Neighborhood market serves sandwiches, burritos with slice of Denver history

(Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best that Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems.)

To walk into Baker Market is to take a step back in time.

Nestled in the heart of Denver’s Baker neighborhood, the brick-and-mortar bodega is a call-back to a different era when someone could take their dog for a stroll and pick up a sandwich and some produce in one fell swoop.

When owner Berlinda Olivas first bought what was then known as Baker Neighborhood Market back in 2000, there were multiple bodegas nearby. Hers is the only one still operating — in part because she bought the business back from a family friend after some lean years during the pandemic. Had Olivas sold the building, its unique zoning would have disappeared.

“I didn’t want to lose that history,” the 66-year-old lifetime Baker resident said.

That history dates back to the late 1880s, when Baker Market hosted parishioners from nearby St. Joseph’s Catholic Parish. And it is on display throughout.

The exposed brick interior wall matches the tone of the 100-year-old homes that line the neighborhood’s streets. A mural on the east side of the building highlights a community garden that abuts the property. And an old cash register Olivas inherited sits in one corner of a charming back porch open to customers.

It’s the kind of place where you might see the postman pop in and freshen up his coffee, or a mother on a walk with her toddler make a pitstop for a chilled sparkling water. Not only are pets welcome, they are encouraged — often with a little treat.

Of course, things have changed in the decades since Olivas bought the business, even if the prices remain relatively old school.