50 Best American Restaurants in Boulder

“Conversation friendly; unique farm to table entrees; creative combinations always delicious.“

“extremely good food, not just resting on their fancy ingredients, every dish does something interesting to make itself stand out
update mid march 2025: unsure if variation or a sign of decline, the lamb chops were mediocre and undercooked for what was asked for (substantial red left when asked for medium). very disappointing, but they were happy to correct the doneness. Hopefully just a fluke.“

“We only had time for drinks and a snack. The staff were more than helpful and accommodating. We will definitely be back! The flavors of natural herbs coming through the desserts were superb!e“

“Fantastic everything food vibes atmosphere staff everything 10/10“

“Visited Boulder Cork for our anniversary and had the most wonderful experience! All of the staff were so friendly and kind, our food was delicious, and drinks were tasty. Their dinner happy hour menu has great prices and really good options. The prime rib was delectable and the fish & chips were fried to perfection. Mud pie for dessert was incredible as well! Thank you for making our night special! Can’t wait to go back. ❤️“

“Absolutely incredible flavors and excellent variety! I wanted more but was so full! I’m ready to come back and try other things… for dinner 🤣🤣! Had the chicken enchilada and forbidden rice with tofu! For desert… the gluten free lemon cake was Devine! HIGHLY recommend!!! ♥️“

“Fantastic five course German Style Beer dinner tonight in Boulder. So yummy and great pairing of beer to the food.“

“I like the food but the menu is very limited for me when I am trying to eat Low Carb. Almost all of the items offered are either very spicy or fried or high carb. When I am not choosing Low Carb, there are more options. I do love the Vegie Bowl they make, which is one of the more unique menu offerings.“

“I love GHI. I have played here many times. The pay is fair and there’s always people wanting to listen to the live music. I love the owners. The food is also really good. 10/10 would recommend.“

“For my first time here I couldn't even believe how wonderful the service was and just how delicious the food was along with how fast it came out. I'm still dreaming about going back soon. I just wish tables for two were a slight bigger as I felt I didn't have enough room for my sides and drinks. Overall my fiancé and I had fun.“

“Excellent service and friendly staff.“

“Creative and balanced menu with lots of gluten free options. The oyster mushrooms were a huge hit with everyone in our party. We each enjoyed our meals and got to sample a little variety from our different selections. I had the trout which was incredibly! The textures of the components worked well together, each bite was perfection! The cocktail menu is intriguing and my drink was delicious. Will be back when I'm Boulder!“

“Probably the cheapest full meal you can buy in boulder! You don't have to be a student to get a bowl full of protein rich food and veggies of your choice for $5 here. It is however only open when school's in session. There's a small parking fee or you can park a 10-minute walk away. Limited hours, best for breakfast.“

“Called here and was told it could be about an hour of a wait . After going on a walk we later returned and as it was really cold staff let us stand under the heaters which was very good of them . Shortly after we were seated and what followed had to one of the best Dinners we ever had . Real Italian Food served in generous portions by top class staff . A great night out in a great Restaurant“

“Great people, great atmosphere!“

“Best quick meal in Boulder! Hope to visit again soon it’s been far too long“

“Delicious food! Friendly crew. Try the corn ribs. The Peach Bourbon Smash cocktail was mighty fine!“

“Best chicken and waffles in Colorado. Try it and tell me I'm wrong.“

“This was such a great find! I wanted something low key to take my son in a stroller and this place hit the jackpot. There is a ton of room and the bartender is one of the friendliest guys I’ve ever been served by!I got a glass of wine and a charcuterie board while waiting for my husband and the charcuterie came of fast and was delicious.“

“One of my favorite long-standing Boulder traditions...the weekend ALWAYS begins with a Father/Daughter breakfast at the Village. The staff is INCREDIBLE...true legacy Boulder.“

“Highly recommend !!!! Great place for food, drink and music!!“

“Love spruce for any occasion. Have always enjoyed every experience there.“

“delicious sandwiches! Loved the fried Oreos. 😋“

“Отличное уютное место со свежими устрицами с обоих побережий“

“Best burger I've ever had and the red chili poppers are amazing.“

“My husband and I had a great time on our tour of Avery Brewing! Gabe was a fantastic guide and provided thoughtful information about the brewing process and what sets Avery apart from the rest. We enjoyed trying all the tastings and discussing the flavor profiles of each type of beer. We'd highly recommend this brewery tour to anyone visiting the Boulder area!“

“I have been a patron of Dot's for almost 40 years!! 'nuff said 😁❤️“

“Great service and good food!“

“Zeal is one of our beloved local
Spots for any meal - breakfast, lunch, or dinner - they are all amazing! However, I used Zeal to cater lunch for my wedding party on my wedding day while everyone was getting ready and their catering service was GREAT! The food was delicious, light, they were so easy to work with, ensuring our needs were met. 10/10 recommend using Zeal to help cater your next party!!“

“The Pork Belly Benny's were absolutely fire! I grew up in the south and not sure I've had a better side of grits! 11/10 will eat there again!“

“Food, service and the view/atmosphere is great!“

“One of my favorite cafés in Boulder. Especially the location in South Boulder is what makes me love this café the barista and people who work there are always so kind and I really really enjoy their menu. I especially LOVE their seasonal strawberry Matcha latte as well as their avocado toast. I like to add some smoked salmon on my avocado toast to add some protein and they always are really open to any modifications. As a gluten-free person, I am really impressed by their gluten-free bread as it tastes delicious and absolutely fabulous. I love the different seating opportunities and the general vibe of this café. Definitely a must visit if you’re in Boulder, Colorado.🐞⭐️😽“

“Last Sunday a few friends and I went to Boulder for the first time. We were told this bar was great and decided to come in. It was truly one of the best experiences we have had. Andy made the experience such a blast, he is exceptional with his craft. Thanks Andy for the good time and laughs! (I think we are good on Tequila for a while) Thanks again. Alex Zach Hodan Jessica“

“Awesome food, great service, relaxed atmosphere“

“SUCH an incredible date night!! The dinner was seamless in timing (we love longer dining experiences), and absolutely fresh and delicious. We felt incredibly safe having our own space. Our server was stellar, and we even got to share our meal with a couple of the farm pups! I can't recommend this enough!!“

“An absolutely wonderful restaurant! Great food! And Great staff! ??❤️“

“Sure needs a remodel clean up“

“Great food classic French style food“

“I recently visited the Ironwood Bar and Grill in Boulder, Colorado, located right on a gorgeous golf course, and the experience was absolutely lovely. The views were stunning, and what really made the visit stand out was our server, Dylan. He truly went above and beyond—he even handed me an extra lemonade to take with me on the way out. On top of that, he arranged for the chef to prepare a bison burger for lunch, which is usually only available at dinner. I brought along two business guests, and they were equally impressed by both the food and the overall atmosphere. All in all, it was a fantastic dining experience. Definitely worth a visit!“

“Great food and very friendly service. On Pearl Street so a kaleidoscope of people walking by.“

“Food is absolutely fantastic! Service was excellent as well. Little bit dark and small, but the vibe is great. We walked in with 11 in our party and they rocked it! Thank 😊 you Cafe Blue for your hospitality and giving us a favorite new place!“

“I don’t have a negative thing to say about this restaurant/bar. It has been hands down the best food on our vacation and the servers have been amazing! The chef, Justin, even came out to talk to us and told us about some hidden gems to drive to see! Fantastic experience! When I come back to Boulder this will be my first stop.“

“Great food and wonderful service.“

“Very fine cocktails from the bar, low-ceilinged brick with dim, warm lights; speakeasy feel.

Intimate comedy space; strange because the comic cannot face the majority of the audience at once. About 20 attendees. 3 comics and a host. The openers leaned on body humor and identity politics, no different from anywhere else. Headliner was a bit of a Hedbergian, which was delightful.

Great experience, I'd return in a heartbeat!“

“I cannot stress enough how incredible Moe's Orginal BBQ-Boulder truly is! For the last few months, I have been assisting my niece with her recent wedding as she lives in GA and the wedding was here in Boulder. From day one, everything that could go wrong - did go wrong. I worked with Alex, the manager, the whole time and I'm telling you - this guy is amazing!! Not only did he adapt to the changes, he adapted in a manner that was helpful and much needed. Alex and his team went out of their way to make my niece's wedding dinner incredible and it was greatly appreciated. The entire staff at Moe's Original BBQ-Boulder are friendly, professional, accomodating and just amazing to work with and be around. If you ever need a BBQ Caterer - call them - you'll get everything you need/want at awesome prices and great food but more importantly you're going to receive the highest of quality in customer service. And that's something you can't beat. So thank you Alex, and team, at Moe's Original BBQ-Boulder for making my niece's wedding dinner amazing. You are appreciated!!“

“Good experience at the post! Our food was tasty - we especially enjoyed the banana pudding dessert. I appreciated the mocktail options. Our server was being trained, but the person who was training him seemed to know his stuff pretty well! Atmosphere was overstimulating at first when we were automatically seated at the bar area, but this was remedied when we were able to move to a more intimate booth.“

“This is my favorite bar in all of Boulder! The bartenders are so nice and talkative, the food options are great (I recommend the empanadas from Cruz), and the drinks are amazing. They have the best martinis I’ve ever had, and I go with my friends on a regular basis!“

“Great selection. Good any season“

“This place is a total dive and a boulder institution all at the same time. Look, you don't come here for a craft cocktail or for a michelin star, but its late night, you want a beer and a greasy delicious burger this is the place.

Additionally this place is littered with CU boulder tradition and has some of the same friendly and fair staff that has been working there for over 20 years. Check this place out as what I would consider the best boulder bar.“

“Went in for lunch a couple days ago with a friend for a couple of burgers. There was one server, one cook, maybe a dishwasher. It was not busy but wanted to give a thumbs up to our waitress cheyenne. She was so polite thoughtfull kind. I felt bad that she was on her own as hostess server busses and we left her a 50% tip now I wish I would have left 100%. Next time I'm in there im sure I will. If the manager reads this, give her a raise, she deserves it!!“