Denver, CO

restaurants

Root Down

A converted gas station turned New American Restaurant, Root Down aims to connect the neighborhood to a dining experience in the same way ingredients are connected to food. By growing their own vegetables in an urban garden, recycling and composting waste, and sourcing ingredients local to Colorado, Root Down offers a sustainable and delicious dining experience in one of Denver’s most loved neighborhoods. (thegoodtrade.com)

Denver, CO

restaurants

Vital Root

Looking for fast-casual vegetarian/vegan cuisine? Vital Root is the spot. Founded by the same man who opened Root Down, this vegetable-focused restaurant is committed to using only real, organic ingredients sourced from local farmers and gardens. (thegoodtrade.com)

Denver, CO

restaurants

The Squeaky Bean

A real farm-to-table eatery, The Squeaky Bean sources all ingredients from local farms, including two of their own 6,000-square-foot year-round greenhouses named Acres at Warren Tech. They also help educate local students about the journey from soil to plate. The farm and sustainability practices will continue to expand in 2017. In the meantime, enjoy The Squeaky Bean's weekend brunch and bingo while visiting the Mile High City. (thegoodtrade.com)

Littleton, CO

restaurants

Larkburger Littleton - Village West

Food packaging can be a bane for quick-service restaurants in the quest for environmental sustainability, but Larkburger has found a solution. Larkburger’s french fries containers are biodegradable, utensils are made from potato and corn starch and paper packaging is made from unbleached paper pulp. The chain’s 12 locations are powered entirely by wind energy and restaurant interiors are decorated with reused wood paneling. Even the canola oil used to cook fries is repurposed into bio-diesel.

Denver, CO

restaurants • shopping

DiFranco's

Environmentally-friendly features include energy-efficient kitchen equipment and LED lighting across most of the interior of the restaurant. DiFranco’s recycles or composts almost all of their waste and 20 percent of their electricity is provided by wind power. DiFranco’s is also bike-friendly: Bike racks out front encourage patrons to bike to eat and their delivery system uses bikes instead of cars.

Denver, CO

bar • restaurants

Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar - LoDo

Jax Fish House serves up some of the freshest fish that money can buy in Denver and is deeply committed to seafood sustainability. The restaurant only sources seafood from fishmongers who maintain sustainable fisheries and was the first establishment in Denver to earn a certification from the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch.

Denver, CO

restaurants • shopping

Watercourse Foods

WaterCourse is Denver’s original vegan restaurant, offering a wide selection of vegan comfort foods. By nature of their menu, WaterCourse reduces their environmental impact by sourcing vegan ingredients; vegetables and plant-based proteins generate a much smaller carbon footprint than meat and dairy products. The restaurant uses biodegradable food containers for to-go orders, recycles whenever possible and all of WaterCourse’s fryer oil is converted into bio-diesel.

Denver, CO

bar • restaurants

Stoney's Bar and Grill

Fitting for a sports bar, many of the tables and drink rails at Stoney’s are constructed from old high school stadium bleachers. High-efficiency LED bulbs light the interior and the TVs in the restaurant are Energy Star rated. Stoney’s also reduces waste by using compostable to-go containers, silverware, cups and straws. You’ll notice that Stoney’s serves beer in cans, not bottles. Stoney’s recycles all the cans, and the proceeds are matched dollar-for-dollar by Miller Coors Brewing Company before being donated back to local charities.