DENReview
Wooden Spoon
Denver’s known for many things - craft beer, farm-to-table food sourcing, beautiful people, legal weed. But one important category you don’t hear much about: bakeries. We’re talking full-scale operations with hard-to-pronounce pastries, gooey egg sandwiches, and quaint neighborhood charm. But Wooden Spoon is here to make some noise in that category, from its small, under-the-radar corner shop.
You might miss it if you aren’t paying attention, as it’s the size of a broom closet compared to the rest of the block’s storefronts. Actually – you might miss it if it’s a weekday past noon. Because on a Saturday or Sunday morning, you’ll definitely spot it based on the dogs and strollers parked outside alone. What it lacks in comfortable seating and Wi-Fi (your computer won’t fit on their tiny tables anyway), Wooden Spoon easily makes up for with its friendly service, and more importantly, impressive spread of baked goods. Even your gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian friend will find something to love here. That being said, our favorite items aren’t adhering to any of those requirements.
Wooden Spoon serves lunch, but the breakfast situation here is what keeps us coming back. More specifically, the breakfast sandwich keeps us (and everyone else posted up here every weekend) coming back. There aren’t many places in Denver to get a great egg sandwich, but Wooden Spoon has perfected it: steaming hot eggs topped with melty cheddar cheese, bacon, and just enough toasty brioche to hold it all together. It’s rich enough to cure a hangover, but still leaves you feeling okay about your arteries. Maybe it’s just our overactive imagination, but the servers give you this ridiculously big smile when handing off your to-go bag - it makes you feel like you’re in on the neighborhood’s best kept secret.
Whether you’re here for the first or tenth time, you’ll want to bring some friends so you can try as many things as possible (not too many friends - remember, this place is small). But if you aren’t rolling deep, don’t worry, the only way you can go wrong is if you get here after they sell out (which does happen).
Even if you’ve never thought about the fact that you needed more bakeries in your life, Wooden Spoon’s breakfast food is good enough that you’ll wonder how you ever got through your Saturdays without it.