Rack & Rye Gastropub

Wow. Only three tables but service is slow. Ribs had small, sharp bones that were frankly kind of dangerous. Asked for the check and 20 minutes later the staff is watching tv, no sign of the bill. Also, they charge $ 4 for ice. Ice?
It’s not all bad, though. The meatloaf slider was great and so was the $ 9 whiskey flight. This place is poorly reviewed on Unilocal and probably for good reason, but I wouldn’t be opposed to stopping in if all you were looking for was a nice shot of whiskey for a good price.

My Girlfriend and I went here after we bought the Groupon. It wasn’t a horrible experience, but the food really was not very good. I had the Salmon Fish and Chips, and she got a Steak. I am a huge fan of both salmon and fish and chips, so in theory i should have loved my dinner. Not the case. I don’t know what it was, but they kind of made me sick. I think it was the batter, just too much or something. The dipping sauces were also too sugar-​y and sweet. My girlfriend said her steak made her slightly ill to her stomach, too. She thought it was the overly sweet sauce. The actual meat was good, but the sauce? Not so much. The ribs appetizer was the same deal, in theory was alright, but something not great about them. There was as much un-​edible meat on them as their was edible.
The beer selection is descent, nothing out of this world, but descent. The service was good, but that might have more to do with the fact that there was only 1 other couple in the entire restaurant.
I doubt i would go back, nor would i recommend it to a friend.

I am shocked at the decent reviews others have given this place. I had a Groupon, and I’m still mad that I wasted even that much money. First, when you walk into a restaurant in LoDo at 7:15 on a Saturday and it’s empty, be afraid, be very afraid. There was only one other table of people, and yet, there were uncleared tables right in front of the window. Nice. The most disturbing part: if you want to go to the restroom, you have to walk through this weird hallway where you walk right by the open kitchen, where I saw TONS of clutter and junk and disorganization, not to mention a very disorganized kitchen. It wasn’t filthy, but it wasn’t the cleanest I’ve ever seen. I mean, if you’re going to design a place so that people walk through your kitchen, wouldn’t you want to make sure it’s clean and organized? Maybe that’s just me. That was the 2^nd time I should have left but didn’t.
Someone else said their menu is imaginative. That’s true — too bad that it all only looks good on paper. The food itself leaves MUCH to be desired. We ordered the crab lobster lollipop. Sounds yummy, right? So boring. Bu it was the best part of the meal. I ordered the Korean BBQ panini, and hubby ordered a Spare Rib panini. Both were pretty much dry and tasteless (we could barely tell them apart), and they came plated with literally just the panini. No sides, no sauce, not even a sprig of parsley! I felt like I had just gone into my own kitchen and come out with a sandwich I threw together (except mine would taste better).
We will NOT be going back. Ever.

I am still enamored with this place. They have changed the menu and interior since my last visit — both geared even more toward the Asian/​Vietnamese influence. I love it, it reminds of Seattle and a great bar there I loved called Toi. The menu is one of the most creative I’ve seen in Denver and though not every creative combo works for me, some are just beyond perfection. The cocktail list is a great example — I had the Wild Willy with whiskey, ginger syrup, lemon juice, apple slices, ginger ale and fresh ginger slices. Such fresh flavors and just enough difference from my regular whiskey ginger to whet my whistle. We just had to order the mac and cheese again since it was so amazing the last time. You can combine the truffle butter AND bacon mushroom versions for the most decadent dish. We over-​ordered so could only manage a few bites. I’m the lucky one with the leftovers! I ordered the salmon and chips, which at $ 12 was a big platter of tempura battered hunks of tender, very moist salmon with a plateful of fries. It came with three dipping sauces: a spicy ketchup, a creamy «sambal» and what tasted like a slightly too salty teriyaki. They were good on their own but good mixed too, on both the fries and the fish. The fries were topped with a bunch of spices, salt and sugar. I’m not one who enjoys a sweet-​salty mix but the addition of hot spices and the spicy ketchup made all the difference for me. I ate as many as I could but still had enough salmon and fries leftover for a big breakfast this morning. My husband had the burger with bacon and a cranberry compote. It disappeared fast. Pretty upscale, unique dishes and huge portions for the price. Many meat options (short rib, duck, pork belly, tenderloin, rib eye, crab, lobster, lamb meatballs, fried chicken, ribs, wings, spam) and even «tofu frites» for the veggies.
This place doesn’t seem to pull in the crowds. I wish more people ate here and had experiences similar to mine, and I wish I ate here more myself! I plan on making a point to do so. The reviews are so mixed but I’ve had excellent, fast service both visits — both with deal site coupons — and even was encouraged to come back with another coupon next time they advertise one. Quite unlike many of the restaurants who put out a Groupon and then treat you like dirt for daring to use it.

Flexibility is the ability to make other folks’ problems yours, and then solve them. Rake and Rye did that for me.
When a 20 person party decides to arrive one guy at a time over the course of three hours, in most places you are screwed. The staff at R&R adjusted, kept us drinking and happy, and we didn’t lose our table.
Not to mention the sliders and Mac and cheese were excellent, as was the Irish tiramisu.
If you want a cool place to chill, or somewhere to have a raucous celebration, get thee thineself to the Rack and Rye.

A group of 8 met at the Rack and Rye before heading to a play — I was way excited when I saw the menu and was all set for a fantastic meal.
Most of the food was great — though a few in our party were less-​than-​impressed. Luckily, my dish was wondeful.
We started with the crab/​lobster lollipops. I was prepared to LOVE them but, surprisingly, I was not blown away. And I love seafood. The little bite of lobster in the pop was great, but the crab cake-​y type breading around it was comparable to a crab cake I’d get out of the freezer at my local grocery store. I give them probably a solid B. We also got the hot wings, which I thought were really flavorful. But I like more of a sweet/​spicy sauce than buffalo wing sauce, but they were really small and oddly cut, so I wasn’t super blown away. Our last small plate surprised me more than any other — spam fries. SO GOOD — who knew? They came with a chili oil aioli and were better than I ever expected. The spam fries won the small plate round, hands down.
Onto entrees — I was set on the chicken and waffles before I even set foot in the door. I went back and forth between that, the salmon fish and chips and the lamb meatball Panini. I stuck to my guns and was glad that I did. Such an awesome combination — yummy cornbread waffles and crispy fried chicken. The chipotle mayo and syrup were awesome — I did a little mixing toward the end and it was this wonderful sweet, spicy, soft but crunchy combo. Highly recommend it.
We had two order steak frittes and I heard nothing bad about them, and each person cleaned his plate. We also had two with the salmon fish and chips — one raved, the other, not so much. Lastly, we had two people order the rice bowls and neither were thrilled. Sadly, I don’t recall which one, but in my opinion, there were way better dishes to choose from.
Skipped dessert because we had a play to catch — but we did partake in the cocktails and they were great! I highly recommend the Bonsai Kitty — a great ginger cocktail that is not too sweet and super refreshing.
While I was happy with my food selections, the service did leave a little to be desired. Nothing that would make me not go back, but food was a little slow coming out though the place wasn’t too packed, our waitress wasn’t really on top of it, nor did she have any stellar recommendations.
Overall I think everyone had a good time and enjoyed at least some of the menu items we sampled. I’d definitely give it another go-​round.
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This was such a pleasant surprise! We came here without knowing much about it. When we entered this gastropub, it looked like they were having some kind of a speed dating event, because it was full of people wearing name tags. Yeah, it was a bit awkward and we almost walked out, but the staff said the restaurant is still open to the public and we were too tired to find another restaurant after miles of walking. «Heck, let’s just try this place, the menu doesn’t sound so bad.» So we decided to stay and take a chance.
The food was surprisingly delicious!!! We loved the «lobster, crab, and Parmesan Lollipops» and the «mac ‘n’ cheese», they were off the hook!!! I’d give them 4 – 4.5stars!!! The burger was ok, but I happened to have had better ones in NY, such as Burger & Barrel & Minetta Tavern. Meatloaf was average, I wasn’t wowed by it. In Denver, this place is probably one of the more hip and trendy bars, and I’d definitely go back for the mac ‘n’ cheese (make sure add sunny side egg!!) and the lobster lollipops!

Popped in for dinner before the closing doo-​dah at the Denver Film Festival last week. Great server and a very cool space; love the light fixtures. Interesting menu, but personally, I was put off by the notion of bacon jam for sweet potato fries. Bacon jam? Blargh.
I had the steak frite and it was delicious. Couldn’t finish it all, but my companion assisted. Asked for it rare and they delivered. The house red was decent enough. My sweetie had the Korean Reuben Panini — sounds odd, but he enjoyed it.
Everything has an Asian flair with a soupçon of French influence (sounds like a Vietnamese restaurant? It isn’t.) But, the big focus is on comfort food that Betty Crocker might have made during a mescaline trip in the 60s.
It’s a small place, so very cozy. I was disappointed they were out of the soup of the day on a cold night, so next time will try to do a small plate and soup or salad. Would definitely go back and recommended it to a colleague who was looking for a different, yet affordable place to take someone for a business lunch.

So I’m finishing up my last week on sabbatical, and decided to stop in here for lunch with a friend. It’s a very cool space, with a pretty creative menu, but was unfortunately dead at 11:45 for lunch. We spent about an hour in there, and were the only customers.
I tried the Asian style cheese steak, which was a really tasty sandwich, although the wasabi was a bit strong for my taste. My friend had the Cubano which was really nice, and she had plenty of leftovers for later.
I’d definitely be disappointed if this place doesn’t make it. I’m absolutely gobsmacked that there weren’t more folks in there… the prices are reasonable, the service was quick, and the food was tasty. Seems like a winning recipe.

I had a great experience here!
A friend of mine was in town and we popped in early for some drinks. It was pretty dead, but it was Monday around 6. The bartender, who I later found out was the owner, was very cool. She makes, and I am very experienced when I say this… one of the BEST margaritas in town.
We didn’t eat, but the environment was great and the owner very sweet.
I will be back to try the food soon for sure!

If you want your tastebuds to do the happy dance, I recommend starting with the bacon jam and moving on up to the truffles mac and cheese. So, so yummy!
The vibe is cool, comfy seats, darker lighting but nice open air from the window front.
The service was mediocre, waitress wasn’t very friendly and it took a while to get drinks or anything followed up with but the food made up for it.

The wife and I came over here the other day before going to see a show at the DCPA. We walked in the door and just kind of stood there for a few minutes before another customer told us they just seated themselves. So we grabbed a seat and perhaps a minute or so later the waitress/​bartender/​everything finally came out and asked us what we wanted to drink. We ordered a pitcher of beer which came out in a nifty little bucket.
We ordered an appetizer of the potato crisps, which came out served in a very small coffee cup. It was good, altho we could have used more.
I ordered the rack and rye burger, well done, minus the marmalade. It was extremely yummy and cooked to perfection, when it eventually came out :)
The waitress was fairly attentive and came over several times to check on us. This would be a 5 star if we’d had any inkling what to do when we came in and/​or our food had come out a little bit quicker.

We wandered over to the Rack & Rye before a matinée showing of Young Frankenstein at DCPA. Nice short walk on a hot day.
Sitting right off 15^th, you could easily walk by the entrance of R & R. It is small place, although it has nice big windows and they propped the door open, which makes it inviting. As you step in you see a wide hallway type restaurant with tables along the two walls and the bar in the back.
When we walked in a few people where at a table, but no worker bees to be seen. Stood there for a couple minutes before we just parked it at a table and a waitress finally appeared (maybe 5 minutes from the time we walked in). She was the only one working out front and doing everything from hosting to waiting to bartending — which was fine, but maybe not the fastest service.
It had a nice upscale neighborhood bar feel, with leather seats and dark walls. We started off with the potato crips dusted with Parmesan. They were as advertised, super crips with a cheesy flavor. However, I would say to believe them when they say «small» plates — they mean it! Next up for me was the cubano. It was crispy, melty, deliciousness. And we finished up with the donuts. They were the perfect sweet treat to wrap up the meal. I love that they shake them up in a brown paper bag right at the table.
All in all, it was great! Maybe a little slow, but everything else was so yummy I can overlook it.

Came here with a friend for dinner on a Thursday night, using a Groupon. The place is smaller than I thought, kind of narrow, but they make the space work. I kind of lingered by the entrance for a couple minutes before the waitress noticed me and asked if I’d like a table. They could probably use some sort of hostess, or at least a «please wait to be seated» sign.
Ordered two «small plates,» the bacon jam and the char siu pork mini tacos. While my friend was leery of the jam at first, we both enjoyed its smooth, smoky, caramel-​like flavor. The soft tacos were decent, almost thai-​tasting with lemongrass and jalepenos, sweet with a bit of a bite. For entrees, I ordered the braised short rib with rendang curry and mashed potatoes — it was decent, though the mix of curry and potatoes was an odd flavor, and some of the rib was very tender compared to other parts. My friend ordered the meatloaf and enjoyed it. Oddly enough, the presentation of both dishes was almost exactly the same.
For the price, the food and atmosphere was good. It’s a place I’d go back to, but I think I’d want to try some of the other restaurants downtown that I haven’t gotten to yet first.

Dropped in again on our way to Denver Day of Rock and had yet another fantastic experience.
We sat at the table next to the garage-​door-​style windows that make it feel like you are sitting on the patio, without the wind to destroy your hair.
The truffle oil mac’n’cheese is to die for! Pair it with the spam fries and you’ve got one fantastic lunch!
I’m shocked that this place hasn’t been «discovered» yet. It never seems to be busy when we drop in (we’ve got our same fantastic table twice now). We will most certainly be back!

I would have never found this place unless it was for Groupon.
They have a very interesting menu. We ordered from their small plates. Spam Fries with chili aioli and Cheddar cornbread sticks with jalapeño jelly dipping sauce. Both very very good. The sauces were served in shot glasses — maybe not the right amount, could have been a little larger. My girlfriend had never eaten Spam, so that was a must. We do like to try new things. They were not bad. Salty little buggers with a very distinct Spam flavor.
For our entrees, we had the Meatloaf with chive mashed potatoes, sauteed mushrooms and gravy and the Mac & Cheese with truffle butter. My meatloaf was very good, nothing really that jumped out to excite me, just good. My girlfriend’s mac’n’cheese was a little strong, the truffle butter overpowered the meal. I ended up getting to take half of her mac’n’cheese home. It was quite strong.
The overall atmosphere was of a minimal modernism. I thought not having salt and pepper shakers on the table was a bit strange. The walls were unpainted brick with large mirrors. The bar and bar area was made of a dark metal with large open cut outs to see into the kitchen and back preparation area. The interior was quite nice.
Overall, it was a nice restaurant at 6p. I’m sure 4 hours later it is a prime spot for drinks and small plates on the weekend. A completely different atmosphere. I’m not sure it is holding a flame to it’s titled «Best New Restaurant.» The service was as good as it could have been for the one server taking care of 8 tables. I do not see what the hype is all about. It looks nice, the food is ok, but not better than anything else.

In my previous review I said these guys were close to having a great spot downtown. I’ve returned a few times since then, and unfortunately they are moving farther away from the mark.
Like others have said, I’ve always had to wait 10 – 15 minutes for a round of drinks — most of the time when the place is virtually empty. We get pitchers of Odell beer in plastic Coors pitchers, and glasses of wine emerge with fingerprints and lipstick marks on the glasses.
Last time, when a friend mentioned the lipstick marks on her glass, the waiter said something about how the dishwasher sucks… oh wow, that makes us feel better about our meal.
Also, in the middle of a Saturday afternoon, they had run out of cloth napkins so we got weird paper ones. These things are not by themselves a travesty, and the waitstaff is always quite nice and the food is pretty good. However, there are hundreds of options downtown and from now on we’ll be taking ourselves elsewhere.

Two words: Bacon Jam. Two more: So delicious!
I stopped in Rack and Rye to have a snack before the Avs game last night and was very pleased. The place itself is shabby-​trendy, with exposed brick and a metal bar. There were two long tables, I’m thinking for community style dining and several high tops for small parties.
The Bacon Jam, which is a sweet-​ish concoction of bacon, caramelized onions and spices is served with fresh baguette pieces and slices of tomato. The whole dish worked so well together. And bonus: the dish was $ 5.00! Wow!
After that, I had the grilled cheese sliders (fresh mozzarella, Gruyère and a Parmesan frico inside), which I normally would have loved. But it fell a little flat after that wonderful Bacon Jam.
I had a drink of sparkling wine, vodka and lychee syrup called a Gilded Lilly. Also delightful!
I can’t wait to go back to Rack and Rye with friends, to try more of the interesting, and I’m sure, delicious, menu!

Finally, a place near my school (UCD) that’s open between lunch and dinner! So many places in LoDo (other than the chains) close down from 2:30 — 5:00pm.
Added bonus: the food is very good and the prices are very reasonable. I had crab lollipops and a fancy grilled cheese sanwich w/​thai tomato soup on my first visit and will definitely be back for more.
The only reason this place doesn’t get 5 stars is the limited beer and vegetarian selection.

Great new downtown pub. Here’s why me likey…
— Swanky, yet kind of Hillary Swanky (Attractive without being pretentious).
— Great happy hour where the PBR drafts drop to $ 2 buck a pop.
— Appropriately sized. Not so big that it losses it’s coziness, but not so small that one feels cramped.
— Great staff. So far I’ve only met Violet and Claire, but both were charming, and Claire (who was our server) was fantastic. Bartenders were cool too, but I didn’t catch their names…
— Location is great — right in the heart of downtown’s tipsy district
That is all for now.