Steuben’s Uptown has long been at the top of my must-eat restaurants in Denver for quite a while now. This retro American diner is well known for its regional American classics ranging from Maine lobster rolls to chicken & waffles.
Established in 2006, Steuben’s now has two locations in Denver, one in Uptown and another in the northwest in Arvada. On this trip, I visited the Steuben’s Uptown location.
Because I failed to plan, I arrived at Steuben’s Uptown on a Saturday afternoon without a reservation. Expecting a long wait, I was pleasantly surprised when the hostess at the front door notified me that the wait would only be about 15 to 20 minutes.
I got lucky as the morning rush was starting to die down. If you want to make a reservation and not have to worry, you can always make a reservation through OpenTable.
Table of Contents
Interior of Steuben’s Uptown
One of the coolest things about Steuben’s Uptown was the décor. The retro décor was part industrial, mid-century modern with metal beams, stone walls, old-fashioned booths, lights, tables, and chairs.
I felt as if I went back to the 1970s but with a modern, funky twist without being cheesy. The dining room felt cozy and inviting.
Near the entrance was a full bar with various spirits and craft beers. The bar was great for a cocktail or local craft beer before or after your meal. Even if you aren’t eating, the bar seemed like an excellent place for a drink.
Those looking to dine outside will find a few tables on the smaller sidewalk patio. A larger enclosed outdoor patio was located just to the right of the entrance.
Steuben’s Uptown Menu
Steuben’s Uptown offered an assortment of menu options. You had a menu for the Bar, Lunch/Dinner, House-Made Desserts, Happy Hour, and Brunch.
On these menus were an assortment of American classics found on the menu of any American diner. What made the dishes at Steuben’s Uptown unique is that they took these American classics and put their own twist on them that will open your mind and stomach.
With many of the dishes made from scratch in-house, there really wasn’t a bad choice. They even fly in hundreds of pounds of fresh lobster every day from Maine for their lobster rolls.
You can view the full Steuben’s Uptown menu, including brunch, lunch, dinner, desserts, and happy hour at https://www.steubens.com/uptown-menu/.
Chicken Biscuit
Fried chicken might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of brunch, but that wasn’t keeping me from ordering the Chicken Biscuit ($14.00). This simple plate came with a scratch-made biscuit, fried chicken breast, bacon, and sausage gravy.
A knife cutting right through the biscuit caught my attention. I hoped that it tasted as great as it looked.
It might be hard to see in the photo, but the chicken breast was thick. I appreciated the large portion size. As for the chicken, it wasn’t dry, but it wasn’t moist either. Chicken breast is a hard cut of protein to cook just right, so this was understandable. It wasn’t dry, so that was all that mattered.
As for the breading, I loved it. The breading was crispy, crunchy, and stuck to the chicken without being too thick or too thin. And it was seasoned well with a smoky flavor. While it wasn’t spicy, the seasoning had a hint of heat.
Topping the chicken was crispy yet tender bacon that was both salty and sweet. Each bite had the perfect balance of meaty goodness and melt-in-your-mouth fatty bits. While the bacon tasted great, it also added texture to the dish.
Each bite of the buttery scratch-made biscuit was as expected. The biscuit was crispy on the outside while moist on the inside. It was house-made and not from a package.
I also appreciated how the biscuit held its shape without falling apart, even when completely covered with thick sausage gravy. As with the biscuit, this gravy tasted homemade, not from a can. In each bite of the gravy were chunks of moist sausage that had a hint of sweetness and saltiness but did not overpower the gravy.
My only complaint about the sausage gravy was that it arrived cold. It wasn’t a deal breaker, but I would have preferred it to be warmer.
Monte Cristo
One of the more popular dishes found at Steuben’s Uptown was the Monte Cristo ($13.00). This classic sandwich came with American bread, ham, turkey, Swiss, and American cheese. Finishing off the Monte Cristo was a light dusting of powdered sugar. On the side were raspberry preserves.
While it might seem complicated, this sandwich was quite simple. It consisted of bread topped with cheese and meat. The whole sandwich was first dipped into batter until fully coated, then dropped into oil and fried until crispy.
While simple, the Monte Cristo featured many textures and flavors that worked well together. My favorite part was the puffy, crispy crust formed around the American bread after deep-fried. I enjoyed how the crust added a crunchy yet airy texture to each bite while the inside remained soft and moist.
Layered between the two slices of bread was smoked turkey, black forest ham, Swiss cheese, and American cheese. Both types of tender meat added a smoky, salty flavor to each bite while the cheeses melted to bring everything together. Simple yet delicious, with different textures in each bite.
After being deep fried, I found the Monte Cristo somewhat rich. The dusting of powdered sugar seemed strange at first, but after I took a bite, I understood how the sugar’s sweetness complemented the sandwich’s richness. The combination of deep-fried foods and powdered sugar reminded me of a funnel cake I would find at a fair. They just worked well together.
Served on the side was a small serving of raspberry preserves. Just as with the powdered sugar, the raspberry preserves complemented the richness of the Monte Cristo. This viscous jam was the perfect balance of sweet and tart. At first, I wasn’t sure if I would like it, but I kept returning for more.
Crispy Smashed Potatoes
If I wasn’t full enough, I decided to order a side of Potatoes ($5.00). For something as simple as potatoes, this was one good-looking plate. On the side was a small serving of ketchup.
These deep-fried potatoes were fantastic. I could tell they were made fresh and not from a bag. I enjoyed how the size of each potato was different and unique. There were smaller pieces and larger pieces.
The smaller pieces were crispy and crunchy, while the larger pieces were crispy on the outside and moist and soft on the inside. I enjoyed the differences in textures.
Delicious, flavorful, simple, filling, and cheap. I had no complaints here.
Service at Steuben’s Uptown
While I had no issues with the service on my visit to Steuben’s, I could see how some people might feel differently. My server was friendly and helpful when ordering, even giving me her recommendations.
After my food arrived, my server returned once when bringing the bill at the end of the meal. I had no problem with this because there wasn’t anything else I needed. I could have flagged my server down if needed.
Could she have returned to check up once to see how everything was? Sure. For me, it wasn’t a big deal. Depending on your needs, you might feel differently about the service.
A 3% charge was added to the bill for the back-of-house workers. While I had no issue with this, it would have been nice for the server to mention this charge before bringing the bill.
Conclusion
Of all the restaurants I visited on my trip to Denver, Steuben’s Uptown was my favorite. The food and service were excellent, the restaurant’s interior was beautiful, and outdoor seating was available, perfect for those sunny days.
Whether you visit Steuben’s Uptown for brunch, lunch, dinner, or happy hour, you will surely find something unique and delicious on the menu.
Pros
- Scratch made dishes
- Unique menu with American classics and more
- Friendly server
- Great décor
Cons
- Server disappeared after food arrived
- While not an issue for me, a 3% charge was added to all bills without any explanation beforehand
Hours
Monday - Thursday: 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday: 11:00 AM - 11:00PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM - 11:00PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM - 10:00PM
Happy Hour
Monday - Sunday: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Late Night Happy Hour
9:00 PM - Close
Address
523 E 17th Ave, Denver, CO 80203
GPS Coordinates: 39.743496,-104.980389
Map
Website
https://www.steubens.com/Last Updated on April 17, 2024
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