Highland Tavern

Review Highlights

Guy Fieri rolls into Denver's Highlands neighborhood, about a mile from downtown — and, as he notes, about a mile from the production offices of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. He's here to check out Highland Tavern, a joint with a reputation for what Guy calls 'the most real deal, off-the-hook, outrageous bar food you could find.' The building itself has been pouring drinks since 1901 as a Kors Brewing house, and owners Brian Stino and Andy Stuts kept the bones intact when they bought the place — then hired chef Jeremy McMahan to build a menu that treats bar food with fine-dining technique. The chef came from an unlikely talent pool: he was a regular sitting on a bar stool, living a block away, until the owners asked him to run the kitchen.

• ·The Bombshell Pastrami Sandwich — a 15-day brined brisket pastrami, dry-rubbed with granulated garlic, ground coriander, and black pepper, smoked for 4 hours, then steamed for another 3½ hours before hitting buttered, toasted rye bread with Swiss cheese and brown mustard, topped with a fried egg. Guy: 'That's a new tattoo right there. I've eaten at some of the greatest delis in the world and that's about as righteous as you'll find 'em. It's the right mustard, the meat super tender, not too much smoke, not too much pepper, coriander, not too salty — it's just a package deal, man.' He calls it 'by far one of my favorite sandwiches around'
• ·Housemade Tater Tots — potatoes cooked just to al dente, shredded to a hash-brown consistency with a little grit, then mixed with salt, granulated garlic, granulated onion, cayenne pepper, marjoram, and egg as binder. Formed into 1¼-ounce tots, frozen, then fried at 375°F until golden brown and delicious. Guy: 'By far the best things I've ever found in my entire life. Out of all the housemade tots I've had — myself included — that's the most tot-istic. This is ridiculous.' His final word: 'This will ruin tots for everywhere else, because they are really just the best'
• ·Pork Shank Braised in Ancho Chili — mentioned in the opening as an example of the kitchen's approach to elevating bar food classics with serious technique and bold Southwestern flavor
• ·Dr Pepper-Glazed Spare Ribs — another opening-narration standout, showcasing chef Jeremy's instinct for adding unexpected sweetness and depth to familiar comfort food

Guy is blown away by the gap between the unassuming bar setting and the seriousness of the food coming out of the kitchen. 'Good people, really good food, just a wonderful place to be — it's almost like having a party at home, everybody knows everybody, everybody knows the bartenders.' The fact that chef Jeremy was discovered on a bar stool — a regular who lived a block away — is the kind of story Triple D lives for, and Guy calls it 'like hitting the lottery.' Between a pastrami sandwich he ranks among the best he's ever had and tater tots he says will ruin all other tots, Highland Tavern delivers exactly what the show's opening promised: real deal, off-the-hook bar food in a 1901 building that still feels like the neighborhood's living room.

About

Highland Tavern is a neighborhood bar and restaurant in Denver's Highlands neighborhood, housed in a former Kors Brewing building that has been serving drinks since 1901 — making it one of the oldest continuously operating bar spaces in the city. Owners Brian Stino and Andy Stuts preserved the historic bones and brought in chef Jeremy McMahan to build a menu that bridges the gap between bar food and serious cooking: house-brined pastrami, hand-formed tater tots, Dr Pepper-glazed ribs, and burgers topped with Hatch green chiles and truffle oil. The tavern was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives across multiple episodes for its from-scratch approach to comfort food in a space that still feels like the neighborhood's living room.