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    The Buff Restaurant

    4.4 (2.1k reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 2:00 pm

    Order The Buff Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

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    THE BUFF RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Classy
    Good for groups

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    Steak and Eggs
    Hannah M.

    Great food and friendly service. Although there is usually a wait, the wait goes quick, so don't let it discourage you from going there! They have a lovely dining room with a good atmosphere and a large menu with lots of variety. We love the Buff! (Also the $0.99 mimosas and bloody Mary's are so fun!)

    Veggie omelette
    Adam S.

    Nice spot to grab breakfast with both tons of space and tons of options on the menu. We didn't have to wait long at all on a Saturday morning, and the service was prompt and friendly throughout. I had a veggie omelette, breakfast potatoes, and an English muffin. All pretty standard fare, and all pretty good! Nothing was insanely wowing, but it all really hit the spot. I also went all-in on a dirty chai since we're pretending it's fall already, and that was surprisingly good as well. Not too sweet, and loaded with caffeine. Bonus points to them for being directly across the street from the hotel we were staying at. Just a nice, classic, quality breakfast spot.

    Mikhala F.

    YUM! Loved our meal here. This place is massive, so even though it was busy, we got our name in and waited less than 10 minutes. SPACE This place is huge but still feels cozy! Tons of different nooks and rooms, all decorated well. SERVICE Service was a highlight here - efficient but friendly and very personable! FOOD Their breakfast/brunch menu is where it's AT. I had a hard time narrowing things down, but got the Ole skillet with chorizo and a side of tortillas and it was incredible. I love that they have so many gluten free options - so great! I didn't get a drink, but saw many people at tables around us drinking iced coffee from MASSIVE mason jars. Love it. This is a must for brunch in Boulder!

    Eat in The Buff!
    Matt C.

    Eat in The Buff! 30 years running, The Buff Restaurant continues to be one of the busiest places to eat in Boulder. After a recent stay across the street, I ate here two mornings in a row for breakfast. The first morning, we were able to snag a seat quickly. The second morning, I dined in solo a little bit closer to brunch hour and after a few minutes I was able to snag a coveted seat at the bar. I commend the front of house team, especially the hostesses, for managing this busy busy BUSY line of people with total ease. True hospitality professionals. Sitting at the bar, I watched them deal with all kinds of people; mostly pushy, hungover, or impatient people who wanted their table ASAP. They deserve a raise! When it comes to food, no one leaves here hungry. Portions are large and so is the menu. Is it revolutionary? No, but it's consistent and well-prepared breakfast food. +American Skillet // Potatoes, diced onions, and blended cheddar cheese. Simple, yet tasty. My eggs came out the way I like them, toast was buttered, and I doused the whole thing with Cholula. This is the kind of breakfast I'll make at home, this is what the doctor ordered. +Steak & Eggs // Top sirloin breakfast steak and eggs with choice of toast. Massive portion...of course I cleaned the plate. Little outdated with the greens and orange slice garnish, why is it there??? No one eats it! I asked for medium rare and got medium. Could've used more seasoning, but once it combined with the potatoes and eggs we were cooking. A solid dish that cured the craving. Service was great all the way around and I think this is what they do best. Serving this many people in such a short span (7am-2pm) is tough work. I applaud the operators for running a tight ship! The Buff is a reliable breakfast spot in Boulder!

    *NEW* BLTT
    Kimber H.

    This place is a Boulder staple and "iconic" or so I've been told. Went here for a work lunch and it was relatively busy. It's primary focus is brunch. Hours are 7-2 everyday to give to you an idea of menu items. They have a crazy drink special where it's 99 cents for a Bloody Mary, mimosa, or tequila sunrise (all on tap) with the purchase of an entree. We had the cheeseburger and B L T T. It was decent, but next time I'll go for the breakfast items as I think that's where they shine.

    Sophia S.

    The most wonderful breakfast restaurant!! On our 5 day stay to Colorado Springs, we drove two hours twice to have The Buff. We ordered the Two Step (which has delicious house potatoes, perfect pancakes, and the best bacon) and the Biscuits and Gravy. Absolutely delicious!! The service is great, too. Even with a wait, we were seated quickly and the food came out faster than we could believe!! Very cozy vibes. Wish we lived closer or had one in Michigan!

    Chicken sandwich
    Jamie C.

    The service gets five stars, they are always so friendly here. The ambience and food is closer to 3 to 4 stars, more of a fun place rather than a craving something specific place. But they have all the basics of breakfast and lunch and they work hard to manage the crowds. We eat here every couple of weeks.

    Dan S.

    Decided to do a little road trip over to Boulder this morning at The Buff Restaurant. We got there around 9:30AM and was shocked to see how busy it is. Not because it's so good, but thought with the university out for summer it would be less busy. I put my name in and was pleasantly surprised it was only a 10 minute wait. Our waiter was friendly and very chatty which was nice. I got the Rustic Benedict which was really good. The only thing I would do differently is get rid of the bacon. The chopped of bacon crumbled reminded me to much of bacon bits. It was still very good and definitely a much have for someone who like a good comfort food.

    Skillet
    Sara C.

    If you're looking for a good, classic brunch spot, the Buff is your spot. They've got every classic brunch element covered: seasonal-flavored pancakes, fresh squeezed oj, hearty skillets, healthy lighter options. We ordered the Matterhorn and olé skillets - both really delicious, I wish the potatoes were cooked a tiny bit more. We also got the classic eggs benedict which was perfect. We ordered yummy seasonal lattes that weren't too sweet which was nice. The service was quick and friendly.

    Susan S.

    Molly was so kind and patient. I asked for samples of the chili was really good. I had the French toast with fried chicken and potatoes a little piece of pineapple and strawberry and maple syrup. They had dollar bloody Mary's and dollar mimosa with entrée my daughter's friend got this delicious looking coffee that could probably feed two or three people. The food was good. The service was good. Homemade ketchup.

    TWO STEP
    Kelsie P.

    While in Colorado, my family and I stopped in for brunch. The weather was perfect and they have a great patio area! They have a large menu with a lot of options for those with dietary restrictions, too. Lastly, they have $0.99 bloody Mary's, mimosas, or tequila sunrises (with purchase of an entree, limit of 3 drinks per person). Definitely recommend if you're in the area!

    Eggs Benedict

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    3 months ago

    The food was pretty good. The service was great. Not sure if it's worth the wait though.

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    9 months ago

    All I have to say...best pancakes ever. There really is nothing else to say. The Buff is a must stop for breakfast.

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    The Buff Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Buff Restaurant

    Do you have a dog friendly patio?

    We allow only service animals. The City of Boulder has a ban on animals in the facility or patio.

    Do they take reservations?

    No. They only take who come first get the service first.

    View All 5 Questions

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    Healthy dining
    Gluten-free friendly

    Excellent food. Solid ambiance. They have recently changed how people go about getting food from…read morethem, so the line area is strangely blocked off. But I'd go back any time. Love their teas and they variety of healthy options. A Flower Child is opening in my area of the KC metro - my family and I are SO excited to have one in the neighborhood!

    The friend I had lunch with today is vegan, and she suggested this place. It's loud and rather…read morestark, but inside is air-conditioned, which was needed in this 100-degree day. However, there were people sitting on their outside patio. Hardy folks, I guess! My friend was nursing a sore tummy, so she just had some grilled veggies and mashed potatoes. She loves everything she's had here. It was my first time. I ordered the chicken bowl with yakisoba noodles. It was lukewarm, but that's fine for me. I think they must have microwaved it because it was steamier as you ate down the bowl. The veggies were crisp, the noodles perfect, the chicken was tender. It was spiced at what I'd call a medium level, and quite yummy. My friend then ordered their vegan chocolate pudding, which we shared. Yummy and light. My one big criticism is that they charge $4 for iced tea. I questioned it and the cashier was kind of snippy about it, but the customer behind me approached after I dispensed my tea and said she agreed it's too expensive. The meal was appropriately priced and there is plenty of food, but the drinks? C'mon. It's worth maybe $2.50. They really should reevaluate that. It's the main reason that I gave the place 4 stars instead of 5. The other people who work there were nice and helpful. I didn't grab a fork but the server who brought my bowl cheerfully went and got me a fork and napkin. Very nice. It's obviously popular, it filled up as we sat, with quite a variety of people, from babies to seniors. I might go back, but perhaps next time I'll just get water. I hope they don't charge for that!

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    went here because I saw a video talking about how it's run by the twelve tribes which if you do…read moreknow, is a doomsday cult anyways I got a cinnamon roll that was kind of burnt which made me sad because cinnamon rolls are my favorite pastry the workers were very nice, very rustic cartoonish interior, my friend asked the cashier how they will manage to go through with their doomsday rituals (sacrificing a thousand male v!rg!ns) and he acted very awkwardly in response and said "it will be difficult" which made me feel awkward so I won't go back probably

    If a place like this is ever going to thrive, Boulder it is! We went on a Monday morning around 9am…read moreand were the only customers. Prior to entering, we heard it may be run by a cult, however, we did not look into it as it was quite literally the only place on all of Pearl street open for breakfast other than Snooze which we were banned from as my sister as meeting friends there. We were a bit skeptical the whole dining process but the food and drinks were honestly delicious. We got the iced mint mocha which was so delicious, green tea, yogurt parfait, breakfast sandwich, and spinwich. All of the ingredients were fresh, well prepared, and tasty. Once we left, we read about the background history and some of the values of the twelve tribes associated with the Yellow Deii. Had we known the tribe and beliefs it is linked to, we likely would not have eaten here.

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    Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant

    Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant

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    We've been visiting Leaf since they opened, and usually love the ambiance and service, but our last…read morevisit was a little underwhelming. We'd already had dinner at home and stopped in for a drink and dessert. I mentioned this to the server, and from that point on the experience went downhill. I ordered a Happy Hour Cabernet Sauvignon, which was clearly about half the size of a regular glass. My husband ordered a ginger beer, but it tasted like sparkling water with syrup settled at the bottom, which he didn't notice until the end of the glass. My son's dessert was also priced $2 higher than what was listed on the menu. The service overall was incredibly lackluster. It was a disappointing experience at what has long been one of our favorite restaurants in Boulder.

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    The Kitchen American Bistro

    The Kitchen American Bistro

    4.1
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    1.1 mi
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    Looooved our brunch at The Kitchen! We walked in with no reservation at around 11:30 and were able…read moreto snag a table right away. The space is cozy and bright. I loved the big chandeliers and brick wall. Our server, Skylar, was fantastic. She was personable, welcoming, and enhanced the entire dining experience. My friend and I started with the churro donuts to share. These were the perfect sweet treat (because who can have brunch without something sweet for the table?) It comes with a dulce de leche and a coffee anglaise that was so delicious. For my main I went with the fireside eggs. This was exceptional! Flavourful shakshuka with perfectly poached eggs, avocado and feta served alongside naan bread. This meal was comforting and delicious without being overly filling. I can't recommend The Kitchen enough! If I'm ever back in Boulder I will definitely be back. I would love to try the lunch or dinner menu!

    This was a pretty good meal unexpectedly after the BOLDERBoulder run last weekend!…read more We thought the area would be too packed to find a table, but surprisingly there were plenty of open seats at around noon on Memorial Day. There are only two tables on their patio that have an umbrella, so we were sitting in the sun at first and it was getting really hot (but then we were able to snag a shaded table when it freed up shortly after) All of the menu options sounded so good, we started with drinks, I can't remember the name of my cocktail, but it had egg white in it and was so delicious. We ordered the burrata appetizer and all of our means at the same time. Unfortunately, the appetizer never came out, our server for that to put it in. I ended up going with the Bolognese and it was really good so was the steak frites and street cart chicken that my friends had. Their fries are pretty good. The server felt really bad for forgetting about our appetizer and offered us a free dessert instead, so we tried the churro donuts which were ok. I'm still it was a good meal and I would definitely come back if I'm in the Boulder area again soon

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    Gemini

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    4.4
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    I have to navigate a number of food allergies. The menu is well marked and the staff were very…read moreaccommodating and thorough about double checking with the chef. The food was spectacular. My husband and I were only in Boulder for a few days but we went back a second time since we knew it would be safe for me and we both enjoyed it. I had a pork chop off the specials menu the first night and the vegan cauliflower steak the second night. Loved both, but especially recommend the cauliflower steak. Keep in mind it's tapas style, so your food will show up in the order it shows up, not all at once. Getting second drinks was a little slow as the place got more crowded, but the drinks were good. Non alcoholic cocktail options looked good too -- my husband ordered something off that list but subbed in regular alcohol and was very happy with the results. If you have strong opinions about wine, you might want to google the wine list ahead of time; the wine menu lacks descriptions and the waiters were a little less fluent in pairing recommendations there.

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    OCTOPUS A LA PLANCHA  fingerling potatoes, saffron aioli, grilled red onion, roasted tomato, pimenton
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    GEMINI G & T

    The Buff Restaurant - breakfast_brunch - Updated August 2026

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