You’ve surely encountered it at your local diner, but what exactly is a Denver omelet? It’s made of eggs, diced ham, onion, bell pepper, and cheese (some say when tomato is included, it becomes a “Western” omelet). For such a simple dish so widely known across the States, it has surprisingly murky origins.
Some historians speculate the Denver omelet originated as a sandwich for cattle drivers, according to the Denver Westword, as it was composed of readily available ingredients (minus the cheese back then)—and probably was popular before the 1920s-1930s, when its various names first appeared in print. It’s also possible that Chinese railroad cooks created the dish as a sort of transportable egg foo young.
Since it was a “Western sandwich” first, it was always served on bread; several sources claim it was in Utah where the dish first became known as a Denver sandwich. At some point, the bread was dropped, and it became the Denver or Western omelet—as it remains today in diners all over the United States.
Note: We couldn’t find any places in Denver that still serve a Denver or Western sandwich. If you know of any, please let us know!
Where: We got our definitive Denver omelet at Sam’s No. 3 (multiple locations including 1500 Curtis St., map), a popular downtown breakfast spot with outdoor seating and a monster menu spanning tons of breakfasts, Mexican foods, Greek dishes, burgers and hot dogs, salads, sandwiches, and Colorado classics.
When: Mon-Tues, 7am-2pm; Wed, 7am-8pm; Thurs, 6am-8pm; Fri, 6am-10pm; Sat, 7am-10pm; Sun, 7am-8pm
Order: The Denver “flat top” omelet ($14.99), prepared with four eggs, diced ham, onion, bell pepper, and melty American cheese on top; it’s served with home fries and toast (you can swap that, if you prefer, for mini pancakes, French toast, or biscuits with gravy). You can upgrade to a Western omelet with the $1 addition of tomato. So basic, but so satisfying—you just can’t go wrong with salty ham and cheese in your eggs. To spice things up a bit, add a side or cup of Sam’s tasty “kickin’ pork green chili” ($3.99-$5.99).
There’s also something called a Denver stacker on the menu, pairing breakfast potatoes (your choice of tater tots, home fries, or hash browns) with two eggs, ham, onion, pepper, cheese, and pork green chili. Can’t be bad.
Alternatively: Another spot offering a classic Denver omelet is The Perfect Landing (7625 S. Peoria St., Englewood, map)—a bit further afield, about 30 minutes southeast of downtown in Englewood near Centennial airport (not Denver airport)—from which you can also watch private planes come and go.
Last updated: January 31, 2025
