It’s been a busy summer for restaurants making their debut in Denver (hello Maine Shack and American Elm to name just two recent buzzed-about beginnings). The impending dawn of the fall season will do nothing to slow down the frantic pace of openings Denverites have become accustomed to.
From tested transplants from Denver’s cosmopolitan cousins and long-awaited additions by local big names to less-lauded (but no less exciting) entries, here is a look at some of the most anticipated restaurants opening in Denver this fall. Of course, changes to opening timelines can (read: will) occur, so check Eater Denver regularly for the latest updates (or sign up for our newsletter).
Grabowski’s Pizzeria
Where: The Source Hotel + Market Hall at 3330 Brighton Boulevard in RiNo
Who: Jared Leonard and Justin Anderson
What: Chicago transplants will feel right at home in this corner of The Source Hotel + Market Hall (it formerly housed Mexican restaurant Comida), where this Windy City-style pizza joint will churn out pitchers of beer along with tavern-cut pizzas (think thin-crust and cut into squares as opposed to deep-dish) in a homey space filled with arcade games.
When: September 7
Tessa Delicatessen
Where: 5724 Colfax Avenue in Park Hill
Who: Vince Howard
What: LA transplant Vince Howard will bring a solid line up of hot and cold deli and breakfast sandwiches (City Bakery ciabatta and pretzel rolls and Justin Brunson’s River Bear meats will provide the foundations) to a stretch of Colfax typically associated with international eats. Set in a former antique furniture store, this deli will also churn out Tapatío-topped grain bowls, avocado toasts, fresh corn and cotija salads along with the aforementioned sandwiches, meats and cheeses.
When: September
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Edgewater Public Market
Where: Depew Street between 20th and 22nd Avenues in Edgewater
Who: LCP Development
What: The tiny Denver adjacent town of Edgewater will receive its own entrant into Denver’s increasingly-saturated market hall scene when this 50,000 square-foot hall opens in a former King Soopers. The main food hall will consist of two bars (including one built around an Airstream trailer), seven food trucks graduating to their own stall spaces (these include Moontime Crepes, Arepas House and Rock N Lobster Roll) as well as a few offshoots of existing Denver restaurants (Lazo Empanadas and Barbed Wire Reef, to name two). The west side of the market will be dominated by retail businesses and a new brewery.
When: On or around September 15.
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West of Surrender
Where: 501 16th Street Mall in downtown
Who: Gary Mantelli and Scott Burnham
What: This unusually-named restaurant and saloon will have big shoes to fill when it opens in the longtime home of Marlowe’s on the 16th Street Mall. Executive chef Scott Burnham recently told The Denver Post the menu will feature such entrees as the smoked bacon frontier flatbread, pepper steak au poivre and other items that nod to Colorado’s culinary heritage. The bar, meanwhile, will focus on beer and whiskey.
When: Early Fall
Mister Oso
Where: 3163 Larimer Street in RiNo
Who: Culinary Creative group
What: Though it only opened seven years ago, the closing of pioneering RiNo restaurant The Populist last month undoubtedly felt like the end of an era on Larimer Street. A new era will dawn this fall when the Culinary Creative group behind the Latin American-inspired food and drink spot in LoHi opens a more casual version of that restaurant inside the old The Populist space. Westword has previously reported Mister Oso will specialize in smoked-meat tacos, ceviches and light cocktails built on pisco, rum and agave spirits.
When: Early Fall
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Le Bilboquet
Where: The St. Paul Collection Residences at 210 St. Paul Street in Cherry Creek.
Who: Owners Philippe Delgrange and Rick Wahlstedt
What: Denver will get a taste of New York-style decadence when this clubby French bistro, which is being translated from the Lower East Side, opens inside the new St. Paul Collection luxury apartment tower in Cherry Creek. Bringing with it the weighty reputation that comes with once being described as “the snobbiest restaurant in New York” by the New York Post, the Cherry Creek outpost’s menu will feature a mixture of traditional and modern French fare, including the well-known house special, the Cajun chicken.
When: Fall; website states it is arriving in 2019.
Foraged
Where: 1800 Wazee Street in LoDo
Who: Duy Pham
What: This new entry into LoDo’s Dairy Block micro-district represents chef Duy Pham’s awaited return to Denver after years spent focusing on his Parker Garage restaurant on Denver’s southeastern suburban fringes. Though little remains known about Foraged, Pham has announced it will involve the use of steel knives he will forge himself. The restaurant will also consist of an upstairs mezzanine with a raw bar and intimate seating, a large bar focused on whiskey and two private dining rooms designed for meetings and events.
When: Fall; website states it is “coming soon.”
Sunday Vinyl
Where: 1803 16th Street in LoDo
Who: Bobby Stuckey and Charlie Brooks
What: Union Station will gain a new drinking destination this fall when the team behind Frasca Food & Wine opens this new European-style wine bar on the platform at Union Station. The “edgy and dark” 65-seat space will feature a global wine wall consisting of around 1,500 bottles. Chef De Cuisine Charlie Brooks, previously of nearby Italian hot spot Tavernetta, will curate a menu consisting of small plates and a few entrees a night that will be matched to the wine and music (the name comes from owner Bobby Stuckey’s tradition of drinking wine and listening to vinyl to wind down on Sundays).
When: Fall
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Kuma’s Corner
Where: 35th and Delgany Streets in RiNo
Who: Ron Cain (Kuma’s Corner President)
What: Denver welcomes yet another Chicago transplant in the form of this burger bar, which will blast a constant stream of local heavy metal music. Try the Famous Kuna burger (which is topped with Applewood smoked bacon and a fried egg) or one of the several that takes its name from classic metal bands, such as the Black Sabbath or the Iron Maiden. A selection of sandwiches, salads and local craft beers will round out the offerings.
When: December