Denver has no shortage of trendy restaurants, but sometimes the best food is hiding in an unassuming strip mall or neighborhood spot you’ve probably driven past a hundred times. From Thai and Japanese comfort food to pupusas and late-night gyros, here are five hole-in-the-wall Denver restaurants worth putting on your list.
Suvipa Thai Food
Hidden in a strip mall at 1015 S. Federal Boulevard, Suvipa Thai Food has been quietly serving Denver since 2014.
The small restaurant has developed a loyal following for authentic Thai dishes without the flashy atmosphere or trendy presentation. It’s the kind of place you could easily miss while driving down Federal Boulevard, but once you know it’s there, you have a reason to come back.
More than a decade in business speaks for itself. If you’re looking for a low-key Thai spot where the focus is firmly on the food, Suvipa is worth the stop.
Pupusas Lover
Pupusas Lover at 2236 S. Colorado Boulevard was started by three sisters and specializes in traditional Salvadoran cooking.
As the name suggests, pupusas are the star. The restaurant offers a huge selection of the stuffed corn cakes along with other Salvadoran favorites.
It’s casual, family-friendly and particularly dangerous if you walk in thinking you’re only going to order a couple of pupusas. With so many varieties available, that plan can fall apart pretty quickly.
Kiki’s Japanese Casual Dining
If you think Japanese food in Denver begins and ends with sushi, Kiki’s might change your mind.
Located at 2440 S. Colorado Boulevard, Kiki’s has been serving Denver for more than two decades with a menu focused on casual Japanese home-style cooking.
Instead of relying on sushi rolls, you’ll find dishes like katsudon, ramen, karaage, noodles and other Japanese comfort foods that can be harder to find around town.
The restaurant is small, casual and refreshingly old-school — exactly the kind of neighborhood spot that earns regular customers over decades rather than months.
New Saigon Bakery & Deli
Denver lost the original New Saigon restaurant, but the family’s bakery and deli is still serving customers at 640 S. Federal Boulevard.
The big attraction here is banh mi: crispy bread loaded with Vietnamese meats, vegetables and other fillings that make for one of the best grab-and-go lunches around.
New Saigon Bakery & Deli also serves a variety of other Vietnamese foods and is currently open Wednesday through Sunday, so make sure you check the schedule before heading over.
If you’re already exploring Federal Boulevard for food, this is an easy one to add to the list.
Jerusalem Restaurant
Generations of University of Denver students already know about Jerusalem Restaurant.
Located at 1890 E. Evans Avenue near DU, the longtime neighborhood favorite serves falafel, hummus, gyros, kebabs and other Middle Eastern staples.
One of its biggest advantages is its late-night hours, making it a go-to when plenty of other Denver kitchens have already shut down.
It may not qualify as a secret among DU students and longtime Denver residents, but plenty of people outside the neighborhood have never tried it.
These five restaurants prove you don’t always need reservations, fancy dining rooms or the latest viral restaurant to find some of Denver’s most interesting food. Sometimes you just need to know which little strip-mall door to open.
