Craving sweet potato pancakes, a green chile-drenched breakfast burrito or a crab cake eggs Benedict? Here are eight top breakfast and brunch options in Denver to start your day off right.
Snooze – Famous for its pancakes — which include sweet potato, pineapple upside down and blueberry Danish flavors — this homegrown chain has locations up and down the Front Range. Wait times can get long, so be sure to join the waitlist virtually from home before you go. (Waiting in your pajamas in bed is way better than standing outside in the snow.) Snooze opens at 6:30 a.m. daily, so early birds can get their flapjacks and scrambles, too.
Sam's No. 3 – There's no way you won't find something to your liking at Sam's. This nearly century-old diner has a 16-page menu (yes, 16 pages), which includes 28 different breakfast burritos, 24 omelets and 13 Benedicts. There are two locations, one right downtown and another in Glendale, both of which serve a full menu of breakfast cocktails.
The Delectable Egg – Launched in 1982, this eatery has since grown to five restaurants (four in Denver and one in Greenwood Village). They all offer friendly neighborhood vibes and a mouthwatering, creative breakfast menu served through lunch. Check out the roster of house specialty Benedicts, which include crab cake and cowboy variations.
Syrup – A locals’ favorite for pancakes, they take their love so far that they infuse their own signature syrups, in flavors like coconut and cinnamon cream cheese. Don't overlook the savory items, though, including the award-winning corn beef hash and house breakfast sandwich served on a pretzel bun. Syrup has gotten so popular that there are now five locations to choose from, including spots in City Park, Capitol Hill and downtown.
The Bindery – It's hard to find a top-notch, upscale restaurant serving a daily breakfast, but Highland's The Bindery is there for us. In fact, it gives us our fill of challah French toast, duck confit hash and beet-cured salmon latkes all day long. Be sure to take home some of the amazing baked goods on display, like a scone and almond croissant.
Modern Market – This Colorado-based eatery proves that you don't need table service for farm-to-table, scratch-made food. The fast-casual chain with locations on the 16th Street Mall, at Denver International Airport, RiNo and Glendale serves its cage-free egg scrambles and wholegrain waffles in a casual, counter service setting.
Lucile's – This is the place for piping hot beignets, spicy Louisiana sausage omelets and New Orleans-style French toast drizzled with buttery praline syrup. In case you can't tell, Lucile's serves soul-warming Creole food, and while it's hard to choose among all the tasty dishes, luckily most anything you pick comes with a huge, flaky buttermilk biscuit. There are two Denver locations where you can get your southern fix.
Fox and the Hen – When Colorado's "Top Chef" contestant Carrie Baird opens a breakfast restaurant, you know you have to try it. And once you try the animal-style hashbrowns (yes, like In-N-Out), menu of fancy toasts and the huevos rancheros she made to beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network, you won't just be trying it, you'll be devouring it. Stop by the wall of Colorado-made hot sauces to add even more flavor.
The Bindery pictured above. Photo by Emma Hampsten.