Eat at These 10 Denver Restaurants for Under $10

These days, dining out in Denver always feels like a splurge. To compensate for higher ingredient prices, wages, energy rates, and a multitude of other operational woes, most restaurants have upped what you pay for that burger, burrito, or breakfast sando.

But that doesn’t mean you have to give up good grub. We’ve rounded up 10 seriously delicious deals at local restaurants (no Taco Bells here) where $10 still buys you breakfast, lunch, or dinner. So grab that Hamilton and fill up on the endangered—but not quite extinct—sub-$10 meal in Denver.

Jump Ahead:

Best Breakfast Deals
Best Lunch Deals
Best Dinner Deals
Best Happy Hour Deals

Best Breakfast Deals

Weekday Earlybird Specials at Sam’s No. 3

• Where: 1500 Curtis St., Denver (Downtown); 435 S. Cherry St., Glendale
• Price: $7.99 & $9.99
• Honorable Mention: A full stack of sweet cream pancakes for $9.99

When a Denny’s Grand Slam rings up at more than $10 these days, what hope do we have? Enter: Sam’s No. 3 to save the morning. Early risers can score specials at both Sam’s locations on weekdays before 10 a.m., including the two-egg breakfast with potatoes and toast for $7.99 and the breakfast melt sandwich with scrambled egg, cheddar, and ham, bacon, or sausage on Texas toast for $9.99. (Bonus: They’re each $1 less at the Glendale diner.)

Ham and Cheese Croissant at Bánh & Butter Bakery Café

• Where: 9935 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora
• Price: $6
• Honorable Mention: Breakfast Danish crowned with bacon, egg, and cheddar for $6.85

Treat yourself to a Food Network finalist’s flaky, indulgent pastries at Bánh & Butter Bakery Café. (Owner Thoa Nguyen made it to the finale of the Holiday Baking Championship in 2023.) The ham and cheese croissant will fill you up for $6, but if they have the split strawberry croissants—aka the best $3 you’ll ever spend—grab one (or maybe 10) for later.

Best Lunch Deals

Pork Bánh Mì at Vinh Xuong Bakery

Bánh mì at Vinh Xuong Bakery. Photo by Barbara O’Neil

• Where: 2370 W. Alameda Ave., Denver (Athmar Park)
• Price: $8.75
• Honorable Mention: Gluten-free rice paper wraps for $8.75

Serendipitously, the best bánh mì in town is also one of the cheapest. Smooth pâté, a pile of pickled veggies, fresh cilantro, and lemongrass-marinated pork are loaded onto a sturdy-but-airy baguette for less than $9 at Vinh Xuong Bakery. If you like it hot, add a splash of spice with a cup of complimentary chile oil.

Beef and Lamb Gyro at Jerusalem Restaurant

• Where: 1890 E. Evans Ave., Denver (University)
• Price: $8.95
• Honorable Mention: Chicken Shawarma Sandwich for $9.25

Who needs a Happy Meal when you can get a shaved-straight-from-the-spit gyro with fries for under $9? Jerusalem has been feeding us affordable Middle Eastern eats for nearly 50 years, so of course this is a go-to for all things tzatziki drizzled and pita wrapped. The beef and lamb gyro is our move—mostly because the meat is tender and flavorful, but also because it’s probably the only place in town where you can get both beef and lamb for less than a movie ticket.

Best Dinner Deals

Steerburger at My Brother’s Bar

• Where: 2376 15th St., Denver (LoHi)
• Price: $9.95
• Honorable Mention: Splurge on the iconic JCB (jalapeño cream cheese burger) for $11.75

Choices are limited for a non-fast-food burger south of $10, but you can still find one at the beloved My Brother’s Bar, where the history is rich but the prices are not. The basic Steerburger rings in at $9.95, which probably would have bought you food for weeks back when the restaurant first opened in 1873 but isn’t too shabby 150 years later.

Mexican Combos at Tamale Kitchen

Tamale Kitchen tamales. Photo by Barbara O’Neil

• Where: Various locations
• Price: $9.89
• Honorable Mention: Grab a half dozen tamales for just $8.50.

Menus vary by location, but at the Denver outpost of Tamale Kitchen, five different combos go for $10 or less. We’re partial to the #6, a soft chile relleno, cheese enchilada, and tamale, all smothered in the kitchen’s zesty green chile. Pro tip: Think ahead and order a sub-$6 chorizo breakfast burrito (ask for the “special,” which comes with green chile inside) for tomorrow morning.

Arepas at Empanada Express Grill

• Where: 4301 W. 44th Ave., Denver (Berkeley)
• Price: $9–9.75
• Honorable Mention: $8 empanadas

You can eat for less than a Hamilton anytime at the Venezuelan Empanada Express Grill. The nearly softball-size pockets of beef, chicken, plantains, and more are $7.99 to $8.75 per empanada, but we prefer the giant sandwich-like arepas made with slightly crispy corn-flour cakes for a smidge more.

Chicken and Vegetable Bowl at Kokoro

• Where: 2390 S. Colorado Blvd., Denver (University Hills); 5535 Wadsworth Blvd., Arvada
• Price: $9.75
• Honorable Mention: Miso or shoyu ramen with broth for $7.75

Don’t be fooled by the drive-thru here, it only means you’ll get your bowl full of Colorado-raised and -grown chicken and veggies slathered in teriyaki sauce that much quicker. Casual, convenient, and comforting, Kokoro has been making a simple but solid menu of Japanese bowls and rolls since 1986, with a focus on keeping it inexpensive for you, dear eater.

Best Happy Hour Deals

Daily Specials at The Irish Rover Pub

• Where: 54 S. Broadway, Denver (Speer)
• Price: $10 or less

You could eat for $10 (or less!) every night of the week at the Irish Rover where 10-inch pizzas go for $10 Saturday through Monday; tacos are a buck on Tuesdays; and all wings, burgers, and fish & chips are half off Wednesday through Friday, respectively. Thirsty? They’ll take a dollar off drafts, wells, and wines on weekdays from 3–7 p.m.

Wings and a Beer at Number 38

The wings at Number 38 are under $10, which includes a pint of beer, during happy hour. Photo courtesy of Number 38

• Where: 3560 Chestnut Place, Denver (RiNo)
• Price: $10

Sneak out of the office early and enjoy happy hour deals at Number 38 from 3–5 p.m. on weekdays. The best bang for your buck is the $10 wings-and-beer special, which gets you a half pound of smoked-then-fried wings (five or six meaty drums and flats) plus a 16-ounce you-pick-it brew.