Nicknamed “the Republic” by locals, offbeat Boulder was once a haven for beatniks and hippies. Today, it’s a thriving refuge for the globe-trotting elite and urban professionals, though its original woo-woo energy is still in the air. In the center of it all is the University of Colorado, drawing students from every corner of the Earth and swelling the local population of 105,000 by the tens of thousands when school is in session. Boulder’s dining scene is just as funky and interesting as its history, including CU’s on-campus restaurant, named for the state’s most famous historic cannibal, Alferd Packer. Dining options include everything from a 100-year-old burger joint to James Beard Award-winning fine dining. For the college crowd, there are late-night munchies and hangover brunches, of course, but also nicer dinners when the parents are in town, ideal spots to take a date, and places fit for a celebration. Boulder, especially areas farther from campus, is constantly welcoming new restaurants, so this list is by no means comprehensive; instead, these 21 restaurants offer options for students, faculty, parents, visitors, and residents close to campus.
Rebecca Treon is a Denver-based freelance food and travel writer whose work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, Wine Enthusiast, Hemispheres, BBC Travel, Huffington Post, Thrillist, Time Out, and the forthcoming culinary guidebook Colorado Food Trails.
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