Mercantile Dining & Provision is the one restaurant in the station that isn’t open yet, it is scheduled to open in September. It is owned by chef Alex Seidel of the well regarded Fruition, and is pitched as “a European inspired market and restaurant”. I have high hopes of this being one of my favorite places in the station!
Acme Burger & Brat Corporation serves gourmet burgers and brats (as you might guess 🙂 !!). I am a fan of their elk jalapeño cheddar brat, and their fries are great. They have no dedicated seating, but you can take their food to eat in the Great Hall, to go, or you can order it at the Terminal Bar.
Many Denverites probably know Snooze, who have been serving great breakfasts in a fun environment in the Ballpark neighborhood since 2006. They’ve expanded to six locations in Colorado, and three outside, with Union Station being their latest one. You should plan on a wait, but they will text you when your table is ready, so check in as soon as you get there and plan on exploring the area while you wait.
I love the Kitchen Next Door “Community Pub” for its down to earth atmosphere and reasonable prices for gourmet comfort food. It’s part of The Kitchen family of restaurants started in Boulder by well known entrepreneur Kimball Musk. Its fancier cousin The Kitchen is just two blocks away up 16th Street, and is also well worth a visit.
The Terminal Bar is one of my favorite spots in the station, there are lots of well done aspects to it. The huge eye-catching sign in the Great Hall is one of the first things you will notice when you walk into the station. They serve 30 different beers from Colorado, which you can drink in the bar area, inside or outside, or in the Great Hall.
The Cooper Lounge is an upmarket cocktail bar, upstairs on the mezzanine level. In order to get up there you have to check in with the reception desk in the Great Hall, near ACME Burgers and Brats. It has cool views down into the Great Hall, and through the big windows along 17th Street (though you need to stand up to see either!). They serve food from the raw bar at Stoic & Genuine – oysters, shrimp, lobster and caviar.
Stoic and Genuine is an excellent high end seafood restaurant owned by renowned chef Jennifer Jasinski, who also owns Rioja, Bistro Vendome, and Euclid Hall. They fly in fresh fish, oysters, lobsters and more every day.
Pigtrain Coffee serves great coffee from local company Novo, as well as delicious pastries from Babette’s bakery, based in the Source market nearby. They take advantage of the building’s liquor license to offer a few alcoholic coffee drinks too! They also have outdoor seating overlooking the fountains.
The Milkbox Ice Creamery serves sixteen flavors of ice cream daily, made locally by Little Man Ice Cream in Highlands. They do shakes, malts, sundaes, cones and cups. It’s a great option for dessert after dining elsewhere in the neighborhood, and you can sit and eat them in the great hall. Or of course you can just take them with you, or sit outside. They also take advantage of the building’s liquor license to offer some alcoholic shakes!
Union Station Guide 