What Legoland California's Castle Hotel Is REALLY Like

If you're staying downtown or just spending the day around 16th Street Mall, here's where I'd actually send you.

Sam's No. 3

Sam's has been on Curtis Street since 1927, which is either a great sign or a warning, depending on your relationship with diners. In this case, it's a great sign. The green chile is the reason most people show up, and it should be — thick, pork-forward, with enough heat to matter without wiping you out. Cash is fine, portions are large, and the bill won't hurt. Go for breakfast or lunch; the dinner crowd can back things up.

Red Square Euro Bistro

Tucked into Larimer Square at street level, Red Square does Eastern European food in a city that doesn't have a lot of it, which makes it worth paying attention to. The beef stroganoff is the move — proper, not the condensed-soup version. The vodka list is longer than you'd expect and the room has actual personality, which isn't something you can say about a lot of spots on Larimer. My wife and I went on a Tuesday and had no trouble getting a seat, but weekends around here fill up fast.

Earls Kitchen + Bar

Earls is a Canadian chain, which I feel compelled to mention because people get weird about chains, but the food here is consistently solid in a way that a lot of independent spots on the 16th Street Mall corridor are not. The location on Glenarm puts you right in the middle of downtown foot traffic. The sushi tacos are a little gimmicky but they work. The burger is better than it has any right to be at that price. Good for a group — the menu is wide enough that everyone finds something.

Urban Farmer Denver

Urban Farmer is in the Westin on Wazee, and yes, it's a hotel restaurant, but don't let that stop you. The steaks are serious and sourced from Colorado ranchers, which they're happy to tell you about — and in this case it's actually relevant to the plate in front of you, not just marketing copy. Prices are in the $$$$ range, so this isn't a casual Tuesday dinner, but if you're already downtown for something that warrants a real meal, this is where I'd go. Reservations make sense here.

The Kitchen American Bistro

Also on Wazee, a couple blocks from Urban Farmer. The Kitchen has been a downtown anchor for years and it holds up. The focus is seasonal and local, the menu rotates, and the half-price burger at the bar on Mondays has been a thing for long enough that people plan around it. The space is warm without trying too hard, which is harder to pull off than it sounds on Wazee Street right now.

Maggiano's Little Italy

Yes, it's in the Pavilions Mall. Yes, it's a chain. The portions are big enough to split, the pasta is made in-house, and the chicken parmesan is exactly what you want chicken parmesan to be — no surprises, no reinvention. If you're with people who have strong opinions about what they want to eat and Italian is the answer, this works every time. The service is reliably good and they can handle a large table without falling apart.

3 Margaritas Downtown Cocina Mexicana

Right on the 16th Street Mall, which means the location is convenient and the room gets loud. The margaritas are the draw — strong, real lime, not mix — and the green chile enchiladas hold their own. This isn't the most ambitious Mexican food in Denver, but it's a solid call when you're downtown and want something with a drink that actually tastes like a drink.

Ajax Downtown

Ajax is on the north end of the 16th Street Mall near the train station and does Southwestern-influenced food with some ambition behind it. The green chile cheeseburger shows up on a lot of best-of lists around Denver, and it earns it. The space is nice without being precious, and the bar program is worth your attention if you're sticking around after dinner. Prices are on the higher end for the strip, but the quality gap between Ajax and the spots around it is real.

Chez Maggy

Chez Maggy is inside the Kimpton Hotel on Market Street and it's doing French bistro food at prices that don't match what you'd expect from a hotel restaurant. The croque monsieur is properly made. The steak frites are good. The room is small and fills up, so getting there early or booking ahead is worth it. Denver doesn't have a deep bench of actual French bistros, so this one lands differently than it might in another city.

Blue Agave Grill

Blue Agave has been on the 16th Street Mall for a long time, and it's a reliable pick when you want solid Mexican food without a wait. The slow-roasted pork is worth ordering. The tequila list is long and the staff actually knows it, which is useful if you're trying to figure out the difference between the twenty options in front of you. Nothing flashy, but it does what it does consistently.

5280 Burger Bar

Also in the Pavilions, a few doors down from Maggiano's. The Colorado lamb burger is the reason to go — unusual for a burger spot, and it's executed well. The beef options are solid too, and the price point is reasonable for downtown. It gets busy during lunch on weekdays when the office crowd comes through, so early or late tends to work better if you want a table without stress.

Downtown Denver gets written off sometimes as a tourist zone, which isn't completely wrong — parts of the 16th Street Mall are exactly that. But there's enough real food here, from Sam's green chile to the lamb burger at 5280, that you don't have to wander far to eat well. The parking situation around Larimer and Wazee specifically is easier than people think if you use one of the Pavilions garages and just walk. Most of these spots are within ten minutes of each other on foot.

If I had to pick one for tonight, I'd probably end up at Ajax or Red Square — both deliver something you can't get at a dozen other places in the neighborhood.