The Best Denver Suburbs for Food

Lakewood

West of Denver · 15–20 min from downtown

Lakewood is the most underrated food suburb in the Denver metro. The Belmar district has evolved into a legitimate dining destination over the past five years, with a concentration of independent restaurants that punch well above what you'd expect from a suburban shopping district. The rents are lower than RiNo, which means chefs can take risks that aren't available to them closer to downtown.

The Vietnamese and Korean options along Wadsworth Boulevard are among the best in the metro — long-established family restaurants that have been serving the same excellent food for decades without needing a food media write-up. Pho 79, in particular, has a broth program that rivals anything in the city.

What to order in Lakewood: The pho at Pho 79, wood-fired pizza at Belmar, and the Korean barbecue options along the Wadsworth corridor. Saturday lunch is the move — crowds are lighter than weekend dinners and the kitchens are fresher.

Littleton

South of Denver · 20–25 min from downtown

Historic downtown Littleton is one of the genuinely pleasant surprises in the Denver suburbs. The Main Street corridor has a walkable, small-town feel that supports independent restaurants rather than driving them out. Several chefs have chosen Littleton specifically because the neighborhood attracts a loyal local following that supports year-round consistency.

The Italian and American dining options in downtown Littleton are the strongest category — a handful of places doing handmade pasta and wood-fired cooking at a quality level that would earn attention anywhere in Denver. The price points are also notably more reasonable, which is the suburban advantage at its clearest.

What to order in Littleton: Handmade pasta at any of the Main Street Italian spots, craft burgers, and weekend brunch at the neighborhood restaurants that skip the wait times you'd face in LoHi. The area also has a strong coffee scene if you're starting your day here.

Englewood

South of Denver · 15 min from downtown

Englewood doesn't have the reputation of some of its neighboring suburbs, but the South Broadway corridor — which bleeds between Denver proper and Englewood — contains some of the most interesting eating in the metro. The border is blurry enough that locals don't always distinguish between them, which works in Englewood's favor.

The diversity of cuisine along South Broadway is the draw. Ethiopian, Mexican, Thai, and American comfort food coexist within blocks of each other at price points that reflect the neighborhood's character rather than its proximity to trendier areas. This is where Denver food people eat when they don't feel like performing.

What to order in Englewood: Ethiopian platters along the South Broadway corridor, late-night bar food at the spots that stay open past midnight, and the green chile at any of the New Mexican-influenced diners that have anchored the neighborhood for years.

Aurora

East of Denver · 20–30 min from downtown

Aurora is the most important food suburb in the Denver metro for anyone serious about eating well across cuisines. The city is home to one of the most ethnically diverse populations in Colorado, and that diversity has produced an extraordinary concentration of authentic international restaurants that the food media has been slow to cover.

The stretch of Havana Street running through central Aurora is a destination in its own right. Somali, Burmese, Ethiopian, Vietnamese, and Mexican restaurants sit within blocks of each other, many of them family-run operations that have been feeding their communities for a decade or more without needing outside validation. The Burmese options in particular — tea leaf salads, mohinga, and the fermented dishes that don't appear on menus anywhere else in Colorado — are worth a dedicated trip.

What to order in Aurora: Burmese tea leaf salad (laphet thoke) at any of the Burmese spots on Havana, Somali goat rice (bariis iskukaris), Vietnamese pho and banh mi from the Federal corridor, and the authentic Mexican birria that doesn't make it onto menus closer to downtown.

Westminster

Northwest of Denver · 20–25 min from downtown

Westminster has historically been suburban sprawl in the least interesting sense — chain restaurants and strip malls with a few independent spots scattered throughout. That's changing. The Orchard Town Center area and the older sections of Westminster near Federal Boulevard have attracted a newer generation of independent restaurants, and the results are starting to matter.

The Indian food options in Westminster are the strongest case for the suburb's food credibility. A cluster of South Asian restaurants near Federal and 92nd Ave represents some of the most technically accomplished Indian cooking in the metro — dishes built for an audience that knows the cuisine rather than menus softened for the suburban mainstream.

What to order in Westminster: Indian curries and biryanis from the Federal Boulevard corridor, dim sum on weekend mornings, and the newer farm-to-table spots near the Orchard area that are building the suburb's next chapter.

The case for suburban eating

The argument for eating in Denver's suburbs isn't that the food is better than what's available in RiNo or LoHi. At the highest level, the city still has the edge. The argument is about value, authenticity, and access to cuisines that the city's food media has systematically ignored.

A $14 bowl of Burmese tea leaf salad in Aurora represents a higher level of culinary craft than a $22 small plate in a RiNo restaurant optimized for Instagram. The Denver metro's best international eating is almost entirely in the suburbs, and that's worth knowing before you plan your next meal.