Best New West Steakhouse 2005 | Elway's | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best New West Steakhouse

Elway's

No, Big John isn't flipping tenderloins on the grills in the back, but he does show up every now and then -- and he's nothing but gracious when he does. And, no, the dining room isn't filled with fat guys in Broncos jerseys and sweatpants. Actually, Elway's draws the kind of crowd you see at every other high-tone address in Cherry Creek, as well as a good number of steakhouse converts who've been wooed away from some of the more established temples of meat. And while the place does have John Elway's name everlastingly attached to it, it's a restaurant first and foremost, with a pro team running a pro house where the comfort of their guests and the grub coming out of the galley is more important than anything else. Eateries opened by current and former celebrities have become something of a staple -- and a joke -- in this brave new post-Planet Hollywood world, but Elway's is serious about what it does, and does it well.

Best Mild West Steakhouse

Northwoods Inn

There are some rooms where we like seeing everyone dressed to the nines, restaurants where dignity and formality and pomp feel right. And then there's the Northwoods Inn. Here, the ragtime piano player wears arm garters and people throw their peanut shells on the floor and eat soup out of a communal pot. Here, the house can serve something on the order of 300 customers at a time, and does so three, sometimes four turns a night, every night. Here, families with kids, old folks, young couples on dates, businessmen, famous faces and absolute nobodies are treated the same -- like the walking cash dispensers that they are. But no one ever walked away hungry from the Northwoods Inn. No one ever had anything less than a decent feed at fair prices. And no one even seems to complain about the wait -- which can sometimes be upwards of two hours -- because here, as at Disneyland, once the fun is over, no one remembers the lines.

Best Mild West Steakhouse

Northwoods Inn

There are some rooms where we like seeing everyone dressed to the nines, restaurants where dignity and formality and pomp feel right. And then there's the Northwoods Inn. Here, the ragtime piano player wears arm garters and people throw their peanut shells on the floor and eat soup out of a communal pot. Here, the house can serve something on the order of 300 customers at a time, and does so three, sometimes four turns a night, every night. Here, families with kids, old folks, young couples on dates, businessmen, famous faces and absolute nobodies are treated the same -- like the walking cash dispensers that they are. But no one ever walked away hungry from the Northwoods Inn. No one ever had anything less than a decent feed at fair prices. And no one even seems to complain about the wait -- which can sometimes be upwards of two hours -- because here, as at Disneyland, once the fun is over, no one remembers the lines.

Best Seafood in a Steakhouse

Capital Grille

Maybe it's the wonderfully pretentious presentation of the lobster bisque, the bowl brought by a soft-footed server who laces the top of the soup with decanted sherry for a fine, sharp, smoky alcohol hit. Or maybe it's the liquid velvet texture and strong lobster flavor of the bisque itself, an ideal balance between creamy richness and big buttery whacks of lobster that proves that the kitchen knows more than just how to grill a steak. We're not sure why we love the lobster bisque at the Capital Grille. But we do know that we never miss a chance to order it.

Best Seafood in a Steakhouse

Capital Grille

Maybe it's the wonderfully pretentious presentation of the lobster bisque, the bowl brought by a soft-footed server who laces the top of the soup with decanted sherry for a fine, sharp, smoky alcohol hit. Or maybe it's the liquid velvet texture and strong lobster flavor of the bisque itself, an ideal balance between creamy richness and big buttery whacks of lobster that proves that the kitchen knows more than just how to grill a steak. We're not sure why we love the lobster bisque at the Capital Grille. But we do know that we never miss a chance to order it.

Best Burgers in a Fish House

McCormick's Fish House and Bar

Everyone knows about the great seafood at McCormick's: the daily airlifts of fresh fish, the weekly and seasonal specials, the talented kitchen that's there to put everything together, the terrific dining room and bar spaces tucked into the corner of the classic Oxford Hotel. But one of the lesser-known winners on this decidedly fishy menu are the burgers, which are everything a meat-lovin' man needs: a soft, chewy bun, fresh fixings and a good-sized patty that doesn't turn to boot leather, even at medium-well. Making a good burger better yet is the price, if you happen to hit McCormick's during one of its two daily happy hours. From 3 to 6 p.m. any day, and from 9 to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, the burger is offered as one of the dozen-plus items on the $1.95 bar menu.

Best Burgers in a Fish House

McCormick's Fish House and Bar

Everyone knows about the great seafood at McCormick's: the daily airlifts of fresh fish, the weekly and seasonal specials, the talented kitchen that's there to put everything together, the terrific dining room and bar spaces tucked into the corner of the classic Oxford Hotel. But one of the lesser-known winners on this decidedly fishy menu are the burgers, which are everything a meat-lovin' man needs: a soft, chewy bun, fresh fixings and a good-sized patty that doesn't turn to boot leather, even at medium-well. Making a good burger better yet is the price, if you happen to hit McCormick's during one of its two daily happy hours. From 3 to 6 p.m. any day, and from 9 to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, the burger is offered as one of the dozen-plus items on the $1.95 bar menu.

Best Seafood Restaurant for You and Ten of Your Closest Friends

Go Fish Grille

Larry Herz and his crew at Go Fish Grille have created a seafood restaurant with zero pretension but a worthy goal: to fill its coolers and freezers with the finest product that can be wrangled out of suppliers who still think of Denver as a B-grade market (at best). We wouldn't suggest this as a romantic destination -- too many wooden fish sculptures and bright colors for that. And it's probably not the spot to close a million-dollar business deal -- unless the signatories have some sort of weird Finding Nemo fetish. But it's a place to go with friends, lots of friends, because the one-from-column-A, two-from-column-B, Tom Colicchio-style choose-your-own-adventure menu is deep enough to please even the pickiest, fish-phobic of your friends. For those nights when you're looking for a fun place to greet and eat, we guarantee that Go Fish Grille is quite a catch.

Best Seafood Restaurant for You and Ten of Your Closest Friends

Go Fish Grille

Larry Herz and his crew at Go Fish Grille have created a seafood restaurant with zero pretension but a worthy goal: to fill its coolers and freezers with the finest product that can be wrangled out of suppliers who still think of Denver as a B-grade market (at best). We wouldn't suggest this as a romantic destination -- too many wooden fish sculptures and bright colors for that. And it's probably not the spot to close a million-dollar business deal -- unless the signatories have some sort of weird Finding Nemo fetish. But it's a place to go with friends, lots of friends, because the one-from-column-A, two-from-column-B, Tom Colicchio-style choose-your-own-adventure menu is deep enough to please even the pickiest, fish-phobic of your friends. For those nights when you're looking for a fun place to greet and eat, we guarantee that Go Fish Grille is quite a catch.

Best Seafood Restaurant

Zengo

We know that Zengo is not so much a seafood restaurant as a restaurant that happens to serve seafood in addition to a lot of other things. But that doesn't matter. When you're after great fish, nobody handles the creatures of the briny deep quite like this kitchen -- and with a Latino-Asian twist, at that. Whether you order an antojito of tuna cut into perfect slabs and served with a ponzu sauce, a crisp and bitingly fresh ceviche, an entree of whole grouper dusted in ancho chile powder or the best piece of black cod you've ever tasted, we guarantee that your meal will go swimmingly at Zengo.

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