I love hamburgers the way other people love football. Or beer. Or camping. Or their children. Hamburgers are the one thing I’m always craving, even right after I’ve had one. 

5280 Burger Bar opened mid-February, ambitiously, in the center of the Denver Pavilions, downtown, making house-baked buns, house-made condiments, including ketchup, American cheese and ice cream! In fact, 5280 Ice Cream, their self-contained and cute-as-a-button ice cream shop is adjacent. So you could just pop in for an ice cream treat or have some with your meal in the restaurant.

One look at the descriptions on the menu and it’s obvious a lot of thought and creativity went into every menu item. The chef and his crew have fiddled with tiny elements of ingredients to get things just so. Prior experience at Sushi Den really shows both in the light and delicious Ahi Tuna Nachos and the tempura battered onion rings that were, hands down, the best I’ve ever had in terms of texture and flavor.

There’s something for every taste and dietary-restriction there since every burger can be made with either ground beef, bison, turkey or a quinoa/white bean patty. You can come up with your own toppings combo but why, when there are so many options. The “I Can’t Decide” is a great way to go because you can order two different burgers in more-than-ample slider size to increase your options.

Fries or onion rings cost extra and are worth every reasonable penny. The fries are just like you’d want them to be – potatoey, tender inside, crispy outside. I’ve already sung the praises of the onion rings but they deserve an extra shout out.

The children’s menu offers a burger, cheeseburger, hot dog, salad, grilled cheese (made with house-made American cheese) and an ice cream cone. Add fries and a drink for $2 more.

5280 Burger Bar also serves salads which sounded really good, such as the 5280 Chopped Salad and the Wedge. They have a strong beer selection, including 12 Colorado beers. Combine a cocktail with dessert in a Shaketini – a milk-shake treat for Mom and Dad only!

With such a primo location, you could incorporate 5280 Burger Bar into a family day downtown spent shopping, taking in a movie, seeing a play or just strolling around. The promise of great food, including great ice cream should be incentive enough to keep everyone behaving well and happy. 

5280 Burger Bar is located at 500 16th Street. www.5280BurgerBar.com.

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