Same Cafe

SAME ( So All May Eat) Cafe warms my heart every time. There is so much love and joy in this cafe. The food is all donated and it’s healthy and yummy…perfect on a Fall Day like today. You choose a soup, a salad, a pizza, and a beverage and then you donate either your time or your money in exchange. I leave belly & soul satisfied every time.

This is such a Denver staple!! When I first found out about it I couldn’t help it stop by and I’ve become a regular as well as my brother. It’s a place that offers food for everyone it regardless of whether or not you can pay. You have the option to pay $2+ or date donate your time of a half an hour. Seems like such a good deal right?! Amazing mission and amazing food plus volunteer team and the people that go there are supporting the best cause ever.

I was walking around a neighborhood I’m not familiar with in Denver, and I saw the SAME Cafe. I love that they want to make sure everyone has a chance to eat, regardless of whether people can afford it or not. People contribute how they can: giving financially, volunteering there, working at the cafe. The staff are kind, attentive, and hospitable. And the food is good.

I can't imagine how anyone could not give this wonderful nonprofit enterprise a five-star rating. The name says it perfectly: So All May Eat. Not only does this little cafe (and food truck--watch for it!) welcome absolutely everyone, regardless of ability to pay, but they also turn out delicious, healthy food every day. The menu generally consists of two soups, two salads, and two pizza choices. There is usually one meat and one vegetarian option for the soup and pizza. Ingredients are mostly local and organic. Everything is made from scratch, presented with nice plates and silverware, and looks as good as it tastes. The staff is friendly and helpful. There's a fairly large inside dining area with well-spaced tables, given the current virus situation. There's also an expansive, and shaded, outdoor patio. Colfax Avenue can sometimes be a bit noisy, but this is still a pleasant place to sit and to dine. It's also a chance to tell passing pedestrians about the many virtues of SAME and to encourage them to give it a try. A standard meal is a bowl of hearty soup, salad, two slices of pizza, and a shortbread cookie, plus a drink. You can pay via a cash donation, by volunteering time, or by providing produce. There are no set prices. The menu varies from day-to-day, based on the available ingredients. Everyone receives the same meal and everyone is treated with dignity and respect. The cafe is normally open for lunch, but they are happy to arrange any sort of evening event such as parties, book clubs, corporate groups, and even wedding receptions! SAME partners with many local organizations. See the list on their Web site.

Despite what you may have heard, or what you might think based upon a cursory skim through the web, the SAME Café does not feel like some grand social experiment. It also doesn't come across as a revolutionary slap in the face of Capitalism As We Know It. No, it just seems like a nice place to eat. It's comfortable and bright. The staff are friendly, and the food is varied, healthy, and really, really good. If you care to look closely, you may see a customer putting on an apron before stepping into the prep space. Or you may observe that diners seem to be enjoying their meal with more gusto after having washed dinner dishes instead of shelling out cash. This doesn't make the food taste better, but it makes the entire dining experience feel more rich, more rewarding. More nourishing. And hey, you know what? Maybe it DOES actually make the food taste better, at that. For more about this fine restaurant, read “Award-winning SAME Café Serves Up Food and Dignity” by Mike Taylor in the online version of ColoradoBiz Magazine.

Same cafe, is a collaboration of volunteers, donations and giving your fresh grown produce.. I exchanged produce for a fresh healthy meal. This is the best concept since sliced bread. I loved the place. Everything I had was so flavorful and good. Vegan. Gluten free, vegetarian options. I will be frequently here often. May even volunteer. Great plane well recommended.