Reviews of The Populist

Very pretty food and drink here in the most hip part of town. The hash browns with taleggio and apricot salad was a unique combo but I wish the whole dish was a little more warm overall. The cocktails are made well but did not arrive until after the appetizer. The pasta also was a unique combo of surf (crab) and turf (oxtail) but we found the meat to be too tough and chewy, unfortunately. Service took too long in between courses and we waited about 40 minutes until our entrées arrived. The salmon was cooked excellently - very crisp skin and tender filet - but was served over a bed of under seasoned potatoes. The lamb was a let down - the chops were extremely fatty and there was barely any lean meat to eat. The lamb was also served with a bed of (foraged?) greens that were mostly inedible, like the onion flower bulbs. However, the beans were made well as was their take on the fresh “mint jelly” accompaniment.

If you are looking for a rude wait staff and mediocre food, this is your gem. After reading some online reviews, our party was excited to see what this restaurant could offer. There is so much that could be said about this experience but will just summarize that the food is so-so, the wait and kitchen staff seem indifferent to the patrons, and the food is overpriced for what you get (nevermind the quality which is low). And make sure you don't ask about any of the ingredients in the food (they don't know or won't tell you). With all the amazing restaurants in Denver it seems that people could make a much better choice by spending their time and money elsewhere.

Our waitress was very knowledgeable about the wines and food ingredients. They were very accommodating to those of us with allergies. The food was amazing - we were tasting each other's dishes and no one disliked something. We tried almost all of the starters, about 5 entrees, and all three desserts on their dessert menu, including an espresso. Everything was amazing, highly recommend. We were dressed casually. We didn't do the chef tasting menu. We were there during happy hour so we ordered a few things off that menu. It was a wonderful experience and we all left happy and very, very full.

Before I went to Denver, I heard about the booming food scene but really didn’t expect it to be anything like Chicago’s. Once we started feasting around the city, though, my expectations were immediately surpassed. In fact, after eating at The Populist, I wished Chef Jonathan Power would open up a restaurant in Chicago.