ELWAY'S Downtown — Restaurant in Denver

Oh my gosh! If you have not tried this restaurant, make sure you make reservations here. Scott was our AMAZING server/host for the night and he made me feel so unbelievably special. I was interested in steak and lobster, and their menu has an option to add a lobster tail to every plate. It’s honestly a fantastic deal, so you should definitely do it! I wanted a bottle of wine with dinner, but if you know anything about wine pairing, it’s not suggested to pair a red wine with seafood. I mentioned my interests in wine to Scott and he sent over the restaurants sommelier, Monica. (Found out she’s a Michigan native like me!) I told her some of my favorite styles of wine and she went to the cellar to pick something out. She also offered a glass of champagne to cleanse the palate after our cocktails since we were having lobster and steak. This was such a wonderful gesture that really amplified the dining experience. The wine i had for dinner was a lovely Barolo. It was delicious with notes of blackberry, anise, and cinnamon. We chatted about wine for a while, and I feel like I learned so much! Scott brought the appetizer, the lamb chop fondue, which was highly recommended by him. Lamb is not usually my choice of protein, but I trust he wouldn’t steer us the wrong direction. I’m so glad I tried it because it was to die for! It absolutely melts in your mouth and the green chili cheese is something I will dream about forever. For dinner, I ordered lobster, filet mignon, cremini mushrooms, and au gratin potatoes. Honestly, you get a lot of food. The steak was so tender, you could cut it with your fork. It was my first time trying lobster, and dang was i satisfied! I made sure to compliment the chefs as well. Scott and Monica regularly checked in with to fill glasses and clear unneeded plates away. Becky, who I believe to be a manager or regional manager, was also attentive to my needs. She made me feel like family and like I was the single most important person in the restaurant. Honestly, all the staff make you feel this way. I love the good energy in the restaurant because when you’re dining in an elite place like Elway’s, you want the service to match the food. Everything exceeded our expectations. Somehow, after ALL of that food, i still had room for dessert! I tried the strawberry cheesecake and the chocolate caramel cake. Holy decadent!!! Try them both! I initially planned to go to another cocktail bar after dinner, but I didn’t want to leave! I ended up relocating to the bar where Josh and Jon took care of me. I had another cocktail and a surprise glass of champagne. I am not joking when I say i spent at least 4 hours at the restaurant! Every moment was amazing. The staff treated me like family. I have never had such a pleasant experience at a restaurant in my life. Please try this restaurant if you’re looking for an upscale meal in downtown Denver! I promise you will not be disappointed. The people, the food, the ambiance, and the wonderful conversations had will last in my memories forever.

*pics will not do this place...

We had one of the worst meals in recent memory at Elway’s this evening. This was my first time at the Downtown Elways location. I had previously been to the location in Cherry Creek which was very good. We had a reservation for two on a Friday night and the place was empty.

We started off at the host station where they told us that they were having a meeting in the dining room and that we could wait it in lounge or bar area. We sat in the bar area, although instead of coming to get us to let us know our table was ready, they sat 3 other tables before they acknowledged us.

The server was friendly and came out to greet us quickly. We started with the grill artichoke, which was undercooked and really wasn’t editable, for $20 we did the best we could 2/10. The salads were a nice way to start the meal off. I really liked the house salad, the dressing was great and it was a nice sized portion 6.5/10. The other salad we had was the wedge with the dressing on the side. This salad is fine and straight forward but nothing exciting about it, just less than a quarter head of lettuce for $17, 5/10. For our entrees we ordered what you would expect to order at a steakhouse, steak! What I would expect from a steakhouse who is charging close to $100 for their steaks is that they knew how to cook them, they did not, both were terrible. I had the porter house, mostly raw, order it medium rare, zero seasoning, just tasted like eating cold cow 2/10. My girlfriend had the ribeye on the bone, ordered medium, cooked over well done, just tasted charred like you would not believe, 1/10. The manager did come over and I did let him know that the steaks were not cooked as we ordered. He was very gracious, apologetic and offered us a free dessert, which goes a long way. For sides we had the Thai basil and bacon Brussel sprouts, 7.5/10 and the mash potatoes, which were pretty good 8/10.

The dessert course, which the manager offered us was alright, the cheesecake was a real winner, maybe the only thing I would have come back for 9/10. The chocolate chip cookies were not baked all the way, gooey, very sweet and on top of more chocolate which made it worse 3/10.

All in all I will say that for $325 with tip, this had to be the the worse meal I have had. I will not be coming back to Elway’s ever again. You go out to a great steakhouse because you want a great steak and Elway’s failed to deliver on that promise. There are plenty of good steakhouses in Downtwon, Elways’s sadly is not one of them. This sport does have a good vibe, but there are plenty of other places to take yourself out to. Let me just say, I go out for a lot of meals every year and enjoy reviewing places. Obviously this is my subjective opinion based on the experience I had, but I expected so much more and feel extremely disappointed. I don’t enjoy writing bad reviews, but want to let Elways know, there is a lot of room for...

No stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Denver would be complete without a visit to the famed ELWAY's Downtown. Recently renovated and better than ever, ELWAY's offered a delectable menu complemented by an extensive wine list. ELWAY’S also just announced happy hour daily from 3-5 PM with $14 specialty cocktails, $12 wine, $6 beers, & $10 appetizers!

We were seated in the main dining room and Juan was our server. Juan, GM Brendon, & Elway’s staff were polished and attentive.

We each started with drinks, the Seasonal Smash made with Cinnamon, Lemon, Pomegranate, Strawberry Puree, & Fever Tree Soda Water. This mocktail had a tart base from the lemon and pomegranate while the strawberry puree added sweetness and a fruity punch. The cinnamon added a warm and slightly spicy note, which was unexpected in a summery drink but complemented the fruit nicely. The soda water added lightness and bubbles, making it a perfect summer sipper.

The Lamb Chop Fondue was made with green chili fondue, sweet potato, & Chimayo chips (you cannot go to Elway’s without getting the Lamb Chop Fondue)! The lamb was mouthwatering - succulent & sweet. We dunked the tender lamb into the fondue and the green chili provided a savory and delicately spicy base. The sweet potato chips added a starchy contrast to the lamb & fondue.

The Tuna Tartare was made with ahi tuna, scallion, guacamole, yuzu ponzu, creamy spicy aioli, & wasabi crema. The diced tuna was light and refreshing; it went well with the creamy guac.

The House Salad was made with butter and romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, shaved radishes, chopped bacon, parmesan, eggs, lemon croutons, & parmesan vinaigrette. The salad was tangy and fresh with a nice zing from the shaved radishes.

All of Elway's steaks are Hand Cut USDA Prime Steaks. The Filet, 6oz was cooked medium rare (red throughout, warm center) and for Add Ons, I did the Horseradish Aioli. The filet was a lean cut with exceptional tenderness. It had a rich beef flavor, and the Horseradish Aioli added a bit of a kick.

The New York Step, 12oz was cooked medium per Ross' preference (slight pink, warm red center). The New York Strip was a flavorful cut with good marbling. It had a nice sear on the outside.

For sides, we had the Loaded Baked Potato & Thai Basil Brussels Sprouts. The Loaded Baked Potato was made with bacon, cheddar, chives, & sour cream. The Thai Basil Brussels Sprouts were made with parmesan, bacon, Thai balsamic vinaigrette, & black truffle.

For dessert, we had Edgar's Key Lime Pie served with whipped cream and blueberry sauce. The Key Lime Pie was massive and was enough for two to share. The pie was so creamy - the best key lime...