It has been a big summer for restaurant openings across metro Denver — despite the difficulties of running a restaurant in the post-pandemic era. Casa Bonita made the biggest splash — it’s the only one with actual divers, after all — but there were plenty of other notable names that polished silverware and placed menus on tables for the very first time.
Here’s a list of some of the biggest, from an out-of-state bagel chain that has people lining up down the block on Tennyson Street to a hyper-local, modern fine-dining spot downtown.
Call Your Mother Deli
The Washington, D.C.-area bagel chain Call Your Mother landed at 3880 Tennyson St. in May, serving a wide and wild variety of classic bagel sandwiches and other treats of Jewish cuisine. Fans haven’t been able to get enough maple bagels since, and line up on a daily basis.
Casa Bonita
You may have heard that a little old place called Casa Bonita opened in May. It’s still only serving lucky winners who are selected from a pool of the restaurant’s newsletter subscribers, but the pink palace will continue adding hours and expanding service throughout the rest of the year.
Cherry Cricket
Cherry Cricket, the iconic, decades-old burger joint opened its third location in July, at 819 W. Littleton Blvd. in Littleton and has been packing in customers since.
Fox and the Hen
When “Top Chef” alum Carrie Baird talks about toast, people listen. Baird and restaurateurs Juan Padro and Michael Fox opened Baird’s new breakfast joint, Fox and the Hen, in June at 2257 W. 32nd Ave. It serves the chef’s famous “Fancy Toast” and Huevos Rancheros recipes.
Kiké’s Red Tacos
A brick-and-mortar location for birria specialist Kiké’s Red Tacos couldn’t come soon enough for the growing number of loyal fans that swarmed the former food truck wherever it was. That finally happened in May when the taco shop opened at 1200 W. 38th Ave.
Red Tops Rendezvous
Restaurants seem to come and quickly in Denver’s Jefferson Park neighborhood, but Detroit-style pizza lovers are hoping that Red Tops Rendezvous, at 2917 W. 25th Ave., sticks around. Part of the Culinary Creative restaurant group, Red Tops has been serving thick-crust pizza since July.
The Regular
The owners of this chef-driven, 44-seat restaurant modern fine-dining restaurant at 1432 Market St., carefully planned out every little detail of their new spot. Opened in July, The Regular was inspired by a dinner series that they hosted in their home for a few years in Boulder.
Sap Sua
Before it opened in June, Sap Sua, at 2550 E. Colfax Ave., was named as one of the most highly anticipated restaurants by Bon Appetit magazine. The menu features Vietnamese family recipes with a twist, such as charred cabbage with anchovy breadcrumbs and an egg yolk sauce.
Sonny’s Mediterranean
Sonny’s, at 2622 W. 32nd Ave., is a fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant from a former chef at Safta, the much-loved Israeli eatery in The Source Hotel. Its straightforward menu is focused on falafel, rotisserie chicken and pita sandwiches. Sonny’s opened in June.
Yardbird
Miami-based chicken-and-waffles chain Yardbird debuted its sprawling, 14,950-square-foot restaurant, at 2743 Blake St., at the end of August. It’s the eighth location for the company and it includes an additional patio that can seat 600 people. That’s a whole lotta chicken.
