Watercourse Foods calls itself Denver’s original vegan restaurant. After Dan Landes first opened Watercourse Foods in 1998, the menu slowly evolved from straight vegetarian to full vegan by 2014. Over the years it has become a gathering place for a community of those interested in healthy foods and lifestyles—not just for those with a plant-based palate, but also for those with dietary restrictions that make eating out tricky. The bright Uptown restaurant is open from 7 a.m. all day and is especially popular for breakfast (not least of all for the design-it-yourself scrambled tofu skillet hash with a panoply of fillings and sauces). In the evening, creative cocktails—and mocktails—made with local ingredients are served alongside street tacos, curries, mac and cheese, and nachos loaded with tempeh chorizo, avocado, refried beans, and pico de gallo.
