Depending on where you ate in 2024, the Boulder County restaurant scene either seemed to be the best ever, or like it was suffering a slow, steady decline. While Boulder’s top dining establishments took home many national awards, other much-loved eateries closed, citing rising costs of labor and ingredients, decreased foot traffic downtown and still-empty offices.
Meanwhile, the restaurant scene in East Boulder County is booming. It’s worth noting that in 2024, Longmont Restaurant Week was successfully relaunched while First Bite, Boulder’s dining week, was cancelled.
2024: Boulder openings, closing and changes
The best Boulder dining news of 2024 was the return of chef Johnny Curiel, who had previously wowed palates at Centro Mexican Kitchen. He opened Cozobi Fonda Fina in the former Walnut Street location of Masas & Agave, Supermoon and Arcana. The Mexican fine dining restaurant is a sister to Curiel’s Alma Fonda Fina, which took home Colorado’s only new one-star winner in the 2024 Michelin Awards. Curiel also earned Michelin’s Young Chef Culinary Professional Award.
Kelly and Erika Whitaker, owners of Basta and Dry Storage, were named the best restaurant operators in the nation, taking home the 2024 James Beard Award in the Outstanding Restaurateur category.
Bobby Stuckey, co-owner of Boulder’s Frasca Food and Wine and Pizzeria Alberico, was named one of the Robb Report’s 50 Most Powerful People in American Fine Dining in 2024.
Boulder-born Jax Fish House was included in FSR Magazine’s Top 50 Independent Restaurants in America, while 10-year-old Blackbelly Market retained its Michelin Green award status and opened a second location in Denver.
Boulder’s most celebrated chef, Eric Skokan, was able to relaunch dinners at Black Cat Farm.
For what it’s worth, Guy Fieri dropped by Boulder repeatedly in 2024 with his Food Network shows: Diners Drive-Ins, and Dives and Triple-D Nation. He stuffed his face at Aloy Thai, Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage and Bohemian Biergarten (and Cracovia in Westminster).
Other notable downtown openings in 2024 included the Boulder Spirits Tasting Room, 1428 Pearl St., Pedro’s Tacos and Tequila Bar, 1125 Pearl St., High Country, 1117 Pearl St., and The Colorado Club, 1043 Pearl St.
Busaba expanded its Thai eatery group to a new location, 1035 Pearl St., while Tiffins Momo Corner opened nearby at 1911 Broadway.
Some favorite spots relocated and reopened. Zoe Ma Ma, Edwin Zoe’s award-winning Asian street food eatery, relocated to a larger space at 919 Pearl St. with an expanded menu. North Boulder’s beloved Logan’s Espresso Cafe found a new home at 2490 Junction Place. Two years after a fire shut down the tacos, Wapos Cantina reopened at 4929 Broadway.
East Boulder became home to the Ironwood Bar and Grille, a new public restaurant at Flatirons Golf Course. Also open: The Cafe at the J inside the Boulder JCC, 6007 Oreg Ave.
Other Boulder openings include Lotus Moon, a Vietnamese vegan eatery, 2770 Pearl St.; Cheba Hut, 1346 Pearl St.; Mother’s Greek Food at Naked Lunch, 3301 Arapahoe Ave.; Boulder Swim Club, 555 30th St.; and Nopalito’s Mexican Restaurant, 1805 29th St.
Elsewhere in Boulder, Shreddy’s Tacos opened at 2690 Baseline Road, as did Ruzo Coffee, 3980 N. Broadway, Loving Cup, 1101 13th St., and Oxytocin tea room at 1925 Glenwood Drive.
Boulder also witnessed the closing of some favorite restaurants in 2024, including Le Peep, which had served brunch for 41 years, and Mateo Restaurant Provencal, open since 2001.
In Table Mesa, Under the Sun — sister eatery to the Mountain Sun and Southern Sun brewpubs, was shuttered. Maine Shack opened with a burst of attention but served seafood less than a year before closing.
Other Boulder shuttered eateries include Thrive, Meta Burger, Whole Sol Blend Bar, The Local, Dedalus (the downtown food and wine shop), Black Pepper Pho Restaurant, Ruthie’s Boardwalk Social, BOCO Cider, the Finkel & Garf Brewing Co. tasting room and the Rusty Melon in Gunbarrel.
Coming to Boulder in 2025: Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, 1710 29th St.; Yakitori Gareji, 2250 Pearl St., and C Bar and C Burger at 921 Pearl St.
2024: Longmont openings, closing and changes
No matter how you tabulate the meals, 2024 was a banner year for dining in Longmont.
The city’s first food hall, Parkway Food Hall opened at 700 Ken Pratt Blvd., with stalls offering everything from Japanese street food to barbecue. Longmont’s second food hall, Granary Food Hall, will open in 2025.
Johnson’s Station, a must-see historic dining destination, debuted in Longmont’s New Prospect neighborhood. Nearby, Longmont Social opened as a community cafe with a bar and games.
The Den on 11th opened at 1111 Francis St. and was voted Best New Restaurant in the 2024 East County Best of Boulder awards. Longmont is also now home to Colorado’s only freshly churned cultured butter bar, Bella La Crema Butter Shop, 931 Main St.
Restaurant openings by cuisine have included Mediterranean (Red Cedar Bistro, 516 Main St.), Guatemalan (Chí Kapé, 1680 Main St.), Latin American (Restaurant and Bar Yisel’s, 900 S. Hover St.), Mexican (Teocalli Cocina, 460 Main St.), Italian (Antonio’s Real New York Pizza, 325 Main St.), and Thai (Busaba Thai, 2343 Clover Basin Drive, and Thai 303, 1751 Hover St.) After extensive renovations, Longmont’s 32-year-old La Mariposa Restaurant reopened.
Other Longmont openings include Oskar Blues CHUBurger at 3rd Shot Pickleball, 20 S. Bowen St.; Winner’s Circle, 2251 Ken Pratt Blvd.; Big Bear Baked Potatoes, 1640 Pace St.; Spruce Cafe, 600 S. Airport Road; Amazin Glaze Donuts, 1801 Hover St.; Luminous Tea, 624 Main St.; and Juniper Goods, 659 4th Ave.
Roots restaurant at the Dickens Opera House was reopened as The Passenger.
2024 saw the closing of Tortugas Restaurant which had served Caribbean and Cajun seafood for 30 years. CYCLHOPS Bike CANtina was shuttered after 10 years at 600 S. Airport Road. Other Longmont 2024 closings included JP Cuisine, 1631 Pace St.; Wonder Press, 1139 Francis St.; and Cantina Lunada, 1225 Ken Pratt Blvd.
While Longmont already has many fine burger joints, some fans are looking forward to the opening of Longmont’s In-N-Out Burger. Also coming in 2025: Pelo’s Deli & Provisions, 630 Main St.; and Hot Pot City, 800 S. Hover St.
2024: Lafayette openings, closing and changes
Chef Marco Monanni opened Bucatino Trattoria Romana at 1265 S. Public Road, formerly Ting’s Chinese Restaurant. Sanitas Brewing Co. opened its third taproom at 400 W. South Boulder Road., formerly Front Range Brewing Co. Mono Mono Korean Fried Chicken closed at 599 Crossing Drive, but that space will be filled by Saigon District One Vietnamese Restaurant.
95a Bistro closed at at 1381 Forest Park Circle. Kismet Cafe is serving Middle Eastern fare in a portion of that space. Delicious Z’s, open since 2017, closed at 802 S. Public Road. Pita Grill now fills that location.
Other notable Lafayette closings included the James Beard Award-nominated Casian Seafood, 211 S. Public Road, and Reelfish Fish & Chips, 2770 Arapahoe Road.
Coming in 2025: Bee’s Thai Kitchen, 418 E. Simpson St., and Kalita Grill Greek Cafe, 801 S. Public Road.
Boulder Baked and Kwosson are bringing baked goodness to Superior.
2024: Openings, closing and changes elsewhere in Boulder County
Louisville: Notable openings included Shin Yuu Izakaya, 917 Front St., King Dumpling, 316 McCaslin Blvd., and The Jasmine Bar at 836½ Main St. Louisville will see two major attractions added in the next year or so: Ironton Distillery & Crafthouse, 2026 at 1303 Empire Road, and Relish food hall and pickleball facility, 550 McCaslin Blvd.
Superior: Kwosson, a tiny new bakery, opened at 2250 Main St. in the new Downtown Superior, dishing first-class French breads and baguettes. Also recently opened: The Stable Bar and Grill. Coming soon: A second location of Boulder Baked.
Hygiene: Cafe Fritz opened at 7502 Hygiene Road.
Niwot: 1914 House restaurant closed in 2024. Love Ice Cream opened at 240 2nd Ave.
Lyons: Indian Bites II recently opened at 432 Main St.
John Lehndorff hosts Radio Nibbles on KGNU. Podcasts: kgnu.org/category/radio-nibbles