Eat Local: Old Town Pub | Get Real Denver

Eat Local: Old Town Pub
by Kristen Browning-Blas on July 14, 2009

Old? Yes, but don’t let that fool you. This updated eatery offers both charm and top-notch food.

Steamboat Springs locals know the Old Town Pub is the place to chill and listen to some live music after a long day in the service industry. But the restaurant/bar in the century-old building takes special care with its food no matter where the diner is from.

We wandered into the pub for a pre-drive-home lunch, assuming we would simply fill up and head back over Rabbit Ears Pass. The boy wanted chicken tenders, the husband a BLT, and I ordered a burger. The menu brags that the half-pounders are the best in town. Yeah, sure, I thought, just don’t make us wait too long, as we settled into a booth with vinyl seats nearly split apart from wear.

Our waitress was an old pro — efficient and a little jaded. After only one round of “I spy” and shooting the straw wrappers at each other, we saw our platters emerge, hot and overflowing with fries.

Expecting a pre-fab patty, I was surprised that the char-grilled meat was actually cooked to medium, as requested, something that’s rare these days (pardon the pun).

The 13-year-old’s chicken strips were so good, he had to fend off his parents from eating them. No frozen from-a-box fowl here: the cooks soak the chicken in buttermilk, then dip it in batter that comes out crunchy and golden. And the BLT delivered, too, with ripe tomato slices, smoky bacon and a tangy garlic mayonnaise.

Sure, the booths are old and the carpet worn, but like Steamboat itself, the Old Town Pub makes everyone feel like a local. I know owner Lizzie Larock only from the restaurant’s website, her blog, Facebook and Twitter, but it’s apparent that her energy infuses the whole operation, from the well-crafted food to the newly remodeled (fancy sinks, elegant tile) bathrooms.

– OLD TOWN PUB –

American. 600 Lincoln Ave., Steamboat Springs, 970-879-2101. Lunch and dinner daily, bar open late. theoldtownpub.com

– Kristen Browning-Blas