The Cherry Cricket

"If the Cricket isn’t home to Colorado’s number one hamburger, what makes it so special? Everything else. It’s the ultimate Denver neighborhood hang. It’s the place where you come to have lunch on the patio with a giant beer even though it’s Tuesday. It’s the place where all your friends from grade school meet to get drunk the night before Thanksgiving. It’s the place where you eat onion rings and then play some darts with greasy fingers. And yes, it’s the place that will put peanut butter on top of a pile of hot ground beef, despite god and nature’s wishes, just because that’s what you want. Although the green chile and white cheddar is our move." - allyson reedy

"People of all ages like burgers, fries, and shakes, so this beloved Cherry Creek fixture would be a favorite for families even if it didn’t have a separate kids’ menu — but it does, complete with hot dogs, chicken tenders, and cheese quesadillas as well as burgers sized for small fries. The outdoor patio and tented backyard area feel particularly family-friendly." - Ruth Tobias, Eater Staff

"Though it’s long billed itself as the black sheep of Cherry Creek, the fact is that no guide to the neighborhood is complete without this classic tavern, beloved for its endlessly customizable burgers: Nearly 40 a la carte toppings include corned beef and sauerkraut, mac-and-cheese and chiles rellenos, and perhaps most famously, peanut butter and grape jelly. About 30 craft beers make the ordering process all the more bamboozlingly fun." - Ruth Tobias, Gigi Sukin, Eater Staff

"This Cherry Creek institution tricks out its famous burgers with all the à la carte fixings imaginable — pork belly, corned beef, PB&J, Cheetos, green chile, ancho-apricot BBQ sauce, sauerkraut, and much more — until midnight (the same goes for its Ballpark sibling). Throw in pretzel knots with queso, onion rings, and spiked milkshakes for a balanced meal." - Camila Navarrette, Eater Staff, Ruth Tobias

"This Cherry Creek institution tricks out its famous burgers with all the à la carte fixings imaginable — pork belly, corned beef, PB&J, Cheetos, green chile, ancho-apricot BBQ sauce, sauerkraut, and much more — until midnight (the same goes for its Ballpark sibling). Throw in pretzel knots with queso, onion rings, and spiked milkshakes for a balanced meal." - Camila Navarrette, Eater Staff, Ruth Tobias