The Best Breakfast in Denver
Sections
- Eat , on. Can't turn off the last section 593
- Drink , off. Turn on 88 Only Drink
- Stay , off. Turn on 23 Only Stay
- Do , off. Turn on 262 Only Do
Tap another section to add it. All sections
The best breakfast in Denver, according to the experts: Eater, 5280, and Westword have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Odell's Bagel comes out on top.
More Less
Odie B's and The Bindery hold the next two places. 5280 shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Westword next.
-
Rank 1. Odell's Bagel
Kaiseki Japanese
By day, a bagel shop where the hand-rolled, kettle-boiled rings get topped with things like hamachi, fresh wasabi, and shiso. By night, the Counter flips to a hyperseasonal kaiseki tasting menu, the kind of multicourse journey that shifts entirely with what's good that week. The chef trained in Japan under serious mentors, and it shows. A James Beard semifinalist in 2026, it's also landed on Eater's best Denver restaurants list.
The awards
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
- 5280 5280: The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
- Westword Westword: @ the Counter · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
- Westword @ the Counter · The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
-
Rank 2. Odie B's
Mexican Coffee Shop
Tequila-spiked Gatorade on the patio is a real menu choice, and somehow it makes complete sense once you're here. Odie B's is a boisterous Mexican-leaning coffee shop and sandwich counter in Sunnyside where the morning bleeds into afternoon without anyone particularly minding. Focaccia sandwiches, griddled banana bread, and spiced bloody marys keep the regulars cycling back. A second location sits in RiNo for when you're on the wrong side of town.
The awards
- 5280 5280: The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
- 5280 5280: The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
- 5280 The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
-
A smoked rabbit and pecan pie with sharp cheddar and mustard gelato will tell you everything you need to know about this LoHi all-day cafe. The chef behind it has cooked her way through Italy, Israel, and Mexico, and the menu shows every mile, running from posole verde at lunch to butterflied branzino at dinner without ever feeling scattered. Come morning for the bakery case, stay because the room earns it.
The awards
- 5280 5280: The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
- Eater Eater: The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
- 5280 5280: The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
- 5280 The 25 Best Restaurants in Denver
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants in Denver
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
-
Rank 4. Call Your Mother
NY-Style Bakery
The awards
- Bon Appétit The Very Best Bagels in the US (Yes, Outside New York)
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
-
Rank 4. Call Your Mother Deli
NY-Style Bakery
The awards
- Bon Appétit The Very Best Bagels in the US (Yes, Outside New York)
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
-
Rank 4. Welton Street Cafe
Southern
The awards
- Westword Westword: 2025 · Best New Digs · Best of Denver
- Westword Westword: The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
- 5280 5280: The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
- Westword 2025 · Best New Digs · Best of Denver
- Westword The Top 50 Restaurants in Denver Right Now
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
-
Rank 7. Chef Zorba's
American Greek
Avgolemono on a menu full of green chile cheese fries and omelets sets the tone at this neighborhood diner tucked onto a quiet, tree-shaded block just off Colfax. Chef Zorba's has been around forever, and the regulars who walk over from Congress Park carry themselves like they've never needed to look at the menu. Westword handed it Best Soup for a Hangover, which is either high praise or a very specific clientele study.
The awards
- 5280 5280: The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
- Westword Westword: 2023 · Best Soup for a Hangover · Best of Denver
- Westword Westword: 2024 · Best Banana Pudding · Best of Denver
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Soup for a Hangover · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Banana Pudding · Best of Denver
-
Rank 7. Star Kitchen
Chinese
The carts are back, loaded with dumplings, chicken feet, shrimp balls, and sticky rice, and on weekend mornings a line forms outside before the doors open. Star Kitchen is a dim sum parlor tucked into a strip mall on Mississippi, the kind of room that rewards a large, hungry group with a working knowledge of chile oil. Dinner happens too, but the morning rush is the whole point.
The awards
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Chinese Restaurant · Best of Denver
- Eater The Best Chinese Restaurants in Denver
-
Rank 9. Le French
French
The awards
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mountain · Aminata “Ami” Dia and Rougui Dia
-
Rank 10. Smōk
Barbecue
The smoke here is the point, not the backdrop. This fast-casual BBQ counter inside the Source Hotel takes an Austin-leaning approach to brisket and jalapeño cheddar sausage, where the smoke reads as seasoning rather than spectacle. The Nashville hot chicken sandwich has its loyalists too. Sides like slaw and mac and cheese are present and accounted for, though nobody's lining up for them. The Michelin Guide has it on their list, if that helps calibrate expectations.
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
- 5280 Best for Day Drinking · The 23 Best Bars in Denver
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Place to Drink With a View · Best of Denver
-
Rank 12. Lucile's Creole Cafe
Cajun & Creole
Beignets dusted in powdered sugar and a personal bottle of sparkling juice set the tone at this Louisiana-inspired breakfast and lunch spot in Denver's Capitol Hill. The walls are loaded with Creole country kitsch, and the silverware arrives wrapped in bright fabric. The chicory coffee and housemade hot sauce are the real throughlines. A local chain, but one that has regulars debating grits versus potatoes, which is exactly the right argument to be having.
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
- Westword 2025 · Best Breakfast Burrito · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Expansion · Best of Denver
- 5280 The 11 Best Breakfast Burritos in Denver and Beyond
-
The awards
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
- 5280 The 11 Best Breakfast Burritos in Denver and Beyond
-
The awards
- 5280 The 43 Best Places to Brunch in Denver
- 5280 The 11 Best Breakfast Burritos in Denver and Beyond
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
Rank 18. Ototo
Japanese
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
- 5280 The 11 Best Breakfast Burritos in Denver and Beyond
- 5280 Torta · The 17 Best Sandwiches in (and Around) Denver
-
The awards
-
Rank 61. Burrito Express
Mexican
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards
-
The awards