The Kitchen Next Door

Stopped in for a late-​afternoon snack, taking advantage of happy hour. Although we’ve been here umpteen times, we decided we should finally give it a quick review.
First off, service and the waitstaff are professional, friendly and speedy. Compared to many establishments, it’s refreshing to find a staff like this one that seems to enjoy their jobs and make you feel at home.
Food: Even if you don’t like things like kale or beets, you really should try the kale chips and beet slider. Seriously.
Standout items include the calamari (very light on the batter), meatballs and polenta, and the cheeseburger slider (or go all out and get a full size burger). And as we said, get the kale chips.
We do suggest steering clear of the garlic mashers and the wings. The pork sliders are tasty but dry: save your calorie intake on the other items.
Overall, Next Door has been consistent in service and food across all of our visits, and we highly recommend stopping by for a happy hour or casual lunch-​dinner.

Nice décor. Laid back style. Easy to get a large table together. The on tap drinks were a bit weak, though they tasted good. The peach whisky drink was good. The smashed garlic potatoes were good. I’d say its above average bar food, but not amazing. The burgers were ok. Two within our party were undercooked. It was ok, likely good for happy hours and large groups. The service was quick. We took a while and the waiters didn’t try to rush us.

This is a place my wife loves to come to. Me? Not so much. It’s OK and the food is OK. I don’t like the choices of beverages and find the menu items lacking. The Quarterback loves the potato garlic smashers, but one item isn’t enough to win me over. Would it kill to put a Lager on the drinks menu? This is like so many places that thinks everyone is into craft beer. We there is a lot of us that aren’t. I don’t care if its extra hoppy or malty or has some type of fruit in it! I just want a plain old fashioned beer. I had the cuban for lunch and while it tasted OK, it was thin and uninspired looking. Something that the panini press pushed too hard. I’ll be going to the Thirsty Lion from now on.

The food was great. The service was prompt and attentive. I had the Carolina Pork Sandwich which comes with an arugula salad. I also added the Parmesan garlic smashers. With a soda that meal totaled $ 15 and it was well worth every cent. The bbq pork was moist and tender, the greens were crisp and fresh and the Parmesan garlic smashers (smashed potato wedges) were amazing. We had a party of five on a busy night. The wait was gonna be about 20 minutes but 5 corner seats opened up at the bar and we sat there. It was a great night and I didn’t break the bank. Great ambiance and the Train Station location allows for great activities afterward.

Had a great mule never this way before but the smashed potatoes were amazing gonna make those at home! Then we had the classic burger the meat was fantastic and of course the service by far the best. What a great city you have Denver for the food gromonde!

First time visiting Union Station and this establishment. The service and food was phenomenal! I’m not a fan of warm pineapple on just about anything but took a chance on the Pineapple Express burger and it’s to die for! Balsamic pineapple = genius! Brought the whole family and all of us give it 5 stars!

We enjoyed walking through Union Station at Christmas time and checking out all the development here. The restaurant itself had a nice selection of craft cocktails and a relatively small menu. The appetizers were great — garlic smashers, calamari, kale chips, etc. some ordered burgers and loved them. Overall decent place to grab a bite but not worth the 45 min wait on a Friday night. The service was very good!

Trains may be a outdated way of traveling these days, but it’s still somewhat romantic and nostalgic. Union station is a great platform to host these weary travelers (or tourists) who are looking to kill some time. The Kitchen Next Door is a community pub within the station that is reasonably priced especially during happy hour, 3:00 — 6:00 pm everyday.
This would be a great place to meet up with friends or co-​workers after a long day. The happy hour menu has your typical pub food as well as a number of draft beers. Gluten-​free options are numerous. The bacon wrapped dates ($ 3) come in threes and was on the sweeter side. I found the cheese burger slider ($ 4) to be quite lackluster and flavorless. However, a couple of highlights include the salt ‘n’ pepper calamari and the honey sriracha wings (both $ 5). The Thai butternut squash soup was a little on the bland side, but I did enjoy the sunflower seeds and it’s another gluten-​free and vegan option. The Odell ‘Loose Leaf’ is a nice session ale to wash everything down.
I would stay for a few beers and some of the items on the happy hour menu, but probably not your best option if you want a good sit-​down meal.

Cool happy hour deals including sliders and the usual pub fare. The menu is American comfort food, with vegan and gluten-​free options. Pretty decent selection of beers on tap.
The beet sliders were delicious and big. The BF liked his pulled port slider so much that he ordered a second one.
The roasted veggie salad we shared was quite nice. It had lots of beets and carrots, with beans to up the protein content. What it lacked was a dressing to add a bit of tanginess.
Nice place for lunch, dinner or happy hour.

Happy to report they have corrected all of the problems from the review I gave shortly after opening. Happy to recommend both the calamari and margarita to you… though I prefer the mule now! So glad I didn’t give up on this place and that they brought the quality up to where it needed to be.

This is an updated review based on my last experience. The first experience went really bad, but the owner and his team reached out to me, listened to what I had to say, and won me over on my next visit. Honestly, these guys care about their customers, their restaurant and their team. That’s 4 stars in itself.
Food was excellent. The chef and his team made every dish flavorful and perfectly seasoned (seriously Chef, if you read this, it was a great service. High marks). We were even lucky enough to enjoy a couple dishes that the chef creatively created and successfully executed to perfection. Our server was extremely friendly and very attentive. We were even greeted by the manager who was super friendly and I really felt like she listened to everything we talked about instead of providing «lip service». Their garlic smashers were probably my favorite :-)
While I’m sure there was a little extra given due to my bad first visit, they could have easily just told me «thanks for telling us, have a nice day» and instead they took the time to just talk with me like a human being and listen to what I had to say. They didn’t wave free stuff in front of me to make me happy, they just went out of their way to listen and make sure everything was how it should have been. Thanks guys! You won me over.

The location is the best part of this place. The outside seating faces the plaza, and with good weather, you’ll want to hang out for a while. The root beer float and home made ice cream cookie are amazing! Smashers are good, especially for the garlic lovers out there. The shrimp tacos are a little too spicy for my liking – also, the tortillas are corn. Not my favorite.

Went here on a whim one Saturday night and it was pretty good!
We started with a couple of apps… Honey Sriracha Wings & Bacon Wrapped Dates. Both were good!
My dinner was a special that was one of the most delicious Patty Melts I’ve ever had! My hubby had the Pulled Pork sandwich… good as well.
Great casual dining in Union Square.

Had a company dinner here and they were able to accommodate about 15 of us out on their patio. We had two phenomenal servers who were excellent and quick on their toes. They made awesome suggestions and brought us out beer samples galore. I’m not Really a beer drinker– but who better to get drunk in front of than the people you work with LOL. It was kinda funny because the server started at one end and when he finally made it to our end, we asked if anyone else had ordered alcohol– apparently the whole table had. So gauging on that– we were really here to celebrate and have a good time (nobody got drunk btw… We were just sipping) their passion fruit beer is outstanding! I don’t even drink! I’m the type of person who’s a lot a fun but once you get a couple of sips in me I am laid out on the floor and that’s no fun. For me to order a whole beef and not a sample will tell you how much I liked it. It was crisp, zesty and cold– the way a beer is suppose to be. I may start ordering beer at every meal ;) the pumpkin beer was light with some pleasant notes. And I felt just the right amount if alcohol… ‘Twas a good time. We got kale chips, calamari and honey sriracha wings as an app. Kale chips were good but drenched in oil, calamari was just ok– they give you tentacles and all. I usually just like the rings because ever since a I was a child I was scared those tentacles may come back alive and start sucking on my tongue the minute I put it in my mouth. Honey sriracha wings we’re pretty tasty. they were grilled but lacking a little spice. i ordered fish and chips as the waiters had suggested. I couldn’t have picked a better meal. I think mine looked the best out of anybody’s. Fish was white and flaky with just the right amount of golden batter. Chips were real potatoes smashed down, seasoned nicely and fried. Shrimp taco came out in soft flour tortilla with cabbage and pineapple. Looked good but was very bland. Shrimp to tortilla ratio was mismatched. Some tacos overflowing with shrimp while the other one was skimpy. I really like the environment of this place. Sitting on the patio– people watching and enjoying good food. Just the fact that it’s right by union station makes it even better. Union station is breathtaking since the remodel. All In all– this restaurant is pretty good. We always go somewhere with healthier food options when we go with our company. I’m definitely going back for a beer and I’m bringing my husband next time. He loves those citrusy beers. His current favorite is some crazy grapefruit beer but I’m excited for him to try to passion fruit.

The calamari needs work.
The garlic smashers are weird but good.
Moscow mule needs a cooper mug/​cup.
The spicy shrimp needs a grain and better portions.
Service is good.

Went here for an office lunch. It pretty yummy, but not spectacular.
I ordered the mushroom rag-​out and shared a plate of garlic smashers with the rest of the party. The garlic smashers came suspiciously quickly and were lukewarm. My boss suspected that they were a misplaced appetizer. However, even in their subpar state, they were crazily addictive. After all, who can resist fried fingerling potato slices doused in Parmesan and garlic? The mushroom ragout was yummy, even more than yummy. The juicy, thick mushroom slices were smothered by a large helping of creamy polenta and topped with tangy, bitter chard. The meal was flavorful and unique, but somewhat lacking in the subtlety and finesse that would make it 5-​star worthy. Still, this was a very homey and tasty meal, and the service was quick and polite. So yes, I’d go again to order another helping of garlic smashers and try their burgers.

This was an interesting addition to Union Station. Small but great beer selection, a good wine by the glass and Irish Whiskey selection.
The menu was also limited but interesting selection of appetizers and sandwiches that you don’t see on a normal menu.
I had a Cuban sandwich (minus the pickles of course). It came with smashed garlic potatoes that were outstanding. I haven’t eaten potatoes on years for health reasons but I ate these and remembered why I liked potatoes so much.
According to three of us, the mussels were very good.
It is a busy place and you would need reservations on the weekends or you would have to eat at the bar.
I enjoyed the atmosphere of the place and the service was great.

Just an incredible place filled with people that care. Super pleased to get a reach out by the GM and called the next time I went in on a sunny summer night during a Rockies game. Patio table and Rachel was our server. Just nothing but love and shockingly quick food out of the kitchen that is all made from scratch.
The fried kale, the bacon wrapped dates, the happy hour offerings, the kids menu, the patio and the sheer speed of things coming out of the kitchen.
Water was filled, we were checked on frequently and our friends joined us and added more food that came out delicious and fast! Salads, hummus, calamari (weak spot) and wings.
Oh and those garlic smashed potatoes. Damn!!!
I say give it a go!

Affordable? Check!
Delicious? Check!
Strong tasty large dirty martini? Check and Check! (Because I think I had 2)
Food is very tasty and surprisingly affordable for the location. I was prepared to drop a lot more for a plate of mussels.
Small menu which is the biggest reason for 4 stars. Also my mussels were really good but a touch overcooked.

I and two others at my table truly had one of the best burgers here. It wasn’t the biggest and it didn’t come with fries but all three were perfectly cooked and hot when brought out to the table. You know how you order a burger medium rare or rare so they don’t burn the damn thing just hoping it’ll come out medium? Well ours were done as ordered. We actually joked about how we have to order what we don’t really want so we get what we want… get it?
Also get the smashed garlic potatoes. They use the little fingerling potatoes, smash them, fry them and sprinkle on this garlic butter sauce… so good. Guess that’s why they don’t have fries. We love the calamari too!
Inside Union Station