Eggs-tra Credit: Top Breakfast Options Near DU
Start your day off strong with these Denver restaurants and coffee shops.
Credit: Matt Jennings
There are plenty of reasons you might need a big breakfast. Maybe you had a late-night study session, or you just want to survive an early morning class. Maybe you need protein after a workout, or you over-worked your liver. We won’t judge.
Whatever your reasons, there are plenty of breakfast options within walking distance or a short bike ride from the University of Denver—keeping in mind our vegan and gluten-free friends.
The Breakfast Queen
Bow down, hungry readers. The Breakfast Queen is a royally popular and for good reason. The downtown Englewood staple is just three miles from campus and serves all manner of traditional diner breakfast food. It’s enough to fill up even the hungriest of college students and those in need of a pick-me-up.
It’s an old-school experience with black coffee, tables plastered with local ads and the best skillets this side of Capitol Hill. There are also a handful of breakfast taco options and burritos absolutely smothered in green chili.
Just make sure to arrive early, especially if you’re in a large group, and be prepared to wait. If you’re making the journey on your own, you might find space at the counter, but be warned that The Breakfast Queen is particularly busy on English Premier League match days.
3460 S. Broadway
The Jelly Cafe
Combine Saturday morning cartoons with a candy-coated fever dream aesthetic and you end up with Jelly’s. Just a short trip down Evans will bring you to their DU location (there’s also a location in Cap Hill), where you will find all forms of sugary treats and more substantive options.
The pitch here is simple—try the donut bites. They’re the signature item, with varieties ranging from Mexican chocolate and cinnamon sugar to Thai peanut and maple bacon. You can’t go wrong with any of the eight flavors and there’s even a gluten-free option. Beyond that, there are numerous breakfast options available until 2 p.m., so you can get your fix even if you rolled out of bed late. There’s also a full bar, if a mimosa or Bloody Mary is what you seek.
1700 E. Evans Ave.
Snooze A.M. Eatery
If you’re coming from out of state and your roommate is from Denver, this is likely the breakfast recommendation they’ll make. Snooze is a popular breakfast option for locals—their benedicts are divine, their pancakes are so dang fluffy, and there’s a whole menu section of plant-powered breakfast offerings.
They’re also owned by DU alumni Jon and Adam Schlegel, who regularly return to campus to teach students at the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality Management.
The main issue with Snooze is the proximity to campus. Their locations in the Baker and Cherry Creek neighborhoods of Denver and in Southglenn and the Denver Tech Center in southern suburbia are all 15-20 minutes by car with varying degrees of traffic. The trick here is to take the light rail to the Snooze near Union Station. It’s a busier option that some of the more suburban locations, but it’s a great way to start a downtown adventure.
1701 Wynkoop St., #150
La Belle Rosette
Perhaps known first as a coffee shop, La Belle Rosette boasts an excellent array of breakfast sandwiches and burritos within easy stumbling distance of campus. If paninis are your jam, try The Washington, which is two eggs, turkey, Swiss cheese, guacamole, garlic butter and black pepper.
They’re also the place to go for baked goods, with an absurd variety of options made fresh daily—including several choices for our gluten-free grazers. Grab a bite to eat with your coffee and stick around because the vibes are immaculate.
2423 S. University Blvd.
Lil Coffea Shop
Breakfast pizza. Masala calzone. The Dotti Llama. This isn’t food Mad Libs, but rather, some of the unique options available at Lil Coffea Shop on Downing, where creativity is king and there’s a whole menu section of avocado toasts.
This shop is very sensitive to the preferences and dietary needs of guests, with the ability to customize some drinks and food items to account for gluten and diary allergies, plus vegan/vegetarian options.
They also have a fun TikTok account, so make sure to check them out at @lil_coffea_shop.
2450 S. Downing St.
HOJA
There’s something to be said for a simple, clean option to start the day. If you’re looking for the healthiest high-end breakfast near DU, HOJA has you covered with hands down the best vegan breakfast burrito this author has ever had.
Chilaquiles, pozole rojo and spicy cucumbers are just some of the other menu highlights, with most of their baked goods being either gluten-free and/or vegan. They have a wide selection of matcha, cold brew and horchata options to change up your breakfast drink go-to.
1284 S. Pearl St.
