The Fortunate Prospector — Restaurant in Aurora

I’m from Buffalo. I don’t go anywhere without ordering wings. I expect disappointment every time in Colorado—but I do it anyway because I have to. It’s a compulsion. A duty. A lifestyle.

We hit the English Prospector at the Gaylord Rockies, and of course, I ordered wings. I was expecting the usual garbage.

But these wings? Literally INSANE. Not Buffalo-style at all—don’t get it twisted. These were barbecue with cumin and legit flavor. Best wings I’ve had in Colorado, full stop. So good we ordered more immediately. The staff said they’re still tweaking the recipe, but honestly, they’re already killing it.

Now let’s talk about the fish and chips. Fish is almost always overcooked. Heavy. Greasy. Fishy. These weren’t. The fish was light, airy, and flaky. Not fishy at all. The batter was crisp but not oily. The chips (fries) were hot, crunchy, and salted just right. I was so full I couldn’t even finish it—and that never happens. I always finish everything. Honestly, it’s embarrassing to admit at a resort, but whatever—these were ridiculous.

The best English pub I’ve been to—and yes, I’ve actually been to London multiple times—is at the freaking Gaylord Rockies.

And yeah, I know this review sounds kind of unhinged. But I’m real. I live in Colorado. You can check my other reviews—I don’t hand out compliments like this unless it’s deserved. I hate most restataunts in Colorado to be honest. This place? Deserves it.

I don’t want to gatekeep, but I kind of do. Still… go. Get the wings. Get the...

My husband and I visited the second night they opened on my birthday. The bartender Marco was fantastic! We were excited to see cider on tap and an English beer and an Irish beer both on tap. I wish the cider was Magners and not Strongbow though, but that’s personal preference. My husband enjoyed both a London Pride and a Guiness beer. The white wine selection was nice, but there were no European red wines. I would suggest adding at least one old world red wine option. The cocktails were unique and interesting. I had a London Calling which had earl grey syrup in it – it was fantastic!

For a starter, we had the vindaloo wings. They were delicious but to be called vindaloo they really needed a little spice. They had a spice level of 0 out of 5. Overall the menu selection was great! We have visited the UK several times, and the menu felt very reminiscent of a British pub menu. We especially appreciated the menu options: mushy peas, chicken tikka masala, sticky toffee pudding and a chocolate orange flavored dessert! We both went with fish and chips. It was a lovely portion size and the chips were amazing! The fish was slightly overcooked so it was a bit dry and not super juicy. I’d love to have had a side of malt vinegar for dousing my fish and chips. We loved the mushy peas!

The pub ambience was cozy and pleasant. We loved the art and the gorgeous woodwork! We will definitely come...

We had a poor experience here, and it seemed largely due to managers. Our party of 6 waited for 25 minutes for a table with the open tables in plain sight. When they finally sat us, the table hadn't been reset with silverware or water glasses, which became an issue later.

We never got a server until we finally flagged down an adjacent server, Teagan, who went of his way to help us despite us not being his table. He was friendly and knowledgeable and a positive standout in an otherwise rough experience.

Our food took over 45 minutes to arrive and the chicken tikka masala arrived cold. We ate it because it was 9pm and we were too hungry to send it back.

When we finally asked to speak to a manager, Ryan stopped by for no longer than 40 seconds, and hearing the issues, failed to acknowledge the extra long ticket time, lack of place settings, cold food and even offer even a perfunctory apology.

His lack of response even after we brought up concerns directly was what prompted this review. Was very suprised at how dismissive he was. I'm certain it was below the standards of the Gaylord / Marriot.

Food was generally tasty - the reuben was salty and satisfying. The tikka masala curry sauce was delicious to dip chips/fries in--though this was not on the menu as a side we had...