Dot’s Diner: A Better Breakfast in Boulder, Colorado

If you’re a single bachelor type like I am, and there at 7:30 AM on a Saturday, you will be told to sit at a two seat table or at the bar.

Dot’s is popular on the weekend and I never saw a line out the door, but the foot traffic is steady.

Like A Painting

Their bar resembled a Norman Rockwell painting in some ways, bustling with talkative, friendly men, sitting next to one another on their stools, enjoying their hot coffee at eight in the morning.

I was impressed myself by the attentiveness of my waiter who kept my coffee cup hot and full at all times without me prompting for more.

Decorate It

The decorations in Dot’s Diner are all over the place. There’s a laundry line along one wall of old vintage aprons connected to each other in a way reminding me of Tibetan prayer flag pattern, where in-between are Betty Boop dolls.

Pictures of diners line down the median along with models and statuettes of other diners from around the country. There are also utensils from 1950s kitchens that your great grandma might’ve owned.

On the back wall is a large mural painting depicting a restaurant scene at Dot’s Diner, but it does not look like the location I’m in at all.

Under the counter they have a large community board where you can tack up your advertisement from FedEx Kinkos or whatever that place is called now.

Atmosphere Is Here

The waitress complained out loud about the customers who picked the outside patio table to sit at, worried about the 90–100 degree heat wave we’ve been having this week, but everyone who works there is good-natured and friendly in a way you probably aren’t used to at a restaurant. This is why Dot’s Diner has been so successful over the years. They bring something original and often overlooked to the Boulder Foodie crowd.

Two Dot’s

Dot’s used to have two locations, one on the Hill as well, but now you can only find it on the corner of Bluff and 28th St at 2716. There’s ample parking and the restaurant is open from 7:30AM to 1:30PM.

Tabled

On my table were Trivial Pursuit cards, probably great for those uncomfortable silences with a date or your family.

The have jelly in a long cylinder and I thought it was syrup at first, but it’s grape jelly. Tapatio hot sauce is available along with Heinz ketchup and salt and pepper grinders you can probably go down and buy at the local King Soopers.

What’s good?

They have a board for Today’s Specials and I saw omelets advertised. Also Chicken Saag, curries and they have gluten free options for no extra charge. I asked about it and you have to come back at 10:30AM to get the curry, not before.

For dessert they advertised Coffee Cake, Cinnamon Roll, Banana Bread, Southern Style Bread Pudding and a Brownie.

The Eats

I decided to order the A.M. Sandwich and I find when it’s served, it’s on a large fluffy biscuit, one I could never make at home from a biscuit from the store.

I ordered veggie sausage to go with scrambled egg on the biscuit. The hash browns were a little too big for my taste, resembling home fries, but they are nicely flavored and went great with this order.

Dot’s does it right!

“Just Like Old Times” is what they advertise on the window and Dot’s standard breakfast fare is just the way you like it. The next time you wake up in the morning think about swinging by this place.

Take Aways

They kept my coffee cup full

The prices are reasonable

It’s Breakfast done right

Dot's Diner

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