For a Sunday breakfast we were looking for something local and unique. This restaurant seems to fit the bill. There are some things that seemed odd about it, but overall it was a good experience.
Upon arrival we needed to be added to the waiting list, we were informed it would be around a 30 minute wait, not bad for a Sunday. After giving the hostess our number we began to walk around the area, only to realize we never got any confirmation text. We headed back to the restaurant to let them know, and were seated within a few minutes of our return.
The Early Bird is smaller than you would expect, and there is no space unused, even the hostess stand it outside, the leave more room inside for customers.
The next oddity we encountered was the speed of service. We ordered a specialty drink before ordering food, yet the food came out before the drink. We prefer to enjoy our drinks while waiting for the food, not the other way around. Overall it was a minor issue.
The drink that did not come first.
As for the food, the portions were ample, and a good twist on your standard fare.
Overall we will return to enjoy again. This establishment earned 16 out of 20 Worms that the Early Bird can get!
To begin, we have been to this Bar multiple times. It was one of the first places we went to when we visited Denver. We have also been to the location in Westminster. Normally, 5280 Burger Bar is one of our favorite and most reliable go-to places when we are in Denver, on the 16th Street Mall. Something seems to have changed recently. We will get into that shortly. First, let’s talk about the positive.
5280 Burger Bar entrance.
The food, especially the wings, is still top notch. They do have something for everyone, even vegetarian options. More on the wings, they are on the appetizer portion of the menu, called “Jumbo Wings”. They are, generally, big enough to be called Jumbo, and crisped to almost perfection. There are only four options for sauces, but our favorite is the “Honey Sriracha”. The sauce has a great blend of sweet and spicy. Again, the food is very good.
The interior of the Restaurant while we were there.
Unfortunately, we must now talk about the negative, the reasons that this review is less than positive. The service we received on the last visit was some of the worst. To start, you can see how busy the bar was when we were there. We sat at the bar and watched the bartender talk to two of the customers for more than 10 minutes while everything and everyone else in the bar was ignored. Even the wait staff was coming and going from the bar waiting for drinks. One customer came in, sat down and left before getting service.
We knew what we wanted to drink as soon as we sat down, so we were able to get a drink while we waited. While we nursed our drinks waiting to be able to order food, we watched the bartender do anything other than help customers, except for the ones he knew or liked. We even asked once if we could order some food, and he told us we had to wait until he was done.
After a while, another bartender came off break. We were prepared to forgive and move forward, assuming service would improve, we were wrong. After initial contact, this bartender decided it was more important to talk to one person at the end of the bar.
Finally we asked to talk to a manager, he listened, apologized and offered us a free drink. Service did improve for about 10 minutes then went back to poor. In total we had been at the bar for about an hour, and the bartenders asked if we wanted drinks a maximum of three times, and we had to ask to order food. If things had been different we know we would have had more drinks, the bar let money on the table by ignoring us and other customers.
If the service continues at this level we will have to stop using the 5280 Burger Bars as one of our go-to places. With all of that in mind our final rating for this visit is 3,000 out of 5,280 feet.
We like starting our day with a good breakfast. Most days if we are not going into the office we will make a big meal at home. Today we wanted to go out and get some things done. We decided to go to a local breakfast joint that we have been to before. Usually is is hit or miss on the service, but very average on the food. Big helpings served hot and fast.
Today was not one of those days. This was probably one of the worst experiences we have had at the restaurant. Some of it was not just the food or the service, but what they decided to have on the TV’S in the bar area.
First, let’s talk about the food and service. The food was… OK. That is the best we can say about it. The service was below average. We had been seated right away, but it took almost 10 minutes for us to get water, and then a few more minutes to have our drink order taken.
Once we received our drinks we asked for some cream and sugar. We sat there for minutes more watching the coffee get cold while the waitress and trainee did things other than being us cream and sugar, like partially clean tables.
Once our food arrived it was warm. Not hot, not cold enough to complain. Just warm. The bacon that we ordered as a side for $3.00 was not worth that price. It was some of the smallest bacon ever seen at a breakfast place.
One final thing that turned us off from the place was the choice of TV “News” chosen to be on at the bar. Now we know many people have different views of the mainstream news and things like that. I could almost excuse having fox on in a public area. The management decided to have NewsMax on. That to me is a problem, it says we do not welcome all comers, on those who agree with us.
If that was the only problem with the restaurant we may be able to overlook it, but that combined with the decreasing service, and poor food means we probably will not be back. Our score is 10 out of 25 pancakes 🥞.
After a long day hiking the mountains, sometimes you just need to have some comfort food and a place to relax. A place that can feel familiar and have everything you need with no frills.
“The Backyard” in Castle Rock can be just such a place. The setup is exactly what it says it is. It is very much like a backyard and cookout, but with a better beer selection.
The first thing you will notice is a major difference from most restaurants you have been to. The whole thing is open seating. After selecting you picnic table, you scan a QR Code, and order what ever you want.
This is an excellent concept. You don’t have to wait for a member of the staff to take your order. The main drawback is the descriptions on the electronic menu is lacking.
We ordered the “Buffalo Chicken Dip” based on the title alone. While we waited for our food, we saw a plate go by that looked way better than what we ordered. It had vegetables on it, and all kinds of things. We could not find that anywhere on the menu.
It turns out that is exactly what we ordered, and it was great. The mix of veggies was outstanding, and the dip itself was a great blend of spicy and sweet. It hit the spot for a needed snack.
The rest of the menu fits perfectly with the Backyard theme. Basically, burgers and hotdogs.
There is a mismatch with the service. The beer service is excellent, it takes mere minutes from hitting the order button in your phone, to the beer being in your hand. However, the food service is significantly slower. It can be worth the wait, depend on how hungry you are, and your ability to wait for the food. Patience is key.
Overall we rate “The Backyard” 80 beers out of 100!
