The biggest Denver restaurant openings of the summer

It has been a big summer for restaurant openings across metro Denver — despite the difficulties of running a restaurant in the post-pandemic era. Casa Bonita made the biggest splash — it’s the only one with actual divers, after all — but there were plenty of other notable names that polished silverware and placed menus on tables for the very first time.

Here’s a list of some of the biggest, from an out-of-state bagel chain that has people lining up down the block on Tennyson Street to a hyper-local, modern fine-dining spot downtown.

Call Your Mother Deli

The Washington, D.C.-area bagel chain Call Your Mother landed at 3880 Tennyson St. in May, serving a wide and wild variety of classic bagel sandwiches and other treats of Jewish cuisine. Fans haven’t been able to get enough maple bagels since, and line up on a daily basis.

Casa Bonita

You may have heard that a little old place called Casa Bonita opened in May. It’s still only serving lucky winners who are selected from a pool of the restaurant’s newsletter subscribers, but the pink palace will continue adding hours and expanding service throughout the rest of the year.

Cherry Cricket

Cherry Cricket, the iconic, decades-old burger joint opened its third location in July, at  819 W. Littleton Blvd. in Littleton and has been packing in customers since.

Fox and the Hen

When “Top Chef” alum Carrie Baird talks about toast, people listen. Baird and restaurateurs Juan Padro and Michael Fox opened Baird’s new breakfast joint, Fox and the Hen, in June at 2257 W. 32nd Ave. It serves the chef’s famous “Fancy Toast” and Huevos Rancheros recipes.