Under The Umbrella — Restaurant in Denver

Under the Umbrella used to be across 12th Avenue where The French Press is now. I have friends who enjoyed eating there, in the “old” place - including my wife. The new place is much smaller and operates take-out only through a take-out window. We recently has two breakfast burritos, both a bit smaller than is typical around town, just a bit, but very tasty and well-made nonetheless. Their cappuccino was quite good. OJ is only available in bottles, Nantucket Nectars. The staff were friendly and chipper. There are a great many pastries on offer that might tempt us next time. One other note: there is not, as far as I could see, any umbrella to be under! That seems like a mistake…

Update: Okay, okay, I was just kidding about the umbrella! There is a beautiful graphic over the door (and elsewhere, in smaller versions) with an umbrella in a circle, very nice colors, very pleasingly made. A capable artist or graphic designer put it together, obviously. It's lovely.

Chef Kat responded to my earlier review about the burritos, and she was exactly right. She wrote: “I like to say our burritos are big enough to get you going and not put you back to bed. I’m sure I’ve made thousands by now and I still love making them cuz they’re so dang good.” So true. Though a bit shorter than most, they are thick and full of flavorful ingredients.

More than that, however, we have come to appreciate their croissant breakfast sandwiches. Appreciate isn't a strong enough word - we have come to delight in them! Simply made with eggs, cheese, sausage or bacon all on a fresh, lightly toasted croissant, these are the best breakfast sandwiches ever! So delicious! Better than any breakfast burrito, even. They come as bagels, too.

That goes for the other croissants - chocolate, raspberry, almond. They are superb. So, yes, their pastries have tempted us, and they will tempt anyone.

Chef Kat says they make all their menu items onsite, including all of the pastries. That must be a big part of their success.

My wife and I have also begun to select take-out dishes from UTU for lunch or dinner. There is a variety of interesting sandwiches, soups, chilis, and other goods to be purchased.

I was too quick to judge. This window-only eatery may be small, but it has a large presence in the neighborhood dining scene. Every dish they make is worth ordering, and eating, and then coming back for,...

Since my original review these folks have moved across the street to the north side of 12th Avenue into a much smaller space. They are no longer a bakery/restaurant, but operate solely as a take-out window. You cannot go inside and there is no seating.

The drinks menu includes coffee, espresso drinks, tea, chai, cocoa, and agua frescas. There are breakfast sandwiches on a bagel or a croissant, breakfast burritos, half a dozen pastry choices, and some daily varieties of deli sandwiches.

There is absolutely no shelter from the weather, so you bake in the sun, get wet, or freeze while waiting in line. An awning or some sort of pergola would be a nice addition to the building. This is a busy intersection, so street parking is limited. There is an equally busy parking lot just west of the shop.

This place is busy at breakfast time. You can order in advance by telephone or by using the Web site. Telephone may be a better option as they don't seem to monitor the incoming Web orders very well. You still need to wait your turn in line to pick up an order.

I'm not a huge fan of the baked items here. The croissants have been regularly overbaked for my taste and are crumbly and dry. Other pastries I've tried have been average. The breakfast sandwiches are OK--nothing special. Really more of a coffee...

I live about 15 min walking distance from this cafe, so I decided to go for a stroll, grab lunch there, and maybe answer a few emails on my laptop. The only reason I give them 4 stars instead of 5 is that it doesn’t say anywhere on their website that they’re takeout only. Google also still reflects that you can “dine in” here. So, I was a bit didappointed to find that I’d walked 15 minutes in the heat with my laptop only to grab my food and come back home. Had I known, I would have just jumped on a scooter, picked up food, and gone home without bringing my backpack. In any case, not a deal breaker–but perhaps that’s something small that could be improved on the website.

As far as the food and drink: I got the chicken salad croissant and an iced chai–and both we’re wonderful! The chicken salad was some of the best I’ve had, and the croissant was the perfect texture and flavor. It was also a pretty big sandwich so I had no complaint about the price point. I’ll definitely stop back by to try their breakfast sandwiches and to get...