Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we give our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems.)
Sam’s No. 3 Diner & Bar has one of the sexiest Bloody Marys I’ve ever seen.
The last time I was there, I very nearly ordered one — until I remembered that I don’t even like Bloody Marys.
What I do like is corned beef hash, especially at Sam’s. (It’s on the menu as C.B.H. & Eggs, with canned corned beef for $13.99 or scratch-made with big chunks of meat for $16.99.) Or the Omelet Mazatlan (onions, tomatoes and cheddar, smothered with Sam’s “Kickin’” pork green chile, for $18.99).
On really hungry days, go for the Kitchen Sink Omelet, packed with bacon, ham, sausage, gyro meat, veggies and cheese and served with a side of green chile. (It’s higher priced at $22.99, but take home half for breakfast the next day.)
Oooh, try the French toast, too: thick-sliced challah bread, fluffy in the middle and slightly crispy on the outside, with a syrup that’s not cloyingly sweet. Heaven. (Get it by subbing out the regular toast for $3; you won’t be sorry.)
Sam’s No. 3 was featured on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives” in 2011, in an episode titled “Porktastic.” (I admit, its green chile is nearly as good as my own, homemade version — which is saying a lot).
And as Guy Fieri said then, Sam’s No. 3 offers “a little bit of everything.” The ridiculously huge (16-page!) menu can entertain you for quite a while. It’s sprinkled throughout with old-time photos and the history of Sam’s No. 3 from its Denver beginnings in 1927, when Sam Armatas opened five “Coney Island-inspired” hot dog stands. No. 3 was the survivor.
“As a New Yorker, I didn’t know there was an actual diner like this in Denver, with a huge East Coast menu,” one customer said.
Fun fact: In March 1936, founder Armatas was arrested “by the FBI because of his illegal immigration status,” according to the website. “Judge Foster, a customer at Sam’s No. 3, (dropped the) charges … .”
(Sam’s website also has a rolling marquee at the top with such gems as “A well-balanced diet: a burrito in each hand,” and “Eat till you’re sleepy. Sleep till you’re hungry,” and “Don’t go bacon my heart,” and “Eat here or we’ll both starve.”)
Back to the menu: Look for the items that prove the owners have a healthy sense of humor, like “The High Maintenance Vegetarian-Gluten Friendly-Dairy Free Stack” ($17.99) or “The Fruit-inator” ($19.99). There are also sections on fancy cocktails; an espresso bar; breakfast favorites; potato stackers; griddle works; burritos; Greek dishes; omelets; bennies (“Thanks for visiting your friends with benedicts!” is snuck onto the bottom of the check); weekday earlybird specials; plus lunch and dinner sammies, salads, chili, burgers and wraps and Mexican specialities.
And that loaded Bloody Mary? It’s gorgeously tomato red with a tall stalk of celery, speared bacon, lime, olive, pepperoncini and a pickle ($15). Picture perfect.
Tip: On Sundays, go early to beat the rush, or grab a counter spot or the bar. But if you do end up waiting for a table, ask to peruse a menu. It’s a kick. And try to get seated in the section handled by Matt, who enjoys serving up a side of lighthearted sarcasm with your meal.
And remember to factor in an extra tip, for the entertainment value alone.
Sam’s No. 3, 435 S. Cherry St., Glendale, 303-333-4403, open Sunday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Downtown, at 1500 Curtis St., 303-534-1927, open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, and 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. Check the website for holiday hours. samsno3.com