Diners, Drive-Ins & Dave

Over the years breakfast has evolved. The foods have changed. Perceptions have changed. It has been the most important meal of the day. It has been something that you are supposed to skip to lose weight. It has been described as “The Most Contentious Meal of the Day,” by The Atlantic. But none of this, nor my mom’s consternation about my cholesterol intake, has deterred me. I love breakfast.

I am a veteran of the Denver breakfast scene. I have spent many a late night at Pete’s Kitchen and many an early morning at Tom’s. I have indulged in hashes and eggs broiled, fried, poached and scrambled. I have seen the sign on the window that says “Steak and Eggs: $7.99” and been drawn in like a moth to flame. I have dined at Breakfast King, Breakfast Queen, Breakfast Palace and if there are any other Breakfast royalty out there, I'm sure I will find them! So when the Denver Westword posted an article: “Twenty Diners to Visit in Metro Denver,” I knew what I had to do. Enter Dinerventure 2023. My wife and I were going to eat them all. And now I am going to tell you about them.

My wife and I like these low-stakes quests and don’t undervalue the low-stakes sense of accomplishment they provide. Our approach was simple: Take the list and start crossing diners off. We would generally hit one or two a month. Our biggest consideration was generally, “we are hungry, how long is it going to take us to get there?” Perhaps Dinerventure’s most important utility was that it provided direction at a time of day when we are generally directionless. Important decisions should come after a cup of coffee, never before!

As for my bonafides, I have an adventurous palate, am a more-than-capable cook and from another life, have years and years and years of restaurant work in my rearview. Diners were an oasis for this bored and hungry kid on a road trip. A glass of chocolate milk to distract from the endless fields and farms of Iowa or Nebraska or wherever the hell we were at that moment. A diner was where I got to know my first real girlfriend. Late nights where the rest of the world disappeared as we shared secrets over the steam of hot coffee. 

My first job was at a Village Inn. Bussing. Serving. Making pies. Even when I was front-of-the house I would sneak into the kitchen and make my own meals, a small courtesy to underpaid non-tipped cooks who hated making food for servers. I appreciate that with food it's not just how it tastes, it’s how it makes you feel. And over the years the Denver diner scene has been there for me in late nights and early mornings to provide sustenance and comfort. 

I, as the Westword, lament the losses in Denver’s diner scene. Restaurants in general operate on the slimmest of margins and joints that make their dime slinging plates that usually run less than $10 bucks a pop are especially susceptible to the perils of the industry. Alas, the pandemic undoubtedly caused the demise of some of your favorite dining establishments. The diners that have closed have left a few holes in my heart, stomach and shortened the list of the city’s late night dining scene significantly. I get a little sad driving on Speer and Colfax and seeing a Chase Bank where the Denver Diner once stood (RIP, I really miss your Mass Confusion). But this list is not about the past. It is about the future. Today, I offer you my humble thoughts on 20 diners in the metro area. I will be the first to admit that my gustatory tendencies tend to be on the more indulgent side. If you are looking for food that feels like a hug, this list is for you.

For the criteria, the only thing I am truly judging each of these places are their “Dinerness.” What is Dinerness, you ask? Feast your eyes on the magnificence of Davie’s Chuck Wagon Diner.

Admire first the 36 ft. neon cowboy that says welcome pardner in the form of a genial smile and casual pointing thumb. From there, take in the mid-century prefab steel building built in 1957 and transported in two pieces from New Jersey. Let your eyes be caught by the horse, perhaps Blucifer’s straight-laced cousin. Why is he there? Who knows!

The inside, however, is where the diner really shines. Well, as much as a place can shine with the permanent scuffs of a million shoes that have walked on those floors. Booths that have the cracks and indentations from countless butts in seats. And coffee pots that will never lose that brown tinge from the glass. What Davie’s lacks in polish it makes up for in atmosphere. It is small and bustling. The countertop offers four or five bar-style seats and a clear view of cooks crammed into a tiny kitchen flipping eggs and chopping hashbrowns with surgical precision.They have dominion over that flattop and their skill with a spatula is a thing of beauty. The servers float like dancers amidst the crowd of tables, hot plates in hand. They weave through the throngs, greeting regulars like old friends and making sure every coffee cup is filled to the brim. There is no veneer here. Everything you see is without pretense. It is simultaneously current and nostalgic. Some people are there for an early morning escape. Some for a quick inexpensive clinical breakfast before they start their day. They are young, delighting in a steaming pile of pancakes. They are old, telling stories to their server about their niece’s graduation or their latest knee surgery. Davie’s takes one and all. And when you add it all up, it is the diner with the highest level of “Dinerness,” and will be the standard from which all other diners are quantified.
Don’t get me wrong, the level of Dinerness does not mean I think it is the best restaurant on this list. Mainly I want to provide you with a frame of reference for when you undertake your own breakfast adventures. 

I’ll start with my top five, in no particular order.

McCoys | Dinerness Level - 7 

I don’t know what McCoys was in its previous life. Was it a 70s steakhouse where you went to make deals and drink martinis in a secluded corner booth? Was it a Denny’s that went out of business? The thing about McCoy’s is that it feels like all of these things simultaneously. The interior is much nicer than I expected. The food presentation would not be out of place in a trendy breakfast spot like Snooze or Onefold. My breakfast: The Federal Grande, is a fried breakfast burrito that can hold its own against the many Mexican standouts of Federal Blvd. It is loaded with bacon, chorizo, peppers, onions, potatoes, eggs and smothered with about 12 lbs of cheese. And if your smother-game is on point and you think you can go to the next level, it also comes with a side of green chile. They also have a real bar, an amenity seen much less frequently in diners than their fancier, more upscale hoity-toity hipster breakfast-joint cousins.

Hits the Spot | Dinerness Level - 9

This is one of my most frequented diners. It is consistent, accessible, inexpensive and does everything it’s supposed to well. You don’t go to a place like Hits the Spot for its flourishes. You go because you want a crumbly biscuit drowned in peppery sausage gravy or maybe just a few pieces of thick french toast to dip into warm syrup. And you want all this and to be out the door for less than $20. 

Pete’s Kitchen | Dinerness Level - 9

If you took a snapshot of Denver in 1988 and compared it to today there would be many parts of this city that are unrecognizable. A neon sign on Denver’s most notorious street, however, would serve as a beacon in both photos. A portly fellow in a white chef coat and hat flips three pancakes into the air with this message: Give me your tired, your poor, your hungry masses yearning to eat. While Pete left us last year at the age of 85, his legacy and eatery live on. Pete’s has served one and all and been a lifesaver for many of us over the years of its existence. The food isn’t outstanding, but sometimes it is exactly what you need after a night on the town or an early morning when all you want is a good cheap breakfast. Pro tip: Wife and I usually split the Chef’s special with gyros. It is a giant plate heaping with gyro meat cut straight off the spit, breakfast potatoes, eggs and toast. 

Zorba’s | Dinerness Level - 2 

Zorba’s is a greek-centric morning outpost in the Congress Park neighborhood. While its ambiance is more akin to the aforementioned upscale hoity-toity hipster breakfast-joints (looking at you Snooze) its atmosphere is completely unpretentious. The food is delicious and well portioned. The service is friendly and earnest. It is bright, clean and comfortable. Pro tip: Scope the pastry case on the way in to determine how much room you want to leave yourself after breakfast.

Javier’s Diner |  Dinerness Level - 3

I am generally wary of Mexican food offerings in diners. While a breakfast burrito is one of the easiest things in the world to make, a good breakfast burrito is a different thing entirely (if you are curious, my favorite legit breakfast burrito in town is at La Abeja, a Colfax hole-in-the-wall). To paraphrase Breaking Bad: You can’t use half-measures when full measures are necessary. To me, this means a diner chile sauce won’t have the same zing as its counterpart in a legit Mexican restaurant. It means that the beans might come out of a can instead of being slow-cooked overnight. Javier’s is the real deal. It still is a diner, but it is also a legit Mexican restaurant. In addition to the ubiquitous burritos, you will also find offerings like breakfast enchiladas, queso fundido and other delightful Mexican takes on American-style breakfast foods.

And the rest:

Davies’ Chuck Wagon | Dinerness Level - 10

Davies has a simple, flattop-centric menu and is the home base to about a million regulars. The food is no-frills but will be delivered quickly and competently. It has loads of atmosphere and is on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Four Friends | Dinerness Level - 2

This is a bustling southern-centric brunchery in the Stapleton neighborhood. The staff is friendly and portions are ample. They offer hot and crunchy beignets as a breakfast starter. While many breakfast spots phone in their breakfast potato/homefry/hasbrown offering, Four Friends’ potatoes were on point!

Morning Story | Dinerness Level - 1

Morning Story is not much of a diner, more of a full-on breakfast restaurant. It is also wonderful! They have unique daily specials and the breakfast eggrolls they offered as an appetizer on my visit were interesting and tasty. The service is top notch and it has a well-crafted large menu making it ideal for families or a place to take out-of-towners.

Breakfast Inn | Dinerness Level - 7

This place is fine. The breakfast potatoes were unique, but about the only thing on the menu that stood out. Their touted pancakes taste better than they look. 

Sunrise Sunset | Dinerness Level - 7

This is an unassuming breakfast joint with three outposts in Lakewood and Wheat Ridge. They offer several specialties with delicious basted eggs. The presentation of the plates exceeded expectations. 

Apple Ridge Cafe | Dinerness Level - 8

This place is quaint, cute and clean. The “hons” and “darlins” flowed just like the coffee. Our server knew probably 80% of the people there on the morning I dined and clearly enjoyed her job. She also noted that it has been family owned for 40 years. The food was solid and seeing that many regulars is always a good sign.

Great Scott’s Eatery | Dinerness Level - 9

This is another time-capsule of a diner with decor straight out of the 50s but it isn’t annoyingly kitchy (looking at you Gunther Toody’s). The portions: ample. The food: delicious. The price: not too spendy. Great Scott’s, as a bonus, is also open 24-hours on the weekends. 

Westy’s Cafe | Dinerness Level - 7.5

Westy’s is a comfortable family-owned joint in, drum-roll, Westminster. There isn’t a diner staple that you won’t be able to find on the menu. I wrote in my notes: good/fast/cheap. 

Lookin’ Good | Dinerness Level - 7.5

When you step into Lookin’ Good, your first thought is: This place is weird but it works. It was built in 1978 and has the commiserate brown decor to show for it. The specials here are mostly “Mad Greek” something or another with random plates served with gyros with the occasional Mexican flair. The portions are HUGE and the service on our visit was excellent and attentive. 

George’s Cafe | Dinerness Level - 6.5

George’s leans more into a family restaurant/homey cafe than diner. It is the quintessential neighborhood cafe. While none of the food was outstanding, I have no doubts that if I lived nearby it would be on my regular rotation.

Butcher Block Cafe | Dinerness Level - 8.6

Speaking of regular rotation, Butcher Block Cafe is currently my most frequented diner. They have two locations (including one about a 15 minute walk from my home). The menu is slim but contains all of the classics. Their cinnamon rolls are huge, delicious, and require a nap after eating. Editor’s note: Shout out to our own Peter MacKellar’s in-laws who own this diner staple!

Danny Ray’s (Formerly Danny’s Carnation) | Dinerness Level - 2

Danny’s Carnation had a reputation as a neighborhood staple in its previous incarnation. It is aiming its sights bigger after an overhaul and slight rebranding earlier this year. While still family-owned and operated, they have elevated many of their offerings across the board. The owner has described Danny Ray’s as a breakfast sports bar and I would agree. The bar is huge and TVs abound. The atmosphere is akin to a place like Hash House A Go Go — a must on your next Vegas visit, but that’s a different Dave guide altogether.

PJ’s Diner | Dinerness Level - 4

PJ’s is a mostly scratch, mexi-centric breakfast joint in a strip mall in Superior. The staff was warm and welcoming. They specialize in “Papas” which were big plates served over potatoes and “Whimpies,” which were smaller versions. 

Red Rooster Cafe | Dinerness Level - 7

My dad has a group of old friends that have breakfast a couple times a month. They have dubbed themselves the ROMEO’s (Retired Old Men Eating Out). I don’t know what the group of old retired men who sat at the table next to me were called, but they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. Red Rooster Cafe is that kind of place. The menu is big and the portions are generous. The service is friendly and genuine. A comfortable restaurant for old or young.

Ranch House Cafe | Dinerness Level - 8

This is a competent, but not outstanding, breakfast joint on Colfax. 

Breakfast Queen | Dinerness Level - 6

This is a solid spot for breakfast if you ever find yourself in Englewood. While Breakfast Queen tends toward the more expensive side of this list, the food is delicious, consistent and served with a smile. On my visits I have found it to always have a solid crowd, so be prepared to wait if you get there at the wrong time.

Moonlight Diner and Bar | Dinerness Level - 8

Inside a large chrome boxcar near Denver International Airport you will find a 50s style diner. It offers an excellent option for breakfast, lunch or dinner if you are near the airport and don’t feel like spending airport prices.

Sam’s No. 3 | Dinerness Level - 5

Sam’s is good, but has outgrown its humble diner roots. Don’t be fooled, however. While it may be hipper and shinier, it still does breakfast very well. They may be more tourist friendly, these days, and have offerings like Bloody Marys loaded with a full breakfast unto themselves, but at the end of the day they can still sling an egg and hash with the best of them.

Swift’s Breakfast House | Dinerness Level - 8.5

Swift’s might not have the $7.99 Steak and eggs plate anymore, but now coming in at a whopping $10.55 it is unlikely to break the bank. Swift’s specializes in quick, cheap, no-frills plates that will have you full and out the door in no-time without emptying your wallet.

Yanna’s Cafe | Dinerness Level - 4

I had an excellent Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs at Yanna’s as well as the crispiest home fries of this entire Dinverventure. This might be a bit specific, but it is the perfect spot to get yourself back together if you got a bit boozy at a Gogol Bordello concert the night before.