Say HELLO to Riot BBQ 🍖 (and Goodbye to AJ’s Pit Bar-B-Q!)

Downtown Denver gets a bad rap for food, and some of it is deserved. There's a lot of mediocre stuff aimed at convention crowds and tourists who don't know any better. But if you know where to look, there are some genuinely solid places mixed in — spots where locals actually eat, not just places that survive on foot traffic from the 16th Street Mall. I've been eating my way through downtown more than usual lately, and this is the list I keep sending to people when they ask where to go.

One thing I should say upfront: downtown is not where I'd send you for BBQ right now. If you're chasing smoke, head south to 2180 S Delaware St — Riot BBQ just took over the old AJ's Pit Bar-B-Q space, and it's worth knowing about. AJ's had a wild ending (Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition, then the whole staff quit, then a tax seizure — it was a whole thing), but Riot BBQ came in with some familiar faces and has been doing its own thing with the smokehouse. I haven't stopped thinking about it. That said, this piece is about downtown, so let's get into it.

Corinne Denver

Corinne sits inside the Maven Hotel on California Street and does that tricky thing well — it's a hotel restaurant that doesn't feel like a hotel restaurant. The menu leans toward shareable plates, which works well if you're going with a group, and the space is open and comfortable without being loud. The cocktail program is strong, and the food matches it. Worth checking for a weeknight dinner when you want something a step above casual without the full commitment of a three-course situation.

Tavernetta

Right on the 16th Street Mall, Tavernetta is probably the best Italian restaurant in downtown Denver, and it's not particularly close. The pasta is made in-house, and you can tell — the texture is different from most places. My wife and I went for a birthday dinner a while back and ordered the tagliatelle, which was the right call. The room is polished without being stiff, and the service is knowledgeable without being the kind where someone explains every ingredient to you. It's a $$$-tier spot, so go in knowing that, but the quality is there.

Sam's No. 3

Sam's No. 3 on Curtis Street has been around since 1927, which in Denver restaurant years is basically geological time. It's a diner, it's cheap, and it's open for breakfast and lunch in a part of downtown that doesn't have enough of either. The green chile is the reason to come — it's the green chile Denver locals are actually talking about when they tell you Denver does green chile well, which is something we say to feel better about not being New Mexico. Go for breakfast, get the smothered burrito, and don't overthink it.

The Hampton Social

The Hampton Social on 16th Street in the Platte area has a casual waterfront vibe — there's a rooftop, the menu is pretty approachable, and it's the kind of place that works for a group that can't agree on what they want. The rosé situation is extensive if that matters to you. It's not trying to be anything more than a good-time spot with solid food, and it succeeds at that. I'd aim for a weekend afternoon rather than a Friday night when the wait tends to stack up.

Water Grill Denver

Water Grill is on Market Street and specializes in seafood, which still feels slightly exotic in a landlocked city. The happy hour is one of the better deals downtown — oysters and drinks at prices that make sense. The raw bar is the main event here. It's listed as a $ on the price scale, which I assume reflects the happy hour window, because dinner goes higher than that. Either way, it's a legitimate seafood spot in a city where those are rarer than they should be.

Maggiano's Little Italy

Yes, it's a chain. It's also consistently good, which is more than I can say for a lot of the independent spots that have opened and closed in the Pavilions Mall over the years. Maggiano's does big portions of Italian-American classics — the kind of food that's not trying to be fancy and doesn't need to be. If you're feeding a larger group or just want something reliable before a show at a nearby venue, this works. The classics menu is where I'd focus.

Panzano

Panzano on 17th Street is the kind of downtown restaurant that's easy to overlook because it's attached to Hotel Monaco, but the food is legitimately good. The Italian menu is more regionally specific than most, and the chef has been there long enough that the kitchen runs with consistency. The happy hour at the bar is one of the better-kept secrets on that block. If you're eating alone or with one other person, sitting at the bar is the move.

3 Margaritas Downtown Cocina Mexicana

3 Margaritas on the 16th Street Mall is straightforward Mexican food at a fair price. The margaritas are the draw — they're large, not too sweet, and won't cost you what a cocktail at a nicer spot would. The food is solid and consistent, which is what you want when you're downtown and just need something that works. It fills up on weekend evenings, so go earlier if you want to avoid the wait.

Ajax Downtown

Ajax is on the 16th Street Mall and focuses on American cooking with a slightly more modern approach than most of the places around it. The burger has come up in enough conversations that I feel confident pointing you toward it — it's better than it has any right to be at a mall-adjacent restaurant at that price point. The patio is good when the weather cooperates, which in Denver is most of the time except when it's suddenly not.

Stout Street Social

Stout Street Social is on the quieter end of downtown, on Stout between 14th and 15th, and it functions well as a neighborhood bar with food that's better than average. The menu is American, the vibe is relaxed, and the prices are reasonable. It doesn't have the energy of some of the louder spots downtown, which is either a feature or a bug depending on what you're looking for. I think of it as a solid weeknight option — somewhere to land after work without having to plan around it.

Downtown has more going for it than people give it credit for, especially if you move off the main tourist corridor. Most of these places are within a reasonable walk of each other, so it's not hard to explore. Start with Tavernetta if you want to do it right, or hit Sam's No. 3 if you just want breakfast and a conversation with nobody in particular.