Monarch Chophouse — Local services in Black Hawk

Let me start by saying the food here is absolutely delicious. If you’re dining in the main room, it’s a fantastic spot for date nights, gatherings, or casual meals. Whether you’re dressed to the nines or keeping it casual, you’ll feel perfectly at home. If you’re gluten-free, be sure to ask for their amazing gluten-free bread – it’s delicious and offered at no extra charge, which is a rare and thoughtful touch.

Now, onto the reason for my review and why there are two stars missing.

We’ve been coming to the Chophouse regularly since it opened. I started in the dining room but switched to the bar area years ago since I often dine alone. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with the service Tyler and his team provided. They went above and beyond to learn guests’ names, preferences, and stories. No matter how you were dressed or who you were, you were treated with kindness and respect.

Tyler was the best bartender I’ve ever encountered. His team, trained by him, matched his exceptional service and mixology skills. I often told others that the best drinks—both alcoholic and non-alcoholic—could be found right here.

Unfortunately, a few months ago, new bar management caused Tyler and another incredible bartender, Tristan, to quit. I’ve visited several times since then, sitting both at the bar and in the bar lounge areas, and the difference is stark.

The new team has been nothing short of disappointing. They’ve been openly dismissive of Tyler and Tristan, badmouthing them to long-time patrons and boasting about how they’ll “make everything better now that they’re gone.” However, what I’ve actually experienced is slow, clumsy service.

One bartender spends more time showing off than making drinks efficiently, tossing bottles into the air (and upsetting guests) while often making a mess. He overmixes drinks, drinks the excess straight from the shaker, and brags about how good he is. I’ve seen him make drinks with Red Bull, chug the leftovers, and toss the can into the trash like a basketball.

If you’re sitting in the bar’s lounge area, service is nearly non-existent. They seem to assume you’re just waiting for a dining room table, and getting anyone to come over is a challenge. When they do, service is painfully slow—not because they’re busy, but because they don’t want to waste effort on someone who might not tip well.

The staff’s treatment of guests also seems to vary based on gender and perceived tipping potential, focusing their attention on those they assume will tip the most.

I used to make a two-hour drive (one way) just to have dinner and drinks here, often driving home the same night. This time, even though I stayed at the hotel, I chose Taco Bell instead of the Chophouse—not because the food isn’t amazing, but because the experience has been ruined.

When I do return, I’ll stick to the dining room, but my visits will be rare. The bar area, once my favorite spot to mingle and people-watch, has lost its charm. I’ve noticed it getting quieter and quieter—not just because of the season, but because of the new team.

What used to be a vibrant hub where locals and tourists alike came for exceptional drinks and service has now become a disappointment. By driving out the best bartending team around, they’ve not only lost regulars like me but also missed out on substantial revenue. Unless things change, I can’t see the bar regaining its...

A very expensive “meh.”

So the lit-up menus are actually two very heavy tablets stuck inside a leather menu holder. Nowhere to sit the heavy things on a table full of glass. I guess they couldn’t afford airbooks or something lightweight. But hey, the drink menu was on an even smaller, iPad-style tablet, and we only got one for a table of six. And since each drink category has to be clicked on, then each drink to see the ingredients… I didn’t waste another $25+ on drinks. Honestly the blue-screen menus in the dimly lit atmosphere hurt my eyes and felt cheap, like everyone was playing on a phone.

Water was tepid at best. They kept refilling it and it kept being not-cold.

I guess it was kind of cool to watch the Caesar salad and steak Diane get made at the table. Of course, as me and my dining partner had gotten neither (others at the table ordered these) we mostly just ate the bread. It’s either that, or stare at the other people who are eating since they don’t really bring out all the food at once. The round bread was my favorite part of the meal, somehow it tasted like thanksgiving stuffing in a light and fluffy form. The herbed butter was good. Mmm.

The food itself tasted good. Solidly good, not mind-blowing. I got bison tenderloin and truffle macaroni and cheese. The meat was just a few degrees warmer than the tepid water, so that was a $60 bummer. Could have used some salt, but there was none so I put more butter on it. It was tender and flavorful. Mostly cooked medium (as ordered) one side was pretty red and thus chewy. The little spoonful of mashed potatoes was the same tepid temperature as the meat—now that I think about it, the plate wasn’t warm either. Mac & cheese was the only properly warm dish, I would have like the noodles cooked longer but I know that’s sort of a personal preference (bitey noodles and Mac and cheese… nope). Also could have used some salt.

I’d only come here again if someone else really wanted to. Food was good enough, but there are a lot of other places I’d rather drop a hundred bucks for one person without drinks.

Oh, and between the music and the hallway noise, we couldn’t hear across our...

My family and I had a very unpleasant experience here. I should start out with we are very seasoned with steakhouses. We have eaten at pretty much every steakhouse in colorado and Las Vegas multiple times. We LOVE a fine dining experience. We tend to always order the same things as well. The son and wife like filet and I prefer ribeye. I will say this was the worst ribeye I've ever had. It's priced at $103 which is slightly high for a simple ribeye even at the nicest spots. I had every expectation of this being a delicious steak but it was 80% fat, tough, and lacking flavor and juices. I ate what I could and just wanted to bring it to their attention that the meat was very poor quality, even stating I wanted nothing in return, I've never complained about a steak in my life. All I wanted was an apology however the manager couldn't even come out himself. The waiter proceeded to tell me the chef said it just had a larger than normal fat cap but nothing wrong with it. You could see what was on my plate was 80% of the steak left which was fat, not rendered, or delicious in anyway, just a hunk of fat. The waiter told me a ribeye is more undesirable cut for that reason like I've never had a steak before. My son and wife's filets were ordered the same temperature but both were different cooks, one was super charred. The potatoes were clearly not made fresh and pretty much every level of the experience was super unenjoyable and never made any better by the pompous waiter. Was this just a freak experience and it's typically better? I obviously can't say but I'd lean towards this is more common than it should be by the way they handled it. The cherry on top was my wife now has food poisoning. All indications would be it came from their restaurant. Overall I'd have to say it was the worst steak experience we've had to date. If you've made it this far and you're wondering if you should try it, I would advise no. The buffet is a much better option which is just...