2017 Family Favorites: Food and Drink
Whether you’re searching for allergy-friendly bakeries, wholesome takeout, or a great spot for the family to hang out, our readers know exactly where to go.
Allergy-Friendly Bakery
Top Five
Beet Box Bakery & Café
Gluten Escape
Gluten Free Things
Great Harvest Bread Company
Mermaids Bakery
The Winner
Great Harvest Bread Company
Four metro locations | greatharvest.com
The folks at Great Harvest know that real food tastes really good. That’s why they use simple ingredients and fresh-milled flours in wholesome, homemade breads and treats. Individual franchises are encouraged to bake up regional breads with local ingredients, and Colorado storefronts have begun incorporating organic and gluten-free options into their rotating daily menus.
Healthy Family Restaurant
Top Five
MAD Greens
Modern Market
Panera Bread
Sweet Tomatoes
True Food Kitchen
The Winner
Panera Bread
Dozens of metro locations | panerabread.com
Panera Bread’s mission is all about delivering delicious food that’s better for customers. The national chain serves up a mouthwatering menu of kid-approved sandwiches, soups, salads, and pastas. You won’t find artificial preservatives, food colors, or sweeteners at Panera. What you will find are fruits, vegetables, and whole grains packed into an expansive menu capable of accommodating most dietary restrictions.
Kid-Friendly Happy Hour
Top Five*
Ace Eat Serve
Farm House at Breckenridge Brewery
Happier Hour at BookBar
Homegrown Tap & Dough
Lowry Beer Garden
Maddie’s Biergarten
*Tie occurred in this category
The Winner
Ace Eat Serve
501 E. 17th Ave., Denver | 303-800-7705 | aceeatserve.com
With three distinct spaces nestled into the 9,000-square-foot repurposed garage, Ace Eat Serve is a perfect place for your next kid-friendly happy hour. Even without its 11 Ping-Pong tables and stellar patio, the space would still wow most guests with music, Asian-inspired grub, and recycled industrial décor incorporating shipping containers and airplane scraps.
Local Bakery for a Birthday Cake
Top Five
A Cake Occasion
Azucar Bakery
Cakes by Karen
Mulberries Cake Shop
Sugarmill Desserts
The Winner
Mulberries Cake Shop
2027 E. Colfax Ave., Denver
303-282-1044 | mulberriescakeshop.com
Round and sheet cakes are made-to-order at this City Park bakery, and come in ten flavors, including marble, almond poppy, and butter pecan. Stuff your cake with any of the shop’s 16 fillings (chocolate pudding, anyone?) and top it off with five varieties of icing. Mulberries also stocks 6-inch “ready now” cakes and cupcakes and hosts cake decorating parties.
Local Breakfast or Brunch Spot
Top Five*
Four Friends Kitchen
Jelly Café
Lucile’s Creole Café
Sam’s No. 3
Snooze: An AM Eatery
Toast Fine Food & Coffee
*Tie occurred in this category
The Winner
Snooze: An AM Eatery
Five metro locations | snoozeeatery.com
There’s a reason families line up outside of Snooze on the weekends. This legendary breakfast joint features an expansive seasonal menu filled with omelets, tacos, burritos, benedicts, and the best pancakes in the region. The sauces and pure Vermont maple syrup from Slopeside are legendary. Snooze cooks up its delectable fare daily.
Local Burger Joint
Top Five
Crave Real Burgers
Larkburger
Park Burger
Smashburger
TAG Burger Bar
The Winner
Park Burger
Five metro locations | parkburger.com
The American classic gets an upgrade with fresh beef and buffalo patties, turkey or veggie patties, plus a kids” mini-burger. Order a burger with traditional fixings, or try a specialty burger like The Royale, topped with caramelized onions, blue cheese, and bacon. Add a salad or sweet potato fries as a side, and grab a craft beer or shake, too.
Local Family-Friendly Restaurant
Top Five
Lucky Pie Pizza & Taphouse
Merle’s of Littleton
Sam’s No. 3
Steuben’s Food Service
White Fence Farm
The Winner
Steubenís Food Service
523 E. 17th Ave., Denver and 7355 Ralston Rd., Arvada 303-830-1001 and 303-830-0096 | steubens.com
The locally owned and independent restaurant specializes in recreating American regional classics. Start with deviled eggs or crispy Brussels sprouts, and then move on to simple-yet-scrumptious six cheese béchamel macaroni and cheese. Each 12-and-under kids” menu item comes with a variety of healthy and hearty sides.
Local Frozen Yogurt
Top Five
Goozell Yogurt & Coffee
Nella’s Frozen Yogurt
Nova Yogurt Co.
Smart Cow Yogurt Bar
Yogurt Brothers
The Winner
Nellaís Frozen Yogurt
8086 W. Bowles Ave., Littleton
720-350-4820 | facebook.com/nellasfroyo
This hip Littleton dessert spot makes going out for fro-yo an especially enjoyable experience, with colorful walls, clean counters, indoor-outdoor seating options, and a welcoming vibe. The self-serve at Nella’s Frozen Yogurt comes in 16 delicious, rotating flavors, and customers can choose from 50-plus toppings ranging from fresh fruit to caramel cups, cookie dough, and coconut.
Local Ice Cream Shop
Top Five
Bonnie Brae Ice Cream
Glacier Homemade Ice Cream & Gelato
Little Man Ice Cream
Scrumptious
Sweet Cow Ice Cream
The Winner
Bonnie Brae Ice Cream
799 S. University Blvd., Denver
303-777-0808 | bonniebraeicecream.com
If your kids haven’t experienced the joy of eating an ice cream cone under the red-and-white awning at this Denver mainstay, it’s high time you visited. For more than 30 years, this neighborhood shop has been scooping up dozens of varieties of homemade ice cream. Cakes and pies are also on the rotating and imaginative handwritten menu.
Local Kids Meal Menu
Top Five
Ace Eat Serve
Merle’s of Littleton
Steuben’s Food Service
TAG Burger Bar
White Fence Farm
The Winner
Steubenís Food Service
523 E. 17th Ave., Denver and 7355 Ralston Rd., Arvada
303-830-1001 and 303-830-0096 | steubens.com
Steuben’s 12-and-under kids” menu has everything you’re expecting: burgers, chicken, macaroni and cheese, and noodles, along with grilled cheese, hot dogs, and PB&J. Each supper comes with carrot sticks and cucumbers, edamame beans, fresh berries, and a side: slaw, tomato soup, veggies, or potatoes served mashed or fried. Allergy menus are on-hand, too, for children with intolerances.
Local Pizza
Top Five *
Anthony’s Pizza & Pasta
Beau Jo’s Colorado Style Pizza
Fat Sully’s New York Pizza
Lil” Ricci’s NY Pizzeria
Lucky Pie Pizza & Taphouse
Pizzeria Locale
The Winner
Pizzeria Locale
550 Broadway, Denver and 3484 W. 32nd Ave., Denver 720-508-8828 and 303-302-2451 | pizzerialocale.com
Pizzeria Locale’s pies are made the southern Italian way, with simple recipes and fresh, local ingredients. Pizzas cook in two minutes flat, in a custom-made oven set to 1,000 degrees. The menu features a solid lineup of 11-inch classic reds plus a few white pizzas, along with build-your-own options, salads, and appetizers. After dinner, try one of the Nutella “zas.
