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Little Ollie's
Rating Details »
Category: Chinese
Neighborhoods: Southeast, Cherry Creek2364 E 3rd Ave
Denver, CO 80206
(970) 544-9888
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
19 reviews for Little Ollie's
I had Little Ollies yesterday with a friend and past colleague. The joy for me, is that it is close to my residence and I was working from home that day and the crowd is always something to enjoy..
As mentioned by many others, the food is OK. Taking into consideration of the location (Cherry Creek), prices are fairly comparable to other locations in the area.
The Good: the service, atmosphere, the fact they serve brown rice and the food appears to be "lite" are good for the health conscience..
The bad: Not enough spice... The food just doesn't "wow" me...
Overall, my dining experience for lunch was nice. Maybe that had something to with the company, but either way I enjoyed it. The unfortunate part is that this is not a place that "wows" me enough to make it a eatery I would frequent for the cuisine.
Little Ollie's represents a trendy version of the typical neighborhood Chinese places that dot the city. Dishes are better presented, and the ambience is a definite step up, but there is not a significant difference in the food itself. Diners are advised to stick to the Chinese offerings; other Asian preparations have been less well-received.
I used to love this place when it was on - crud - what street was that? St. Paul - I think that's right. But it's not as good anymore for some reason. I don't know if the menu has changed or the cook or the ingredients. Couldn't tell ya.
They do have a couple things I do really like - the Yushan Chicken and the Kung Pao Chicken. I normally love Sesame Tofu - but it is just plain awful here. The sauce tastes like ketchup to me. And like many others have said, it's over priced - but that's Cherry Creek for you.
The service has always been good - friendly hosts and wait staff and they don't hover which I LOVE. I hate hovering wait staff and you won't find that here. Still - not a bad place, just not the best in town in my opinion.
Visited Little Ollie's twice now (roughly 12 months apart). Both times the food has been very good. Most dinner entrees are about $15 - there's no way it's $30/person as another reviewer claims. It's not cheap but the preparation and quality is a cut above standard Chinese restaurant fare.
The vegetables are exceptionally fresh. The place has a trendy vibe but that's balanced out with a cozy neighborhood vibe.
On my first visit no complaints - great food and service. The second visit (tonight) the food was still very good but our server let us down - he took 15+ minutes to ask how our entrees were, didn't offer to refill our tea, took our remaining portions without asking if we wanted to take any home and didn't ask us about dessert. At least the food was very quick.
Recommend the Shanghai Duck (under Specialties) and the Yushan Chicken.
I gave this place 4 stars because of their exceptional and fast service. However, they didn't offer a wide menu and their prices were a tad bit high.
We ordered two lunch specials (sweet sour chicken), a fountain drink, three small appetizers (steamed chicken dumplings, crab cheese wontons, shrimp shiumai), and one hot tea. The bill was $47.00 without tip..
The chicken dumplings and crab cheese wontons were phenomenal, but the shiumai tasted like dirt. The sweet and sour sauce for the chicken was delicious, but the chicken itself was dried out and hard in the middle. Nothing special really.
Overall, it was a pleasant experience, but I'd recommend just sticking with appetizers.
I have problems with P.F. Chang's and Little Ollie's and the like. You know they are not authentic Chinese by their clean tabletops, perfect English communication skills, and General Tsao's Chicken on the menu (no one in China knows who that dude is). That being said, I do think Little Ollie's is a fun place to meet with friends for a drink or quick meal after work. The food is decent, but not worth paying anything over the price of Chinese take-out. If you are the type to enjoy overpaying for upscale ambiance and a ficticious army general's food, then this place is for you!
1 star off: over-priced for quality
1 star off: having General Tsao's Chicken on the menu
1 star off: no pandas or bamboos or anything resembling a Chinese restaurant
Ate for lunch 7-21-09. Will update later.
I really enjoyed the patio like atmosphere they create with their windows that lift a lot like garage doors.
Their food is standard Chinese food that you can get anywhere. I did find out that they do have brown rice! I was bummed though cause I found out after my dish was already on the table with white rice.
I do look forward to the chicken corn egg drop soup. It's good. I like the tiny change in an already tasty soup.
I don't look forward to the bill. I know they have to charge us that cause their rent is more than our neighborhood Chinese restaurant's rent is, but YIKES! I went for lunch thinking it would be more tolerable. It isn't. Lunch specials are all $9.99.
I did really enjoy the people watching and how when my friend arrived how she climbed through the window instead of using the door. So punk rock...yeah fight the power! You should have seen the stares. I was so proud! = D
Imagine a trendy over-priced Asian style bistro in the middle of Cherry Creek--you can stop imagining now, there is such a place and it's called Little Ollies in case you haven't been there.
I've been going to Little Ollies before they converted the outdoor patio as an indoor expansion (ever wonder why the "inside" seems separated from the "outside," that is why). The new maitre'd will often give my father a puzzled look when he requests eating inside, he means the center area of the restaurant.
The two stars exactly means my sentiment regarding Little Ollies, "Meh, I've had better." As another yelper (Lori M.) pointed out, the real deal for Chinese is on Federal: Super Star Asian, Star Kitchen, and Chopsticks China Bistro to name a few. If I'm paying and I have a craving for Chinese, I'd much rather go to one of those three and get a proper Chinese dinner than something like Little Ollies, P.F. Changs, or your run of the mill take-out General Tao's chicken Chinese food in a suburban strip mall. Although to be fair, it would be more apt to characterize Little Ollies as Asian inspired than just Chinese cuisine.
By all means, I'll go to Little Ollies if someone else is buying. The ingredients are fresh: crisp vegetables and high quality meats and seafood. The preparation however is often of utmost disappointment. Case and point are the lemon chicken and sweet and sour chicken. Both are prepared quite similarly, both have the fried chicken pieces, side of broccoli and carrots--only difference is the bowl on top the end of the plate has a different sauce, lemon or sweet and sour for each respective dish. Essentially overpriced chicken McNuggets (albeit better quality meat) with a side of sweet and sour dipping sauce and a healthy side of veggies. The same thing goes with most of the other dishes, there is a good sized serving of meat in the middle with a couple of broccoli and carrots on the side, another example being the sesame chicken, which has the sauce stir fried with the dish (no sauce in a bowl) but I think is still too sweet.
Indeed, most of the dishes there are drowning in quasi Chinese style sauces. Compare this to the Chongquing chicken and three cups chicken at Chopstick's China Bistro, where the taste is properly fused in the meat using subtle sauces and the aroma of herbs, spices, and chilies. Some of the entrees at Ollies are also quite dry, like the Singapore rice noodles and their pitiful excuse for duck. The duck was dry as a bone and served with a syrupy spicy sauce, which runs you about $15. I could get a proper 1/4th duck at Super Star Asian for roughly $6, which is juicier, more tender, meatier, and served with a sweet red bean paste/sauce that is not only to die for but finely compliments the light soy sauce the duck was cooked with. I now have a craving for 1/4th duck.
However, it's not all bad, you just need to know what to get as far as the food goes. The Korean noodle bowl and Thai basil chicken are among my favorite entrees. Granted, the Thai basil chicken is pseudo-Thai, it is still pretty tasty, and the Korean noodle bowl is packed with great spicy flavors from the chilies and ginger saturating the broth with flavor and the broth flavoring the noodles, veggies and meats. The service is good as well; you're greeted by a cordial maitre'd and the servers are quick to take your order and see how everything is and the bus boy is quick in clearing finished plates and refilling waters.
Granted, the location has absolutely everything to do with their style of food. Little Ollies is a scenesters restaurant for 30 something professionals in the Cherry Creek area to take out a date, a client, or friends and family who are in town. Flaming pig intestines is probably best restricted on the menus of restaurants in the Federal and Alameda parts of town.
Granted, I feel Little Ollies could do a better job of doing neuveau American style Chinese food. Chicken tenders with a cup of lemon sauce on the side for $12 is pitiful.
The biggest complaint I hear about this place from other people is that it's expensive. It is. Plan on spending $30 per person. I finally ordered the crispy sea bass, which I think was the most expensive thing on the menu. It was pretty good though. It's a half of a Sea Bass with the skin on, crispy, as advertised, and served with I think the same sauce as the volcano shrimp, plus fresh stir-fried vegetables.
This place serves vegetables with everything which I like. They also have extremely cool space, which is a patio with garage doors that swing open and it's only separated from the main dining area by panels so it's kind of like you're sitting outside but you're not. That's how they do things in the Far East.
The service has always been great and even though it's a nice place you can dress pretty casual and they don't stare at you like you just crawled out of a dumpster. I also don't think I've ever had to wait for a table, even on the weekends but I usually go kind of early, 5 PM or earlier.
Look this place is OK, but just OK. We live fairly close by and frequently get delivery from them. I start by saying they are a little over priced but still pretty reasonable. I'd chalk it up to their location. It's pretty standard Chinese food. Their menu isn't very large but whats on there seems to make up for it. Off the top of my head I really love their cold sesame noodles and their hot and sour soup. If you go there be sure to try one of those.
I have been to Little Ollies on several occasions and it's just OK. If you factor in the prices, however, it goes down a star. The best part is the soup, the hot and sour that is. It's very flavorfull and I was told it's vegeterian. The other dishes are just kindof plain and not very spicy. I like that they offer brown rice and the restaurant is lovely, they just need a little more pizzaz to their food. Especially at those prices.
i dig it. a lot.
service is quick, food is always good. sesame chicken and pepper shrimp are AMAZING.
a little pricey, but it's a little more upscale than your standard chinese restaurant.
parking can be a pain, but that's just cherry creek in general.
upside... great fresh food, and nice atmosphere.
downside... don't do delivery or take out. It loses its flavor, crispy turns soggy, and takes way too long. The prices are ridiculous. $40 for take out for two... insane!
"Hey can you add some broccoli to the kung pao?" "sure no problem, that will be an extra $5"
You can find fresh chinese food all around denver, and spend half. But if you want a nice date atmosphere in cherry creek, suck up the over-billing, have a few drinks, and just order from somewhere else next time.
The ill-conceived American propaganda---abysmally sweet, heavily oil-slicked, cornstarch-thickened sauces---that doubles as substandard Chinese food at this woefully overrated Cherry Creek debauchery goes hand-in-hand with the chilly servers that treat the inexplicable montley throngs like the algea that lurks in a murky fish tank.
True, it's a people-watching paradise, the ultrahip space is all jazzed up with luxe adornments, and you can drink yourself silly on sake -- all of which comes at a deluxe price.
To nullify the burn of the credit card machine and feel the real burn of authentic Chinese fare, head to Federal Boulevard.
I get the Oillie's craving once in a while when I'm in need of greasy, standard issue Chinese fare, but only cause I don't live too far away. Beyond the food, which is fine, it's a good place for a first date and to do a little people watching. As for pricey, it's not too bad, just don't go crazy with the drinks and appetizers, and you'll get out of there under $50 for two including tip.
My favorite place to eat in Denver!
AMAZING food, and a great location/ambiance
Delicious Chinese food...no question about it. Very pricey, though. My guess is that you are paying for location, since it's in Cherry Creek. The lunches are a better value.
I was visiting Denver this weekend and my friend took me to Little Ollie's for lunch. The lunch special was a good deal with soup, main dish and eggroll for $8 or something. My only gripe was that the menu seemed a little limited and leaned heavily towards chicken dishes, which I noticed because I don't like chicken all that much. But, the food was good and the service was fast while not making you feel rushed. I would go back again.
