The Best Food & Beverage 2022

Best Breakfast Spot

SNOOZE A.M. EATERY

With 13 locations across Colorado, a Snooze isn’t far for most people looking for a creative and irresistible breakfast option. Putting an emphasis on sustainability through its Snooze Approved campaign, the eatery makes sure the ingredients behind its delicious dishes abide by standards helping green efforts in the communities where it does business and beyond.

“From the purveyor, through the supply chain, and into our restaurants, we want everything that goes into our breakfast to have a positive impact on people and the planet – and as of 2019, 95% of our food is Snooze Approved,” the restaurant says.

Runners-up

• First Watch
• Woodie Fisher

Best Business Lunch Spot

LEVEN DELI

Mixing the past and present, Leven Deli combines old-school Jewish and Mediter-ranean cooking techniques with a new-age environment. Part deli, part restaurant, Leven is the perfect spot for an extended business lunch or just a quick pit stop to grab some grub on your way to one.

“At Leven Deli, we realize the impor-tance of having a healthy, made-from-scratch meal to help you get through your day,” the company says. “That’s why we bake our own bread daily, 12 day dry-age our own pastrami, grill all our sandwiches to order, and smoke our fish in-house.”

Runners-up

• Postino Broadway
• The Capital Grille

Best Delivered Lunch

GOURMET FOR GOOD CORPORATE CATERING

With options ranging from hot buffets to light bag lunches, Gourmet for Good can help turn a business meeting into a feast. But the “good” in the company’s name isn’t just applicable to the food’s taste. Gourmet for Good prides itself on its sustainability practices. With sustainable packaging, in-house recycling and on-demand water heaters to promote energy conservation, you can feel good about the food you’re eating because of the green practices the company maintains.

Runners-up

• Jimmy John’s
• BirdCall

Best Restaurant Patio

WOODIE FISHER

Nothing screams summertime in Denver quite like a patio drink downtown. Woodie Fisher, located on the corner of 20th and Chestnut on the edge of Union Station, has the patio and the drinks to satisfy all out-door socializing needs. With six signature cocktails riffing off the buildings’ history as one of Denver’s original fire stations, customers can relax in the shadow of some of Denver’s most unique history. When you visit, be sure to break out the fun fact that the restaurant’s name is in honor of one of Denver’s earliest fire foremen, Redwood “Woodie” Fisher.

Runners-up

• Postino
• The Fort Restaurant

Best Restaurant, Vegetarian/Vegan

CITY O’CITY

City O’ City offers vegetarian spins on some classic American favorites. For example, the Philly churrasco cheesesteak exchanges steak for red bell peppers, chimichurri, chipotle aioli and green chili queso. Food isn’t the only type of art offered at City O’ City, as local artists are frequently featured at in-house gallery shows.

“We are often feeding travelers such as musicians, poets, politicians; the doers and makers of the world,” the restaurant points out on its website.

Runners-up

• Watercourse Foods
• Somebody People

Best Sports Bar

SLATER’S 50/50

With a slew of locations over the United States, Slaters 50/50’s Denver location has only been open since 2020, but its meteoric rise by way of the famous 50/50 burger has only continued in the Centennial State. The 50% bacon, 50% beef blended burger attracts all types of customers, but it’s the other bells and whistles within Slaters that often make the customers returning ones.

Slater’s boasts more than 53 craft and local beers on tap, no corkage fees for any-one looking to bring their own wine, and a nightly happy hour from 9 p.m. to close.

Runners-up

• The Dirty Duck Bar
• Stoney’s Bar and Grill

Best Restaurant View

THE RED BARBER

It doesn’t matter if you’re at the Red Barber for a drag show brunch, some Thursday night trivia, or just to take advantage of some phenomenal happy hour deals; one element is consistent: the incredible view.

“Offering an unparalleled vantage point to the junction of skyline, mountains and cityscape, we are Denver’s backyard day-dream – a convivial rooftop bar retreat with 360—degree views perched high above the city,” Red Barber’s website touts.

Runners-up

• El Five
• The View House

Best Restaurant Wine List

NOBLE RIOT

Noble Riot doesn’t just have the best wine list in Colorado; it may very well have the best wine school in Colorado. Going above and beyond a simple recommendation, Noble Riot offers a wine school where sommeliers can educate you on the science behind wine pairing. If you don’t want to fully enroll in the wine school, join Noble Riot’s flight club where there is more of a focus on socializing with some wine on the side.

Runners-up

• Tavernetta
• Barcelona Wine Bar

Best Happy Hour Spot

POSTINO BROADWAY

Few places boast happy hour deals as inviting as Postino’s WineCafe, and when you consider its central Broadway location, it’s a very tough combo to beat. Those looking to get an early jump on some post-work vibes can find $6 glasses of wine and pitchers of beer until 5 p.m. every day. Available every Monday and Tuesday after 8 p.m., Postino’s famous $25 Board and Bottle deal is a no-brainer as patrons get a bruschetta board and a bottle of wine for a sweet deal.

Runners-up

• Woodie Fisher
• Holidaily Brewing Co.

Best Food Truck

TEAM BIEHL KITCHEN

The Team Biehl Kitchen food truck welcomes prospective eaters with open arms via a menu full of comfort food. With options like the beefy Fritos burger, which puts a crunchy twist on an American classic, and the famous chili cheese fries, there’s a reason this food truck sees customers come back time and again. Team Biehl also stays up to date with the latest internet trends, as it currently offers an Apple Juice Ball made famous by TikTok.

Runners-up

• Steuben’s Food Truck
• El Jefe’s Smothered Brats and Tots

Best Catering Company

FOOTERS CATERING

Since 1981, Footers has been curating menus for events to take the stress off the guests and put great food in their bellies. Offering a variety of service styles, from formal plated options to family-style events where family recipes are encouraged to be incorporated, Footers works closely with clients to determine what would work best for the event.

“From customizing your perfect menu to handling special requests with a smile, our team will work hard and have fun creating an unforgettable event for you and your guests,” the company says.

Runners-up

• Epicurean Catering
• Catering By Design

Best Coffee Shop Locally Owned – Front Range

CORVUS COFFEE ROASTERS

Choose from one of the four Corvus Coffee Roasters locations around Denver to satisfy all your coffee needs. Can’t make it to one of Corvus’ locations? Sign up for the Corvus Coffee Subscription to have your coffee delivered to your door.

“The subscription is created to invite you into the perspective of a full-time coffee buyer; transforming the way you look at the world through the lens of coffees,” the company says. “Each series will take you through three to four coffees that highlight the most recent harvesting region and shed light on what is happening in the world of coffee.”

Runners-up

• Huckleberry Roasters
• Monk and Mongoose

Best Coffee Shop Locally Owned – Western Slope

CAMP 4 COFFEE

Nestled in the mountain town of Crested Butte, Camp 4 Coffee is what founder Al Smith set out to do when he opened the shop’s doors in 1993: Provide a cup of coffee that complements the beautiful surroundings of the town. All coffee sold in Camp 4 Coffee’s two retail locations and those that are shipped online are roasted by hand. Both retail stores have an array of sweet and savory options that pair well with any coffee!

Runners-up

• Kiln Coffee Bar
• Mountain Air Roasters

Best Distillery

LAWS WHISKY HOUSE

Laws Whisky House crafts its product with pure, unfiltered detail. Relying on the Cody family farm in the San Luis Valley and the Ohnmact’s farm in Eastern Colorado, Laws gets its heirloom and heritage grains straight from the source. It’s what led the company’s founders to Colorado in the first place.

“Our terroir-driven whiskey requires the rarified thin air, the hot days and cool nights of the Rocky Mountain Region, and the rugged growing conditions of the San Luis Valley and Eastern Plains that stress our grains just enough to deepen their flavor,” the company says.

Runners-up

• Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey
• Mythology

Best Brewery

BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY

Whether you’re sipping on a Breck Lager or leaning toward one of the many options from the Juice Drop Hazy IPA collection, there is something about Breckenridge Brewery that just tastes different. It could be the mountain air, the local feel or the fact that Breckenridge Brewery gives back to its community with the same zeal it shows for brewing beer. Throughout the summer of 2021, 1% all proceeds earned from beer sales were donated to the National Parks Conservation service.

Runners-up

• Holidaily Brewing Co.
• Joyride Brewing Company

Best Winery

CARBOY WINERY

Carboy Winery has locations in Denver, Littleton, Breckenridge and Palisade, and while the scenery may change, the quality of service and most importantly, the wine, stays the same. If you believe yourself to be a wine aficionado, or are looking to become one, join Carboy’s membership program to receive great deals and early access to some of the winery’s newest and most exclusive releases. Be on the lookout for the winery’s uniquely sustainable serving technique—keeping wine on tap.

Runners-up

• Bigsby’s Folley
• Blanchard Family Wines

Best Cidery

STEM CIDERS

For the second straight year, Stem Ciders is the voters’ choice as the best cidery in Colorado. With a different promoted cider each month, Stem Ciders keeps patrons intrigued and satisfied at its RiNo Taproom and Acreage Ciderhouse & Eatery in Lafayette.

“Cider is a convivial drink with a culture of community and sharing that we cherish,” the cidery says. “From the trees in the ground to the cider in your glass it’s our mission to share these traditions with you.”

Runner-up

• Colorado Cider Co.

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This article is part of the 2022 Best of Colorado Business Choice Awards. Explore all the winners and finalists:
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES | TECHNOLOGY & ELECTRONICS | TRANSPORTATION | FINANCE
FOOD & BEVERAGE | LODGING & ACCOMMODATIONS | MAINTENANCE | REAL ESTATE
HEALTH | LIFESTYLE | PERSONAL FULFILLMENT | OFFICE | RECREATION