Denver’s best Mother’s Day brunches are booking up — where to look

Mother’s Day is still more than two weeks away, but the best brunch tables in Colorado are already disappearing.

Restaurants across the Denver metro and Front Range are opening reservations for May 10, and social media is sounding the alarm. “This is your friendly reminder — Mother’s Day reservations in Denver fill up fast,” one widely shared Instagram post cautioned this week, urging followers to book immediately at popular spots before the wait stretches to weeks.

It’s a familiar annual scramble in a city that takes brunch seriously. Denver’s dining scene has grown significantly in recent years, but so has demand — and Mother’s Day remains the single busiest brunch day on the American restaurant calendar.

DoorDash released its 2026 list of recommended Mother’s Day brunch spots this week, highlighting local Denver restaurants alongside national trends. OpenTable’s most-booked list for the Denver market already shows limited or no availability at marquee restaurants including Guard & Grace, Chef Troy Guard’s 9,000-square-foot modern American steakhouse in downtown, and Tavernetta, the acclaimed Italian restaurant near Union Station known for handmade pastas and a deep Italian wine list.

For those willing to plan ahead, here’s where the action is across the state:

The Greenbriar Inn in Boulder has announced its annual Mother’s Day brunch buffet at $84 per person, with seatings from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The spread includes chef-carved prime rib, leg of lamb, shrimp, eggs benedict, pan-seared salmon, fresh pastries, artisan cheeses and a dessert display. An unlimited sparkling wine option is available for an additional charge. Children ages 3 to 12 eat for $42. Reservations are required.

The Royal Gorge Route Railroad outside Cañon City is running special Mother’s Day weekend trains on May 9 and 10, with first-class lunch and dinner service set against the backdrop of a 1,000-foot canyon. The dinner train features a surf-and-turf menu, a complimentary glass of sparkling wine and — on the 6:30 p.m. departure — a laser light show on the open-air car.

Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, the music venue and restaurant in Five Points, remains one of Denver’s most popular brunch destinations, rated No. 1 for “fun brunch” on Yelp with more than 1,100 reviews. Its “Bowie Brunch” — complete with live music and a speakeasy atmosphere — is the kind of experience that makes a regular eggs-and-mimosas outing feel pedestrian.

Jack’s on Pearl in the Platt Park neighborhood has built a devoted weekend following with a brunch menu that reviewers call one of the best in the city. Sassafras American Eatery in the Highlands, housed in a converted home, offers a Southern-influenced brunch with a patio that fills early. Fox and the Hen in northwest Denver and Side Pony, a newer arrival, are both drawing loyal weekend crowds.

Snooze, an A.M. Eatery — the Denver-born brunch chain that started on Larimer Street — remains a go-to for a no-reservation, first-come-first-served Mother’s Day morning, though lines can stretch well past the door. Arriving before doors open is strongly recommended.

In Colorado Springs, The Colorado Grill is advertising a Mother’s Day brunch with a $19.99 ham plated special available all day — a fraction of what Front Range fine-dining spots charge. The Orchard Golf and Country Club is hosting a 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. brunch with a full carving station and live acoustic music.

The rush to book reflects a broader dynamic in Denver’s restaurant market. A recent report from the Denver Restaurant Liaison Project found that rising costs are making it harder than ever to open and sustain restaurants in the city, which means the venues that survive are seeing heavier demand on peak days like Mother’s Day.

Reservations at most Denver-area restaurants can be made through OpenTable, Resy or by calling the restaurant directly.