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Sam's No. 3 on Curtis Street doesn't look like much from the outside, and that's kind of the point. It's a diner. A real one. The kind that's been serving downtown Denver since before most of the buildings around it existed. I walked in expecting a quick, forgettable breakfast before heading into the day, and came out thinking about it for the rest of the week.

The place is loud, a little cramped, and the menu is the size of a small novel. First timers will probably spend five minutes just staring at it. My wife and I went on a Tuesday morning and got seated pretty quickly, which isn't always guaranteed on weekends from what I've heard. The servers are fast and they're not going to hover, which I appreciate. You order, the food comes, and it's good.

What We Actually Ordered

I went with the green chile smothered burrito, which is the move if you've never been. The green chile at Sam's is the real reason locals keep coming back. It's got some heat to it, not the kind that makes you regret your choices, but enough to know it's actual green chile and not a cream-based approximation. My wife got the huevos rancheros and said they were some of the best she's had in the city, which is a sentence she doesn't say casually. The portion sizes are large. Like, unexpectedly large. We were both done before we finished half.

The coffee is diner coffee. It's fine. It does the job. If you're coming here for some kind of specialty pour-over situation, that's not what this is, and honestly that's completely appropriate given what Sam's is.

What Works and What Doesn't

What works: the price, the consistency, the green chile, the size of the portions, and the fact that it's walking distance from pretty much anywhere downtown. At those prices, you're getting a legitimately good breakfast in a city where a mediocre avocado toast can run you $18. The value is hard to argue with.

What doesn't always work: the noise level can get pretty high when it fills up, and the space isn't huge, so if you roll in with a big group on a Saturday morning without any patience, you might be waiting longer than you want. Also, parking on Curtis Street downtown is annoying — metered street parking or a nearby garage are your options, so factor that in.

It's a great spot if you're heading to a morning Nuggets game or just need something solid before a full day downtown. The menu has enough range that it works for people who want something simple and people who want something heaped with green chile and cheese, which covers most situations.

The Downtown Breakfast Landscape

There are plenty of options in this stretch of downtown. Corinne over on California Street is doing a more polished brunch thing and it's good, but you're paying for the room as much as the food. Stout Street Social has its fans. But for a no-frills breakfast that's going to actually fill you up without denting your wallet, Sam's No. 3 keeps coming back to the top of my list.

It's been around since 1927, which means it's survived about fifteen cycles of Denver reinventing itself, and it's still pulling in a full room most mornings. That's not an accident.

If you're downtown and want a quick, solid breakfast that won't disappoint, Sam's on Curtis is where I'd send you. Go early on weekends or go on a weekday — either way, get the green chile on whatever you order.