So you’ve found yourself in Parker, home of the historic Twenty Mile House, and more recently, the Parker Arts, Culture & Events Center and the Parker Symphony Orchestra. Whether you live in this suburban town or you’re here visiting for whatever reason, you need to know the restaurants in Parker (I mean, you can’t just eat fast food the whole time you’re here right?). Here’s a list of some of the best restaurants in town to get you started on trying new restaurants in your neighborhood or taking a tour of the local flavor, or whatever the case may be!
Arguably more so than any other of the Mexican restaurants in Parker (there’s only four in town but still), Casa Mariachi screams classic Mexican food from head to toe. Come in to be greeted by the friendly wait staff, blindingly colorful Mexican-inspired wall designs, and the quintessential Mariachi and reggaeton music playing in the background. Be seated and start with an imported beer or margarita and a bowl of their homemade chips and salsa, as well as some refried beans with queso fresco sprinkled on top, or perhaps a bowl of their delicious queso dip! The chili fries and diablo wings are super dank too by the way. Then comes the entree: you can pick a combo meal with an assembly of different tasty items, or the items themselves along with the usual refried beans and rice. The chimichanga el Mariachi is really good, and the same goes with the enchiladas Mariachi, and my personal favorite, the burrito adobado (marinated beef). They also have a surprisingly pleasant mexi burger.
Among the restaurants in Parker, Portofino’s is a tasty local favorite. The owner and head-chef Gabriel opened the restaurant with his family 10 years ago. Since then, they have been serving authentic Italian dishes to the people of Parker; pizza and calzones of course, as well as hero sandwiches, entrees, an expansive pasta selection (the Fiocchi balsamico is particularly good), and homemade tiramisu or cannolis for dessert. Top it off with some espresso or limoncello and you can call yourself a happy camper!
Tonti’s Pizzeria has been operating amongst the best results in Parker for a hot minute now – so they’ve got the experience to back up their already amazing pizza. You can buy a reheated slice for a few bucks, but you have to buy a fresh pie to really understand the scope of their pizza’s deliciousness. They’re pretty damn big though so don’t go it alone. That said, holy hell: fluffy and seasoned crust, an expansive choice of fresh cheeses, and a selection of spot-on pizza sauces to boot – you really can’t go wrong with Tonti’s pizza. You’re gonna get some big ass slices though, so get ready for some delicious, grease-dripping pizza tacos.
A Greek-American grill – one of the few in town, but definitely among the best restaurants in Parker. Come in the summer for relaxing dinner on the patio, or in the winter for seasonal drinks and cocktails, and come all year round for a vast array of specialty Greek foods, including gyros, falafel, kebabs, pastitsio, and moussaka to name just a few, as well as many delicious sandwiches burgers. Long story short, if you’ve got a hankering for Greek food – look no further than here! OPA!
A favorite among restaurants in Parker, there’s no better place in town for fall-off-the-bone barbecued meats, tangy, garlicky and breaded buffalo wings, and appetizers and beers aplenty! Perfect for a small dinner or the whole family or workplace! You can get single entrees, combo meals and so forth, as well as picnic packs and family packs, which are filled to the brim with assorted BBQ meats and side dishes.
A new addition to the restaurants in Parker, this great joint will excite any pho lovers. Come into this clean Thai cafe-like environment and start with a delicious order of cream cheese rangoons or fried pork egg rolls with some Thai coffee or boba tea. From there, pick from one of many great entrees – a classic pho bowl, bánh mì sandwiches, fried rice bowl, or even Korean entrees like the spicy soondubu stew.
Hands down one of the best Thai food restaurants in Parker. It’s a family-operated hole-in-the-wall restaurant brimming with the aromas of curry and garlic, located at the Crossroads at Parker Mall. As such, you can expect it to be completely packed wall to wall with patrons during lunch and dinner time, all of whom agree that this is a phenomenal place to get some grub. They have a great selection of entrees, as well as noodles, fried rice, and curry options. All you need to is pick your protein and spice level from a scale of one to ten (heads up that spice level stacks up real quick). They have everything you could expect from Thai cuisine, from their savory Phat Se-Ew (my personal favorite) and classic Phat Thai to their sweet and spicy Panang curry to the ginger Paht Khing, and even some tasty seafood dishes like the Pla Laht Gratiam garlic fish.
A classic among restaurants in Parker, Junz has been diligently cranking out all sorts of delicious Japanese and French fusion cuisine. They have a vast array of amazing sushi, as well as numerous entries that draw from the owner’s traditional Japanese culinary training as well as that from France which he studied after the opening of the restaurant. From gyoza and crunchy spider rolls to seared duck breast ceviche with cold duck consommé and pasta fruits dé mer, you can’t go wrong!
Rory’s Diner is one of the most home-towny restaurants in Parker. It’s an old-school diner-style restaurant with homemade pies and shakes and everything. More importantly, this is THE PLACE for brunch in Parker. They have an awesome breakfast menu, including their amazing chicken fried steak with spicy and savory jalapeño gravy, not to mention the obligatory brunch mimosas and Bloody Marys (as well as blueberry mimosas, spiked lemonade, and screwdrivers). They also have a great dinner menu, but the brunch items are definitely the main draw here. And if you’ve got a sweet tooth, they make a pretty mean French toast too.
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