TAG Raw Bar

Don’t come here if you don’t appreciate raw, fresh fish because that’s exactly what this place is. The oysters and raw fish are where it’s at here. The menu is limited as this place is not for large portion sizes. The size of the tables should tell you that.
The inside is a funky little place in the basement marketplace on Larimer street. It’s not noticeable from the street, so you have to know it’s there. And, to me, it’s a hidden little gem. When I’ve been there, they’re playing funky techno and modern music.
My favorite thing to do is ask the servers what’s fresh and good that day and order that. I also like the bartenders recommendations on drinks. The amberjack kimpachi is always good.
We came here for my friends bday lunch and the chef made her a special snickerdoodle cookie that was just amazing. It was a cookie the size of your face. Too bad when we left a homeless couple came up to us and asked us for our leftovers, but that’s Denver.

Service was horrible. Took her fifteen minutes to take our drink order and of course we ordered food at the same time. She didn’t tell us the specials so we canceled our order and re ordered

Perfection, throughout. Amazing, fresh dishes with complex but not overpowering flavors. Intimate, unique atmosphere. Knockout service (Giegie was amazing). Inspired Hawaiian influence throughout, which I love. (A signature of Troy Guard’s.) Go there. On a date. You will love it. I recommend the oysters and beef carpaccio, although I wouldn’t recommend against anything else on the menu! Be cautioned that this restaurant is not for those seeking large portions or comfort food. TAG Raw is about unique, fresh and raw food in smaller portions. Splendid!

The food was okay, not great. The atmosphere felt like I was in a steam room. The wait staff was excellent and prompt. Good people, meh food.

On New Years Eve, my mom and I decided to go out to dinner to celebrate. We’re both on a pretty minimalist mostly raw paleo diet, so we decided to check out Raw Bar. They had a seemingly great menu, even sporting a recipe with raw kangaroo, which we both agreed we’d probably try.
When we arrived, we sat at the bar, which is facing the prepared food zone where the cooks make everything right in front of you. The environment was inviting claustrophobia, with it’s low hanging ceilings and clustered seating, and gave the effect of being the kind of place coworkers meet for drinks after work. Not awful, just not exactly cozy restaurant vibe. The music was a bit loud for my liking, and it blared typical pop.
The waitress that came over listened to my mom’s allergen food list, wrote it down (which was nice), and then discussed it with our chef. She seemed very curt, kind of irritated, and a bit pushy. But I’ve been a server before, so I figured it was probably just a rough night, and it was fairly busy because of the holiday.
The cook was a young man, in his mid-​twenties, very friendly and sweet, and answered all my food questions. They were out of kangaroo, and had been for over a week, without changing it’s availability on their website menu, to our disappointment. We settled on lettuce wrap sashimi salmon tacos, with a side of Kimchi, and watched him prepare them in front of us. We weren’t too excited with the lack of ingredients we could have, so he’d offered to throw some extra chopped veggies, like radishes in.
When we got the wraps, he’d actually forgotten to add the extras, but had thrown some nuts on it. Then we tasted them. The fish was actually bad. It was so fishy that even if it had been cooked the flavor wouldn’t have been masked. It had clearly been sitting out for some time, in the warm open air, and gone bad. There were only three tiny wraps each, to which we actually ate because we were hungry by this point (looking back we really should’ve just left and returned the bad fish). The Kimchi was over aged, and had actually turned to alcohol. It tasted OK, but the fact it was turned to alcohol was kind of disconcerting.
Our waitress had come up right as I was in mid-​first-​bite, and asked; «How are they??» While openly staring at me. I attempted to finish my bite and nodded my head and said they’re fine, to which she rushed off. During the course of my attempting to finish eating them, she’d be behind us, and she’d literally crane her neck and and stare over my shoulder and watch me eat. It was really creepy, and I was pretty annoyed. She bothered us far too many times while we were eating for my liking, and she had zero friendly disposition. Once again, I’ve been a server in the past, so I wanted to give her a break. I tipped her 20 percent, and wrote her a review on the review card she handed me with my receipt at the end of the transaction. I politely thanked our cook, and we rushed out of there.
All in all, I do not recommend their sushi bar, since they clearly are not serving sushi-​grade fish. I’ve eaten at a lot of sushi restaurants in my life, and always ordering some sort of sashimi, and this is the first time I have EVER tasted bad fishy tasting raw fish. Their prices aren’t too steep, but for the small portioning they give and the quality of the food combined, they do not meet the qualifications. I’m sure they have other servers that are not so creepy and rude, but our experience wasn’t the case. If you’re looking for an after work place to drink with coworkers, it’s probably not a bad deal, because how can you screw up alcohol?

Time: 16:15hrs ish
Maybe its due to the WINTER Weather we experienced that day, of Thursday November 21^st 2013. When we arrived at this establishment, its just us dining there. Maybe due to the timing we were there too. I am torn about this establishment. Our server, if I am not mistaken, his name is Wesley is indeed inviting and welcoming. Throughout the service of our dining experience, Wesley went the extra mile.
I needed a quiet place to talk to my friend. So to TAG RAW BAR we went. The Lunch Menu was limited to my liking. It was indeed a very late lunch for us, or perhaps mini early Dinner. We were given the Menu and a complimentary snack of Caramel Popcorn with Dried Super Salty Kelp aka Seaweed Chips.
From the Limited Lunch Menu, I opt to have the following items :
* Los Chingones ($ 10.00)
* Shiso Spicy ($ 14.00)
While my friend opt to have the Bento Box ($ 10.00).
Yes the food came out promptly. Yes, our server is attentive. Yes, he answered all our questions with regards to the Menu or even the Ingredients of the food etc etc.
My order of Los Chingones is chopped ahi, avocado, spicy aioli and jalapeño. While my order of Shiso Spicy is kampachi, spicy crab, gobo, shiso and, daikon oroshi. My friends order of Bento Box consists of pork lettuce wrap, haricot verts, california roll, soy truffle salad and «happy ending». The «Happy Ending» is a lemon cake of some kind.
My friend also ordered Wine and Coffee as part of her beverages that afternoon.

As for the Food, sorry Tag Raw Bar, its like «DAYLIGHT Robbery». With just «MEH» food. Nothing stood out let alone wow my taste bud.
All in all, its just underwhelmed food offerings.
At the end of the SUPER LATE LUNCH aka MINI Dinner Meal, Wesley sent a complimentary mini cake with a candle for my upcoming Birthday. For this gesture, Wesley himself deserved 4 stars.
Do take note, the ONLINE MENU is NOT CURRENT coz from the Paper Menu we had that afternoon, some items are not reflected. Hence to the VERY LIMITED Lunch Menu. *BIG SIGH*
TAG RAW BAR
1423 Larimer St, Suite 010
Denver, CO 80 202
Tel: (303)-996−2865
@252/2013

My brother took me here while visiting him in Denver. We arrived around 8pm on a Saturday and thought for sure it would be packed the way he had been talking it up. To my surprise it was pretty empty which made me concerned it wouldn’t be good. Boy was I wrong! We were seated and promptly brought a little nibble bowl of popcorn with a kick and a seaweed treat. The waiter took our drink orders and suggested a cocktail for me that was his own creation and not yet on the menu. It was vodka, OJ, muddled jalapeño and cilantro… delicious!!!
We were very intrigued with the whole menu and started with the kangaroo tartare and sushi taco. I was so excited to have kangaroo as it has been on my culinary bucket list for some time now. Although I thought I would be flying Australia to cross it off my list! It was amazing!
The sushi taco was pretty special as well. So much so we ended up ordering another one!
We also got two cut rolls, the Moto Roll which had this pineapple glaze that was so unique and different, oh and delicious! I like spicier cut rolls so I ordered the Los Chingones roll that was the perfect amount of spice, even my brother liked it once the jalapeño was taken off the top.
The atmosphere was very trendy and we enjoyed the hip/​hop music. Our server, Gigi was great and even comped my brother’s beer because they didn’t have all the ingredients for the first drink he ordered.
I can’t wait to get back to Denver and go back to this place!

Last visit I almost got sick from their food. Was my second visit there. Not impressed, bland taste, expensive for what they offer, make yourself a favor and do not go there.
Will not return.
Okay service but for sushi, there is alot of better places out there…

So about the only thing I enjoyed here was the service from the bar tender. other then that the food was meh, we ordered the kangaroo that was packed together in some type of oip and seasoning but really had no flavor…
Tried a few different sushi rolls and nothing was really over the top for me and they fell apart really easy.
But if your looking for a trendy place and want to try some food you cant really order else where check it out.

We had lunch before the Rockies game using a $ 20 Living Social deal. I had made a reservation using Open Table for the 100 points, even though we were the only ones there.
We sat at the high top table near the window so it wasn’t as dark. We were brought a small dish of complimentary caramel popcorn and Five Spice dried seaweed.
The lunch menu was limited. We both ordered the Bento Box ($ 10). It had Teriyaki Chicken over sushi rice, green salad, vegetables, spicy salmon sushi, and lemon chiffon cake. The server didn’t tell us what anything was.
Our sushi dinner was really good a few months ago, but we probably wouldn’t return without a coupon.

TAG Raw Bar get’s a solid 4.25 Unilocal from me and here’s why
The Spot:
+ It’s downstairs and to the left, the entrance is kinda’ awkward but once you get over it, it’s functionally laid out. We opted for a table instead of sitting at the bar for today’s lunch. The exposed ceilings are freakin’ awesome, the layout is great, the music was some jazzy/​reggae/​eclectic tune thing and then there are the paintings that are hanging which are kinda funky but cool
The Eats:
+ Kangaroo Loin Tartare. Quail egg, shallots, apricot, peach mustard, 34-​degree crackers. $ 15. This was OUTstanding! Have you ever eaten marsupial before? I HAVE and it was at Tag a few years ago — I forgot how good it is. Very moist, soft but an amazing texture that felt firm at the same time (Odd yes I know), savory, held it’s flavor well but could stand up to the strong flavors that they paired it with. Nice work guys!
+ Ceviche Imagination Shot. $ 4. Well worth the four bucks folks — it’s a nice shot sized glass filled with ceviche goodness, It goes great as a first bite before you order whatever it is you’re going to order. Highly recommended.
Service:
+ There was one server, I don’t know her name, she was also the hostess. She was very nice, prompt, courteous, and responsive. After all, we were the only table there :)
THIS has been a review by Gaurav

The lunch menu was very limited. There were some interesting items, but nothing amazing.
I tried the ceviche and it seemed a bit under-​cooked in the citrus, the hanger steak roll was definitely good — i enjoyed the hint of spice. We also tried the Tuna Sashimi which was appetizing and fresh.
The things that lacked for lunch were more choices and better service. I shouldn’t have to flag down the waitress, especially if there are only 5 people having lunch.

Inventive and delicious!
I eat sushi pretty frequently and like to think I know my Futomaki from my Oshizushi. (Whatever that means) That being said, I didn’t expect to be surprised by the menu they presented me… but I was.
Ostrich? Smoked kewpie? Wasabi tofu foam? Bubu arare? Doesn’t seem to be in the traditional realm of sushi but how much do I know… I resisted the urge to ask my waitress about every ingredient and I’m happy I did. Everything I ate was delicious, even if I had no clue what it really was.
It was surprisingly quiet around dinner… almost too quiet. And the 80s rock classics they were bumping through the stereo system made me laugh. Eating delicate sushi fare to the tune of «Pour Some Sugar on Me» is always an adventure.
My only complaint, and this is a tiny one, is that the soy sauce pourers look way too much like wine carafes. So much so, that my friend MAY HAVE refilled her wine glass with soy sauce thinking she got a complimentary pour. Hilarious for me, disgusting for her.

Gotta love Living Social deals…
veggie poke… ok, nothing special
AHI SASHIMI… good
GUARD KAMPACHI… great
Hang loose… good
Pricey and just ok. The restaurant is small and ceiling is short, felt like I was in a box. The smell is very strong and overwhelming. There is valet parking and is $ 8 if validated.
The noodle bowls looked good, will have to try that.

We met up with some friends for a quick early dinner and this place was fabulous. Great atmosphere, fun menu and quick service. They were attentive and just kept the food coming. It is not a traditional menu and the items are super fresh. Their ponzu salmon was so good I ordered two orders! People raved about the rolls and the ahi tuna — highly recommend it.

Best food but worse dining experience in Denver to date.
We got here at 6 and the hostess told us 30 – 40 minute wait. By the hour mark we walked up and asked where we were on the list and found out someone crossed our names off accidentally… what the hell? No apologies but they found us a quaint spot to sit next to the rice cookers…
When we decided to order the 9 course Chef’s tasting, the chef had the waitress ask us «are you sure? we are busy tonight so it might take long. Maybe an hour and a half to two hours». I got the feeling the chef was overwhelmed cause the place was PACKED but it was off putting that he didn’t want to do this for us. We still ordered it anyways… and it ended up taking FOUR hours and we got a parking ticket.
Throughout the tasting the chef came over and gave us details of each dish. By the 4^th course though, the sous chefs were preparing and explaining everything to us… I guess cause it was so busy.
All the dishes were delicious. The presentation was beautiful and everything was fresh! i loved both the sushi, raw dishes, as well as the beef dishes equally. I even had kangaroo meat for the first time.
But four hours… really? Then at the end of the meal, even though I gave the waitress the heads up that we wanted the check during our 7^th course, it still took her 2 more courses before she came back to us with it and she forgot to take off our living social deal… so we had to go to the front and have the manager put in an override code so she can charge us all over again.
I know they were swamped but no one even apologized for the poor service that night.
The food was so fantastic but service is huge part of the dining experience. The food was a 5 star rating but because of everything else, I had to give it two stars.
I know you were going for an «intimate» dining experience here but hire more staff that care.

Great place!
I’ve tried multiple sushi rolls, raw kangaroo, phở, etc and have not been disappointed.
They have interesting drinks (non alcoholic) and do all food an drink preparation right in front of you.
I’ve been to both TAGs and like the look, feel, and taste of TAG Raw.
By the way, not everything here is raw, so don’t be intimidated.
Dave

Grabbed a few drinks and some small plates with a co-​worker after work on a Wednesday. Other than us, only one other group in the place. After being greeted (Poppycock!) by one of two employees, we took seats at the bar directly in front of the other employee. She never said a word to us… awkward, but all was made better after receiving our drinks and getting a new waiter, Sam. Drinks=Holy Yum! «The Garden» was delish. I have never tasted ANYTHING like it. The food we ordered (salad and a sushi roll) was good, but I felt they were a bit overpriced. I understand the overhead of all fresh ingredients though. It is fun having a conversation with the server/​chef as they make and serve your food. When my friend asked for wasabi for our sushi, Sam whipped out his «secret» wasabi foam instead. So interesting!
Overall, service is fun. Food was good, if not a bit overpriced, and the drinks were totally original.

Poppycock!
I am in love with TAG Raw Bar. From the moment I walked in, everyone from the gracious host/​server to the Chef Troy Guard himself made me feel welcome and comfortable. And that’s just where the awesomeness began.
I ordered haricot vert, which were served raw with garlic chives in a spicy
Asian sauce. Those little beans were addictive. My next course was the Kobe Beef Tataki, served over arugula pesto with tomato and sourdough crutons. This is (almost) raw beef in its most fantastic form, perfectly seasoned and melting in your mouth. Amazing.
I accompanied my delicious lunch with a red hot limeade, which was sweet, strong and alcohol free. Quite a lovely little concoction!
On my way out, I was handed a crème brûlée cupcake which I am contemplating now. Really, could anything sound as delicious as a crème brûlée cupcake?
All in all, this was a five star experience and I can’t wait to come back and bring Mr. Mixer with me.
Cheers!

Well this is actually a two for one review as TAG RAW BAR is the latest venture in restaurant fabulousness by Chef Troy Guard.
I fell yes fell in love with TAG a few weeks ago — after a friend offered her reservation during restaurant week. I was not only happy that I went but EXTREMELY Happy by the time dinner was over not because my dinner was over but that my tummy was full and was thinking happy thoughts of our next visit. Let’s just note that after a long, long week at work that my spirits were definitely lifted and to compliment the experience my night cap for the evening was a hand shake by the extremely gracious and talented Chef Troy Guard!
My dinner guest and I had such a great time chatting with restaurant Mgr. Michael Pacovsky and Asst GM. Jake Minturn and we were told we should come and delite ourselves at TAG RAW BAR opening on Monday the 21^st. We could not resist!
The menu was fresh and the ingredients inspiring as there were so many spices and fresh ingredients that I have never heard of prior and never would have known existed. Some were Asian with a bit of a kick and Chef was present trying to educate as everything was presented. We had Sushi that came as a cube, delicately shaped into the tastiest roll. We had dessert that was lick the plate OMG good and very hard to share delicious. The menu was one page divided into sections without all being completely raw, we varied our selections and there is so many more items to list and try… you may have to make a trip yourself soon. It is a small place not the same as the restaurant, but it has it’s own unique vibe!