Every restaurant opening and closing in Denver this August

Soda Club in the Ramble Hotel is a space worth lingering in with a glass of wine and a bowl of pasta.

Antony Bruno

More than 20 new Denver-area restaurants debuted in August, including one that had been on our list of most-anticipated restaurants of the summer. Soda Club, the New York-based Michelin Bib Gourmand honoree, brought its unique brand of Italian flair to RiNo’s Ramble Hotel with an all-vegan menu of pastas, pizzas and more. It’s an opening that we had our eye on for months, and a welcome addition to both the food and wine scene. 

The Catfish Denver po’ boy with a side of fries at Poor Boys.

Equally welcome is the surprise pop-up launch of Poor Boys in The Source, a side project from Temaki Den’s Kenta Kamo and partner Isaac Woo, who teamed up to bring Louisiana po’ boys to Denver while the hand roll concept undergoes a renovation project. If all goes well, we may see the sandwich shop find a permanent home after the short-term trial ends this October. 

Another pleasant surprise includes the team at Root Down acquiring the LoHi bakery favorite The Wooden Spoon, saving the 16-year-old neighborhood staple founded by owners Jason and Jeanette Burgett from imminent closure.

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“We thought it would be such a shame to watch that close, and so we felt partially responsible to do something about it, just for the community’s sake, because we know how much the community loves that place,” said Edible Beats founder Justin Cucci.

The pizza at the new Enzo’s is decidedly thicker than the famously thin pizzas of the original Enzo’s End.

Provided by Simon Campari

And we remain hopeful that the third time will prove a charm for yet another iteration of Enzo’s pizza opening on East Colfax under new ownership. The IRL pizzas look a far sight better than the AI-generated images splashed across its menu and ads, so here’s hoping it can find it’s groove (and maybe a graphic designer). 

But, as always, the month also saw its fair share of closures. Among the more notable are two more Rock Bottom Brewery locations south of the city, in Centennial and Highlands Ranch. The closures mark the end of the Rock Bottom brand in the Denver metro area, with the sole remaining outlet in the state limited to Loveland.

And while we won’t miss much from Rock Bottom, we are mourning the passing of both Chicago Mikes Beef & Dogs in Centennial, along with its owner Giles Everist, who died a few weeks before the family decided to shutter the restaurant. 

“After many incredible years of serving this amazing community, we have made the difficult decision to close Chicago Mike’s,” reads the sign posted to the door. “Your support, loyalty, and kind words have meant everything to us.”

Here’s the complete list of restaurants and bars that opened and closed in August*:

Openings

85 °C Bakery Cafe, 2767 S. Parker Road, Aurora
Black Rock Coffee Bar, 9111 E. 40th Ave.
Blue Nest Bar & Bistro, 2050 Youngfield St., Lakewood
Call Your Mother Deli, 1607 Wewatta St.
Carriage House, 1290 N. Williams St.
Dumpling Legend, 2595 S. Lewis Way, Lakewood
Enzo’s Brick Oven Pizza, 3424 E. Colfax Ave.
Giorgios Pizza, 5701 Leetsdale Dr.
Go Fish Sushi, 1 Broadway (reopening)
Grab and Crab Cajun Seafood and Bar, 3909 E. 120th Ave., Thorton
Havana Burger, 938 S. Havana St, Aurora
Hearth Patisserie, 3621 W. 32nd Ave.
Longmont Supply, 508 Third Ave., Longmont
ONO Era, 15282 E. Hampden Ave., Aurora
Poor Boys Po’ Boys, 3350 Brighton Blvd.
Prost Brewing, 3801 Crossing Drive, Lakewood
San San, 2014 10th St., Boulder
Snarf’s Sandwiches, 4504 N. Peoria St.
Soda Club, 1260 25th St.
Stoner Pizza Joint, 1505 E. Evans Ave.
The Sen Tea House, 4940 S. Yosemite St., Greenwood Village
Tiny RiNo Treat House, 2669 Larimer St.
True Food Kitchen, 1755 29th St., Boulder
Wooden Spoon Cafe & Bakery, 2418 W. 32nd Ave. (reopening)

Rock Bottom Brewery’s owners could muster only 16 words to mark the end of 35 years in business.

Closings

Bang Up to the Elephant, 1310 Pearl St.
Beirut Grill, 203 W. Hampden Ave. Englewood
BopBowl, 8719 E. Dry Creek Road, Centennial
Chicago Mike’s Beef & Dogs, 11405 E. Briarwood Ave., Centennial
Chile Verde, 2311 Federal Blvd.
Rock Bottom Brewery, 1505 Park Central Dr., Highlands Ranch
Rock Bottom Brewery, 9627 E. County Line Road, Centennial
Syrup, 300 Josephine St.

Temporary
GeJo’s, 7200 E. Dry Creek Road, Centennial
Yemen Grill & Cafe, 1135 E. Evans Ave. 

*Or earlier and not previously reported.

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