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Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Northwest, CBD
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Every time I see a show at the Paramount (which admittedly isn't that often these days), I go early and wander up and down the 16th street mall to find somewhere that sounds good for dinner. As a vegetarian, I usually only have a few choices (unless I want something quck, like fast food). Earlier this week I was on the mall with my husband before a show and went up a good 8 blocks or so to check out my options. The Appaloosa Grill had several vegetarian choices, and I'd never been there before, so my husband and I decided to try it (so I shouldn't have wasted my time walking all the way up the mall!).
I had the Summer Pasta Toss with Walnut Pesto sauce. The portion was enormous--at least 4 servings--and it came with garlic bread. There were veggies mixed in (red peppers, broccoli, carrots) and they were a little tough (could've been cooked just a little longer), but they were very fresh. Overall, it tasted good but I probably wouldn't get the pesto sauce again. It was a bit too greasy for me, and there was too much of it. For $10 it was a great deal though--easily 3 meals' worth of food.
Our server was friendly and professional, but I think he got overwhelmed when the rush happened shortly after we got our food. He never offered my husband a soda refill or checked back with us for dessert until MUCH later (when it was too late for us to order anything else).
Overall, it was a solidly good meal, although nothing unique. My husband was much more impressed with his entree than I was (he had meat), but I would definitely go back to try some other things. I would recommend sitting outside if possible, because it was very loud in the dining area, even before the rush. My husband and I could barely have a conversation and we were sitting right next to each other.
I find Appaloosa to be a great bar and restaurant. I do have quite the fondness for it, as it's the place my sister and I choose to get drinks after work. Not only that, we end up eating there more often then not (when we have an after work social hour), and I've really enjoyed everything I've tried.
I admit, I get the buffalo burger more often then not - they make their own ketchup, which is delicious, and I'm a sucker for a great burger, so I suggest that you give that a try if you're looking for that kind of food downtown. The rest of the atmosphere is very laid back, and I've found the wait staff to be patient and friendly.
My only critique of the menu would be the price of some of the dishes - until recently the happy hour appetizers were too expensive, but they seem to have remedied that with a new happy hour-specific menu.
This was my second visit and my wife's first.
She's a vegetarian and it was nice that they had several selections. She had the Summer Pasta Toss and enjoyed it. I had the Mustard Pork Loin and I have to say, it was one of the better restaruant meals I've had in my life! On my previous visit I had the Pot Roast and remember that as being excellent as well. The pricing is about what I'd expect at a place like this on the 16th street mall and based on my experience, the food is excellent.
Unfortunately, the negatives bring down the score. First, the way the room was designed makes it hard to hear anything so if you want to talk, expect to do so LOUDLY.
Secondly, I though the service was average at best. We stopped by on a Tuesday just before 6:30pm and were serviced fairly quickly, getting our meals within 10 minutes. I finished within 15 minutes and was hoping the waiter would come by to ask if I wanted desert. While it was getting busier, I did catch his eye a few times but he never stopped by. Thinking maybe he'd stop by after my wife finished, I bided my time until she completed her meal at a little after 7pm. He didn't stop by to check on us until 7:15pm and by that time we had to go. While it was busy, I didn't think it excused the inattentiveness.
Food is OK to above average. Menu items could be more consistent in terms of quantity and quality. Service is so so when it gets busy. Free music performance after 9:00pm, but I did not stay.
It's just 'okay' ... Nothing spectacular - reminds me of a larger Chili's ...
We didn't order any entrees, just a few appetizers for a "Linner" (Lunch 'n' Dinner) outing. Felt quite full and a bit over-greased. What can ya do. It fed our bellies.
Last week I took a trip to Denver for a librarian conference. The first day it was 60 degrees, sunny and just lovely. I thought, "this is just what I needed". The next day, temperatures dropped to the single digits, and pretty much hovered there the rest of my trip. I unusually unprepared for the cold weather, and ended up going out as little as possible. But on my last day in town my friend Sara and I decided we had to get out and explore a little, but three blocks from the hotel we were freezing, so we ducked into the first place we could find that didn't look like a giant chain.
Much to our delight Appaloosa was not only warm, but had great local beer on tap at $2.50 a pint, for we stumbled into happy hour. Sara had a lovely bison burger that appeared to not be at all as dry as the buffalo burgers I've tried before, along with a tasty batch of fries scattered with garlic and dash of truffle oil (only diminished by the memory a slightly lighter and crispier batch she had at another restaurant the night before).
My meal was most pleasing: a duck risotto, with a lovely mix of mushrooms, sprinkled with crispy bits of fatty duck goodness (perhaps skin?), with some lovely slices of duck along side. For a duck fan, this was a very happy find.
Though the prices were a little steeper than I generally like to pay for pub food, it was better than most food I have found in pubs, and a very happy alternative to the chain restaurants dominating the area around the convention center. I'd recommend going here first if you are in town for a convention, and coming back often ;)
the tables in the main dining room are poorly organized. and the house music is way too loud for their high ceilings/close seating arrangement. that being said, the food is very good, the presentation is nice and their cocktails are poured correctly.
Good service but very ordinary food. Lunch pasta with veggies for $10. Mostly broccoli and carrots. Com'mon!
I'm not a vegetarian, but my girlfriend is. She ordered the black bean slider burgers - and I also thought they were delicious. I ordered their hummus (we weren't hungry for a full meal, so we just ordered appetizers) and it was quite good.
Staff was very friendly. We ate outside, so can't say much for the atmosphere - it was 16th street atmosphere on a warm Sunday afternoon.
Bathrooms - horrible. I can usually deal with nasty bathrooms, just wipe the seat. The seat wouldn't wipe. And then the toilet wouldn't flush. Luckily - I attempted a pre-flush.
I would definitely eat here again. Good stuff.
Fantastic Ahi appetizer, tasty local beers on tap, and the chocolate bread pudding dessert is out of control deliciousness.
I was kind of disappointed with the main entree options, but everyone in my group was satisfied enough with what we ordered.
Live music starts around 9p and it gets pretty loud in there which makes carrying on a conversation at your table a bit hard without yelling.
I would say if you're in the area and in need of nourishment, this place will do it for you - not necessarily at the top of my list, though.
The bf orders a beer; I order a martini. The waitress comes back and says they don't carry that beer (it's on the menu) and they ran out of vodka (what?!). We both ordered the falafel pita sandwiches. These were not falafel. I don't know what it was, but it was some creamy consistency with a fried coating and the whole thing was covered in a dressing...and it wasn't yogurt, it tasted like mayonnaise.
Needless to say, we will not be returning. Thumbs down for drinks and thumbs down for food.
I was cold, I was hungry, I was on 16th street. Saw this place and decided to give it a try. I had zero expectations, except for being on 16th street I did expect this place to be total crap. But it wasn't, it was actually good. Feels like a chain but it isn't, in fact they have a sign inside that says "chains are for tires."
I had the English pot roast with garlic mashed potatoes and veggies - which totally rocked. My husband had the Carne Famoso - spicy flank steak with a really kick ass corn and black bean side dish. Service was great, the art on the wall was funky and I left feeling a lot better than I did when I walked in. I do really think they need chicken pot pie on their menu though.
The hummus platter from Appaloosa is now a staple in my current vision of what heaven entails. It's an appetizer, but I think it's the perfect healthy meal. It comes loaded with veggies for dipping and the hummus itself is the perfect creamy consistency. Also, it isn't overloaded with garlic so it compliments all the accompaniments nicely.
As far as Appaloosa goes, the location on the 16th Street Mall makes it the perfect people watching establishment. The patio is great, and the staff is laid back and won't mind if you stay for awhile to hang out.
I'll be back to Appaloosa very soon for more hummus and more pleasant, low-key, Denver afternoons.
We brought a large group to the Appaloosa on a Saturday afternoon and it was OK. The food was worth four stars, the service worth Two. I averaged.
The Steak Sandwich was fantastic, with just enough of a kick from garlic aoili to wake the mouth up. I thought that the soup I got with the meal was fantastic. The french fries had a lovely batter on them. Overall, very tasty.
The service was slow. It wasn't that busy, but I'm guessing they're not that used to groups. Our waitress even said "you're kinda a big group, so it'll take some extra time to do stuff". The food came out in three waves, each about 5 minutes apart for the 12 of us. That's not normal. They managed to get our drinks even 15 minutes or so, so I was the lucky one with both a water and a Coke so I could string from one refill to another. Others at the table were very annoyed with the service.
I'd go back with 4 people, but not a large group.
Bonus points for live music. Local live music.
Great drinks - I didn't try the food, it didn't look very appetizing to tell the truth, even for bar food.
and lots of boys...a nice alternative to the slutty bars where the ratio of whores to men is 2:1.
The bartender was a bit testy and confrontational, but once he got his pants out of a bunch, it was cool. We did notice the note on the menu which indicated a 50 cent upcharge on drinks when live music is playing. What? Talk about bad marketing.
How about 50 cent discounts when there is no live music...geniuses?
Outside of that...good times on the mall.
I just wanted to give you some feedback on my lunch there yesterday with my wife. We stopped in just before 2pm and was seated fairly quickly. There were a few tables in the house and a couple on the patio. The large table in the restaurant was a group of ladies celebrating a birthday. We looked over the menu and the food looked fantastic. We ordered the truffle fries and the turkey croissant. Both were very good.
Our server on the other hand, not so much. We never got his name because he never introduced himself. He was wearing glasses with brown hair. He asked what we wanted to drink, not giving out specific suggestions or letting us know that happy hour starts in 15 minutes, and giving us the option of saying, hey! Lets wait a few minutes till happy hour starts and we can all have a good time. Nothing of the sort.. He didn't go over any specials, never asked to refill our Arnold palmers, never checked back during our entire meal to see how was lunch. No two bite, two minute checkback was in place. Never offered dessert or even to see if wanted happy hour since it was after 2pm.. He took our order, another person ran the food, and we never saw him again till we looked like we were ready to leave because our plates had been stacked on top of each other to signify that we were finished because why would we want to stay and spend more when it seemed he didn't want us there.
This place has been referred to as the "oasis" of the 16th Street Mall and that could be because the "Mall" basically sucks. Does anyone actually do anything on the 16th Street Mall but walk around and look at tourist trap stores? To be fair though this isn't a review of the mall so I'll move on. If you're downtown and find yourself "on the mall" and want to eat something decent the Appaloosa Grill would be a good choice. My wife stopped in there on a Wednesday night before catching the Phantom at the Buell and it was a good experience. I ordered a Carne Famoso and it was tasty. It came with corn and black beans on the side which I enjoyed. The service was pretty good. I was glad that we stopped in there instead of any of the other nearby places but this wouldn't be on my top 5 for downtown in general.
So I walk in after checking out the menu hanging in the window. Already know what I want. Seat myself at a cozy booth in the bar area. Waiter, right there are our service. Gets us yummy beers. I wait for my man to choose a dish. We order. Food is delivered rather quickly.
Here's the food: Falafel Pita. Comes smothered in some appropriate sauce... with cucumbers and tomatoes and hummus. I opted for onion soup instead of french fries. That was an extra buck. The man ordered a caeser salad with steak, cooked perfectly I might add. We were given ample time to enjoy our meals, offered refills when we needed them, and our empty plates were whisked away quickly after we set them aside.
The night ended with a shot for dessert, we paid the bill, and off we went. Overall I'd say this place is yummy and worth checking out. Bonus star for the live music... Thursday night band (The Freight?) was pretty good, reminded me of Damien Rice. Bueno!
What am I missing here? I don't hate it but I don't like it either. It's great that they have live music but I think it's too loud to actually have a conversation. And uh...try to avoid the cucumber martini (made with gin)...it tastes like bath water.
I went to the Appaloosa Grill for Happy Hour (3-6, Daily) before a night of dancing at The Mercury Cafe. I think we went there because my date knew the owner and he wanted to look cool. The owner is super nice and he's in a band called OAKHURST so there's Live Music at the Grill EVERY NIGHT from 10pm!
From the Appaloosa Grill website: "My intention is to play music full-time, not run a restaurant," says Johnny James Qualley. "But I love this place so much that when the opportunity arose, I just couldn't pass it up.
Sidebar: That's why I love Denver. A musician buys a restaurant and pursues both interests full-time. It seems that people don't BOX-UP others as much as bigger markets do. -- END --
I had a Falafal Pita Sandwich ($8) with a really nice salad and delicious fries but if you aren't broke, they have an excellent dinner menu featuring locally raised beef and all kinds of fancy pants items. There are A LOT of microbrews on draft here. In short, Appaloosa Grill is a nice, dark grill with an artsy vibe.
They have a late night dinner menu and the kitchen's open till 1pm!
http://myspace.com/oak...
Had my first Buffalo Burger here! Went here with a co-worker while in town for a conference. My co-worker was big into trying the local "thing" and so buffalo it was. I really couldn't tell that much of a difference between my B.B. and a normal hamburger though. I did get a taste of the buffalo chili and that had a nice zing to it.
Tried to order a Hoegaarden but they had run out. The waiter recommended another wheat beer, so that was good.
We ate outside where there are about 4 tables in a really small fenced in area right along the 16th Street Mall. Lots of good people-watching. The only bummer was that the bus stops right in front of the restaurant. Plus, the girl behind me kept kicking my chair. Maybe we should have eaten inside?
This joint has a bad case of used-booze-infused-into-everything smell.
Appaloosa Grill is essentially next door to the disgusting Colorado Athletic Club I visited (see review below), and after I was finished there I thought I'd check out what appeared to be a non-franchise establishment while waiting for my Boulder buddy to arrive.
I walked in; took one breath; nostrils flared; I wretched. Next.
Decent dive bar, but the shady bouncer out front tried to extract money, that he claim was a tip for the band that he would collect. Note it was not a cover, it was a tip, that he would collect. Not to mention that the band sucked and had not even started playing when the shady bounce was asking for hand outs. My advice, stay clear!
I'm with the previous poster on trying "local" items. Like the saying goes, when in Rome....or Denver.
I called ahead to put in my name on the list for my meager table of one and was told the current wait was about 20 minutes. I wandered over about 20 minutes later and told the hostess that I was more than happy to wait for a table outside even though it might take some time. I waited at the bar where the bartender helped me pick one of the local brews. I like light beers and she suggested the pilsner. Nice choice. And it was $2.50! Yay happy hour.
After being forgotten about by the hostess, I was finally seated outside after about 45 minutes. No big deal on the wait, but I don't appreciate being forgotten.
Started with a house salad with lemon oregano vinaigrette. The dressing had a very Greek flavor to it which was nice and refreshing. For my "local" indulgence, I had the buffalo london broil. I've never had buffalo so I had no idea what to expect. The meat was actually way more tender than i woud expect it to be. I ws actaully cutting it with my butter knife! The taste was less than delicious. It was....gamey? Bland? Almost bitter. Something about it wasn't my cup of tea. The marinated mushrooms it was smothered in and roated potatoes it sat on were delish though.
I'd come back and order another local brew and something non-buffalo from the menu though.
Nice place. Despite being on the 16th Street Mall you don't feel like you're on the mall when you step inside. That's a neat trick. And they've got quality live music, which is more than you can say for most restaurants that try to incorporate music.
One memorable night I was there with a friend before going to the symphony. Even though my friend was 40 they carded her. Made her night. They carded me, so I was happy too.
Visited there with my better half this afternoon around 6. I just got a beer while she ordered the falafel pita sandwich. She LOVED it, along with the cucumber salad, which was spicy and surprising. The beer was cheap ($2.50! for New Belgium!), the hostess and wait staff superb, the environment friendly while simultaneously open and private.
We'll definitely be back.
PS. The waiter had FANTASTIC facial hair.
One of my biggest pet peeves is how waiters/waitresses treat groups. It's a shame because I generally enjoy the food at Appaloosa, but it was soured by the fact that we continually were attempting to flag down our waitress. I understand that it's harder to serve 8 people than it is to serve 4, but one would assume that water glasses and other beverages should be refilled at least once (which they weren't). Hypothetically we get charged a gratuity because the waiter is working harder, it makes me sad that we had to give 20% for crappy service.
One of the gentlemen bringing the food out of the kitchen actually had to get us refills and also bring the cake. I'm so frustrated that I can't even consider the food right now.
Grrrrrr.
Okay well now that I've calmed a little I don't have anything good to say. The waitress was actually standing on one end of our eight person table screaming to us on the other end to get our orders. She also wouldn't walk around to give us our drinks but made us pass them down. It was so ridiculous!!!!
I called the manager just to let him know about our service and he said, "I'm sorry that we were busy".
Sad Day
I guess from now on it's takeout from the Appaloosa.
A popular place to pop in located on the 16th Street Mall, the Appaloosa Grill is certainly a social hodgepodge. Not quite dumpy but far from delightful, I occasionally give this place yet another try. Booths lined up shotgun style like that of a train car make mingling unmanageable. Always odd artwork haunts the walls. This night I was confronted by some seemingly seasick Japanese Anime.
Our waitress was adorable but well weeded so we waited. A delicate dish of sesame encrusted Ahi with coconut curried rice and snow peas was a delicious diet option. Following, we bellied up to the bar to wait for the band while I forced down two tumblers of bitters and soda to squash my sudden stomach ache.
The barfly buzzed at me from behind her bug-eyed sunglasses in a bulky Lithuanian accent. After she freaked out my friend we bumped on down the barstools in search of available men. Someone sent us drinks but the bartender was baffled when I inquired as to who. We searched for staring eyes and my friend gave the man a too proper wave that both thanked and dismissed him. Feeling quite tipsy, we called it a night before the band had begun its first beat. It was a mediocre experience like all of the times before and I suggest you choose a different selection unless you go there strictly for the band.
When the days start getting shorter and the weather starts getting colder, I start getting the craving to eat the most unhealthy, fattiest food in sight. I think it must be linked to some type of hibernating instinct from long, long ago, but that isn't really relevant here... The day I found Appaloosa Grill was one of those "I really need greasy food" days.
Appaloosa Grill was wonderful. I ordered the half-pound Buffalo Burger (buffalo is healthy, right???) with French fries. The burger was very tasty; it was cooked to a perfect medium which is even more important with buffalo because it can easily dry out. The fries were perfectly crunchy and had some type of light seasoning which enhanced the flavor. Between the two, the burger and fries were a knock-out combo and definitely satiated my early winter fat cravings.
The service was prompt and friendly; I went for lunch and was able to be seated, order, eat and leave (all of these being quite important to keep in sequential order) in about 45 minutes. The atmosphere reminded me of a slightly-trendy micro-brewery, warm and cozy with a bit of a modern flair. Appaloosa Grill is a restaurant you don't want to miss!
I would skip this place next time I am in downtown Denver. The dining room is kept very, very dark. I literally had to use my cell phone as a flashlight to read the menus. When a restaurant keeps its dining rooms that dark, I assume they are trying to hide something. I spent most of my meal staring at a giant glass window into the closed retail business next door - not a very dignified view, frankly. The wine list is just OK, but my steak was below average - I actually enjoyed the side dishes more than the steak, which I found to be quite tough. The service was OK, but didn't make up for the restaurant's other deficiencies.
Maybe we went at the wrong time. Went there for lunch. Good music playing, hardly anyone there. Waitress took our order. French onion soup to start was fantastic--not too salty like a lot of places make it. Perfect for a cloudy day. Then about a hundred people came in from the convention center, and we were apparently forgotten. Twenty-five minutes after taking away the soup, our food arrived--a bison burger and pulled pork sandwich. They forgot to put the sauteed mushrooms on my burger. Five minutes later, when I was finally able to flag down a server, he brought them out in a separate cup. The food was just...there. Not bad, but not fantastic. Kind of bland. And though the service was friendly, there seemed to be only two people working in the whole restaurant, so no water refills, took an additonal five minutes to get mustard, etc. It's not that I'm normally in a big hurry, it's just that I don't really anticipate nearly two hours for a burger lunch.
As I've said before, I love to see buffalo on a Denver menu. It's Western, it's more sustainable than cattle farming, it's generally more humanely raised, it has more omega fatty acids than beef, it's leaner, and it tastes great. The Appaloosa Grill has not one but several buffalo dishes available.
I recommend starting with a light salad- I got a delicious little number with feta cheese on my last visit- and ordering a buffalo burger for lunch, or a buffalo steak for dinner. The falafel ain't bad, but it's nothing compared to the real, family recipe falafel at many of Denver's Lebanese and Syrian-owned eateries. Vegetarians, however, will appreciate its inclusion in this fairly meaty menu.
Although I cringe when thinking about eating on the 16th Street Mall, this place has become a safe heaven. They make their own french fries and ketchup!!!! The black bean burger also is really good and homemade. Drinks are ok, beer is the safest bet, and the music is hit or miss. But all in all, go here before the other crap restaurants on the mall.
3.5 stars for me for the Appaloosa grill. The menu boasts a wide aray of choices from queso (yum!) and burgers to steaks and seafood. Our waitress said the seafood was the way to go, so I had a VERY spicy blackened shrimp pasta. Wowzers was it spicy. I prefer their food to say, one of the Brewery's around town, but the bar scene is a trip. There is ALWAYS some regular that totally flips me out! I also got a free round which was nice, and as usual, in my klutzy way, fell on the slippery floor as I tried to sexily saunter out of the ladies room. All in a days work. PBR for $2..can you beat that with a stick?
I went here with a group during SPE conference in March 2008...we were seated fairly quickly. The decor of the place is *trippin* ... eclectic, but clean and cool things to look at. Although I wasn't at the bar, it was very inviting place to have a cocktail. I ordered the Atlantic salmon. It had good flavor, I chowed down on it. The prices was reasonable considering that you have choice of soup or salad with your entree. A buddha hangs out in the front entrance as if it's greeting *ciao* on your way out.
I went to Appaloosa Grill on Tuesday afternoon with my boss and it's a nice little spot. I'd love to hang out here for Happy Hour, as it seems as if it would be a lot of fun. The music selection is excellent - you can get anything from Ray Charles to hard rock - the size is just right and the service was good. My only complaint is that the food is a little too spicy. I like it hot, but not hot to the point that it obscures the flavor of the food. Overall it's a sweet little spot..
Take your pick. Rootsy live music inside, or people gawking from the 16th ped mall patio. Great vibe, good beer, worth stopping by for a beer or 10.
The food wasn't that great and was overpriced. There are much better restaurants to choose from.
I haven't found too many bars/restaurants that I like to frequent for Happy Hour but I think Appaloosa changed my mind. Enjoyed a few glasses of Merlot yesterday since we had time to kill before our bowling league started up. Bowling league??? I know, I know... Denver changes people.
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