The Kitchen Next Door

Burger was burnt and missing cheese. Sent back to recook. Waited for a while. Second burger was good but no adjustment on my check. Music was cool.

Traveled to Denver for work and arrived at an odd time between lunch and dinner (linner?). In any case I was looking for something light and this place was across the way from my hotel.
I opted for a cup of the Thai Butternut Squash soup and the Bacon Wrapped Dates appetizer. I also asked for a side of tzatziki because I am obsessed, and it was $ 0.50, so why not? Aside from a little too much lemon in the tzatziki, the food was phenomenal!
The service was awesome. I was brought my own personal bottle of water (a luxury where I’m from in So Cal) and given the appropriate amount of time to peruse the menu. My order came extremely fast and my waiter checked in to see how everything was. This is all obvious stuff but it seems rare these days.
The atmosphere was relaxed and the staff were all busy but pleasant and interactive. I wish there was a place like this near home. I will likely return tomorrow!

Overly heavy menu items with a lack of imagination. It looks like this place should be capable of so much more. Don’t understand why they don’t do brunch. Off to Jax.

Cuban sandwiches for lunch were nicely done. Arugula salad on the side was a healthy alternative to fries. House made lemonade watery and mediocre. Huge space that feels hip, modern, and clean. We liked it. 3.5 stars.

Best burger I’ve had in a while, and locally sourced meats. Service was spot on but the Moscow Mule was waaay too sweet. Overall great value and hip venue.

I had fish tacos and the smashers. Both were absolutely delicious. The server was awesome as he explained our meals, both of us being out of state and not knowing what to get. The ambiance of the restaurant is kind of like an old diner designed by a hipster. Highly recommend.

What a disappointment. Wings were soggy. Shrimp tacos consisted of the tiny frozen type shrimp, way too much sauce and a heavy in satisfying bite. Service also unimpressive.

I wanted to LOVE this place but it’s okay. Lots of little things added up to a mediocre lunch. I almost didn’t write a review because I don’t like to write negative reviews and I really hope this place tweaks a few things because the potential is there for sure.
This place in Glendale is very quaint and has nice patio seating. Everything looks great on the menu so I was excited to come back (was at Cuba Cuba next door a few days earlier getting some take out and grabbed a menu) Wife and I ordered the sriracha wings the ND margarita, I wanted to order a beer but they have a very limited selection with several fruity beer choices so nothing excited me. I skipped the beer but they did offer me a sample of a few which was super awesome. (I didn’t ask)
Sriracha wings were a wonderful flavor but I’m not into soggy wings so they were a disappointment. Wings should be crispy under the sauce! (Also, why was the sauce served with a ramekin smaller than the wings you’re trying to dip? Weird, but no biggie just extra messy) The margarita was bitter for some reason and neither of us cared for this specialty margarita… So, Okay so onto the lunch. I ordered the Merlin’s Carolina pork sandwich. I wanted to take a picture of it when it came! –Didn’t love it… but it was decent. (My sister told me she liked it a lot so please give it a shot if it sounds good). They serve it with an arugula salad covered in lemon juice and the flavor all seem to argue with each other.
Wife ordered the Koberstein Dry aged cheese burger and she very much liked it but nothing extraordinary IMO. Once again, presentation is fantastic.
All in all, our waiter was super awesome and I’m definitely going to go back and try to find something that really stands out for me since other people may just love the meals I ordered.

Went here due to all the positive reviews on Unilocal.Maybe we were there on a bad night (a Monday night) but this was one of the worst meals I’ve ever had in my life. My husband ordered the Monday special — Fish Tacos, and I had the Shrimp Tacos. The fish tacos had absolutely no flavor to them whatsoever. I ate one of them because I couldn’t eat my own dinner. At all. My Shrimp Tacos were seasoned, but rather strangely (all chili powder and cumin — no salt) — and the shrimp were so undercooked that when I reheated the leftovers the next day they were still on the raw side — not undercooked but still slimey raw… as if they had been marinated in the spicy sauce and then someone forgot to put them on the stove before plating them… I ended up tossing them out completely uneaten — as in I took a bite and had to spit it out. Yes, it was that bad.
On the plus side, our side of Beets with Goat Cheese was good.

First time here about 2 weeks ago: I am raving about their well-​filled, wonderfully prepared and toothsome baja fish tacos which were amazing. Service was top-​notch for a casual dining experience, but I wish they had more beers on tap than they do — I actually changed my mind from just having water and wanted a beer after seeing their big beer logos near the ceiling, but nothing on their 6 – 8 beer list tantalized enough to have it. I have heard at least some places in the CityPub area allow you to make an order, go to World of Beer and they’ll bring you your food when it’s done — maybe that’d be the smarter way to go here.
In any case, dem fish tacos… mmmmm *MMMMMM*. So good. Worth it! Definitely want to explore further.

I absolutely adore this place. The Kitchen, the full sized restaurant version of this establishment, is one of my favorite spots for a classy meal so I was very happy to see they had opened this location. They have a full menu, but the atmosphere is more relaxed and I’ll often visit for a drink and a small bite.
Community Hour is their version of happy hour and is a great deal. My tab is almost always under $ 30 for two stuffed bellies and two drinks apiece. They have a decent on tap selection, with a much larger bottled beer list to round out their offerings. Despite being mostly a beer drinker, I’ve found their specialty beverages to be amazing and very unique; I have yet to find one where I didn’t want seconds.
As for the food, they put a strong emphasis on locally sourced ingredients, and often times they’ll have the physical source of their foods listed on the menu. The bacon wrapped dates are my favorite by far: they’re a balanced mix of sweet and savory, making it the perfect ending to any meal. Most recently i tried the mushroom risotto and was blown away. The base was super creamy but not so rich you couldn’t finish the dish. The mushrooms and seasonal greens were plentiful, adding to the overall impressive presentation.
Again, I could go on and on as I’ve never had a bad meal here. Prices are more than reasonable. Décor is warm and inviting, with great wooden long tables as well as individual seating available. A must try for Denverites!

The Glendale location is the best for groups and causal hangout. The décor was equal parts rustic and modern with long communal tables. The simple menu offers plenty of options for vegetarians and meat lovers. I would describe the menu as modern We ordered a few sides (Moroccan vegetables, balsamic beets and quinoa salad) to share and they were extremely delicious! Since I’m a vegetarian, I immediately ordered the beet burger and I wasn’t disappointed. They added so much flavor to the beet patty that you don’t even realize it’s made with vegetables. It’s as good as a beet burger can get (trust me on this)! I really liked the hummus with spiced chickpeas which added another layer of flavor and texture. The pita bread was enough to sweep up all the food on the plate. If you are a fellow vegetarian, you won’t want to miss this restaurant! I also like the fact that the company supports community efforts and donate the profits to schools to help kids.

Having never been to the one downtown I was excited to try this for lunch the other day. The sign outside says Next Door so my coworkers didn’t realize it was related to The Kitchen downtown.
Tried the bacon wrapped dates and loved them but was sad there were only three –hard to share with just one other person unless you agree beforehand «the first to fork the third gets it».
I went for the dry aged cheeseburger. While tasty I would say it really wasn’t the best I’ve had. The garlic smashers sounded interesting-​fingerling potatoes that are smashed, fried with garlic and Parmesan. Tasty but kind of disgusting to look at. They just don’t look appetizing.
They talked about a lobster roll special so we pressed that to try. Lots of lobster good flavor and the arugula was tasty that was with it.
My cohort tried the fish and chips. Again I was not impressed with the presentation but he said it was good. They have Mexican cokes here. Sadly I was unable to taste any spirits. Maybe next time

**Dessert Review Only**
We stopped by here for desserts because we stayed in the hotel in the same shopping area.
I ordered the Chocolate Mousse. The waitress, Jennifer, really sold the night’s «Special Dessert» to my wife. «Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites Deep Fried. Hot and Yummy. I like it with a side of Ice Cream!»
Later, a waiter (I didn’t catch his name) came by and dropped off our desserts. Mine was a tiny mousse and my wife’s was two scoops of vanilla ice cream and a brown bag (see picture). I laughed so hard that I about fell out of the booth. Yup, the bag contained my wife’s dessert, but they sure looked like regular old cookies. They tasted like regular old cookies too (Well, actually they weren’t very good cookies. They didn’t taste very fresh). They sure weren’t «Hot and Yummy!» Jennifer ran out quickly, apologizing, carrying the correct dessert a few minutes later (see 2^nd picture).
The place seems like a good place for a family with children because the ambience was very casual with a dive bar (We noticed that this is common in Denver). The menu had a little bit of everything. Overall, a memorable story and average desserts.
**Update** I was just told that the cookies are Gluten free from a local bakery.

I’ve been here several times, dining in as well as takeout because it is so close to my house. The Caesar salad dressing is way too fishy for my taste. Much heavier on the anchovies than most restaurants Caesar salad dressing. So I am not a fan of that at all. However, I do absolutely love the bacon wrapped dates! A sweet and savory treat!
Employees are always very nice.

I ended up here because Jax is no longer open for lunch; since I was craving oysters, it quickly became apparent that my oyster craving wouldn’t be satisfied here so I decided to go to the opposite end of the food spectrum and chose their meatballs and polenta. Holy crap– that was a delicious meal!
The polenta was perfect– creamy and just the right texture. The meatballs were simply delicious, flavorful and moist, topped with a tasty marinara sauce. The quantity of meatballs was a generous amount served on top of the polenta. The flavors just worked so well together! I can’t even speak to anything else on the menu as my dining partners also ordered the meatballs and polenta.
So, yes, this review is based on my enthusiasm over one particular entrée that knocked my socks off. Other than that, the service was good, food was prompt and it was a very enjoyable visit.

I was having lunch with a co-​worker and she mentioned trying The Kitchen Next Door. I had been there before and always up for trying a new place. I settled on the bangers n’ mash. You really can’t go wrong with sausage and mashed potatoes, until now. The sausage was extremely bland. The whole plate was covered in what looked like soggy cooked kale. Kale! Why would you put kale over this? The only thing that was good was the onion gravy. I am convinced I just tried the wrong menu item. Next time I think I will try the Koberstein ranch dry aged burger. If you have suggestions on something else to try, I would love them.

Good stuff, but not exceptional. Trendy, chic vibe. Ingredients are probably fresh, and locally sourced … or maybe not. But, it has that kind of feel.
I went with the Bangers and Mash. Solid option. Not off-​the-​chart, but hearty. Bangers were a bit dry.
We had a couple of the appetizers, and they were okay, too — can’t remember which ones.
Can’t go wrong with this choice.

The Kitchen Next Door is a basic joint with reasonably priced food and alcohol but nothing will knock your socks off so manage your expectations accordingly. We came here for lunch and ordered:
Organic Kale Chips $ 7.95
Crispy Garlic Smashers $ 6.95
Cuban Sandwich $ 9.95
Roasted Veggie Salad $ 9.95
Learning Garden Salad $ 8.95 + Chicken $ 3.95
The kale chips were really oily and brittle and half of them broke apart before reaching my mouth but were decent-​tasting, better than the garlic smashers. The smaller potato pieces were crispy but the larger ones were much less so, more like buttery fingerling potatoes, and not all that garlicky.
The roasted veggie salad tasted similar to a prepackaged one from Trader Joe’s and I did not finish it. You can only eat so much arugula and kidney beans, which makes up most of the salad. The learning salad came topped with a ton of feta, so if you love feta that is the salad for you! I didn’t try the Cuban but apparently it was fine. Not a ringing endorsement but not bad.
No real standouts when it comes to the food, which isn’t a good sign for a restaurant, but it also wasn’t bad enough to write home about. At least they have a selection of healthy dishes on the menu.
Ambiance is pretty good, with an open and communal feel, but one item to gripe about were the tables. If you sit in a booth, the table is really high (or the bench too low) so you have to lean up a bit to put your arms on the table. It’s a tad uncomfortable and I’m hardly a shorty at 5’7″ and, no, I don’t have T-​Rex arms. Petite people may prefer sitting at a high table over a booth.
Warning about the kale chips: your mouth will be RIDDLED with green flecks and some will be impossible to dislodge without some sort of flossing instrument. At least ALL of us had kale stuck in our teeth so it wasn’t quite as embarrassing. If you’re one a first date or something, trust me, stay away!!!
3 stars overall, I guess…

Wonderful menu, fun atmosphere and fast lunch service.
The first time I was here I had the beet burger — bright and flavorful!
Today I had the herb marinated chicken sandwich. I normally steer clear of chicken in restaurants because most times it’s dry, overcooked and bland. Everything this sandwich is not. A moist, smoked chicken thigh, it was!