Unearth The Voyage
Colorado’s mountains hide a secret: kitchens serving up authentic Southern comfort that warms you better than any ski lodge fireplace. From crispy fried chicken to slow-simmered collard greens, these soul food restaurants dish up flavors that transport you straight to grandma’s Sunday dinner table. Whether you’re a Colorado native or just passing through, these beloved local spots offer the kind of home cooking that feeds both body and spirit.
CoraFaye’s Café — Aurora’s Southern Time Machine
Walking into CoraFaye’s feels like stepping through a portal to a Southern grandmother’s kitchen circa 1950. Vintage decor adorns walls that have witnessed countless family celebrations and first dates.
The smothered pork chops fall apart under your fork, swimming in gravy that demands to be sopped up with sweet cornbread. Owner Priscilla Smith learned these recipes at her grandmother CoraFaye’s side, and that authenticity comes through with every bite.
Regulars know to save room for the sweet potato pie—a recipe so guarded it might as well be locked in a vault. The restaurant has moved locations several times but never lost its soul.
Jabo’s Bar-Be-Q — Greenwood Village’s Soul-Filled Smokehouse
Don’t let the strip mall location fool you—Jabo Lawson brings 50 years of smoking expertise straight from Texas to this suburban gem. His signature move? Custom sauce bars where you choose your heat level and flavor profile.
The brisket spends 14 hours getting acquainted with hickory smoke before meeting your plate. While technically barbecue, the sides speak pure soul: candied yams swimming in buttery syrup and collard greens cooked down with smoked turkey wings.
Jabo himself often works the room, sharing stories from his East Texas childhood while making sure everyone feels like they’ve been invited to his personal backyard cookout.
Welton Street Café — Denver’s Five Points Treasure
Family traditions simmer in every pot at this Five Points landmark. For over three decades, the Dickerson family has been serving catfish so crispy and oxtails so tender they’ve become neighborhood legends.
Regulars don’t just come for the food—they come for the feeling of belonging that fills the space as completely as the aroma of fried chicken. The pates (Jamaican patties) offer a Caribbean twist you won’t find elsewhere in Denver.
After temporarily closing and relocating in 2022, their reopening felt like a family reunion, proving that some institutions are simply irreplaceable in the community they feed and nurture.
Blazing Chicken Shack II — Denver’s No-Frills Flavor Champion
In a world of fancy food presentations and Instagram-worthy plating, Blazing Chicken Shack II keeps it refreshingly real. This northeast Denver institution focuses on what matters: flavor that makes you close your eyes and sigh with contentment.
The chicken wings achieve that perfect balance—crispy exterior giving way to juicy meat that slides off the bone. Their mac and cheese deserves special recognition with its bubbling crust and creamy interior that somehow maintains its integrity even when reheated the next day.
Be prepared to wait during peak hours—good things take time, and owner Shane Gooseman refuses to rush perfection.
Boney’s BBQ — Downtown Denver’s Southern Comfort Station
Tucked between skyscrapers, Boney’s serves as an oasis for homesick Southerners working downtown. The lunchtime line often stretches down the block—a testament to food worth waiting for.
Lamont and Trina Lynch brought their Carolina and Texas influences to Denver, creating a hybrid style that satisfies both pulled pork and brisket devotees. The sweet potato casserole, crowned with a praline topping, straddles the line between side dish and dessert in the most delightful way.
During summer months, their outdoor seating transforms a concrete corner into a community gathering spot where strangers become friends over shared bottles of their house-made hot sauce.
The Blazing Cajun — Colorado Springs’ Bayou-Inspired Soul Spot
Hurricane Katrina brought chef Marcus Reynolds to Colorado, and thankfully, he brought his family recipes with him. The Blazing Cajun marries Louisiana heat with soul food comfort in a vibrant space adorned with Mardi Gras beads and jazz memorabilia.
Seafood gumbo simmers all day, developing layers of flavor that transport you straight to New Orleans. The catfish po’boy comes dressed with housemade remoulade on French bread that somehow maintains the perfect balance of crisp exterior and soft interior.
Every Thursday, their crawfish boils become community events where strangers share newspaper-covered tables and stories flow as freely as the sweet tea.
Aloy’s Southern Kitchen — Denver’s Newcomer with Old Soul
Grandma Aloy never wrote down a single recipe, trusting her hands to remember the right measurements. Her grandson Terrence memorized every move, opening this tribute restaurant after she passed in 2018.
The chicken and waffles arrive with a flourish—golden-brown chicken perched atop Belgian waffles with house-infused maple syrup and whipped butter melting into every crevice. Weekend brunch brings multi-generational families who linger for hours over buttery biscuits and sausage gravy.
Though only open since 2020, Aloy’s feels like it’s been a Denver institution for decades—the mark of a place that’s gotten soul food exactly right.
Taste of Louisiana — Aurora’s Cajun-Soul Fusion Haven
“I had to open this restaurant because I was homesick,” laughs owner Beatrice LaFayette, who moved from Baton Rouge twenty years ago. Her homesickness became Aurora’s gain.
Red beans and rice simmer for twelve hours with smoked turkey necks, developing a depth that can’t be rushed. The jambalaya strikes that perfect balance between spicy and flavorful, with andouille sausage made in-house according to Beatrice’s grandfather’s recipe.
A wall of hot sauces—some mild, some requiring a signed waiver—lets customers customize their heat level. The sweet tea comes in mason jars so large they require two hands, just like back home in Louisiana.
Rosenberg’s After Dark Soul Food Pop-Ups — Denver’s Midnight Feast
By day, it’s one of Denver’s most famous bagel shops. But when the moon rises on select Friday nights, Rosenberg’s transforms into something magical.
Chef Josh Pollack partners with Southern-born chefs for these limited-engagement soul food nights that sell out within hours of being announced on Instagram. The smothered chicken arrives swimming in gravy so rich it could fund a small country, while the collard greens strike that perfect balance between bitter greens and smoky pot liquor.
These pop-ups create a midnight community—strangers becoming friends over peach cobbler still bubbling from the oven. The temporary nature makes each meal feel like a special occasion worth celebrating.
Sheila’s Southern Kitchen — Colorado Springs’ Family Legacy Diner
Three generations of women work side by side in this Colorado Springs kitchen, where recipes date back to Reconstruction-era Georgia. Sheila Wilson opened the doors in 1997 with just four tables and her mother’s recipes.
The pork chops receive a 24-hour buttermilk bath before being dredged in seasoned flour and fried to golden perfection. Cornbread muffins arrive still steaming, begging to be split and drizzled with honey butter that melts on contact.
A chalkboard wall features customer testimonials spanning decades—many from military families who claim Sheila’s cooking helped cure their homesickness during deployments. The restaurant feels like being welcomed into someone’s home rather than a business.
