By the Bucket - Pasta and Salads To-Go — Restaurant in Greenwood Village

Mom-and-pop shop that serves pasta and salad literally in paper buckets. The noodle options are cavatappi, penne, and spaghetti, and there are numerous sauce options. The cavatappi was cooked slightly over-al dente, but the marinara was excellent — the spicy marinara is a home run. The pasta bowl sizes are called small, medium, and family, which translate to big, giant, and humongous because the family is 24 ounces.

Garlic bread comes with each pasta order, and it's made to order, and it's crispy, buttery, and garlicky. The salads — also made to order — come in the medium bucket. The mac and cheese (cooked to order) is also flavorful. Meat options are sausage, meatballs, and chicken.

The paper buckets are tightly sealed by a plastic lid, and I'm confident that transporting the food would not result in a spill.

The food is prepared by Patrick, one of the owners, and patrons can sit and wait and converse with him, as we did when we dropped by. He said his goal is to make feeding families more affordable for the South Denver area.

They have a free miniature arcade set up, as well, for those who want to pass the time while waiting. It's the original three Mortal Kombats and Pac-Man as of November 2024. There is no dine-in option here; it's strictly order to go.

The shop is connected to the Great Harvest shopping center — just have to swing around the corner...

Dudes… if you haven’t ordered spaghetti from By the Bucket to feed your family and friends, then I don’t know what you’re doing with your life. You’ve made a big mistake. My wife and I drove by and caught the sign “By the Bucket”. You know with a name like that we had to stop to find out what was the deal. What was this bucket mystery? Turns out, it’s a simple, delicious spaghetti that won’t turn your stomach into knots. So many spaghettis are too rich with needless ingredients that add pointless flavors to an already perfect dish. Simple spaghetti!! OH?! You could make that yourself at home you say? Stop living in your delusions… you won’t be doing any such thing. You’re gonna waste your life sitting on the couch in front of the TV and your family and friends are going to eat freezer burned junk due to your ego. For your sake, for your family’s sake, go get spaghetti from By the Bucket.

BONUS: Reheats like a champ! The bread is delicious. The salads are incredible!

DOUBLE BONUS: The owners and employees are passionate people who want to help you (and all of society). Super friendly … and just really...

I phoned By The Buck to inquire about which bucket size would be suitable for feeding four people. Patrick, the owner, warmly greeted me and eagerly explained the various size options, as well as the origins of their bread, sausage, and the process behind their Alfredo sauce. Our conversation was delightful, and Patrick suggested I visit the restaurant for a better sense of the portion sizes. Upon arrival, I was welcomed by a kind and friendly staff, and had the pleasure of meeting both owners, Patrick and his lovely wife Becky, along with their adorable son. Their passion and expertise in their products, combined with exceptional customer service, left a strong impression on me. My family thoroughly enjoyed the spaghetti and meat sauce, garlic bread, meatballs and salad that I brought home. Since then, I've returned to By The Buck for dinner multiple times and plan to continue doing so. Businesses like this, run with care by a small family, truly deserve recognition and praise. I'm grateful to have them in my neighborhood, and I highly recommend stopping by—you won't be...