DENVER—Anthony Perez vividly remembers the first time he tasted the Colorado delicacy Rocky Mountain oysters. Perez was 16 years old and had just begun working at Buckhorn Exchange, an iconic Denver restaurant that first opened its doors in 1893. Its menu harkens back to the Old West, showcasing the types of game that would have been available to indigenous tribes and settlers of that era.
As locals know, these oysters don’t come from the sea. They’re actually bull testicles that chefs at The Buckhorn Exchange slice thin, bread, and then fry. They’re served as an appetizer with three house sauces for dipping.
“They were really good,” Perez recalls of his first experience, “until they told me what they were.”
Perez wasn’t deterred, however. Today, he is the general manager of Buckhorn Exchange, where he delights in pushing diners outside their comfort zone with its array of unusual meats that are emblematic of Colorado’s history. And he’s not alone.
Wild game is something of a regional specialty and popular among tourists, restaurant owners say. Contrary to its moniker, wild game like buffalo and elk is now farmed throughout the U.S. and some Colorado locales even serve meat raised locally.
Craving a taste? Here are eight restaurants where you can dig into the wild side.
Buckhorn Exchange
In addition to Rocky Mountain oysters, guests at Buckhorn Exchange can try entrees featuring buffalo and elk steaks, quail, and Cornish game hen. Perez recommends the blackened buffalo prime rib, which comes with garlic mashed potatoes. He described buffalo, also known as bison, as leaner, sweeter and more tender compared to beef. “Once you taste it you’ll be converted, I’m 100 percent sure of that,” Perez said.Those looking for just a bite can opt for apps like the buffalo sausage, fried alligator tail or the sirloin game tips plate that includes choice cuts of beef, bison and elk sauteed with mushrooms. The restaurant also serves rattlesnake seasonally in the summer. But recently there’s been a shortage, Perez said, so if it’s available, don’t miss your chance.
The Fort Restaurant
The Fort Restaurant in Morrison takes guests back in time, from the ambiance to the menu offerings. Owner Holly Arnold Kinney’s family built The Fort—a literal replica of Bent’s Old Fort trading post—in 1961. As she tells it, construction on the property drained the family’s bank accounts and inspired them to open a restaurant in 1963 to pay back loans. Given the family amassed a library of 3,000 history books, including cookbooks from the Old West, The Fort specializes in 19th-century dining.Buffalo is served many ways here, inspired by the indigenous people’s commitment to using the whole animal back in the day. Dishes include buffalo prime rib, buffalo empanadas and buffalo bone marrow. The Historian’s Platter also features buffalo tongue alongside buffalo sausage and other accoutrements. The most popular dish is The Fort’s Game Plate, which comes with a bone-in elk chop, a buffalo sirloin medallion, and grilled teriyaki quail. The restaurant also serves a sampler of game sausages featuring rabbit, rattlesnake, and antelope, and crisp, bite-size Rocky Mountain oysters for any occasion.
“We’ve even had some women come up celebrating their divorce with platters of Rocky Mountain oysters,” Arnold Kinney said.
Cafe Jordano
An Italian restaurant may seem like an unusual place to find buffalo, but it’s been on the menu at Lakewood’s Cafe Jordano since opening in 1991. Owner Elisa Sicuranza and her ex-husband did not want to serve veal because of ethical concerns about how the animals were raised. Being in the Mountain West, they decided to substitute buffalo and prepare it as they would veal—pounded thin—for a variety of traditional pasta dishes like Buffalo Parmigiana and Buffalo Alla Cocciatore. Cafe Jordano also developed some original recipes, for example, the Buffalo Royal featuring a cream sauce made with cognac and mushrooms.
Elk Avenue Prime
Game is particularly popular in Colorado’s mountain towns, where visitors are surrounded by the natural wilderness, said Cody Penton, senior executive chef of Elk Avenue Food and Beverage. Three of the company’s four restaurants in Crested Butte currently serve game in some respect, but its steakhouse, Elk Avenue Prime, boasts the most options. The top seller is an elk strip loin, but Penton said not to sleep on the buffalo strip that’s dry- aged for 24 days. Though the menu often rotates seasonally, Penton expects he’ll always feature some wild game. “We’re able to get our hands on some pretty exceptional products here while also giving people what they want,” he said.Appaloosa Grill
Endearingly known as The Horse, Appaloosa Grill is a 24-year-old Denver classic serving game with a side of live music. Bison comes in a variety of dishes, from chili to burgers and even a bison pastrami Reuben sandwich. Craving a steak? Choose from bison filet, T-bone and New York strip. There’s also an elk burger that comes topped with goat cheese, cream cheese, serrano ham, grape compote, and arugula.D’Deli
Diners looking for something more casual than a steakhouse can try buffalo and elk between bread at D’Deli in Golden. Both meats come “corned and smoked” and dressed to mouthwatering delight. The Buffalo Reuben, featuring the traditional sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing, is a good gateway bite. More adventurous eaters can opt for recipes like the Oxford—buffalo with blue cheese aioli, mozzarella, tomato, basil, mixed greens, and olive oil—and The Big Boy, an elk sub with baked beans, barbecue Dijon, celery, coleslaw, onions, and cayenne honey.Edwards Meats
Though Edwards Meats in Wheat Ridge is primarily a butcher shop, it also has a deli that offers corned buffalo and corned elk as meat options. You’ll have to build your own sandwich, but staff can help guide you through the flavors. (Think of it as a good substitute for corned beef, with a similar cure and seasoning, one person recently suggested.) Edwards sells many other types of game to take home, including buffalo, venison, elk, rabbit, pheasant, and quail.
