Experts agree: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. These Denver breakfast joints will get you off on the right foot, serving up tried-and-true morning classics alongside inspired new dishes. If you're looking for a great breakfast in Denver, look no further and try these.
Downtown
Snooze, an A.M. Eatery
The lines can be long at this wildly popular Denver breakfast spot, with locations in both the Ballpark neighborhood and Union Station (not to mention a slew of spots up and down the Front Range). But trust us, Snooze is worth the wait. From the justly famous pineapple upside-down pancakes to the perfectly prepared hash browns to the wide variety of eggs Benedict options, Snooze has taken breakfast to a whole new level. The fun, retro decor and friendly service don't hurt, either.
Sam's No. 3 Diner and Bar
Located in the heart of downtown Denver, Sam's No. 3 has been a local favorite for years. Choose from one of the diner's many specialty omelets, skillets or breakfast burritos, preferably smothered in green chili. We're particularly partial to the breakfast B.L.T. sandwich — two scrambled eggs with American cheese, plus bacon, lettuce and tomato. If you're famished, just ask for Mr. Sam's Big Breakfast. Breakfast is served all day, every day.
Syrup
As its name suggests, this breakfast spot's specialty is syrup. Their handcrafted syrups include such creative flavors as Kahlua cream, maple vanilla and special seasonal concoctions. Foodies have also raved about Syrup's corned beef hash and the waffles smothered in sautéed fruit. They have locations in downtown, City Park, Capitol Hill, Cherry Creek and Edgewater, so you're never far from breakfast bliss.
The Delectable Egg
Making mornings brighter since 1982, The Delectable Egg offers up warm ambiance and great food in all of its locations. Their version of the famed Denver omelet may well be definitive. Filled with ham, green peppers and onions and topped with thinly sliced ham, melted cheddar cheese, scallions and a green pepper ring, it does Denver proud. And it has to downtown locations at either end of the 16th Street Mall.
Highland
Fox and the Hen
If you watched Carrie Baird on the Colorado season of “Top Chef,” then you already know what the chef can do with fancy toast. Of course, there’s a menu section devoted to the artfully topped breads here, but there’s also the winning huevos rancheros Baird made on “Beat Bobby Flay” and animal style hashbrowns that might just be the best thing you’ve eaten before 9 a.m. Just as fun as the food is the bright interior, especially its wall of hot sauces.
East Colfax Avenue and South Denver
Voodoo Doughnut
Voodoo Doughnut, a fixture in Portland, Oregon's oh-so-hip culinary scene, arrived with great fanfare in the Mile High City in early 2014. But don't expect your average doughnuts. Voodoo offers up such outlandishly delicious creations as the bacon maple bar, the loop (vanilla frosting and Fruit Loops) and the Voodoo doll, which is filled with raspberry jelly, topped with chocolate frosting and skewered with a pretzel stake. Pick up a pink box of Voodoo's doughnuts and see what the buzz is all about. They have locations on East Colfax Avenue and one on Broadway, plus a 24-hour operation at Denver International Airport.
Lucile’s
When a craving for Creole cooking hits and you can’t jet off to New Orleans, Lucile’s is the next best thing. Start with the chicory coffee and powdered-sugar beignets, then move on to breakfast fare like shrimp and grits, pain perdu (New Orleans-style French toast) or the Cajun breakfast — red beans, poached eggs, hollandaise, grits and a buttermilk biscuit. They have several locations in south Denver.
Chef Zorba's
It’s all breakfast, all the time at Chef Zorba’s. (Seriously, the regulars would riot if they couldn’t get their pita brekkie with gyro meat at 7 p.m.) The classic diner/Greek restaurant has an extensive menu that covers most anything you’re craving, including banana nut buttermilk pancakes, fried chicken and waffles, a green chile Benedict, and even a gyro omelet.