The Best Places in Denver
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- Westword 2026 · Best Way to Golf Without Golfing · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Inexpensive Date Night · Best of Denver
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The restored neon sign out front has been pulling people off Broadway since this building has been a bar, which is basically forever. Bar 404 is an old-school neighborhood watering hole on North Broadway, the kind where the vibe is loose and the programming punches above its weight: free jazz nights, live music, and a food program that Westword keeps recognizing alongside the concerts.
The awards
- Westword 2024 · Best Concert Program at a Bar · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Free Jazz Night · Best of Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best Venue for Music, Community and Food · Best of Denver
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Rank 198. Bastien's Restaurant
Steakhouse
The neon Googie sign out front has been promising sugar steak to Colfax drivers for longer than most Denver restaurants have existed. Bastien's is an old-school steakhouse with a sunken bar, mid-century bones, and servers who've been around long enough to know your order. The sugar steak earned a spot on Eater's list of Denver's most iconic dishes, and the dirty martini situation won a Westword award in 2023, which feels about right for a room this committed to its era.
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The vaulted ceiling, Victorian-era paintings, and sculpted details make the Bluebird feel more like a recovered ballroom than a live music venue, which somehow makes the indie rock louder. It holds around 550 people, putting touring acts close enough to feel like a secret and giving local bands a room that announces they've arrived. Westword has named it Denver's top stepping-stone venue, and Colfax gets a little better every time the marquee goes up.
The awards
- Westword 2026 · Best Marquee · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Stepping-Stone Venue · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Neighborhood Options at a Venue · Best of Denver
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- The Pinnacle Guide The Pinnacle Guide: 1 Pin
- Sunset Sunset: Better Bars · Where to Eat and Drink
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Rank 198. Catfish King
Soul Food
Fried catfish on white bread with hush puppies or collard greens on the side, served out of a former fast-food shell on East Colfax, is the whole pitch here, and it lands. This is a counter-service soul food spot where the staff are warm and the portions are not modest. Barbecue, chicken gizzards, and Sunday-only chitlins round out a menu rooted in Oklahoma tradition that the team is clearly not shy about.
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- Westword 2026 · Best Place to Paint Pottery You’ll Actually Use · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Pottery Classes · Best of Denver
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Rank 198. Heretík
Basque
The counter seats by the roll-up door are the ones to ask for at this Basque-leaning bistro in Denver's West Wash Park. The chef runs a rotisserie, ships white asparagus from France when it's in season, and keeps a pan con tomate on the menu that nearly every table orders. The New York Times put it on their 2026 Restaurant List, which tracks. The whole place reads like a bistro that skipped the part where bistros become self-conscious about being bistros.
The awards
- The New York Times The New York Times: 2026 · The Restaurant List
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- Westword 2026 · Best Divey Venue · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Independent Venue for Local and Traveling Acts · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Rock Club · Best of Denver
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Rank 198. King of Wings
Barbecue
The awards
- Westword 2026 · Best Restaurant for Craft Beer · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Chicken Wings · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Comeback · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2026 · Best Restaurant for Craft Beer · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Comeback · Best of Denver
- Westword 2025 · Best Wings and Tenders · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2024 · Best Free Summer Concert Series · Best of Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best Concert Programming · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Outdoor Venue · Best of Denver
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Rank 198. Milpero
Mexican
A corn farmer, a milpero, lends the name and the organizing principle to this intimate tasting-menu restaurant where the chef Johnny Curiel builds an 18-course progression around the grain. Expect dishes where a single oyster sits in smoked tomato broth and corn shoyu, or bluefin otoro folds into a flauta with black garlic chile paste. The New York Times put it on their 2026 Restaurant List, which tracks with the ambition on the plate.
The awards
- The New York Times The New York Times: 2026 · The Restaurant List
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Rank 198. Music City Hot Chicken
Nashville Southern
Nashville hot chicken shop tucked inside TRVE Brewing on Broadway, where the menu runs from classic spicy tenders to a green chile heat option that leans decidedly Colorado. The sandwiches are big and juicy in the way that requires a full stack of napkins and no white shirt. Vegan versions and a lineup of sides round things out for groups who can't agree on anything except that they're hungry.
The awards
- Westword 2023 · Best Chicken Sandwich · Best of Denver
- 5280 Fried Hot Chicken · The 17 Best Sandwiches in (and Around) Denver
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Rank 198. Noodles Express
Sichuan
The menu has a section called "America's Popular," which tells you everything you need to know about where the kitchen's heart actually lies. This counter-service Sichuan spot runs a long list of chile-heavy, mouth-numbing dishes built around Sichuan peppercorns, and the portions are sized for sharing. Come with people, order widely, and leave the safe column alone.
The awards
- Westword 2023 · Best Szechuan Fried Chicken · Best of Denver
- Eater The Best Chinese Restaurants in Denver
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Rank 198. Pete's Kitchen
Diner
The neon chef flipping pancakes above the door has been a landmark on East Colfax long enough to outlast everything around it. Pete's Kitchen is a classic diner, the kind that keeps the grill going through the night on weekends for whoever needs a gyros omelet or a green chile smothered burrito at 3 a.m. The crowd that fills the stools tends to tell a story. Westword named it Denver's best late-night diner.
The awards
- Westword 2026 · Best Diner That Survived the Colfax Construction · Best of Denver
- Westword 2023 · Best Late-Night Diner · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2026 · Best Weekly Karaoke · Best of Denver
- Westword 2024 · Best Venue for Discovering New Bands · Best of Denver
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- Westword 2023 · Best Sandwich Shop · Best of Denver
- 5280 Muffuletta · The 17 Best Sandwiches in (and Around) Denver
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- Westword 2023 · Best Latin Club · Best of Denver
- Westword 2026 · Best Place to Watch People Beat Each Other Up · Best of Denver
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A food hall in RiNo that runs from morning espresso to late-night cocktails without ever really slowing down. Coffee and pastries open the day, a wood-fired pizza counter takes over by dinner, and the central bar keeps things moving in between. The kind of place where it's genuinely difficult to leave, mostly because you keep deciding one more stop counts as research.
The awards
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In Denver
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Lunch Spots In Denver
- The Infatuation The Infatuation: The Best Restaurants In RiNo
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Lunch Spots In Denver
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In RiNo
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