I was fortunate when I first relocated to Denver many, many years ago. One of the gentleman I worked with was from the South and he HAD to have a regular dose of good old southern cooking. It is fair to say he spent the better part of a summer traveling from one corner of Denver to the other in search of the best fried chicken, fried catfish, and collard greens.
He found what he was looking for at Tom’s Home Cookin’ in the Five Points area. Needless to say that meant our office enjoyed the great food that the Tom’s team dishes up a few times a month, if not once a week. I think my metabolism was higher back then.
This is the real deal folks. Tom’s Home Cookin’ is a no fuss Southern Food MUST for those who love to eat. It’s affordable, delicious, and like I said… authentic. But before you go there are a few Denver Urban tips you should know.
Tom’s Home Cookin’ Tips
- Tom’s is ONLY open for lunch, and only open Monday through Friday. It’s worth it to call ahead or check their twitter feed before you go just in case you are unlucky enough to pick the one week of the year they are on vacation. This is family owned, from what I can tell, and that means they deserve a break too.
- Every day they are open you can find the daily menu on https://twitter.com/tomshomecookin. Yes, they tweet the menu.
- Cash only. Don’t show up with your platinum card. It’s no good here.
- Get there EARLY. By noon there can be a line wrapping around the building. On Friday’s you can expect an even longer line. For whatever reason Denver has an “Eat whatever you want” approach to Fridays where even those on a diet are found at Tom’s.
- No, there isn’t a fat free menu. You came for authentic. Enjoy it.
- Don’t even think of trying to talk on your cell phone at the counter. You will get a surcharge (really, it’s on the menu).
- Personal recommendations are…
- Fried Chicken
- Fried Catfish
- Anything bbq/pulled
- Collard Greens
- The gravy is real, get it on your mashed potatoes, stuffing, whatever sides are on the menu
- Fried Okra
- Sweet Tea
For newbies to Tom’s the process is simply. You go, wait in a Fast Moving (mostly) line, get to the counter, and pick one main dish, two sides, pay, get a cup for a drink, sit, eat, and then spend the rest of the afternoon in a food coma. Keep in mind that it is a very happy food coma.
We encourage you to give it a try and come back to share your comments.
Cheers Denver!
If you want to learn more about the hip and growing Five Points Neighborhood check out these Denver Urban links.
Five Points Denver Links
- Five Points Available Properties
- Five Points Per Square Foot Trends
- Five Points Info Page
- Five Points Facebook Page
- Five Points New and New Listings
- Five Points Pinterest
