An Aurora banh mi hotspot. A deli with a big name in Denver. The crown jewel of a renowned Mexican chef.
Only three restaurants in Colorado made the annual list of 100 best places to eat compiled and released Wednesday by restaurant reviews site Yelp. The company’s editorial staff wrote the list — its 13th — using aggregated reviews and other data as its basis.
The three metro restaurants on the list are:
- At number 13, Leven Deli (123 W. 12th Ave., Denver)
- At number 40, Alma Fonda Fina (2556 15th St., Denver)
- At number 99, Golden Banh Mi (2648 S. Parker Rd. #1, Aurora)
Leven Deli recently received love from Yelp when it named the original Golden Triangle location the best-reviewed restaurant in Denver according to its “elite” users, or top contributors. For the top 100 list, Yelp takes into account the number of reviews a restaurant has and its overall customer rating.
The owners of both Leven Deli and Alma Fonda Fina are continuing to expand their reach in Denver this year. Alma Fonda Fina chef Johnny Curiel opened Mar Bella Boqueria next to his Cherry Creek restaurant Alteño this month and is launching a chef’s counter called Maize this spring. A new Leven location is expected to open a location inside of a downtown Denver office tower at 1520 California St.
Denver Post editor Joe Nguyen highlighted Golden Banh Mi in 2024 for the Post’s “Staff Favorites” column.
Nguyen wrote: “Every sandwich on the Banh Mi menu is $14, and they are hearty and packed with fillings, particularly the Korean-esque Kim-Cheese steak. Featuring a ton of marinated bulgogi steak with kimchi and cheese, it’s a melt that’s loaded to the gills and includes classic bánh mì accoutrements, such as pickled daikon and carrots, cilantro and jalapenos. It becomes even more decadent if you choose to add a fried egg.”
The best U.S. restaurant of the year, as ranked by Yelp, was Ci Siamo, a modern Italian restaurant in New York City.