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BD's Mongolian Barbeque
The Top List of Best Buy Restaurants - Denver, CO
If it's fine food at affordable prices you're looking for, these hot spots are right up your alley.
by Erin Blakemore & Marge D. Hansen
We all have our dining out priorities-great food, friendly service, nice atmosphere-and these places deliver all three. Every neighborhood in Denver offers a surprise or two when it comes to enjoying large servings and a small check when the meal comes to an end. Some establishments have followed this philosophy for years; others are new on the dining scene. If it's fine food at affordable prices you're looking for, these hot spots are right up your alley. Bring your appetite and have fun!
BD'S MONGOLIAN BARBEQUE
1620 Wazee Street
Denver, CO 80202
(303) 571-1824
Hours: (Sun) 12-10 pm; (Mon-Thur) 11 am-10 pm; (Fri & Sat) 11 am-11 pm
There's a protocol to follow when you eat barbeque Mongolian style. Claim your bowl and help yourself to beef, pork, chicken or shrimp. Toss in some veggies from a delectably fresh selection. Careful with the spices until you get a feel for how hot you can handle it. Ladle on some sauce then hand over the fixins' to a stir-fry specialist, and let the cooking begin. The ingredients you select sizzle on a giant, six-foot grill. Visit the soup and salad bar and stop off at the grill as many times as you like. This is an all-you-can-eat affair. Lunch is $9.99 and dinner is $12.99. At lunch, the less hungry can order a single bowl paired with a taste of soup and salad or one bowl of barbeque at an even lower price. BD's has a full-service bar, too.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Closed, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas-Open, New Years Eve-Open
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $20
BANG!
3472 West 32nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80211
(303) 455-1117
Hours: (Tue-Sat) 5-10 pm; Closed Monday and Tuesday
Vividly painted designs border the windows on the street side where you can watch the action in the kitchen. As you squeeze between the buildings and make your way toward the patio entrance at the back, the sounds and mouth-watering smells of Bang! make you want to hurry and claim your table. Generous servings of old-fashioned meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy share the menu with innovative dishes like spicy peppered shrimp with mango habanero salsa and jasmine rice. If you have room, celebrate with a big finish-desserts with tasty bourbon sauces or gingerbread topped with freshly whipped cream. These talented chefs blend the essentials of well prepared food with some surprise ingredients to make your dining experience one you'll want to repeat soon.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve- Open, Christmas-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $20 - $25
BENNY'S RESTAURANTE Y CANTINA
301 East Seventh Avenue
Denver, CO 80203
(303) 894-0788
Hours: (Mon-Fri) 8 am-11 pm; (Sat) 9 am-11 pm; (Sun) 9 am-10 pm
You don't have to mind your manners when you order Benny's Sloppy Burrito. Just savor the blend of great tastes overflowing your plate. Chili Rellenos, crispy packets of beef or chicken with two stuffed peppers smothered in chili verde are served with guac, refritos, rice, lettuce and tomatoes. The popular Fish Taco Plate pairs soft corn tortillas stuffed to the gills with mahi fish, cabbage, radishes, avocado and chipolte sauce. It comes with aromatic cilantro lemon rice and a healthy helping of black beans. This menu delivers dozens of creative combinations based on authentic Mexican recipes. Benny's bar offers Mexican beers, 15 kinds of margaritas, a dozen varieties of tequila, wine and carafes of refreshing Sangria.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve- Open, Christmas-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $10 - $15
THE CHERRY CRICKET
2641 East Second Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 322-7666
Hours: Daily 11 am-Midnight; Bar is open until 2 am
The menu goes on and on: big burgers, bigger half-pound burgers (made with Certified Angus Beef and often voted the best in town); toppings and cheeses; sandwiches and more sandwiches like hunks of meatloaf, spicy BBQ, Mediterranean masterpieces and chicken breast wrapped in whatever taste treat your heart desires. The salads are cool and the Mexican dishes are hot. Go green with fiery Pueblo-style chili, a rich mixture of pork and zesty green chiles. Midwestern Red blends beef, kidney beans and ten spices, Sioux City style. The beer list numbers in the hundreds with daily specials by the pint or pitcher. The atmosphere is wide-open and friendly. Bright neon cheerfully lights up the walls and all the better beer signs hang side-by-side. The corner tavern lives on at the Cherry Cricket.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $10 - 15
FONTANA SUSHI
534 East Alameda Avenue
Denver, CO 80209
(303) 778-8818
Hours: (Mon-Thur) 11 am-10 pm; (Fri) 11 am-11:30 pm; (Sat) 12-11:30 pm; (Sun) 4-9:30 pm
Two rooms-a small clutch of tables in one and several more in another-provide limited seating, but the kitchen keeps everyone happy with the sensational way they prepare traditional Japanese specialties. Entrees are preceded with soup and a green salad. Then the beautifully arranged dinners arrive. The Tempuras offer a choice of chicken or shrimp wrapped in a wispy batter served with a mélange of tenderly dipped vegetables. Strips of tender Teriyaki Beef are mounded on a sizzling platter dished up with rice and tangy soy teriyaki sauce. Perfectly prepared sushi and sashimi cover the serving boats with delicious bites of brilliant color and contrasting textures. And it's almost always Happy Hour at Fontana with $1.00 sushi Sunday through Thursday from 6-10 pm, and Friday and Saturday nights from 7 pm until closing.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas-Closed, New Years Eve-Open
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $10 - $20
JERUSALEM RESTAURANT
1890 East Evans
Denver, CO 80210
(303) 777-8828
Hours: (Sun-Thur) 9-4 am; (Fri & Sat) 24 hours
For more than 20 years, outstanding Middle Eastern cooking has drawn diners to tiny Jerusalem to take pleasure in the authenticity of the recipes and the size of the servings. They sit inside at crowded tables, outside under a woven roof, on the other side on a breezy deck, but they all enjoy the generous platefuls of fine food served at almost all hours of the day and night, 365 days a year. The staff is very welcoming and happy to explain the various combinations on the menu. Succulent Shawarmah brings together tender slices of filet mignon marinated in special spices and served with onions and parsley. The Super Dish Combo provides endless variety: tasty "sheesh" kabob, kifta kabob, chicken kabob, hummus, falafel, baba ghanouj, tabbouleh, fatouch, gyros and last, but not least, grape leaves. All entrees are served with pita bread, rice and salad. Baklava, Nammoura and more nestle in the front bakery counter. A wondrous slice of lighter-than-air pastry filled with walnuts or pistachios, flavored with honey is the perfect end to a meal of exotic and satisfying tastes.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving- Open, Christmas Eve- Open, Christmas- Open, New Years Eve-Open
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $6 - $10
MOONGATE ASIAN GRILL
745 Quebec Street
Denver, CO 80220
(303) 329-2921
Hours: Mon-Sun 10 am-10 pm
Usually any “Asian” restaurant is not to be recommended – unfocused and confusing, they tend to offer much and excel at little. But Denver’s Moongate Asian Grill offers an invigorating challenge to the stigma of ill-defined “Asian” food with a fusion menu that’s flavorfully inspired, gorgeously presented and more than comfortable on the pocketbook. Try the screamin’ hot Sriracha Beef stir fry, which combines the world-famous sauce with broccoli and two kinds of onions. Vegetarians will love the crunchy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside Sesame Tofu, which comes lightly browned and steaming with a pleasant aroma. If you’re feeling frugal, lunch is the best time to visit this unassuming bistro – Moongate’s servings are large and the ambience far more refined than its bottom-of-the-barrel price tag would suggest. It just goes to prove that when it comes to refined Asian flavors, good things come in small packages.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving- Open, Christmas Eve- Open, Christmas- Open, New Years Eve-Open
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $6 - $13
PASQUINI'S PIZZERIA
1310 South Broadway, Denver, CO 80210
(303) 744-0917
Uptown-1336 East Seventeenth Avenue, Denver, CO 80218
(303) 863-8252
816 Main Street, Louisville, CO 80027
(303) 673-9400
Hours: (Mon-Thur) 11 am-10 pm; (Fri & Sat) 11 am-Midnight; (Sun) 2-10 pm
So what's your style: New York-thick around the edges, thin in the middle or Sicilian-thick inside and outside? Choose your own 12" serving or share a medium, large or 18" pie with your friends. The homemade lasagna and Grandma Rossi's ravioli are only two of the fabulous pasta plates, all of which are served with extra virgin olive oil, parmigiano reggiano or rich, zesty marinara. The mammoth calzones are crowned with melted cheese or try fresh baked herb focaccia from Pasquini's own bakery wrapped around a chicken breast with pesto, or prosciutto and provolone, grilled eggplant or the portabello mushroom with goat cheese, served with a side of organic field greens. There's a terrific dessert board, but the winning finish just might be the Chocolate Candles, a sensational mousse with a kahluha-flavored white chocolate ganache center. The bar offers a fine collection of wine, beer and liqueurs.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day- Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter- Closed, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas-Closed, New Years Eve- Closed
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $10 - $20
TOMMY’S THAI
3410 E. Colfax Ave.
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 377-4244
Hours: Mon.-Thurs.: 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., 5-9 p.m. Fri.:10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., 5-10 p.m. Sat.: noon-3:30 p.m., 5-10 p.m.
Located in a converted KFC and within strategic walking distance of some of Denver’s most colorful bars and clubs, Tommy’s Thai brings ambience – and bargains – to a basic Thai menu. Those new to the cuisine will enjoy the straightforward Pad Thai, which arrives smothered in crushed peanuts and cilantro, and the yummy egg rolls. Curry lovers will also find something to please, with a variety of fresh curries including a delectable Pineapple Red Curry that’s delicious with beef or tofu. Food is fresh, service is fast, and the atmosphere is surprisingly chic for the price. Water arrives in a simple tin cup, and the décor is loft-like and echoing. But watch out – other Denverites may be on to Tommy’s secret; the restaurant tends to have a wait during peak hours.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day- Open, Valentines Day-Open, Easter- Open, Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas-Open, New Years Eve- Open
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $8-15
TRATTORIA STELLA
3470 West 32nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80212
(303) 458-1128
Hours: (Mon, Wed-Sat) 11 am-2 pm, 5-10 pm; (Sun) Brunch 10 am-2 pm; 5-9 pm; Closed Tuesday.
The look of Stella's is anything but "old world," yet the recipes are based on traditional Italian favorites with some exciting new interpretations. Shoulder-to-shoulder inside seating shares the space with a comfortable front deck, almost doubling the restaurant's capacity. Diners rave about the Creamy Sausage and Tomato Rigate, homemade sausage swirled in a creamy tomato sauce peppered with red flakes, nutmeg and fresh rosemary over tender pasta. The nicest thing to happen to fettuccini in a long time is Stella's special Dijon and brie cream sauce with broccoli and portobello mushrooms. Meal-sized salads and a fine selection of Marna's luscious housemade desserts are worth their weight in lire. The wine list changes quarterly offering well-chosen, nicely priced selections by the bottle and the glass.
Holiday Schedule: New Years Day-Closed, Valentines Day-Open, Easter-Open, Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Closed, Christmas-Closed, New Years Eve-Open.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $15 - $20
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