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Best place to eat off campus:
The Market 1445 Larimer Square (303) 534-5140 http://www.themarketatlarimer.com Hours: Mon. - Thurs. 6 a.m. - 11 p.m., Fri./Sat. 6 a.m. - midnight, Sun. 6 a.m. - 10 p.m
(Reader's Choice: Domo)
If you're looking for an affordable and healthy alternative to corporate, on-campus food vendors and off-campus grease pits, The Market should be your preferred in-between-classes destination.
Opened 24 years ago, this European-style restaurant boasts the Best Yankee Pot Roast, the Best Barbecue Brisket Sandwich, the Best Apple Strudel, the Best House Vinaigrette Salad Dressing, and customers go bonkers for the Milk Chocolate Cashew and Pecan Myrtles ($3 each).
The average price for entrees ranges from $7 to $10 and serving sizes are overabundant, so don't be afraid to ask for a to-go container. Desserts tend to be pricey ($3.75 to $5), but they're worth every penny. There is seldom a wait to be served, there are plenty of places to sit/to talk/to WiFi and the ambient noise is well within acceptable levels.
"We're not your typical sit-down restaurant because we have such a huge variety of offerings, which brings people in for different reasons," says Supervising Manager Jennifer Marti. "We really care about our customers - we make everything from scratch every day. We strive to make our customers happy and to ensure that every menu item tastes good so that they enjoy their experience."
- Tom Rockman, Jr.
Cheapest place to eat off campus:
Croc's Mexican Grill 1630 Market St. Denver, CO 80202 (303) 436-1144 www.crocsmexicangrill.com Hours: Mon. - Fri. 11 a.m. - 2 a.m., Sat./Sun. noon - 2 a.m.
(Reader's Choice: McDonald's)
For this category, our pick is a restaurant that serves reasonably priced grub in a fashionable setting. Everybody knows you can always rely on fast-food restaurants with their dollar menus and garishly colored dining rooms to fill you up, but where can you find affordable food and a little atmosphere? Croc's Mexican Grill, located on Market St. between 16th and 17th St., fits the bill perfectly. Along with big-screen TVs, a fully-stocked bar and a giant crocodile named Hal, you'll find a mix of delicious Mexican and American dishes. The portions are large and there are several entrees that run between $5 and $8 dollars, including a garden burger for you vegheads.
And yes, you can still get your cheap on with some super weekly specials. On Tuesdays, snag a burrito for just $5.50 between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., but don't neglect to return on Wednesday for the best deal of all: 99-cent tacos and $1.99 margaritas from 4 p.m. until closing. You can even get in a little exercise, as Croc's is just a few minutes' stroll from campus. Viva el Croc!
- Debra Goldyn
Best vegetarian option off campus:
City, O' City 206 E. 13th Ave. (303) 831-6443 Hours: Mon. - Fri. 7 a.m. - 2 a.m., Sat./Sun. 8 a.m. - 2 a.m. http://www.watercoursefoods.com/
(Reader's Choice: Snack Shack outside the library)
Who loves vegetarian food? Who loves pizza? Well, there is one place where you can get them both together. City, O' City (206 E. 13th Ave.) has pizza for those of you who eat meat and cheese, but they also have the most amazing (and I do mean amazing) vegan pizzas. They have some typical pizzas, but they also have more unique pies. They have one made with a fig sauce that I particularly recommend. And I promise you vegans out there that the people at this restaurant will not look at you funny when you walk in and tell them that you want a pizza without (gasp!) cow cheese. Go check it out.
- Carrie Gebel
Best place to grab coffee off campus:
Metropolitan Mudd Coffee Company 1516 Wazee St. (303) 534-5887 Hours: Mon. - Fri. 7 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
After countless visits to Denver-area coffee houses in the last five years, I have discovered the ambrosia or nectar of the coffee gods - the Metro Muddslide and the White Washed - at Metropolitan Mudd Coffee Company.
The secret ingredients: Start with Vail Mountain Coffee as a base. Then add chocolate sauce, vanilla extract, and two shots of espresso to the first; and white chocolate, macadamia nut and two shots of espresso to the second. Yum!
"My sister and I were tired of tasting bad coffee, so we decided to start our own business chain," says coffee entrepreneur Lonny Brewer. "The master vision was to create some place with a nostalgic atmosphere and décor where customers could relax and be more comfortable while providing good service and the best coffee that we could find."
The coffee house is filled with incongruent themes and eclectic finds. It's as if Brewer went to a middle-class rummage sale and strategically placed a bunch of mismatched objects around the shop. Even the red-burgundy/burnt-orange wall paint with missed splotches seems strange, yet purposeful.
Skye, a longtime customer and newly hired employee, says that Metropolitan Mudd is always quality testing their products and continuously searching for the best specialty coffees to add to their menu. "Let me just say that there's a lot of love that goes into making every drink," she says. "We grind our own coffee to order and we guarantee the fresh taste."
If that doesn't convince you, this should help: UCD students and faculty get 15 percent off with a valid ID.
- Tom Rockman, Jr.
Greasiest place to eat off campus:
The Park Tavern and Restaurant 931 E. 11th Ave. (303) 832-7667 Hours: 8 a.m. - 2 a.m. (Kitchen closes at 1 a.m.) www.theparktavern.com
There's a place, Potager, nestled in the cozy Capitol Hill confines on 11th and Ogden, that serves food like the gods themselves were coming for dinner. The fish is flaky, the stews are steamy and the fowl is anything but. It is a restaurant not unlike heaven itself.
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