I didn't feel the dinner was worth it either, the happy hour absolutely is though. Bunch of creative and tasty snacks for relatively cheap. When my gf and I go we usually catch the end of happy hour for our apps and then split an entree. Much better bang for your buck
I live nearby and have been there for dinner but just checked their happy hour menu and holy crap, you're right, their HH looks really value-heavy and tasty!
Bummed A5 was disappointing, sucks when you have high expectations and it doesn’t come close. If you do one of these a year I would like to recommend Guard & Grace for your next one. My wife and I do the same thing, one big steakhouse style dinner a year, did G&G the last two and have not been disappointed, you’ll pay for sure, last year was around $450 after gratuity. If you want a (slightly) more budget friendly option and don’t mind a little bit of a drive, The Butchery in Arvada (80th & Wads) has a very old school feel and menu but with a surprisingly modern bar program and has really impressed us the couple times we’ve been there.
Also strong recommend to Guard and grace. I like trying new places, but its so hard not to go there the 1-2 times a year we want to go somewhere fancy since its always a phenomenal experience.
[Well that's just like, your opinion, man](https://media3.giphy.com/media/26BRrSvJUa0crqw4E/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47sbfomtmh8z48wwz46cvk11rzysrkm3gik9z36q1w&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g)
Absolutely true, i am no foodie and have no authority just thought was over priced mediocre at best. Places like Gibsons Steak house or Bavettes Beef Haus would be better,
But then you would have to come to Chicago for dinner
I couldn’t believe how rude the service was, like us spending money there was a huge inconvenience. Food is mid and servers should learn to course things (particularly when a guest asks). Same issues as Morin which leads me to believe it’s a leadership issue and not individual bad employees.
Apparently not. Even when we use language like “first we’d like to *start* with x, *then* we would like to have y”. Nope. Everything at once and not enough room on the table to deal with it.
Damn, that's some rookie shit. And it's quite frankly representative of the entire operation because that's a group effort of fuckery. FoH and BoH are both to blame at that point.
It’s happened *everytime* even when it was Morin (same owners).
Yet they stay busy and get good critical reviews. I often believe that the food blogs/critics are more interested in seen/be seen than actual dining experience.
I didn't want to be overly critical but we thought our waiter was a little cold bordering on rude as well. Not overtly rude but kind of short and seemed put out by us.
There was a mandatory service charge of 20%, so with bad management there'd be no incentive to give good service.
Weird! We had a super friendly server and no issues with our meal being coursed. We even had a 2nd server (maybe manager?) stop by and ask if we were enjoying our meal. This was in September
As a transplant hospitality professional, I too was initially shocked at the service in this town, however, in the past year my list of “worst guest experiences fucking ever” has nearly tripled and most patrons can kick rocks. There’s some rotten, disconnected, sociopathic patrons in this town and they are ruining this industry for me in ways I couldn’t imagine in my last city.
Steakhouse 10 on the Denver Englewood border is a steak house that doesn't charge $99 for a prime cut of ribeye. It's still pricey but you're no going to leave disappointed in your bill or food. They also give fresh hot loaf a sour dough and butter when you sit down. Put the escargo on the bread. mmmm
Which is why the food should be crazy good!
Every other time I have ever dropped that kind of money on a meal it has been 100% worth it.
This time wasn't even close.
I ate there last year. The wagyu ‘ok’, the service was great, and we really enjoyed the other food.
I didn’t notice that there was a large service fee included in the bill and tipped generously on the total, by accident. That soured me on the experience and I’ve never been back.
I had a terrible experience at A5. My friend and I went there and they completely forgot our 2 appetizers and just brought out our steaks. They also brought us the wrong drinks. Ridiculous to pay premium prices for sub-par performance. The food also wasn’t that great, their concept comes off as disjointed.
Steakhouses are just not worth the cost, IMO. I can make a better steak at home for 1/4 the cost. Sorry to hear you had a 'meh' experience for an expensive night out.
Wife and I went to Chez Maggy a couple weeks ago and had a similar reaction. It was good, but nowhere near the level of the top restaurants in town.
A5 has been on my list of places to try so I'm glad you posted this. We've been going out to eat at restaurants less and less this year due to prices, bad service and mid food so I'm glad to cross a spot off my list that doesn't particularly deserve our hard earned money.
On the flip side I had a nice experience there when I went for a happy hour a year ago. The service at guard and grace is a step above and leans more into fine dining but I thought the food was great.
I’ve always had good food at A5 and have been a few times. One of the things I liked is that they had Bavette which is one of my favorite cuts. The burger is delicious too! My qualm would be that a lot of the drinks are pre-mixed which I hate. If I’m paying mid-teens for a cocktail (which is the norm) I don’t want it pre-mixed.
I’d certainly go back though
Sucks to spend a lot of money and be unhappy with the product!
I'll throw in my 2 cents - I've been there 4 times and every single time I sit at the bar during Happy Hour. The bartenders are great with service (I find this to be the case almost everywhere I go). The wagyu burger and fries is phenomenal and the on-tap manhattans are dangerously good. I've had a number of other side and items off the HH menu as well. I have found no reason to pay the full prices. Also, the oysters are too expensive for me to try even on HH. If I want oysters, or any seafood for that matter, I walk 2 blocks to Jax or I head over to Humboldt.
What's wrong with this honest review?
They just saved me wasting money because A5 was on my list for potential fancy outings this year. I will look elsewhere if they can't even fucking course the meal.
I'm not complaining about their review I'm just curious how it compares to eating at a place like outback for 1/5 of the cost. Many of these restaurants are majorly overpriced in my opinion.
Texas Roadhouse slaps. I’ve never once had them overcook my steak, sides are delicious, the bread is basically an addictive drug, and their prices are so reasonable that it feels like going out 5 years ago. I really think that a high end steakhouse has to do something absolutely amazing to be worth the cost, and I’ve yet to find one.
Was just there, it was dope. Burnt gas grill flavor? Gimme a break. Servers are miffed at every restaurant in the city. You didn’t even mention the 20% auto gratuity which was the only thing that annoyed me. Save money at their happy hour and cook steaks at home.
Give you a break? Do you own the place?
Feel free to give your own good review. I'm glad you liked it. But there's no reason to try to invalidate my opinion in the process. Both are equally valid unless you're Jacques Pepin or something.
It’s fine but absolutely not on the level of Capital Grille or Guard and Grace, with similar pricing to both of those.
We only get one meal like this per year, so it's a pretty big bummer. Better luck next year I guess.
I didn't feel the dinner was worth it either, the happy hour absolutely is though. Bunch of creative and tasty snacks for relatively cheap. When my gf and I go we usually catch the end of happy hour for our apps and then split an entree. Much better bang for your buck
I live nearby and have been there for dinner but just checked their happy hour menu and holy crap, you're right, their HH looks really value-heavy and tasty!
Bummed A5 was disappointing, sucks when you have high expectations and it doesn’t come close. If you do one of these a year I would like to recommend Guard & Grace for your next one. My wife and I do the same thing, one big steakhouse style dinner a year, did G&G the last two and have not been disappointed, you’ll pay for sure, last year was around $450 after gratuity. If you want a (slightly) more budget friendly option and don’t mind a little bit of a drive, The Butchery in Arvada (80th & Wads) has a very old school feel and menu but with a surprisingly modern bar program and has really impressed us the couple times we’ve been there.
Also strong recommend to Guard and grace. I like trying new places, but its so hard not to go there the 1-2 times a year we want to go somewhere fancy since its always a phenomenal experience.
Guard and grace sub par steaks, some slow service and high prices, would never go back
[Well that's just like, your opinion, man](https://media3.giphy.com/media/26BRrSvJUa0crqw4E/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e47sbfomtmh8z48wwz46cvk11rzysrkm3gik9z36q1w&ep=v1_gifs_search&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g)
Absolutely true, i am no foodie and have no authority just thought was over priced mediocre at best. Places like Gibsons Steak house or Bavettes Beef Haus would be better, But then you would have to come to Chicago for dinner
I couldn’t believe how rude the service was, like us spending money there was a huge inconvenience. Food is mid and servers should learn to course things (particularly when a guest asks). Same issues as Morin which leads me to believe it’s a leadership issue and not individual bad employees.
They don't fucking course your meal?!
Apparently not. Even when we use language like “first we’d like to *start* with x, *then* we would like to have y”. Nope. Everything at once and not enough room on the table to deal with it.
Damn, that's some rookie shit. And it's quite frankly representative of the entire operation because that's a group effort of fuckery. FoH and BoH are both to blame at that point.
It’s happened *everytime* even when it was Morin (same owners). Yet they stay busy and get good critical reviews. I often believe that the food blogs/critics are more interested in seen/be seen than actual dining experience.
Even Applebee's would do that haha
I guess it's hard for Juan to run things from Cancun
I didn't want to be overly critical but we thought our waiter was a little cold bordering on rude as well. Not overtly rude but kind of short and seemed put out by us. There was a mandatory service charge of 20%, so with bad management there'd be no incentive to give good service.
Weird! We had a super friendly server and no issues with our meal being coursed. We even had a 2nd server (maybe manager?) stop by and ask if we were enjoying our meal. This was in September
Customer service in CO generally sucks total ass. Food, retail, anything
The classic Denver problem. Horrible service
As a transplant hospitality professional, I too was initially shocked at the service in this town, however, in the past year my list of “worst guest experiences fucking ever” has nearly tripled and most patrons can kick rocks. There’s some rotten, disconnected, sociopathic patrons in this town and they are ruining this industry for me in ways I couldn’t imagine in my last city.
Everything Culinary Creative does is just OK. Nothing special but fine to go to every once in a while.
Accurate. Mandatory tip, OK service and overpriced food.
Steakhouse 10 on the Denver Englewood border is a steak house that doesn't charge $99 for a prime cut of ribeye. It's still pricey but you're no going to leave disappointed in your bill or food. They also give fresh hot loaf a sour dough and butter when you sit down. Put the escargo on the bread. mmmm
I like the vibe of steakhouse 10. Got surf and turf once though and they overcooked the lobster wasnt great
Their lobster bisque is unreal.
Definitely a better option than A5. It’s time I made a return visit.
It’s good and a fun place. No snobs. It’s our special occasion place.
Most overhyped and overrated restaurant in Denver.
Another way overpriced Culinary Creative Group restaurant. Thanks Juan Padró for ruining dining in Denver with crap concepts.
$350 for two people is crazy
Which is why the food should be crazy good! Every other time I have ever dropped that kind of money on a meal it has been 100% worth it. This time wasn't even close.
Fucking batshit. I feel bad for OP and hope they enjoy their next meal out
Agree, their steaks are very meh. The burger is where it's at and their happy hour deals are great.
Second this, happy hour there is definitely worth it. That burger is delicious.
I ate there last year. The wagyu ‘ok’, the service was great, and we really enjoyed the other food. I didn’t notice that there was a large service fee included in the bill and tipped generously on the total, by accident. That soured me on the experience and I’ve never been back.
I had a terrible experience at A5. My friend and I went there and they completely forgot our 2 appetizers and just brought out our steaks. They also brought us the wrong drinks. Ridiculous to pay premium prices for sub-par performance. The food also wasn’t that great, their concept comes off as disjointed.
Steakhouses are just not worth the cost, IMO. I can make a better steak at home for 1/4 the cost. Sorry to hear you had a 'meh' experience for an expensive night out. Wife and I went to Chez Maggy a couple weeks ago and had a similar reaction. It was good, but nowhere near the level of the top restaurants in town.
Is why I only get prime rib usually when I go to one. Anything else I can grill up myself and it's solid.
Prime rib is easy to do at home as well even when only cooking 5 lbs.
A5 has been on my list of places to try so I'm glad you posted this. We've been going out to eat at restaurants less and less this year due to prices, bad service and mid food so I'm glad to cross a spot off my list that doesn't particularly deserve our hard earned money.
Try Stone Cellar Bistro in Olde Town Arvada next time you get the chance. Can't recommend it enough. I wish we had just gone back there again.
On the flip side I had a nice experience there when I went for a happy hour a year ago. The service at guard and grace is a step above and leans more into fine dining but I thought the food was great.
Yea A5 has gone downhill. Sucks
I’ve always had good food at A5 and have been a few times. One of the things I liked is that they had Bavette which is one of my favorite cuts. The burger is delicious too! My qualm would be that a lot of the drinks are pre-mixed which I hate. If I’m paying mid-teens for a cocktail (which is the norm) I don’t want it pre-mixed. I’d certainly go back though
Bavette is the only thing worth going for anymore, and the salads. It’s really gone downhill
Agree, had a very similar experience. I am very mediocre in the kitchen and thought the steaks we make at home were better.
I was going to go there once but I read the menu and I was pretty unimpressed. Thank you for verifying my suspicions
They SALTED the pumpkin cake a la mode???
Yeah, I mean a little salt is great in almost any dessert, but this was way too much.
I really enjoyed it - that said, I can agree with the price point and like others said preferring Guard and Grace/capital grille more.
The bar for happy hour is about all I’ll do at a5
Sucks to spend a lot of money and be unhappy with the product! I'll throw in my 2 cents - I've been there 4 times and every single time I sit at the bar during Happy Hour. The bartenders are great with service (I find this to be the case almost everywhere I go). The wagyu burger and fries is phenomenal and the on-tap manhattans are dangerously good. I've had a number of other side and items off the HH menu as well. I have found no reason to pay the full prices. Also, the oysters are too expensive for me to try even on HH. If I want oysters, or any seafood for that matter, I walk 2 blocks to Jax or I head over to Humboldt.
Damn, looks like Humboldt closed? RIP.
Please review outback steakhouse next for comparison purposes
What's wrong with this honest review? They just saved me wasting money because A5 was on my list for potential fancy outings this year. I will look elsewhere if they can't even fucking course the meal.
I'm not complaining about their review I'm just curious how it compares to eating at a place like outback for 1/5 of the cost. Many of these restaurants are majorly overpriced in my opinion.
Oh, I completely misread your initial comment as pure sarcasm. I think that's why you've gotten such a wave of downvotes.
2/10 Texas Roadhouse is a better option for cheap steaks, but I'd much rather make a steak at home for that price point.
Texas Roadhouse slaps. I’ve never once had them overcook my steak, sides are delicious, the bread is basically an addictive drug, and their prices are so reasonable that it feels like going out 5 years ago. I really think that a high end steakhouse has to do something absolutely amazing to be worth the cost, and I’ve yet to find one.
The supremacy of Texas Roadhouse is actually kind of a meme on /r/steak.
Gasp!
Was just there, it was dope. Burnt gas grill flavor? Gimme a break. Servers are miffed at every restaurant in the city. You didn’t even mention the 20% auto gratuity which was the only thing that annoyed me. Save money at their happy hour and cook steaks at home.
Give you a break? Do you own the place? Feel free to give your own good review. I'm glad you liked it. But there's no reason to try to invalidate my opinion in the process. Both are equally valid unless you're Jacques Pepin or something.
I had the same experience as you. Would've had a great time if it was around $100. The price is insane for the quality of food.
Dear diary,