Denver Living · The Steak Tour
The Best Steakhouses
in Denver
Eight steakhouses. One New York strip each. A search for the finest steak this city has to offer — from a no-frills Colfax institution to downtown fine dining.
The biggest question I get about Denver is where to find the best steakhouse. For a long time I didn't have a good enough answer — I had ideas, but not enough firsthand knowledge to back them up. So I did what any reasonable person would do: I ate at eight different Denver steakhouses and figured it out.
The methodology is simple. Get a New York strip (my go-to for reasons I explain in the video) at each place, take in the ambiance, note the prices, and give it a score. No sauces (sauces are for cowards). The range on this list goes from $21 cash-only at a Federal Boulevard lounge to $75 at a tech center institution with Super Bowl rings on the wall. The best steak in Denver is not necessarily at the most expensive restaurant, but it's close.
This is the definitive Denver steakhouse ranking — every score earned in person, in order from best to last.
Judged on
Jump to a steakhouse
Downtown · 18th & California · Modern Steakhouse
Guard & Grace
Based purely on steak, Guard & Grace is the best steakhouse in Denver. Chef Troy Guard built something downtown that earns that title every time. The 8 oz New York strip at $50 is cut the way the kitchen wants to cut it — and what comes out is a perfectly cooked, perfectly crusted steak that scored an 8.6. Cooked to a perfect medium rare. Crust was exactly right. Still hot off the grill when it hit the table.
The first time Sam visited Guard & Grace the memory was of something obscenely salty. This visit was different — the seasoning was dialed in. Oysters, rolls, broccolini, Brussels sprouts alongside. The verdict from the table: best steak in the city. It held up.
Denver Tech Center · Fine Dining · NFL Legacy
Shanahan's
Named after NFL head coach Mike Shanahan, this is the DTC's most serious steakhouse. The lobby presentation is fantastic: high ceilings, Lombardi Trophies, Super Bowl rings on display. You feel like a big hitter walking in. The New York strip at $75 leads the price list, but the wagyu and dry-aged options are there if you want them.
The kitchen errs on the side of undercooked — almost black-and-blue here, leaning toward rare/medium-rare — which Sam appreciated. The flavor is excellent, savory and substantial. Clean plates all around. The overall experience — service, atmosphere, steak — is everything you want it to be. A strong case for second-best steak in the city.
Downtown Denver · Modern · Japanese-Influenced
A5 Steakhouse
A5 was the one everyone told Sam had to be number one — the most hyped spot on the list. It's downtown, modern, eclectic, and genuinely cool. The menu goes all the way to Japanese A5 strip loin at $115 for 4 oz. For this visit, the Denver Steak (a cross between a New York strip and a chuck eye) came in at a much more reasonable price point, and it was very good.
The poutine appetizer is excellent — too much for one person, but excellent. The steak was cooked well and the experience as a solo diner was comfortable and well-handled. The 7.9 may reflect expectations as much as reality — it's a great steak and a great spot. If the hype hadn't been quite so loud, 7.9 might have felt higher. A5 is the right choice when you want something downtown with an edge.
Denver Tech Center · Corporate Steakhouse · Tied 4th
Eddie V's
Sam doesn't usually include chain restaurants in Denver guides, but makes an exception for the corporate steakhouse — and Eddie V's is the reason why. The corporate steakhouse, as Professor Tim Dillon tells us, serves a vital role: it's remarkably consistent, well-executed, and actually quite good. Eddie V's in the DTC makes that case.
The 18 oz bone-in prime New York strip at $65 is how they serve the cut here. The hospitality was the best of the entire list. Sam visited on his anniversary, and the kitchen rolled out the red carpet. The steak leans leaner than a traditional strip, more fillet-like, which not everyone will prefer — but it's a very good steak at a very well-run restaurant. Complimentary champagne after dinner. Hard to beat the experience.
Colfax Ave · Denver Institution · Tied 4th
Bastien's
Home of the sugar steak — the sign on Colfax has been there long enough that most Denver drivers have seen it without ever going in. They should go in. Bastien's is an old-school Denver steakhouse on one of the city's most storied streets, and it still earns its reputation. The kitchen won't cook a steak beyond medium rare, which tells you something about how seriously they take it.
The sugar rub is the signature — a special preparation that gives the New York strip a slightly sweet, caramelized exterior. The 16 oz strip at $41 is one of the better value propositions on the list. Sam started at 7.2 and revised up to 7.8 mid-review after realizing the cook was genuinely excellent. Good call. Bastien's is a Denver original worth knowing.
North Broadway · Old-School · No Frills
Mickey's Top Sirloin
Mickey's is way up north near Broadway and 36th, attached to a liquor store, and it is exactly what it sounds like: a working man's steakhouse that doesn't pretend to be anything else. The New York strip is $31 and comes with chowder, salad, and a baked potato. There are jello shots. The service is fast and professional in its own very specific way.
The steak comes out better than expected — medium rare, a noticeable mystery spice in the crust that reads as slightly earthy and nutty, almost like thyme. Sam and his guest both noticed it and couldn't fully identify it, which is somehow part of the charm. Scored a 6.8, described as "workmanlike but got it done." Mickey's is worth a visit if you want the real old Denver experience at a fair price.
Federal Blvd · Cash Only · Lunch Counter Vibe
Columbine Steakhouse & Lounge
Columbine is an experience unlike anything else on this list, and that counts for a lot. Cash only. $21 for a New York strip. The steaks are cooked on a griddle right in front of you when you walk in. You can sit on the lounge side if you want, which in the middle of the day means you're in a bar watching a steak cook on a flat-top. This is Denver at its most unreconstructed.
The baked potato — half potato, half butter — is a 9. The steak is a 6.4 that earned every inch of that score: a great griddle char, surprisingly tender, reminiscent of the best version of a backyard grill steak. The full meal for two came to $38 before drinks. Columbine is not where you go when you want the best steak in Denver, but everyone should go at least once.
Near Light Rail · Denver History · Wild Game
Buckhorn Exchange
The Buckhorn Exchange is possibly Denver's oldest restaurant, and the experience is genuinely one of a kind. The menu reads like a Colorado wildlife guide: quail, elk, lamb, Rocky Mountain Oysters — plus the steak for two, which arrives table-side, sliced in half, with garlic herb butter, mushrooms, and onions. The 1.5 lbs for two at $110 is a production. The taxidermy on the walls is extensive. The bar upstairs has bears at the end of the hall.
The steak itself, honestly, came in last — 6.1. The crust needed more development on both sides, it needed more salt, and the fat was trimmed more than Sam prefers on a strip. But the score is almost beside the point at Buckhorn Exchange. You don't come here because it's the best steak in Denver. You come here because there's nothing else like it in the city, and Out-of-Towners deserve to see it at least once.
The Final Rankings
| Rank | Steakhouse | Score | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Guard & Grace | 8.6 | |
| #2 | Shanahan's | 8.2 | |
| #3 | A5 Steakhouse | 7.9 | |
| #4 | Eddie V's | 7.8 | |
| #4 | Bastien's | 7.8 | |
| #6 | Mickey's Top Sirloin | 6.8 | |
| #7 | Columbine Steakhouse | 6.4 | |
| #8 | Buckhorn Exchange | 6.1 |
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