Confession time: I had never been to Denver Restaurant Week until this year. Shells and Sauce ended up being my first stop. Located in Congress Park, it has that classic old school Italian neighborhood restaurant feel. The Restaurant Week menu was fun because you could mix and match different courses to build your own meal. We tried a few cocktails to start including the Pearfect Martini and the Gin & Tectonics. Both were refreshing and a nice way to kick things off. For starters we ordered the crispy brussels sprouts, crab cakes, classic Italian Caesar, and the caprese burrata. The brussels sprouts and burrata were probably my favorites of the group. For mains we tried the wild mushroom marsala with veal, the bolognese with angel hair pasta, homemade lasagna, Italian cheese ravioli, and the cacio e pepe with shrimp. It was a good spread of classic Italian comfort dishes. To finish we had the chocolate chip cannolis and the vanilla bean crème brûlée. Overall it was a pleasant experience and a nice introduction to Denver Restaurant Week. Shells and Sauce is a cozy neighborhood spot for classic Italian dishes in the Congress Park area. read more

Shells and Sauce - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Too big for their own good? The food is better than good, nice atmosphere, the service is always good, too. The issue?? Timing!? We had an event at the Denver Zoo starting at 6:30, so we made a 5:15 reservation. We arrived early, were seated quickly and ordered the our kid's food as we were physically sitting down. We then ordered our food 5-10 minutes later. My wife and I joked that we may have to stop at a playground before the zoo to kill some time. Then we waited, and waited, and waited. Server was very polite and apologetic. We have two, 2-year olds and they got pretty fussy around 5:45, but then their food arrived. Around 6:10 we felt like canceling our food order out of spite, but elected not to. Our food was brought to our table shortly after 6:15 and we had to just tell them to box it up. We tipped normally, it's not the server's fault... BUT, two things. 1. When it's that slow, I would feel it customary and appropriate to comp something... the drinks, one of the entrees.. something. They did not. 2. As we were rushing out of there we noticed a half dozen to-go order bags on the bar near the entry. If you can't serve the people that are sitting in your restaurant at a decent pace, you shouldn't be taking take-out orders. read more

Omg I have been looking for the words to write this review since 2019 when I discovered their happy hour. I've since the dined inside, outside and on the roof! That first time I got the happy hour salmon plate: Scallion whipped potatoes, sautéed broccoli and roasted red pepper coulis. Still obsessed with that one, I regularly crave and have since graduated to the full meal. They offer otherwise amazing daily specials (what I usually order) , never been disappointed with anything on the menu except the flourless chocolate cake but that is no one's fault but my own and the failed gluten-free phase. The chocolate was too chocolaty but I took it home and enjoyed with whipped cream and berries on top. Here are my personal favorites: VANILLA BEAN CREME BRÛLÉE! and WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING A'LA MODE SPICY CUCUMBER MARTINI Jalapeño and cucumber vodkas, lime and pineapple juice SPICY PALOMA Ghost tequila, grapefruit pop, lime, jalapeno simple & chili rim $9.95 Other things to love: friendly and welcoming staff, amazing service the parking is not impossible, cozy ambiance. read more

What? I didn't leave a review from many years back when we first came here? It was an amazingly deliciously wonderful experience. Apparently we had the chicken Marsala and *loved* it. Many, many years later we finally made our way back here and still loved it! Service was like we were visiting with family or friends. Very accommodating and personal. No one trying to recite memorized descriptions but rather as if they cooked it themselves. The first time we sat upstairs at the bar. This time we sat at a table. Both were comfortable and nice but of course the table provided a little more privacy and space. We had the Shrimp Devalino (sp?) and the pan seared salmon. We swapped half way through so we both could enjoy each. In all honesty the swapped meals fit both of us better (the shrimp was a bit too spicy for me). I hope we head back much sooner next time since there were other items I would like to try. Maybe even for HH? read more

Shells and Sauce - Shrimp D - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Visiting from AZ. First time here. Food was excellent. Had the stuffed shells duo! Sooo good! Excellent service too, Charles our server was awesome! Highly recommend!! read more

The food wasn't too bad. The calamari was tasty and chicken parm with spaghetti was decent but was lacking flavor. Seemed kind of bland for the price. But it was cooked just right. read more

A friend and I came here on a Saturday evening and I was able to find parking right outside. Joshua at the host stand was very friendly and gave his recommendations when I asked. It was packed inside, but still gave off a family restaurant vibe. We were seated right away at our reservation time at a table upstairs. It did take quite awhile to get our food, but I'm sure that's just because of how busy they were and our server kept checking back with us. I thought my food and drink were very good and this is a place I would come back to. read more

Y'all. Their gluten free pasta is SO good. I'm not sure what brand it is or if they make it in house it's got that fresh homemade, not falling apart, sauce carrying deliciousness. We went for restaurant week and had a good size salad plus entree each plus dessert split between couple. Def going back! BONUS, the staff was very knowledgeable about GF and specified for celiac (though I think all GF requests should be taken seriously and consistently). read more

Shells and Sauce - Sacchetti made gluten free with shrimp - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

First time here. Definitely coming back. A local neighborhood restaurant which was filling up when se arrived at 5:15 on a Saturday Shells and Sauce took care of my wife's dietary restrictions. The lasagna was on point. Witb noth beef and sausage. Excellent tomato sauce. Great cannolis. And a good happy hour. read more

Reviewed this last during the pandemic a few years ago and gave them 1 star for a very poorly run takeout setup where you were squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder next to the other customers picking up their food. Have probably been back a dozen times since then but haven't written any updates, so I've left the inaccurate impression that I wouldn't return. Not the case. In fact, my honey likes this place a lot and frequently wants to return. Me? That hasn't been true until recently when S&S got themselves a new chef. That IMHO was a game-changer. Now the level of food and service is higher than it's ever been. Last night we had the cedar plank snapper with baby roasted potatoes and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus along with my dish of a rare sirloin steak sliced over wild mushroom-sauced penne. Both were delicious and much better under the tutelage of the new chef! So do yourselves a favor and try it out. I think you'll be very pleased. read more

Restaurant week is the best deal, but with going anytime.. A filet stroganoff and pork chop special. Service was fantastic. read more

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Tucked away in the Congress Park neighborhood is Shells & Sauce, one of my favorite places to eat! It's my go-to restaurant to take friends & family. It's very reasonably priced with nice size portions. They serve deliciously consistent Classic Italian dishes, and have gluten-free options too. A couple of tips...make a reservation if you can, this cozy place is always busy & it's closed Sundays & Mondays. There are two dining rooms, one main level & the other upstairs. Just like a noisy Italian family having Sunday supper, Shells & Sauce can get loud. Parking can be a challenge, there is a small parking lot in the back but it's pretty much street parking. We brought our out-of-town friends here one early Friday night. Happy to have made reservations because it was hopping at 5:30pm. Our server was great. She kept our water glasses full & was quick to bring us complimentary (endless) fresh baked bread with a balsamic dipping oil. We had the Scallops & Risotto, Lasagna, Shrimp Carbonara & Shrimp Diavolo. The scallops were cooked perfectly, the lasagna was cheesy & delicious, the carbonara was divine, (best I've had) & the diavolo was spicy & delectable as usual. Our dishes were outstanding. This place is lively & fun, I highly recommend it! read more

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Came for Happy Hour at 4:30pm -- not bad, not great either. * mini grilled salmon, very dry fish but delicious garnish and sauce. * mini Bolognese, it's capellini not penne as advertised, and way overcooked; the 'homemade sauce' tastes surprisingly bland. (FWIW the best pasta for Bolognese sauce is tagliatelle.) I am guessing they probably make these dishes in large batches at the start of Happy Hour that don't taste so good anymore close to 5:00pm. Next time will order from their regular menu. Cozy, homey dining room. Great waitstaff! read more

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I made a reservation in advance and was seated right away. It wasn't too busy on a Tuesday night so possibly didn't need to but they weren't completely empty either. Our waitress was super friendly. She made small talk with us and complimented our outfits. We started with the bruschetta. It was a little different than I've had before as it had olives in it. It was really flavorful and good. We ran out of bread so my friend even used the complimentary bread to eat the rest of it. I ordered the special of the day which was a lobster/crab stuffed ravioli and topped with some veggies and shrimp. It came in a broth - it was amazing. I also then used the bread to dip in it. My friend got special as well. We really enjoyed our meals - I'll definitely be back! read more

Shells and Sauce - Shrimp & Lobster ravioli special - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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A very exciting dinner turned super disappointing. Out with 4 friends and had a reservation. Appetizers, salad, entrees and multiple glasses of wine were ordered. When we asked about dessert dishes and drinks, we were told our time limit was up and we had to leave. We had been at our table for 85 minutes. This was a first for all of us. We were NEVER told by the hostess or the server about a time limit... even in a friendly or educational manner when we were sat or during our meal. Mind you, we were only checked on once after entrees were served. While I now see it was on their website, we did NOT view this information prior to our dining. While on Open Table researching our experience , the information discusses mask instructions wearing while away from your table which indicates it's very dated information. We could have been a very large upsell. We had not been sitting around stalling with empty glasses and dishes. We were even told no when asked about ordering food to go once we were denied ordering dessert. Extremely disappointing for a local restaurant I used to enjoy going to. So beware and eat/drink quickly if you want a full meal experience!! read more

Wonderful outdoor dinner this evening enjoying excellent service and quality meal. Our server JAYMYS was helpful in providing his favorite options for our entrees and was prompt and fun with his friendly interactions. Will return soon read more

I come here a lot and the service is always top notch by Maria. She is so friendly, memorable, and attentive to all tables she works with. The food here is delicious. The Penne with meatballs and sausage are my current favorite but I truly have not had a dish I've been disappointed with. The downstairs is a bit claustrophobic but the upstairs area is more open. I usually sit downstairs but either way, I love the ambiance. read more

every time my family comes to town we go there for dinner I've never had a bad meal there. The food is amazing The service the people are just as amazing as the food. I recommend this place to all my friends and everyone I know. The place has a great vibe also. read more

Great service. The food and drinks were delicious. It's a great little place. Very clean and friendly. Bill H. read more

Took a trip to Denver for a wedding wanted to explore a neighborhood this restaurant had great reviews so off we went Soooooo good if I ever make it back to Denver I would definitely be back Lasagna- Caesar salad- chicken special- spaghetti and meatballs Alll delicious big portions too read more

It's always impressive when a restaurant can handle a huge group! We were like 15 people deep & the service was great. I believe the servers name was Jamus and they handled all of the "what do you think?"s and "can you do this instead?"s with grace! I can't review everything the table got, but there were some definitely highlights. I ordered the creamy piccata with salmon & it was incredible. Loved the lemon flavor mixed with the salty capers and the perfectly cooked salmon. Would definitely order again! I also got the lavender peach sangria, which was very refreshing but not very lavendery. It was just a delicious peach sangria. A friend got the peach salad with goat cheese & it was tasty but she wished there was more toppings on it. She also got the bruschetta flatbread, which I tried myself and really liked. They have a unique to them recipe that I liked & the olives added a good salty flavor. Lastly, two other orders were the lasagna and the sachetti. The lasagna was a fellow yelp favorite that did NOT disappoint-- it was the size of a brick. The sachetti was great too and not rich at all like you might think when you read "white wine truffle sauce". Overall, can't wait to come back for some great Italian food! read more

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Our party was seated an hour early but it took another forty five to get served a drink. Even though we waited for a good while, the server made up for it. The food was delicious and came out quick. This place is nice and cozy and definitely a cute place for a nice lunch or dinner date. read more

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Everything was great. Happy hour early dinner! Perfect size portions. Excellent service. Food was spot on. Had the bolognese, chicken parm and Caesar salad. Will go back soon!, read more

Fun happy hour! I walk past this spot all the time - it's cleverly hidden with a gentle shade of blue on the corner. My friend Sarah and I shared the ceviche app (tasty shrimp and corn chips!), had $6 glasses of Malbec and Cabernet (Malbec was lights out), and each had our own $8.50 Chicken Parm. Service was kind, friendly, and attentive (but not rushed). The only drawback to the ambiance was city buses stopping literally right next to us (slightly loud!!). Overall, I hope to be back! read more

Shells and Sauce - Ceviche - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Great service and food. A little loud but I enjoy it during summer by due to outdoor seating and large open window.

Such a great experience, I had the stuffed shells and loved it. Our waiter was great and I would definitely recommend this place to anyone!

Lovely service and delightful ambiance. The cuisine is top notch. I have been going for years . I've been not going out to many restaurants but always will come back to the favorites. Shells is one of them. read more

One of our favorite spots for Italian food in Denver. The food is always scrumptious!! We usually order what they have on special, but the wild mushroom Marsala is our favorite item on the menu. The service is always great. read more

Amazing find tucked away in the Congress Park neighborhood! I'm not entirely sure why it took me this long to visit this restaurant, as I easily walked here but at last! Shells and Sauce is definitely a restaurant I will be frequently visit. Let me start off with the service. We had a group of six arriving around 8pm. We understood that it was late, but were starving after a long day. The staff was so friendly and was willing to work with us to get us seated. They sat us on the patio, which was great for the now entering fall weather. Our server was incredible. She was so kind, funny, and well educated on their dishes. She did not rush us at all, and allowed us to enjoy our meal. The food was fantastic. I had the carbonara, and tried a few others' dishes and I loved it. You could tell they are attentive to their dishes while cooking them to really pulls on flavors and marry the shells & sauce (*chuckle*). Also, the bread they give you, along with the balsamic dip was delicious. I could prob eat 5 of those breads myself. Love bread! They also have an excellent wine list to pair with your meal. Definitely will be returning and hoping to make this a frequent place! Also, I didn't get a chance to take pictures because I was starving and the food looked great, so I dove right in. read more

I decided to treat myself to what I was hoping would be yummy pasta. Unfortunately I found myself quite let down. I ordered an Alfredo dish and added chicken, the chicken was not fully cooked and the sauce was pretty bland. For as expensive as it is, I was pretty disappointed by the outcome. I've been before (a few years ago) and found the food to be much better then... I also ordered some brussel sprouts, which I enjoyed, however they didn't redeem the pasta mishap. read more

I live just a few blocks from this place and we decided to stop by for a random weekday dinner on my bday. Really adorable spot. It feels like a little family home- just like an Italian spot is supposed to feel. The staff was very kind and provided excellent service throughout our time there. We got a nice little corner booth with a view of the entire first floor. They had an amazing happy hour going on and we did take advantage of it. This is an excellent spot to check out for a weekday, chill happy hour with some great prices. I got the chicken picatta which came recommended by our server. I would certainly order that again. My only complaint is that the bread they gave us was definitely burned - although I rather them feed us burned bread than throw it out. read more

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Oh my how do I start this. . .this place was a hidden gem within a neighborhood and it was so quaint and cute!! We decided to sit outside as we did not make an appointment and we were a party of 5. Towards the end of the dining experience, we were all a little cold BUT that was on us. Pro Tip - Make an appointment as this place busy busy busy!! As soon as we were sat, they came out and gave us our menus and gave us fresh bread boules with a balsamic vinaigrette to dip the bread in. I thought that was a nice change to the usual olive oil with balsamic vinegar. Some of the people that I was with thought that it was too vinegary but i liked it as I LOVE balsamic vinegar. lol We placed our order and soon after, we got our food and let me tell you. . .silence enveloped our table as we started to dig into the food. And you know that is the best compliment that you can give to a restaurant. . .that silence fell upon the table once the food came. The food was so freaking good! I had the chicken piccata with linguine pasta. BUT I wished that they had just served it with plain spaghetti OR fettucini so that the pasta could've picked up more of the sauce. I seriously wanted to spoon up the sauce. But then again, I have yet to meet a piccata that I did not like. The food was amazing and everything came out quickly and everything was sooooooo delicious! The free bread was good BUT they needed to proof the bread a little longer as it was a very dense bread and I could tell that the boule was underproofed. Did I eat it even though it was under proofed? Heck yeah I did! Cuz I love bread. . .or rather I love carbs. . .LOL The service was great from the hostess to the server to the bus boy to the food runner. Everyone was very friendly and willing to answer any questions. If I lived in that neighborhood, I'd be in so much trouble as I would be here almost everyday! LOL Just come and eat here. You won't regret it! read more

Love the pasta bolognese! Neighborhood favorite atmosphere. Seating upstairs is quieter. Great service reasonable prices. Greet comfort food. read more

Happy hour is a must! The drinks and food specials are pretty dang good for the happy hour! I will definitely need to come here during the dinner as well to check out more food. I live down the street and this place is always hopping with people. Definitely worth checking out and make sure you have a reservation to make it a little easier to get a table. read more

Shells and Sauce - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Have been here twice now! First meal was good, second meal last night was great. The restaurant is a small but charming space with outdoor seating and in the middle of Capitol Hill between some houses.. seems like a neighborhood go-to for sure. Upon entrance, there is a large chalkboard that displays various Specials. Our waiter, a woman with long dark hair in a pony tail, was on point the whole time and took great care of us. We didn't enjoy drinks this time but their cocktail menu is mostly what I dream of with the Paloma, spicy additions, fruit-infusions, yum. Last time I had the mushroom sachetti which was decent. Last night, we tried the: -Caesar salad -Roasted Brussels sprouts -Mussels appetizer -Parmesan Truffle Fries -Stuffed Shells Duo entree -Pork chop Special w/ whipped potatoes&broccoli -Burrata ravioli Florentine (my entree, 10/10) Their desserts all sound decadent but I sadly couldn't make the room :( All of the food was served hot and we all enjoyed our apps and entrees. My bf was full after like 1 of the 6-cheese stuffed shells. My friend loved his pork chop (HUGE chop, looked super juicy.) I don't even eat pork but it looked so good! My ravioli entree was booooomb. Creamy burrata-stuffed pasta with a drink-the-bowl worthy garlicky, brothy sauce. The roasted Brussels had the perfect level of crispiness. I do wish there was a bigger bowl for the mussels to get to the broth, or just more broth in general. Also wish there were more Italian/Italian style appetizers available but that's me being picky. Some things to note: 1. They ask for no more than 1.5hrs at table, totally understandable due to the small space inside and popularity of this place 2. Speaking of popularity, I'd recommend making a reservation as it was consistently busy from 6pm to 7:30pm on a Wednesday night (with a wait for some people.) 3. I heard they have a (new/newish?) rooftop patio which would be fun to check out next time. Stay saucy, friends! read more

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Great service & food!! My husband and I had heard so many good things about Shells & Sauce and we finally got around to trying it this past weekend. We made a reservation for 5ish so that we could snag some of the happy hour deals - they've got a great happy hour! The interior is super quaint, and in turn, very chaotic & loud w/ how busy it was on a Saturday night. We were seated in a booth near the kitchen, so it was really fun watching all of the food go out to the tables. Our server was very attentive, welcoming us as soon as we sat down. Our meal started w/ drinks & bread - I got a happy hour wine & my husband got a happy hour beer. The bread comes with a balsamic vinaigrette, which was very tasty. The bread is super soft and the perfect size for 2 hungry people :) For an appetizer, our server mentioned that the truffle mac was a good choice, so we went with his recommendation. He wasn't kidding - the truffle mac may have been one of my favorite things I had! Sooo cheesy and a really large portion for 2 people. For entrees, my husband got the lasagna and I got the special which was ravioli with shrimp, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, etc in a white cream sauce. The lasagna portion is HUGE - my husband ended up taking about half of it home. He loved every bite he had at the restaurant and as leftovers too. The special was also a large portion but more manageable, especially with the help of my husband. The white sauce was soo good and all of the flavors worked so well together. If you can believe it, we saved some room for dessert (just barely). We ordered the chocolate chip cannolis which came out as 2 big, sweet cannolis that I literally could have eaten all day. So good! Really enjoyed our experience at Shells & Sauce! The food, the drinks, and the service - all very good! read more

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Happy hour is awesome. The salmon had a great sauce, and the chicken parm is always solid. If going for dinner the shrimp Fra Diavolo is my go to. read more

I really wanted to love this place, but it was just okay. I had the wild mushroom sacchetti and it was fine. Not great, not bad. Just not particularly flavorful. I suppose the texture was good. I wouldn't refuse to return, but I also wouldn't suggest Shells & Sauce as a dinner destination, if the choice were up to me. Service was great. Our waitress was lovely. read more

Shells and Sauce - Wild Mushroom Sacchetti - Italian Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I only had the chance to check out one place for #denverrestaurantweek and so I decided on Shells and Sauce. Their menu was very appealing and a great value! The best part is it's not a special menu, so everything I had, is on their every day menu! This small neighborhood spot has been around for over 16 years and it's easy to see why. They have a great happy hour and even better service. Jaymys and Emily are fantastic!! They have a small parking lot in the back, but we were able to find street parking. Reservations highly recommended. HOMEMADE LASAGNA - Ground beef, Italian sausage, baked parmesan, mozzarella, ricotta cheese and marinara sauce. Giant piece, absolutely delish! CLASSIC ITALIAN CAESAR - Romaine, crispy parmesan, anchovies, roasted garlic, topped with buttered croutons and black ash salt. Loved the anchovies! It was super fresh and tasty. ROASTED GARLIC CHEESE CURDS - with spicy rosa sauce. These were unlike any cheese curds I have had. They were lightly breaded and the sauce had the perfect heat level. SHRIMP DIAVOLO - Seared shrimp, roasted asparagus, tomato, baby spinach, crumbled goat cheese, and penne tossed in spicy rosa sauce. My husbands dish that I snuck a couple bites of. Just right heat level, shrimp cooked perfectly! TIRAMISU - Delicious ending to the meal! Of course I could only eat a couple bites as I was so full, but my hubby happily finished it. Pro tip - Go early for Happy Hour and enjoy $6 glasses of wine and $4 pints. They also have smaller plates of their food available until 5pm for $8.95. Drink deals until 6. read more

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We have both dined in and ordered take out, and each time the food has been excellent. My top recommendations: 1. Get the cheese curds! I would never have thought to order these, but a friend got them and now I will never not order them. Delicious!! 2. Get the crab cakes! No words. Just perfect. I love a crab cake. 3. Get the flourless chocolate cake! So, So good. We made the "mistake" of not refrigerating it at home, and it became this fudgy slightly melted goodness. Cold or room temp, did not disappoint. Other than these recs, everything has been great. The diavola is my go-to, and is nice and spicy. The only thing I've tried that I probably wouldn't order again is the sausage with onions and peppers, as it was kind of drowning in sauce, but it wasn't bad! read more