Vegan
American
International
Juice bar
Beer/Wine
Delivery
Take-out
Fusion
Breakfast
Offers a wide variety of plant-based comfort foods from vegan benedict and tofu dishes to Mexican fare and international plates to weekend brunch and french toast. Has open space. Established since 1998 as a vegetarian restaurant and switched to all vegan in 2012. Open Mon-Sun 11:00am-9:00pm.
541 Reviews
First Review by A.Z.P.
4moby
Points +120
if marrying a restaurant were possible... - Edit
...i would gladly walk down the aisle with Watercourse! I would have its babies. I live 60 miles away from Denver and have been known to make the 2 hour round trip just to visit Watercourse. Watercourse is the BEST! the breakfast items are great, the burritos are huge, the sandwiches are awesome, entrees are great, i have never been disappointed by the specials, and i would wash my hair with the gravy...oh, and don't get me started on the onion rings. i could wax rhapsodic for another 3000 characters on those. my only complaint is that they don't serve the onion rings for breakfast! every bite of food has been outstanding, all of the bakery items are spectacular and the milkshakes are heavenly. this is a MUST for anyone, not just vegans and vegetarians. as for veg folks, you can feel safe and secure that Watercourse knows and loves you and is great at making food the way you want it. everyone, GO to Watercourse NOW! **putting shoes on and grabbing car keys now :-)**
Read morePros: excellent food, friendly and knowledgable staff, conscious cuisine
Cons: can get busy, staff can get sidetracked
Guest
metalmaidenjgv
Points +34
Ok. So... - Edit
I love Watercourse. Besides City O' City, this is the only place in Denver that I can visit and get anything on the menu. The food is good, the portions are huge. I recommend anything with seitan. They do it right. I like going early in the morning to avoid their huge crowds.. Unfortunately, though, the service is pretty bad, even when it isn't busy.
Read morePros: great food, big portions
Cons: sub-par service
Guest
Jaclyn0519
Points +62
Love. - Edit
This place is the best. Everything can be made vegan and everything is delicious. Vegan chocolate shakes, vegan nachos, vegan love all around. And great for omnivores as well. My husband is obsessed with the grinder sandwich. Sriram and delicious. Go here now.
Read morePros: Affordable, Quality, Options
Cons: Service can be dicey
Guest
FleaAFC
Points +33
Veggie Heaven - Edit
I only had one day in Denver so I Goggle'd Veggie restaurants and this one came up first and most often. Lucky really as I had a great meal there, Stir Fry Thai curry with brown rice, and the staff were friendly and attentive. This place has an all veggie menu, which I generally prefer. Good, comfortable place to go with great food. Definitely recommended.
Read morePros: Excellent choices, Good quality, great atmoshere
Guest
adishakti
Points +44
amazing, amazing and delicious! - Edit
Once you go there, you will definitely come back for more!
Read morePros: Wide range of choices, vegan and vegetarian, nice artwork and ambience in general
Cons: judgemental waiters...
Guest
vegan_geek
Points +68
Great selection of vegan food and all of it great! - Edit
One of my personal favorites. I used to go to Denver twice a year for medical purposes. I rented a car each time just so I could go to Watercourse a couple time in the 2 days I was there.
Read moreThey server a great mix of foods including some of the old comfort foods like chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes. You cannot miss the chicken wings. They even come with ranch sauce. They even have a great selection of vegan desserts.
The only down side is that they get really crowded and you have to wait in a tiny entry way.
Pros: Great Food, Great Desserts, Happening Place
Cons: Crowded
Guest
Gabe
Points +117
one of my favorite restaurants - Edit
I live in Boulder, about 30-45 minutes away, and on a handful of occasions I've driven down to Denver just to eat at this place. It definitely beats the hell out of anything up here. I think their seitan must be homemade, because it's better than any I've tried anywhere else. You can get it smothered in buffalo wing sauce with vegan ranch for an appetizer, or my personal favorite main course of the seitan fajitas. Absolutely out of this world.
Read moreI've been told by the staff that everything on the menu is vegan unless it specifically mentions eggs or cheese. This means that (I believe, don't quote me on this) every single side dish, soup, salad, and dessert is vegan. Most, if not alll of the non-vegan entrees can also be made vegan, usually just by requesting it without cheese. Breakfast food is usually not particularly exciting for a vegan, but they do vegan french toast, pancakes, and even a really delicious tofu scramble. In a nutshell, everything I've ever eaten here is delicious. There was one time I had a server who was kind of slow and seemed a bit off his game (I think he was new) but besides that the service has always been amazing. If you're vegetarian or vegan, and could only try one restaurant on your trip to Colorado, this is the one.
Pros: mostly vegan, best seitan ever, super friendly staff
Cons: not close enough to my house
Gabe
Oh and as of recently they now have Daiya, so you can substitute that for cheese instead of just getting things with no cheese. The grinder (shaved seitan) with Daiya was amazing!
Read morekindlizard
While that may be true, that most things "can" be made vegan, they have on more than one occasion given us dairy cheese on vegan orders. As you know it is the only real veg place in Denver, so slim picking, but they are flawed and their consistency even when the orders are straight lacks. Service is hit or miss, but usually miss.
Read moreGuest
ashschmid
Points +43
Wish I lived near this place - Edit
Found this place on a roadtrip across the country. It was absolutely the best place we ate. The food was outstanding. The desserts were amazing. The milkshakes were beyond delicious and the service was great and the atmosphere lovely as well. I could go on and on about how good this place was but it doesn't seem necessary.
Read moreGo there, order anything, it will be amazing.
Pros: awesome food, beautiful atmosphere, good service
Guest
·X·
Points +21301
A Denver Must! - Edit
Watercourse was one of my favorite places with vegan options in Denver. It was also well received by the three omnivores that ate there with me. The vegan milkshake was excellent and the grinder (veganized - but they don't have vegan cheese) was amazing. My bf got the vegan chicken wings and said that he liked them better than most real chicken wings he's had. Overall we loved this place, don't miss it!
Read moreGuest
hoffmans2
Points +169
Everything - Edit
We stayed in Denver for a few days and we practically lived at this place. It has breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There was no need to go anywhere else! It was an easy walk from our hotel and the convention center. It is a large restaurant with a huge menu. This is the best dining experience we have ever had. We even got a T-shirt!
Read morePros: Location, Food, Variety
Guest
bill_watson
Points +44
a ton of food - Edit
Visited here while on a trip for a conference in Denver and it was awesome. Atmosphere is laid back and bohemian. Cool animal folklorish murals on the walls. If you don't have numerous large tattoos, you'll feel left out.
Read moreWe had hot wings for appetizers, southern fried steak and a jamaican tofu. The wings were great and they've gave you an amazing amount. Actually all of the dishes were really large and more than we could eat. Numerous vegan options. This is a favorite of ours, and although I don't know when we'll be in Denver again, if we're anywhere near, we'll be paying multiple trips to this place.
Pros: large portions
Guest
TRaeCH
Points +384
Vegetarian Comfort Food, as Promised - Edit
During a short stay in Denver, a friend of mine and I decided to see if Watercourse Foods, which we'd heard a lot of good things about, would live up to its reputation. Let me say that over the course of a month-long roadtrip it stood out as one of the, if not culinary highlights, restaurant-based highlights.
Read moreAs an appetizer my friend ordered a bunch of Seitan Buffalo Wings. As a former die-hard fan of buffalo wings he absolutely loved them - though only managed to finish about half of the rather large portion.
Their drink menu, it should be mentioned, offers a pretty nice selection of wines and beers, at least for two Canadians from Quebec.
As an entrée I had the Monti Pasta with added seitan. Generally, it could have been a little bit more flavourful ut I enjoyed it none the less. My friend had what they call the "Grinder" sandwich. Again, he could only finish half. We noticed that most customers were bringing home the remainders of Watercourse's sizable portions.
For desert I had a slice of vegan carrot cake. Out of this world, let me tell you. The cost is a bit much but it's just a number on a bill; the taste in your mouth more than makes up for it.
I must also add that our server was a really helpful and charming guy; had a really cool mustache as well. The cafe-type atmosphere suited it well and there was an overall welcoming felling that the staff and other patrons gave off. A very enjoyable time.
Pros: Atmosphere, Menu
Guest
minirunner2
Points +47
LOVED IT! - Edit
As a vegan I have found some vegetarian restaurants to be difficult but Watercourse is excellent. They have a wide selection of vegan options and are very helpful.
Read moreIt was very crowded and busy but the service was great, the food was absolutely fabulous and my kids even enjoyed it too. A lot of veg restaurants are in some scary locations but this place is in a great location, has a great atmosphere and the service is great.
We really enjoyed it and plan to visit again if we are ever in Denver. I would recommend eating a little earlier than you might normally eat because this place gets really busy and you may have to wait for a table but it is definitely worth the wait!!!
Guest
maliciouskami
Points +188
Great Breakfast - Edit
I went with a friend for breakfast and there were so many vegan options, I was totally overwhelmed. I will agree with the other reviews, this place is definitely hipster--but I like it that way. I didn't have any problems with the waitstaff in the least. Our waiter actually stopped and made small talk with us. Also, I will contend: the vegan gravy is amazing.
Read morePros: Variety, Lots of Vegan options
Guest
carey
Points +45
Good food, big portions - Edit
We had breakfast here twice while on vacation in May 2008. We were happy we found the place (the restaurant was actually a little hard to see among the construction on the building), because the food was great and the portions were huge. It was busy and there was a line, but not any longer than what we're used to (in Portland). The service was fine during our first trip, but the second time we had a very nice server that made our final morning in Denver a real pleasure.
Read morePros: many choices, big portions, yummy
Cons: usually crowded, a bit pricey
Guest
yourfacehxc
Points +202
Legit - Edit
A buddy of mine and I ate here when I was in Denver on business earlier this year. I must say, it was a pleasure! We started off with the buffalo wings which were delicious. Both of our meals were tasty and vegan. I can't wait to return. The wait staff was nice enough and the atmosphere was pleasant as well. I back it.
Read morePros: Great food!, Location.
Cons: Borderline expensive.
Guest
CherylLynne
Points +101
YUMMMMMMMMMM - Edit
My husband and I really enjoyed our dinner at Watercourse. The staff was friendly and really helpful. Our food was great and it was a nice walk from the pedestrian mall area in Denver. Get there early because they seem to stay busy.
Read morePros: food excellent, nice people, nice area
Guest
kindlizard
Points +1127
updated review; not in my faves - Edit
Used to be in my top ten, but the past few visits no longer that high recommendation. Recently, I have found that the quality has dipped a bit, the waitstaff gave a vegan real cheese, and after eating here, it has not treated my belly so kindly. I used to feel healthy and light, like I made a wise decision. However, it has been less kind and less wise, heavy and burdensome feeling.
Read moreIt is still the best place in Denver, but I think it has come down to the level of competition regionally. They are not giving the elite dining experience they once served. Dont get me wrong, before they moved I did think they were inconsistent, but there were peaks with those valleys. The valleys seem to have gotten lower since the aftershocks are painful (catch my drift).
I still suggest this place to those passing through. The quality may bounce back once in a while. The shakes are divine.
Pros: shakes , most times food
Cons: some staff, INCONSISTENT, belly troubles
Guest
SLC
Points +113
BEST Restaurant between LA and Pittsburgh! - Edit
Took a roadtrip from LA to Pennsylvania, and this is the best vegetarian restaurant I have ever been to, not only on this trip. Try the gravy...it'll make you truly happy!
Read morePros: Gravy, Pastries, nice staff
Guest
sweetszlove
Points +67
Good but very expensive - Edit
The food is really good, and they have alot of vegan options. Especially the salad dressings. BUT everything is really expensive. Its over $9 for a sandwich and side!
Read morePros: vegan options, flavorful, desserts
Cons: expensive
Guest
jdame
Points +140
Amazing Food - Edit
Just went tonight and the food was amazing! Everything can be made vegan and the wait staff is friendly and knowledgeable. A must if you live, work, or visit Denver.
Read morePros: Food, Price, Selection
Guest
shanif
Points +24
Our Favorite Veggie Restaurant - Edit
My wife and I live near Atlanta Georgia, and we have sampled vegetarian restaurants in many locations. This is bar none, our favorite place. We rave about it all the time. I have been to Denver several times, and this is definitely among the high points. My wife was recently in Denver for a conference, and she managed to eat at Watercourse 3 or 4 times. After a hardy meal, I usually pass on desert. Not here!
Read morePros: Taste, Portion size, Price
Cons: Wait times for brunch
Guest
dbowland
Points +61
This is the best Vegan restaurant BAR NONE! - Edit
This place is awesome. After going there the first time on a business trip, I have gone every time since. It is always amazing and everything i have had has been unbeleivably tasty and beautifully presented. Take a non-vegetarian and let them be astounded at how good it can be. One of the most outstanding things to me is that this place actually has a lot of HEALTHY vegetarian food. Most veg food at restaurants is overprocessed and dead. Finding a place with great tasting live food and enough raw to make a difference, i am just blown away. Keep it up! You rock!
Read morePros: Live, Raw Food, VERY tasty, Nice Presentation
Cons: Only one restaurant
kindlizard
they ain't vegan; in fact, my dad got some dairy since we didn't look into it closely enough. don't assume they are or you'll intake something bad "accidentally". they were nice about it but still; we ordered everything extra vegan
Read moreGuest
rainfall2008
Points +52
some of the best food I have ever had - Edit
This is one of the best vegan restaurants I have ever been to, and I have been to a lot worldwide. It has a wide selection of food, everything, and everything that I have had is orgasmic. Try the Donna Lee for lunch and the biscuits and gravey/Amsterdam Hash for breakfast. The boston cream pie is excellent for dessert!
Read morePros: the best, excellent food, huge proportions
Guest
kissme926
Points +31
Wonderful!! - Edit
My family went to eat here on the way to Seattle. The sampler appetizer with hummus, pesto dip and something else with mushroom (i think) was amazing! And all vegan - I could even give it to my baby without worrying it had dairy. I had the smothered fried "chicken.." with mashed potatoes and peas/corn medley. The "chicken" had the tangiest, crunchiest coating that resurrected tastebuds that had been asleep since my KFC days in the 1970's and 80's...It was so good that when we came back around on the way back home, my son and husband had to order it. The mashed potatoes were a little on the plain side (I can make better at home) and the desserts were very good but too sweet the first time, then too mild on second visit. Both times I had the chocolate mousse pie. Prices are not cheap. Both times we spent more than $50 for a family of four and a baby. The somewhat aloof staff (like at many veg restaurants for some reason?) warmed up when they dealt with you at the table. Nice location. In general, a wonderful experience. Would go again to try out the many other things they offer.
Read morePros: good food, nice atmosphere
Cons: noisy
Guest
flamekat
Points +397
Yum - Edit
My mom and I ate at Watercourse tonight. The food was hit & miss. Our appetizer, the Sampler Platter was okay. The hummus, tapenade. and pita were good, but the pestos had a strange texture, and were lacking in salt. My mom chose the blackened tempeh burger with quinoa salad and mixed vegetables. WARNING: the mixed veg is that school cafeteria standby of frozen peas, carrots, and corn. ?! But the burger was awesome and the quinoa was tasty. Pick a different side item. I had the portobello cap. The mushroom itself (polenta crusted with chipotle aioli) was excellent. The grilled carrots, refried beans, and pico de gallo were decent. However the brown rice was not fresh, and the guacamole was very blah. You can get the same portobello as a sandwich, so I would suggest that. I left most of the sides on my plate. We took our desserts home--the chocolate cake and the key lime pie--both of which are wonderful. My mom couldn't believe the cake was vegan. My gripe about the key lime pie is that it has coconut on top and more of a cheesecake texture. As a former aficionado of the dessert from living in Florida, this bothered me more than it should, since it tasted great anyway! My mom also loved her hibiscus tea. It all came to $50 after the tip. Not expensive for all we had. The staff all seemed normal and down to earth, no snooty behavior--just friendly service. Wait times for food was a bit long, but it was pretty busy. 3 1/2 cows
Read morePros: All vegan dessert tray!, Lots of variety, Good value
Cons: hit or miss on the sides, don't expect a quick meal, frozen veg medley!
Guest
marla5575
Points +107
Awesome! - Edit
this place rocks. i don;t live in denver so i don't have the pleasure of dining here consistently, but the times i have been here, i have not been disappointed. as far as some people's complaints about the service - i've never had a problem. as far as prices, they are very reasonable! they have huge entrees for $10 - including protein, starch and vegetable. the assortment of food is fantastic, as well. everything can be made vegan. try the buffalo seitan "wings" - yowza!
Read morePros: tasty food, large portions, complete meals
Cons: no parking
Guest
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