Boulder, CO

Craft beer, mountain views, and Pearl Street vibes.

A guide to some favorite spots in Boulder—restaurants, breweries, coffee, and things to see in the foothills.

Bars & Restaurants

Avanti F&B ⭐

Go to the 4th floor for great views of the Flatirons and good cocktails. Food hall downstairs—order food and take it upstairs. Recommend Newyorkese for pizza, but all the stalls get good reviews.

T/ACO ⭐

Great little Mexican restaurant with amazing margs and a cool, laid-back atmosphere.

The Dark Horse ⭐

Old school Boulder establishment with good bar food and drinks. Usually ranks top-tier for best burgers in Boulder. Crazy inside—Wednesday nights are trike nights with tricycle races.

The Sink ⭐

A classic Boulder college bar. Great pizza and sandwiches. Unique setting in the basement of a building with a nice patio outside.

  • Address: 1165 13th St, Boulder, CO 80302
  • Website: thesink.com

Sweet Cow Ice Cream ⭐

Very good ice cream and sweet bites. Two locations—north and south Boulder.

  • North: 2628 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304
  • South: 669 S Broadway, Boulder, CO 80305
  • Website: sweetcowicecream.com

The Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse ⭐

Originally built in our sister city in Asia and shipped to Boulder. Ornate building offering tea and light bites. The chai is supposed to be amazing.

Protos Pizza

Up north, very cool spot with great staff and wood-fired pizza.

Pizzeria Alberico (aka Locale)

Unlike the other Locale locations, this is a wine and pizza restaurant vs. fast casual. Very good pizza and apps.

Barchetta

Cool location in an old garage, good pizza that's a little pricey for what it is. The hand washing experience there is bar-none—worth stopping by just to grab a beer and wash your hands. I'm not kidding.

Pearl Street Pub

Dive bar central—go downstairs to play games. Don't forget to kiss the buffalo.

  • Address: 1101 S Pearl St, Denver, CO 80210

Flagstaff House

I've never been but the views are supposed to be superb. Expensive/fancy but happy hour is supposedly good.

Illegal Pete's

A way better version of Chipotle. Great margs.

Rayback Collective

Outside food truck venue with a good beer list and cocktails. Dog-friendly patio.

Rio Grande

Basic Mexican fare in an old renovated garage. Awesome views on the patio upstairs if it's nice outside.

Santo

Actually a "New Mexican" restaurant. Cute inside, good margs, different food (but very yummy).

The Bitter Bar

Dimly lit cocktail bar, great for a nightcap on Pearl.

The Kitchen Upstairs

I don't really care for The Kitchen Next Door, but their cocktail bar upstairs is great. Good pizza and pastas, great cocktails.

Sherpa's

Dumplings and noodles in a quaint cottage.

Foolish Craig's

One of my and Lindsey's favorite breakfasts in Boulder. Get here early—the line can get long. Next to Ozo, so easy to put your name in and grab a coffee next door. Bar is open seating with fast service.

Japango

Out of the few sushi options on Pearl Street, this is my favorite. Cool aquarium full of squids inside.

The Buff

Great breakfast, good breakfast cocktails. Show up early—lines can get long. Boulder staple.

Blackbelly Market

Cool butcher shop and restaurant with great cocktails. Inside is dimly lit, back patio is fine. Breakfast burritos (same as Santo) are bomb.

  • Address: 1606 Conestoga St #3, Boulder, CO 80301
  • Website: blackbelly.com

Pasta Jay's

Boulder staple for Italian food. Not my favorite, but very classic Boulder vibe.

  • Address: 1001 Pearl St, Boulder, CO 80302
  • Website: pastajays.com

Breweries

Upslope Brewing ⭐

Two locations—one up north and one out east. The one out east is their flagship, but the one up north is cool too. Great beer, dog-friendly patio. The east location has a sandwich place inside.

  • Flatiron (East): 1898 S Flatiron Ct, Boulder, CO 80301
  • Lee Hill (North): 1501 Lee Hill Dr, Boulder, CO 80304
  • Website: upslopebrewing.com

Avery Brewing

One giant location up north—the mecca of "local" beer. Free audio tours available. Great dog-friendly patio, and there's a fun dog park across the street.

The Post Brewing ⭐

The burger and chicken sandwich are very good. Fried chicken is gluten free—no shit. Small patio right on the sidewalk for people watching.

Coffee

Ozo ⭐

Four locations (two on Pearl Street). Must go—highly recommended coffee and good vibes. The Flatiron Court location is right next to Upslope Brewery (might only be open weekdays).

  • Pearl St (East): 1015 Pearl St, Boulder, CO
  • Pearl St (West): 1521 Pearl St, Boulder, CO
  • Arapahoe: 5340 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO
  • Flatiron: 1898 S. Flatiron Ct, Boulder, CO

Sights & Shops

McGuckin's ⭐

The craziest ACE Hardware you've ever been to. Boulder staple—must go and walk around. Great dog section.

  • Address: 2525 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO 80302

Chautauqua ⭐

Fun area on the southwest side of town. Cute general store and very popular hiking area.

Celestial Seasonings Tea Company

Offers free tours (unsure when)—gets great reviews. Must see/experience the "mint room." Might still be closed from COVID, unsure.

Mount Sanitas

I used to run this trail a lot—awesome views up top. Dog friendly.