Best restaurants in Louisville, Colorado

*Latest update: 1/1/2016

Lucky Pie’s craft beer samplers… Why order one when you can order three?

Louisville, CO – Old Town Evening

 

“He’s proud of his town… that’s a damn rare thing these days.” – John Candy as Del Griffith in Planes, Trains & Automobiles.

I’m a Michigan transplant, but I love dining in my surrogate city. Old Town Louisville, CO boasts unchained, local-fare, foodie gems. Here are a few of my favorites….

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Kids’ play area + adult booze area

Lulu’s BBQ – Say yes to sweet potato cheese tots.
Sweet Cow Ice Cream – There’s always a line out the door for a good reason.
Lucky Pie Pizza & Taphouse – Wild mushroom pizza is excellent.

*Lucky Pie and Sweet Cow designed a large play yard/garden for kids next to the deck that doubles as a drinking yard for adults. Lulu’s is smaller, but it features cornhole and other “hard to hurt one’s self while drinking” games.

 

Coffee, Tea… or Me? 

Paul’s Coffee & Tea
Vic’s Espresso Louisville
The Huckleberry – Mixed Berry Mascarpone crepes are fantastic.
Bittersweet Café & Confections
Precision Pours – A Coffee House – Now open at South Boulder Road/Main Street, across from the Louisville ‘Bear’ !
Bean and Berry (temporarily closed, but will reopen soon at a new location… stay tuned)
Eclectic Café & Gallery – Update: Eclectic Café has announced it’s moving to a new location. More info on exactly where as it’s available…

 

Dive bar w/billiards + darts

Henry’s Bar & Grill

 

Pinball Arcade

Tilt! Pinball – Enjoy beer, wine, or soft drinks while playing pinball and classic video games.

 

Rooftop drinks and eats

Madera Grill – Start your meal with the roasted garlic and warm goat cheese appetizers.

 

Colorado meets Cajun

Bourbon Street Seafood & Chophouse – Classic Creole & Cajun cuisine, extensive bourbon selection and LIVE JAZZ Thursdays. Read more from Chef Leeland in the comments below!

 

Comfort food/lounge

The Empire Lounge – The coal-miner’s mac & cheese and Brussels sprout salad are tasty choices…
Murphy’s Tap House Louisville – Now open on McCaslin with 40 beers on tap!

The Empire Lounge – Try the mac’n’cheese.

 

Historic Saloon

740 Front – An American Dining Saloon – Craft happy hour beers start around $3, so I’m sold!

740 Bison Banger with Ballast Point Sculpin IPA

 

Sports bar/pub

Mudrock’s Tap & Tavern – Great place to watch sports and drink beer. If you’re hungry, have a cup of the pub green chili, and pour it over your fries.

 

Pizza

Twelve Degree Brewing – Start with a cheese plate, end with a chocolate plate. Wash it all down with Belgian beer…
Lucky Pie Pizza & Taphouse
Pizza King Louisville – New York style pizza

Popeye pizza and Lagunitas Wheat Wine at Lucky Pie Louisville

 

Mexican cuisine

La Revolución – Locals love the House, La Rev, El Q, and Paloma margs… 
Casa Alegre – Try the huevos rancheros with corn tortillas.
Loco Hermanos – Huge Burritos!

Casa Alegre – Louisville, CO

 

Breweries

Twelve Degree Brewing – Pink Panther Saison is the perfect summer beer.
Gravity Brewing – Try the whiskey-barrel aged DIPA.
Crystal Springs Brewing  – Their classy tap room makes you forget you’re in an office park.

12 Degree Brewing – low-IBU tasters

 

Crystal Springs brewed a high-IBU, hoppy winner in the “13” IPA (far right)

 

Breakfast

The Huckleberry

The Huckleberry – Louisville, CO – Try the crepes!

 

East Asian/Tibetan cuisine

Tibet’s Restaurant and Bar – Share a kebab with someone you love.

Chicken kebab at Tibet’s

 

Indian cuisine

Taj Mahal III

 

Neighborhood pub

Waterloo Restaurant – Treat yourself to the potato-infused burger.

The Waterloo Mule

 

Chinese cuisine

Spice China – Be sure to check out the special Shanghai menu.

 

Live music

Por Wine House
Waterloo Restaurant
The Louisville Street Faire – Friday nights in summertime…

 

Italian cuisine

Zucca Italian Restaurant
Via Toscana – Their chicken parm is a local favorite.

 

Thai cuisine

Busaba Authentic Thai Cuisine – Locals love the Pad See Ew.
Thai Monkey Club Louisville – Sad to report that Thai Monkey Club in Louisville has permanently closed.

 

Barbecue

Lulu’s BBQ

 

Movie Night

Cinebarre (pub fare and full bar available while you watch the latest Hollywood hit,
although we recommend eating elsewhere before/after the movie)

 

Deli/sandwiches/lunch

Moxie Bread Co – Louisville, CO (replaced The Porch – see below)
Bittersweet Café & Confections
B.O.B.S. Diner
The Porch Deli & Market (sadly, The Porch has closed… it’s been replaced by Moxie Bread Co – Louisville, CO)

BOB’s Diner, 12 Degree Brewing, and The Empire Lounge on Old Town Main Street

 

Dessert

Sweet Cow Ice Cream

 

Wine bar

Por Wine House

 

Salad bar/patio

Alfalfa’s Louisville – Outdoor grilling + live music 4-6 pm Sundays. (weather permitting)

 

Relatively recent openings…

Murphy’s Tap House (opened August 1, 2015)
Bourbon Street Seafood & Chophouse (billed as “Colorado meets Cajun” – opened July 29, 2015)

 

Deep Fat Fry those Suckers, Mom!

In honor of Fat Tuesday… Deep Fried Oreos®.

My Red-Blooded American 8-year-old nephew instructed my sister… “Deep Fat Fry those Suckers, Mom!”

Artery-bustin’ recipe:

Ingredients

2 quarts vegetable oil (suitable for frying)
1 egg
1 cup milk
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (not for frying)
1 cup pancake mix
1 package of sandwich cookies

Cooking steps

1. Heat oil in deep fryer to 375° F (aka 190° C).

2. Hand-mix egg, milk, and two teaspoons of vegetable oil in one bowl until smooth.

3. Stir in pancake mix until dry lumps are gone.

4. Dip cookies into batter one at a time, and carefully place into hot fryer oil. Extremely carefully!

5. Fry 4 cookies at a time to maintain adequate cooking room in the deep fryer.

6. Cook until cookies have turned golden brown, which should take about two minutes.

7. Drain on a pan or cookie sheet lined with paper towels.

8. Serve and enjoy! My nephew reported that they taste a lot like chocolate-chip pancakes.

“Young man, you’re not having pancakes for breakfast… you’re having *fried* cake with *syrup* for breakfast!”
(Jim Gaffigan)

Lucky Pie Pizza & Tap House

Bacon Peanut Brittle appetizer / dessert / snack / teeth puller at Lucky Pie

Lucky Pie’s version of the pizza margherita with fresh basil

Lucky Pie IPA sampler – single, black, and imperial (Local two on the right: Odell Mountain Standard Double Black IPA and Oskar Blues Deviant Dale’s)

Lucky Pie Colorado Stout sampler, L-R (Lefthand Nitro Milk Stout, Oak Aged Yeti Imperial Stout from Great Divide, and Avery Czar)

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Waterloo Louisville

Full review coming soon!

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The Empire Lounge and Restaurant

Full review coming soon!

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What’s going on here?

I’m about to embark on a quest… a Colorado foodie blogging quest.

This story begins in Louisville, Colorado, and I’m not sure where it ends. Hopefully it catapults me to France a few thousand times.

I’ve polled several dozen of my closest Colorado pals to determine which Metro Boulder and Denver restaurants they love. My quest: try them all, and report back to you what each establishment has to offer. I humbly accept, and I’ve taken up jogging to offset the effects of eating copious amounts of what promises to be delectable, calorie-laden restaurant food. I own only medium shirts, and I aim to keep it that way.

One caveat to the restaurant recommendations my friends have passed along: no chains. If you’re craving fare from destinations like Office Space‘s mythical  “Chotchkies”, I salute you for your courage, and I bid you adieu. For the rest of you looking to experience a meal or two served up by a locally owned small business, I welcome you.

Now, as they say in Paris, “Let’s get our eat on!”*

*As far as I know, no Parisian ever actually said this.

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