15 MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | 2013 with the goal of providing healthy, chef- driven fare at a fast-casual concept. For over a decade, she’s done just that while expanding the business to four locations, including Cherry Creek and the two newest outposts at Union Station and the Denver Performing Arts Com- plex. We love that you can nosh on breakfast favorites like shakshuka and the veggie-fi lled Green Eggs & Sam sandwich while snag- ging a grab-and-go lunch salad, too. In 2023, Nguyen also added sister concept Little Finch on the 16th Street Mall, where you can pick up fast breakfast options like individually sized quiches or a savory croque madame Danish. Rise & Shine Biscuit Kitchen Multiple locations Originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Seth Rubin launched his biscuit-centric busi- ness out of two Basil Doc’s addresses in Denver before moving it into a space of its own. Now Rise & Shine has locations in Sloan’s Lake, Lakewood and on South Pennsylvania Street. The concept is simple, with several options named for towns in Rubin’s home state, such as the Chapel Hill, with fried chicken, and the Goldsboro, with country ham. There’s always a biscuit of the day in creative fl avors like lemon poppy and garam masala, or you can opt for a build-your-own sandwich, adding any combo of scrambled eggs, cheese and breakfast meats to a plain biscuit. Tack on a hash brown patty and OJ or coffee, and you’ve got a familiar- looking breakfast that’s just as cheap and quick as what you’d get at a certain popular fast-food joint, but far superior in fl avor and quality. The Universal 2911 West 38th Avenue 303-955-0815 For over a decade, this breakfast-and-lunch joint in Sunnyside has attracted diners hun- gry for its grits. While the Universal has a few staple items on the menu that are built around Anson Mills’ organic heirloom grits — you’ll even fi nd them in its breakfast burrito — the real fun is the rotating grits- of-the-day option, which runs from Thai coconut curry to chile shrimp. And if you’re in the mood to imbibe on a weekday, this spot also offers $4 off Bloody Marys and mimosas Monday through Thursday. Bonus: Any local diner Denver’s diner scene has taken some big hits in recent years — RIP to the latest, Breakfast Inn, which is set to close on June 8. That loss is yet another reminder to visit the diners we still have, and visit them often. Among our favorites are classics like Sam’s #3 down- town, Swift’s Breakfast House on Santa Fe Drive, Chef Zorba’s in Congress Park and the Butcher Block Cafe in RiNo with its famed cinnamon rolls. There are newer additions that feel like well-worn joints, too, including Hits the Spot in Lakewood; Danny Ray’s, the new iteration of the now-closed Danny’s Carnation; and Two Brothers Cafe on Federal Boulevard, which is run by two brothers who were longtime employees of George’s Cafe in Arvada. If you’re craving early-morning comfort food, a solid diner can’t be beat. Email the author at [email protected]. Cafe continued from page 14
