Inhaling the Best Sandwich In Colorado
Did you know the top 3 lunch places in Denver (according to Yelp) all have “Kitchen” in their name?
Anyway, it was while I was searching for a good lunch place this weekend that I first heard about Vert Kitchen. The reviews were outstanding and every sandwich being described sounded amazing. The Food Network had voted them best sandwich in Colorado. A quick look at their website (and menu) and I was ready to give it a try.
The one complaint seemed to be lack of seating, so as soon as my flight landed I headed to S Pearl Street for an early lunch. The neighborhood is mostly residential so finding free street parking wasn’t a problem. As I approached there were several locals hanging out at a table in the front with their dogs.
It didn’t look touristy, which is always a good sign. So was the line that was already out the door at 11AM.
The menu is pretty simple — a handful of sandwiches, some salads, and your choice of 4-5 delicious looking sides. I had a hard time picking since they all looked good. I almost went for the BLT with incredibly thick local bacon, then decided perhaps the L’Entrecote skirt steak baguette was the way to go. But then I thought about their award winning house roast turkey with balsamic figs and chevre, before finally panicking at the register and ordering the Curry Chicken with apple, cashews, tarragon pesto, and currants I’d originally wanted.
And choosing between the turkey bacon pasta and the peanut sesame slaw was tough, but I finally decided to be adventurous and pick the slaw.
The half dozen or so indoor tables were free, but it felt cramped so I headed out to the back patio to enjoy the sun.
Everyone else had the same idea but I still had a few tables to choose from and by the time I left around 1PM it was empty. The back patio is fairly plain but perfectly comfortable.
Then the sandwich arrived.
It looked AND tasted amazing. At $13 it was not cheap, but it was worth it. Enough sauce to give flavor but not drowning in condiments. The peanut sesame slaw was also tasty!
Is this the best sandwich place in Denver? Quite possibly. I hear terms like “best sandwich in Colorado” and my mind immediately starts building expectations like its going to be one of the top restaurants in the world. Which, let’s face it, isn’t the point of most sandwiches. 🙂
But, it WAS a great sandwich. I would come back, I would order the Curry Chicken again, I would also be tempted to get every other sandwich option and side as well. So if you’re in the Denver area looking for creative and satisfying food, definitely give Vert Kitchen a try.
And while I doubt it’s quite as good, apparently you can also sample their takeaway fare at Root Down DIA in Terminal C at the Denver Airport. It will still probably be better than many of your options!
Interesting article about vert kitchen. I’ll have to try it next week. Unless I missed it, I didn’t notice what the other two were.
Maybe I’m imagining it, but haven’t you been traveling to Denver frequently, lately? It’s a great place, but probably isn’t most noticed for its food, though that aspect has been coming on strong lately.
Sadly, this past weekend was my first trip in several years. I love the weather and the views though!