Dalai Lama Visit: Best Places to Eat in Danbury

The Dalai Lama is slated to draw thousands of people to Danbury today and tomorrow —and that means restaurants will be packed.

If you're one of the folks visiting from out of town, you may want to have an idea of which eateries you plan to hit between addresses from the Dalai Lama. His Holiness, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, is set to speak at 1:30 p.m. Thursday and again at 9:30 a.m. Friday at Western Connecticut State University's Westside Campus.

Here's a list of some of Danbury's most popular cafes and restaurants, based on results of this year's Patch Readers' Choice contest:

Breakfast, coffee

• Bagelman (39b Mill Plain Road, 203-541-5316)
• Bruegger's Bagels (33 Crosby Street, 203-792-2233)
• Dunkin Donuts (82 Newtown Road, 203-744-3026)
• Molten Java (213 Greenwood Ave in Bethel, 203-739-0313)
• Starbucks (113 Mill Plain Road, 203-778-0203)

Chinese (take-out)

• Jeffrey's (7 Pembroke Road, 203-730-8603)
• Panda House (93 Mill Plain Road, 203-743-6080)
• Moon Star (10 Hayestown Avenue, 203-744-1688)

Dessert

• Il Bacio (30 Germantown Road, 203-794-1184)
• Double Twister (164 White Street, 203-748-7020)
• Cold Stone Creamery (28 Backus Avenue, 203-743-6061)

Diners

• Elmer's Diner (22 Padanaram Road, 203-731-2559)
• Windmill Diner (14 Mill Plain Road, 203-743-6541)
• New Holiday Diner (123 White Street, 203-748-9798)

Mexican

• Panchos Tacos (145 White Street, 203-790-0900)
• El Ranchero (20 White Street, 203-730-9470)

Pizza

• First and Last (2 Pembroke Road, 203-790-8662)
• John's Best (40 Padanaram Road, 203-790-6919)
• Pepe's (59 Federal Road, 203-790-7373)

Pubs

• TK's American Cafe (255 White Steet, 203-730-1776)
• Greater Danbury Irish Cultural Center (6 Lake Avenue, 203-739-0010)

Seafood

• Chuck's Steakhouse (20 Segar Street, 203-792-5555)
• Jim Barbarie's Restaurant (47 Padanaram Road, 203-743-3287

Vegetarian

• Pho Vietnam (56 Padanaram Road, 203-743-6049)
• Sesame Seed (68 West Wooster Street, 203-743-9850)