Don’t walk…STAMPEDE to the Elephant Bar Restaurant

Whenever I go to Denver, Colorado…ever since a friend of mine took me here three years ago, each trip must include a dinner at the Elephant Bar Restaurant.  Why?  Because the food is damn good and I can’t get this in my own backyard.  While there are quite a few locations for the Elephant Bar Restaurant…the closest one to me is not close, located in Toledo, Ohio.  So, this is a treat for me whenever heading out west.  And what makes this place so great is not only the ambiance and flair of the restaurant…but also the food.

The Elephant Bar Restaurant serves up a menu that intermingles flavors from around the world.  There is your traditional American cuisine, for the less venturesome, but also European and Asian dishes as well.  Everything…I say again…EVERYTHING I have ever eaten here has been beyond amazing.  And that’s why I insist on going back time and time again.

On this particular visit, I was eating out with two friends of mine and my roommate.  We all got something different, which is always a good thing.  My roommate even branched out a little with her meal, which is always an exciting moment.  We ordered the Sweet Potato Fries as an appetizer and shared them amongst each other as we talked and waited on our entrees.

For me…I was all about the Bangkok Pad Thai with Vegetables.  Do you know what I loved most about this dish?  The tofu that was in it.  It is, quite honestly, some of the best tofu I have ever had.  And trust me…I eat a lot of tofu as a vegetarian.  This was cooked to perfection and it really mixed well with the stir-fried vegetables and rice noodles.  The sauce was to die for.  The portion…huge.  But every bite offered such an explosion of Asian flavor that I devoured it in no time.

Stuffed to the point of exploding, the waitress mentioned dessert.  I was going to pass…but, this was vacation…live it up.  Thankfully, the Elephant Bar Restaurant just added a new dessert to the menu.  It was a flourless chocolate cake and ice cream dish…gluten-free, the waitress assured us.  After the Katie Mullen’s incident the night before, I was definitely going to do my best to make it out of dinner without feeling sick.  This dessert was perfect for me.  We ordered one that my roommate and I split, while the other two enjoyed a red velvet cupcake dessert.

The Chocolate Indulgence arrived…a flourless chocolate lava cake with ice cream and whipped cream, topped off with a sprinkling of nuts.  It melted in your mouth.  I love that hot meets cold taste on my palate and this delivered in each gooey bite.  We polished off the dessert and were happy to sit in a food coma for the rest of the night.If you happen to be around an area with an Elephant Bar Restaurant nearby…go.  Trust me.  Go.  Wacky decor aside, the place is warm, inviting, friendly, and the food is to die for.  Go ahead…splurge and have dessert.  Even if you’re full.  I’ll never regret my decision to do that here.