Denver’s Most Anticipated 2018 Restaurant Openings

Just over a week into the new year, we’re counting nearly 30 bars, restaurants, market halls, and food-focused hotels to look forward to in the coming months around Denver. On the bar front, see new concepts from the owners of current and past favorites (Williams & Graham, White Lies), while restaurateurs will open more regional spots, from Spanish to Southern to New York delicatessens. They’ll also bite off bigger hunks of cuisines inside pan-Latin and Pacific Rim spaces.

A convergence of Japanese and Italian cooking techniques is one to watch inside one new Denver kitchen. Food halls? They’re still coming, from a miniature LoDo replication of a Denver restaurant empire to a gigantic transit-side, around-the-world destination. Bridging genres are two hotel-cum-market hall expansions. Speaking of hotels, some of the more exciting restaurants and bars this year are opening inside of them. Finally, a long-awaited development that needs no introduction: Shake Shack. Read on for details about all of them.

Adam Larkey

AMERICAN BONDED

Where: 2706 Larimer Street

Major Players: Seasoned and highly decorated barman Sean Kenyon (Williams & Graham and The Occidental), partners Justin Anthony and Lisa Vedovelli, owners of Matchbox, and Kevin Burke, formerly of Colt & Gray and Ste. Ellie.

What to Expect: With American classics on both the food and drink sides, American Bonded will emphasize whiskey but also offer a full wine, beer, and cocktail menu.

Projected Opening: Early 2018

BANG UP TO THE ELEPHANT!

Where: Capitol Hill, 1310 Pearl Street

Major Players: Kevin Delk and the partners behind Beatrice & Woodsley and Mario’s Double Daughters Salotto, plus executive chef Travis Messervey

What to Expect: The venue will feature a grab-and-go cafe with a walk-up window plus a 6000-sq.-ft. tropical bar and lounge bringing about an influx of tiki drinks. The originally planned name for this spot was Mighty Sparrow & The Sea Maiden.

Projected Opening: Late January 2018

BECKON

Where: RiNo, 2843 Larimer Street

Major Players: Craig Lieberman of 34 Degrees Crackers and Call, and Duncan Holmes and Allison Anderson, both formerly of Frasca and now with Call

What to Expect: An evening counterpart to the new and neighboring Call, with a chef’s counter and variety of tasting menus.

Projected Opening: Summer 2018

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CHIMERA

Where: Boulder, 2014 10th Street

Major Players: Edwin Zoe of Zoe Ma Ma

What to Expect: A full service Pacific Rim restaurant that will offer a variety of dishes from a bowl of ramen with Zoe’s signature hand-made noodles to Korean barbecue and steamed Sichuan fish.

Projected Opening: Delayed from 2017

CHUBBY CATTLE

Where: Baker, 2 Broadway

Major Players: David Zhao, who handles marketing through NXT Group

What to Expect: A Mongolian-inspired hot pot spot where tables are equipped with a heated pot and the bar sports a refrigerated conveyor belt. You start with a base broth then choose seasonings, spices and pick meats (beef, mutton, lamb, chicken, duck, fish, or shrimp) and vegetables (mushrooms, potatoes, cabbage, etc) off a rotating conveyor belt to mix into the stew. The variety of ingredients makes one thing of Korean barbecue restaurants or shabu shabu spots.

Projected Opening: Delayed from 2017

CORRIDA

Where: Boulder, 1023 Walnut Street

Major Players: Restaurateur Bryan Dayton (Acorn, Oak at Fourteenth, Brider) and chef Amos Watts (Old Major, Acorn)

What to Expect: A menu largely inspired by northern Spain’s Basque Country with a main focus on steak restaurants found throughout the region. Seafood dishes that originate around the Mediterranean coast will also be a highlight.

Projected Opening: Early 2018

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CULTURA

Where: Sloan’s Lake, inside the Sloans mixed-use development, 1565 Raleigh Street

Major Players: Lorenzo Nunez and David Lopez of El Chingon

What to Expect: A 240-seat space that will offer small plates inspired by the many and diverse cuisines of Latin America but also from Spain.

Projected Opening: Delayed from 2017

DAIRY BLOCK

Where: LoDo, the city block between 18th and 19th and Blake and Wazee Streets

Major Players: Sage, McWhinney, Frank Bonanno, Steven Waters (formerly of Black Eye Cap Hill/White Lies), and many, many more

What to Expect: More than 60,000 square feet of dining, drinking, retail, and coworking space in a micro district expanding from The Maven hotel. Local highlights include chef Frank Bonanno’s Milk Market, a 15-restaurant food hall and Bonanno Concepts empire en miniature; also Run for the Roses, Steven Waters’ underground cocktail bar focusing on classic mixed drinks and elevated snacks.

Projected Opening: TBD 2018

The Dairy Block

HANGAR 101 BAR & GRILL

Where: Lakewood, 7575 West Jewell Avenue

Major Players: Ami Benari of Zanzibar Billiards Club in Ballpark

What to Expect: The former home of a bank, the 15,000-square-foot space will be home to tiki lounges, complemented by a custom-built bar that will feature 101 beers with 51 of those on tap. Twelve pool tables and six bowling lanes will provide extra reasons to visit.

Projected Opening: Delayed from 2017

JULEP

Where: 3258 Larimer Street

Major Players: Owners Kyle Foster, formerly of Colt & Gray, and Katy Foster, who runs Stir Cooking School, as well as a roster of talented sous chefs and managers

What to Expect: An honest to goodness tribute to Southern hospitality and cooking with dishes such as deviled snails with grits and saltine salad, and oyster and pork sausage with pickled celery and malted barley. On the drinks side of the menu, expect Southern and American cocktails, with a focus on whiskey and seasonal takes on the Pimm’s cup.

Projected Opening: January 2018

Josie Sexton

OCEAN TO PLATE

Where: Uptown, 444 East 19th

Major Players: The owners of the Lobster Blissfood truck, Rich Manzo and Jeff Reebie

What to Expect: A seafood emporium, the 2,400-square-foot eatery that will seat 80 seats inside and 36 seats outside, will highlight a great raw bar with oysters, clams, crudos, and ceviche, as well as an interactive cooking station with steam kettles to prepare mussels, cioppino, and other shellfish creations in front of diners.

Projected Opening: Delayed from 2017

OWLBEAR BARBECUE

Where: RiNo, 2826 Larimer Street

Major Players: Karl Fallenius, a disciple of the famous Franklin’s Barbecue in Austin, Texas.

What to Expect: After a successful stint as a mobile business in the outdoor space at RiNo’s Finn’s Manor, Fallenius is working on a brick-and-mortar. Old favorites and new creations will show up on the menu, including the pulled pork, spare ribs, pastrami special, double smoked barbecued bacon, and Texas-style brisket (all made from sustainably raised meat) with all the fixings.

Projected Opening: Early 2018

RYE SOCIETY

Where: RiNo, 3090 Larimer Street

Major Players: Jerrod Rosen formerly of Colt & Gray, and chef consultant Ryan Leinonen, formerly of The Kitchen in Boulder, Root Down, Colt & Gray, and Trillium.

What to Expect: A modern Jewish deli where pastrami is flown in from New York, pastries include rugelach and babka, and bagels come from neighboring Rosenberg’s. Customers will be able to build their own granola and oatmeal bowls for breakfast, and sandwiches on house-baked bread will be prepared to order.

Projected Opening: Late winter or early spring 2018

SUPER MEGA BIEN

Where: RiNo, inside the new Ramble Hotel, 1280 25th Street

Major Players: Work & Class chef Dana Rodriguez alongside partners Tony Maciag and Tabatha Knop

What to Expect: At the base of the 50-room boutique hotel, Rodriguez will offer pan-Latin dishes from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Cuba, and Venezuela, all served on small plates, dim-sum style. Also anticipated, New York’s Death & Co. will run the hotel’s lobby bar.

Projected Opening: Early 2018

Johnson Nathan Strohe

THE SOURCE HOTEL

Where: RiNo, Brighton Boulevard, next door to The Source market

Major Players: Developers Mickey and Kyle Zeppelin, Acorn chef Bill Espiricueta, and New Belgium Brewing

What to Expect: A retail market and restaurants expanding from the original Source in RiNo to the new hotel next door. So far, Smōk, a barbecue spot by chef Espiricueta, has been announced. New Belgium will also brew small-batch beers and operate The Woods, a beer garden, full bar, and restaurant on the rooftop.

Projected Opening: May 2018

THE WAY BACK 2.0

Where: Berkeley, 3963 Tennyson Street

Major Players: Chad Michael George, Kade Gianinetti, and Jared Schwartz who also have their plates full with American Grind in Avanti Food & Beverage, and the brand new Wayward.

What to Expect: A more spacious dining room than the original location, and — perhaps the pièce de résistance — a real kitchen for the elevated bar food menu.

Projected Opening: Early 2018

THE WOLF’S TAILOR

Where: Sunnyside, 41st and Tejon

Major Players: Chef Kelly Whitaker of Basta

What to Expect: The 2,000-square-foot space (plus 1,200 square feet of patio) that was once to be Kindred will become a second modern concept from Boulder chef Kelly Whitaker. Expect a charcoal grill-centered kitchen with ties to both Japanese and Italian traditions.

Projected Opening: Spring 2018

ZEPPELIN STATION

Where: RiNo, 38th & Blake

Major Players: Justin Anderson, formerly of Chicago’s Revival Food Hall, and the team that opened the Source on Brighton Boulevard

What to Expect: A multicultural food hall with a diverse collection of vendors including Aloha Poke, Vinh Xuong Bakery, Fior Gelato, Au Feu smoked meats, Dandy Lion Coffee, and Namkeen. The 100,000-square-foot workplace and market hall will offer design goods and apparel, various street food vendors, two bars, and a full-service anchor restaurant.

Projected Opening: Early 2018

Zeppelin Station

More coming attractions: ACREAGE, CONSTELLATION, IN-N-OUT, LEROUX and KAYA, MORIN, SHAKE SHACK, UNCLE 2.0, Q HOUSE, SPRUCE & LARK, ZHU