In Downtown Loveland, Colorado, there’s a spot that took everything familiar about comfort food and quietly, brilliantly, made it better.
A.K.A. Kitchen — short for “Also Known As” Kitchen — is a family-owned and operated restaurant built on a simple but powerful premise: that every classic dish deserves a fresh, unexpected twist that makes you fall in love with it all over again. 🍳✨
From house-smoked meats to locally sourced ingredients and a rotating evening menu, this Downtown Loveland gem has carved out a reputation as one of the most creative independent restaurants in Northern Colorado — and locals are absolutely here for it.
How A.K.A. Kitchen Won Loveland’s Hearts
Founded in July 2018 by the Shaffer family — owner Julie Shaffer, head chef Evan Shaffer, associate brewer Bob Shaffer, and marketing manager Jenna Shaffer — the restaurant began as what the family describes as “a passion project” that quickly grew into something far greater.
According to City Lifestyle Magazine, Evan started cooking professionally at just sixteen years old, later attended culinary school, and honed his craft at celebrated restaurants including Chimney Park in Windsor and several spots in San Diego before bringing his talents home to Loveland.
The restaurant itself occupies a building steeped in Loveland history — the former home of the iconic Adelita’s Mexican restaurant — and the team leaned into that legacy rather than erasing it, channeling the building’s warm community spirit into an entirely new concept built on locally and ethically sourced ingredients. 🌿
Every dish on the menu is a recognizable classic reimagined: traditional dishes given a modern identity, familiar flavors transformed through premium, thoughtfully sourced ingredients, and the kind of chef-driven technique that makes you do a genuine double-take mid-bite.
In its very first year of operation, A.K.A. Kitchen was voted Best New Restaurant of 2018 by the Reader’s Choice Awards — a remarkable achievement for a brand-new family venture, and a sign of how immediately the Loveland community embraced what the Shaffers were building. 🏆
Today, the restaurant is proudly known as one of Downtown Loveland’s most celebrated spots for elevated lunch and evening dining, drawing regulars who return for the rotating seasonal menus, house-smoked meats, creative craft cocktails, and — perhaps most of all — the feeling of being genuinely welcomed by a family that means it when they say: “You ARE our family.” 💛
Food Highlights
- French Dip: House-smoked Angus beef, melted smoked mozzarella, caramelized onions, and horseradish crema on a toasted French roll.
- Smoked Wings: Low-and-slow smoked chicken wings, finished with your choice of house-made sauce. 🔥
- Nachos: House chips piled with melted cheese, fresh toppings, and house-made sauces — an elevated take on a bar-food classic. 🧀
- Monkey Burger: A half-pound, all-natural beef patty crowned with house-made pepper sauce.
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Carnitas Tacos: Citrus and beer-braised pork, chili tomatillo salsa verde, queso fresco, and fresh guacamole. 🌮
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Artichoke Dip Salmon: A seared and roasted salmon filet smeared with homemade artichoke dip, rested on a bed of potatoes, and topped with fresh tomatoes and herbs. 🐟
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Chili-Pickle Reuben: House-smoked corned beef, house-made pickles, pepper jack cheese, and dill pickle mustard, stacked on hatch green chili sliced bread. 🌶️
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California Burrito: A generous flour tortilla stuffed with seasoned beef, crispy fries, fresh guacamole, sour cream, and melted cheese. 🌯
Atmosphere
A.K.A. Kitchen brings the warmth of a family home and the energy of a lively Downtown dining scene into one welcoming, unpretentious space in historic Downtown Loveland. 🎨
The vibe is casual and colorful, yet unmistakably elevated — the kind of place where you feel equally comfortable dropping in for a solo lunch or settling in with a group of friends for a long, leisurely evening meal with craft cocktails.
The restaurant’s setting in the former Adelita’s building carries its own lived-in character, and the Rock Coast Brewery partnership means there’s always a freshly brewed local beer on tap to pair perfectly with your meal.
It’s relaxed, it’s genuinely warm, and it feels exactly like what it is — a restaurant run by a family that truly loves feeding people. ❤️
Bottom Line
A.K.A. Kitchen earns every visit through its deeply personal Shaffer family story, house-smoked proteins and locally sourced ingredients, award-winning seasonal menus, creative lunch and elevated Downtown Loveland evening dining, and a community spirit that makes every guest feel like part of the family. 🌟🍽️
Address:
414 E 6th St, Loveland, CO 80537 (Historic Downtown Loveland)
📞 (970) 617-2325
🕔 Tue–Thu: 11 AM–8 PM | Fri: 11 AM–9 PM | Sat: 8 AM–9 PM | Sun: 8 AM–2 PM | Mon: Closed