Health-conscious, paleo-driven, allergy-ridden, gluten-free-ers and lovers of delicious comfort food rejoice, Denver’s first exclusively gluten-free and paleo restaurant recently added a dinner service. Since its launch in early 2017, Just BE Kitchen has dished up healthy, scratch-made comfort food in the form of breakfast and lunch entrees, crave-worthy home-baked goods and coffee beverages galore. After significant requests to expand the menu into the evening hours, the Just BE Kitchen family has obliged. Now the downtown restaurant offers dinner options that are just as healthy and delicious as the dishes that made them beloved in the first place.
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“[Our] loyal following […] ha[s] been asking for dinner hours for quite a while, so we are answering the call,” said owner Jennifer Peters, who has strived to offer each and every customer a mindful, conscious and healthy eating experience. “We want everyone to feel nourished and cared for when they are here […] and feel like they are doing something good for their minds and bodies. Food is the vessel for the experience we want to create.”
We recommend starting with one of the alternative appetizers like LIGHT cauliflower hummus ($5) — a wholesome and bright alternative to its chickpea-based cousin — served with homemade almond-flour tortilla strips and house veggies. Or, try the INSPIRE ($10), an earthy Mediterranean plate with grain-free turmeric falafel clouds, that airy cauliflower hummus, a crunchy gremolata slaw, sweet potato salad and house-made pickles. Add one of their house-made tortillas ($1) to scoop, dip and sandwich the fixings.
For entrees, we enjoyed the WOWED marinated chicken sandwich ($12.50), a perfectly-cooked chicken breast topped off a homemade “baconaise” — yes readers that’s correct, a mayo alternative made from bacon fat-creamy, savory and fulfilling of all your bacon-every dreams — caramelized onion and arugula and served on an herbed nut-free bun. The ENERGY ($13) is a great option for those who need their beef — a 100 percent grass-fed beef tenderloin rubbed with coffee spice and dished up with baby kale and a whipped sweet potato blended with unique notes of cumin and cinnamon.
Don’t forget to try the plethora of effervescent drink options, all beverages — both alcoholic and non-alcoholic — are grain free and several of them also offer a low-sugar alternative. We loved the Kombucha mimosa ($6.50), refreshing and not too sweet, the Glutenberg IPA ($5) and the low-sugar wine alternative from partner Fit Vine. The Cabernet ($6) still offered its native full-bodied, savory tastes and the Pinot Grigio ($6) was a great companion to the poultry and veggie dishes.
If you still have room for dessert at the end of your meal, feel free to be a little naughty with the DIVINE ($6), a gluten-free brownie served with a ‘crème’ anglaise, and like its name denotes, this devilishly good dessert is quite divine.
Whether you struggle with allergies, are training for that next marathon or just are trying to eat healthier, Peters and her team have made sure there is something for every type of diet and palate to strike your fancy.
Just BE Kitchen is open every day from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. Entrées range from $8 to $13. Find them at 2364 15th Street, Denver.
All photography by Sarah Addy.
