Sam's No. 3, Downtown
77 people recommend, 15 warn against itvia r/Denver, r/denverfood30 comments cited below
The comments cited below are a sample of the full tally across 42 threads.
What people say, in short
Most people who weigh in recommend Sam's No. 3 for breakfast, many simply naming it as their answer. It is a classic downtown diner; several say the breakfast burritos are good, one likes the pancakes, and one says it lets you swap in tater tots. People recommend the Sam's No. 3 diners generally; those who name an outlet mostly mean the downtown Curtis Street one, and one names the Leetsdale one. Caveats: a few say it is too busy to linger over a laptop at weekends, a few call the food mediocre, one finds it only decent, one found the chorizo bland, and one calls it bad.
Address
Sam's No. 3, 1500 Curtis Street, Denver, CO 80202
At a glance
- Signature dishes
- Breakfast burritos
Nearby on this map
Other places on this map closest to Sam's No. 3, Downtown, as the crow flies.
The evidence
Every point below is paraphrased from a real public comment, ordered by how much the community engaged with it. Caveats and negatives are kept in — follow any link to read the original for yourself.
- Recommendsu/Eastern-Rutabaga-453 in r/Denver · Oct 2024ambience
Recommends this diner for a classic, authentic American feel; says seating depends on how busy it is.
- Recommendsu/honey-badger4 in r/Denver · Oct 2024
Recommends this downtown diner for breakfast with a work-while-waiting plan, but says weekends are too busy for laptops.
- Recommendsu/readitf1rst in r/Denver · May 2025
Rates Sam's No. 3 positively as a direct answer to the breakfast question.
- Recommendsu/dakinebeerguy in r/denverfood · Mar 2025consistency
Says Sam's No. 3 delivers every time despite critics.
- Recommendsu/tristan-chord in r/Denver · Oct 2024
Suggests eating at the diner first, then working at a coffee shop across the street if it's too busy to linger.
- Recommendsu/GlassCityJim in r/denverfood · Nov 2025taste
Recommends Sam's #3 and says its breakfasts are excellent.
- Recommendsu/kindafun0 in r/denverfood · Feb 2025
Recommends Sam's no 3 for breakfast since the visitor will be downtown.
- Recommendsu/Hour-Theory-9088 in r/denverfood · May 2024variety
Lists the basic breakfast range here, including a canned-style corned beef meal and burritos, and suggests it for simple tastes.
Show all 30 cited comments
- Caveatu/pork_fried_christ in r/denverfood · Nov 2025
Pushes back on the Sam's pick and calls the place bad.
- Recommendsu/gahhhpoop in r/Denver · Oct 2024taste
Agrees with the pick, says the menu is huge, and singles out the sMACdown burrito as a strong choice.
- Recommendsu/swimchickmle in r/denverfood · Oct 2024
Recommends Sam's No. 3 for breakfast, offering no further detail.
- Recommendsu/TheoryNo8456 in r/denverfood · Apr 2026
Lists Sam's #3 among its breakfast picks.
- Recommendsu/katachol in r/denverfood · Sep 2026
Gives it as a direct brunch pick in response to the question.
- Recommendsu/ApprehensiveMoose836 in r/denverfood · Oct 2025
Gives just this name as the answer.
- Caveatu/1s35bm7 in r/denverfood · Mar 2025taste
Describes Sam's as a Denver institution yet calls the food mediocre.
- Caveatu/RMW91- in r/denverfood · Sep 2024consistency
Finds Sam's #3 reliably mediocre.
- Recommendsu/JoeJackson88 in r/denverfood · Jan 2026
Offers Sam's No 3 as the answer to the diner question.
- Recommendsu/EmmJay314 in r/denverfood · Jul 2026taste
Expects Sam's #3 to be open, says the food is great, and notes it isn't a bagel shop.
- Recommendsu/Belnak in r/denverfood · Jun 2026
Names Sam's No. 3 as a breakfast answer, with no further detail.
- Recommendsu/Equivalent-Back-436 in r/denverfood · Jan 2025taste
Notes some people dislike Sam's for seeming inauthentic, but calls its breakfast burritos delicious.
- Recommendsu/badgaldyldyl in r/denverfood · Jun 2024value
Names Sam's No. 3 as a breakfast burrito deal.
- Recommendsu/rockkw in r/Denver · Feb 2026
Names this Leetsdale spot as a breakfast pick.
- Recommendsu/jcfiala in r/denverfood · Aug 2025
Votes for Sam's #3, naming the downtown branch.
- Recommendsu/ScienceMomCO in r/Denver · May 2025
Agrees with the Sam's No. 3 suggestion.
- Recommendsu/Lamescrnm in r/denverfood · Feb 2025
Lists Sam's #3 under breakfast in a list of local favorites.
- Mixedu/acforme in r/denverfood · Jul 2026taste
Says Sam's #3 is decent, not great, just an ordinary diner.
- Recommendsu/lzycmt in r/denverfood · Jun 2025variety
Notes Sam's No. 3 lets diners swap in tater tots on breakfast burritos.
- Recommendsu/Zestyclose-Dot-727 in r/denverfood · Jun 2025taste
Says Sam's No. 3 pancakes are good, with a faint vanilla-like flavor.
- Caveatu/PapistAutist in r/denverfood · Nov 2025taste
Visited and found the chorizo bland; suspects a fluke but still prefers other diners.
- Caveatu/spam__likely in r/denverfood · Nov 2025
Agrees with the negative verdict on Sam's.
Also on
Sam's No. 3, Downtown is on other maps too, with what people said about it there.
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Freshness
Details last checked 14 Nov 2026. Recommendations reflect what people said at the time; confirm current details before you go.