As dine-in restrictions and cooler weather come to a head, the Denver restaurant scene has adapted by offering igloos and greenhouse outdoor dining hubs like something pulled right out of a futuristic movie. While other restaurants are forced to go back in time — circa March 2020 — with curbside pick-up and to-go orders, this list of Denver restaurants and breweries offering innovative dining will help support small businesses.
Annette
Where: 2501 Dallas St. Ste 108, Aurora
The Lowdown: This restaurant with a James Beard Award-finalist chef located in the Stanley Marketplace in Aurora serves modern American plates with delicate cocktails. Annette’s menu includes dinner from potato gnocchi to a wagyu beef burger, Wednesday through Saturday and brunch from pork hash to egg salad toast on the weekends. It is closed Monday and Tuesday. Greenhouses (and a yurt!) can be reserved online here.
Bar Dough
Where: 2227 W. 32nd Ave., Denver
The Lowdown: Tucked in the Highland neighborhood, Bar Dough presents inventive small plate fare of handmade pasta and wood fired pizza. With pappardelle, margherita pizza and homemade meatballs, each cozy greenhouse becomes an intimate Italian experience. Each greenhouse has a prix fixe menu at $55 per person. The menu multi-courses starting with fried artichokes and Supplí followed by Cacio e Pepe pasta and a porchetta with bortolotti beans and cippolini onion dish. This menu is also offered vegetarian. Greenhouses can be reserved online here.
The Wolf’s Tailor
Where: 4058 Tejon St., Denver
The Lowdown: Located in North Denver, The Wolf’s Tailor offers a menu with elevated plates inspired by Italian kitchens and Asian night markets. The new outdoor seating skips the greenhouse and igloo trend and goes straight to heated tents. Reservations can be made here.
Maine Shack
Where: 1535 Central St., Denver
The Lowdown: Denver’s fast casual New England style restaurant featuring a lobster centric menu, now offers greenhouse outdoor seating. From lobster macaroni and cheese and stuffed rolls to lobster grilled cheese and B.L.T.s, the Maine Shack is this landlocked state’s coastal haven. Greenhouse seating is first come, first serve from open to close.
Cart-Driver
Where: 2239 W. 30th Ave., Denver
The Lowdown: The Lower Highlands location offers the same artisanal wood-fired pizza and oyster menu that Cart-Driver is famous for. It also includes a date night package for $60 with a green salad, bread and butter, daisy pizza, chocolate mousse and one bottle of wine to share. Greenhouse dining is first come, first serve Tuesday through Sunday and closed on Mondays.
Ace Eat Serve
Where: 501 E. 17th Ave., Denver
The Lowdown: Stepping outside of the greenhouse trend, Ace Eat Serve offers a heated igloo experience that accommodates up to six people maximum with a two-hour limit. The igloo requires a $25 deposit that will be deducted from the final payment. While the full menu is available in the igloo, the minimum spend is $200 regardless of reservation size. Some menu items include tiger wings, pot stickers, bao buns and spicy ramen. Upcoming Igloo dates and reservation details can be found here.
My Brother’s Bar
Where: 2376 15th St., Denver
The Lowdown: One of Denver’s oldest bars located near Confluence Park welcomes igloo-style outdoor seating with cozy furniture creating an intimate setting. The menu mirrors its seating with classic burgers, ham and swiss sandwiches, red chili and a long list of draft beers, liquor and wine. The igloos are first-come, first-serve Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and closed on Sundays.
Daughter Thai Kitchen
Where: 1700 Platte St. Ste 140, Denver
The Lowdown: Located in the same Confluence Park neighborhood, Daughter Thai Kitchen offers classic Thai food like lamb curry with Jasmin rice, pad Thai, pineapple fried rice and unique cocktails. This restaurant has also included greenhouses for outdoor seating. Reservations are accepted both online and by phone.
Angelo’s Taverna
Where: 620 E. 6th Ave., Denver
The Lowdown: Another greenhouse fan is Angelo’s Taverna serving up its classic chargrilled oysters, homemade pasta and pizzas. The Denver location’s outdoor patio is set up with five heated greenhouse pods available for reservation by phone.
Spice Trade Brewing Co.
Where: 8775 E. Orchard Rd. Ste 811, Greenwood Village
The Lowdown: Located in Greenwood Village, Spice Trade Brewing Co. offers a row of 13 heated igloos. The tap list includes pilsners, IPAs, globally-inspired imports, pumpkin spice ales, jalapeño pilsners and a chai milk stout. To accompany the long list of beers, the food menu offers adult tater tots, spicy Buffalo wings, adult macaroni and cheese and other import inspired dishes like Thai wings, poutine, red curry fried rice and a Korean chicken sandwich. For reservations for dome seating, go here.
Tributary Food Hall & Drinkery
Where: 701 12th St., Golden
The Lowdown: This Golden food hall is comprised of seven micro-eateries, a full-service bar and coffee shop. From Mr. Miner’s meat and cheese boards to Vito’s pizza and pasta, Tributary has something for everyone. This food hall has also added igloos to their outdoor seating options, creating a line of human snow globes. While the team is still working out the kinks, call ahead for igloo seating is recommended.
Northside Eatery & Market
Where: 1691 Central St., Denver
The Lowdown: Located in the Lower Highlands neighborhood, Northside Eatery and Market serve elevated comfort food, cocktails, coffee and simple pantry staples—similar to the one-stop-shop markets popping up all around Denver. The eatery offers a brunch menu with items like pesto quiche and cinnamon buns, along with a lunch and dinner menu offering dishes from miso salmon and falafel sandwiches to Bahn Mi and roasted red pepper tomato bisque. The full bar menu is also available from brunch to dinner. Greenhouses can be reserved online here.
All these seem like indoor dining. They are all small enclosed spaces. How do they sanitize them? Blankets at Annette? Again how do they sanitize? My vote is for YaYa’s in Greenwood Village. First they spent 40K to put in a special airfiltration system to combat the spread of the virus. Now that indoor dining is closed they surrounded their patio with permantant industrial heating system. True outdoor dining in comfort.
Thanks for your comment and concern. As you’ll see in the article, these are all for single parties. We did not include giant tented spaces that resemble indoor dining so the thought is that you aren’t sharing a space with unknown people. Also the rule is in most counties you can’t each out with people who are not in your household. As for sanitization, I personally went to Annette and saw them sanitize the greenhouses after each party. As for the blankets I’d assumed they just wash them and only have enough to give out for single-use each night. When I went I saw they had many on hand to accommodate.