July 13, 2007
Seeing isn’t believing, it’s eating that’s believing.” – James Thurber
Claim Jumper Restaurant
7407 E. Park Meadows Drive, 303/790-7015
www.claimjumper.com
IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO WRITE ABOUT NICE PEOPLE. The folks at Claim Jumper are just that: Nice. Good service is really what most of us want when we dine out. I can cook a steak as good if not better than most steakeries. I just want someone to wait on me and treat me as if I’m the most important guy in town. I want them to make my kids (and grandkids) laugh and enjoy the dining experience. I want good, honest recommendations. I don’t want the most expensive dishes on the menu cuz of the price and the corresponding tip.
That’s how I’m treated at the Claim Jumper Restaurant. From the greeter at the host station when I walk in ‘til the time I pay the tab and walk by the same host station on the way out the door.
When the Claim Jumper came to Denver in the summer of 1995, the place rocked right off the bat. Even tho the place seats a whopping 426 in the dining area and saloon combined, there was a two-hour or so wait for every meal, and no reservs. The comments from diners were always positive: the prices are reasonable, the portions are large, the service is very good and the food is terrific. That was all fine with me but I wouldn’t go. I just won’t stand in line for dinner. There are too many great eateries in this town to have to do that. I wanna be seated at the appointed hour. I believe in and respect the reservation system and if I’m going to be even five minutes late, I call. I don’t book a table at multiple eateries “just in case”.
Its twelve years later. Park Meadows is jammed with stores including lots and lotsa restaurants. With the new Southlands shopping center opening east of there, the dining buck will be spread even thinner. Nevertheless, other than the volume, Claim Jumper hasn’t changed. The prices are reasonable, the portions are large, the service is very good and the food is terrific.
Founded in California thirty years ago, this dining emporium are 42 stores strong, all located in the Western U.S. They are open daily for lunch and dinner, offering freshly prepared items using only the finest ingredients available. Of course I’ve never seen anyone promoting the worst ingredients available, ceptin for a BBQ eatery in Albuquerque. But that’s another story.
The enormous menu includes prime and choice steaks, fresh seafood, rotisserie chicken, BBQ, pot pies (hey, someone’s gotta like ‘em), pizza, pasta, specialty salads, and sangies including a terrific bugger. They even have a super salad bar. If you can’t find it on this menu, it ain’t any good anyway. Did I mention desserts? Oh, my. Ain’t no one does desserts like Claim Jumper. No One. You’re gonna die. But happy.
When you step inside, you’ll discover an environment that is warm and comfortable. The interiors of the restaurant feature huge Douglas Fir logs, natural rock, corrugated and pressed tin, large fireplaces, authentic log chairs, and colorful tiffany lamps.
But what will bring you back are the food and the service.
It was three years ago that G and I first dined here. We were blown away by the size of the portions – you won’t believe the size of the desserts – and the quality of the food plus the friendly, attentive service.
The menu is enormous. Start with your choice of almost two dozen munchies. About every traditional appetizer plus some you won’t find anywhere else. Howsabout some cheese potato cakes or avocado rolls? Now you’re up to a choice of a dozen entrée or appetizer salads plus a half dozen soups. Hungry yet?
For your main course, choose from a dozen specialties including prime aged steaks, ribs, rotisserie chicken and lobster tails. Or you could have one of over a dozen sangies or buggers. Maybe one of the dozen or so “favorites”? Pot pie, braised short ribs, country fried steak, pot roast or meat loaf, all with traditional side favorites.
Perhaps you’re in the mood for fresh seafood? Salmon, shrimp, sea bass, halibut? I know, you want pasta! Got that too, with over a dozen dishes. Everything from spaghetti and meataballs to a spicy jambalaya.
This is getting downright disgusting. Yeah, they also have a children’s menu, as well as luncheon platters. Like I sed, if they don’t got it, it ain’t worth getting.
I’ll toss in a list of the desserts that you'll never have room for. My fav, the chocolate motherload 6-layer cake, six layers of heaven. Or the caramel apple cheese cake. Or cheese pie or bread pudding or…just go to the website and check it out. Better yet, go to the restaurant. When you walk in the front door, the desserts will slam you right upside the head if you even think of looking to the left side of the lobby.
On my first visit I fell in love with the tri tip sangie, a maavelous tender piece of fine beef served with mild chiles, caramelized onions and gouda cheese on a pistolette (hoagie roll) with either au jus or bbq sauce. If you’ve never tried the tri tip cut of beef (sometimes called a ball tip) check Costco or your fav supermarket. It’s a very flavorful, inexpensive cut of steak that we toss on the grill with just some seasonings. I call it a cheap NY strip. Don’t overcook it cuz it has no fat but it does have lotsa flavor. G had the BBQ babyback pork ribs and pronounced them stupendous. I don’t recall her choice of sides, but I'm sure that they were good also.
Not long after that G and I took several of the grandkids, and all I remember about that meal was this giant slab (no other name for it) of what purported to be an éclair, filled with vanilla bean ice cream and covered with hot fudge. Then I remember walking out with a bunch of dirty faces. There was no way any of them were going to wash their faces if there was anything left to lick off. G grabbed a bunch of wet towels and off we went.
On three subsequent visits, I found myself in a rut, always the maavelous, too-much-to finish, tri tip sangie. My dining companions on each visit chose one of the half-pound buggers and all marveled at how delish they were. Usually a place that offers such a large menu doesn’t do buggers well. Not true at Claim Jumper, as I personally discovered on the last visit.
Last week I finally got in there and had the bugger. This time we sat in the very comfortable lounge where service was just as good as in the main dining room. The bugger came rare as ordered with lots of flavor (as in enuf fat). The bartender-recommended steak fries were terrific. Strangely enuf, my dining companion had the tri tip sangie. Not only was he impressed by the sangie, but also he had never had eaten tri tip before and just devoured it. When he was too full to continue eating bread and meat, he took to knife and fork and finished his medium-rare mini slab of meat.
I had pre-ordered a piece of chocolate cake to be boxed and taken to the office for the staff’s afternoon snack. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to even start on it, and besides, it was a new day and time to try a different dessert. So I ordered, and reluctantly shared, a slice of (sour cream) cream cheese pie. Yummy yummy, good for the tummy.
Claim Jumper now takes reservs for lunch or dinner. Call 303/790-7015.
If you ain’t been, go. If you’ve been, I don’t need to say another word, do I?
Cya.
In his real life Jay Fox is a CPA. He offers all kinds of good tax planning advice, financial calculators and the latest in tax news at his website: www.jayfoxcpa.com. He just writes this column for the money.