16 One Day Trip Ideas in Denver

Hope Tank

Hope Tank is a unique retail shop and social enterprise originally founded in February of 2012 by Erika Righter, striving to disrupt traditional large business models and foreground community involvement and diverse business ventures in the Denver area. Hope Tank sells a wide variety of handmade products by local crafters and artisans, with a portion of all sales going to regional charitable enterprises. Goods from national and international retailers are also sold, with a focus on businesses creating a positive community impact in the United States.

Shoppers and community members are encouraged to shop at other area business partners and organizations noted within the shop's free open-source directory of diverse and community-focused businesses and are encouraged to share their own good community-focused deeds using the shop's #HopeSlinger social media hashtag.

Los Chingones Mexican

Los Chingones Mexican is the vision of executive chef Troy Guard, inspired by his young life enjoying San Diego's edgy, inventive Mexican culinary scene. The restaurant, which opened its first location in 2013, now offers five locations throughout the Denver area, including locations in RiNo, the Denver Tech Center, Stapleton, and the Colorado Mills Mall. High-quality Mexican fare is served up at lunch and dinner, including creative quesadilla options stuffed with ingredients such as chingon cheese, adobo chicken thigh, brisket barbacoa, and Tijuana pork shoulder. Chicken, cheese, brisket, and vegetable enchiladas are also available, along with a plethora of inventive tacos and shareable street fare-style appetizers. Diners can create their own margaritas or choose from a wide variety of fine wines, craft cocktails, and regional draft and imported beers.

Address: Los Chingones Mexican, 2463 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205, Phone: 303-295-0686

Que Bueno Suerte

Que Bueno Suerte is a modern-style Mexican restaurant in Denver's Platt Park neighborhood, serving up eclectic Latin-inspired dishes at dinner service daily and brunch on the weekends. The restaurant, which is helmed by executive chef Ivan Ceballos, is named for the Spanish term for "what good luck," a nod to the restaurant's lucky founding in 2016 as a result of circumstances connected to the closing of owner Rod Tafoya's previous restaurant venture. High-quality dinner options include an extensive menu of shareable plates such as tuetano de res, queso fundido, and tamal oaxaqueno, served up alongside excellent entree options such as Oaxacan mole chicken, pasilla-rubbed New York strip steaks, and pescado tikin xic. At brunch, diners can enjoy bottomless mimosas or craft cocktails alongside a selection of delectable entree choices such as sopes Benedict or chilaquiles verdes.

Address: Que Bueno Suerte, 1518 S Pearl St, Denver, CO 80210, Phone: 720-642-7322

Delicious Denver Food Tours

Delicious Denver Food Tours are one of the most unique ways to experience the Mile High City, acclaimed in national publications such as USA Today, 303 Magazine, and Denver Life Magazine. Experienced tour guides lead groups of up to 14 walking tour participants on a tour of the city's best neighborhoods and hot spots, sharing stories about the city's rich history and architecture. All tours stop at several local restaurants or watering holes, giving participants a taste of the best the city's chef's, restaurateurs, and mixologists have to offer. Tour packages include the company's signature downtown food tour, which embarks near Coors field and samples six of the city's signature dishes, ranging from gourmet hot dogs to authentic Neapolitan pizzas. A craft cocktails and bites tour visits four of the city's best bars, while a three-hour beers and bites tour explores hip breweries and showcases creative street art. Private food and drink tours are available for small groups, including corporate team-building events.

Bamboo Sushi

Bamboo Sushi is the world's first certified-sustainable sushi restaurant, acclaimed by international publications such as The Huffington Post, The New York Times, and Food and Wine. The restaurant, which offers eight locations throughout the United States, including a location in Denver's LoHi neighborhood, is a great choice for diners concerned about their environmental impact, as all menu items are tracked for their carbon footprint. Signature sushi rolls are served up each evening, prepared with humanely-raised, sustainably-caught fish and naturally-grown produce. A wide variety of signature land, sea, and vegetarian entrees are also available, including Japanese-inspired steamed buns, wagyu burgers, and kanpachi tartare. Asian-inspired cocktails are available on the restaurant's bar menu, along with regional craft beers and an extensive list of imported sakes.

Address: Bamboo Sushi, 2715 17th St, Denver, CO 80211, Phone: 303-284-6600

ChoLon

ChoLon is the signature restaurant offering from James Beard Award finalist chef Lon Symensma, noted for his work at New York City's acclaimed Buddakan. The restaurant, which has been acclaimed by international publications and television stations such as Food and Wine, The New York Times, and Food Network, is named after Saigon, Vietnam's largest Chinese-style market, showcasing a full menu of street fare inspired by the cuisines of Southeast Asia. Wok-style entrees are served up at lunch and dinner, including stir-fried Malaysian noodles and wok-tossed calamari with Szechuan chili, available alongside shareable plates such as crispy whole striped bass with bok choy and chargrilled butter chicken served with Indian-style naan bread. Asian-inspired cocktails are available to complement all meals, prepared with ingredients such as Vietnamese cold brew coffee and yuzu-infused sake.

Address: ChoLon, 1555 Blake St #101, Denver, CO 80202, Phone: 303-353-5223

Molly's Spirits

Molly's Spirits is Denver's premiere liquor shop, originally established in 2014 and offering locations in Lakeside, West Highlands, and Berkeley. The store offers one of Colorado's most impressive liquor selections, carrying more than 12,000 hand-selected beers, wines, spirits, and specialty liquors in its 30,000-square-foot facility. Guests can select the perfect bottle or six-pack of their choice for enjoying on picnics, intimate evenings in with takeout and a movie, or service at any of the area's upscale BYOB restaurants. 17 large-screen video screens throughout the store showcase all the week's major sporting events, along with vineyard tours and brewing and distilling how-to segments. Competitive prices are offered on fine and imported products, with excellent inventory offered for hard-to-find and regional craft favorites.

Address: Address: Molly's Spirits, 5809 W 44th Ave, Denver, CO 80212, Phone: 303-955-5174

GQUE BBQ

GQUE BBQ is one of the United States' most acclaimed barbecue joints, hailed in publications such as Zagat, Thrillist, and Westword for its award-winning inventive barbecue entrees. The restaurant, which has won major accolades for its recipes at the Rocky Mountain BBQ Association's competitions in 2013 and 2014, offers two locations in Westminster and Lone Tree, both overseen by owner and chef Jason Ganahl. Diners can enjoy barbecued pork, brisket, chicken, turkey, ribs, or jalapeno cheddar sausage on sandwiches or by the quarter or full pound, available for dine-in, takeout service, or delivery. Decadent signature sandwiches such as Carolina pork slaw, brisket and onion rings, or Thanksgiving-style turkey sandwiches are complemented by hearty homestyle sides such as macaroni and cheese, apple slaw, and pit-smoked beans. Catering is also available for private special events.

Address: GQUE BBQ, 5160 W 120th Ave Unit K, Westminster, CO 80020, Phone: 303-379-9205

Four Friends Kitchen

Four Friends Kitchen has been voted as Denver's best breakfast spot for 2019 by Westword magazine, owned and operated by friends and next-door neighbors Genefer and Tim Thornton and Kurt and Sarah Pletcher. The restaurant, which offers locations in the city's University Park and Stapleton neighborhoods, offers contemporary-style American comfort food at breakfast, brunch, and lunch throughout the week, serving up dishes hailed by publications such as Thrillist and the Denver Post as some of the city's best. Classic continental and Southern-style breakfast and lunch selections include gourmet overnight grits, crispy huevos rancheros, Southern-fried chicken and waffles, and berries and cream French toast. Creative small plates offer global flair, including beignets with crème anglaise and jalapeno-chorizo hushpuppies. Diners can also enjoy a full menu of high-quality brunch cocktails, including mimosas, bloody marys, and peach sangria.

Address: Four Friends Kitchen, 2893 Roslyn St, Denver, CO 80238, Phone: 303-388-8299

Cheluna Brewing Company

Cheluna Brewing Company is Colorado's first Latin-owned Mexican-style craft brewery, housed within Denver's lively Stanley Marketplace. The brewery, which was voted as the city's best new craft brewery by 5280 Magazine in 2017, serves up delicious brews inspired by the culinary flavors native to Oaxaca, constantly rotating clever variants and experiments on tap at its public taproom facility. Past favorites have included brews such as the company's Otto Von Eisbock Mexican German Chocolate Cake Ale, Über La Luna Margarita Gose, and El Chollo Oud Bruin, inspired by the flavors of the popular Mexican saladito plum candy. Brews are served up on tap seven days a week, with food trucks parked on site periodically. Public special events include live music performances, trivia nights, and the brewery's regular Cheluna ¡CORRE! running group events.

Address: Cheluna Brewing Company, 2501 Dallas St #148, Aurora, CO 80010, Phone: 720-600-0020

Marco's Coal Fired

Marco's Coal Fired is an authentic Italian-style pizzeria near Denver's Coors Field, acclaimed by Buzzfeed as one of America's 25 best pizzerias. The restaurant, which is helmed by owner Mark Dym, staffs pizza makers who have been certified and trained by the renowned Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napolitani, with restaurant certification by Italy's prestigious Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. Fresh, high-quality ingredients are sourced directly from Italy's countryside, including San Marzano tomatoes and Antico Molino Caputo "00" flour. Diners can choose from unique Neapolitan-style pie flavors such as pistachio or enjoy clever New York-style pizzas with toppings such as pecorino romano, roasted peppers, and sweet Italian sausage. Gluten-free pizzas are also offered, along with create-your-own options.

Address: Marco's Coal Fired, 2129 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205, Phone: 303-296-7000

Bagel Deli

Bagel Deli has been voted as one of America's top 26 Jewish delis, featured on Food Network's popular Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives show for its high-quality traditional deli sandwiches and platters. The restaurant, which has been in operation for more than half a century, is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving up authentic Jewish deli favorites such as pastrami or corned beef sandwiches, lox bagels, matzo soup, and cold beet borscht. Breakfast options are available all day, ranging from bagel eggs Benedict and challah French toast to cheese blintzes and potato latkes. Authentic desserts such as rugelach, strudel, and chocolate babka are complemented by a full menu of coffees, teas, and sodas and a limited selection of macrobrews.

Address: Bagel Deli, 6439 E Hampden Ave, Denver, CO 80222, Phone: 303-756-6667

Dio Mio

Dio Mio is an upscale counter-service restaurant in Denver's River North Arts District, helmed by executive chefs Alex Figura and Spencer White. The restaurant, which is named for the popular Italian expression of enthusiasm, is anchored around an open-plan pasta production table, which prepares up fresh, high-quality pasta dishes for diners throughout the day using handmade pastas. Contemporary Italian fare is showcased on the restaurant's constantly-rotating menus, which blend conventional Italian-style favorites with inventive modern pastas such as squid ink radiatori prepared with pork belly and kimchi. Fine imported red, white, pink, and orange wines are available to complement all meals, along with craft cocktails and beers and a selection of espresso-based coffee shop beverages.

Address: Dio Mio, 3264 Larimer St, Denver, CO 80205, Phone: 303-562-1965

Stem Ciders

Stem Ciders is one of Denver's premiere craft cideries, originally founded in 2013 by business partners Phil Kao and Eric Foster. The cidery produces a rotating lineup of unique ciders infused with a variety of fruit ingredients, including favorites such as the company's Hibiscus Session Apple Cider, Chile Guava Cider, Salted Cucumber Cider, and Coffee Apple Cider, a collaboration with Method Roasters.

The company's traditional Real Dry Apple Cider, produced with Pacific Northwest apples, is also available on tap year round at the company's tap room. A second location in Lafayette is home to the cidery's signature Acreage restaurant, opened in 2018.

Three Hundred Days of Shine

Three Hundred Days of Shine is Monument's premiere craft moonshine distillery, named after Colorado's unofficial pioneer-era slogan "300 days of sunshine," a nod to the state's gorgeous weather and an unofficial advertisement for those looking to move westward. The company, which is operated by six Colorado families, produces smooth moonshine recipes infused with natural ingredients, striving to recreate traditional moonshine distilling techniques popular prior to the implementation of Prohibition in the early 20th century. Small-batch recipes are produced by hand, including the company's apple pie, Margarita Moon, summertime strawberry lemonade, peach cobbler, and Colorado honey liquor varieties. Fun seasonal flavors are constantly rotated at the distillery's public tasting room, including variants such as sweet iced tea and pineapple.

Address: Three Hundred Days of Shine, 279 Beacon Lite Rd, Suite G, Monument, CO 80132, Phone: 719-466-0023