My Go-To Denver Coffee Shop For Amazing Food And Late-Night Boozy Sundaes
Given its location at Denver's busy intersection of North Grant Street and East 6th Avenue, it's easy to drive right past Lil Coffea Shop. I've lived nearby in the Capitol Hill neighborhood for almost a year now, and only discovered this hidden gem a few months ago. Since then, I've become totally obsessed with this tiny, offbeat, and awesome cafe.
Lil Coffea Shop has two locations: one on Downing Street in the Wash Park neighborhood, and the other on East 6th Avenue, which is my go-to spot. Lil Coffea Shop is owned by Simeran Baidwan, the entrepreneur behind the highly successful Little India franchise –- an Indian/fusion concept with multiple locations across Denver, including an outpost just behind Lil Coffea Shop. I love supporting locally owned businesses, and with Lil Coffea Shop pouring out delicacies like the Cookie Butter Delight Latte and the White Chocolate Cherry Mocha right in my neighborhood, that's not hard to do. Lil Coffea Shop also supports other local businesses by carrying their products in the store.
Being my favorite among Denver coffee shops, I regularly visit Lil Coffea Shop to grab a few of the pastries — which are sourced from the local chain Olive & Finch — to snack on while I work from home. Lil Coffea Shop gets its coffee from Huckleberry Roasters, and I recently noticed that the rotating scoop selection comes from none other than Cap Hill's very own Liks Ice Cream. From its awesome staff to its killer custom coffee creations to its open-24-hours model, Lil Coffea Shop is a paragon of edible wonder.
The food and drinks are killer
It was Lil Coffea Shop's specialty coffee menu that first reeled me in. The iced HoneyBee latte, made with honey and lavender, is light and refreshing, with just a hint of botanical goodness from the lavender. The Brown Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice coffee drink has become my usual for chillier days. And, of course, there's a whole roster of classic coffee faves to enjoy when you're just not in the mood for fancy coffee shenanigans.
Lil Coffea Shop holds a liquor license, and patrons can purchase bottles of alcohol to take home unopened (it carries some surprisingly high-end spirits along with the typical suspects), or opt for a boozy drink to enjoy onsite. Given that it's first and foremost a coffee shop, the espresso martini cocktail is a great choice. I'm also obsessed with Lil Coffea Shop's boozy sundaes, which deliver top-tier creamy goodness spiked with any liquor stocked behind the full bar.
The size of the food menu totally contradicts the small indoor space: All-day breakfast, pastries, sandwiches, curry bowls, and burgers all coexist in harmony at Lil Coffea Shop. I haven't had the pleasure of sampling a whole lot from the food menu yet, but the assortment of bougie signature toasts is to die for. Among these, there are both sweet options — like the Sir Mix A Latte (almond butter, sliced bananas, blueberries, and strawberries with a honey drizzle) — and savory options, such as the Mighty Aphrodite (mashed avocados, arugula, tahini drizzle, and toasted sesame seeds). For lunch, I'm partial to the delicious cranberry pecan chicken salad croissant, a delicious blend of perfectly creamy chicken salad studded with dried cranberries and pecans on a heavenly, fluffy croissant.
Lil Coffea is night owl-friendly
Denver is not a city all that friendly to late-night dining. As a natural night owl who's married to a service industry worker, I've had to work hard to find Denver restaurants that serve food after 11 p.m., so having a 24-hour restaurant right around the corner is a godsend. Perhaps it's unsurprising given Denver's lack of late-night dining options, but Lil Coffea Shop seems to do some solid business after midnight. It's not uncommon to see customers sipping a cocktail, splitting a dish with a friend, or nursing a cup of coffee while clacking away on a laptop.
The staff members are incredibly warm, helpful, and friendly, no matter the time of day — the baristas are always asking about my day, commenting on how mind-blowingly delicious the Dubai chocolate brownies are, or commiserating with me about Denver's wacky weather patterns.
All in all, I never in a million years suspected that this tiny coffee shop would have so much to offer. The "coffee shop" label really doesn't do it justice — with its local owner, broad assortment of delicious food and drinks, excellent take-home spirits selection, impeccable staff, and 24-hour model, Lil Coffea Shop is a real hidden gem in Denver.