If you’re looking for a snapshot of Denver’s population today, just visit the Cherry Cricket on any given weekday lunch hour. Take a seat at one of the signature green tables inside the wood-paneled main bar area and watch as the space fills with businessmen in suits and ties, construction workers in bright orange vests, sports bros in caps and jerseys, and families trying to keep the kids together among platters of burgers and fries.
Outside, the iconic neon sign stands tall, a beacon of the past in an area much-changed. Today, Cherry Creek is a neighborhood of glass high-rises and boutique shops, but the Cherry Cricket serves as a testament to an age both long past yet as relevant as ever.
It’s almost hard to believe a place like this still exists given the explosive and expensive growth of its surroundings. For 80 years, the restaurant has stood firm against the unrelenting wave of so-called “progress” taking place around it, as the neighborhood has become easily one of the most sought after commercial real estate markets in the state.
Yet despite changing hands several times over the years, each owner remains steadfast in the desire to maintain the timeless, ineffable qualities that have kept this Denver institution an enduring success.
“People have always asked me what makes the Cricket so special,” said Lee Driscoll, co-CEO of the Cricket’s current ownership group, Breckenridge-Wynkoop LLC. “I never really had an answer. So I would just say it’s fairy dust.”
History of the Cherry Cricket
That fairy dust first emerged back in 1945 under the guise of Mary Zimmerman’s Bar. It was renamed the Cherry Cricket in 1950 after Lloyd Page bought the restaurant and installed the iconic sign that remains today. The “Duffy’s” addition was constructed in 1963 after Bernard Duffy took over ownership, and remained after he retired in 1972.
Following a period of disrepair and neglect, Eli McGuire took over in 1990 and revitalized the bar, establishing it as both a Denver and Cherry Creek institution by elevating the standard burger option on the menu to now-legendary status.
Breckenridge-Wynkoop LLC acquired the Cricket following McGuire’s passing, and the modern Cricket era was born. We almost lost the Cricket in 2016, when a hood fire swept through the kitchen, causing not only fire and smoke damage, but far greater water damage throughout the space.
Other owners could have seen this as a sign to sell, to take the money and run. Or to completely renovate the property into something more upscale, hip, and current to match the neighborhood’s increasingly tony vibe. Instead, Driscoll and the ownership team closed down the Cherry Cricket for five months, and built it back nearly exactly the same as it was before, doubling down on its reputation as the “black sheep of Cherry Creek”—a badge worn with pride until this day.
“We tried to keep it as much the same as possible, because we knew we couldn’t do any better,” said Driscoll. “We were desperately scared of ruining it.”
The neighboring frame shop and barbershop were absorbed into the restaurant for added space and a second kitchen. They also added a wraparound outdoor patio space, which Driscoll calls “the most desirable corner in Denver.” It proved a smart move as he claimed the patio is responsible for an immediate 20% increase in sales after the first year it opened, with an additional 20% the following year.
While not changing, construction isn’t quite done. Next year the team has plans to convert the existing back patio and part of the structure into a more continuous L-shaped space around the building instead of the current U-shaped configuration.
Burgers, Beer, and Branding
Although the Cricket’s menu has a wide variety of chiles, soups, sandwiches, and sides, it’s perhaps best known for burgers. Among the options available to order are every specialty burger that’s ever won an award at the Denver Burger Battle over the years, which includes the People’s Choice Award in 2016 and from 2021 to 2024, as well as the Judge’s Choice in 2019. Though the Burger Battle had its last fight in 2024, the memory and bragging rights remain.
The best selling item is the Cricket Royal, a sweet and savory mixture of swiss cheese, mushroom duxelles, caramelized onions, roasted garlic and onion jam, garlic aioli, and crispy onion strings on a pretzel bun. The restaurant also offers a Burger of the Month feature, the most recent being a Bulgogi Burger, with crispy wontons and a kimchi slaw created by Overland High School students, proceeds from which support the Colorado ProStart program.
And while there’s no shame in keeping it simple with just a half-pound (or the quarter-pound “Little Cricket”) burger with cheese and ketchup, the Cricket gives you plenty of opportunity to get creative with toppings. Start by choosing from over a dozen cheeses including American, Swiss, cheddar, pimento, provolone, and blue cheese. Next pick from a cornucopia of veggies, from a fried chile relleno to grilled pineapple to guacamole. Extra proteins like crispy fish, corned beef, carnitas, or just regular ol’ bacon also enhance a build-your-own burger. Finally, add on a housemade savory jam, roasted garlic aioli, and even peanut butter and jelly.
Beer is another feather in the Cricket’s tattered cap, as might be expected from a restaurant owned by a group overseeing two of Colorado’s most iconic brewpubs, Wynkoop Brewing Company and Breckenridge Brewery. Though while the beer list remains a calling card, the business today tilts far more in favor of the food. According to Driscoll, Cricket sales have shifted from 70/30-percent alcohol to food in 2001, to 30/70-percent today.
So while the Cricket may look and feel the same, it is finding ways to adapt to the times in its own way.
“We have people coming here for 30 years,” said Driscoll. “As they get older, they get married, they bring the kids, and we’ve evolved to stay compatible with that.”
Innovators or Stewards, Both Ring True
It seems odd to call the Breckenridge-Wynkoop group the new owners of a restaurant they’ve run for 25 years, which by Denver restaurant standards is an eternity. But viewed through the lens of the Cricket’s history, they’re still the newbies.
When owners take over any business, they typically take on the role of steward by keeping things the same, or innovators by changing and expanding the business in new ways. The Breckenridge-Wynkoop team has managed to do both.
“We’ve tried to evolve with our customer base rather than lead by evolution,” Driscoll said. “I still think of it as Eli McGuire’s, because she did such an outstanding job. We’ve been custodians in that sense. We’re definitely proud of having been here for 25 years. I’m not a big fan of bragging about success, but it would be fair to say we’ve done a good job evolving with the community and staging in touch.”
Turns out evolving also meant growing the brand. In 2018, the ownership team established the first Cherry Cricket satellite location across from Coors Field downtown.
“I was desperately afraid of doing the second Cricket, because I was worried about being labeled a cookie cutter,” said Driscoll.
After all, replicating the Cricket menu is relatively easy. But the aesthetic, the vibe, and that famous “fairy dust” is something much harder to match. Yet somehow they’ve made it work and continued to expand. The company added a Littleton location in 2023, and then Broomfield in 2025, with potentially others still to come.
“The thing I love about the Littleton location is that it’s about the ugliest building in the town, and certainly the ugliest restaurant,” Driscoll said, referring to the former Crestwood restaurant it took over. “I remember seeing it for the first time saying ‘This is just God awful. It’s perfect.’ Because we really want to be different. We don’t want to be slick. And that gave us the opportunity to infuse the essential elements of the Cricket.”
While keeping an eye out for additional expansions, the team remains committed to limiting their scope to Colorado only. But rest assured, all these expansions don’t forecast any desire, plans, or strategies to leave the location where it all started, in Cherry Creek.
After selling the property in 2015 to fund additional projects, the BW group bought back a minority stake a few years ago in order to retain a seat with the partnership group that controls its fate.
“We wanted to make sure that we were able to keep the Cricket just as it is,” Driscoll said. “The entire ownership is 100% committed to preserving the Cricket. No question about it.”
Visit the original Cherry Cricket in Cherry Creek from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Sundays and Mondays. 2641 E. 2nd Ave, Denver, cherrycricket.com
