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Blog Entry 3 of 45 A view from The Hill
Hi, I'm Joey Kirchmer, author of this blog and a community journalist at YourHub.com. I live at the intersection of 13th and Washington, smack dab in the middle of Capitol Hill. If you have news tips about Capitol Hill or the greater Denver area, feel free to e-mail them to me at kirchmerj@yourhub.com. You can also call me at 303-954-2650. Otherwise, sit back, relax and enjoy these blog entries.

Blog Url: http://denver.yourhub.com/~DealinInDouglas

It wasn't great, but hey, it's a pub burger

Contributed by: Joey Kirchmer   on 12/19/2006

Editor's note: I'm searching for the best hamburger in Douglas County. If you have any suggestions, please e-mail them to me at kirchmerj@yourhub.com or simply leave a comment at the end of this blog.

I worked my way through Fort Lewis College, a liberal arts school nestled in the mountains of Durango, as a cook at a popular restaurant called Steamworks Brewing Co.

I certainly wouldn't call it the greatest job in the world. The head chef, Scotty, a wily Irish guy whose teeth were brown and falling out, may have been one of the most insane people I've ever come across and there were several others who worked there that came close.

But for the most part, I recall my time spent at Steamworks rather fondly (I have the greatest story I could tell right here about one of my experiences there but it's far too graphic, so I'll just move on).

I met one of my good friends, Sean, at that restaurant and later moved in with him and a guy named Will, an Ohio native who was probably the laziest person I've ever lived with but, to his credit, could solve crossword puzzles in a matter of minutes.

He was also incredible at the show Jeopardy.

Sean, Will and myself all worked at Steamworks together. Sean was a waiter, Will was a bar assistant and I slaved away in a 100-degree kitchen slinging out burgers, chicken sandwiches, pizzas and steaks.

Though it wasn't necessarily bad, the food was ultimately pretty bland. The best item on the menu was the Steak Diane and it was, like, $25 or something, so I rarely got to eat them.

But the thing is, the food only had to be good enough so people would still come in and order the all-important beer. Steamworks brewed their own (which was marginal at best) and made handsome profits off every glass that was poured.

That's sort of the feeling I had as I walked out of The Rockyard American Grill & Brewing Co., 880 W. Castleton Road, in Castle Rock. Food that's good enough to get you through the door, so you can get a drink on.

I didn't have a beer, however, since I was technically on the job, so I ordered a Coke and a Colorado Burger, as it seemed to be the most all-encompassing burger on the menu. There was also the Yard Burger, but it only came with cheddar, which I thought was seriously lacking in creativity.

So I went with the Colorado Burger --- burger, bun, pepperjack cheese, guacamole. A nice blending of two cultures, the former being all-American and the latter adding a mix of our Hispanic neighbors.

About the only thing that was special about this meal was the french fries. They were thick steak fries and they were seasoned nicely and cooked to near-perfection.

The burger wasa different story. It lacked pizzazz. I couldn't taste the guac or the pepperjack and had completely lost interest by the end of the meal, leaving on my plate only a sad, half-eaten sandwich and a couple of luke-warm fries.

The interior of the restaurant also contributed to my dour dining experience. It was so dark, I could barely read my newspaper, which I was also using to scribble notes.The high ceiling and low lighting made the restaurant feel uninviting, empty, cold and hollow.

Not my best experience, but hey, it was a pub burger. Get a couple of beers in me and I'm sure I would have been licking my fingers with delight. Oh well.


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Showing 1-4 of 4 comments
Submitted By: Joe McDaniel
posted on 12/21/2006 @ 6:59:02 PM
Rated Blog Entry
I rarely have a burger because good burgers are so rare. The concept of having a young, healthy, non-artery blocked guinea pig (pardon the phrase)to test the local fare is a sound one and should add years to my life while guiding me inexorably to the rare burger I seek.
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Submitted By: Michael Rule
posted on 12/20/2006 @ 8:13:14 AM
Rated Blog Entry
For years the acknowledged best burger around was at Bud's Bar in Sedalia. Don't ask for fries (dammit!). This watering hole changed ownership over the last couple of years, and I haven't been by in a while. It was always a great meeting place for the locals.
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Submitted By: Brendan Leonard
posted on 12/19/2006 @ 1:22:35 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Of all the people I met in college, about 90 percent of the handful I still talk to were people I worked with at a restaurant. Did they have a veggie burger at Rockyard?
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Submitted By: Charmaine Robledo
posted on 12/19/2006 @ 1:21:16 PM
Rated Blog Entry
Oooo. Sorry it wasn't the best experience, though I want to go there to try it out myself. Next stop should be Boston's in Highlands Ranch. Another pubby sort of place, but they had good late night snacks last time I was there. Perhaps they have a mighty fine burger.
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Showing 1-4 of 4 comments
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