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Maybe you’re trying to fuel up (read: pregame) before the Pride parade. Perhaps you need a spot to unwind after a day of jubilation. Or, possibly, you’re one of the quiet gays comedian Hannah Gadsby joked about in her stupendous 2018 Netflix special Nannette, and you’re just after some low-key celebration.
No matter your appetite, spend your money at one of these LGBTQ-owned restaurants (or meal-delivery services) in Denver—both during Pride month and after.
Bubby Goober’s Hand Pies
Wife-and-wife team Jennifer Tom and Corrie Sharp are the dynamic duo behind Bubby Goober’s delicious hand pies. Flaky-crusted delights emerge from their Montclair neighborhood kitchen in an ever-growing variety of flavors, such as salted caramel apple and verbena berry, along with seasonal options like pear bourbon. The bakery also boasts a vegan and gluten free menu, so those with dietary restrictions don’t have to forego the sweet treats. 5701 E 8th Ave.
Lady Justice Brewing
Owned by Betsy Lay, Kate Power, and Jen Cuesta, the Aurora taproom slings suds with dope names like the citrusy Liberty Lager, the Chosen Family English Style Amber, and more. Each year, the brewery sells Community-Supported Beer memberships that give buyers access to great deals (such as two free growlers of beer each month). The really cool part? All profits from the memberships go toward supporting community organizations, including Soul 2 Soul Sisters and the Aurora Mental Health Center. 9735 East Colfax Ave.
Make It Vegan
Next time you want a quiet meal at home, check out Denver’s new queer-owned, vegan meal prep and delivery business, Make It Vegan. Co-owners Olivia Ferrante and Erica McMahon use customer suggestions to build their weekly menus (ingredients are delivered on Sundays). So if there exists, say, a Bolognese sauce you’ve longed for since eliminating animals and animal byproducts from your diet, send them the recipe and they might make you a vegan version.
Rita’s Law
Denver native Rita Price has a list of rules. Number 80: “Make a friend, buy your neighbor a drink.” It’s an apt command for Price’s cafe and bar in Five Points, which serves as a space for the community to socialize over craft cocktails, such as the Maya Angelou, a vodka, spice-pear, and dry vermouth blend with black pepper syrup and lemon juice, or a coffee made with local roaster Huckleberry’s beans. The renovated, miniature school bus outside serves as a funky—and conversation-starting—kitchen. 2209 Welton St.
Pie Queen
Martin Howard already had an impressive career as a pastry chef—he’d worked in iconic New York eateries like the Rainbow Room, and Chocolatier and Pastry Art & Design magazines have both called him one of the top 10 pastry chefs in America. But it was after going viral on TikTok for baking and delivering pies as his drag persona—Chocolatina, Queen of Dessert—that the pie bakery he runs out of his Denver metro home really took off. Join the waitlist so you can get one of these dreamy confections (flavors rotate, but recent ones include passion rose meringue, chocolate mousse, and more) delivered by the Queen herself, complete with a song.
The Easy Vegan
A catering company started by Alexi Mandolini and Taylor Herbert during the pandemic, the Easy Vegan also hosts pop-ups at the City Park Farmers Market on Saturday mornings and the South Pearl Street Farmers Market on Sunday mornings (check the Easy Vegan Facebook page for schedule changes). The menu is always different, but we’re suckers for the creamy macaroni and cheese—and long to try the chocolate pot de crème with biscoff cookie crumb.
Third Culture Bakery
Located in the center of Denver’s Five Points, this LGBTQ-owned bakery began in California and is part of co-owners Sam Butarbutar and Wenter Shyu’s love story. Well-known for their mochi doughnuts and muffins, Third Culture Bakery’s picturesque desserts can be found all over Instagram and TikTok—though we like them best on our kitchen tables, thank you very much. The chewy desserts combine Hawaiian butter mochi and Indonesian cake, so you can taste a piece of Buterbutar’s Indonesian roots in every bite. 9935 East Colfax Ave.
Under the Umbrella
This comfy cafe in Congress Park has a variety of snacks and meals created by chef Kat Rooney and her partner, baker Jyll Tuggle, including breakfast burritos and homemade granola (both are lovely with your morning coffee). If you’re visiting this LGBTQ-owned restaurant later in the day, try one of their daily dinner specials like the vegetarian curry pot pie or Peruvian chicken dinner. 3507 E 12th Ave.
(Read More: Denver Has A New Drag Queen Pie Delivery Business)