A Simple Wildflower

When my boyfriend told me he wanted to visit Denver for his birthday, I was extremely excited, but deep down I was thinking “what the heck are we gonna eat?” Denver wasn’t an area that screamed one particular food, so I had no idea what would be delicious and what wouldn’t.

Thankfully, we have a few friends in Denver whom we trusted with food recommendations. We received so many wonderful options and we ended up eating at the following places:

1. Syrup:

We kicked off our trip with breakfast at Syrup. This restaurant has three separate locations including Cherry Creek and Downtown, but we ended up walking to the City Park location. This popular breakfast spot was only a 10-minute walk from our Airbnb and had a wonderful atmosphere with a very attentive server that had a plethora of one-liners.

Everything we ordered was delicious, but my biggest recommendation would be their crack bacon starter (pictured above). It’s 5 pieces of bacon covered in maple syrup with a sprinkle of cracked pepper – holy moly it was sooo good!!

My Overall Rating: Four out of Five

     2. Next Door, American Eatery:

One restaurant we stumbled upon ourselves was Next Door: American Eatery.  This restaurant is attached to Union Station and the combination of the food and outdoor seating area was AMAZING!

There was a cool breeze when we visited and since we chose to sit outside, I decided to order something hearty and comforting: the pasta bolognese. My pasta was really tasty and perfectly cheesy, just how I like it. I’d also like to shout out the two appetizers we ordered: the Buffalo Chicken Bites and Garlic Parmesan Smashers. These two appetizers were absolutely amazing just like our experience at this restaurant.

My Overall Rating: Four out of Five

     3. Denver Biscuit Company:

The Denver Biscuit Company was a restaurant that I personally find forgettable, but I know everyone in our group loved their meals along with the many locals that gravitate towards this place. The one item that makes this place worthwhile (in my humble opinion 9) was their giant, shareable cinnamon roll. This restaurant had a giant cinnamon roll that was big enough for the four of us to finish and afterward, we all felt completely full and satisfied.

The biscuits were delicious, but if you’re not a breakfast person like me, this place turns into two other restaurants throughout the day, Atomic Cowboy & Fat Sulley’s, that serve pizza and other American foods such as burgers, etc.

My Overall Rating: Three and a Half out of Five

     4. Rivers and Roads Coffee:

It may seem like we love breakfast, but I personally think Denver just hits this type of meal out of the park! I know I will always remember Denver for its breakfast varieties. Number 4 on my list is Rivers and Roads Coffee which was hands-down my favorite location.

On the inside, this place had off-white tiles with draping greenery hanging around most corners. Initially, my boyfriend and I tried sitting outside, but a little wasp really wanted our bakery items and would not leave our side. We slowly moved our way inside to run away from the hungry wasp, but if you’re able to sit outside, I would definitely recommend it (just watch for the bees/wasps!).

While sitting outside, we noticed that there was a glass blowing company (because we definitely saw someone put the glass in the oven to mend which was super cool to see) and there were dogs always walking around, which we personally love seeing! Of course, the food was amazing along with their service. Alec ordered a mixed berry muffin while I went for the orange lemon poppy seed bread. Both tasted amazing and they were the perfect size to get our days going.

They also have multiple coffee options on their menu including the Kerigold Butter coffee which I ordered. My college roommate did this all the time and I thought she was the craziest thing ever. When I saw it on the menu, I just knew I needed to try it. After trying this type of coffee, it’s safe to say it wasn’t my favorite way of taking my coffee, but I loved seeing it as an option.

My Overall Rating: Four and a Half/Five

     5. Sushi Bay:

Our last meal at Denver was at Sushi Bay and this was such a perfect place to end our vacation. I’m personally a huge sushi fan, but I only like nigiri. I’m not a fan of the fancy sushi rolls with all the toppings. I only want rice and meat of choice, which this time around, was krab stick and pepper-crusted tuna. I paired my sushi with a cup of green tea which was perfect since the weather was definitely on the chillier side. Everyone in our group finished our plates clean and we will definitely be going back next time we’re in Denver.

My Overall Rating: Five/Five

Our group ate at more than just these five places, but I really wanted to share our favorites. However, since choosing my top five wasn’t easy, I want to include a couple of honorable mentions.

Honorable Mention #1: Liks Ice Cream

If you have a sweet tooth while heading to the Denver Botanic Gardens, you NEED to make a pit stop at Liks Ice Cream. This place had really good ice cream, coffee, and an outdoor seating area that was beautifully shaded. I’m not sure if their ice cream flavors change, but our group recommends the cinnamon-flavored Bear Snacks (it tastes just like a Teddy Graham and it may go by a slightly different name) & the Mint Chocolate Chip (pictured below) was also really refreshing! 

Honorable Mention #2: Green Russell

If you don’t want your night to end early after walking around Union Station, make your way over to Green Russell; the coolest little speakeasy in the area. I’m not a fan of alcohol myself, but the Bartender’s Choice was unbelievably delicious.

The Bartender’s Choice is a drink on their menu that is made based on your taste preferences. I ended up asking my bartender for a vodka-based drink and told them to make a drink like I’m a first-timer that doesn’t enjoy the taste of alcohol. My group joked that they didn’t put any alcohol in my drink, but I think the bartender made my drink correctly and exactly to my liking. After telling the bartender that I wanted a vodka-based drink that didn’t taste like alcohol was sweet/fruity, he brought back this elderberry & lavender vodka drink with a spritz of water to give the top a glassy look. I loved this speakeasy so much even as someone who doesn’t enjoy alcohol.

Have you been to Denver, CO? What were some places you ate at?