diminutive Persian restaurant located in a South Colorado Boulevard strip mall and surrounded by other Middle Eastern restaurants and markets. For nearly thirty years, House of Kabob has been serving customers marinated fava beans, lamb tongue, gyros and the house-special Lebnee pita bread dip: Lebanese cream yogurt, sprinkled with olive oil and mint and garlic. The atmosphere is aged but comfortable, with lots of purple and pale-wood furniture, perfect for a relaxing lunch or dinner while sipping a guava juice or a Lebanese coffee. House of Kabob is a good spot to bring out-of-town guests for a taste of Persia in Colorado; the restaurant gets busy on the weekends, so reservations are recommended.

4 articles

Original by Greeks

2300 S. Broadway Southwest Denver

303-589-0542

Greek

A South Broadway drive-thru that was once a Taco Bell and has gone through a several iterations since then is occupied again. Popular food truck Original by Greeks has moved in, offering pita sandwiches, feta fries, Greek salads and more, all available via the drive-thru as well as in the revamped dining room, which is bright and welcoming.

Pete's Central One

300 S. Pearl St. South Denver

303-778-6675

Greek, Menu

You can't spit an olive pit in this town without hitting one of late restaurateur Pete Contos's establishments. Pete's Central One is the most inexplicably named eatery in the group, but this location northwest of Washington Park is fairly central to most Denver diners looking for Greek cuisine in a comfortable, decades-old setting. This Pete’s offers many of the same Greek specialties as its sibling restaurant, Pete's Greek Town, on a considerably pared-down (and therefore more focused) menu. The souvlaki is especially tasty, but everything from the gyros to moussaka to pastitsio are good. And as a bonus for vegetarian diners hungry for a taste of this famously meat-centric cuisine: Pete's Central One offers a selection of vegetarian combo plates.

2 articles

Pete's Gyros Place

2819 E. Colfax Ave. Central Denver

303-321-9658

American, Greek, Menu

Unsurprisingly, Pete's Gyros specializes in gyros -- shaved off the stick, wrapped in griddled pitas with onions and tomatoes and graced with a generous handful of crumbled feta. It also offers burgers grilled at any hour, assembled with surprisingly fresh ingredients, and always served with bagged, frozen Sysco fries. There's also a good souvlaki -- which, when paired with eggs, slivered potatoes crisped on the grill, and watery coffee -- somehow becomes the breakfast of champions.

1 article

Pete's University Park Cafe

2345 E. Evans Ave. South Denver

303-733-7376

Diner, Greek, Menu

Sam's No. 3

1500 Curtis St. Downtown Denver

303-534-1927

Diner, Tex-Mex, Greek, Recommended, Best Of, Readers' Choice

In 2004, Sam, Alex and Patrick Armatas brought the family business back to the same downtown block where it started decades ago. While the Aurora outpost shuttered at the end of 2023 following 25 years in business, a second location in Glendale remains. Alongside the Coney Island favorites that made Sam’s popular in the 1920s, the voluminous, multi-page menu is fueled with diner-style American, Greek and Mexican dishes, including gigantic green chile-smothered breakfast burritos. Pair one with a Bloody Mary and make no plans other than a long nap.

16 articles

Sam's No. 3

435 S. Cherry St. Southeast Denver

303-333-4403

Diner, Tex-Mex, Greek, Recommended, Best Of, Readers' Choice

The origins of Sam’s No. 3 date back to 1920, when Sam Armatas started offering his Coney Island favorites in Denver. Over the next nine decades, the empire grew and shrank and shrank still more, until it was down to just one Sam’s No. 3, located in Aurora. Currently, there are two locations, both with the voluminous menu crammed with great diner food, including skillet breakfasts, 15 kinds of burgers, 21 breakfast burritos and a full page of Mexican grub. It’s all big food, served in a down-home style.

5 articles

Yanni's Greek Restaurant

5425 Landmark Place Greenwood Village

303-692-0404

Greek, Recommended, Best Of

When the wind is right, when owner Yanni Stavropoulos has the outdoor rotisserie grill fired up, the odor of roasting meat and garlic and wine will draw you from a mile away. Outside Yanni's, you'll see Stavropoulos standing over that grill like a minor laughing spirit from an expurgated chapter of the Iliad — the Lamb God, bringer of barbecue — and you'll understand immediately why Greek food is so good. Yanni's offers all the standards — dolmades, gyros, tzatziki, souvlaki — and while the lunch menu is good, the lamb and perfectly cooked octopus on the dinner menu are exceptional.

7 articles

Yianni's Gyros Place

10450 W. Colfax Ave. Lakewood

720-524-8164

Greek, Menu

West Colfax is a very different story from the Greek-heavy East Colfax. Revitalization efforts along the stretch that cuts through Lakewood have added fast-casual joints and modern strip-mall facades. This is where you'll find Yianni's Gyros Place, a simple short-order joint opened in 2010 to serve Greek favorites to locals weary of the cross-town drive. You'll find the usual Greek suspects: souvlaki, gyros, and falafal, plus burgers and plenty of American-style hot sandwiches and diner standards. Don't miss the gyro melt, the ultimate mashup of Greek, diner, and American cuisine.

Greek in Denver

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