A Denver Dinner Surrounded by the Old West

A snowy owl, an ocelot, a kiwi displayed with its eggs, and rows of larger game animals are not the usual companions for a Denver steak dinner. Here, though, the walls and ceilings are busy with mounted wildlife, while antique weapons, old photographs and Western memorabilia fill in nearly every available stretch of room.

This historic Denver restaurant has long been known as a place where dinner comes with a look around. The building carries a deep Old West and Colorado character, and a meal naturally unfolds in stages: sit down, study the game-heavy menu, then get up between courses to inspect something you missed on the way in.

It is a dining room with the density of a small museum and the appetite of a classic steakhouse. The collection is not tucked into a side room. It is central to the evening.

Mounted animals appear throughout the restaurant, including large game and fowl specimens overhead. The effect is unabashedly maximalist. A glance upward can turn into a longer look, and there is usually another photograph, rifle, or bit of memorabilia waiting around the next corner.

The second floor adds more seating and a bar, along with additional displays. Grizzly and black bears have been noted upstairs, giving that level its own especially dramatic visual punctuation.

The décor will not be for everyone. The extensive taxidermy is a defining feature rather than a small decorative note, so diners uncomfortable around mounted animals may find the room overwhelming. For people fascinated by Western collections, however, it offers a great deal to examine without leaving the table for long.

The restaurant encourages diners to walk around and take in the collection. That invitation changes the pace of a long dinner pleasantly: after a rich entrée or while waiting for dessert, there is a reason to wander a few steps and look more closely at the building's accumulated history.

The kitchen gives the setting a Colorado-minded counterpart. Bison, elk, buffalo, quail, duck, pheasant, lamb and Cornish game hen all appear among the more distinctive choices, alongside familiar steakhouse territory for diners who prefer to keep their order conventional.

Bison or buffalo prime rib is among the signature-style orders, appearing in versions such as High Plains buffalo prime rib and blackened bison prime rib. A bison steak is another way to try the meat in a more straightforward format.

Elk is given just as much attention. Diners can find elk steak, elk-and-buffalo pairings, and larger platters that bring several meats together. That breadth makes the menu especially handy for a table where one person wants a traditional steak while another is ready to sample something less ordinary.

The elk-and-buffalo combination is one of the menu's more memorable ways to compare the two meats. Separate sauces have accompanied the pairing, including a garlic preparation and a berry-red-wine sauce, giving each portion its own direction instead of treating the plate as a single undifferentiated sampler.

Other combinations have included elk with Cornish game hen, along with platters featuring elk, buffalo, quail and lamb. These multi-meat plates suit the spirit of the place: a little bit steakhouse, a little bit frontier feast, and considerably more interesting than settling immediately on a standard filet.

For a more shared-table approach, steak for two has been noted for substantial portions. It is one of the easier choices when the goal is a proper sit-down dinner rather than a quick bite before heading elsewhere.

Rocky Mountain oysters remain one of the restaurant's best-known conversation-starter appetizers. They are very much in keeping with the menu's willingness to offer dishes that feel specifically tied to the region rather than merely borrowing Western imagery for the walls.

Soup can make a gentler opening course. Baked potato soup, buffalo wild-rice soup and the house bean soup have all appeared on the table, offering a warmer, more familiar counterpoint to the more adventurous entrées.

The plates also come with the comforts expected from a steakhouse dinner: garlic mashed potatoes, vegetables, salads with pecans and bread. These details matter when the main course is elk or buffalo; a side of mashed potatoes gives the meal a familiar landing place.

There are local sodas, too, including black cherry and peaches-and-cream flavors. They are a small, cheerful alternative for anyone not looking to make the evening entirely about cocktails.

Even the menus continue the historical theme. They are designed to resemble newspapers, with articles printed on the front and back. It is an easy detail to overlook while deciding between elk and bison, but it fits the restaurant's habit of putting a little history into every corner.

Servers help bridge the gap between the room and the menu. They are often able to talk through the building's past, explain the dishes, and offer guidance to diners sorting out a first order of game meat. The historical stories can arrive right along with the recommendations.

The atmosphere is generally conversational rather than rushed, especially near opening time, when the rooms have been noted as quieter. Later hours and busier periods can bring more energy, so the volume depends on the crowd as much as the architecture.

The layout accommodates more than one sort of visit. There are indoor dining areas, bar seating, a second-floor area and private-dining space, allowing the restaurant to work for a couple's dinner as well as a larger group gathering.

Country or Western music and the bar reinforce the theme without requiring a separate attraction next door. The building itself supplies the diversion.

Reservations have commonly been recommended, and the current reservation policy is worth checking before making plans. This is a destination-style meal rather than a casual drop-in burger stop, both in the length of the visit and in the typical spending level.

Meals commonly fall in the midrange-to-higher range, roughly $50 to more than $100 per person depending on what is ordered. Game combinations, larger steaks and drinks can move a dinner toward the upper end.

There is a free on-site parking lot, though it is small and can be tricky to navigate when the restaurant is busy. Street parking has also been used, with availability and cost varying by spot.

The menu can change, so a particular soup, sauce, soda or game preparation is not guaranteed on every visit. Still, the enduring formula is clear: order something you do not cook at home, take a slow look around, and leave room in the evening for the second floor.