Is Sam's No. 3 Still Open? Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Update (Denver, CO)

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Season 11, Episode 13 Aired April 11, 2011

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives visited Sam's No. 3 in Denver for the April 11, 2011 episode 'Porktastic' (S11E13), spotlighting the diner's green chile and breakfast cooking. According to the restaurant's website, checked 2026-09-08, Sam's No. 3 operates from 1500 Curtis Street, lists active locations, online ordering, and gift cards, and describes serving a high volume of weekend brunch guests. The site's current-year copy and a same-day last-modified header support continued operation at this address, consistent with the business's existing database record.

Man v. Food, Season 8, Episode 25 Aired March 24, 2020

Man v. Food's Denver episode included the "Top of the Rockies Burrito Challenge" at Sam's No. 3, a four-pound green chile-smothered breakfast burrito eaten against a clock, according to the episode synopsis. Sam's No. 3 traces to 1927, when Greek immigrant Sam Armatas opened the original diner on Curtis Street, according to Westword's profile of the restaurant; the Armatas family returned the business to the same downtown block in 2004, and it now operates at 1500 Curtis St. The diner's menu blends American, Greek and Tex-Mex dishes, including its well-known breakfast burritos and corned beef hash, per that same profile. Since the episode aired, the restaurant has kept its local reputation: Westword named it Best Diner in its 2025 and 2024 Best of Denver awards, and Yelp's page, updated July 2026, listed more than 3,200 reviews for the Curtis Street location.