TEMPE, Arizona | By: Leslie Jhung | A recent road trip to Denver led me to discover a local gem called Snooze. The people in Denver definitely love their breakfast. The revered Denver breakfast and lunch chain opened in the heart of downtown Tempe roughly a year and a half ago, and it is located at 615 S. College Ave., on the southeast corner of 6th St. and College Ave. The bright orange umbrellas on the patio greeted me just as the sun rose early in the morning. Its rolling glass garage doors were wide opened to the bright cosmopolitan décor and furnishings inside, which added a twist of retro sophistication and laid-back atmosphere–perfect for brunch.
You can sit solo at the bar or choose to sit at a table or booth with some good company. They have a full bar, which includes two beers on tap, vodka and whiskey. I ordered a glass of orange mimosa as I browsed the panache menu. I personally prefer bubbles in my mimosa, but the drink in hand was a bit on the flatter side.
The menu offers a variety of options, from huevos rancheros to sweet potato pancakes and salmon lox, all falling within the $7-$12 price range. You also have the option of creating your own menu, which they delightfully encourage.
If you are looking for something hearty and filling, I recommend trying their signature Snooze breakfast burrito. It’s loaded with eggs, hash brown, black beans and cheese—all topped with your choice of green chile or ranchero sauce. This is a great option if you need something to fill you up, or at least until lunchtime.
If you choose to carry out food, it’s refreshing to know they are put into sustainable boxes that are made for industrial composting; this includes boxes and plastic lids to containers of various sizes. Menus educate customers on their sustainability efforts, such as recycling old crayons into new ones and donating them to children’s hospitals. This is one of the many green initiatives that Snooze upholds in all of their facilities in Colorado, California, Arizona and soon-to-be Texas. Sustainable, chic décor and great food—one thing is for sure, you can’t lose when you snooze.
As for parking, there are several places to park along 6th Street and College Ave., and they all require payment: west of 6th street includes metered parking, University Towers parking garage and the ASU’s Lot 67 Visitor Parking area–the latter is directly located across from Snooze; parking east of 6th street includes two parking garages: University House and the Tempe Stadium parking structure.
Public transportation, such as the light rail and Orbit are available as well. Snooze is open seven days a week from 6:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. For more information on Snooze, visit their website: https://snoozeeatery.com/locations/tempe/