Review of The Universal
The Universal: A Comfortable Spot for Inventive Breakfast and Lunch
If you're looking for a cozy spot to enjoy a delicious breakfast or lunch, The Universal is the place to be. This restaurant is known for its inventive breakfast and lunch menus, as well as its rotating grits specials. The Universal is a comfortable spot with a full bar, making it a great place to relax and enjoy a meal with friends or family.
The Universal is committed to quality and consistency, from the ingredients used in the kitchen to the service at the table. The restaurant serves homemade comfort fare and re-imagined classics, ensuring that there is something for everyone on the menu. Whether you're in the mood for homemade biscuits and preserves, signature cornbread rancheros, or bison stroganoff, you'll leave The Universal feeling satisfied and eager to return.
The restaurant is open seven days a week, with different hours on weekends. On weekdays, The Universal is open from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM, while on weekends, it opens an hour earlier at 7:00 AM. The Universal is a popular spot, so be prepared to wait during peak hours. However, the restaurant has an online waitlist, which makes it easy to join the queue from the comfort of your own home.
The Universal has received high praise from customers for its delicious food and friendly service. Customers have raved about the Wild Boar Scramble, the Corned Beef Hash, and the Custard Toast. The restaurant also offers gluten-free and vegan options, making it a great choice for those with dietary restrictions.
If you're looking for a comfortable spot to enjoy a delicious breakfast or lunch, The Universal is the perfect choice. With its inventive menu, friendly service, and cozy atmosphere, it's no wonder that this restaurant is a favorite among locals and visitors alike.
From the business
"Serving homemade comfort fare and re-imagined classics. The Universal is committed to quality and consistency from the ingredients of the kitchen to the service at the table. Whether you join us for our homemade biscuits and preserves, signature cornbread rancheros, or bison stroganoff, you will leave with the desire to return tomorrow."
Amenities
- Wheelchair accessible seating
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance
- Wheelchair-accessible parking lot
- Wheelchair-accessible washroom
- Outdoor seating
- Takeout
- Dine-in
Hans Ecke
I think this is now my favorite brunch spot in the Denver area. Last time we went, we had the Custard French Toast (the most beautiful presentation ever), the grits, and the Eggs Benedict - all perfect.
Not too salty - one of my pet peeves. They serve real creme and not the little pods - the wife's pet peeve. And somehow we both liked the coffee, even though I typically prefer mine a lot stronger than she does.
Come early or have a reservation - this spot is not a secret.
Kimberly Vu
Don’t fall for the hype of the reviews of this place, everything on my plate just tasted weird. The grits are rice-based instead of corn-based, and it tasted like tapioca pudding without sugar. Don’t come here expecting good grits! The pork sausage was so dry. The biscuits and gravy had hints of soy sauce in it.
William Sjostedt
Came for breakfast. Had the Universal with a sides of a banana pancake and Korean hanger steak, which was cooked to perfection (med rare). Service and the food were great.
GW Roberts (GW)
Our favorite, every plate is terrific, restaurant. Breakfast is super, lunch wonderful .... Steve is a great host ! (( You won't be disappointed with their food, preparation, or service ))
S Randolph
I feel for people during Covid; however, this is the second time I've eaten there in three months and it has been substandard. The food is good, but it's not worth the wait. I was told that I would be waiting 45 minutes for a table of 4. 80 minutes later we were seated. It was very frustrating. I had a similar experience last month. The manager never came by to apologize. No discount. No free coffee. Perhaps, after they can seat full capacity, they will get back to normal??? Or, maybe they are challenged getting help??? Either way, this is my review of the place for anyone considering going there. I'll try it again in 6 months.
Bram Van Cleave
Love the music and the vibe. Always friendly, always legit. 10/10 would recommend
Cody Mastrodonato
Excellent experience. Food was great, service was on point and very friendly. Really good coffee, which is huge for all 4 of us. 10/10 would go again.
Seth Kaplan
Great little hole-in-the-wall brunch place- no gimmicks, just a good brunch. There's not a lot of room and they don't take reservations, but you can put your name on the list and arrive with little wait. I've been back a few times and will continue to do so.
Alex Carlson
The pros:
Good food
Friendly service
Prices seem fair for quality and quantity of food.
The cons:
Obnoxious waitlist, no reservations, no seating of incomplete parties, must wait outside in the cold until your table is ready. Can’t add yourself to waitlist if it’s empty. Left for the restaurant when the waitlist was empty, arrived to a 30 min wait.
Table tents tell you that you only have 1 hr to eat once seated.
They don’t take Amex. Just Visa and Mastercard. The year is 2022.
20% auto gratuity if you accidentally grab both of your credit card receipts. Also charge 20% automatically for parties of 6 or more but I guess that’s something most restaurants do.
They told the parents in line ahead of us that they could bring their kid, but not a stroller, into the restaurant.
At the end of the day the food is pretty good, but I have little tolerance for all of these militant brunch restaurants that make it inconvenient or unpleasant to eat with them and expect you to be thankful for the experience. If you don’t care about that, you’ll love Universal. If you’re like me and do, it’s about the same as all the other no reservation brunch restaurants.
Kaleigh Shipman
The wait staff was very friendly and our meals were mostly delicious (the bacon is great!). However, the biscuits and gravy were some of the worst I've ever had (and I try biscuits and gravy at pretty much every breakfast joint I frequent). They were very heavy on what tasted like fennel or some sort of other spice I couldn't place and the biscuit was pretty dry. If I'm ever in the area, I would probably go back but I would order something different.