Looking for the best cheap eats in Denver? Well, so was I when I went to visit a friend there back in September. Thankfully, I asked for recommendations from my Zipkick crew and a few travel FB groups I’m a part of, and they delivered!

So, alas, nearly four months after my trip to Denver, I am going to highlight some of the best food I ate there  — all of which are definitely budget (and Instagram) friendly!

On the bright side, maybe those of you heading to Denver to ski can benefit?

BTW, the dollar signs next to each spot are based on their $ rate on Yelp, so it’s out of four $ signs, a.k.a all these places are super affordable!

So, without further ado, I present to you:

The Best Cheap Eats In Denver That Will Also Look Good on Instagram

1. Boss Lady Pizza ($): For Your Cheat Day 

The only thing than I love more than a boss b*tch is cookie dough pizza. I was alerted to this dish after spying a post from my friend @the_hunger_diaries. Did I enter into a major food coma after ingesting these two giant slices? Yes. Do I regret it? Absolutely not. I honestly wish I had the capability to eat more, because there were so many delicious looking flavors. As an added bonus, they were pet-friendly and have vegan, GF, and vegetarian options. Win-win!

2. Voodoo Donuts ($): For The Instagram Foodie 

Again, donuts and slightly sexual puns are a winning combo for me. Their slogan is “The Magic Is In The Hole.” If you’re a foodie on Instagram (or just on IG in general), you’re sure to have seen someone posing in Voodoo Donuts’ cute, pink storefront before. And now, that person is me.

This is another great place that offers a lot of vegan options — which meant I could eat three donuts for dinner without feeling like I was having a stroke! Although I included this on my list of best cheap eats in Denver, Voodoo Donuts has a couple of other locations throughout the mid-west and west coast!

TIP: Don’t make the mistake I did and plan on getting a dozen donuts at a discounted price. The cashier alerted me that the special was only if you didn’t pick which donuts were in the dozen, and by that point I was already in too deep to say no. My friend and I spent about $30 on donuts. Oops.

3. Chuburger Rino ($$): For All-American With a Twist

I’ll admit that this isn’t typically the kind of place I’d pick, but I was low-key obsessed with it after I had their ginger ketchup. Also I don’t know what inspired me to order a hot dog, but I also was not mad about that. The portions were big, the flavors were big, and their Rino location had nice outdoor picnic table seating that was perfect in the evening. Also, I got drunk off one craft beer, wooh!

4. Avanti ($$): For The Group With Different Tastes

If you’re an east-coaster, Avanti is basically the Smorgasburg of Denver, but smaller (or the Reading Terminal of Denver, or Union Market of Denver). On a Friday night, it was a good place to get a quick (and delicious) bite, have a drink, and potentially mingle if you’re not antisocial.

There were probably at least 10 food booths to choose from, and I ended up going for an arepa spot. I’d never had a seafood arepa before, but the cashier convinced me it was a good choice (I think it was a special) so I went for it. I also added plantains to what was already included, because why not? At first glance it might look a bit small for $17, but it definitely filled me up (so much that I didn’t even need 2 am pizza). Although salmon, avocado, plantains, and arepa might seem like an odd combo — it worked!

If you’re slightly less adventurous, there were also many Italian spots with pasta, or places to get a burger. There was also a nice rooftop area, although it was a little too cold when I visited.

5. City O’ City ($$): For The Trendy Vegan

Although I’m only vegan-ish (I only stay vegan in my house), I love a good vegan restaurant. Primarily because they make the type of vegan food I would never be able to make myself at home (unless I had time to go to four different grocery stores and spend way too much $). So, it was only right that I included at least one vegan place in my list of the best cheap eats in Denver.

I visited this place for lunch and it was packed, but I snagged a seat alone at the bar and dove into some kimchi pancakes (sweet and savory dishes are my fave). The food was pretty tasty, affordable, and the restaurant had great vibes. I almost wished I had brought my laptop so I could’ve continued hanging out and working right at the bar.

BONUS: There’s a Buffalo Exchange outlet next door — I didn’t even know they existed until now!

6. Tacos Tequila Whiskey ($$): For The Perfect Bite 

I can honestly say these are some of the best tacos I’ve had in a while. They were also very affordable (about $3-5 each). The waitress gave us the genius idea of taking the two tortillas that came with each tacos and splitting the contents between them, which is exactly what I ended up doing. My three tacos ended up feeling like six tacos, and although small they were mighty!

We also ate outside, which was nice.

TIP: When the waitress offers you hot sauce, know that they’ll charge you for it! It also was a funky tasting hot sauce, we didn’t even eat it and were kind of bummed that we were charged.

7. D Bar ($$): For Those Who Know Dessert Is The Most Important Course

Have you noticed that half of this list of best cheap eats in Denver is focused on dessert-heavy places? I’m sorry, but I have a sweet tooth. However, along with an awesome dessert selection, D Bar also boasts amazing Brussel Sprouts, dope outdoor seating, and a cute neighborhood to walk around post-cookies. Although TBH, the dessert was the best part of this meal — next time I might go somewhere else for dinner and stop by for dessert instead.

My boyfriend and I had a little mini vacay in “Charm City” last December, and naturally I am just getting to writing about it now.

Considering all the issues that have surrounded Baltimore in recent years, it might not be the first place you think to take a trip. But just like any city, there is good and bad in Baltimore, and if you have your wits about you you’ll be more than fine – and hopefully have a great time, too.

Because I planned the trip, many of our activities revolved around food. Also, it was cold out, so our activity options were slightly limited. I’m going to write a separate post on what else we did in Baltimore. But for now, here’s all the food we ate, and where you should eat too next time you find yourself in B-more.

Pratt Street Ale House

We walked into this spot on our way to the Geppi’s Entertainment Museum on our first day in Baltimore after checking into the hotel. It was a pretty standard pub-style with bar bites. We ordered the Buffalo Bites and the Crab Flatbread. Service was super-quick and the atmosphere was chill, but we wished there had been more crab meat on the flatbread.

Buffalo Bites (Medium)

The Crab Flatbread

The Food Market

This place was an awesome brunch spot, and their dinner menu looks amazing too. There were so many fun combos on the brunch menu that I had trouble deciding what to order, and we loved the complimentary mini donuts/hush-puppies. Also, who doesn’t want to spend brunch saying words like “funchies” and “lunchies?” Especially after a couple mimosas?

My boyfriend ordered the Fried Oyster Omelette and I went for the Monte Cristo because I am a sucker for a sweet and savory brunch meal since I can never decide between the two. Both dishes were fab, and as an added bonus the restaurant had great lighting 😉

I would definitely recommend this spot to anyone visiting Baltimore! It was also in an area called Hampden which had a bunch of cute vintage shops, record stores, etc.

The Fried Oyster Omelette: bacon, arugula, tomato, cheddar cheese, hot sauce, breakfast potatoes,

The Monte Cristo: ham & cheese french toast, over easy egg, brie mornay, breakfast potatoes

Level Small Plates Lounge

This is in Annapolis, not Baltimore – but close-by enough I figured it was worth mentioning. It was located right on the waterfront in Annapolis, where there are a bunch of cute places and shops (although many close on the early side of the evening). It’s been months and I am still dreaming about the Brussels Sprouts we had there. If I visited again, I’d skip the Tuna Tartare as it was kind of bland and didn’t taste super fresh – but everything else was great!

Spicy Tuna Tartare: ahi tuna, spicy soy vinaigrette, wasabi tobiko, micro cilantro, house tortilla chips.

Chorizo Dip: papa weaver chorizo, chilies, sorrel, tandoori naan.

The Buffalo Cauliflower

The Fried Brussels Sprouts: hot honey, goat cheese ranch.

The Chocolate Chip Cookies & Milk

Fork & Wrench

This was where we went for dinner on the first night, and we really liked it. The decor was cute and kitschy, and it was also pretty empty when we arrived which was weirdly nice. We also liked the booths so we could sit close because we’re an embarrassing couple like that – at least when we essentially have the place to ourselves.

The Brussels Sprouts were delish, and so was pretty much everything else. They change the menu seasonally, so the menu has since changed, but I’m pretty sure you can’t go too wrong here.

This restaurant is also by a nice pier/boardwalk area where you can walk around, it looked sort of residential. We ended dinner late and it was dark out, so we didn’t walk around for too long, but it would’ve been nice on a summer evening.

Oxtail Perogi: braised cabbage, bosc pear,

Crispy Brussels Sprouts: guanciale, shallots, spiced pecans & sherry vinaigrette.

F&W Mac and Cheese: tasso ham, beer-cheddar fondue, & blistered pardon peppers.

Duck Confit Rillette: cider gelee, pickled cranberries,

S’Mores Donuts

Daily Grind

We made a quick stop here on our way out of town. It was by the water, easy to find, and had lots of seating. He got a bagel with lox and I got a blueberry bagel with PB&J because I was craving something sweet. Definitely a good spot to sit and get work done too.

So I’ve always been a huge sucker for latex dresses, which makes sense considering I’m pretty into all things BDSM-inspired. But unlike spiked chokers and fishnet tops, latex clothing isn’t easy to come by, cheap, or easy to take care of.

For my 23rd birthday (which was this past election day, FML), I wanted to rock something latex. Because I didn’t want to spend a ton of money, I first tried to fake it with a faux-latex (“wet look”) dress from Yandy.

I had my doubts about the fit (it was one size fits all), and I was right. But what was even worse was the fact that the dress was legit not shiny whatsoever. It was practically matte with random sparkles in it. Very sad. Not to mention that the bottom half of the dress was far too large on me.

I returned it (although I kept a bunch of other shit, including some sexy bodysuits that you can see on my Instagram), and accepted the fact that I’d have to pay the big bucks for real latex to get the look I desired. I splurged on a House of CB two piece set I’d been eyeing for some time, which was $225, but I rationalized with the fact that I could mix and match the crop top and skirt with other pieces in my closet and get my money’s worth.

When I opened the box (which was beautifully packaged, BTW), I got scared. The first thing I saw was a pamphlet on how to wear latex, how to put it on, and how to make sure you don’t fuck it up and are then unable to return it. The pamphlet suggested using lube to get the garment on, and urged that you use the palms of your hand to pull the latex onto yourself rather than your fingertips, which could leave marks.

Sufficiently intimidated, I let the box sit for a few hours before deciding it was time. But when I unwrapped the skirt and bra-top from the tissue paper, I was dismayed to see that instead of the bright red color seen in the photos online, the latex was a dull burnt orange color.

I tried it on regardless, hoping it would magically appear more beautiful once I put it on. While I didn’t need to use lube or baby powder to get the garment on (it was surprisingly easy to put on), and it fit decently well, I couldn’t get over that sad color.

I knew from reading the pamphlet that some latex needed to be “shined” with special latex polish, but I couldn’t see how I would ever get the color shown online. I emailed customer support, hoping for an answer, but all I got was them saying that there is fine print online saying the color may differ. Well yeah, no shit, but this was a huge difference.

If it was maybe $60 or something, I would have kept it. But I couldn’t justify spending so much on something that was falsely advertised and the color of bologna.

I’ve never ordered anything else from House of CB before, so I’m not saying that all of their clothing is disappointing in person (although I’ve heard of other friends of mine having issues with color), I think this is just a lesson that if you’re going to be buying latex, you should always buy it in person. Oh, and maybe grab some lube while you’re at it.

If you’re scared to enter a sex shop for fear of walls of dildos and a creepy manager, you shouldn’t be.

Well, as long as you’re going to the right sex shops.

One sex shop I really love is Lady Love on South Street in Philadelphia. They always have an amazing selection of lingerie, shoes, and accessories. Plus all the toys are upstairs, so you don’t have to face 12″ dildos if you don’t want to.

I popped in there the other week and although I wanted everything, I figured I would limit myself to something on the less expensive side and something I would get a lot of use out of. So, I bought this killer spiked choker ($30) and fishnet top ($15). They also had those rhinestone chokers that everyone is wearing these days, but the nice one was $60, and I wasn’t trying to spend that at the time.

I had been looking for a spiked choker like this for a while ever since I lost the one I had from Claire’s in the third grade (RIP). Even though this one is kind of big on me, I like that it’s well made from real leather.

As for the top, it’s so versatile. This look was super simple, but I’ve also worn it under t-shirts, under a silk bra-let top (check it on my Instagram) and if you’re feeling really sexy you could def rock a bra underneath…or pasties for a rave type look.

Another sex shop that has really cool bodysuit type lingerie is The Pleasure Chest. If you’re still not down to do in-person sex shop visits, definitely check out Yandy for the lacy type bodysuits that are in right now at a fraction of the price. I just ordered a couple myself which I’ll be sharing on the site soon. But in the mean time, check out how I styled these two new pieces…

Choker: Lady Love Philly

Fishnet Top: Lady Love Philly (similar here)

Tank Top: Forever 21

Skirt: H&M (similar here)

Sandals: New Look (similar here)

Bag: Rebecca Minkoff

Photos by Selina Sun