Beau Jo's Denver — Restaurant in Denver

If you're looking for the classic Beau Jo's experience, this location will leave you disappointed. It feels more like a grab-and-go spot than a real sit-down restaurant. While they have tables, everything is self-service: you order at the counter, get your own drinks, plates, napkins—basically, you're on your own. No one checks in on you. I’m not sure if this is a franchise or just a poorly run branch, but the quality and service you’d typically expect from a Beau Jo's is severely lacking here.

Unfortunately, the food mirrored the lackluster service. I ordered a pizza with garlic, expecting it to come with the standard minced garlic found at the other locations. Instead, it came with roasted garlic, which completely altered the taste. I took a few bites, found it very unpleasant, and eventually walked back to the counter to explain. They offered to make a plain cheese pizza. While I accepted the replacement, I casually suggested they specify "roasted garlic" on the menu to avoid confusion in the future. The response I got was unexpectedly condescending: "Well, honestly, you're the first person to have this problem. I've waited on over 20,000 people, and people who like garlic don't care whether it's minced or roasted. You're the first one," he said before walking away.

It felt like a personal attack, but equally frustrating, it dismissed a basic culinary principle - how preparation and heat can dramatically change the flavor and texture of ingredients, as is true for many foods. For example, different preparations of garlic have a significant impact on its taste due to the chemical reactions involved. Mincing garlic releases the enzyme alliinase, which catalyzes the breakdown of alliin into allicin, the compound responsible for garlic’s pungent flavor. Roasting garlic, however, keeps the cell walls intact and prevents alliinase from being released, meaning there’s no allicin production. Instead, the heat converts alliin into much larger sulfur compounds, which have a sweeter, milder taste. Garlic isn’t a “one size fits all” ingredient. This is basic food science, and common kitchen knowledge. Apparently, the staff at this Beau Jo’s either don’t know or don’t care about this, preferring to dismiss customer feedback and belittle concerns rather than address such an easily avoidable issue. In the end, the food was mediocre, and the food as well as the attitude of the staff left a bad taste in my mouth. If you're a fan of Beau Jo’s high standards, I’d suggest avoiding...

Review edited after response from Beau Jo's Denver.

Eating Vegan at Beau Jo's is awesome! My original order that caused this review was rang in incorrectly which is why it became much more expensive than advertised. They contacted me, looked into the order, and refunded it for us. (Which was not necessary, but appreciated.) The Large Mountain Style Vegan Sausage Combo we ordered should have been $41.00 before tax. Which is still expensive, but justifiable so for the location, service, and good pizza. I'm giving them their stars back for effectively communicating what happened was incorrect, and that they'll try to make sure it doesn't happen in the future.

I also definitely got my math wrong in the original review as I didn't factor in tax and a fountain soda. I wasn't the one paying, so I didn't have access to the receipt.

Original review is below.

"Let's be clear, the pizza was delicious. But when you advertise that a signature pizza can be made vegan, I'm not expecting a $37 dollar large pizza to suddenly become a $60 pizza. (yes the vegan options can cost extra. that's fine.) but $7.5 per ingredient!? I can also understand if we were adding ingredients, but we were REPLACING them! On a pizza that was advertised as the vegan choice!

Also the server dropped a slice of our $60 pizza face down on our table. Apologized and was very nice, but maybe offer something to replace it? Even just a bag of chips my bro?

Please Beau Jo's if you see this, make a dedicated vegan option that at the bare minimum doesn't have a surprise 50% price increase when you go to pay at...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Beau Jo's Pizza, and I must say, it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. Not only did they serve us the best pizza I have ever had, but they also impressed us with their prompt service.

Upon placing our order, we were pleasantly surprised by how quickly they got our pizza to our table. Despite the bustling atmosphere in the restaurant, our pizza arrived hot and fresh in no time. The efficiency of the staff certainly added to our overall satisfaction with the dining experience.

Now, let's talk about the star of the show - the pizza itself. Beau Jo's truly knows how to craft a delicious pie. The crust was perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, providing a delightful contrast of textures. The generous toppings were fresh and flavorful, and the cheese was gooey and satisfying. Every bite was a burst of savory goodness that left us craving more.

Beau Jo's Pizza not only impressed us with their quick service but also with the quality of their food. If you're looking for a place that serves top-notch pizza, look no further than Beau Jo's. I can confidently say that it was the best pizza I have ever had, and I will definitely be returning for more...