Bastiens
Bastiens restaurant opened in 1937, was redecorated in 1958, and hasn't seen fit to mess with a good thing since. The restaurant transcends retro--it's more of a classic 1950s or 1960s steak house, right down to the menu, with its shrimp cocktails, Caesar salads, and cocktails such as the sidecar (cognac and Grand Marnier) and Moscow mule (vodka, ginger beer and lime served in a copper mug). Bastiens offers filet mignon, sirloin, rib eye, T-bone and New York strip steaks, but its signature menu item, the sugar steak (a New York strip sprinkled with sugar before grilling), has earned it numerous awards for best steak in Denver. Accolades have come from sources including the CitySearch website, the Westword newspaper and Denver's local ABC news affiliate, as well as from food bloggers and user reviews on sites such as Yelp and Chowhound.
Bastiens
3501 East Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 322-0363
bastiensrestaurant.com
Buckhorn Exchange
The Buckhorn Exchange is the place to go when you want your steak served with a side of history (and a sideshow of taxidermy).The restaurant was opened back in 1893 by a man who rode with Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, and while it may or may not be Denver's oldest restaurant, it proudly displays the first-ever liquor license (No. 1) issued by the state of Colorado.
In addition to T-bone, tenderloin and strip steaks, the menu features a range of wild game dishes, including buffalo steak and prime rib, elk and quail, and the appetizer menu gets even more exotic with its offerings of rattlesnake, alligator and Rocky Mountain "oysters" (bull testicles). If you come with a group of friends, or a really big appetite, you can even order a steak as large as four lbs., which will be carved at your table and served with a crock of sautéed mushrooms and onions.
As if the menu isn't colorful enough, the Buckhorn's decor is also on the unusual side, with its walls adorned with several hundred stuffed animal heads and whole animals as well as more than 100 antique firearms. The restaurant is also said to be haunted by the ghosts of some of the many miners, traders, scouts and cowboys who frequented it back in its early saloon days, but these days you're more likely to encounter a TV crew than a ghost. The Buckhorn has been featured on two Travel Channel shows (Steak Paradise and Man vs. Food) as well as Good Morning America and numerous local news features.
Buckhorn Exchange
1000 Osage Street
Denver, CO 80204
(303) 534-9505
buckhornexchange.com
Club 404 Lounge
This hole in the wall is named after its address, and although it may not look like much from the outside (or the inside, really), it has been run by the same family for nearly 60 years, serving up decent steaks at a remarkably low price. The menu also offers up Mexican specialties (burritos, chile verde, burritos smothered in chile verde) as well as other meat-and-potatoes favorites such as pork chops, lamb chops and fried chicken. Many patrons also appreciate the fact that the bar is well stocked and the drinks are inexpensive. If you care more about getting a great meal at a decent price than you do about atmosphere, and/or you happen to find smoky little hole-in-the wall restaurants charming, the Club 404 is worth seeking out. If you go on a Friday night, you may even be treated to a free live comedy show along with your meal
Club 404 Lounge
404 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 778-9605
Elway's
Elway's No. 1 claim to fame is that it was opened by (and named for) No. 7, Broncos Hall of Famer and back-to-back (XXXII and XXXIII) Super Bowl-winning quarterback John Elway. Celebrity factor aside, however, Elway's has been "steaking" a claim for itself among Denver's best restaurants, and in 2009 the Westword weekly newspaper named Elway's as having the best steak house menu in its annual Best of Denver issue.
Elway's steak selection is impressive, including not only New York strip, filet, rib eye, porterhouse and prime rib, but also veal chops and even a buffalo rib eye. Steaks may be served with bearnaise, hollandaise, Oscar, red wine demi or peppercorn sauces, black pepper-horseradish aioli or miso butter, and you can add a lobster tail to make your steak into a surf and turf combo. Elway's also offers a number of seafood dishes, and even a seafood raw bar. In addition to its award-winning dinner menu, Elway's serves an assortment of lunchtime sandwiches, soups and salads, a breakfast menu with choices ranging from the healthy (homemade Bircher muesli) to the decadent (truffled eggs Benedict), and a weekend brunch featuring a Bloody Mary station.
Elway's
1881 Curtis Street
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 312-3107
elways.com
