Restaurants in Golden

At Old Blinking Light, Executive chef Christopher Hansen and Chef de cuisine Joey Meyer use their talents to craft a menu of southwestern-inspired seasonal cuisine, highlighted by dishes such as signature enchiladas, which tuck beef, chicken, or vegetables in white corn tortillas with red or green chili, pico de gallo, and crème fraîche and sautéed salmon rubbed with New Mexico red chili and served alongside cilantro green rice and calabacitas. Additionally, diners can choose from an extensive wine list with wines by the bottle or glass to accompany meals, or specialty drinks made with juices and sweet and sour mix squeezed fresh.

The interior boasts an industrial feel, with high ceilings supporting exposed ductwork, corrugated metal accents, and seemingly rusted chains hanging from above. Outside, patrons sit at tables with fire pits at the center, into which they can toss food offerings to the gods in exchange for good baseball weather.

Within a rustic interior, the chefs at Cactus Jack’s Saloon craft a menu's worth of casual pub eats, including burgers made from locally acquired ingredients. Outside, on an expansive, sunny deck with rows of picnic tables, servers transport patties made from all-natural Anderson beef and topped with a range of fixings, such as the Red Hot Mama’s matronly jalapeños. The tavern hosts frequent events on its creek-side stage, such as live music, duet karaoke, and open-mic nights.

After years spent working in other restaurants and bakeries, Jyll Tuggle had a dream to open her own neighborhood eatery where folks could gather to enjoy quality cuisine and hearty conversation. That dream became Under The Umbrella Cafe and Bakery, a cozy brick-walled eatery that quickly won the Denver Post’s endorsement for its light, homemade fare and friendly, local vibe. Families can frequently be found filling seats in the kid-friendly confines, drawn in by a menu peppered with house-baked cinnamon rolls, filled croissants, breakfast burritos, and grilled sandwiches served with a choice of side such as homemade potato salad. Denver-based Pablo's Coffee fills cups with heady brews as laptops luxuriate in the waves of free WiFi and area psychics flock to read their futures in the loose leaves used to steep steaming cups of Sterling tea.

As guests walk through The Broker Restaurant, they'll catch a glimpse of the gleaming metal of a massive, circular vault door, swung open in an inviting fashion. But this isn't some prop or gimmick—it’s a relic from the building’s original tenant, the Denver National Bank. The iconic restaurant resides within the original bank vault, which was built in 1903 and designed to securely safeguard deposited items such as jewelry, sensitive documents, or family keepsakes.

Today, diners sit in the very booths formerly used by bank customers to count gold or the years until the bank might finally turn into a restaurant. Surrounded by dark cherry wood, they feast on dry-aged, prime cuts of beef, fresh Alaskan seafood, and tender Colorado lamb. Servers commence each meal with a complimentary 1.5-pound bowl of steamed Gulf shrimp, which remains a trademark of the historic restaurant.