This new place just opened a few months ago, and 13 of us decided to go there for some Chinese style barbecue meats and their regular menu. My group of 7 shared the roasted pork, pork and duck barbecue. I'm not a fan of duck so it would not be fair for me to write anything about it, but those who loved duck meat said that this place serve wonderful barbecue duck. As for the pork, both roasted and barbecue, they were so good. We had a little bit of white rice to eat with the meat, but really, you don't need the extra rice in order to eat these two types of pork meats. Since both styles of the pork were prepared differently, I cannot say one is better than the other: they were both delicious. The crunchiness and the flavorful from the roasted pork, as well as the aroma and the soft chewy from the barbecue pork, brings this dining experience to the next level. We also ordered the yu stir fry choy sum in garlic, the combination fried rice, and salt and pepper shrimp. I highly recommend the yu choy and shrimp dishes. I would skip the fried rice and get their beef chow fun, which is exactly what my other group of 6 did. In addition to what were mentioned above, they ordered Chinese broccoli, daikon and beef in clay pot, Taishan five spice duck, salted fish & chicken fried rice. Everyone enjoyed their food and dining experience here. Conversations were easily understood and heard. When asked what their favorite dish was, all of us said we liked everything, but when pressed to give one special dish, several folks mentioned the roasted pork, the clay pot, and the salt and pepper shrimp. Service here was excellent. The manager was very accommodating to our large group of diners, coming back and making sure we are doing fine as he refilled our water glasses. If you are looking for legit Chinese barbecue pork and duck, you don't need to look further: it's here at Happy Cafe BBQ. Enjoy! read more

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So glad happy cafe is back! And the BBQ is a nice addition. Everything was delicious! read more

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Really good Cantonese BBQ spot with classics such as crispy roast pork belly, BBQ pork, and roast duck. Super happy to have something like this in Denver now instead of having to make a trip up to Uncle Henry or HuaKee for my cravings! read more

Every time I've gone I've loved the food. There's never a very long wait, although I think I've just been lucky on timing because seems like it is quite popular. They have a great mix of food The clay pot items on the menu seem to be some of the favorites. It's also our 5-year-old 's top Chinese restaurant so it keeps everyone in the family happy read more

I thought this place closed and is now Harbor Dim Sum in Alameda shopping center with Business Costco.

It is about 4.5 stars. The happy cafe may be the best small Chinese authentic cuisine. There carry many good menu dish. It include braise pigeons, scallions dungeon crab, and more. We start with stir fry spicy chitterlings. The chitterlings is nice and soft. Pleasant to eat. The second dish is salt and pepper quails. Three quails total that chop in 4 pieces each quail. Scallions was in the stir fry. The quail is good to go with wine. The third dish is the squid in soy sauce. This dish is the whole squid. The tentacles is crispy and also the ear of the squid. Overall is good food. Service is good also. Definitely recommend to visit in the future. Don't forget to try other items in the menu. read more

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Quality isn't very consistent which was crazy because we were the only ones here. But our dishes weren't the best. First off, the yellow noodle seafood sauce is usually crunchy noodles. But today, it tasted like Lo mein meaning just regular noodles drenched in sauce. The walnut shrimp was coated in flour and batter to make the shrimp seem huge but when you bite into it, it was just flour. The scallion pancake did not have any scallion. It was just flour. Things that are consistently good: - beef chow Mein - the greens - soup - the pork deep fried ribs - and the black bean clams read more

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One of the Chinese restaurants I would not hesitate to bring out of town friends to is Happy Cafe on South Federal. Besides being one of the most frequented Cantonese restaurants by locals, it is also often complimented for its variety and authenticity. At the corner of South Federal and Ford with limited parking spaces, the restaurant may look uninspiring and ordinary, the food here is anything but. Here are its beef with hot chili sauce, shredded salty chicken, boiled fish fillet with pickled vegetable, eggplant with garlic sauce and Maggie duck chin. read more

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I stopped in with my son & grandkids as we were in the area. We had never been. Everything we tried was delicious with generous portions. We very angry and ate our fill and still had some to take home. We will definitely go back! Note...not many parking spaces. read more

I was craving Taiwanese beef noodle soup and saw a good pick on Yelp! We came here for lunch and were the last 2 person table top. Busy but not too busy! Ordered the fry bun that are perfectly crispy on the outside and like a fluffy cloud on the inside-perfection. I got the beef noodle soup and the flavor of the broth was well developed, however, the beef could have been much more tender- I'm used to the melt in your mouth texture. Overall a delightful satisfying meal! read more

Happy Cafe BBQ - Yum - Chinese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

One of the best Chinese restaurants in Denver Came here after a hike. Greeted by friendly service and large portion of food. So fresh and yummy!! They have a big menu too, and I can't wait to come back next time read more

Happy Cafe BBQ - 腊肠炒蔬菜 - Chinese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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The food from my order that I included photos and descriptions of were delicious but the delivery through the yelp app was horrible. The driver brought our bag dripping wet and set it on our door step and didn't knock when we picked up our order off the porch it made a huge mess from front door to kitchen on our new carpet. Go into the restaurant because delivery was awful. Only subpar food item was The crab cheese wontons as they were cold and under filled. read more

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One of my Happy places (pun intended)! We have gone here a handful of times and the owners and servers are always pleasant. We truly enjoy the authentic dishes. We always get the garlic fried spare ribs, shrimp with salt and pepper, and their chow fun is pretty good too. If you're looking for a unique dessert, definitely order their fried milk. I only get to order it here and it's so good! It is a big order, so sharing is recommended because eating it fresh is the best. I also recommend trying their honey lemon tea (sort of reminds me of a fresh version of Brisk ice tea), or Hong Kong milk tea. This is one of our family go-to places to have a meal together. It's not overly packed and they have great food. read more

Small restaurant. No frills ambiance. Iced water served. Christmas lunch and one server who did a phenomenon job. Salt and pepper fish fillet: very tender and tender. Perfectly done. Good sized pieces and good quantity. Sichuan Beef brisket clay pot: mushrooms, glass noodles, Napa cabbage, wood ear fungi, dried bean curd in a flavorful broth. Left my lips and tongue tingling! Great flavor but too spicy for someone who can't tolerate spicy. Thankfully served with steamed rice to temper the heat. Beef chow fun and Singapore noodles: both very flavorful. Would come back for sure! read more

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We found Happy Cafe when we found Lao Wang to be closed. We've now been there twice, and found both experiences to be exceptional. The owner and staff are great and make solid recommendations. They seem to have one side of the menu for American Chinese staples (think beef and broccoli) and one side for more "adventurous" items (think pig intestine). So far we have eaten spicy beef in chili oil, crystal noodles in chili, scallion pancake, yu choi in garlic sauce, braised green beans, salt and pepper chicken wings, some kind of meat in broth, and fried milk. We love everything we've eaten! They also have a Chinese beer called Lucky Buddha that pairs great. read more

This place was very good for years. However, after a recent relocation the quality has gone down significantly. As a result, our honest review is a downgrade from four stars to only one. This is a considerable loss of a good restaurant in the neighborhood. read more

Hands down the best and most authentic Chinese restaurant in Denver metro! No frills establishment with a great selection of authentic dishes. Happy Cafe has become a "go-to" for great food and service. read more

Just received a delivery order from Happy Cafe and it was top notch! Super fresh veggies and fried up pieces with the sweet & sour sauce in a separate container. So thoughtful and amazing! read more

I need to update my review. The moo shu is still great but everything else seems to be hit or miss. Scallion pancake was great the first couple times and since has been a little off... can't quite put my finger on why. The sesame double lucky has decent chicken and good shrimp but the sauce is almost dessert like, too sweet and thin. We ordered egg rolls this last time and didn't receive them. I didn't call to let them know... yes that part is on me. We'll still order moo shu on occasion but the search continues for a consistently good Chinese place near us... read more

Say a line out the door before. So glad we stopped in. I'm vegan and was able to order the kung pao tofu. So tasty. Next time I'm going to try the Sesame tofu with vegetables. Also ordered the salt and pepper deep fried tofu. A must try. My husband ordered beef with hot chili, he said it's the best Chinese food he's had in Denver. read more

The food is great I love the garlic ribs. The service is spot on and great location.

Authentic Chinese food, nice variety of dishes. The clay pot dishes are very popular. Highly recommend the fried eggplant - crispy outside, creamy inside, garnished with some jalapenos. read more

Happy Cafe BBQ - Eggplant - Chinese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

This is my new go to place for wok-fired Cantonese dishes. Most of them are pretty authentic. I've been here several times now and have enjoyed Beef Chow Fun, String Beans with Minced Meat and Preserved Olive Vegetables, Clay Pot Rice, steamed soup and more. All are recommended. The only 2 things that we've tried and were less than ideal was one of the Clay Pot Chicken dishes - it would be much better if they used dark meat instead of white. Also the Salted Duck Egg Yolk Coated Acorn Squash would be phenomenal if they didn't cover the squash slices in thick batter. Regret that I still haven't had a chance to try their famous Fried Milk Curd (permission to call it "dessert entree"?!) The picture looks so enticing but they're always out when I visited. More reasons to try it, I guess! read more

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Everything is good. Can't go wrong. Service is very friendly and feels like home. Yummy

Great authentic tasting Chinese food in Denver. If you are a foodie and like to try new Chinese food, this is a place to check out. Unique flavors! Family dining ambiance with speedy service read more

This is the hole in the wall Chinese delight that I have been searching for! They have a wide variety of dishes that I haven't heard of, like Beef Bitter Melons with Black Bean Sauce, as well as the regular faves you usually see like Kung Pao Chicken ect. Plus the staff was really nice and they do to go orders. So far I've only had the Crystal Noodles with Chili sauce and the Beef Chow Fun. Both delicious and I can't wait to go back to try more dishes! I've been looking for so long and I'm overjoyed to have found this place! read more

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I've lived in Denver for 4 years and haven't found a Chinese place that I would be willing to get takeout from until I went to Happy Cafe. Most places in Colorado have primarily dumplings or noodle dishes, but not many places do Chinese entrees. Happy Cafe does that and they did not disappoint. I loved their deep fried spare ribs, green beans, and beef chow fun. You know I'll be going back when I'm too lazy to cook! read more

Alright what gives? This restaurant is tucked in a strip mall on federal and so inconspicuous. We came here on another yelp elite's reco they serve CLAY POT RICE. WHAT THE WHAT!! As a kid who spent summers in HK and had an amazing asian mom cook, i miss all these meals since moving to denver. Obviously we had to give it a try. This place is Cantonese / HK food forward. The clay pot rice wasn't anything to write home about BUT it did satisfy my craving. We tried the spare rib clay pot rice... i'll be back to try the sausage one in the future. we also got the five spice duck which wasn't bad but i will not lie ... my tummy did grumble a few times after we left and i'll chalk it up to the food being greasy. We also got the beef chow fun which was good flavor and 'wok hay' but again really greasy. The gentleman who was working was really sweet and kind and i appreciated his attentiveness. We also grabbed a HK lemon tea.. MmmMmmm sweet sweet summers in my parent's hometown. i'll be back to try other things and probably come in the evening when it's busier! pro tips: - parking inside the lot is a nightmare... park on the street to save yourself a game of bumper cars. - clay pot takes about 25 minutes so be patient or skip it! - HK lemon iced tea !! read more

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4 words: deep fried garlic spareribs. One of my most fave dishes in all of Denver. Do not sleep on this dish!!!!

This is my go to Chinese take out. I'm actually really looking forward to Xmas eve so I can order shrimp fried rice, crab cheese wontons and orange chicken. The staff is very nice and love to make sure everyone is enjoying their food and experience. I always get excited when I know I'm getting to eat Happy Cafe because it not only makes me happy, it's delicious read more

Amazing quality! I happen to stop by after getting a haircut next door and didn't expect much. I ordered beef chow fun, mapo tofu, and scallion pancakes. The chow fun noodles were delicious, only thing it needed was a little more soy sauce. The beef was really tender and juicy which is how I like it. The sauce for the tofu was also delicious, not too spicy but still got a nice kick to it. And the scallion pancakes were thinner and flaky but still great to the taste. Reasonable priced and good portions as well! read more

Happy Cafe BBQ - Seating area of Happy Cafe - Chinese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Best Hong Kong style food in Colorado! yes i said it ! my family and I come here so much at least once a week when we have a chance. We've tried almost half of the menu :) I will update the pictures if i ever remember to take one . lol read more

This was my first visit to the restaurant. The menu looked promising, and it offered braised pork belly over rice 滷肉飯, a Taiwanese rice dish that I have been looking for high and low in Denver. Naturally, I was excited! Plus, that the Chinese name contained the label 茶餐廳 (look up "cha chaan teng" on Wikipedia for the uninitiated) made me picture a Hong Kong café backdrop in my mind. I ordered the 滷肉飯 from the menu, and in the spirit of dining in a 茶餐廳, I got the classic Hong Kong style milk tea as my beverage. The milk tea turned out to be rather diluted. Instead of a glass of smooth and rich milk tea, mine was watery and underwhelming. The braised pork belly over rice 滷肉飯 was somewhat disappointing, too. The presentation was great, but the flavour of the dish was lacking. For a good bowl of 滷肉飯, it is important to have a strong spice profile (the Chinese five-spice powder + star anise + soy sauce + dark soy sauce) and to have the pork belly braised over a period of time. Even though I was not blown away by my experience this time, I would still return to try out other items on the menu. Perhaps 滷肉飯 was not the café's forte. Again, the menu looked really promising and I am open to trying something else! read more

Happy Cafe BBQ - Braised pork belly over rice and milk tea. - Chinese Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Sitting here right now thinking to myself, "I haven't had a meal this good since... well... the last time I ate here." Authentic, family style Chinese food that will leave you beyond satisfied. Get the duck jaws and frog legs!!!! read more

Great spot if you want authentic Chinese food. Staff is very friendly and helps you with the menu if you can't decide on what you want to eat. They make this white fish in soup sauce with Chinese spices and it's amazing! read more

WOW Guys -- While searching for a Chinese takeout place I came across Happy Cafe and read a few reviews. Things like "best lomein" and "new favorite" came up, which piqued my curiosity enough to give it a whirl. Let me tell you plainly, you must try this place. Yes, it is Americanized Chinese food, yes, it's better than the average Chinese take out, and yes, the prices are a dollar or two lower than most places. But seriously - what is going on with the lomein?? SO GOOD! And the Kung Pao Triple Delight = full marks. We were so very happy with everything, and our at home dining experience was filled with squeals of delight. And seconds. And thirds. For reals, just try it out. read more

We go the boiling beef and fish. It was so good we ate all the bean sprouts and cabbage in it.

Best Chinese food I've had in Denver by far. Can't wait to go back again and try more things. Everything was so tasty. Big portions. Nice staff. The XO Sauce Rice Noodle Rolls were my favorite. Texture like gnocchi and flavor similar to beef chow fun. So soft and savory and delicious. read more

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Unassuming little place but the food is really good. My favorite dishes included (apologies don't know if this is the official name of the dishes): -Marinated duck chins - chewy, tendon-y in a satisfying way. I didn't think I'd like this but there was more meat than you'd think. If you like chicken feet it's a similar experience. -shredded chicken. If you'd had the cold poached chicken with ginger/scallion sauce at other restaurants this is the same thing except the chicken comes pre shredded and covered in the sauce. It's a lazy way to enjoy the same dish. Sometimes that chicken dish has a few dry pieces but this one was really great - every shred with still tender and bouncy. -marinated quails - really well seasoned and enjoyable and I say that as someone who doesn't tend to like quail meat because I think the meat can be too dense -salt and pepper baby squids - I didn't like this one. The squid has some kind of solidish gel part in the middle that was bland and strange texture wise. -peppery pork stomach soup - tender chunks of pork stomach in a peppery broth. This felt good for a cold day. I don't love a ton of pepper so it wouldn't be my first pick for a soup but I didn't hate it. Service was friendly but really slow. There was just one front of house worker for the whole restaurant (maybe 10-12 tables). She was slammed but kept things moving on a busy night. It was my first time here so I'm not sure if it's normally like that but the food was great and unique enough that I'd be back. Oh and like many hole in the walls - the bathroom is disgusting. Don't go if you can avoid it. Unfortunately I have a toddler who somehow was convinced they really had to pee every 20 mins. Overall I'm happy my family brought me here. It's definitely going to be on my list for future visits to Denver. read more

Authentic Chinese food. Quality was good. Atmosphere was poor. Service was great and Margret our server was really sweet. Try the fried spareribs and onion pancakes read more