What: Three Sisters Cafe & Catering
Where: 1717 Stout Street
When: Open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
For more information: Visit threesistersdenver.com
Why we love it: There are several chains downtown that offer lunch staples like soup, sandwiches and salads, but we prefer to bypass those in favor of Three Sisters, which was started two decades ago by Brian Swenson. Originally a Mizuppa franchise, Swenson took it over shortly after it opened, naming it for his triplet daughters who were just one year old at the time (they're turning 21 this month!).
Three Sisters is only open on weekdays, catering to the office crowds that, according to Swenson, still have not picked up since the pandemic. In 2020, the small cafe closed for about six months, and even now, sales are down by about 45 percent, he says, because "people are only in the office two days a week." Even so, the cafe usually has a line around lunchtime, particularly mid-week.
The soup menu is posted at the cafe, but you can also call the soup line for that day's selection.
Kristin Pazulski
Wraps, like the chicken Caesar, are generously stuffed, and the paninis are huge and can easily stretch to two meals. We recommend the Mediterranean chicken panini with provolone, artichoke hearts, onion, tomato, spinach and aioli on ciabatta. Other sandwich options include a ham and Swiss panini and the Sisters Club, with turkey, bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo.
Although the sandwiches are categorized, Swenson says that all the items can be mixed and matched — so the Mediterranean chicken panini, for example, can also be served as a wrap. You can build your own salad as well, choosing any five ingredients from the list of options, and all items are available as a half-and-half combo for $12.75-$13.75.
Three Sisters has six to eight soups on offer daily, and the recipes change based on sales — and Swenson's creativity. Now with twenty years' worth of soup recipes to choose from, there are a lot of possibilities. He says that often, when customers come in asking for a certain favorite soup, he'll add it to the rotation the next week.
To find out which soups are on, guests can call the Three Sisters' soup line (303-313-2171) before heading out — it's updated daily. Options span from classics like tomato parmesan and corn chowder to more original creations like avocado black bean and creamy chipotle chicken. On a recent visit, the potato breakfast sausage soup was a pleasant surprise. What appeared to be created with breakfast leftovers was a hearty, savory soup that satisfied for lunch. "That was born out of what makes a great breakfast burrito," says Swenson.
Whatever you do, don't leave without getting one of Three Sisters' homemade cookies for dessert.
Similar spots nearby: Little Finch, at 1490 16th Street, is another locally owned spot The cafe is the sister spinoff of Olive & Finch, which has locations in Uptown and Cherry Creek. While Three Sisters caters to the working lunch crowd, Little Finch is open seven days a week until 9 p.m. and offers happy hour with cocktails. It also has grab-and-go lunches, ready-made for those really in a rush.
