Owned by the same family for the majority of its nearly 70 years in business, this special-occasion institution is located a short but scenic drive up Flagstaff Mountain, where it boasts spectacular views of the Rockies — and contemporary American cuisine to rival the landscape from chef Chris Royster. Though seasonal creations such as foie gras over black-pepper crepe cake or white asparagus panna cotta with green almonds, wood sorrel, and cured egg yolks are available a la carte, splurging on the former Chopped champion’s multicourse tastings is very much the point of a meal here — especially when paired with wines from the legendary 16,000-bottle cellar.

In 2010, CU grad Edwin Zoe opened this little counter joint to give his mother, Anna Zoe, then a recent transplant to Colorado, a place to cook for her new community. Now it’s one of Boulder’s most-loved success stories (there’s also a branch in Denver). Based on Anna’s recipes from Taiwan, the comfort-fueled menu centers on items like dan dan mian, roast duck bao, and other street foods, noodles, and stews. Edwin was nominated for a James Beard Award in 2022 in the outstanding restaurateur category, and he runs Dragonfly Noodle with locations in Denver and Boulder.

On the tony Pearl Street thoroughfare, Pearl Street Pub & Cellar is a popular game-day destination with a treasure trove of Denver Broncos paraphernalia. The bar is known for its fried mac and cheese bites and some of the best burgers and wings in town, served into the wee hours. Happy hour runs late and the bar offers great drink specials, plus pool tables, foosball, darts, and occasional live music. Celebrating a birthday? It’s a Boulder tradition to kiss the taxidermied buffalo head.

While adjacent sibling Sushi Zanmai focuses on its eponymous item, this tiny izakaya offers small plates, sake, and conversation. On the menu, you’ll find okonomiyaki, chawanmushi, gyoza, fried squid legs, and grilled mackerel. Ask the staff for pairing recommendations — or even put the entire meal in their hands, omakase-style.

Eric Skokan doesn’t merely source from local farms — he is the source, with a 425-acre property where he and his wife, Jill, grow more than 200 organic crops; mill their own grains; and raise heritage breeds of pigs, chickens, and more to supply his gem of a contemporary bistro. In fact, his farm is currently serving as Black Cat’s dining room, with dinner served at private tables in the historic blacksmith barn, garden cabanas, or patio pergola. Book the daily three-course dinner, or keep it casual at Skokan’s rustic gastropub, Bramble & Hare, located on Pearl Street Mall.

Ahead of the curve when it opened a decade ago with an emphasis on wood-fired cuisine, the fittingly named flagship of chef Steven Redzikowski and barman Bryan Dayton is now an old reliable. The seasonal menu mixes influences liberally — think oak-roasted branzino with lentils, capers, and tomato butter next to cider teriyaki pork shoulder with crispy rice and gochujang next to cavatelli scampi — but the apple-kale salad with almonds and togarashi is an all-time favorite; the same goes for the bourbon-based, Benedictine-laced Across the Atlantic cocktail.

Like its smash-hit sibling in LoHi, this bustling Pearl Street Mall food hall boasts two bars and a rooftop deck, but the roster of stalls is unique to this location. Here you’ll find Italian-style sandwiches and other Italian classics at Mangia Panino, hummus bowls and pita wraps at Boychik, bao and noodles at Pig and Tiger, Costa Rican-style chicken dishes at Pollo Tico, pizza at New Yorkese, and market-driven salads and burgers at Rooted Craft Kitchen; for teetotalers, there’s also coffee from Lost City.

A staple on the Hill for decades, Half Fast Subs claims to have the largest selection of sandwiches in America, with more than 100 combinations to choose from. The Buff Chicken sandwich features chicken tenders, Buffalo wing sauce, grilled onions, Swiss, celery, and blue cheese. Half Fast Subs also serves pitchers of mixed drinks that are famously strong and cheap.

This bodega on the Hill (colloquially known as the Smelly Deli) has been frequented by Buffs for years, who rely on its 24/7 open hours and late-night eats like mozzarella sticks, gyros, cheesy fries, chocolate cake, and nachos. It doubles as a convenience store, so you can pick up hangover-preventing aspirin while you’re there. Crowded with coeds, it’s a spot that makes for great people watching and striking up conversations.

Inspired by the Cal-Mex Mission-style burritos he ate while visiting San Francisco, CU grad Pete Turner opened his first Illegal Pete’s on the Hill in 1995 as an ode to his rebellious-spirited father. He has since grown his empire to include 15 locations, which serve burritos across the state and in Arizona. Like its competitor Chipotle, Illegal Pete’s allows diners to fill a giant tortilla with their choice of protein (the Mexican Coke carnitas and the beer-battered fish are standouts), cilantro or Spanish rice, pinto or black beans, fried potatoes or veggies, along with their choice of toppings like lettuce, guacamole, shredded cheese, and a range of salsas and sauces (plus they mix your selections together before they wrap, ensuring a balanced bite). A favorite haunt, Illegal Pete’s stays open until 2:30 a.m. during the school year and features a full-service bar with happy hour from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Since brothers Adam and Jon Schlegel opened the first Snooze in 2006, this local chain has grown by leaps and bounds, opening locations around Colorado, California, Texas, and Arizona. Known for its sustainability efforts, the chain serves an appealing brunch featuring a pancake flavor of the week and a pancake flight, along with loaded breakfast tacos, a menu of Benedicts, and other morning favorites.

Winning multiple James Beard Awards (among countless other accolades) for its Friuli-centric Northern Italian cuisine, extraordinary wine cellar, and next-level hospitality, Frasca is the premier special-occasion destination in Boulder if not the entire Front Range. The most popular option is the ever-changing four-course menu laden with delicacies like foie gras, geoducks, and Hokkaido sea urchin, though there’s also a more luxurious prix fixe available. For a more casual experience at a (much) lower price point, next-door sibling Pizzeria Alberico serves expert Neapolitan-style pizzas.

A former miner’s cabin turned quaint cottage on Pearl Street, River and Woods features a magical backyard and fine-tuned comfort food by chef Daniel Asher. Items include chicken schnitzel with potato waffles, a meatloaf made with Niman Ranch beef and burrata, and tableside s’mores for dessert.

This late-night, by-the-slice student staple launched its first shop on the Hill in 2000 and hasn’t slowed since; it now has locations across the Front Range, including one on 30th Street across from off-campus freshman housing Will Vill (aka Williams Village) and another just up 28th. Order a slice and dip it in the restaurant’s famed spicy ranch dressing, and you’ll understand why a stampede of hungry partygoers crashes over the shop every weekend, even in the winter. Don’t want to wait in line outside in the cold? Cosmo’s delivers until 2 a.m.

A Boulder institution since 1975, Dark Horse has welcomed plenty of Buffs for game days, though people also stop by anytime for burgers and wings. The labyrinthine bar is spread out across numerous rooms full of movie props and antiques, making for an interesting backdrop to your meal. Burgers come in a myriad of topping combinations, some featuring onion rings, fried eggs, or even peanut butter. The rest of the menu offers Colorado barroom classics like jalapeno poppers and Rocky Mountain oysters.

Freshly baked late-night cookies are a guaranteed moneymaker on pretty much any college campus, but the ones at Boulder Baked are legitimately great. The local, family-owned bakery specializes in cookies, though its other desserts, like cupcakes, brownies, and ice cream sandwiches, are worth a taste too. Cookies come in every imaginable flavor: classic chocolate chip, peanut butter M&M, red velvet, and even an “everything” cookie. Boulder Baked is open until 10 p.m., and Buffs with the munchies can pick up or have the cookies delivered straight to their door.