Lou’s Food Bar is now open in Denver in the former home of Bones.
This past week marked the soft opening of Frank Bonanno’s newest venture, Lou’s Food Bar. The restaurant opened its doors for the first time at Denver Milk Market, and boy, did they deliver on the goods. Frank spent time behind the line to serve up some Nashville-realness to ensure the first guests had their chicken just how they like it: mild, wild, and too hot for the press.
The grand opening took place on July 26, which means they are fully open to the public for all of your spicy chicken needs.
Lou’s is located at 701 Grant Street in Capitol Hill, and if that address sounds familiar, it’s because it was home to Bones, Bonanno’s ramen spot. Bones brought authentic ramen bowls to Denver, along with putting new twists on the dish. While the ramen bowls will be missed, Lou’s Hot and Naked promises south for your mouth with several classic dishes.
"The menu," says Bonanno, "is simple, straightforward, and prepared in minutes. It's a natural fit, and it feels perfect for the neighborhood."
The new menu offers up breakfast, lunch, and dinner, starting with all kinds of different breakfast sandwiches. Each breakfast sandwich is served on buttermilk biscuits with scrambled eggs and cheese, with your choice of breakfast meats. Skillets and hashes are also served here either naked, medium, or hot. Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Denver spot if there wasn’t a Denver hash, including chorizo, hatch green chile, and pepper jack.
Are you hungry yet? | Courtesy of Denver Milk Market
Apart from breakfast sandwiches and hashes, Lou’s also has the classic chicken and waffles dish. As for lunch and dinner, Lou’s shines with their hot chicken sandwiches served up with their own rooster sauce. What makes Lou’s different from other restaurants is that you can also order a whole fried chicken to-go just the way you want it, with all the sides you can dream of.
They have whipped potatoes, waffle fries, creamed corn, tater tots, and more. All of the fixings anyone could want with their fried chicken.
More expansion is expected later in fall when Bonanno will connect the patios of Lou's with Vesper's, creating one big wraparound outdoor seating area. While that’s still on the horizon, the spicy chicken looks like it’s here to stay. Lou’s is open Sundays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
How do you like your fried chicken? Naked, medium, or slap-ya-mama hot? Sound off in the comments below, and let us know what you think of Lou's
