Diner in Denver

3790 Kipling St., Wheat Ridge Arvada

303-423-6800

Diner

Apple Ridge Cafe is an old-school workhorse diner — just the thing when you need some belly-fillin’ comfort. The burger is tall and juicy, the sort your grandmother might fry up for you. The fries are crispy, and the waitresses (no "servers" here) are friendly. It's the kind of place that can turn a bad day into one you like to remember. And that’s maybe the finest thing about diners: the memories. Well, that and the burgers and pie.

Black Bear Diner

14100 E. Illiff Ave. Aurora

720-616-7168

Diner, Menu

Breakfast Palace

2000 S. Broadway South Denver

303-698-0685

American, Diner, Best Of, Menu

Good, cheap, diner-style breakfasts in a unique setting that appeals to the blue and white collar alike. The meats are top-quality.

1 article

Breakfast Inn

6135 E. Evans Ave. Southeast Denver

303-757-7491

Diner, Menu

Since 1976, Breakfast Inn has been a south Denver staple serving up comfort food for breakfast and lunch. Inside, a model train loops through one half of the dining room as heaping plates of hot food come out of the kitchen. Breakfast Inn has all the diner staples, but the can't-miss items here are the ultra-fluffy sweet-cream pancakes.

4 articles

Breakfast Queen Coffee Shop

2878 S. Sherman St., Englewood Southeast Denver Suburbs

303-761-4214

Diner

1 article

The Breakfast Queen

3460 S. Broadway Englewood

303-761-9800

Diner

The Breakfast Queen has been delighting the residents of South Broadway for more than fifteen years, with no end in sight, thank goodness. In 2015, owners George and Kosta Vasilias moved the location a couple of doors down from where it had been, and they invite everyone to come in and enjoy the new space, but with the same familiar menu — especially the rellenos and eggs, a house specialty smothered in some of the best green chile around. That's saying something; luckily, George and Kosta have the chops to back it up.

Butcher Block Cafe

5002 Washington St. North Denver

303-295-0687

American, Diner

More than thirty years ago, the Michel brothers -- all bona fide North Dakotans -- opened the first of a trio of diner-like joints known as the Butcher Block Cafe. They all feature old-school lunch counters and a few rows of diner tables, which are usually filled with a chatty crowd of shift workers, solo diners reading the paper and drinking coffee, and families wearing polo shirts bearing the names of farms and industrial products. The food at the Butcher Block is the opposite of haute cuisine. But if you've got Midwestern roots, you're likely to enjoy every minute of your time at one of these spots, a reminder of a region where food is important largely because it gives a big, extended family an excuse to get together.

1 article

The Butcher Block Cafe

1701 38th St. North Denver

303-295-2915

Diner, Breakfast/Brunch

More than thirty years ago, the Michel brothers -- all bona fide North Dakotans -- opened a trio of diner-like joints known as the Butcher Block Cafe. They all feature old-school lunch counters and a few rows of diner tables, which are usually filled with a chatty crowd of shift workers, solo diners reading the paper and drinking coffee, and families wearing polo shirts bearing the names of farms and industrial products. The food at the Butcher Block is the opposite of haute cuisine. But if you've got Midwestern roots, you're likely to enjoy every minute of your time at one of these spots, a reminder of a region where food is important largely because it gives a big, extended family an excuse to get together.

2 articles

The Cow an Eatery

316 Bear Creek Ave. Morrison

303-697-5721

Diner, American, Menu

Formerly called The Blue Cow, this restaurant has been serving Morrison — and everyone passing through — since 1990. The menu's a mix of Mexican and American, with a spread of daily specials. They also offer beer, wine and several cocktails perfect for a pick-me-up. Enjoy your meal inside, or at an outdoor table while you listen to Bear Creek flow by.

3 articles

Danny Ray's

11353 W. Colfax Ave. Lakewood

303-238-3045

Diner, American, Breakfast/Brunch, Best Of

In March 2023, diner staple Danny’s Carnation closed after more than forty years in business. But owner Danny Hopkins kept its legacy going in a big way, moving into an expansive space three times the size of the original and introducing an updated version of the diner. The menu remains the same, and all the baking is still done by his wife, but this new iteration comes with some additions — including a full bar, televisions, and a patio tricked out with heaters and fire pits.

1 article

Davies' Chuckwagon Diner

10151 W. 26th Ave., Wheat Ridge Southwest Denver Suburbs

303-238-1761

Diner, Menu

Davies' Chuck Wagon Diner

9495 W. Colfax Ave. Lakewood

303-237-5252

Diner, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

Davies Chuck Wagon was built in 1957, maybe one of the best years for diners, definitely one of the last. When it's busy, the building seems to breathe -- taking in drafts of cool air from outside, exhaling customers -- and nothing is ever still as tables turn fast and coffee pots make the rounds. And all day, every day, Davies serves some of the best East-Coast-meets-Wild West diner food around, including incredible chicken-fried steak.

3 articles

Dot's Diner

2716 28th St. Boulder

303-449-1323

Nepalese, Diner, Menu

Dot's has been around for fifty years and is still going strong (as are the gum-smacking, wise-cracking waitresses). Young and old alike flock to the place on weekends in search of the renowned huevos rancheros; Dot's is, after all, "where the folks get their yolks," according to its website. It also boasts -- inexplicably yet delightfully -- a small menu of Nepalese curries, so if you're not in the mood for hash browns, you can satisfy your potato craving with aloo palak.

Emmalee House

3500 Morrison Rd. Southwest Denver

303-975-0285

Vietnamese, American, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Menu

Fiddlesticks

10815 W. Jewell Ave. Lakewood

303-969-0855

American, Burgers, Diner, Mexican, Bar, Menu

Situated in a strip mall on the corner of Jewell Avenue and Kipling Parkway, Fiddlesticks is a no-frills sports dive with plenty of TVs, a couple of pool tables, fairly cheap drinks, and a menu that includes a decent selection of bar food like burgers, wings and appetizers. Although Fiddlesticks gets its share of regulars during the week, when it stays pretty low-key, it can get pretty lively on the weekends.

1 article

George's Cafe

6504 Wadsworth Blvd. Arvada

303-467-1002

Breakfast/Brunch, Diner

The George in this diner's name is George Karavasilis, who has operated the breakfast-and-lunch joint bearing his name since 2004. His impressively broad menu covers the bases from American to Greek to Mexican food, with breakfast, soups and salads, hearty lunches and desserts. We're talking brown gravy on a plate, gyros and pita, burritos and rellenos. “COVID-19 has brought home that family and friends are what life is all about," says Karavasilis. “George’s Cafe is more than just our livelihood; it’s the lives that come through the door every day to say hi and joke and share a story.” And definitely some great food, too.

Great Scotts Eatery

7510 US Highway 287 Broomfield

303-469-5291

Diner, Menu

Yes, the '50s shtick can seem a little glaring at 4 a.m., when all you need is a big burger or a plate of steak and eggs to start -- or end -- your day. But even though Great Scotts hasn't been around since the '50s, it's been around long enough to serve a generation of fans authentically good roadside fare. While this second location, in Broomfield, isn't open 24/7, it still has expansive hours, almost as expansive as the menu, which is big enough that you could order something new every hour of the day.

Great Scotts Eatery

1295 Cortez St. North Denver

303-428-3558

Diner, Recommended, Best Of

The ’50s shtick can seem a little glaring at 4 a.m., but we’re just happy that Great Scotts has kept its 24-hour-a-day schedule (at least on weekends), since so many other diners have disappeared during the pandemic. Although Great Scotts hasn't been around since the ’50s, it's been around long enough to serve a generation of fans authentically good roadside fare. While its second location, in Broomfield, isn't open ’round the clock, it offers the same expansive menu, which is big enough that you could order something new every hour of the day.

4 articles

Gunther Toody's

8266 W. Bowles Ave. Littleton

303-932-1957

American, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Menu

Gunther Toody's

16755 N. Washington St., Thornton North Denver Suburbs

303-451-1950

American, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner

Gunther Toody's

301 W. 104th Ave. Northglenn

303-453-1956

American, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Menu

Hits the Spot Diner

5637 W. Colfax Ave. Lakewood

303-284-6278

Diner, Breakfast/Brunch, Best Of, Readers' Choice

Denver’s diner scene has dwindled in recent years, but this eatery, which claims to make "the fastest egg in the West,” has been serving up old-school charm and high-quality comfort food for over a decade. Founded by Manuel and Trish Gatsiopoulos in 2011, Hits the Spot is more than just a speedy fix, thanks to specialties like cinnamon roll French toast, Polish sausage sandwiches and a six-pound breakfast burrito smothered in the diner’s excellent (and gluten-free) green chile.

4 articles

Hot Cakes Diner

1400 E. 18th Ave. Central Denver

303-832-4351

Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Menu

3 articles

Javier's Diner

3801 Tennyson St. Northwest Denver

303-433-4005

Diner

If you’re craving Mexican diner eats, you have more than a few options, including a good number of Greek joints that also sideline in some pretty solid Mexican food. But it's possible that you can’t do better than Javier’s, in the Berkeley neighborhood at 38th and Tennyson. The family restaurant has been serving good classic Den-Mex dishes for a half-century running. With generation-spanning recipes, an outdoor patio and some of the best chilaquiles in town, this is one of the holdouts of the old neighborhood — better known as the Northside — that we hope lives on in perpetuity.

Jimmy's Chalet

7340 W. 38th Ave., Wheat Ridge North Denver Suburbs

303-421-6622

Diner, Best Of

This spot has the scallop-edged windows and lacy curtains of a quaint Swiss chalet, and in typical diner style, the waitresses call everyone "Hon" as they move quickly between tables. There's nothing fancy about the joint or the food, but it's exactly what you expect -- and what you're craving -- when you walk through the door.

1 article

Johnny's Diner

2323 S. Havana St. Aurora

303-369-8307

American, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Recommended, Menu

No one does breakfast quite like this quasi-cafeteria-style diner where the bacon-and-egg sandwiches are always greasy, the coffee's always hot, and the waitstaff is non-existent because of the order-wait-and-pick-up style of service. Johnny's has been a fixture in Aurora's Korea-town for years, its popularity buoyed by cheap blue-plate specials, generous portions, decent food, better company and bizarro-Americana decor.

8 articles

Johnson's Corner

2842 SE Frontage Rd., Johnstown Northern Colorado

970-667-2069

Bakery, Diner, Best Of

In the more than fifty years that Johnson's Corner has been in business, it's collected accolades of a variety that most restaurants don't even dream about. Its name was read into the 106th Congressional Record as an example of "the industrious spirit and can-do attitude that have made America great." The Food Network dubbed it one of the top five truck stops in the country. And in 1998, it was picked as one of the best breakfast spots in the world by Travel & Leisure. What Johnson's Corner is really known for, though, is its enormous cinnamon rolls, which are available to purchase online and ship anywhere in the country.

7 articles

Lancer's Diner

2991 W. Evans Ave. Southwest Denver

303-936-4007

Diner, Recommended, Best Of, Slideshow

Lancer's Diner opened in spring 2016 as a neighborhood joint for Harvey Park, College View, Ruby Hill and Mar Lee, taking its name from the mascot of Lincoln High School, just across Federal. Big breakfasts are the specialty of the house, and the awe-inspiring breakfast burrito sticks close to that mission. A mountain of scrambled eggs, country potatoes, sautéed veggies and breakfast meat is barely contained by a straining flour tortilla. Order the standard for bacon and sausage (together, of course), or opt for spicy chorizo or steak. You can go meat-free, too, with avocado or unadorned egg and potato. But always, always ask for your burrito smothered so that you can wallow in a pond of the house green chile — a Denver-style gravy with plenty of chiles and a smooth texture that steers clear of gloppiness. Lancer's isn't a big place, so take care when ordering; this breakfast burrito could crowd out all the other customers.

4 articles

Lookin' Good Restaurant

66 Sheridan Blvd. Southwest Denver

303-936-6800

Diner

The Lookin’ Good is a blessed throwback to the times when neighborhoods had lounges, places to eat and drink and gather for some music or just merriment. The family-owned diner was established back in 1978, when eggs were eggs, everything came with gravy, and we just called yacht rock the Top 40. The Lookin’ Good even has a name that sounds very 1978 — and it serves flaming saganaki cheese. It’s the restaurant equivalent of watching an old Ronco commercial from the same year: nostalgic, happy, satisfying. Add to that list “delicious,” and you’ve got the Lookin’ Good. We'll be back to pick you up later.

2 articles

Maddie's

2425 S. Downing St. South Denver

720-389-8068

Diner, Breakfast/Brunch, Recommended, Best Of, Menu

Gayor Geller opened the first Maddie's in 2013, naming the tiny breakfast eatery after his daughter. Maddie was just a toddler at the time, but both she and her namesake restaurant have grown up. In November 2016, Geller unveiled a brand-new version of Maddie's — right next door to the original — that seats more than four times the number of guests in what was once a neighborhood service station. This iteration retains the style of a ’50s gas station, sporting garage doors that open to an enormous patio and shiny, cherry-red seating. The menu boasts comforting brunch staples — French toast, a green-chile-stuffed breakfast burrito, and excellent burgers. And don't be shy about bringing the kids: The waiting area is stocked with toys and video games for the little ones.

1 event 11 articles

McCoy's Restaurant

4855 Federal Blvd. North Denver

303-433-9511

Diner, Recommended, Best Of

Watch daybreak over Denver or sunset over the Rockies from this eatery's perch above I-70 on Federal Boulevard. Slide into a vinyl booth or swivel on a stool at the counter while you wait for your chicken-fried steak or smothered burrito. The lonely lives of truckers, the frantic conversations of angst-ridden teens jolted with java, the slow shuffle of guests in their golden years: These are the sights and sounds of McCoy's every night of the week — sights and sounds that come with a free mini-loaf of bread and whipped butter.

8 articles

Moonlight Diner & Bar

6250 Tower Rd. East Denver

303-307-1750

Diner, Menu

Moonlight is the place to go before or after a flight out of Denver International Airport if you want a quick meal or even a drink (the “& Bar” in the title isn’t just for show). But the food is still the star at this ’50s-style boxcar diner, complete with neon and steel exteriors and turquoise seats at chrome-trim Formica tables. They say you can tell a good place by the height of its sandwiches and the quality of its gravy — and based on that scale, Moonlight deserves a stop, and soon. Plus, if you're missing Breakfast King's chicken-fried steak, this spot's rendition — served in both 4-ounce or 8-ounce options — is a solid replacement.

2 articles

Old West Pancake House

3600 Park Avenue West North Denver

303-433-3520

Breakfast/Brunch, Diner, Menu

Diner in Denver

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