While I’ve been hemming and hawing about LoHi SteakBar, which took me monthsOK, nearly a year — to fully understand, the place has been steadily packed with locals and drive-tos who wouldn’t care a whit about what I had to say about it anyway; they love it.
I don’t love it. I like it. But I like it quite a lot. And that’s enough for me to return on several occasions.
Here are the reasons why I like LoHi SteakBar:
1. It is easy to decide what to eat here. There is nothing challenging on the short menu. Steaks, a piece of fish, perhaps a salad or a bowl of soup. Not much more. This is called clarity, something that too many restaurants lack.
2. The steaks are consistently good. A special nod goes to the flatiron cut (called “LoHi” here), which at $17 next to a pile of fries makes for one of Denver’s very best steak deals. This is a no-brainer Friday lunch or late weeknight supper.
3. Speaking of late-night, the kitchen at LoHi is brilliantly open until 11 o’clock on weeknights, 11:30 on weekends. There are so few restaurants serving this late in Denver, which I just don’t understand. Bars are open, shows go on — the streets are fairly teeming with hungry folks at 10 o’clock. Happily, they can steer the car to LoHi for a nice cocktail and a good steak.
4. If you’re a luncher instead of a nightcrawler, come on Friday or a weekend. LoHi’s patio, on which you’ll sit while sharing a plate of excellent, garlicky house-made hummus with a friend before moving on to a juicy burger on a fresh brioche bun, is a winner.
5. Speaking of burgers, there are three prefab burgers to choose from (the Tejon comes with a fried egg, the Highlander with mushrooms and bearnaise), but if you’re a purist like I am, choose a straight-up burger and sink yourself into the flavor of beef, not toppings. Meat is ground on-site here, which makes all the difference — in Denver’s frenetic burger market, this is one of the very best.
6. The roasted half-chicken, served with a glistening, verdant pile of creamed spinach, is a well-executed example of the staple, with crispy skin and moist, homey meat. Choose the entree version, not the salad version. They are all but identical — the only relevant difference is butter lettuce and a sprinkling of goat cheese in place of the creamed spinach; you’ll wish you had the spinach.
Here’s why I was on the fence about LoHi Steak Bar for so long: The service. LoHi’s take on itself is that it’s not actually a restaurant (full menu notwithstanding). The place considers itself a bar, which means no reservations, no real host or hostess to greet or seat you, and a general lackadaisical approach to service. There are diamonds in this rough — some servers are friendly and swift — but on any given night, the tone is one of “We’re just too busy to help you, and besides, what do you think this is, a restaurant? We’re a bar. Find your own seat.” Surliness has its apex at the bar (which, not for nothing, offers a smart suite of cocktails); floor-servers tend to be sweeter.
Here’s why it still frustrates me: The fries are totally inconsistent. Fries are such a simple thing to get right, so simple, in fact, that they’re often overlooked, which means soggy, greasy fries. This is a serious offense, not just from a culinary standpoint, but from a business one — nothing translates into great word of mouth as quickly or emphatically as good fries. LoHi has the context and ability to make and serve the very best fries in Denver. Sometimes, the kitchen delivers on that promise. But other times, it doesn’t. This is both perplexing and nonsensical.
LoHi is the brainchild of one of Denver’s favorites, Sean Kelly. He’s proven, with this venture, his spot- on knack for knowing what the people want. The place is an unqualified, consistent hit.
If only the fries were, too.
LOHI STEAKBAR
American. 3200 Tejon St., 303-927-6334; lohisteakbar .com
** 1/2 (Very Good/Great)
Atmosphere: Airy, bustling bar, generally filled to capacity at peak hours. Pleasant outdoor patio.
Service: Varied — sometimes hospitable, sometimes not.
Wine: Small, sharp list, plus a robust cocktails program and plenty of beer.
Plates: Steaks $17 and up. Burgers $11 and up.
Hours: Monday-Thursday 4-11 p.m., Friday 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Bar open until midnight seven days.
Details: Reservations not accepted. Street parking. Wheelchair accessible. Walk to Little Man down the street for a post-meal ice cream.
Six visits
Our star system: ****: Exceptional ***: Great **: Very Good *: Good
