If Aurora has a signature food destination, it is Havana Street. This international corridor on the city’s west side has earned national recognition — Afar Magazine named it one of the best food neighborhoods in the United States, and in Westword’s 2026 Best of Denver awards, the Havana-and-Yale intersection was crowned the “Best International Food Intersection” in the metro. Packed into a walkable stretch of storefronts are some of the densest concentrations of Korean, Vietnamese, Ethiopian, and Mexican restaurants and markets anywhere in the region, a delicious reflection of Aurora’s identity as “The World in a City,” the most diverse city in Colorado. This guide covers where to eat, what to order, and how to explore the corridor like a local.

Korean BBQ and Asian food

Havana Street has the densest concentration of Korean restaurants and markets between the West Coast and Chicago, and Korean BBQ is one of its calling cards. Shin Myung Gwan is one of Aurora’s most iconic Korean BBQ destinations, serving the community for more than 30 years, and Dae Gee is another beloved local favorite for tabletop grilling. Beyond Korean, the corridor is full of Vietnamese pho houses, Asian markets, bakeries, and fusion spots, making it the go-to part of the metro for a genuinely authentic Asian meal.

Ethiopian, Mexican, and global flavors

The corridor’s diversity goes far beyond one cuisine. Nile Ethiopian, voted Best Ethiopian in Westword’s 2026 awards, serves buttery doro wat, fragrant lentil misir, and vegetarian options atop warm, spongy injera. For Latin flavors, Orejano took home Best Empanadas in the same 2026 awards, with each empanada filled and baked to order, and the corridor is dotted with some of the best Mexican bakeries in the metro area. Add Middle Eastern grills, Latin American street food, and Asian-fusion spots, and you have a single street where you could eat somewhere different every day for weeks.

Markets, night markets, and events

Havana Street is not just restaurants. The On Havana Street district — a formal business district created by neighborhood and city leaders — programs the corridor with cultural events all year, headlined by the popular summer Night Markets. These monthly gatherings fill the street with global street food, from Korean barbecue and Mexican tacos to African specialties and inventive fusion, alongside vendors selling handmade goods, jewelry, and international crafts, plus live entertainment. International grocery stores and markets along the corridor are destinations in their own right, perfect for picking up ingredients you cannot find anywhere else in the metro.

How to explore Havana Street like a local

The best way to experience Havana Street is to come hungry and stay curious. Unlike a single-cuisine restaurant row, this corridor rewards wandering — pull into one of the strip-mall plazas that line the street, and you might find a Korean BBQ joint, a Vietnamese pho house, an Ethiopian restaurant, and a Mexican bakery within a few doors of each other. A great strategy is to make a progressive meal of it: start with an appetizer or a snack at one spot, move to a main somewhere else, and finish with dessert or a bakery treat down the block. Bring cash for the smaller family-run places, come with an appetite and an open mind, and do not be afraid to order the dish you cannot pronounce — that is often where the magic is. Many of the most beloved spots are unassuming from the outside, so a local recommendation is worth its weight in gold, and the neighbors who eat here regularly are the best guides to the hidden gems.

International markets and groceries

Havana Street is as much about markets as restaurants. The corridor is home to sprawling international grocery stores and specialty markets — Asian supermarkets stocked with produce, noodles, and prepared foods you will not find elsewhere in the metro; Latin American carnicerias and panaderias; and Middle Eastern and African markets full of spices, breads, and imported goods. For home cooks, these markets are a genuine destination, a place to source authentic ingredients and discover new ones. Even if you are not cooking, they are fascinating to browse, and many have small counters or delis serving fresh, inexpensive prepared food. Between the restaurants and the markets, Havana Street offers a full immersion in global food culture without leaving Aurora.

Why Havana Street matters

Havana Street is more than a food destination — it is the beating heart of Aurora’s identity as one of the most diverse cities in America. Generations of immigrants and refugees from Korea, Vietnam, Ethiopia, Mexico, and dozens of other countries have built businesses, communities, and traditions along this corridor, and the result is a place where you can taste the whole world in a single afternoon. That authenticity is exactly why national publications have taken notice, and why locals are so proud of it. For newcomers to Aurora, a meal on Havana Street is one of the fastest ways to understand what makes the city special; for longtime residents, it is a source of endless discovery and genuine community pride. The corridor is constantly evolving as new restaurants open and old favorites reinvent themselves, so there is always something new to try — and the surest way to keep up with what is worth your time is to hear it straight from other locals who love the street as much as you will.

Planning your visit

A few practical tips make a Havana Street food crawl even better. The corridor runs along South Havana Street, roughly between Alameda and Iliff, and it is spread out enough that you will likely drive between clusters rather than walk the whole length — parking is generally easy in the strip-mall lots. Weekends are lively, and the summer Night Markets are the single best time to experience the corridor’s energy, with dozens of vendors and a festival atmosphere. Lunch is a great time to sample multiple spots without the dinner crowds, and many of the family-run restaurants offer generous portions at genuinely affordable prices, making this one of the best-value dining areas in the entire metro. Come with a group if you can, so you can order widely and share, and pace yourself — there is far more here than one meal can cover. Whether you are a devoted foodie chasing the next great dish or simply curious about the world of flavors on your doorstep, Havana Street delivers, and it keeps locals coming back precisely because there is always something new to discover.

Above all, treat Havana Street as a place to explore rather than a checklist to complete. The joy of the corridor is in the unexpected find — the tiny bakery with the perfect pastry, the hole-in-the-wall with the best bowl of pho you have ever had, the market that becomes your new favorite. Those discoveries are what turn a good meal into a great memory, and they are exactly the kind of tip that circulates fastest among neighbors who know and love the street. So plan a visit, bring your appetite, and let Aurora’s most celebrated food corridor show you the world, one plate at a time.

There is no better introduction to Aurora — or to just how much of the world you can taste in one Colorado city — than an afternoon spent eating your way down Havana Street.

Come hungry, and come often.

The whole world is waiting on one Aurora street.

Frequently asked questions

What is Havana Street in Aurora known for?

Havana Street is one of the most celebrated international food corridors in Colorado — Afar Magazine named it one of the best food neighborhoods in the country, and Westword named Havana and Yale the ‘Best International Food Intersection’ in Denver. It has one of the densest concentrations of Korean, Vietnamese, Ethiopian, and Mexican restaurants and markets in the region.

Where is the best Korean BBQ on Havana Street?

Shin Myung Gwan is one of Aurora’s most iconic Korean BBQ restaurants, serving the community for over 30 years, and Dae Gee is another well-known local favorite. Havana Street has the densest concentration of Korean restaurants and markets between the West Coast and Chicago.

What kinds of food can I find on Havana Street?

Just about everything: Korean BBQ, Vietnamese pho, Ethiopian injera platters, authentic Mexican tacos and bakeries, plus Middle Eastern, Latin American, and Asian-fusion spots. The corridor reflects Aurora’s identity as ‘The World in a City,’ the most diverse city in Colorado.

Are there events on Havana Street?

Yes. The On Havana Street district hosts monthly summer Night Markets featuring global street food, handmade goods, and live entertainment, along with cultural festivals that celebrate Aurora’s diversity throughout the year.

How to explore Havana Street without wasting a trip

The corridor rewards a plan. Park once and walk a single shopping center rather than driving between storefronts — the density is inside the plazas, not along the sidewalk. Go with more people than you need so you can order across several kitchens, and treat the international groceries as part of the outing rather than an errand: Pacific Ocean Marketplace (12303 E. Mississippi Ave.), H Mart (2751 S. Parker Rd.) and M Mart (2000 S. Havana St.), the Korean-owned market that has been open here since 1983, all sell prepared food and produce worth the stop on their own. Weekday lunches are calm; weekend dinners fill the best-known rooms by seven. And in summer, check whether a Havana night market is running — the corridor’s street-food evenings are the single best introduction to everything above.