Happy Thursday! I decided to put together a list of my favorite breakfast spots in Denver because we should be supporting them in this time & because after social distancing is over, you should eat locally. What's your favorite Mile High eatery? — xoxo darling, Hayden
This is high on my list when I recommend where to brunch in Denver...or technically Aurora. It's located in Stanley Marketplace, a kind of awesome foodhall meets mall in an old air hangar. What I think is unique about Stanley is some of the restaurants are almost entirely separate from the rest of the stalls. In the case of Annette, it's this beautiful, airy room with plants and light fixtures that look like upper-class IKEA (in the best way). The coffee comes in a Le Creuset french press...yeah. And both I and my companion finished our meals in record time because they were that good. I got the most basic breakfast — eggs, bacon and toast and all of it had just extra special attention to paid to them.
One of my favorite restaurants in Littleton, Bacon Social House, serves up brunch-y items all day in a industrial-chic eatery across from Littleton's Town Hall. I 10/10 recommend going to the rooftop because you can get a lovely view of the Front Range. I love their Aperol Spritz on a warm summer's day. Plus, the chicken and waffles covered in bacon bits doesn't stink. Make sure to get the bacon flight to taste test interesting flavors.
This beautiful restaurant on Broadway is perfect for a special occasion (it is Zagat rated after all). Or, if you want to go and not spend a ton of money, go for brunch! I had the Apple Pie Pancakes — they're served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream — and coffee and was so content.
You walk into Bowles, and you get the sense that everyone knows everybody. It's cute and sweet. I did breakfast on a cold, rainy morning so, I didn't get to take advantage of the outdoor seating next to the waterfall — but do that if you can. The breakfast burrito was pretty good, and the service was excellent. It's that no-frills breakfast spot near your house that won't have an insane wait on a weekend.
A classic diner spot with an awesome sign (think a giant frying pan with eggs and bacon) on Broadway more toward Littleton, Breakfast on Broadway is a good spot for early Sunday mornings. It does get pretty packed around the brunch hours, but you can join the waitlist on Yelp before you get there.
I was really surprised by this place! It's in downtown Englewood, and you can park for free in the lot behind and walk through the back door. With the more basic meals, you can either get toast or tortillas, and that makes me real happy. I got scrambled eggs, bacon and potatoes with tortillas so I could make my own breakfast tacos. The coffee is strong, and everyone seems to know everyone early in the morning, which is fun.
A classic brunch spot in a big, old house off of the main Littleton drag, Cafe Terracotta does not disappoint. The brunch wait can be kind of long, so go early on a Sunday. But while you wait, indulge in their mimosas and pretty much all the food on the menu is good. I had a classic breakfast with bacon, eggs and potatoes, all were good and cooked to perfection.
If there is a Sunday brunch spot in Denver, Cozy Cottage is it. It's this tiny little house on Tennyson with a great patio (well, if it's summer). Sit outside on a sunny day and get the chocolate chip waffles. They are crispy and Belgian in every way possible. I love 'em so much. Also, the restaurant is BYOB, so I saw a ton of people bringing their own champagne and just using the restaurant's orange juice, which is kind of ingenious.
Probably the most Instagrammed food in Denver, Denver Biscuit is pretty good. I'm from the South, so I'm a little judgier of biscuits than I probably should be, but they are good. Get the cinnamon roll too because that thing is a delight.
I did a Sunday brunch here in December and fell in love. This is the restaurant portion of the bakery next door. There can be a wait, but it goes by quickly — the place is tiny, so you would expect it. We ordered a ton of stuff, and all of it was good. I would recommend the croque madame and the ratatouille. I wouldn't suggest for a huge group of you and your friends, but for two people it is perfect.
OMG, some friends & I tried this place during the South Pearl Farmers Market (my all-time favorite in Denver), and it was so good! I just assumed it was all cinnamon rolls, which aren't my favorite, but they do amazing savory options as well. I highly recommend getting a few mini rolls and going to town. The Bacon, Cheddar, House Roasted Tomato and Original are my favorites.
Go for Sunday brunch! Their biscuits and sausage gravy is so good, it warms your insides and makes you feel incredibly content. They do an insane mimosa bar that I didn't get the chance to partake in, but I'm definitely going back.
This spot out near the airport...as close as a cute restaurant can be to the airport... had been on my radar for a while but I hadn't had a chance to try it until recently. The place looks like if Bumble (the dating/friendship app) was a restaurant. In the best way possible — it's highly Instagramable with bright yellows and honeycomb design features. The wait can be super long on weekends (but the counter is a free-for-all). Get the Fro-J, basically a frozen mimosa and split the cinnamon roll — it's massive. I enjoyed the breakfast nachos because that's fun, but I think they could have thrown some eggs on top to keep with the breakfast theme.
I love this little cafe off Pearl. It's really cute, kind of feels like it belongs in LA, with tons of natural light. The breakfast burrito is massive and has so many fun ingredients. Also, they do an iced coffee with orange that is so strange but so good.
A good stand-by near the capitol and DU, they do really good donut holes that make for an interesting appetizer. Jelly has that classic, colorful dinner, like Kerbey in Austin and it is a great place to start if you are touring downtown Denver.
This might be the place I suggest the most in Littleton. It's in a cute house, off of Littleton Blvd. Latke Love cooks up traditional Jewish delicacies, but I think their latkes with homemade apple sauce topped with cinnamon whipped cream are the best dish. They taste like home, super warm, crunchy, salty, now I want them.
There are many Lucile's in the Denver-area, but I've only been to the Littleton version, which sits right on the water in a cool yellow house. The inside vibe isn't exactly what you'd expect, but they do some amazing biscuits...they look like pillows. Start your meal with the beignets and mimosas (it comes with your very own mini bottle of champagne).
O&F has two locations, I went to the one in Cherry Creek for an early breakfast and was super happy. You order at the counter, and the food has a French flair. Mainly this is important because you can get a Cafe au Lait and a beignet as one of your sides.
OPH might be a chain you are familiar with. It's located in the busiest/maybe best shopping center in Littleton, and it doesn't disappoint. The meals aren't cheap, but they are MASSIVE. Look at the whipped cream atop those chocolate chip pancakes! If you are headed for a long day shopping, this would be my go-to.
When I'm missing Bojangles, Rise & Shine is the place I go. Also, it's just a great breakfast restaurant with good biscuits and tasty combos. It's a counter-service situation with lots of seating, and while it can get crazy, it moves quickly.
Please walk, don't run to Rosie's. It's in a strip center across from the Southwest Mall in Littleton, and if you didn't know it was there, you wouldn't go. BUT GO. I went twice in two days because I love it so much. They dish up delicious baked goods but they also do great breakfast biscuit sandwiches that both myself and a friend love.
Bagel lover here, telling you that Rosenberg's is totally worth the hype. The downtown location is in a historic building and does fill up on a Sunday morning, so go early. But you should be able to find a seat if you are eating in. The Everything (aka the best bagel in the world) was the perfect balance of spices and crunchiness. They don't toast bagels, but they don't need to because their so fresh they're still warm.
Syrup seems to be a Denver breakfast classic. They have three locations around Denver-proper. A friend and I visited the Cherry Creek version, which is a little odd because it's kind of in a basement. But they do a great job getting natural light in and the s'mores pancakes are phenomenal (plus, highly Instagramable).
The best friend and I love a cereal restaurant, so when we saw that downtown Arvada was home to one, we immediately put it down to visit — and it doesn't disappoint. They have so many different options, I like to go with a pre-created concoction, but you can make your own, and they do some pretty crazy milkshakes.
This is a cute spot on the main Morrison drag. I love it because it's one of the closest breakfast restaurants near my apartment and it's a great place to take people who don't have mountains where they're from. The drive to The Cow is almost magic. They do have a parking lot, but I've gone during the week at 9am and gotten the last spot, so be prepared to park on the street. They serve up all the classic breakfasts, including a delicious biscuit dish smothered in gravy. If you're visiting Morrison in the afternoon and want a sweet treat, you can walk up to their ice cream window.
I discovered this brunchery on accident when trying to take a friend to Sunday brunch. It's in the Belmar section of Lakewood, and it is poppin' on a weekend morning. But it isn't just your regular breakfast food, dish up creative concoctions. Definitely get the biscuit dish covered in cheese that makes you want to drool on your table.
My favorite place to get iced coffee downtown, The Market is on Larimer Square also does a cheap, classic breakfast. It's a good early Sunday morning hangout, they have wi-fi and tons of goodies along the walls to get lost in.
Located down near DTC, it's a bit of a hike to Three Little Griddles, but their ebelskivers (donut holes in seasonal sauces) are worth it. The wait time on a Sunday can be pretty steep as it's a fairly small restaurant, but I promise it'll go fast.
Located at the entrance to Downtown Littleton, Toast is always packed. I was so pleasantly surprised and happy with my trip there. I thought it would be your classic diner, not that there is anything wrong with that, but it's so much more. They are incredibly creative with their food, I had the honey chicken biscuits smothered in black pepper gravy and wanted to try one of the epic pancakes.
This tiny breakfast cafe-meets-diner on Tennyson has amazing waffles. I went by myself and sat at a low mutual table in the middle with some other loners. It's a bit cramped but kind of inspiring to talk to strangers. I think my favorite thing is the font they use as their logo.