The Cherry Cricket in Denver is the Cherry Creek burger bar since 1945, a build-your-own burger room with 40 toppings and a long beer list.
Signature dishes: Build-your-own burger, Cricket Burger, Cheese fries
Must order: Build your own burger with green chile, fried egg and bacon; cheese fries on the side.
Tip: Walk-in only; weeknight wait is usually 20 minutes. Ballpark sister location is open near Coors Field for game nights.
Address: 2641 E 2nd Ave, Denver, CO 80206
Park Burger in Highland is Jean-Philippe Failyau's casual burger room with grass-fed Colorado beef, a Front Range mini-chain that began on Pearl Street in 2009.
Signature: Park Burger, Sweet potato fries, Truffle fries
Order: The Park Burger (classic with cheddar) and sweet potato fries; milkshakes are spiked with bourbon on weekends.
Tip: Walk-in; takeout via app. The Pearl Street original is two blocks from Sushi Den.
Hopdoddy Burger Bar in Denver is the Austin original's South Broadway burger counter since 2014, with house-ground beef, hand-cut fries and a Colorado craft beer list.
Signature: Goodnight burger, Bison burger, Hand-cut fries
Order: The Goodnight Burger and a Colorado craft beer; bison patties available as a swap.
Tip: Walk-in only; ordering at the counter avoids the table wait at peak hours.
Highland Tap and Burger in Denver is Cory and Robbie Bonneau's Highland gastropub since 2011, a neighborhood beer bar with Colorado-bison burgers and 40 craft taps.
Signature: Bison burger, Cricket Burger, Cheese curds
Order: The bison burger with green chile, and the truffle fries; sister room Park Burger is two blocks west.
Tip: Walk-in; the patio is the room's draw, and the basement bar runs late.
Lucile's Creole Cafe in Denver is Frank and Mike Day's Cajun-Creole breakfast room on Logan since 1997, a Boulder-Denver chain serving New Orleans-style breakfast all day.
Signature: Beignets, Eggs Sardou, Cajun breakfast
Order: Eggs Sardou and a basket of beignets with cafe au lait; the Cajun breakfast plate runs at lunch.
Tip: Walk-in only; weekend morning wait runs 45 minutes. The Boulder and Fort Collins locations absorb the overflow.
White Pie in Denver is Tony Maciag's Uptown pizza room since 2017, named for its signature ricotta-and-garlic white pizza, with a tight Italian wine list.
Signature: White pie, Margherita, Hot honey pizza
Order: The signature White Pie and the hot honey pepperoni pie; the kitchen runs a daily pasta special at dinner.
Tip: Walk-in at the bar usually works; the patio takes reservations on Resy. Closed Mondays.
San Pedro Mexican in Denver is Edith Sanchez's South Pearl Mexican dining room with regional Oaxacan and Pueblan plates, a mezcal-focused bar and a Sunday brunch.
Signature: Mole poblano, Carnitas, Mezcal flights
Order: The mole poblano and a glass of pechuga mezcal; carnitas plate is the room's biggest serving.
Tip: Closed Mondays. South Pearl farmers' market on Sunday runs 9 am to 1 pm a block away.
