Colorado's Premier Chophouses Celebrate Ranching Heritage

STEAKHOUSE NO. 316

In 2003, husband-and-wife duo Samantha and Craig Cordts-Pearce opened The Wild Fig in Aspen, the first of nine restaurants under the CP Restaurant Group. In 2018, they opened SteakHouse No. 316 (steakhouse316.com) in Boulder, a sister restaurant to their flagship in Aspen. To achieve their vision for a “boutique steakhouse,” the couple lovingly restored a historic 1890s building on 13th Street, just off Pearl Street, the former site of Conor O’Neill’s Irish pub. SteakHouse No. 316 has old-world ambience, with curved red-velvet banquettes, black lacquered walls, a Carrara marble-top bar and a palatial stone fireplace that anchors the dining room.

Executive chef Stone Pedigo sources the finest beef from cattle raised on independent ranches, filling the menu with prime cuts like Wagyu flat iron, porterhouse, and tomahawk rib-eye. While steaks are the main draw, the Caesar salad is tossed tableside in a hand-carved cherry-wood bowl, then plated and topped with white anchovies and shaved Parmesan. For dessert, layers of perfectly ripened kiwi wedges, passion fruit coulis and Chantilly cream elevate the stacked-high key lime pie.

BROADWAY 10 BAR & CHOPHOUSE

With a flagship based in Oklahoma City’s Automobile Alley, Broadway 10 Bar & Chophouse (b10chophouse.com) made its westward expansion to Cherry Creek last fall with a 9,600-square-foot space and a massive horseshoe-shaped bar that seats 30.

Co-owners Jeff Dixon and Nathan Couch enlisted local design firm Semple Brown to put a contemporary spin on the steakhouse aesthetic, with floor-to-ceiling windows and a welcoming mix of white-tablecloth banquettes and butcher-block tabletops. Chophouse cuts are house-aged and hand-cut by Broadway 10’s butcher team, then cooked over a wood fire (or a traditional broiler) in the open kitchen. As if that wasn’t theater enough, the flaming scallop appetizer is, well, fire, and the hardwood-smoked bacon arrives with thick-cut strips hanging from a metal stand.

B10’s seafood program includes nigiri, sashimi and rolls like the Surf & Turf, which pairs butter-poached lobster with seared tenderloin. The final showstopper: a dark chocolate ganache globe smothered with warm bourbon caramel sauce and filled with chocolate molten cake and espresso ice cream.

A5 STEAKHOUSE

Located in Denver’s LoDo, A5 Steakhouse (a5denver.com) seeks to redefine the modern chophouse. While the service is sophisticated, the ambience exudes joie de vivre, cultivated against a backdrop of exposed brick walls, pops of bright green and a soundtrack that leans to the ’80s. The must-have menu item is the restaurant’s namesake: The Japanese A5 Striploin appetizer features four delectable bites of steak from Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture, served with veal ponzu and grilled Urfa onions. Rated 12 on the Beef Marbling Standard scale, this Wagyu cut has the highest possible marbling score. On the palate, that translates to a bold, rich flavor and a tender, buttery texture.

A5 Steakhouse seeks to redefine the modern chophouse. While the service is sophisticated, the ambience exudes joie de vivre.

Steaks are prepared in-house using the centuries-old practice of seam butchery. Elsewhere on the menu, the lamb is from Longmont’s Buckner Family Ranch, and heirloom vegetables and greens come from Esoterra Culinary Garden in Boulder. A5 Steakhouse has been named to the Michelin Guide’s list of recommended restaurants two years running and topped Tasting Table’s list of best steakhouses in Denver in 2023.