denver reastaurants not to miss

i am going to denver and the southeast wyoming area in early july. does anyone have any suggestions for some "can't miss" places in that area.
i appreciate any help.
 
thanks

You might get a better response if you post this in the Where Should I Eat? forum

Imperial - Chinese
Pete's - Great little diner on East Colifax - Great bk and late night
Ted's Montana Grill (yeah, I know it's a chain..It's a pretty good one)

Do a archive search here - Lots of stuff on Denver

citysearch.com - Best of Denver 2009

tripadvisor.com - Denver - good posts on places to stay and eat

Denver Magazine (I think ther's one) Best of Edition

Do a search for Denver's Best Restaurants

Good luck

tthorne10


i am going to denver and the southeast wyoming area in early july. does anyone have any suggestions for some "can't miss" places in that area.
i appreciate any help.
 
thanks

I was in Denver last June and plan on returning in late July. I plan on trying some new places on my upcoming trip so I really don't want to comment on them until I visit..
 
I see you're from Illinois, so I'm sure you will want to try some regional road food...I'm going to prepare you that you are likely to get other responses noting that Denver has great Sushi, Vietnamese, chinese,  Greek Food, greasy spoons etc , well avoid those you can find them in Illinois and definetely avoid the chains and I'm certain there will be others who will note that all the restaurants I'm recommending are "tourist traps"......well...they're not
 
My favorite restaurant in Denver
 
The Buckhorn Exchange
www.buckhornexchange.com
 
reviewed by the Sterns..
 
another is
 
The Fort
in Morrison about 20 miles west in the foothills
www.thefort.com 

also reviewed by the sterns
Another one I thoroughly enjoyed is
 
The Buffalo Restaurant and Bar
 in Idaho Springs about 30 miles west into the Mountains- I had a great buffalo burger with black bean chili- they also have local
microbrews on tap
www.buffalorestaurant.com
 
and
 
El Taco De Mexico
 
http://www.cyberbilly.com/meathenge/articles/ElTaco/
 
for great cheap mexican food- try the "cheeksmeat" burrito
 
 

I agree with wanderingjew. I travel down through the southern states quite a bit, and you won't catch me eating pizza or Mexican food down there. My food choices in the South are always dishes that the region's known for; country ham, fried chicken, biscuits n' gravy, and whatever form of barbeque is indigenous to that particular region, to name a few. I steer clear of chains too, unless it's a small regional chain that does it right, such as Tudor's Biscuit World in southern West Virginia or Biscuitville and K&W Cafeterias in North Carolina. I do have to admit to one exception to this policy; I love breakfast at Waffle House restaurants, which are a southern icon ( great country ham and hashbrowns. )

Not too far from Denver is the small town of Castle Rock.  There's a great old place called the Castle Cafe.  It has fantastic pan-fried chicken.
 
There's also a White Fence Farm in Denver (which has some relationship with the one in Illinois outside Chicago -- I'm not clear exactly what).  If you're traveling with kids, it is fun -- a sprawling farm-type setting with a petting zoo and antique shops. 
 
They have good fried chicken, but the best thing (I think) is the unlimited relishes and side dishes, including the corn fritters.

Is the food at the Buckhorn Exchange really notable, or is the wild west atmosphere that is the main draw?  Its hard to tell from the Stern review.

rjb


Is the food at the Buckhorn Exchange really notable, or is the wild west atmosphere that is the main draw?  Its hard to tell from the Stern review.

 
Not only was the food amazingly excellent (and my dining companions Travelin Man and Biker Jim agreed)  it was on my top 10 list for last year!
 
I don't think the sterns would write a review based on atmosphere only if they didn't think the food was noteable.

A Buckhorn Exchange true story...A long time ago, a group of us were in Denver for a friend's wedding & went there the night before the ceremony. None of us had ever had Rockie Mt. Oysters & we decided we had to try them. Since we were a group of about 10, we asked the waitress how big the portion was. She responded by saying: "Oh, you get a big handful!

Three seconds of silence was followed by the entire table bursting into laughter & the poor waitress turning the shade of a medium rare steak.

The Buckhorn is excellent, though I think I preferred The Fort just slightly better.

I was less impressed with Buffalo Bar and Grill.  I thought it catered to the tourist trade to the tune of ~$15 hamburgers.  That's Peter Luger burger money for slightly-better-than-ordinary execution.

Create time for a stop at fellow Roadfooder's place, Biker Jim's Gourmet Dogs at 16th and Arapahoe.  He sells elk, reindeer, pheasant, etc.  His web site tells more (looks like a re-design on the site, Jim?), but I can offer a personal recommendation on the reindeer.

I know this will make the hair on WJ's arm stand up, but I will be the first to recommend something that may not be regionally appropriate - but, the place was fabulous.  I had dinner with the aforementioned Biker Jim at a place called Domo.  It is a country-style Japanese restaurant that is easily the best Japanese restaurant I have ever been to.  Check out their web site - http://www.domorestaurant.com/

Denver is a fun town.  I would love to make it back there again soon.

The Travelin Man


I was less impressed with Buffalo Bar and Grill.  I thought it catered to the tourist trade to the tune of ~$15 hamburgers.  That's Peter Luger burger money for slightly-better-than-ordinary execution.

Expensive?- Yes

Worth every penny?- yes- TTM didn't have the Buffalo Burger or  the Black Bean Buffalo Chili- I couldn't comment about the regular burger but the Buffalo Burger was definitely heads and shoulders beyond ordinary....Far better than any burger I had recently in Southern California.

Touristy?....not really- It's entirely doubtful that an out of state tourist would find Idaho Springs, even  if the entire town landed on their head...however it does appear to be a place where local Denverites head for a day trip.....

Brewery Bar II for Mexican ... a must stop for me ... spicy.

rjb


Is the food at the Buckhorn Exchange really notable, or is the wild west atmosphere that is the main draw?  Its hard to tell from the Stern review.

We thought the food was good, but if food was all it had to offer it wouldn't be noteworthy.  Meaning, if you are the type for whom the food is everything, if the place itself, the surroundings, the backstory hold no particular thrill for you, then we'd say you could safely skip Buckhorn.

rumaki


Not too far from Denver is the small town of Castle Rock.  There's a great old place called the Castle Cafe.  It has fantastic pan-fried chicken.

Agreed!  We'd been meaning to write a review of Castle Cafe but we've been dragging our feet on it.

Some other quick notes from our trip last year in Denver (we arrived the day wanderingjew left town): absolutely get to Biker Jim's sausage stand.  Wonderful!  The homemade hot links at M&D's barbecue were outstanding and, with the sauce, very, very hot.  Green chili is almost as big a deal in Denver as in New Mexico, but it's done differently - thicker, not pure chilis, spiked with pork, usually kinda salty, and very good in its own way.  Found all over but you may want to try Jack-N-Grill.  Breakfast extravaganzas at the casual Toast.  Good, cheap roadside burgers in gritty surroundings at Grandpa's Burger Haven.  More good green chili at breakfast (and fried rice too) at the 20th St. Cafe, a very old school city lunchroom.  Take a tour of Hammond's Candies.  Dozens for truly awesome (but modest size) cinnamon rolls.  Good breakfast too.  Bonnie Brae Tavern, a hopping working class bar/restaurant with unique and strange but good pizza.  Very good chicken fried steak and homemade salsa in steel pitchers on the table at Davies' Chuck Wagon Diner, a real dinery diner with an old-Vegas Western feel.  Enstrom's amazing toffee. 

The menu at Buffalo Bar and Grill didnt impress me. i guess maybe it is because we now can get buffalo readily here in Wisconsin.Dont get me wrong-I love anything buffalo, but the appetizer menu was boring-I served all of that in my deli back in th early 90s. the Fort looks excellent!

annpeeples


The menu at Buffalo Bar and Grill didnt impress me. i guess maybe it is because we now can get buffalo readily here in Wisconsin.Dont get me wrong-I love anything buffalo, but the appetizer menu was boring-I served all of that in my deli back in th early 90s. the Fort looks excellent!

Ann, I couldn't tell you anything about the appetizers....The only item I can totally recommend without hesitation was the Buffalo Burger with Shredded Cheese and Black Bean Buffalo Chili- and the microbrew



As you can see the burgers were not cheap- $12 but in my opinion well worth it



I had a buffalo burger a few months back here in Rhode Island. I didn't think it was very good - tasteless and dry- and I asked for it medium..

Bruce Bilmes and Sue Boyle

rjb


Is the food at the Buckhorn Exchange really notable, or is the wild west atmosphere that is the main draw?  Its hard to tell from the Stern review.

We thought the food was good, but if food was all it had to offer it wouldn't be noteworthy.  Meaning, if you are the type for whom the food is everything, if the place itself, the surroundings, the backstory hold no particular thrill for you, then we'd say you could safely skip Buckhorn.

Wow! did we go to the same Buckhorn Exchange?
Bruce.  weren't you there a day or so apart from  time that we were?

wanderingjew

Bruce Bilmes and Sue Boyle

rjb


Is the food at the Buckhorn Exchange really notable, or is the wild west atmosphere that is the main draw?  Its hard to tell from the Stern review.

We thought the food was good, but if food was all it had to offer it wouldn't be noteworthy.  Meaning, if you are the type for whom the food is everything, if the place itself, the surroundings, the backstory hold no particular thrill for you, then we'd say you could safely skip Buckhorn.

Wow! did we go to the same Buckhorn Exchange?
Bruce.  weren't you there a day or so apart from  time that we were?

Yes, I think we were there the next day!  We flew in to Denver on Friday, and on the way to our hotel we stopped downtown to visit Biker Jim's.  We were talking with him and learned he was meeting  up with you at the Buckhorn that night.  We were hoping to join you guys but we were just too tired to get ourselves going that first night.  We ended up at the Buckhorn the next night.
 
Don't get me wrong, we really had a good time at the Buckhorn.  But Sue and I really enjoy the non-food aspects of Roadfood restaurants, and the Buckhorn has a lot to offer in that area.  The food was fine, certainly better than average, but I don't feel the need to return on our next visit to Denver. 

In Idaho Springs, I bypass the Buffalo and instead head down the street to BeauJo's for the Rocky Mountain (or Colorado style) pizza. Tommyknockers Brewery is at the end of the street as well, both their beer and their Root Beer & Sodas are recommended.

Beer&Snausages


In Idaho Springs, I bypass the Buffalo....

So, you are saying that you are FROM Maryland, but go to Idaho Springs?  This greatly contradicts what our pal wanderingjew has been telling us - here in this post.  Let me quote for those who don't want to click the link....

It's entirely doubtful that an out of state tourist would find Idaho Springs, even  if the entire town landed on their head...

Can you describe the feeling of an entire town landing on your head?  I'd always wondered what that would be like.

The Travelin Man

Beer&Snausages


In Idaho Springs, I bypass the Buffalo....

So, you are saying that you are FROM Maryland, but go to Idaho Springs?  This greatly contradicts what our pal wanderingjew has been telling us - here in this post.  Let me quote for those who don't want to click the link....

It's entirely doubtful that an out of state tourist would find Idaho Springs, even  if the entire town landed on their head...

Can you describe the feeling of an entire town landing on your head?  I'd always wondered what that would be like.

 
"doubtful" is the key phrase
 
Is Beer n Snausages the "typical tourist"?
Is he originally from Colorado?
Does he have family and friends in Colorado that might have directed him there?
 
I took a quick survey of 5 well traveled  co-workers and asked them if they've heard of Idaho Springs CO- Here are their responses...
 
Terry- "no, maybe, I don't think so, maybe"
 
Bob- (in his 60's)- "no, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist"
 
Patty- "no, i don't think so, why, is it a popular place?"
 
Kristen- "yes, but I don't know anything about it, my brother lived in Colorado"
 
Lisa (originally from Nebraska) " no, must be a little hole in the wall"
 
only 1 out of 5 coworkers have heard of Idaho Springs and the only reason why is becaus her brother lived in Colorado.
 
again...Idaho Springs is not Denver, Boulder or even Vail...It's a place where local Denverites go for a day trip. I don't even recall seeing any brochures for it at the hotel we were at.

Your co-workers all think that you go home at night and sit in the basement with a tin foil hat on your head, don't they?

The Travelin Man


Your co-workers all think that you go home at night and sit in the basement with a tin foil hat on your head, don't they?

 
Yes they do,  but besides the point, they do  know I'm heading to Colorado in a couple of months and they thought I was asking the question because of my upcoming trip.