Recommendations from the My 420 Tours Team

Let’s be straight right out the gate — there are no licensed 420-friendly restaurants in Denver. Yet. As far as public consumption goes, Denver doesn’t have the Amsterdam-style coffee shops, bars, etc. that allow patrons to light up. In fact, only one consumption license has been issued to a small non-restaurant called The Coffee Joint, and all other legal places to smoke weed in Denver are either on private property or speakeasy-style buses and lounges.

That said, the team at My 420 Tours would love to send Denver visitors to the best food joints in town. While these aren’t officially 420 friendly restaurants, they are our favorite places to go stuff ourselves (often while feeling nice and lifted) and to send others who may be experiencing an unstoppable case of the munchies. No, we’re not Yelp or TripAdvisor, but we’re longtime locals who love to eat and know what’s hot in the Mile High City. Here are our top picks for four different kinds of restaurants — fine dining, fast casual/food truck, pizza, and desserts.

Danny’s 420 Friendly Restaurant Picks

Favorite sit-down restaurant: El Five, the highest view of the mile high skyline.

Favorite pizza spot: Walnut Room, a Denver staple for its amazing food, laid-back locals and sick music venue.

Favorite dessert spot: Little Man Ice Cream. The only place in town with Ice Cream SO good, people wait In line in the middle of winter, while it’s snowing!!!

Matt’s 420 Friendly Restaurant Picks

Favorite sit-down restaurant: Imperial Chinese Restaurant located on Broadway & Alameda Avenue. THE BEST Chinese in Denver! The Nan King Pork Loin is out-of-this-world delicious!

Favorite food truck or fast-casual restaurant: The Chop Shop located on Colfax & Elm Street. Rotating menu of classic dishes with a fine dining twist. Bang for the buck? This is the spot!

Favorite pizza spot: Fat Sully’s New York Pizza. (3 Locations) Classic New York Pizza. No soggy slices here!

Favorite dessert spot: Nuggs Ice Cream located on Colfax & Forest. Locally handcrafted ice cream doesn’t get any better than this! Bonus: it’s next door to Verde Natural dispensary, the final stop on our Cannabis Wellness Tour. 

Food trucks and breweries go together like a joint and a campfire. Perfect for a group when everyone’s feeling different types of the munchies. Chase the trucks to Finn’s Manor in RiNo.

Nick’s 420 Friendly Restaurant Picks

Favorite sit-down restaurant: I love City O’ City on 13th, just south of the state capital, because it’s a perfect example that vegetarian food doesn’t have to be pretentious or make you feel like you’re making-do by eating sticks and leaves – I can also bring my non-vegetarian friends without any fear of judgement because the food speaks for itself, no matter your eating proclivities. The menu is mostly hearty staples like their “pastrami” sandwich, seitan sausage and pepper pizza, mac & cheese BBQ bowl, etc. their kitchen stays open until 1 AM on the weekends and they have an excellent beer, wine and cocktail list making this a great place to start or end a fun evening.

Favorite food truck or fast-casual restaurant:  Biju’s Little Curry Shop (Tennyson St – There’s also a location in RiNo) makes intensely flavorful curry bowls, served up assembly-line style like you’d expect at any other fast casual restaurant but the flavors go toe-to-toe with any fancy Indian dining experience I have ever had. The basic bowl options are deceptively simple with only three “bowls” on their menu, but you are able to customize it with your choice of veggies, protein, curry and additional spices and toppings. As far as spicy heat goes, this is one of the few restaurants in Denver that can really do spice levels right – their hot vindaloo curry spiced up with the birdseye chili add-on will drench even the staunchest spice hunter.

Favorite pizza spot: Pietra’s Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant on 44th Ave. in Wheat Ridge is one of the last vestiges of ‘old Italian’ North Denver. It’s an unassuming spot located in a strip mall in the far west of the city, but everything about the joint screams authentic as soon as you make the choice to stop by, from the dark wood paneled entry corridor to the well worn red vinyl booths to the bottles of Birra Moretti chilling in the Coca-Cola cooler behind the counter.

Favorite dessert spot: Rheinländer Bakery in Olde Town Arvada is a German / European-style bakery that makes some of the most delicious baked goods in the city including tons of gluten-free, sugar-free and vegan desserts. They feature a coffee bar on-site for morning strudel consumption purposes and their Mardis Gras King Cake has been hailed as Top 10 in the United States by USA Today.

If Sushi & Joint Rolling Class is sold out, check out one of Denver’s top sushi spots.

Gage’s 420 Friendly Restaurant Picks

Favorite sit-down restaurant: Vine Street Pub. Chill environment with a hippie feel and amazing beer!

Favorite food truck or fast-casual restaurant: Shawing or Brentcats Dogs. Shawing serves buffalo-style foods. Wings, chicken sammies and salt potato!! Brentcats is the best for Chicago-style hot dogs.

Favorite pizza spot: Hops and Pie because of beer! 3guys for the closest thing to authentic NY style.

Favorite dessert spot: Make Believe Bakery! Gluten free and vegan bakery! Get the peanut butter mousse bar. 

El Mehdi’s 420 Friendly Restaurant Picks

Favorite sit-down restaurant: Bruno’s Italian Bistro in Villa Monaco. I love the Veal Marsal-sauteed mushrooms and herbs in a sweet marsala wine on house-made gnocchi.

Favorite food truck or fast-casual restaurant: Spice Flow, because of the Macaroni and Cheese. GRILLED Cheese is LIFE.

Favorite pizza spot: Lil Ricci’s DTC, because it’s REAL New York Style pizza and comes out perfect every time.

Favorite dessert spot: Trompeau Bakery French Patisserie and Coffee shop, because they serve the finest French pastries around and their French Bread is to die for.

Fast-casual pho and ramen always satisfy.

Austen’s 420 Friendly Restaurant Picks

Favorite sit-down restaurant: Sushi Den. This place is huge! Four bars, two levels and fantastic sushi. Great for a date night or for traveling friends. Sit at the sushi bar for dinner and a show haha.

Favorite food truck or fast-casual restaurant: Pho 63. Love this place because it’s cheap, fast and they give you huge portions. Also  it’s close to me so I’m a little partial.

Favorite pizza spot: Patxis Pizza, Fantastic Chicago-style pizza. If you order a large pie you’ll have leftovers for days because the slices are piled high with toppings.

Favorite dessert spot: Little Man Ice Cream. The location is very cute and appealing, their ice cream is always on point and an added bonus is you’re next to Linger (rooftop bar).

Kelleyanne’s 420 Friendly Restaurant Picks

Favorite sit-down restaurant: Los Chingones Downtown for the awesome margaritas.

Favorite food truck or fast-casual restaurant: Crock Spot is my ultimate favorite food truck and is always at the best breweries on the weekends, it is a winning combo! Snarfs Sandwiches is also one of my favorites for a quick and go meal, the best sandwiches in Denver!

Favorite pizza spot: Ian’s Pizza for sure! They have crazy by-the-slice options like mac n’ cheese, they give out some of the best ranch dressing, and are open until 3 AM every night!

Favorite dessert spot: Little Man Ice Cream. The ice cream is so good that there is a line around the corner and Jay Z has even waited in line there!

Eric’s 420 Friendly Restaurant Picks

Favorite sit-down restaurant: Nonna’s Italian Bistro — what to order — Penne Bolognese

Favorite food truck or fast-casual restaurant: Tuk Tuk Thai Grill  — what to order  — Pad Sea Eew

Favorite pizza spot: Bonnie Brae Tavern — what to order —  House Special Pizza

Favorite dessert spot: McCormick and Schmick’s –– what to order — Chocolate Bag

Ian’s Pizza gets creative with their slices. Did someone say Mac & Cheese?

Kat’s 420 Friendly Restaurant Picks

Favorite food truck or fast-casual restaurant: Gyroz on Colfax. Good fast Greek salads yum. And close to everything

Favorite pizza spot: Mellow Mushroom. Good stoner pizza and really cool decor.

Favorite dessert spot: Diet. No desserts for me, but I do remember Voodoo Donuts being good.

Michael’s 420 Friendly Restaurant Picks

Favorite food truck or fast-casual restaurant: I’m not cool enough to have a favorite sit-down, but Avanti is probably my favorite fast-casual place since they have a lot of food options, a great view of downtown Denver, and Prost brewing next door.

My favorite pizza place is Patxi’s as I’m partial to anyone who can execute a decent Chicago deep dish, and they are the only ones around I have found.

For my favorite dessert spot, I don’t actually have one, so let’s go with Habit Doughnut Dispensary on Platte Street.

Habit Doughnut Dispensary lets you inject your doughnut with booze.

Justin’s 420 Friendly Restaurant Picks

Favorite sit-down restaurant: Bruno’s Italian Bistro. They have an amazing food menu as well as a great wine menu. Very friendly environment.

Favorite fast casual: Grandpa’s Burger Haven on Federal. Quick Burgers awesome service and great taste.

Favorite pizza place: Lil Ricci’s DTC. Awesome New York style pizza, great calzones, amazing garlic knots, and a beautiful atmosphere that makes you feel at home.

Favorite dessert spot: Cereal Box in Arvada. Any cereal you can imagine covered with syrups whipped cream and multiple flavors of milk. It is a stoner’s dream, as long as they love cereal!

Bailey’s 420 Friendly Restaurant Picks

We all really like food. A lot.

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