Address: | 2911 W 38th Ave, Denver, CO 80211, USA |
Phone: | +1 303-955-0815 |
Site: | theuniversaldenver.com |
Rating: | 4.5 |
Working: | 7AM–2:30PM 7AM–2:30PM 7AM–2:30PM 7AM–2:30PM 7AM–2:30PM 7AM–2:30PM 7AM–2:30PM |
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Mia Voss
Oh, The Universal. You are a solid 10 in my book. Ive been there for brunch and lunch several times over the last year and it just never fails to deliver. Again, another delightful little place tucked into a strip mall off 38th Avenue. Logistically, anything near 38th and Federal is just a crapshoot of craptastic traffic but this place makes it worth it. There are about 10 spaces total for the place so on the weekend, its a bit nutty and you DO want to get there early for brunch, especially on Sunday. Its can be a yuppie mecca on the weekends. YES, I said Yuppie because Im over 40. Anywhoo.. the FOOD. The food. Heres what we had Lets get right to it - the grits are TDF-ToDieFoh. They are bona fide, Make sure to order them as a side. Heres what else we had: The Universal - 11 - your basic farm breakfast with eggs, grits, pancake on the side (yup) and the ham - omg! Corn Bread Rancheros - now these were GOOD! However, im a bit of a wimp when it comes to heat in food so the spice was a little much but the food preparation & presentation was amazing. Sweet & Savory Quinoa Bowl - I just loooved this. But again, this actually had a little heat to it as well! Im thinking it was in the savory pumpkin seeds. Either way, this dish was an interesting mix and very filling. Service/Staff - OMG, I just love them - everyone is always a delight and VERY good at handling the crowds & the somewhat cramped spaces.
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James Hagar
Been here 3 times now, always for breakfast. Service is friendly & very accommodating. One time I was there with another couple & a total of 3 young kids. We asked a lot of questions & put in some special modified orders. Nightmare high-maintenance customers, right? Our waitress was all smiles & very nice about it. The menu carries innovative & interesting twists on traditional items using what I would call high quality ingredients for reasonable prices. Delicious. The owner was there one time. Nice guy, very down to earth. The inside is simple, small, and clean with a small patio that has some umbrella shade but borders on the parking lot of a strip mall. So its not a beautiful place, but if you are more interested in the food & service, its great. One of my 3 favorites in the greater Denver area.
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Amber Betts
Been there twice. Some really outstanding things but because of several disappointments each time I will not likely return. Both times they cooked my eggs wrong. Biscuits & gravy and chicken sausage are excellent and the cornbread rancheros is out of this world. Bloody marys were great the first time, second visit they had so much horseradish two of us couldnt even drink them. We told the server, she went and tasted the mix and agreed with us and they then adjusted the mix. They did not however comp the drinks which I thought was odd. Icing on the cake - a hair in my food! I will only wait 30+ minutes for perfection, and Im afraid they have a ways to go. And, attn trendy restaurants: unisex bathrooms are NOT cool!!!
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Joseph Brown
I am a regular here and I just have to say that their food blows most places I go to out of the water. I often find myself coming back because other places dont seem to compare. They actually have good portion sizes for the price offered, which is actually a pretty fair price on most items. Their pancakes are amazing and you can tell they arent just some out of the box pancakes like most other places. I love trying new places, but like I said I always find myself back here because I am never in for any negative surprises. The staff is almost always very attentive, always nice, and they make sure you are happy with everything. The recipes are outstanding. You guys rock !
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Zac Hastings
I will never understand Denvers obsession with breakfast. And Ill also never complain about it. Universal takes breakfast and then cranks it up a culinary level. Of course there was a good sized wait. It wasnt Snooze ridiculous but it was substantial nonetheless. As one reviewer already stated, they are a little slow on the turn around but all in all, everyone was friendly, staff and customers alike, so it made for a bearable wait. I got the grits special which was unlike anything Ive had before at breakfast. Im a light eater at breakfast so two people could easily split something like the grits. Their prices are decent and not over the top. I would definitely come back!
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Tyler Stout
The Universal is a great brunch restaurant! It is a must eat if you are in that time frame where lunch or breakfast are acceptable. Additionally all the food is delicious. Any dish you choose will have a unique taste and will be highly filling. The only downfall to this restaurant is there arent many options to choose from. On another positive note, the service here is fantastic! The waiters/waitresses are very down to earth and relaxed but extremely attentive to make sure your meal is the best it can be. The atmosphere also gives off a laid back vibe and almost a rustic feel. If youre driving through or youre a local, The Universal is a must stop restaurant!
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Alexander Barnes-Tamari
I truly love this breakfast spot. The atmosphere, service, and quality of the food certainly stand-out among other establishments. All my servers have been knowledgeable, professional, and overall very pleasant. Ive hosted close to a dozen business meetings at The Universal, and my customers have always been impressed. Custard French Toast is worth the wait and awesome shared among friends. If you like grits, their butter grits are insane (try em plain first). My walnut/banana pancakes today were definitely slam-dunk without a doubt :) If you have time, check them out. Honest review from a consistently impressed patron.
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Zulma Duran-Cely
We came here for brunch.. delicious food, waiter was super friendly and nice setting, however I ordered the grits special of the day, which was a stuffed tomato that was really tasty on a bed of grits and pork belly.... the pork belly was the downfall for me, instead of being cooked to perfection, it was soggy and SATURATED with liquid fat... I mean, when I say saturated I could scoop the liquid fat with a big spoon.... and still have some left on my plate pooling on top of the grits. hopefully they read these reviews do they can make improvements. other than that, okay place to have brunch. they have tasty cocktails too.
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Joy Lee
So many people at 10 AM on Saturday morning in 2016. We were lucky to be seated right after we arrived because we were only two. It was not easy to park but there is another parking lot right next to the parking lot of this restaurant. so you can use it. The coffee is smooth and good! There are many small tables for two people as well. Food was great. Mine was Smoked Tomato Scramble. The ice cream shaped creamy goat cheese was delicious. Also, I liked the potatoes!
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Eric Farmer
Fantastic food!! If there is a wait... just know it is worth it. Housemade sausage, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, potatoes, even the eggs are fantastic. I have been to multiple restaurants over the last two years when I visit Colorado... and its the only restaurants name I choose to remember. Planning my trip to Colorado began with the thought that I want a great breakfast from there I booked a flight and figured out how many days I was eating here.