Denver is one of our favorite cities. In our humble opinion, it has the perfect combination of delicious food, culture, and outdoor activities. While you may have initially been drawn to the area for skiing, you’ll leave extremely impressed by the variety of activities and cuisines offered in the region.
We’ve now been to Denver a few times, and we’ve taken the opportunity to explore some of the other towns in the area. Boulder, Colorado Springs, Golden, and Morrison each have some incredible things to offer, so we included them within the scope of our recommendations below.
Also, we really love Rocky Mountain National Park – so much so that we wrote an entire separate post about it. We touch on a couple other hiking opportunities around Denver in this post, but you can read here for all of our recommendations for the national park. Without further ado … Denver!
Table of Contents
Where to Eat
Denver Biscuit Company (various locations around Denver): Any time we visit Denver, this restaurant sits at the top of our list. Wait and all, it’s worth it. You’ll want to arrive early to minimize the amount of time you’re standing in line. Depending on which location you visit, though, the wait may be shorter. The Colfax location had a huge line when we visited, but we were able to get our food from the Stanley Marketplace location pretty quickly. Once it’s time for you to order, you can’t go wrong with The Franklin, The Dahlia, The Lola, or the Giant Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls (they are truly giant). Our mouths are watering just thinking about it.
Zoe Ma Ma (Boulder and Denver): This counter-service spot featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives has amazing Chinese food. While the original location is in Boulder, we went to the location by Union Station in downtown Denver. We highly recommend it if you’re in that area and want to grab a quick, delicious bite. The noodle bowls and steamed pork buns are incredible.
Little Man Ice Cream (Denver): You definitely don’t want to miss this Denver ice cream staple! There is always a line of locals and tourists alike, so expect at least a twenty minute wait before you get to order at the counter. There is also a good amount of patio seating, so you’ll have plenty of places to relax and enjoy your dessert. They even decorate the space for the season (like having pumpkins and hay bails in the fall), which is a nice touch. As far as flavors are concerned, there are a ton of rotating options, and they even have great dairy-free flavors.
Front Range BBQ(Colorado Springs): Another restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, this fantastic BBQ spot has some incredible food. Looking at the menu, we were torn between the smoked meats and the burgers. To get the best of both worlds, we settled on The Sloppy Pig, which is an all-beef burger topped with pulled pork, sausage, bacon, and a handful of other goodies. Don’t plan to do anything active after eating here. Instead, we recommend visiting the Garden of the Gods before dining (more on that attraction below).
Efrain’s of Boulder Mexican Restaurant(Boulder): Muy picante! The chili verde here has some serious kick. Some really serious kick. It’s got great flavor, but we honestly couldn’t handle handle the heat. That didn’t stop us from enjoying everything else on the menu, though! The enchiladas are fantastic, and you should absolutely try the margaritas. Even if you don’t like spicy food, go ahead and try the chili verde too. Just to give it a shot and see what it’s like.
Foolish Craig’s (Boulder): This delicious brunch spot has some of the best crepes we’ve ever had. The Butter Rum Caramel Crepe Cake is unbelievable. It’s a perfect dessert, but you’ll have to make sure you save some room for it. That’s easier said than done with other delicious meals like the Chorizo Benedict on the menu. This restaurant is also featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, so we’re just assuming Guy Fieri really likes Colorado’s food.
The Sink (Boulder): Allegedly the best burger in Boulder, we wouldn’t disagree. Even Obama has eaten here. The atmosphere is really interesting and homey too, as the restaurant is a converted fraternity house. You can’t go wrong with any of the burgers on the menu, so stick to choosing based on your personal favorite style. From what we’ve heard, the pizza here is great too.
Breweries to Visit
Avery Brewing Company (Boulder): We’re biased here, as Avery had been on our list of breweries to visit for a long time. We just really like their beer. Even with those high expectations, though, we didn’t leave disappointed. The patio is huge, dog-friendly, and lets you enjoy the crisp mountain air. The food menu is also solid too, so you can easily make an evening of your visit to the brewery.
Coors Brewery(Golden): We’ve all heard those commercials touting that Coors is as “cold as the Rockies.” Well in Golden you have the opportunity to taste the beer at the source. When we visited in October 2018, the tour was still free. Even though that is no longer the case (sad day), it’s still a great experience. The brewery itself is an interesting glimpse into the history of Coors, and you’ll have the opportunity to taste some brews that are more unique than your standard Coors Light. We recommend checking the tour information page before your visit since things have changed quite a bit in the last two years.
Cervecería Colorado (Denver): This small brewery in Denver’s Highland neighborhood is actually a sister brewery to Denver Beer Co. It was founded in 2018 to highlight the culture, flavors, and traditions of Mexico, and we really love their beer. We tend to be biased towards Mexican-style brews, but we came away impressed by the variety and creativity of Cervecería’s selection. Horchata Blonde Ale? Poblano Pils? Sign us up. The atmosphere is also super laid back and makes for a relaxing place to spend an evening.
Denver Beer Co.(Denver): Fittingly right next door to Cervecería Colorado is the original Denver Beer Co. The larger of the two breweries, Denver Beer Co. routinely draws a crowd due to its great drinks and huge patio. We recommend pairing this brewery with Cervecería to experience a few different styles in one convenient trip.
Other Breweries: In addition to the breweries we highlighted above, we made shorter visits to a few others during our trips to Denver. The best of the rest have to be Wynkoop and Great Divide. Their beer is fantastic, and their atmospheres are laid back. We just didn’t spend enough time at either to go into much more detail.
More Things to Do
If you need something to do between eating and drinking your way through Denver, you have no shortage of options. Denver sits in some of the most beautiful nature in the country and has a ton of ways to entertain.
Mt. Sniktau
Hiking: Again, we love Rocky Mountain National Park. If you want to go hiking there (which we highly recommend), refer to our post here. If want to avoid the park’s entry fee or just explore a different area, we highly recommend hiking Mt. Sniktau. This 4-mile out-and-back hike can introduce you to some of the high altitude hiking around Denver without thrusting you into the land of 14ers (or 14,000+ foot mountains, in case you didn’t know the term). The peak of Mt. Sniktau sits at 13,301 feet, so you’ll be pretty darn close. Over the four miles of hiking you’ll gain 1,587 feet of elevation. That’s not too difficult if you’re in good shape, but the altitude will definitely leave you winded if you aren’t used to it. The views from the top are worth it. You’ll get to walk along the mountain’s ridge after conquering a false summit, and the whole way you’ll have amazing views of the surrounding snow-capped Rockies.
Garden of the Gods (Colorado Springs): For a completely different environment, make your way south to the Garden of the Gods. There you will step into a diverse ecosystem that combines grasslands, sandstone rock formations, and mountain forest. The park has a scenic drive that includes a number of pullouts and observation points, and it is also great for nature walks and some shorter hikes. We kept it easy here and did the 3.7-mile long, 416-foot elevation gain Garden of the Gods Loop Trail. This hike takes you to some pretty awesome viewpoints and lets you climb the sandstone formations in the middle of the park, so we highly recommend it.
Red Rocks Amphitheater(Morrison): Undoubtedly one of the most iconic concert venues in the country, the Red Rocks Amphitheater should not be missed. Even if you don’t particularly care for any of the acts performing during your visit, it is well worth the price of admission just to experience the venue. Case in point: we sat through a heavy dub step concert with teenagers headbanging around us. Not our thing. Luckily, Mike Posner and Blackbear straddled this group, so we still got to enjoy some of the music that night. Anyways, you should go regardless. Just remember to dress appropriately because it can get chilly after the sun sets.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Day Trips and Weekend Getaways: If you’re in the Denver area long enough to want to leave the city, there are plenty of fun trips a short drive away! The obvious options are the ski towns. Within a few hours you can make it to Breckenridge (~1.5 hours), Vail (~2 hours), and Aspen (~3.5 hours) – all of which are great options for skiing and snowboarding. If you want something different and are willing to drive a bit further (~5 hours), Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a really cool national park with plenty of hiking and camping opportunities.
Other Tips & Tricks
Where to Stay: There are a ton of great areas to stay in Denver, so your choice should really depend on what you plan to do with your time. If you want to go to Rocky Mountain National Park, Boulder is a great halfway point between there and Denver. Boulder is also just fantastic in general for hiking and food. If you want to visit areas on all sides of the city (Colorado Springs, Golden, etc.), then Denver will be your best bet. Within Denver itself, we really like the Highland neighborhood just north of the river. It has great breweries and ice cream, so what more could you want? In the past we’ve also stayed at the Aloft Denver Downtown and the Courtyard Denver Downtown. Both are great, budget-friendly options (that let you use Marriott points!) if you want to stay in a walkable area that is close to some of the city’s best restaurants.
Getting Around: We highly recommend getting a car for your Denver visit. There are too many fun activities around and outside the city that require a decent drive, and you don’t want to miss out on those. The only time we’d recommend foregoing a car is if you plan to stay within the Denver city limits for a food and beer experience. If you choose to go that route, then plan to take advantage of Denver’s public transportation. Taking the train from the airport to downtown is incredibly easy and convenient, and there is also a free tram (the RTD MallRide) that takes you up and down 16th street within the city.
Altitude Acclimation: You’ve probably heard Denver referred to as the Mile High City. That’s because – you guessed it– it sits exactly a mile above sea level. Getting used to this altitude can take some time. Make sure you are staying hydrated, especially if you plan to do any hikes that take you to even higher elevation. We hike pretty often, but we still struggled more than we expected to catch our wind on certain trails.