The Cherry Cricket, a Denver Burger Institution, Opening Broomfield Location

We've been deep in burger research for our ultimate guide to Denver's best burgers, and one spot that made the cut is getting ready to expand once again. The Cherry Cricket will open its fourth location early next summer in a former Old Chicago at 1280 East 1st Avenue in Broomfield.

The Cherry Cricket has long been a local favorite for burgers — though they weren't on the menu at the start. Mary Zimmerman opened the original, a bar she ran out of her home in Cherry Creek, in 1945. It was a watering hole and lunch counter for truck drivers and neighborhood workers — including employees of the city dump, which was located just south of the Cricket, on land now occupied by the Cherry Creek Shopping Center. In 1951, Zimmerman moved her bar out of the house and across the street to 2641 East Second Avenue — and it's been there ever since.

"Duffy's" was added to the iconic sign when Bernard Duffy bought the place in the early 1960s. Burgers were added to the menu at some point after that, but they became the star when Eli McGuire became the owner in 1990.

The recipe is simple: an 80/20 blend of Angus beef dusted with salt and pepper and flame-grilled over lava rocks. These days, the fun comes with adding your choice of toppings, which range from standard burger accoutrements like American cheese and bacon to more imaginative add-ons such as peanut butter, grape jam, corned beef, grilled pineapple and a whole, deep-fried chile relleno.
Over the years, the original Cherry Cricket has stayed pretty much the same, even as the neighborhood became a high-end destination for shopping and dining. In 2000, it was purchased by the Wynkoop group, founded by John Hickenlooper, who went on to become Denver mayor, Colorado governor and now a U.S. senator.

Hickenlooper is no longer involved, and the group is now called Breckenridge-Wynkoop LLC, after a merger of sorts with the Breckenridge Brewery. But even as it took on other projects, it generally let the original joint run as it always had, maintaining a refreshingly low-key escape in Cherry Creek.

In 2018, a second Cherry Cricket was added in the former Breckenridge Brewery space in the Ballpark neighborhood, followed by a third in Littleton last summer, which is outfitted with an expansive outdoor patio. That move marked a new era for the brand. "It's a really different location for us," Alex Bunn, CMO and VP of growth for Breckenridge-Wynkoop, LLC, told Westword at the time. While its first two outposts are more "urban," she added, "this is a neighborhood location."

And a very successful one. The place is usually packed with people who appreciate its downhome appeal...and its great burgers. The new Broomfield location will be a similar model, complete with a covered patio and the classic marquee sign.

"We searched extensively across the Denver metro area for the ideal location for our next Cherry Cricket, and we fell in love with Broomfield's strong sense of community,” Bunn says in announcing the news. “Speaking with residents and those who grew up here, we heard fond memories of gathering with friends and neighbors at the former Old Chicago. We are excited to revive this beloved community spot and bring it back to life."

And we're excited for more delicious burgers in the metro area.