The Best New American in Aurora

Cherry Cricket

★★★★☆ 4 (3306) • $$

"Cherry Cricket, the famed black sheep of Cherry Creek, somehow still impresses after all these years. Hailed as one of Denver's best burger places, I'm shocked if anyone says they don't have an enjoyable burger here.When you see the legendary Duffy's sign you know you're in the right place. Entering the restaurant I've mostly received weird interactions upon entry. They do, in fact, seat you, but often times I've had bad luck and find myself waiting for an employee to seat us.There are plenty of dining rooms indoors like booths, community tables, and bar seating. But the Cricket is known for their massive outdoor patio. Part of it is covered underneath a gigantic tent set up, the other picnic table style seating overlooking the foot traffic of Cherry Creek.What to order at the Cricket? They do have some signature burgers they're known for that have won awards at burger festivals. The green chile relleno burger stands out because I don't know how they invented this concoction, but it's a beast of a burger that has DENVER written all over it.More often than not, the Cricket Burger is the pro move. A customizable half pound burger with the toppings of your choice. The one I had the other night was with American Cheese, Bacon, and Jalapeños. It was cooked perfectly, an undeniable beefy flavor. It was a damn memorable burger.Oh. And the frings (with ranch) are a MUST.The knock of the star just boils down to the restaurant being too big, which means occasionally you feel like the forgotten stepchild depending on if your section is busy or not. On multiple occasions the service has been incredibly slow. Other than that, I'll continue to support this Denver institution.Here's to another 50 years, Cricks!"

Jelly

★★★★☆ 4 (2056) • $$

"UPDATE!All of the things mentioned in my previous review still ring true! Although the menu is breakfast heavy and served all day, the lunch shines just as much and is OMG so good.++ The Ruben - Slow-cooked corned beef or roasted turkey, or both - with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut with Russian dressing on rye bread. Do yourself a favor and get the corned beef as the meat is generously layered with melty cheese and absolutely delicious! ++ SBLT - Griddled salmon with bacon, lettuce, tomato and basil mayonnaise served on multigrain bread. I know what you're thinking, "salmon, at a breakfast joint?". Well, let me tell you this sandwich was well cooked, layered perfectly and refreshing! My side of sweet potato fries were icing on the cake!Mom and I left with a full belly after a wonderful experience!When in the area, I'd easily return!"

Osteria Marco

★★★★☆ 4.1 (1870) • $$$

"The space is pretty big in the lower level of the restaurant. There were several tables with patrons. It was still early in the evening when we were seated quickly yet the pizza did take a while to arrive although it was really delicious. Too bad I didn't have enough time to revisit this establishment to try other items on the menu.Heads up they have a few service charges that are not usual in most restaurants."

Appaloosa Grill

★★★★☆ 3.9 (1158) • $$

"Excellent local bar/restaurant spot. They have it all -- lunch, happy hour, live bands at night. The food is pretty dang good and bartenders/servers are always awesome, And for once they actually TELL customers about added gratuity! So many spots are so sneaky about it & try to capitalize on greed. Appaloosa does NOT! Good on you all! Their Caesar salad dressing g is excellent! Yes, it comes with a bit of anchovy and it's perfect. This dressing has anchovies as a main ingredient, it surprises me how many people aren't aware of that fact. Another fun fact - Caesar salad was not created where you might think. It was invented in Tijuana, Mexico. But, the chef was Italian so there ya go. They have a nice carpaccio dish too. Oh and a super yum Cooperstown Cabernet barrel finished Rye bourbon whiskey that is to die for. Recommend allll the way!"

Olive & Finch

★★★★☆ 4.2 (900) • $$

"Lucky Uptown, Denver. Affordable and healthy is in their neighborhood! Their focus is scratch-made and wholesome food made to order.Featured dishes:FARMHOUSE SCRAMBLE Two scrambled eggs with roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, spinach and provolone. Served with a green salad, roasted potatoes and toast. I added the pulled pork to it.BOGOTA Hash. Two over medium eggs,* chorizo, roasted sweet and white potatoes, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese .Patio out front. Catch some sun. Enjoy good food with good people!"

Culinary Dropout

★★★★☆ 4.2 (813) • $$

"We love Culinary Dropout! We stopped here for lunch in Denver before heading up to Steamboat. We visited during lunchtime on a Friday afternoon and it was pretty empty (though it is a very large space) so we were able to grab a table easily. We've dined at Culinary Dropout in Arizona, so we have a few menu items we love, including the pretzel bites - so good! And I love that they are served with a candle under the cheese so it stays warm. I went with the crispy shrimp caesar salad. This was so good, and the perfect size for lunch. I left feeling perfectly full. Our server was wonderful - I didn't catch his name but he was so friendly and checked in on us frequently. Another great experience at Culinary Dropout!"

The Corner Office Restaurant + Martini Bar

★★★★☆ 3.6 (1074) • $$

"One of our go-to's whenever we come to Denver! You can't go wrong with anything that you order off of the menu. The food and drink service is quick and always accurate/consistent. Not to mention the location is super convenient and the ambiance is fantastic!"

Oak at Fourteenth

★★★★☆ 4.2 (785) • $$

"Lovely service from the hostess and server. Sat at the "chef's table/bar" and asked the gentleman behind the counter what his favorite dish they offered. "Meatballs." That's it. That's the only interaction I had with him the entire time. Not exactly the experience I was hoping for when I selected the chef's table, but whatever. Nice little place with a cozy dining room, bar, chef's table/bar plus a back room, which was hosting a private party during my visit. The hamachi crudo aguachile was quite delicious. I should have gone with my other choice, which was the crispy arancini with blue cheese and spicy honey. (Sounds yummy, right?) But I went with the server's suggestion of the special roasted sunchokes and just really didn't like them. I also asked for a slice of their focaccia (who can resist the squishy softness of some good focaccia?!) but I was sorely disappointed when it came out oven roasted and rock hard. Wait. What? Thankfully, the removed the $5 charge for the single piece of bread from my tab when I mentioned not loving it, and the server did apologize and said she should have asked if I wanted it heated. Overall, a bit of a swing and a miss for me. I think it could have been a better experience with a few different choices on my part. I'd certainly give them another try if I find myself in Boulder again."

Acova

★★★★☆ 4.3 (649) • $$

"Acova is home to one of the best patios in all of Denver. I'd love nothing more than to give them higher praise, but I've left here wanting more on numerous occasions.From the same ownership as The Hornet on South Broadway, Acova took over this place from Patsy's, a beloved restaurant from Denver's yesteryear. Visually and aesthetically, they're doing it right. Execution of food and service though could use a reboot.I brought my parents here when they were in town, because I knew it'd be a wonderful atmosphere for dining al fresco. The meal almost never even took place, because when we arrived we were ignored for about five minutes. This wasn't a weekend, it was a normal night during the week. No hostess, server, bartender, etc. acknowledged us. We were on the verge of leaving, but I walked up to the bartender and eventually it all get settled. This is a huge pet peeve of mine, it's like ignoring someone that walks into your house!My dad and I ordered wings to start and these were the star of the show for me. The wings were crispy and well cooked. I wish I doubled down and ordered a second portion of them to be honest!For mains, I ordered the beef short ribs and they were served over risotto. The short ribs were relatively tender and had nice flavor. The risotto, however, was just not good. It's a tough dish to make don't get me wrong, but I couldn't even finish my plate because the texture and taste was off.We also had an issue with one of my family's dishes that was wrong, but eventually they made it right. I appreciate that the server and the GM actually took responsibility and ownership of the situation. I will give them kudos for that! Ultimately they were nice and tried to make up for the previous blunders of the evening.Am I running back? Absolutely not. I've been here a few times over the years and this experience matches all my other ones. But if you simply want to have a few drinks on the patio and soak up the sun, this is an excellent place to be when in LoHi."

School House Kitchen & Libations

★★★★☆ 3.5 (958) • $$

"Something has changed...And I love it! The food has improved. Plates and ingredients seem purposeful and in harmony. (BRISKET TACOS = YUM!) Bloody Marys are flavorful, garnished, and don't break the pocket. This place is charming! After a few elementary-level whelmed trips to school house over the last few years , they have graduated to a place where you want to go and study the whisky selection."

Elway's

★★★★☆ 3.8 (789) • $$$

"I had there Monday chicken bacon sandwich, special it was so delicious. The waitress was very nice as well good service."

Perrys Steakhouse & Grille - Park Meadows

★★★★☆ 4 (702) • $$$

"I really wanted to like this place but for the $$$, not really worth it. We did their Valentine's Day menu, and I am not sure if that why the food was not great. Seems to me that they did not have quality control. Yes, they do ask you to cut your steak in half to check the cook but after waiting so long, all we wanted to do is dig in. The cook on my filet was definitely hitting the med-rare I requested. My husband's ribeye was rare right in the center. Good thing he did not mind it. The ends of Ribeye definitely hit temps though. With it being so packed and ofc highly rated (on Google), I had higher expectations. I was so shocked with my first bite that the steak (filet perry 4oz) was so salty. I felt like I was drinking ocean water. Fine, its a busy day. I tried the mash potatoes that it came with..... yup salty. I am not sure what happened there. Dessert was good. Choc Crunch Tower -- tasted like the Ikea choc crunch cake if you have ever tried it. Super sweet. And you cannot go wrong with the cheesecake. Service was great! Attentive waiter, I do appreciate that. We did end up waiting over 30 mins past our reservation time which is okay since it was Valentine's Day. Cocktails -- nothing to rave about, decent. Their Berry Mule was my favIf we ever go back, I would totally try their Pork Chop. We had they "famous" pork bites and that was *chef kiss*"

Briar Common Brewery + Eatery

★★★★☆ 4.3 (570) • $$

"Good Ruben , good beer, great bartenders, nice ambience, Outside dog friendly seating and rooftop area."

Union An American Bistro

★★★★☆ 4.2 (586) • $$

"Our cousin recommended this place for our date night. We arrived early for our reservation but were still seated quickly. We made it on time for happy hour so we ordered fish tacos, truffle tots and baked brie- all to share. The truffle tots were undercooked and tasteless. However, the fish tacos and baked brie were great. The baked brie is a MUST. So. Good. When we told the staff the tots were not good and we would like to order the Mac and cheese instead, they were on it. No issues at all. And the Mac and cheese was great. Drinks were great too. All in all, we enjoyed our meal and the staff."

Hillstone Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.8 (699) • $$$

"Great food, great ambiance. Some of my favorites: grilled artichoke and the French dip. Excellent upscale restaurant"

The Cow An Eatery

★★★★☆ 3.8 (691) • $$

"I'm not sure why they have such low ratings. When you walked inside, it was covered with cows. Even the bathroom had cow paintings and artwork inside. Thats why they call it the cow and eatery. You can either eat inside or the outside patio or the back closed off patio. The service is great, and they are quick and check on you frequently. When I asked for hot sauce, they brought over three from their own brand. I was impressed by all three. It felt like I was in the show hot ones on youtube, haha!!I found out that this place used to be just an ice cream shop with just outside seating, but renovated it for food and dessert with seating inside. I think that was a great idea. Food wise, I ordered for myself the seafood mac and cheese. I'm on a diet not eating fried food, so it was limited, and of course, I got myself dessert too. Their banana split was so good. I enjoyed it thoroughly even though I'm not a fan of chocolate. But their two flavors and all of the toppings together combined matched well. I would suggest getting their dessert as it's all handmade."

SALT

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (849) • $$

"What a treat! We sat in the main dining room and received impeccable service from the hosts, our server, and the support staff. We started with a winter burrata salad and cocktails. The salad was amazing with distinct flavors that complimented each other so well. We also had the fresh baked bread and butter and loved the salty crust. For a main course, we had the risotto of the day--with mushrooms, wine and chicken. We relished every bite we could and took the rest home. We were too full for dessert but know that we will be back for more!"

Earls Kitchen + Bar

★★★★☆ 3.9 (644) • $$$

"The evening started off great at the hostess stand where we were greeted by a super friendly and welcoming young lady, Hadley. She sat us in Shanttneil's section and she was awesome from start to finish. Food and drinks were perfect. A+"

ELWAY'S Downtown

★★★★☆ 3.7 (670) • $$$

"I was impressed with Elway's. I came with a group of friends on the recommendation of one friend's father and we were not disappointed.The restaurant is lovely and one particular thing I liked about it was that it was lively but not deafening. For some reason, every high end steakhouse in NYC is so loud and filled with finance & tech bros trying to out-testosterone each other than you can't hear the person next to you. Elway's, by contrast, although filled with the Colorado equivalent of tech/finance bros-- but wearing cowboy hats-- had a good energy level but I could hear people across the table from me. Service was top-notch from start to finish. Scott was our waiter and he was exceptional...one member of our party has particular likes and dislikes and he handled everything with grace and aplomb. Matching the service was the food and drink. My rye old fashioned was spectacular. For food, I started by splitting a Caesar salad and that was wonderful. Then my 12 oz NY Strip came out and it was perfectly prepared and delicious. The sides were great too, especially the mashed potatoes, asparagus and spinach. I wasn't thrilled about the brussels sprouts as I prefer mine a little crisper but that's not the way they were prepared so I can't fault them. For dessert, my husband and I split a key lime pie that had a special anniversary message on it. It was a nice surprise and the tartness of the pie was a great coda to the meal. This was an exceptional meal from start to finish. I'd definitely go back...especially if someone else was paying because it is not cheap. But if you want a memorable place for a special occasion, you can't go wrong with Elway's."

Cerberus Brewing Company

★★★★☆ 4.1 (541) • $$

"Came here after a long day with my husband and kids and it did not disappoint. The servers were friendly and the food was delish. All the beers we tried were great too. The vibes were chill and friendly. Will definitely come back."

Table 6

★★★★☆ 4.1 (528) • $$

"We've been to Table 6 several times...and it is always a hit.Cozy Comfy spot with great service and excellent food.Smallish menu with something for everyone."

Henry's Tavern

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (766) • $$

Bad Daddy's Burger Bar

★★★★☆ 3.8 (600) • $$

"We've been to Bad Daddy's a couple times- I have to say, I had the best time at the seating area by the bar, bc it's name suggests as such, but when you're seated in the dining area, it doesn't give that same feel... Anyway, food is good- you can select whatever you want to go on a burger, we love fried pickles, so we had those and drinks- love me an Angry Apple orchard on tap I honestly wanted to write a review so I meet my 25th review milestone, but also to post the drinks... there's no photo on Yelp to determine what they've got So, here ya go!"

River and Woods

★★★★☆ 4 (539) • $$

"Super tasty restaurant. It's this awesome glamping x upscale dining mashup. Good vibe and great service.My husband took us here for a surprise date. We started with some drinks and the duck wings and and crispy artichoke. Both were good, but the duck wings were the preferred.We then doubled down and got duck and short rib for dinner. Beautiful plating and delicious dishes.We ordered their SA Syrah, which they were unfortunately out of, so settled for their last bottle of a vintage of Barolo. Delic!We got dessert and dessert wines but I'm totally forgetting what we got.Anyway, super great place."

Simms Steakhouse

★★★★☆ 3.5 (693) • $$$

"Came here for Father's Day. This restaurant is on a side of a hill with a spectacular view. How am I going to maneuver a wheelchair up this hill? No worries, they provide complementary parking which makes it an extra special event.Entering the restaurant provides a spectular view. We ordered a delicious Simms salad. The fried calamiri came with a surprise bed of healthy beans! Less guilt for eating this appetizer. We were then treated to complimentary homemade fresh hot bread!We ordered the most delicious fish dish I have ever had. The roasted miso sea bass was tender, flaky and not over cooked. This was accompanied by sticky rice and baby bok chiy. Our server Bailey provided attentive excellent service. I will be back."

Pony Up

★★★★★ 4.6 (398) • $$

"Really cool spot. We did wait about 5 minutes for bar seating on a Friday night. Service was really quick. We shared the Chicago French dip. So nice that they split it for us and gave us two dips. The sandwich was delicious and perfectly spicy. The beef was so juicy and delicious but was slightly dry on its own which was a bit disappointing but everything tasted awesome. I had the Parmesan bourbon drink. This was super delicious and would definitely order again."

Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar

★★★★☆ 4.2 (457) • $$

"A delicious meal and great service can be found at Lazy Dog. They have a lodge type feel that is very cozy and comfortable to spend time with friends and family. They have a dog friendly patio and even feature a puppy menu! A wide food selection from delicious burgers to unique Asian inspired dishes. I have only had great food here! I especially love the butter cake.They have full bar and specialize in Craft Beer. Happy hour is 3-6 on the weekdays with some amazing deals! I would highly recommend dining here."

Bad Daddy's Burger Bar

★★★★☆ 4 (477) • $$

"Bad Daddy Burger Bar exceeded my expectations. I'm a vegetarian and they have made a impossible with a variety of different sauces and buns. If you want you can also order a burger on lettuce. But, really that's sacrileges to the experience of a burger place.The place is clean and to date the staff is friendly and the service is top-notch compared to most restaurants."

5281 Seafood, Steakhouse and Bar

★★★★☆ 4.4 (391)

"Great locals kind of place. Reasonably priced for food and drinks. I loved the loaded baked potato and the filet was decent and priced right. Worth a visit for sure."

Milk Market

★★★★☆ 3.5 (609) • $$

"I love the Milk Market! We just recently discovered this spot a couple months ago and have been multiple times over the last few weeks. The Huckleberry Roasters is a great spot to grab a coffee and then hang out in the hotel lobby chairs. Grab a pastry from LoDough, or one of the other food counters throughout the market (but really, LoDough). Then head around the corner to Free Market for some shopping! I've been here for a relaxing morning, and I've also been here with my toddlers. For kids (or adults) there is air hockey and some other fun games. I haven't figured out how to work the ski ball machines, but I hope to one day.I've also been in the evening for dinner and drinks. There are so many drink options! We chose the whisky bar and had great drinks (mine non-alcoholic, and still great). I hope to return to try Bruto and the prohibition bar downstairs one day!Enjoy exploring, I hope you love it!"

The Plimoth

★★★★☆ 4.4 (384) • $$$

"This place is definitely on the pricey side, for example, a well vodka was $10. But the service was great, it is a beautiful atmosphere inside, and the food was really good. It's probably a place I would not return to again, unless I won the lottery."

The Bindery

★★★★☆ 3.8 (504) • $$

"Nice way to start Restaurant Week. The Bindery was busy on this first night so I was glad I made reservations. Got a nice seat by the window to overlook downtown Denver. Very filling menu with a wine pairing option that was reasonably priced. First course of asparagus with beef carpaccio was nice. The lamb oso buco was an enormous portion. I don't care for meat on the bone but the guajlillo sauce with this dish was very tasty. Best dish of the night - dessert. Lemon "was a cake and now dreams" did not disappoint. A flavorful dish of lemon curd with moist cake topped with meringue. I will go back just for this dish!"

Opa Grill

★★★★☆ 4.1 (421) • $$

"As you can tell by the plethora of reviews, this is a spot to drop into. My favorite local restaurant in all of Parker, Colorado in addition to JuJu's Coffee! Consisent high quality Greek food at a more than fair price. EXCELLENT!"

Parker Garage

★★★★☆ 3.5 (576) • $$

"The atmosphere here was really cool and I stopped on to meet with am old friend that was in town. He got the porkchop with the mashed potatoes and really enjoyed it. I got the large corn dish (like street corn) and steak. The corn was awesome and the steak was ok (I'd pass on it next time). I tried some beer and liked the selection. I liked the seating at the bar area and will definitely check this place out again."

Yard House

★★★★☆ 3.5 (575) • $$

"Happy hour is a must! Half priced selection appetizers and pizzas. $2 off cocktails. The chicken and fries were only $7! The Malibu peach cocktail was absolutely delicious! I had 2!"