Mother's Day at Water Grill was perfect. The food was delicious, the service was fantastic and the small touch of having the free digital/physical photo area was a great touch. After struggling to find a restaurant with the right time for our group we chose Water Grill and I couldn't have been happier. More Importantly, the Mother's had a wonderful experience. read more

Water Grill - Denver - Sea Bass - Seafood Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Would have got 5 stars but cocktails were taking way too long with an empty restaurant. Besides that this restaurant is beautifully designed & decently! Our waiter was great & very prompt on his end! We didn't notice til we left that they didn't acknowledge our Birthdays at the table . We had noted in the reservation along with 2 allergies . I hope they pay attention next time . Food & drinks were amazing so will go back soon for another go !!! read more

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Food was five stars. Service wasn't even one star in a nearly empty restaurant on the afternoon of December 21, 2025. Service was actually the worst I've ever experienced in my history of enjoying fine dining establishments. It was my birthday, and, even though there were only six total patrons (a group of four and us, two), we saw eight plus service members and a manager and a host in the establishment. Just for the waiter to take our drinks order was nearly thirty minutes. Nearly twenty minutes to receive them. That was the highlight of the performance. Profuse apologies were issued at each step of the debacle by both staff and the manager on duty. Nearly three hours were spent, without dessert while we watched staff chat each other up and fail their clients. The worst part of all was the lack of concern by anyone to try to get us to return... Such a debacle, Bill read more

This is easily the best seafood dinner experience I've had in Denver and I'm so happy that I've discovered water grill! He came here for a friend's birthday as a party of 12 on a Tuesday night around 7:30 PM. The ambience gives a real nautical vibe, resembling the inside of a grand ship with lots of dark woodworking. I believe our server's name was Matt although I could be remembering wrong (i should write down the names) but he was so attentive and great. He gave the best recommendations. Our group tried a number of different things at his advice, and it was all so good. It's really hard to find good oysters Rockefeller in this area being so far from the ocean, but water Grill has it down! We ended up ordering an additional plate of them because they went so fast. We also got the raw oyster platter with a few from different coasts, and Matt gave us the full rundown of where each one could be traced to and what the differences were generally. I didn't have a huge appetite so after the appetizer, I decided to have another appetizer as my meal. He recommended the halibut cheek, mentioning it was a more tender cut, and boy This was the highlight dish of my month. Not only was the fish so fresh and tender and delicious but the sauce it came in was so unique and breathtaking. It was creamy, but not too much so and had the perfect balance of flavors. I was so impressed. The birthday boy also recommended the crabcake and I was blown away by this as well, sometimes they are too crumbly or dry. This one was absolutely perfect. Around the table, we also tried the full lobster dinner, mussels, ahi tuna tacos and more. It was all divine and the prices were pretty fair read more

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Came again to try new dishes. This restaurant might be my favorite one in Denver. Just phenomenal! From ambience to service and food, solid 5 stars experience. I'm not much of a seafood person but undeniably this restaurant has very high quality ingredients and thus seafood tastes absolutely delicious! It's fresh and well balanced. I love love love their clam chowder. Only clam chowder I would eat . Fish and chips were tasty. Trojan roll was fresh and very yummy. There is absolutely nothing I could complain about. I enjoyed everything. Our waiter was very attentive and super friendly. Can't wait to go back to try more. read more

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Some of the best seafood in Denver! Started off strong with their amazing rolls & butter, then enjoyed the octopus appetizer- all of the flavors worked so well in this dish! For mains: I got the Chilean sea bass served with butternut squash and gnocchi- this was the most perfect flavor combo and the fish was cooked perfectly with a nice crust. My husband got the wild pacific big eye tuna- you can taste when tuna is fresh and this tasted wonderful! It also had a great sauce. Staff were very friendly and attentive, we had everything we needed to enjoy a great meal. We went on a nice day and they sat us near a window to enjoy the fresh air it was a vibe. read more

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I absolutely love this restaurant! From the ambience to food and service, top notch. We finally got to sit in and actually try more than their clam chowder (which is amazing). The calamari was delicious along with their sauces. We also really enjoyed the trojan roll, we don't usually order tuna. The entrees were amazing too, filet cooked perfectly. The chimichurri was a little oily but the steak didn't need sauce. The fish was cooked perfectly too and had a great batter, fries a bit soggy. The stone crab was so fresh! I highly recommend the key lime pie, it's very yummy. Their tea is great too, we got jasmine! Overall great place, with great service. read more

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Very nice ambiance feels like you're on the coast. Service was top tier as it should be with a restaurant of this caliber! We stopped in for the crab cake and it was so good. The pickled veg on the side was a fun surprise to cleanse my pallet. Martinis were top tier! read more

Water Grill - Denver - Crab cake - Seafood Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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I don't leave a lot of Yelp reviews but, my God, was that a bad experience. Valentine's Day fixed menu for $135/person with $50 wine pairing. Highlights: * reservation for 8:15, not seated until 8:50 * kitchen running out of dishes, waiter had to come back twice to retake our order * along the same lines (I think they were running out of the wine pairing) randomly the second course wine pairing was a tiny 2-3oz pour. When asked, the waiter said that the next course has a 6oz pour (menu did not say anything about some wines having small pours and others having large ones) *long wait times between each dish * Clam chowder was so so very bland * wife ordered medium well steak and it came very rare * tables all around were having things comped, so it was not a unique experience Maybe I should have known better than going somewhere with a Valentine's Day special, but the whole experience was surprisingly poor. read more

Water Grill - Denver - Wine pairing for the second course. This is legit how it came to the table. - Seafood Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Beautiful space, completely failed service: what a waste! Very large, well-designed restaurant--but the management and service were shockingly poor. Considering that Water Grill is a chain... I'm shocked at the lack of consistency at this location. We arrived for our 8:15 PM reservation and were not seated until 9:08 PM--nearly an hour later--with little to no communication or acknowledgment of the delay. Once seated, things didn't improve. Waitstaff barely checked in, we weren't offered drinks (simple water would do) in a timely manner, and the entire service flow felt disorganized. The bar seemed overwhelmed, and there was clear confusion about which servers were responsible for which tables. It genuinely felt like no one was in control of the room. The restaurant also seemed completely unprepared to handle basic allergy accommodations. Many sides included dairy, and when we asked about substitutions (something as simple as vegetables), the response was vague and hesitant--"we'll see if we can do that." Not exactly reassuring when you're dealing with dietary restrictions. To make matters worse, we were told that the manager, Mallory, was "very busy" and would get to us when she could. Translation: paying guests are not a priority. We waited...and waited...and no one ever came back. At one point, we were informed that the kitchen had run out of items we had already ordered, which only added to the sense that this place is severely lacking in planning and communication. Despite the structured menu, service was still slow and inconsistent unless a manager happened to be nearby--which, in our case, never actually materialized. Ultimately, we left without being properly served because no one--neither waitstaff nor management--came back to check on us. Instead we went to Ocean Prime which was far better than Water Grill. This was not just slow service. It was complete operational failure at nearly every level. For a restaurant of this size and reputation, this experience was honestly unacceptable read more

Inviting, semi upscale vibe and contemporary decor. Our server was very attentive. We came in for the 4-course dinner on Valentine's Day. Hubby and I picked diff options on each course so we got to try more dishes! First course: -Jumbo Lump Crab Cake was okay -Nantucker Bay Scallop Crudo (added Uni) was so good and fresh. Second course: -Clam Chowder was flavorful -Roasted Beet Salad with Yogurt dressing was really refreshing Third course: -Wild Ross Sea Chilean Sea Bass was absolutely delicious -Double R Ranch Filet Mignon was tender and juicy. Dessert: -Maple Cheese Cake -Chocolate Espresso Ganache Cake Delicious food and good quality, it was good value as the portion was decent. read more

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I'm so glad we tried this place. I love how extensive their menu is, I love the atmosphere, and the service was great! I was so hungry I kept forgetting to take food pics halfway through so please excuse my half eaten plates. I saw pictures of the honeymoon shooter/oyster because it sounded really unique. Personally I feel like it needed more texture, salt & acid or spice. I had to focus not to get sick & I consider myself a NOT picky adventurous eater. Needless to say I cannot recommend & would not order this again. We got 2 of every east coast oyster & they were great! I forget the name of the sushi roll but it was good too. Not authentic, sushi IMO but still hit the spot. The crab was great too. We can't wait to come back & try more! read more

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The Water Grill is an upscale seafood restaurant in the heart of LoDo Denver. The swordfish was pretty good while the sea bass was excellent! Probably one of the best seafood dishes I've had in Denver. The calamari was tasty as well and they gave a good portion. The service was average but to be fair the waiter did seem to have many tables. I would recommend for a higher end seafood experience in Colorado. read more

Water Grill - Denver - Swordfish and Sea bass - Seafood Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Had another great night at Water Grill. Service was perfect. Gorgeous night at the comfortable bar. Drinks were on point. Tried new oysters. Really good. Shucked clean iykyk I always opt for salad over the coleslaw. Huge ass lobster. It's my go to seafood place when in Denver read more

Water Grill - Denver - This guy is 2.5 lbs. yummmmmm - Seafood Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Location: In the heart of downtown Denver, a few blocks from Union Station Reservations: Easy to make online Service: Excellent service from start to finish. We were seated right away at a nice booth. Everything was timed well, we did not feel rushed but never had to flag down the server. One of the servers realized we didn't have bread after we were there for only a couple of minutes and profusely apologized and we ended up with two plates of bread without asking Ambiance: Beautiful restaurant-- we loved the exposed wood, it has a modern semi-rustic vibe. The tables are spaced well and it feels really open. The seating was really comfortable. It was lively but not loud. DRINKS: Barrel-ly Aged---Evan Williams straight bourbon, vanilla bean, lime & pineapple-- this was delicious and a really refreshing summer whiskey cocktail. They offered it served up or on a big cube and I couldn't turn down a big cube. Definitely would have this again. Standing Room-- 2 year aged rum, pineapple, lime juice, Creme de Cacao & hazelnut syrup over crushed ice with an espresso float-- this was also delicious and unique. It was sweet but not overwhelming. The flavors played really well together. FOOD: Fresh bread and butter-- warm, fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside, salty sourdough rolls served with salted butter-- these were delicious, a hint on the salty side but I was definitely not complaining Calamari-- Loved this! The calamari was breaded nicely, not too thick and the squid was tender. It was served with harissa aioli and the star was the cilantro-mint sweet chili sauce. I could've eaten the chili sauce with a spoon and it paired perfectly with the fish. Lobster Roll (Connecticut style)-- Tender, buttery lobster meat served on a buttery texas toast style bun. Perfect ratio of meat to bread and had really great flavor. Served with fries that were just ok, more on the thick side. Macaroni and Cheese-- Crispy on the top, gooey, cheesy, exactly what a Mac and cheese should be. Impossible to stop eating. Overall we loved our dinner at Water Grill and would definitely visit again the next time we are in Denver! read more

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Great spot for client lunch or date night! Did both in the same day. Lobster roll lunch, scampi for dinner. Bread pudding is good as well! read more

Water Grill - Denver - Birthday cookie dessert! - Seafood Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I've made it a goal to try every water grill and it never disappoints. The food was delicious and our server Jordan was amazing. He was very attentive and providing awesome service. Stopped by here on a Thursday night and we were able to get a table right away. The oysters and clams were fresh and tasty. The calamari was crispy and had great flavor. As always the bread was fresh and soft. Highly recommend any water grill location. read more

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Extremely busy when there is an event at Coors Field (in this case, a Paul McCartney concert). They seemed a little understaffed given that their reservations were fully booked. It's like a mirror image of the San Diego location; nice decor with a vaguely nautical theme, plenty of fresh seafood options. read more

This is a difficult review to write. This could have been a three, four, or five star review, almost depending on my mood. But ultimately this very nice restaurant failed in ways that I cannot ignore. The decor is quite charming and we liked it a lot. Our server was very personable and helpful, although full disclosure requires me to point out that he did fail to bring one of these sides that we ordered. Fortunately we were also not charged for it. This brings me to the salt. I always like it when restaurants serve fresh baked bread or rolls with the meal. Water Grill provides some delicious looking rolls with a small dollop of salt on the top. They are also shot through with salt. I don't know who wants rolls that are that salty, but it's not me. Had that been the only salt encounter, I might not have even mentioned it. But it wasn't. One of my dining partners ordered fish and chips. We had already discussed at the table the saltiness of the rolls. This person turned to me and said "This is salty too," and handed me a taste of his fish and chips. Salty. I had the swordfish, which as usual was rather like a fish steak. I liked it, but couldn't help noticing that the exterior tasted rather salty. One of my other dining partners had the salmon. You guessed it. Salty. It's inexplicable. I've never been to a restaurant that used so much salt on so many different food items. I want to be clear here. If you tasted through the salt, so to speak, the food was really good. It just had too much salt. And the lobster bisque and octopus thankfully lacked this problem and were both delicious. So it was a strange experience. Nice restaurant, great service, good food, with an added helping of unwanted salt. Had it not been for the salt, I would be telling you to immediately head out to Water Grill and enjoy a nice meal, a meal which I think justifies the prices they charge. But the salt. I am not an oyster eater, but I should mention that they have an impressive menu of different types of oysters in different combinations, both all of one type and as samplers. And they offer fresh catches which we did not try. But this is a restaurant that I could get very used to, if I weren't worried about the salt. I read some other Yelp reviews before writing this one, and only one of them mentioned saltiness, so maybe we just somehow ended up on the wrong end of the shaker. I don't know. The quality of the food underneath the salt was such that I have to believe this restaurant typically does better than what we experienced. Anyway, there's my strangely mixed feelings review. read more

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From the minute, you walk in, you know you are in a special place. Everybody was friendly and we were seated at a very nice table. We ordered oysters and the grilled octopus for an appetizer. Both were exceptional. All the entrées were great. The location is super and the ambience is terrific. I would highly recommend this restaurant. read more

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We practically dived out of our car to get here - the first lunch we had while visiting Denver. But, when you're in the mood for seafood, I don't care where we are. It's going to happen - and I am so glad it did. It was a late lunch on a Wednesday afternoon so we slid in seated by a corporate party and a mostly empty dining room. The decor is nice and the staff are friendly. I loved it. My hubby ordered some very yummy oysters and clam chowder to start. The dirty martinis with house stuffed blue cheese olives abated our hunger and we had to hold back from stuffing ourselves with the housemade Parker rolls and butter. As our appetizers arrived, we ordered entrees. My hubby ordered the shrimp scampi on house made pasta and I just had to have Dungeness crab. The oysters were amazing and the dipping sauces even more so. The champagne mignonette and another vinegar based sauce with habanero were my highlights. The chowder was good. We finished the appetizers as our entrees rolled in. The crab was okay, a bit dry but I favor Dungeness because it's meaty and will hold onto sauces so the butter did it's job. The slaw was great too. My hubby's dish was the standout. Big, phat jumbo shrimp on a bed of beautiful pasta and a delightful sauce. We honestly could have split that. Yes, I finished the crab. We could not finish the pasta dish. The staff were incredibly attentive and friendly. I would 100% come back here again. We had great cocktails, a bottle of wine and a perfect kickoff to visiting this great city. So, go there. Get some. Life is too short for boring food. read more

We had a double date here and let me tell you that you guys fell way short We ordered drinks at our table and and they took forever to get to us. We ordered oysters and a crab cake afterwards. We ordered a bottle of wine and I had to tell the server to bring 3 glasses as my wife was not going to have any. Really? Wouldn't the server ask us? We ordered sushi. Took over an hour to get to us. I asked who the managers were as we waited for ever. Seriously guys you failed hard. Over an hour as the server stated something was wrong with the sushi station? We ordered two seafood entries both came to us cold as they were supposed to be warm. The only thing that was nice was the restaurant feel Do better guys. read more

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Can't say enough wonderful things about our waitress, Sharon. She was knowledgeable, kind, and such an easygoing person. My best friend and I love Water Grill and have visited several locations, but Sharon truly made today's visit the best experience yet. read more

Water Grill - Denver - Our favorite oysters - Seafood Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I love seafood, and I love this place! It never fails to deliver an excellent service, the best food, and incredible drinks!!! It is pricey but worth it for special days, such as my birthday! There is a public parking half a block across the road. Highly recommend! read more

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We have eaten here previously. It's usually pricey but good. On New Year's Eve the value just wasn't there. Service was great but the apps were tiny, the Cesar good but the clam chowder was sweet, the entrees has a strange clump of raw spinach and 1/2 a raw tomato on the side, the risotto was mushy, and the dessert was just so-so. Except for the bread pudding. That was good. So I would not recommend a pre-fixe menu here. Just go when a regular menu is an option. read more

Water Grill - Denver - 6oz filet mignon with a clump of raw spinach and 1/2 raw tomatoes (why?) - Seafood Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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This was hands down one of the most embarrassing restaurant experiences I've ever had. Waited almost a full hour just to get seated like we were begging to eat there. Then we finally sit down for the Valentine's menu... and almost everything on it isn't available. Appetizers? Gone. Entrees? Gone. Options? Basically nonexistent. So what exactly are y'all serving besides disappointment? No bread ever came to the table. Not once. Drinks took about 20 minutes, and by the time they showed up, nobody even cared anymore. At that point we were just sitting there wondering why we didn't leave earlier. The whole place felt like pure chaos. Staff walking around looking lost, nobody checking on tables, no communication, nothing. It honestly felt like a bunch of people just showed up to work with no plan at all. And the manager? Completely useless. No presence, no control, no accountability. On a night like Valentine's Day -- one of the easiest nights to prepare for -- this place completely fell apart. That's not bad luck, that's bad leadership. I've seen better organization at a food truck with one person working. Save your time, save your money, and go literally anywhere else. This place is a joke. read more

Water Grill - Denver - No food - Seafood Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I've been going here over the years and have never had a bad experience. From the quality of the seafood to the knowledge of the servers, it's always spot on. Reservations are nice to make ahead of time and if you show up early, there's a full bar to keep you company while you wait. I like to spend special occasions here like birthdays, even spent a wonderful New Year's Eve here once! Ambience can get a little loud for such a vibrant place, but nothing that's too crazy. read more

I had a wonderful dinner at Water Grill with my mom for her birthday. We ordered oysters (they were all great, but especially the Wildcat and Baysweet). Also enjoyed the mussels! Our server Milo was wonderful and helped us find the perfect wine to pair with our meal (Albariño & Chablis). We will definitely be back! read more

Our first time visiting Water Grill was on Valentine's Day for their Valentine's Day Menu (priced at $135 per person). Unfortunately our experience was not the greatest though I try to give some grace considering it was a busy night. However, I feel the restaurant could've better prepared knowing it was a holiday. Our reservation was for 5:45pm, we were not seated until about 6:15pm. The evening ended at about 8:10pm (and that was with us having to rush dessert as we needed to be somewhere at 8pm). The bread and butter were DELICIOUS, the oysters were great, our entrees were also pretty good. None of our food tasted bad per se. It just wasn't anything that mind blowing either. The presentation was very mediocre. We also ordered 2 additional sides with our entrees for an extra $12-$15 each. The worst part of the evening was definitely the pacing of our courses. We waited a good 20-30 minutes for each course to come out. By the time we got our entrees we couldn't quite enjoy it as we were stressing out about needing to leave for our next scheduled event. We had to ask our waiter to bring out dessert ASAP as we needed to head out. Overall, the food was decent. But I think the price we paid for everything was not worth the quality, presentation, and service we received. We heard those with later reservations waited an hour or more to be seated and many food options were not available as they had run out. Definitely not worth a $400 dinner for 2. read more

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We ate at Water Grill in San Diego so we decided to give this one a try. I feel like it was okay and the food in San Diego was a touch better. Overall, nothing amazing for the cost I had the black cod-this one seemed much greasier in taste. The edges were quite dark and tasted almost burnt. We had the crab cake and it was also greasy. None of us were impressed with it. My son had the lobster roll and it had minimal lobster. The fries that came with it were very greasy My husband had a filet and thought it was just okay. The service was good and she kept our water full. I would not return and would try somewhere else. read more

Excellent food, I would recommend thr black cod. Service was great. This place is silly extensive, so not somewhere I would go alot. Fun atmosphere but I wish they would get rid of the TVs it distracting and makes the place seem less classy. read more

Best margarita in town! (Even for a seafood restaurant). The copper top bar is always shiny and in tip top shape and every bartender is kind, friendly, and knows my drink order when I come in. I had Jon my last visit, and he was so attentive and fun. I really enjoyed chatting with him! If you're in the neighborhood, come by and ask for him. He makes the best, most creative cocktails around! read more

Water Grill - Denver - Seafood Near Me - Denver, Colorado

A must visit spot when you're in Denver! The food and cocktails were on point!!! Service was excellent. Can't wait to go back! read more

Water Grill - Denver - Fantastic dirty martini. Water Grill never disappoints. - Seafood Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I love that this place stays open until 10pm--such a lifesaver when it's hard to find a spot on a weeknight in downtown Denver, especially after flying in! I'm familiar with the Orange County location, and I'm happy to say the Denver location was just as impressive. Highly recommend the Oyster Rockefeller, Black Cod Soba in Miso Broth, and the Lobster Roll--absolutely delicious. My server went above and beyond, even recreating my favorite cocktail, the 'Accidental Crossings' from the OC menu. The service was outstanding, and the vibe makes it the perfect date night spot. Can't wait to come back for another amazing meal! read more

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Water Course is ok. I don't know if my seafood bar is really high or what but it's good/ok. The halibut cheeks were alright. The fennel had some hard parts when trying to eat it, so that wasn't great. The fish and sauce was fine. The clam chowder had sand in the mussels or something because I was feeling the grit. I would not expect a seafood place to ever have grit when this is their specialty. I'm confused how that could happen. The flavor of the chowder had some sweetness in it. I wonder what sweet ingredient they're putting in it. I prefer my soups full on savory, so I don't like adding sugar. I came one other time for a lobster roll and it was good but nothing really stood out with me as memorable as I'm trying to recall while typing this. read more

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Food, service and ambiance were exceptional. The food was cooked and seasoned to perfection! read more

Water Grill - Denver - Heaven on a plate... - Seafood Near Me - Denver, Colorado

High end fishy stuff in a classy setting. Ride a scooter there rather than Uber xl--save the dough for the bill. The crabs are massive, the lobsters, are huge. UFC scale. The halibut cheeks? Gillespian, and most excellent. And the black cod, in a miso broth and slight chili backdrop, recommended by the waitstaff, was rightly excellent. I split the dish with a friend, and tried their wild salmon dish, fattier and flavorful, compared with the bland-pink brick that describes 99% of salmon served. And good desserts, as we sampled three. And yes, scootered back. read more

Water Grill - Denver - Seafood Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Our party of 4 came here for dinner on a Sunday. We were greeted and seated right away. Our server was attentive and friendly. We started off with the calamari, which was very tasty and crispy, and a spicy lobster roll, which we gobbled up. For an entree, I went with the sea bass at our server's recommendation, and I see why it's one of their most popular dishes. The fish had a crust on it but was so moist and delicious. The butternut squash puree and the gnocchi were great complements- I literally think about this meal at least once a week. read more

Water Grill - Denver - Calamari and spicy lobster roll - Seafood Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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An amazing dose of Americana in the heart of downtown. The bread is amazing. The oysters are fresh. The ribeye got crushed. The staff was on top of it. It might have other restaurants in its concept, but it is worth it for locals and tourists alike. read more

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Elegant seafood restaurant perfect for a date or special occasion! When we went it was around the holidays and it was beautifully decorated. Our service was amazing, and it was also very family friendly. Plenty of bar seating by the live bar/lobster tanks. Other options if you're not a fan of seafood! read more

Water Grill - Denver - Half dozen oyster sampler - Seafood Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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