Fodor's Expert Review Cart-Driver

Two repurposed shipping containers sandwiching expansive patio spaces are the unlikely industrial backdrop for some of the best pizza and oysters in Denver. The owners of Cart-Driver have modeled their casual, unpretentious spot after truck stops in Italy—the Autogrills that focus on putting out simple, easily worked menus that focus on high quality—and the result is crusts that hold their crisp all the way to the center of each pie and briny-fresh oysters, satiny mousses of tuna and chicken liver, and an odd but intriguing roster of canned beers. Much of the food from the rather short menu is served on baking sheets and in jelly jars, and the effect is not smarmy but practical, while service is friendly and chaotic in the face of an almost-always packed place. Be prepared to wait, or bring a group of eight to snag reservations—or come very late, because they serve food until midnight every night (a second happy hour runs from 10 pm to midnight). A second location in a more typical building in the LoHi neighborhood is more spacious but serves the same savvy fare.