The Pearl Street Mall is always a perfect starting place for finding some of the best food in Boulder. Not only is the mall fun to walk around, especially in the spring and summer with all the flowers in the middle of the pedestrian-only walkway, but also to shop, eat, and drink.
Location: 1825 Pearl St. B Boulder CO 80302
If you get to Boulder in the morning, the East end of Pearl St. is home to Boxcar Coffee Roasters. This is the best place for coffee and pastries in all of Boulder, and is my favorite way to start a day. The lattes, cold brew, and mochas are all delicious here, and the rotating and seasonal selection of pastries in the display case will always be delicious. The croissant breakfast sandwich is also super good for a more savory and filling breakfast.
Location: 3601 Arapahoe Ave D-181 Boulder CO 80303
For the best pastries and bread in Boulder, check out Dry Storage. The croissants are absolutely delicious, the many daily offerings are incredible, and the sandwiches are divine! You can also pick up a few specialty items like coffee, seasonings, and freshly milled flour! This is another must stop place in Boulder!
Location: Next to Boxcar, 1825 Pearl St. B Boulder CO 80302
In the afternoon, the European style deli and specialty shop side of Boxcar called Dedalus Wine Shop and Market (formerly known as Cured), also serves great sandwiches, pretzels, and sourdough bread. Definitely worthwhile to head back to Boxcar when when Dedalus is open for some specialty cooking and eating items!
Location 1: 1500 Pearl St. Suite F Boulder CO 80302
Location 2: 459 McCaslin Blvd. Louisville CO 80027
Heading West on Pearl St. and on the opposite side of the street kiddy corner to Boxcar is my favorite lunch spot in town called the Organic Sandwich Company. I have had a few sandwiches, and the ones on their pretzel rolls are the best! They also have a special sandwich of the week, and these are very fun to try! In addition to sandwiches on great bread, they also serve homemade soups and some salads. They have vegan and gluten free options, as well as a kid's menu, so there really is something for everyone here!
Location: 946 Pearl St. Boulder CO 80302
On a hot summer day, Wonder Press Juice is a fun place to check out for a great smoothie or juice down on the West End of Pearl St. The Spicy Avocado smoothie, made with avocado, mango, ginger, coconut milk, cayennne, and lemon is my ultimate favorite! If you are in the mood for more of chocolatey smoothie, the coffee banana chip with cold brew, banana, coconut milk, and cacao nibs is super good! And I love the ginger lemon shot called, the Cure. Wonder has a good amount of tables to sit at, with some small plates, refrigerated grab and go items, and a full coffee and tea menu, making it a great place to catch up with a friend or get some work done.
Location 1: 1420 Pearl St. #105 Boulder CO 80302
Location 2: 1810 29th St. #1087 Boulder CO 80301
Another fun spring/summer place to check out is Whole Sol blend bar. This is primarily an acai bowl and toast spot, but my favorite part is that every Wednesday they have a $6 special, meaning one of their menu items is only $6. This is a great way to try out a menu item as this price makes the item about half off. Similar to Wonder Press, there are a fair amount of tables to enjoy your bowl or toast at. My favorite order is the Homemade Newtella, with a cacao, hazelnut, acai base and toppped with granola, raspberries, and their house-made nutella. It is so good!
Location 1: 1433 Pearl St. Boulder CO 80302
Location 2: 1021 Pearl St. Boulder CO 80302
As soon as of the two Pearl St. Gelato Boys opens up, head on over. If there is one place I can recommend in all of Boulder, it is Gelato Boy. I have been a fan of this gelato from the time they started in Boulder when they were called Fior Di Latte, until now, when they have expanded and renamed to Gelato Boy. Bryce and his wife, Giulia (who is from Italy!) make the best gelato I have had, and they always have seasonal flavors. I will say that my very very favorite flavors were when they were a smaller one storefront shop and had some incredible monthly flavors. They once had this trick-or-treat flavor with homemade snickers, homemade twix, and homemade almond butter cups and it was the most amazing gelato I have ever had! I also loved their honeycomb, and I loved it so much that by the end of its run, I had bought 12 pints! My Boulder freezer was always stocked with Gelato Boy gelato because the shops would have "secret pints" that were only $5, so every time they had those pints, I would buy a few. Hopefully they still do that for all you Boulder locals! :) I honestly don't think you can go wrong with any flavor, and Gelato Boy makes everything gluten-free, with lots of vegan flavors, too!
Location: 1730 Pearl St. Boulder CO 80302
For pizza, Pizzeria Locale on Pearl St. is simply the best. This has been a pizza favorite for a long time, and it still is one of the best pizza places I have ever tried. Bobby Stuckey is an amazing chef and sommelier, who also owns the upscale restaurant next door to Pizzeria Locale called Frasca. Pizzeria Locale does a great job of having a new pizza every month or so, along with new appetizers and salads. Whenever they make their own gelato, it is also amazing. They don't make it anymore, but they used to make a basil stratiatella gelato, that was one of the best gelatos I have ever had. The basil base was vibrantly green and the chocolate running through it was simply divine. Once, a waiter told us that this gelato required too much basil to make so the shop was unable to continue making it. Writing about this delicious gelato makes me want to go buy some basil and try making it myself! In all my gelato ventures post Pizzeria Locale, I have yet to find another shop that carries this flavor. As for the pizza, the margherita is definitely my favorite, followed closely by a white pizza called the Funghi.
Location: 2825 Wilderness Pl. #800 Boulder CO 80301
Another great breakfast/lunch/snack spot is Shamane's. Shamane's is a french restaurant and bakery that has the absolute best pastries, pies, tarts, and donuts, and cakes! Also breakfast burritos and lunch sandwiches!
Location: 2328 Pearl St. Boulder CO 80302
On the Eastern end of Pearl St. is a cute Coloradan comfort restaurant called River and Woods. The restaurant is located in an old house, and has a great outdoor backyard space with lots of tables in the summer, and a nice heated tent for additional seating in the colder months. In addition to unique and local twists on classic comfort foods like macaroni and cheese, corn dogs, ravioli, and burgers, River and Woods serves a great local trout, shortrib, and farmer's market salad. This is another spot that has something for everyone, and it is all delicious. The churros and home-made dipping sauces are also a great way to end the meal.
Location: 1265 Alpine Ave Boulder CO 80304
Northeast Boulder, in the Ideal Market Shopping plaza, is the best Mexican/Southwestern restaurant called Santo. Santo has the best breakfast burritos, filled with peppers, eggs, and tater tots, and also has great dinner dishes and salsas.
Location: 1606 Conestoga #3 Boulder CO 80301
Another local favorite dinner spot is Blackbelly. The menu also changes seasonally, and the bulk of their food comes from local farmers, which is always amazing. The menu is meat heavy, but they always have well prepared fish dish, and a vegetarian pasta. And they have a wonderful pastry chef who makes delicious desserts for the restaurant! They used to have a wonderful happy hour, which is when I would always go to the restaurant, so be sure to check that out!
Location: 2525 Arapahoe Ave. Boulder CO 80302
The empanadas at Rincon are so good! There are so many great options to choose from, with vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options. The service is quick, making this a great lunch or dinner option. The salsas are also delicious here!
