Cesar H.

The guys behind my favorite bar in Denver also run Rougarou in Five Points, a fantastic spot that's actually been open a year, I'm just late to it. It's a tribute to the American South, wine and cocktail focused. My first visit didn't wow me, but by my second I was hooked, and I've been back four times since. Both chickens are the standouts, the spicy Chicken on a Stick with jalapeño jelly and the Granddad's Chicken with white bbq, juicy every time. Don't skip the benne seed rolls with sorghum butter. Save room for the banana pudding ice cream, it comes out looking like a little mermaid, even Ariel would be jealous. Closed Wednesdays, live music Friday nights in the backyard.

Elizabeth A.

I love this place so much. I haven't found a ton of places with this type of southern food. We had the catfish, asparagus, chicken on a stick, grits, and fish dip. Everything tasted amazing and was such comfort food. The staff was great at helping us figure out the right amount of dishes and gave great recommendations. The setup inside was great for couple, small groups, or anyone that wants to sit at the bar. My favorite thing was the banana pudding ice cream. Top five favorite desserts in Denver. I heard it's seasonal but I hope that's not true! Definitely coming back so I can try everything else on the menu.

Lena N.

A delight! Fantastic cocktails and hearty delicious food. We tried the hootin and a hollering, which turned out to be a very filling and tasty smorgasbord. The tomato peach salad and catfish were my favorites of the night

Felipe P.

What a gem. Amazing staff. Interior design is great. Family shared portions. Pricing is great for what you are receiving. We shall return.

Natalia S.

One of my favorite openings of 2025. This hidden gem on Welton Street in Five Points. You could walk right past the door and miss the sign, but this is a spot you'll want to try! From the creative forces behind award-winning Yacht Club, Rougarou is "a little bit swampy, a little bit rock & roll" -- and easily the best (and most interesting) take on Southern food I've had in Denver. I am slightly biased because they lean gluten-free, and because I am also a lover of all things Louisiana (the main Southern influenced here). This isn't your "fry everything and call it Southern" spot -- it's fresh, creative, spicy, and pays tribute to the South's rich cultural influences (e.g., the Caribbean and Chinese immigrant populations). Bold claim: best martinis in town - Holy Trinity Martini = onion, celery & green pepper infusion in a refreshing, unique take on the classic - Apple Martini = cognac + riesling + absinthe = boozy apple juice perfection Dishes we loved: - Blue Cheese Tart is a fascinating combination of textures and flavors: creamy blue cheese, crumbly crust, sweet jam, and crunchy pickled veggies -- not everyone's cup of tea, but how interesting! - West Indies Crab Salad with mint & serrano is a fantastic fresh take on all those classic southern crab/fish dips - Pickled Shrimp with fennel, celery, dill, and pickled jalapeño makes for another fresh, heat-filled starter - Creole Tofu (holy trinity meets Sichuan spice in Southern take on mapo tofu) - Granddad's Chicken in white BBQ sauce is so tender, it falls off the bone - Sorghum Sundae with caramel corn is the perfect sweet, but light, finish Only dish I would say could stand to be improved is the collard greens. Perfectly serviceable, but needs some flavor -- like bacon! When in doubt, always add bacon, haha.

Kimberly F.

Came here tonight and our waiter Paige was the sweetest. We did the hoot and holler, 65$ pp and it was well worth it ! Plenty of food for all of us. Honestly the stars were the desserts. The inside is dark and moody. Such unique food flavor profiles. I will be back !

Kelly B.

An unforgettable experience from beginning to end. I showed up right on time for my reservation but because I wanted to go run and grab pastries to bring my wife so I asked if I could be back in 30 if there would still be room for me. They kindly let me come back 30 minutes later like nothing had happened. I had a table ready but they let me sit at the bar which was something I don't get to do that often. I believe Jake and Sebastian were the main two people helping me but throughout the entire experience every member of the staff came over and had something nice or funny or honest to say which made me feel like I was family. Such a fun and dope group of people working there, felt like I got to hangout with a full rainbow of personalities that worked so well together for an all encompassing experience. Now to the food which made me feel like I was being transported down a memory lane with each bite but also as if they were memories I had in a different multiverse. I say that because nothing tasted exactly like what I grew up eating from my family in terms of "southern cuisine" if you will. But instead it tasted like it was this adjacent palate that I had been missing out on my entire life while still being down to earth and relatable. I don't know if what I just said made sense and that's how I know it was delicious because it tasted like something both old and brand new all in one. Both challenging my taste buds but also reminding me of what I have always loved. The Shrimp and Peas was such a AWESOME flavor situation that after a long hot walk through Denver was so refreshing and delicious. I don't drink alcohol anymore and so usually when I see the NA menu I always notice that restaurants try to make Non-Alcoholic drinks that taste like alcoholic drinks. I'm not knocking anyone who does this but sometimes I just want something tasty and having kool aid as an option should be illegal it's so damn good hahahaha. Like who says you can't have kool aid with food of this caliber. And I'm so happy Rougarou "agrees with me" because my taste buds definitely agreed with that drink. Catfish and Grits are like a staple dish that I would have when I would visit my larger family. I made a joke to one of the servers that I first thought I might want some syrup for the grits and how mad I was at myself after taking a bite for even daring to think that. Just an unreal level of "savory-ness" that made me literally do a little dance while eating them. The catfish was like what I kind of said earlier in that it was a new take on this dish that at first had me thinking "hey this isn't how I remember it is 'supposed' to taste". Then saying to myself after the first bite "shut the hell up" because it was something new and different that I had never tried before and I wanted to thank the chef for providing me with a WONDERFUL take on this dish that I grew up loving. The sauce underneath had me squinting with happy confusion and excitement all rolled into one. If I hadn't eaten so much I would've had the rice that came with it but I was SO full. So full that I told the bartender thanks for the dessert menu but I couldn't eat anymore which I joked to him that if my partner was there with me she would've said the same thing. Well in this case I'm glad she wasn't there because he saw right through my BS and hooked me up with the rice pudding. Now listen I've never had rice pudding before even though my family used to make it. This rice pudding had me literally BESIDE MYSELF. It took me back to eating the strawberry shortcake goodbars when I was a kid (Who are we kidding I still eat them ) but like SOOOO much more elevated. Phenomenal dessert. As I said at the beginning of this review the entire experience made me feel like I was family and in times like these we need more people that treat each other like family. I'm literally tearing up writing this review because of how welcoming this place was. Also the decoration was so cool, like a dive bar meets an upscale saloon but like an interior designer kept on elevating it more and more. Every 'decoration' inside felt so intentional, unique and rememberable. Shoutout to the whole team from top to bottom! PS the owner like an absolute G mentioned to me that his sister restaurant Yacht Club had live music that night and from the way he passionately described the band members I knew it was something I couldn't miss out on. When I walked up he ushered me in like I was VIP and this dude did not tell one lie this band was off the hook. I literally almost missed my flight because I didn't want the night to end but as all great things do it unfortunately did. That didn't stop me from recording until the second my ride to the airport pulled up from outside the bar hahahaha. I'll be back! They made my stay something I'll never forget and they left the BEST imprint in my mind of what Denver, great cities, great communities and great people can be like. One love

Ann K.

I saw their catfish featured on Mile High and Hungry and planned this dinner as a Christmas gift for my brother and his new girlfriend. He loves southern catfish so I was really excited for him to try their entree. I made the reservation while they were in town but had a hard time trying to edit or call them to see if I could adjust the party from 4 to 5 people. There's no phone number anywhere to contact them. We took a chance and showed up with 5 anyway and they were happy to squeeze us into a booth so all good. Once seated at 6pm, our server told us we had a brunch menu. Hmm. Once we looked at the different menu, we still were happy to see the catfish listed but didn't see the martini options we had seen on their website. Our server said they could still serve me the muffuletta martini but they had not prepped the garnish. I still agreed but was secretly hoping they could still add it anyway. It didn't come with the garnish, so I'd give it a 3/5. Mai tai presentation was nice. Strong drink. Red wine was a little light pour for $15 so I'd probably stick to mixed drinks. I think we must've been their last seated party and I'm guessing their staff was tired. We felt a little rushed. We sat at 6:05pm and were served our check at 7pm. We were warned that our sweet dessert would come first which was a little odd. The rest of the food came out quickly. Everything was made fresh and tasted delicious. The catfish had more breading than my brother liked but still flavorful. We noticed other tables had asked for a bottle of hot sauce. Greens and black eyed peas were very good. I'd probably skip the country fried steak. My daughter loved the sweet potato biscuit. We had healthy portions and enjoyed the baby lettuce salads. Very fresh and light to balance the fried foods. We parked right in front and it was easy street parking but be careful crossing the light rail tracks as that train is hauling by. Music was fun, funky and upbeat. I'd like to give them another try. I think we had a unique experience given NYD. I appreciate they were open!

Aimee C.

Reading all the great teviews about the restaurant, I was so excited to visit Rougarou! That must have inadvertently gotten my expectations higher, as my experience at Rougarou was quite lackluster. Firstly, the store front is quite hidden and not obvious, as going there at night, most of the neighborhood is underdeveloped with empty and overgrown lots, that we werent sure if Rougarous was one of the empty/closed stores. Upon further investigation and seeing a patron leave, the front door was open, but the choice of curved wall entrance combined with a grey wall paint choice looked like a closed door from afar. Upon going in, we stood around for a bit as they must have less staff on a weeknight, but were seated early since we arrived 30 minutes early to the reservation. The feeling from the staff most of the night was as if we were the side characters in their story; they were loud, boisterous, and friendly amongst each other and friends who had come visit, but would put on a coolf acade when talking to us. I can not deem if this was a "professionalism" switch, as as soon as they were done talking "directly" to us, they are well within view/earshot and had a switch of a personality instantly, which seemed quite weird for any waitstaff anywhere. Other than that, the food came out quickly and was great tasting; like others have said, this catfish is a 10/10, a sweet chili glaze with crunchy catfish that just flaked apart, and paired so well with my side of maque choux (a spiced corn dish). My dinner companion has grandpa's chicken, which whiled cooked a tad dry, had plenty of sauce to make up for it, and went so well with the green missmanti rice for our imprompty chicken and rice dish. The non-alc spritz was quite a sugary mocktail, so would not recommend for our non-alcohol drinking friends. Additionally, the restaurant is dim lit, most likely for a romantic atmosphere, but we were served and drank out of cracked glassware and didnt realize until halfway through our meal since we couldn't quite see. May be a few more months before the staff really settle into a rhythm here.

Matt C.

I don't mean to be dramatic, but Rougarou is home to the best catfish I've ever had. This is a dish you bite into, pause, and say, "WOAH." Rougarou is one of the more highly anticipated restaurant openings in all of Denver this year. From the team behind the ever-charming Yacht Club, who have garnered national recognition as one of the top cocktail bars in America, this is their love letter to the South. Swamp lore lives at Rougarou. The menu is meant for sharing. There are mains, appetizers, sides, and desserts. It'll add up, especially with every cocktail or glass of wine priced at $15, but your tastebuds will go on a unique adventure of the American South. Stating the obvious, you won't find too much authentic Southern food in Denver. Insert Rougarou, changing the game when it comes to honoring culinary Southern tradition, yet at the same time flipping it completely on its side. I tried many different items, i.e. collard greens, pickled shrimp, grandad's chicken, maque choux, etc. But good golly miss molly, this Hot & Sour Catfish, y'all...In all my years being surrounded by Southern food, I've never seen catfish prepared like this. This was one of the best things I've eaten in Denver this year. Hot, crispy, yet flaky and tender, the sauce was to die for. Service was friendly and the restaurant is beautiful with exposed bricks and hanging plants. They have a gigantic patio that I'm sure they'll activate soon once they get through the first few months of opening. If you're looking for a delicious foodie roadtrip to the American South, consider spending some time at Rougarou and diving into their menu of devilishly delicious cuisine.

Sam Q.

Service was excellent, and the space had good ambiance. The food was tasty as well, but portion sizes were a bit on the smaller end and the flavors were good but not standout. I would give a 4.5 if I could.

Soroosh P.

Pretty interesting menu and ambiance. Loved the vibe - desserts and chicken! Loved the rice pudding and buttermilk cake. You can tell there was extensive thought put into the details of this restaurant from cutlery to the art hanging on the wall. Service was knowledgeable about the menu and friendly. The seating is weird. They have a line of seats by the kitchen where you can't face each other... wouldn't exactly be conducive for a first date. The sauce for the catfish tasted a little off. Hard to pinpoint what it was but there was a faint smell of trash. Overall will be back to try new things on their menu as the menu apparently changes seasonally. Having an elevated southern dining concept in the heart of Denver.

Brandi H.

Stop reading reviews and just go!!! This place was such a warm, inviting, and lively spot--it's truly a hidden gem. From the unassuming entrance to the bold flavors, this spot checked all the boxes. I walked in and luckily snagged a couple of bar seats, but I'd definitely make a reservation if I were you--this place was poppin'! Next time I go, I'm getting my own crab salad and not sharing! The citrus and lightness of the crab paired with those buttery crackers was exactly what you're looking for. I also loved mixing the black-eyed pea salad with the crab salad--so good. We also tried the Granddad's Chicken and the pork shoulder. The pork was sweet, tender, and the perfect portion. I was a little disappointed that the Granddad's Chicken wasn't fried--because that's what comes to mind when I think of "granddad's chicken." The flavor was still great, but I probably wouldn't have ordered it if I had known. Maybe the staff could mention that up front or note it on the menu. The cocktails were handcrafted, creative, and boozy--all good things at Rougarou! Can't wait to be back!