09/03/2026
***Long post ahead*** but it gives a lot of insight to our progress.
This page has been pretty consistent with one thing. We’re very straight forward on where we are at in our process. We are still very much in soft opening. Every table that comes in, gets a visit from a manager or from ownership, and we’re asking what we could fix, if everything was up to the customers expectations and if not, what can we do to make it right, and if anything about their experience was memorable in a good way.
That direct engagement has given us some of the most valuable information money can buy. We can’t make it better, if we don’t know that it needs to be changed. That being said, it cuts our legs out from under us, the same way it does for every restaurant in America, if you look at us in person and say everything was great, and then go leave a 1 star review, without ever giving us the opportunity to make it right or make your afternoon whole. Avoiding us isn’t “non confrontational” it’s “non-conversational”, and if you really want us to stick around and become the best steakhouse we can be…. We need you to talk to us. It’s the whole reason for soft opening, and if you’re not willing to have that open dialogue…. Maybe wait til we’re in full swing and give us that review then.
However, even though We come to the table for a reason, and Some of that feedback is hard to hear, we value it and we make changes accordingly. We all sit down at the end of the night with pen and paper and discuss what we heard. We pivot, we bend, we make alterations. Some things we’re looking for group consensus, and sometimes one comment is enough to make us revamp our entire process. For example, if 3 out of the 70+ people that dined that night with us say “they don’t like the idea of the Hot Bar for extra sides”, but the vast remainder say they “love it”. We don’t change it. But if one person says their steak was cooked wrong or cut strange, we immediately take action.
Right now we are entering the second stage of our soft opening process. What does that mean? We’re still primarily operating on a strict “reservation only” setup, but we have allocated two tables and brought in a dedicated server to handle walk in guest. We imagine the waitlist will get pretty lengthy, so don’t get upset if you come in at 7:49pm and we tell you that our waitlist of full for the night. If you want that guaranteed time, make the reservation. As usual, our bar is open to walk-ins as long as we have an available stool.
With that second stage, We have also made some adjustments to the menu. We knew that the two smallest ribeye cuts would be our best sellers. They were priced well below market, and the ribeye is the best selling steak in America. However, the issue with them is the size. A 6oz ribeye is going to either be really thin, or it’s gonna look like 1/2 of a filet on a plate. It’s quite frankly, too small to adequately serve. The 10oz ribeye had a similar issue but it always ended up being about 1/4-3/8 of an inch thick whenever a customer ordered it cooked over medium. That extra cook time just dehydrates and shrinks the steak. They had to go. The complaints were getting out of control. (Yes 8-9 complaints is too many, we’re striving for perfection)
We’re swapping them with a 12oz ribeye and a 14oz T bone. That extra 2 oz makes a world of difference. We’ve fought to keep our pricing as low as possible, because we want to be attainable by everyone. And with these options we’re still in the window. (To all you guys asking for the Denver cut, I haven’t forgotten you 😉)
We’ve also changed how we’re doing baked potato’s. They now come directly out of the kitchen, and no longer off the Hot Bar. We’ve added gravy for the mashed potatoes and a wild rice pilaf to the Hot Bar. Along with the Hot Bar changes, we are bringing in a few ideas from our culinary wizards for premium sides. These are items that cost themselves out of the running for the hot bar, but could be enjoyed with a steak by quite a few people.
We’re also adding “New Belgiums: Mountain Time Lager” to our bar menu.
Again, we’re still navigating these waters. Honestly, we’re trying to let Marion steer the boat a little… we’re just keeping it between the navigational beacons. So if you do come in, in the next few weeks. Be prepared to help steer. Because once we get through to the final version…. It’s gonna be awesome. And you will have had a part in it the best steakhouse around.
Thanks,
1844 crew
