48 Best American Restaurants in Boulder

“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. ❤️“

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

“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!!! ♥️“

“Haely the hostess was warm and wonderful, and Susie, our waitress gave us a tour of the place, since the space is beautiful: huge paned windows, brick interior, original (seemingly) wood floors, and downstairs, a club-like feel to the space. All good - service, food, and the busboy, whose name I didn't get, was efficient and not intrusive in the least. All good!“

“I hosted my bachelorette dinner with my 6 bridesmaids at River & Woods. We loved the food and had an amazing experience! The ambience was calming and beautiful, the staff was friendly, and our waiter was awesome (he’s pictured in the middle). I went back a second time and raved about the food all the way home. Definitely recommend!“

“Boulder Social is fun! We go on Tuesday nights for their Trivia Night, and it's always a good time. Food is easy and fun, staff is friendly and place always looks clean and tidy. Trivia night is busy, so it's loud, but that adds to the fun!“

“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.“

“Excellent service and friendly staff.“

“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“

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

“Great people, great atmosphere!“

“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.“

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

“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!!“

“delicious sandwiches! Loved the fried Oreos. 😋“

“Great service and good food!“

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

“Отличное уютное место со свежими устрицами с обоих побережий“

“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!!“

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

“As someone who eats out all over Boulder, this is my go to lunch spot and often dinner. The food is so clean I always feel amazing after eating. Great flavors. Great drinks. The service is good and the staff is very friendly. The owner is often around and you can tell the place runs smoothly and is very clean. When my visiting parents stayed at the adjacent hotel they literally ate here everyday.“

“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.“

“I am so excited to have found this place.

Their selection of beers, non-alcoholic drinks, and food blew me away. There is something here for everyone.

Incredible seating outside with view of the nearby pond.

The inside has not one, but two bars and feels like the kind of place you can just talk to people around you and bond over the variety of drinks offered.

I love the fact that they have a little gift shop, with a massive selection of their beers in multiple tiers.

This is definitely now a favorite stop for me, without hesitation.“

“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!“

“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“

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

“Awesome food, great service, relaxed atmosphere“

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

“The real reason to visit Alpine Modern Café in Boulder is the food. I drove all the way from Denver just to eat there, which should tell you everything you need to know. The breakfast bacon croissant was excellent—fresh, full of flavor, and completely unforgettable. It’s the kind of dish you think about later in the day and start planning your return visit around.

The coffee was also very good—exactly what you want from a café—and the space has a relaxed, welcoming feel. The café is in a great location and easy to get to from anywhere in Boulder, which is helpful since resisting a second visit would be nearly impossible. Parking can be a little limited, and you may have to park down the road… but consider it a warm-up walk for the croissant. It’s worth it.

I would absolutely recommend this spot to anyone looking for a memorable meal and a great coffee experience, with a side of “why didn’t I come here sooner?”“

“My wife’s family has history at the Dark horse. Her father Larry Levitt was a fixture there. Sitting at the end of the bar in his Cubs jacket with Coors Light in his hand. He had been visiting the Dark horse for decades, since 1975! We are all sad to see this staple of Boulder life leave the community. You will be missed by the patrons, and families in the neighborhood.“

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

“Sure needs a remodel clean up“

“Checking in with a collection of my experiences -- all of which have been resoundingly positive. I especially enjoy some of the appetizers and the happy hour menu, with the Brussel Sprouts & Hummus (pictured) and Calamari coming to mind. For my taste it's the perfect balance between comfort food and upscale, you can tell the menu has been well thought out and that the food items are designed to be a little more interesting and tasty than cut-and-paste bar food, while at the same time the vibe isn't overly pretentious. I think there's something to be said for knowing your lane and not pretending to be something you're not -- and Ironwood Grill does that perfectly. I always feel welcomed, I always feel relaxed, and I never leave hungry. I spent my 50th birthday and myself and all my guests (of which there were many) were well attended to and taken care of. I will continue to be back again and again and feel great about supporting this locally run enterprise.“

“Great food classic French style food“

“Love this place! I've been to the Comic Cents comedy show several times and it's always great. There are always at least 3 comics per night and each and every one has been great. I had family in town last weekend and we wanted to go somewhere that was a sure thing and as usual Comic Cents and License 1 delivered. All 3 comics were great and we loved the atmosphere and service. Highly recommend.“

“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!“

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

“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.“

“Chicken and Beer were on point“

“Great selection. Good any season“

“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!!“

“We always love coming to Rosetta Hall. The atmosphere is always nice and the food options are great. We came here for the holiday cocktails and the holiday decor and it didn't disappoint. A chunk of the downstairs was taken up by a private holiday party, so we couldn't sit in the main dining hall. But that was totally fine, because the employees made sure we were comfortable where we were sitting and service was still attentive.“

“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!!“