Restaurants in Boulder
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Ruebens Burger Bistro
An owner-operated temple to the all-natural, hormone-free, gourmet burger, all christened with cycling-themed names. The Mountain Biker comes with avocado, arugula and swiss cheese, while the Paris Roubaix is topped with whole roasted green chilis and swiss and cream cheeses. Ruebens also offers intriguing dishes like a build-your-own mac and cheese, and moules frites.
It's a good bet the owner shaves his legs.
reviewed
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Dushanbe Teahouse
No visit to Boulder is complete without a meal at this incredible Tajik work of art, a gift from Boulder's sister city (Dushanbe, Tajikistan) that boasts incredible craftsmanship and meticulous painting. The fare ranges from Amazonian and Mediterranean to, of course, Tajik. Outside is a lovely, shaded patio. It's an intimate place to grab cocktails or dinner on a warm summer day.
reviewed
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Med
A Boulder classic, this friendly, festive joint brings all the many flavors of the Mediterranean under one roof (and patio). Think wood-fired pizza, gyros and terrific tapas from gambas to bacon wrapped dates to bruschetta. There's a full bar and some fantastic deserts. Terrific happy-hour deals and a fun crowd most nights.
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Boulder County Farmers' Market
A massive spring and summer sprawl of colorful, mostly organic local food. Here you can find flowers and herbs, as well as brain sized mushrooms, delicate squash blossoms, crusty pretzels, vegan dips, grass-fed beef, raw granola and yogurt. The market stretches from Arapahoe to Canyon along Central Park and around the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, which offers free admission on market days.
Prepared food booths offer gyros and tamales. Live music is as standard as the family picnics in the park along Boulder Creek.
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Salt
One of downtown's newest and most happening spots also serves damn fine farm to table cuisine. We're talking small plates like crispy pork belly BLT, heirloom tomato salad and local beet carpaccio. Entrees include fresh fettucine and slow-roasted leg of lamb, and several fresh seafood options. Cocktails are creative and personalized.
The house always feels good, whether you dine downstairs in the basement pub or in the bright brick-wall dining room with a glimpse of the open and rocking kitchen.
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Frasca
Frasca has been considered Boulder's finest restaurant since it opened. The service is top shelf and the rotating menu features the freshest farm-to-table ingredients available. Reservations must be made days or even weeks in advance.
The menu includes dishes like braised pork shoulder canneloni, house made gnocchi and grilled quail served with local peppers, leeks and wilted pea shoots. This restaurant is as fancy and as snooty as Boulder gets.
reviewed
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Boulder Cafe
Score a sidewalk table and check out the Pearl St Mall street performers while waiting for your buffalo burger. The perennially popular Boulder Cafe is one of those 'all things to all people' kitchens, which means anything from shrimp enchiladas to penne pasta or skillets of trout and teriyaki steak to a damn fine raw bar can be yours.
From 3pm to 6:30pm, all appetizers and drinks are half-price. That's the time to go raw.
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Mateo
A casual new dining hall with minimalist panache, an upscale but not fancy-pants, crowd, and a damn fine kitchen specialising in French comfort cuisine. Think braised lamb shoulder served over pasta, pork belly over organic rice, and moules (mussels) frites. Cheeses are artisanal, ingredients mostly local and the wine is quite fine. Half-priced moule frites ($6) on Mondays.
reviewed
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Dagabi Cucina
Hidden away in a North Boulder minimall off Broadway is this brickhouse of a Mediterranean joint with Italian and Spanish roots, and a popular tapas menu at happy hour (5pm to 6:30pm). That's when you can devour olives, bruschetta, grilled asparagus, steamed clams, and pancetta wrapped shrimp on small plates for just $3 to $6 each. Or there's always paella Mondays ($12).
reviewed
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Sink
- Boulder, USA
- Restaurants › Pub
Waiters bob and weave under the low-slung, graffiti scrawled ceiling of the Sink, a Hill classic that's been around since 1923. Colorful characters cover the dimly lit, cavernous space – a scene almost worth a visit itself. Almost. Once you've washed back the legendary Sink burger with a slug of a local microbrew, you'll be glad you stuck around.
reviewed
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Rio Grande Cafe
Always packed, this Tex-Mex institution consistently delivers potent margaritas, sumptuous beef fajitas and an addictive queso dip. Loud and chaotic but remaining family friendly, it has a buzzing bar scene top-side with awesome Flatiron views from the rooftop deck. Happy Hour (3pm to 6pm) deals include $2 tacos and $3 drafts.
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Spruce Confections
Boulder's go-to bakehouse, where the favorites are the Ol' B Cookie (chocolate, oats, cinnamon and coconut) and the Black Bottom Cupcake (a chocolate cupcake with cheesecake in the middle). Pair either with the Spruce Juice, possibly the world's greatest iced vanilla latte. They have sinful scones and filling salads too.
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Zolo Southwestern Grill
Zolo has been delighting residents with award-winning Southwestern fare and easy parking (it has its own lot) for 15 years now. The menu is a Colorado take on classic Mexican. Perennial favorites include fundido (warm goat Oaxaca cheese fondue with red pepper jam, roasted garlic, flour tortillas), chicken enchiladas and the tortilla-crusted ahi tuna. Whatever you do, don't skip the tequila. There are more than 150 choices, which can be served neat or blended into what many argue are Boulder's best margaritas. Look for Zolo about 11 blocks southeast of the Pearl St Mall, tucked into a quiet shopping center.
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Lucile's
This New Orleans–style diner has perfected breakfast, and the Creole egg dishes (served over a bed of creamy spinach alongside cheesy grits or perfectly blackened trout) are the thing to order. Start with a steaming mug of chai or chicory coffee and an order of beignets. The powder-sugar-drenched French Cajun doughnuts are the house specialty.
Lucile's operates in a few towns, including Fort Collins.
reviewed
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Happy
One of Boulder's better restaurants, Happy serves up what they call, 'Asian inspired comfort food', which means flavors like wok-seared scallops, a bahn-mi (short rib) burger, griddled pork buns, tofu udon and fried brussel sprout leaves (surprisingly memorable). And nobody in town does finer cocktails than the men and women behind Happy's Bitter Bar.
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Sushi Zanmai
As fun and fresh as sushi gets in Boulder. The chefs shout with delight as customers fill the space, which they do early and often. The chefs shout again as they complete platters of cut sushi, grilled and brushed eel, toro hand rolls and specialty house rolls like the Colorado, made with raw filet mingnon. Trout, a common sushi out in the mountains of japan, is available here. Get it!
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Kitchen
Clean lines, stacks of crusty bread, a daily menu and lots of light: Kitchen is one of the finest kitchens in town. Fresh farmers-market ingredients are crafted into rustic tapas: think roasted root vegetables, shaved prosciutto and mussels steamed in wine and cream. The pulled-pork sandwich rocks, but save room for sticky toffee pudding. Thirsty grown-ups dig the upstairs bar.
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Jax
More than 15 years running and, for our money, this lively seafood shack still has the finest eats downtown. Belly up to the circle bar for oysters and martinis, then feast on fresh seafood flown in daily – think wild salmon and tuna or a chilled lobster.
If you're after something quick and dirty, order the fried oyster po'boy. It's the only one of its kind in Boulder.
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Gurkha's
Many of Boulder's Indian residents swear this is the best Indian in town. The drawback is it's way out on the northeast edge, in the bowels of the tech parks and warehouses. But, all thing considered, for such authentic homestyle fare (buttered and honeyed naan, creamy tikka masala, tender and fresh coconut fish, some special veggie curries...), it's a fairly short trek.
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Ají
Start with the lobster and shrimp empanadas, then move onto a pulled-pork torta, the huevos rancheros (touted by some as the best in Boulder), or the sweet and spicy chiles en nogada (think meat picadillo stuffed inside poblano chiles smothered in walnut sauce). This is Latin American food re-imagined, and whatever you order dash it with some of the house chile sauce
reviewed
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Foolish Craig's
This brick house of a diner has a cool bar, groovy art on the walls and a fun vibe. In its soul it's simply a longtime and much loved breakfast joint famous for their build-your-own omelets and crepes. Lately they've put together a more upscale dinner menu, with options such as pulled pork, pan-seared trout and fried brussel sprout leaves with warm Brie.
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Moe's Broadway Bagels
Welcome to Boulder's pre-eminent bagel boiling and baking house – not that there's a lot of competition. You'll glimpse the trays of dough slide into the vat of briny water as you step up to the colorful menu that strays from bagels and bagel sandwiches to subs, breakfast burritos and pizza. But, listen, don't get fancy. It's the bagels. The bagels.
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Lolita's Market & Deli
Whether you're on a run for late night munchies, on an early morning hunt for trail grinds or, you know, sunday morning bacon, this joint should be your defacto supply line. Think deli food and wasabi peas juxtaposed against nice bars of dark chocolate. Oh, and they also rent inner tubes ($10) for would-be Boulder Creek sailors during summer.
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Centro
An upscale mostly Mexican joint with occasional fusion forays into Central and South America. Think masa cakes with Swiss chard or chorizo and wild-mushroom burritos. The scene is accented and irrigated by a groovy bar that opens onto the contemporary dining room and outdoor patio. That's where the mojitos and margs are shaken and poured.
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Leaf
This ethical and elegant kitchen serves meatless gems (Jamaican jerk tempeh, pad thai, pea and mint ravioli, a popular raw ravioli...) amidst exposed brick walls and tiled ceilings dangling with striking wire lanterns. It's the perfect place to take all vegan cuties in your life. Whether they're 10 or 110, they all love it here.
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