Seven Awesome Denver Restaurants You Can Actually Afford
If you live in an apartment in Denver and you’re on a budget, you might think an enjoyable evening out just isn’t in the cards for you after paying for your rent, utilities, Denver Renters Insurance, and all of the other costs of living in this fantastic city. Denver’s cost of living isn’t high relative to a city of similar size in, say, California, but it’s been rising. Things like eating out are often the first ones cut from budgets when they get tighter.
But you’re not limited to drive-through even if you’re on a budget, and everyone is entitled to have some fun once in a while. We work so we can enjoy life, not just so we can pay bills. With our list of seven awesome Denver restaurants you can actually afford, you’ll be able to take a night off, and you can even afford to take a date! Without further ado, our list of seven…
Budget-Conscious Denver Restaurants
#1 – Sassafrass American Eatery
With two locations at 2637 West 26th Ave in Jefferson Park and 320 E. Colfax in Capitol Hill, you’re never far from comfort food in Denver, even though you’re far from the South. Offering both breakfast and lunch, Sassafrass combines Southern cooking traditions with locally sourced and organic ingredients. Whether you’re looking for a breakfast po’boy, jambalaya, or grits, two people can easily enjoy a meal here on a budget. There’s even a full bar available.
Online, Sassafrass American Eatery has been described as “fresh, creative, and delicious.” Keep in mind that the fried chicken is cooked to order every time, so you’ll want to allow some extra time for that. It’s more than worth the wait, to be sure.
#2 – Ja Ja Bistro
Just 20 minutes from downtown at 5641 S Nevada St in Littleton, Ja Ja offers authentic, yet creative French cuisine from a chef who is a native of… France, of course. While you could spend a bit of money here, you certainly don’t need to in order to enjoy your evening. You can have dinner for two at a French restaurant for about fifty dollars, and Denver may be the only place in America you’ll find that.
Bread and burger buns are, of course, made fresh daily in-house. Often recommended are the bacon wrapped stuffed dates and the Parisian Burger, among others. Wednesday night you can get mussels for $11 a pound, including a side of fries, and Thursday nights all bottles of wine are half off. If you’re looking to keep it as affordable as possible, those might be good bets.
#3 – Izakaya Den
Denver offers a far wider variety of culturally accurate food than one might expect. If you’re looking for Japanese, but don’t want to spend a fortune, Izakaya at 1487 South Pearl Street is a great bet. Self-described as “The sake house with tapas,” you’ll find a wide variety of food that will suit everyone, and an overall affordable experience if you’re looking for dinner out in Denver that’s not the same old chains.
With an average entree price hovering around $14, it’s easy to have an affordable dinner out even if you’re living in a college apartment on a budget.
#4 – Snooze
With a name like that, you might expect to pass, but don’t be so hasty. They’re called Snooze because they’ve revived and refined the Denver breakfast dining experience into something truly unique. Convenient, at 700 N Colorado Blvd. they’re a responsible corporate citizen and believe in sustainability. But you also want to know if it’s tasty, right? Of course! Whether you’re looking for something simple like a breakfast taco, or something complex like a Benedict with the perfect Hollandaise, this is your home for breakfast in Denver. They haven’t forgotten late risers, either, with a broad offering of sandwiches and deserts for lunch.
Breakfast and lunch on a budget in Denver? Easy at Snooze.
#5 – Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs
You want an affordable dinner out, but you didn’t “just want a hot dog?” Biker Jim’s at 2148 Larimer St in Denver or 1601 Mayberry Drive in Highlands Ranch is still what you’re looking for. It’s not “just a hot dog” if it’s made from Alaskan reindeer, wild boar, duck, pheasant, or rattlesnake. You can still get the expected all-beef, of course. Either way, the meat is sourced without hormones and antibiotics. You can top it with anything from cream cheese to cactus, and excellent burgers are available as well.
Biker Jim’s might be the one place on this list where a couple could eat and then go to a movie and still spend less than fifty bucks for the night. There aren’t a whole lot of choices in Denver for good, freshly made food that leave you with enough change to do something else afterwards.
#6 – Root Down
Root Down, at 1600 West 33rd Avenue in The Highlands, believes that everything is interconnected, and wants to “connect the neighborhood to a dining experience in the same way ingredients are connected to food.” It’s difficult to find local ingredients and sustainable food that’s actually affordable, even in Denver, but Root Down has accomplished it. Whether you prefer lamb sliders or a veggie burger, there’s something for everyone.
Just because you’re looking for a cheap dinner out doesn’t mean you have to settle for mass-produced chain food. It’s also a great place to meet friends because of its fairly central location.
#7 – Woody’s Woodfired Pizza
Woody’s, at 1305 Washington Avenue in Golden, offers a buffet of fresh wood-fired pizza that lets you take the whole family out for about fifty bucks. Part family eatery, and part sports bar, Woody’s has something for everyone. They’ve been around since 1993, so they must be doing something right! The buffet, of course, isn’t everything. You can get cheesesteaks, wings, and much more as well. Don’t limit yourself just because your budget is limited.
There you have it, seven awesome Denver restaurants that you can actually afford even if you’re living on a budget. It’s important to include relaxation time and evenings out in your budget – that’s a big part of what makes it possible to get up and do it all over again the next day. Don’t forget to budget for renters insurance in Denver, too. In an apartment, you can be impacted by a loss caused by your neighbor and your policy can help you to recover.
The national average price of renters insurance is just $187.00, according to the III. That works out to as little as fifteen dollars per month. The vast majority of families can budget renters insurance easily at those prices.
Additionally, it's important to note that renters are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing loss than homeowners. Renters occupy roughly one third of total housing stock in the country, and yet they are fully fifty percent more likely to experience theft than homeowners, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics.
It only costs a few dollars a month to protect your family, and this cheap renters insurance is a great way to mitigate the additional risks that come with being a renter.
Just call (800)892-4308 or click to get covered - whether you need Denver renters insurance quotes online or coverage anywhere else!
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