When CitySet opened on South Colorado Boulevard in Glendale, it was billed as "the state's first blended 'urban gastronomic urban village' and hotel district." Thirteen years later, the space that held its best-known restaurant is serving pan-fried dumplings ordered off a laminated menu with a dry-erase marker. Its rooftop is reserved for private events. Next door, the old Panera space now has a fried chicken counter with a drive-thru.
For anyone in Hilltop, CitySet is a short drive south across Alameda. Over the past year it has changed from a place you'd plan an evening around into a place you go when you'd rather not plan.
The Anchor That Left
Jax Fish House anchored the complex at 650 South Colorado Boulevard for thirteen years. It closed on November 15, 2025, and Westword's report on the closure didn't soften the bigger picture. CitySet still had some hits, the paper wrote, including Cuba Cuba and Las Tortas, but it "never became the hopping entertainment hot spot that was envisioned." Jax's departure also left the area's only rooftop patio empty.
Jax gave two reasons in its announcement. The first was the economic pressure on restaurants generally. The second was specific to Denver:
"In addition, the proximity of our LoDo location has always presented challenges for sustaining both restaurants in the Denver market."
The second reason says a lot about the block. A seafood house with an oyster happy hour draws diners from across the metro, and in Denver those diners had another Jax downtown to choose from. Big Red F chef and founder Dave Query called the Glendale kitchen "the most functional, successful, and sparkling clean kitchen in our company's history." The company's own explanation points to the wider economics and to the overlap with LoDo, not to the kitchen.
What Filled the Empty Spaces
Two restaurants have opened at CitySet in the year since, and neither one is trying to bring in diners from across town.
The first was Waldo's Chicken & Beer at 640 South Colorado Boulevard, in the former Panera space. Westword listed it among the week's openings in April 2026. It serves both Southern fried and rotisserie chicken, and the space was fitted with a drive-thru. The chain started in Nashville, and this is its third Colorado location. By October 2026, the Greater Glendale Chamber was profiling it as a business serving customers on the block. The drive-thru makes it an easy stop on the way home.
The second was Mulan Dim Sum & Dumplings, which held its grand opening in the old Jax space on November 1, 2026. The team behind it already works on this block. Steve and Jessie Liu run Hana Matsuri in the same complex and Land of Sushi in Centennial. Their partners are Grace Chen and her husband, chef Raymond Yang, who ran their own dim sum restaurant in the Seattle area before moving to Denver several years ago. The owners didn't come in from outside to take a chance on CitySet. They already had a restaurant a few doors down and chose to open a second one.
Molly Martin's first look for Westword says what kind of restaurant it is. She wrote that it has the potential to become "a neighborhood staple — the kind of restaurant you go to when you don't want to stress about snagging a reservation." She also observed that "a solid spot that's close to home, dependable and brings something new to the neighborhood has plenty of appeal."
The room Jax filled with diners from across the metro is now aimed at people who live a few minutes away.
How Ordering Works at Mulan
Mulan follows the newer style of Denver dim sum, so there are no carts. You get a two-page laminated menu and a dry-erase marker, and you check off starters, dumplings and noodles. Each of the six dumpling fillings comes steamed or pan-fried. The staff brings food quickly and checks in often, according to Westword.
Here's what Westword ordered on its first visit, with the prices it reported:
- Pork and shrimp wontons in chili sauce, $12 for six. The review called them a standout bite.
- Fried shrimp balls, $7 for three. They're big enough to take several bites each.
- Pan-fried pork, shrimp and leek dumplings, $14 for six, served with a soy-forward sauce.
- Chicken feet, $9 for three, which are larger and plumper than the review expected.
- Garlic pepper fried squid, $15, which the review says to eat quickly while it's hot.
- House fried beef noodles, $19.
- Deep-fried custard mochi, $7 for three, with taro around a yellow custard center.
Westword also noted that most of the sauces lean sweet. If you want more heat, there's chili oil on every table that gives a numbing hit of Sichuan peppercorn. Mulan's own site lists soup dumplings, siu mai and shrimp dumplings as well.
Jax left behind a large bar full of taps, so the drinks list leans toward draft beer, with some wine and sake and a full cocktail and mocktail menu. Most of the decor is new and, according to general manager Fiona Chong, much of it came from China. A few things from the Jax days are still in place, including the old raw bar, which now sits empty.
Check the hours before you leave the house. From Monday through Thursday, Mulan is open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., closes for the afternoon, and reopens from 4:30 to 10 p.m. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday it stays open straight through from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. That means a weekday 3:30 p.m. dumpling stop won't work, but a late lunch on the weekend will.
For dim sum from carts, Westword points diners to Star Kitchen, the Empress or Harbor Dim Sum. Those are older spots, and the first two are near Federal Boulevard in Southwest Denver, a long way from Hilltop.
The Rest of the Block, by Kind of Night
Mulan and Waldo's are the newest places at CitySet, but they aren't the only ones. Here's the block as each restaurant lists itself or as recent coverage describes it.
| Address | Restaurant | What it's for | Hours and details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 640 S. Colorado Blvd. | Waldo's Chicken & Beer | Fried or rotisserie chicken, with a drive-thru | Nashville-founded, third Colorado location |
| 650 S. Colorado Blvd. | Mulan Dim Sum & Dumplings | A casual sit-down dim sum meal | Mon to Thu 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4:30 to 10 p.m.; Fri to Sun 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. |
| 654 S. Colorado Blvd. | Cuba Cuba | Dinner with a little more occasion | Sun to Thu 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri and Sat 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; dine-in, takeout, delivery and catering |
| 658 S. Colorado Blvd. | Hana Matsuri Omakase | Omakase or a group celebration | Lunch and dinner service, a rooftop, catering and party options |
| 682 S. Colorado Blvd. | Las Tortas | A quick torta | At CitySet since January 2023 |
Read down the middle column and the pattern of the past year shows up again. Cuba Cuba and Las Tortas were the two places Westword named as CitySet's surviving hits when Jax closed. Hana Matsuri is the restaurant whose owners believed in the block enough to open a second place on it. With Waldo's added, the lineup runs from a drive-thru up to an omakase counter, and none of it depends on bringing in diners from downtown.
Las Tortas' arrival in 2023 was an early sign of where CitySet was going. A counter-service torta shop opened its doors there on January 20 of that year, while Jax was still serving oysters a few doors away.
The Rooftop Is Still Private
The one part of the old Jax space that diners can't use every day is the roof. When Jax closed, Westword pointed out that the space included the only rooftop patio in the area. Mulan inherited it, and for now it's used only for private events. Regular diners can sit on the large covered patio along the front of the building, which connects to the main dining room.
Mulan's location page says parking and arrival details are coming soon. Until those are posted, the information on mulandimsum.com covers the menu and hours.
When a closing or opening a short drive away changes your weeknight dinner options, it can also change what people expect from the neighborhood next to it. At Linkow Baltimore Team, we follow what opens around Hilltop's edges because buyers ask about it. If you're wondering how changes like these factor into your own home's value, start with a free home valuation.
