Sorry, but I’m still trying to catch up on some posts.  This is a Simms is a steakhouse in Golden, CO that my dad and I stayed at on our trip across the country.

After our long trek across Kansas during our I-70 road trip to get my car to Las Vegas, we found ourselves in Denver.  We had expected the long drive, but what we hadn’t counted on in the middle of May was a snow storm.  I was excited about the opportunity to get to try Coors Barman Pils, requiring the seven-minute pour, which is only found in a very small handful of establishments around town.  With the snow, though, we just didn’t think it was a good idea to drive around a town we didn’t know, in a car we weren’t familiar with, in the snow, drinking beers (even if it was just one).  It just didn’t seem like a good idea.

So we decided to find something simple and local, even if it didn’t have a seven-minute pour.  Directly adjacent to the hotel was a nice-looking steakhouse called Simms Steakhouse.  It looked so nice, actually, that we decided to call and see if there was a dress code.  I had brought clothes appropriate for driving for 12-14 hours a day in the car with my dad, and NOT for swinging through 4-star steakhouses in the evenings.  Semper peratus.

As it turns out, on a Wednesday night, with the snow, they said we’d probably be fine with a nice-ish shirt and slacks.  I managed to pull that together (for the record, I wear shorts habitually; down to about 0 degrees, and to about 6 inches of snow), and off we went. 

We walked up the hill directly beside the hotel, which was deceivingly steep.  Both Pops and I fell on our way up it, but managed to keep our clothes clean.  We walked in the front entrance, and indeed, it was a nice restaurant.  We were just going to sit in the lounge area, have a drink or two, and enjoy some heavy appetizers for dinner.  I clearly did not fit in, not in terms of dress, but in terms of demographic.  The clientele was more… mature, though not old by any stretch.  I would say the average age was probably 45, and Simms was clearly an after-work hang out for 40 and 50-somethings.  My father was a little out of the target demographic, but he certainly fit in. 

The place had a great view on a clear day.   Tonight, though, not so much.

It had a great outdoor area to sit in, too, but once again, not today.

We took a seat by the window, but on the warm inside.  They had a fire going in the lounge.  It was cozy and picturesque (although I really didn’t get any pictures of it).  We asked the waitress about any happy hour deals.  They had some great appetizer deals, but we were a little disappointed in the beer selection.  Colorado, I think of, as being one of the best locations for microbrewed beer, and yet, they only had three beers on tap.  Two of them were from New Belgium Beer Company, which wasn’t too far away, and they had the 1554 black lager on tap, which is a fantastic beer, and generally hard to come by.  I ordered one, and based on my recommendation, Dad followed suit.  We also ordered fish tacos, sliders, and a hummus tray to share for dinner, which were all on the happy hour menu.

The hummus tray was good but not great.  As I recall, the pita chips were… awkward.  Too hard to scoop without them breaking, but not soft enough to get any really get under the hummus. 

The sliders were wonderful.  The fries were a little cold, but meat was perfectly done, and the buns were just a little toasted.  The truffle aioli was exquisite.

The fish tacos were great.  They had some serious zip to them, but nothing too hot.  They had a great texture and the fish seemed fresh (although you have to wonder, being in the middle of the country, although I guess it really depends on the kind of fish used). 

We enjoyed the ambiance, food, and view for a couple hours, and headed back to the hotel.  I think our whole bill was $30.  I would definitely go back for a full meal there, sometime, but I would probably dress a little nicer, and expect a bill twice as big for MY meal.