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    The Buff Restaurant

    4.4 (2.1k reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Order The Buff Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

    The Buff Restaurant Photos

    THE BUFF RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Classy
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - The Buff Restaurant

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    Mikhala F.

    YUM! Loved our meal here. This place is massive, so even though it was busy, we got our name in and waited less than 10 minutes. SPACE This place is huge but still feels cozy! Tons of different nooks and rooms, all decorated well. SERVICE Service was a highlight here - efficient but friendly and very personable! FOOD Their breakfast/brunch menu is where it's AT. I had a hard time narrowing things down, but got the Ole skillet with chorizo and a side of tortillas and it was incredible. I love that they have so many gluten free options - so great! I didn't get a drink, but saw many people at tables around us drinking iced coffee from MASSIVE mason jars. Love it. This is a must for brunch in Boulder!

    Eat in The Buff!
    Matt C.

    Eat in The Buff! 30 years running, The Buff Restaurant continues to be one of the busiest places to eat in Boulder. After a recent stay across the street, I ate here two mornings in a row for breakfast. The first morning, we were able to snag a seat quickly. The second morning, I dined in solo a little bit closer to brunch hour and after a few minutes I was able to snag a coveted seat at the bar. I commend the front of house team, especially the hostesses, for managing this busy busy BUSY line of people with total ease. True hospitality professionals. Sitting at the bar, I watched them deal with all kinds of people; mostly pushy, hungover, or impatient people who wanted their table ASAP. They deserve a raise! When it comes to food, no one leaves here hungry. Portions are large and so is the menu. Is it revolutionary? No, but it's consistent and well-prepared breakfast food. +American Skillet // Potatoes, diced onions, and blended cheddar cheese. Simple, yet tasty. My eggs came out the way I like them, toast was buttered, and I doused the whole thing with Cholula. This is the kind of breakfast I'll make at home, this is what the doctor ordered. +Steak & Eggs // Top sirloin breakfast steak and eggs with choice of toast. Massive portion...of course I cleaned the plate. Little outdated with the greens and orange slice garnish, why is it there??? No one eats it! I asked for medium rare and got medium. Could've used more seasoning, but once it combined with the potatoes and eggs we were cooking. A solid dish that cured the craving. Service was great all the way around and I think this is what they do best. Serving this many people in such a short span (7am-2pm) is tough work. I applaud the operators for running a tight ship! The Buff is a reliable breakfast spot in Boulder!

    *NEW* BLTT
    Kimber H.

    This place is a Boulder staple and "iconic" or so I've been told. Went here for a work lunch and it was relatively busy. It's primary focus is brunch. Hours are 7-2 everyday to give to you an idea of menu items. They have a crazy drink special where it's 99 cents for a Bloody Mary, mimosa, or tequila sunrise (all on tap) with the purchase of an entree. We had the cheeseburger and B L T T. It was decent, but next time I'll go for the breakfast items as I think that's where they shine.

    Sophia S.

    The most wonderful breakfast restaurant!! On our 5 day stay to Colorado Springs, we drove two hours twice to have The Buff. We ordered the Two Step (which has delicious house potatoes, perfect pancakes, and the best bacon) and the Biscuits and Gravy. Absolutely delicious!! The service is great, too. Even with a wait, we were seated quickly and the food came out faster than we could believe!! Very cozy vibes. Wish we lived closer or had one in Michigan!

    Dan S.

    Decided to do a little road trip over to Boulder this morning at The Buff Restaurant. We got there around 9:30AM and was shocked to see how busy it is. Not because it's so good, but thought with the university out for summer it would be less busy. I put my name in and was pleasantly surprised it was only a 10 minute wait. Our waiter was friendly and very chatty which was nice. I got the Rustic Benedict which was really good. The only thing I would do differently is get rid of the bacon. The chopped of bacon crumbled reminded me to much of bacon bits. It was still very good and definitely a much have for someone who like a good comfort food.

    Skillet
    Sara C.

    If you're looking for a good, classic brunch spot, the Buff is your spot. They've got every classic brunch element covered: seasonal-flavored pancakes, fresh squeezed oj, hearty skillets, healthy lighter options. We ordered the Matterhorn and olé skillets - both really delicious, I wish the potatoes were cooked a tiny bit more. We also got the classic eggs benedict which was perfect. We ordered yummy seasonal lattes that weren't too sweet which was nice. The service was quick and friendly.

    Susan S.

    Molly was so kind and patient. I asked for samples of the chili was really good. I had the French toast with fried chicken and potatoes a little piece of pineapple and strawberry and maple syrup. They had dollar bloody Mary's and dollar mimosa with entrée my daughter's friend got this delicious looking coffee that could probably feed two or three people. The food was good. The service was good. Homemade ketchup.

    TWO STEP
    Kelsie P.

    While in Colorado, my family and I stopped in for brunch. The weather was perfect and they have a great patio area! They have a large menu with a lot of options for those with dietary restrictions, too. Lastly, they have $0.99 bloody Mary's, mimosas, or tequila sunrises (with purchase of an entree, limit of 3 drinks per person). Definitely recommend if you're in the area!

    Eggs Benedict
    Mark W. S.

    If you are looking for a breakfast- brunch spot this is it. It's packed but we were lucky to snag a spot on the patio. We both got the Eggs Benedict. It had some of the best hollandaise sauce I've ever had. The side potatoes were good but the local made ketchup was delicious. Highly recommend this spot.

    Screwdriver
    Scott L.

    Sat at the bar, where friendly attendants rehydrated me after my morning hike, made me an "Electric" Screwdriver, and brought me superb biscuits and gravy. Atmosphere was typical: No music? Why do restaurants struggle with this simple accoutrement?

    Harvest skillet
    Lauren P.

    I love this spot for breakfast when visiting Boulder. Worth the wait on line. They don't use seed oils - a plus for me. Huge selection of coffee and breakfast. Everything to perfection. Looks like a hometown spot inside and out. Service is excellent and staff so helpful and friendly. Definitely have to come when in town !!

    Skillet
    Susan L.

    Food was good, Service was attentive and it was a fun and vibrant restaurant. They had good selection of food and drinks for everyone. Waiting time was moving good when we were there on a Saturday late brunch time.

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    5 months ago

    15 minutes wait to be seated but well worth it! Yummy breakfast and lunch offerings. Friendly staff made us feel at home.

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    3 months ago

    It's been a long time since going to the Buff. We always loved their breakfast offerings. Banana bread, Bloody Mary's, etc were great!

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    2 years ago

    The white buffalo cakes & breakfast quesadilla are sooooooooo good!!! Love this place!

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    Page 2 of 52

    The Buff Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Buff Restaurant

    Do you have a dog friendly patio?

    We allow only service animals. The City of Boulder has a ban on animals in the facility or patio.

    Do they take reservations?

    No. They only take who come first get the service first.

    View All 5 Questions

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    Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant - Chilaquiles

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    4.2(708 reviews)
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    I'm so glad we ate at Leaf while in town! Everything we ate was amazing. The Executive Chef Lauren…read moredefinitely has talent and loves what she does - and it shows in the food. We tried a lot of things on the menu and liked each dish. But our absolute favorites were the kimchi sweet potato fries (this was a crowd favorite dish and we're still dreaming about it), ginger chili potstickers (so good!), and the hot fudge cake with ice cream for dessert (melt in your mouth warm chocolate cake with ice cream, it was 10 out of 10). We also enjoyed the butternut penne, everything crunch salad, and butternut squash arancini which were all delicious. Also, the bread deserves its own shout out - very soft and warm, and still rich in flavor. Easily the best bread I've had in a long time. Service was great with a friendly and attentive staff. Ambiance was warm, inviting, cozy and sophisticated. Would definitely recommend stopping here to anyone!!

    I want to start by saying I would not want this review to deter anyone from enjoying a wonderful…read moremeal at Leaf. I've been here many times in a variety of ways--sat at the bar, at tables with friends and by myself, both inside and outside, and even experienced the large farm table prix fixe menu, which was fantastic. My experiences have consistently been great--the food, service, and atmosphere have always been top-notch. Tonight, however, was my first disappointing visit. I ordered the root vegetable bruschetta, which was very good. I also ordered the butternut squash penne pasta, a dish I've had before and really enjoyed. Unfortunately, this time it was extremely spicy. I'm not sure if the recipe has changed or if it was just a heavy hand in the kitchen, but it was not something I could eat. I mentioned it to the waiter, who didn't have an answer, so I simply asked for a to-go container. Since I couldn't eat it, I later gave the container to a homeless woman sitting nearby with her grocery cart. On my way out, I spoke with someone at the door who brought over the manager. The manager asked if he could see the dish, so I opened the container for him. He then asked if he could taste it and reached in, picked up a noodle, and tried it, saying he didn't notice anything unusual. He also wasn't aware of any changes to the recipe. I suggested that if the dish is now spicy, it might be helpful to note that on the menu so guests know what to expect. What left me disappointed wasn't just the dish itself, but how the situation was handled. There wasn't an offer to replace the meal or provide an alternative, which would have gone a long way. As someone who is only about six months into living in Colorado and a new business owner in the area, I often refer places I believe in. Tonight left me questioning whether I will continue to recommend Leaf based on how this was handled, though I'm hopeful that by tomorrow morning I may feel differently. That said, based on my many past positive experiences, I still believe Leaf is a great restaurant. I just hope this was an off night and that a little more attention is given to both consistency in the kitchen and how concerns are handled moving forward.

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    Skratch Labs Table

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    4.3(38 reviews)
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    Great fresh unique food & friendly helpful service! A remarkably delicious meal. Healthy and…read morenutritious meat flavors make a special treat. Price prices allow for a more weekly indulgence.

    First off note that they are no longer on Pearl but on Alpine next to Santo in the shopping center…read morewith Ideal Market/Alpine Whole Foods. I'll get the Yelp page fixed later today. We had heard of this cafe as they had been food hosts at a party at a Kühl on Pearl and were hoping to actually eat in their cafe when they coincidentally moved next door to one of our favorite local eateries. We were in the neighborhood around lunchtime so we stopped in when we arrived it was busy, by the time we left, it was packed. It's a unique menu fit for most palates and healthy as can be. It attracts athletes if all ages, healthy eaters of all types. You won't find much meat but there is some. It also as an Asian flair with offerings of congee and fried chicken sides, fish, rice and veggies of all sorts including kimchi . Japanese egg salad sandwiches too. That's one I need to try next time. Today we both chose the mushroom congee with 7 minute egg and a hot drink. A spicy chai with oat milk for my husband and berry hibiscus tea for me. We both enjoyed our meals but just a bit too much garlic for me but just right for my husband and must others too. I loved the volumes of mushrooms and the sprinkles of spices on the whole egg. The egg was done perfectly. My husband brought home a side order of popcorn chicken as I will be at a meeting so he will be eating dinner alone. The service was great, everyone friendly and helpful the cafe bright and clean and the ordering counter moves fast. They deliver to and clear the tables. More quick casual places should do this to avoid the piles of debris at bins in the seating area I often see. There is a flat panel screen on the wall featuring cyclists in the wild given that energy snacks were the first products of this company and much for sale here too. The mix of diners covered the spectrum of adults you would expect in Boulder. This cafe is only breakfast and lunch so come when convenient earlier in the day. Parking is free and always available in this center. Lots of construction around the intersection so plan your trip to get into the lot via Alpine and not Broadway. That Broadway construction will be ongoing for a while. It's also a good place to arrive by bike. Pricing was very affordable and variety of meals wide.

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    The Kitchen American Bistro - Black Spaghetti, pink shrimp, nduja, fennel, citrus, bread crumb

    The Kitchen American Bistro

    4.1(1.1k reviews)
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    So freaking good! Went for lunch yesterday. Literally…read moreeverything my husband and I tried was delicious. We started with the puffs- bursting with flavor and beautiful presentation- so creative. Then had the lobster rolls - perfection. And a cubano sandwich. Service was attentive and fast. Atmosphere was nice inside- pretty lights, not too crowded or loud. Will definitely be back - loved the flavorful creative twists on food.

    This was a pretty good meal unexpectedly after the BOLDERBoulder run last weekend!…read more We thought the area would be too packed to find a table, but surprisingly there were plenty of open seats at around noon on Memorial Day. There are only two tables on their patio that have an umbrella, so we were sitting in the sun at first and it was getting really hot (but then we were able to snag a shaded table when it freed up shortly after) All of the menu options sounded so good, we started with drinks, I can't remember the name of my cocktail, but it had egg white in it and was so delicious. We ordered the burrata appetizer and all of our means at the same time. Unfortunately, the appetizer never came out, our server for that to put it in. I ended up going with the Bolognese and it was really good so was the steak frites and street cart chicken that my friends had. Their fries are pretty good. The server felt really bad for forgetting about our appetizer and offered us a free dessert instead, so we tried the churro donuts which were ok. I'm still it was a good meal and I would definitely come back if I'm in the Boulder area again soon

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    Gemini - PRAWNS A LA PLANCHA arroz negro, chorizo, squid ink, chili crisp

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    It's been a while since we stopped in here. The menu has changed and so has the staff. And like…read moremost places around me, the prices have gone up, in this case, maybe more than others. Maybe rightly so as their specialized ingredients are harder to get. We sat inside this time though we used to go mostly mid summer and sit out. The patio was jam full last night so we ate inside where it was quite empty early evening during happy hour. My husband had the happy hour special of the evening, a very large serving of large mussels with grilled sourdough and a lucious broth. We also had some small plate tapas and I mostly grazed those. I love Bocarones and they do it so well though for me last night, the peppers were a bit too spicy. But I got the majority of the little fishies, my husband the peppers.. We also had the tortilla papas and the charred Hazel Dell mushrooms which were excellent. The little salad topping on the tortilla was full of specialty greens like fennel fronds and pea shoots. The mushrooms has a warm egg yolk on top to stir into the dressing which was tasty. We finished with their flan which was as good as my Spanish born neighbor made in my youth. I had a very nice tea with it. I was originally going to knock off a star for pricing but honestly, I don't think they have much option these days. But sadly we will go less frequently in the future.

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    The Buff Restaurant - breakfast_brunch - Updated June 2026

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