This place is great. Â I've been here twice now and I'll be back for sure. Â The menu has a lot of classic but they are unique at the same time. Â Elk Sausage Mac n Cheese for example. Â Which was great. Â It's in a little shopping center that you wouldn't think such a place would exist. Â Give it a try if you are in the mood for something different.
Review Source:Came by here for some take out. Â I wasn't expecting much, but it looked really nice inside and the servers were really friendly. Â Classic American cuisine but I really do appreciate it when there is a little bit of a twist on the menu. Â Not many places your going to find a morel mushroom soup. Â It was a little on the bland side, but still a decent soup. Â I also had the rib eye sandwich which was very good. Â It tasted home made, and not in a bad way. Â For those in Aurora and looking for a nice restaurant, this is as good an option as any.
Review Source:I'm seriously slacking, having been to this Bent Fork location no less than three times, but better late than never they say. Â At any rate, I am definitely a fan even though I find some of the the dishes to be less than inspiring while still tasty and fulfilling. Â That being said, the Jerk Chicken Pork Chops were outstanding. What has been consistent through all of my visits has been the service - our server during all three visits has been a gentlemen who is exceptionally efficient and attentive, always at just the right time.
Review Source:First off, you need to know that I would rate this restaurant 5 stars for service. Â We were greeted so happily when we came in, and our waiter was first class from start to finish, he was worthy of working in Denver's finest.
Now to the food....not so great. Â We went for dinner and I had the Cobb Salad. Â VERY few tomatoes, and just a wee bit of avacado, albit carefully cut, on the salad, and the lettuce was mighty pale iceberg. Â It was ok, but oh it could have been so so much better. Â I had the raspberry bread pudding....it arrived hot, but honestly it tasted and felt like a danish that had been heated in the microwave. Â My friends had a similar experience, the steak was very very chewy, and one salad with pecans on it, the dressing was way too tart, and she had to put sugar on the salad.
I would have loved a little bread with my salad, but it was not apart of the deal.
Alas too, the evening we were there, a strong smell of sewer gas was in the Men's Room. Â My friend told the manager of this, he was very gracious, and said that it had just started that day, and a plumber was coming soon.
Such nice people but the food was not that great.
I hate to give Bent Fork only 2 stars but the quality of this place has really diminished over the past few years. This used to be my family's local "Special Place" to treat ourselves to. My mom and I hadn't been for awhile and came here for lunch one day. The service was good, the food, however, was disappointing. I got the lobster mac and cheese that while good, wasn't good enough to justify the $18 price. You can get a MUCH better lobster mac at The Hornet for 3 bucks cheaper. The portions were small, the plates and prices still to big. I'm not willing to risk wasting money on this place again; I probably won't be back.
Review Source:So I was running errands and noticed this rather nice looking place smack in the middle of a ghetto Aurora stripmall. What a find! The food is very good. I would call it Colorado inspired new American cuisine. They have buffalo entrees, killer salads and several dishes featuring green chili. I ordered the New Mexico RibEye sammy. It was like a philly on sourdough bread, but with tons more flavor. It was phenomenal. Evan got a burger, as usual. It was huge and lean. He said it was too lean and kinda dry, but the chipotle mayo more than made up for it.
The service was pretty good until the check needed to come. He refilled my flavored ice tea almost quicker than I could drink it, but then at the end of the meal disappeared. No biggie.
We can't wait to come back!
Tip: the dinner entrees are pricey. Lunch entrees are more reasonable.
Not a bad place to eat if you're stuck in Aurora. Â I gave this place a third star that I would not have given had it been in Denver. Â Compared to the competition it's A-OK. Â I started with a crab cake. Â it was made with inferior quality crab but the remoulade was pretty good. Â I had a steak for dinner. Â Again, the meat was inferior quality but it wasn't horrible and cooked properly. Â The potatoes and sauce that accompanied were tasty. Â Service was ok. Â Decor was a little dark and cloistered for me. Â Finally, not to be too snobish but the regulars hanging at the bar were kinda creepy.
Review Source:7/2011
Well...what to write. Â I am posting this review quite sometime after I had a meal here, but I can still feel the disappointment. Â It was a rainy day and the group I was with were all decked out and wobbly in our heels with the slick floors, I remember this because there were lots and lots of wet spots on the floors and that was dangerous! Â We each ordered different entree's and were really put out by the price. Â We also had specifically asked to be seated in one area and were told that it was 'closed' even though the place was deserted and should have had our pick of ANY table in the place. Â Also where we were sat was just freezing! Â We asked our server to please have the blowing freezing air turned off if not increase the temperature...but alas we froze. Â Over all we had gone to this restaurant hoping to have a lovely higher end meal, ended up with okay food, okay-ish service, and an over the top price. Â I will not be coming here again.
I bet this place is called the Bent Fork because the food is so good that you bend your fork trying to get as much of it into your mouth as possible on every bite.
The Bent Fork is one of those places that you can pass by everyday and never really notice it, so when my boss wanted have a lunch meeting here, I was skeptical. Â However, one bite into my meal and I was immediately sad that I had never been here before. Â I had the Spicy Pecan and Gorgonzola salad, and spicy it was. Â It was the perfect blend of sweet mandarin oranges, tangy gorgonzola and hot and spicy pecans.
They are a little on the pricey side, but the atmosphere is really trendy and comfortable. Our server was helpful without being overbearing. Â If you haven't been here, you should plan to check it out.
It was not what I expected from the title of the place. When I hear American Grill, I'm thinking I'm stuck with a burger, fries, and possibly a hot dog.
I was wrong though! I got the tacos, which were very fresh, and quite tasty as well. I enjoyed the atmosphere as well, very trendy little place. The service wasn't anything I remembered though, which means I wasn't insanely impressed. That's okay, though, which means it wasn't horrible either! I would like to go back here someday, and try something different, possibly the ribs I read reviews about.
A solid 3.5 stars. I would say A-OK describes it. The decor was  nice, this was a clean uppper-class feeling establishment. I loved the art and the layout.
I ordered the Green chili mac and cheese, because of my obsession over green chilis...it sounded exciting. It also came with slices of jalapeno sausage. It was definitely cheesy, but I couldn't really taste the green chili...and it lacked flavor. I salted it. My date ordered the "Black and Blue" burger. It was tasty but standard. The cole slaw was fresh. I think the Bent Fork could use a refresher course in flavor, that mac and cheese could have been memorable...they need to ramp it up ! This rating would go to 5 star AWESOME....if they flavored it up ! The potential is definitely there.
I'm surprised by all the negative reviews. Â I've been frequenting The Bent Fork Grill since it opened and I haven't had any bad experiences there. Â In fact, as far as Aurora restaurants go, this place is tops in my book. Â They have great salads - my favorites are the strawberry, brie and chicken and the spicy pecan and gorgonzola - yum! Â
I've always received prompt and courteous service too. Â The restaurant isn't that large but it is comfortable with nice decor. Â I'd recommend it for lunch or dinner.
2 stars across the board. Mediocore is the word of the day.
I went here for a work lunch and boy am I glad I didn't pay. I do feel bad my boss paid.
food: This was the main point. The ingredients seemed fresh but it was so bad. It does not matter if you cook things tender and use niice ingredients if the food doesnt taste good. salt, pepper a little spice would have been nice. Presentation too. For the prices we were paying I would have liked a little care given to the presentation. The portions were big though. I left more then half my plate because as much as I hate to waste food I wasn't going to revist this at home.
service: We were sat quickly. They got 2 of our tables orders wrong and then forgot one of our entrees completely at serving time. We had to chase a waiter down for it. The drinks were refilled consistently for someof us and others were ignored. The wiat staff seemed rushed and the special dish i was told about had diffrent ingredients then quoted.
atmosphere: The clientel was a mix of the jeans crowwd and the work crowd. It was clean and they sat sevral large groups quickly.
price: Its the priciest place in this little shopping center and out prices the chain and local resturaunts for a 5 mile radius.
The food was awful. I would not recommend eating here, we will never go back. My husband ordered the ravioli and it was so under cooked that he sent it back (not something he ever does) and when it came out the second time, it was better but still gross. The pasta was thick and pasty, the grilled portobello mushroom was clearly re-headed it was so chewy and gross. My friend ordered the prime rib which was so tough she had to cut it with a steak knife. The potatoes served with it were dry and looked like they had been sitting around for a while and the vegetables were covered in dried herbs and just gross.
The worst part was when we sent the ravioli back the second time the manager came over and argued with my husband, said that he was wrong and is just how the pasta is. She did not offer to get him anything else nor was she apologetic.
Our waitress was very nice and she did everything she could to help us. Â The decor is nice and leads you to expect to get decent food, but the food was too awful to ever considering going back.
I went with a friend and we got a booth. It was very nice and clean. The food was fairly fast.
Food: I got the full slab of ribs. =) Its really big. I only finished 1/3 of the whole thing. =) They were nice and tender, definitely on my top 5 ribs list ever...just a couple behind Gates BBQ in Kansas City. Â =)
Mashed potatoes was good too.
Lighting: dim-ish
Sound: They have two separate sections, one that seems more like a bar, and the other that is sit-down and nice. It wasn't too loud, & Â not too quiet.
I went 5 stars on this because I only get one thing here and it's the best I can find anywhere. Â The French Dip here, is nothing shy of sublime perfection. Â They get everything right. Â The meat is cooked/chopped just right. Â They toast the bread and it's really good dippin' bread too! Â I come back again and again and if they keep the quality this consistent between visits will continue to do so.
Review Source:After a band concert, took the family to the Bent Fork to celebrate. Nicely appointed restaurant. Â Contrary to the summary, this place is great for the kids as they have edible and attractive offerings for the kids (pork chop, chicken breast, meatloaf, and of course, pasta). The staff was friendly and very attentive. When my daughter spilled her water, they were there in a flash to clean up the mess and bring her a new glass.
The food was tasty, too. The kids each made up a pasta dish to order, and the kitchen obliged. Hubby had the Tilapia and I had the Rocky Mountain Salmon. Both were cooked to perfection and served beautifully. Â Adults split a bottle of wine, Cline Viognier (a tasty alternative to Chardonnay), and the price was very reasonable.
Since it was a kids' celebration, we ordered the brownie dessert (two warm brownies, one with German chocolate topping and the other filled with rocky road flavors) to split. OMG, it was super rich and chocolaty -- so good..
BTW, the waitress/bartender with the "Jersey hair" is no longer with us. They had a little memorial by the door with a bouquet of flowers and the bulletin from her funeral on April 7, 2011.
BOTTOM LINE: go for the service, enjoy the affordable menu and wine list, and support a non-chain restaurant.
Felt like trying something new. Heard this place was decent, and it was local, so we decided to check it out.
The French Dip sucked. One of the worst I've ever had. The meat was greasy, low-quality crap. I like onions, but shit, I had to take half of them off. Total onion overload. And they weren't cooked very well.
Thankfully, the rest of the meal was half-decent, so that's why they get 2 stars instead of 1.
Decor is nice and modern, but overall, the place feels very small.
I don't really see any reason to go back.
After many years of living in Aurora I finally had a chance to try the Bent Fork. I like the setting and decor through out the restaurant. It's very modern and comfortable. The only downside was the lights were so dim it made it slightly difficult to read the menu.
I opted for the Lemon Pepper Chicken with vegetables and rice. The meal was really nice. The vegetables were well seasoned and the rice was also very good. The chicken had more of a grill flavor to it than Lemon Pepper which was a slight disappointment. But it was tasty none the less.
For dessert I ordered the Banana Fritters. They were delicious. The dessert was fairly good size compared to other restaurants. The staff were very friendly. They were very prompt refilling drinks and clearing away empty plates. I was rather impressed. Knowing I've lived just down the street for quite some time and never dined here makes me a sad panda. I will definitely stop by again. They have a few sandwiches that sound rather tasty that I would love to try.
Solid fare. Better than most chain restaurants but not top notch. I had the pesto chicken. The pesto was olive oil and cheese, a little heavier than I like. Not enough veggies and too much cheese.
My friend had the salmon which looked quite good.
Perhaps a little overpriced for the food and decor, but still good.
The atmosphere of this place is really nice, and surprising for the location. Â
I had the tilapia and it was really wonderful. Â My date had the pork chops, which he also said was very good. Â We started with salads, a little pedestrian, but perfectly fine. Â
We were surprised not to find more steak options, since we originally went there because he had a hankering for a steak. Â Still, we were quite pleased with our selections.
The wine selection was a bit limited.
The service was friendly and prompt, without being too invasive. Â
I've been here before and have always really enjoyed it. Â It was a first visit for my date and he said to both our waiter an me, "I'll be back." Â If you find yourself in this neighborhood, you should give it a try. Â It sure beats the chains and other options. Â It's slightly more upscale, but not at all formal...casual dining done right.
It's a good regular spot to go when eating out with my parents.
When I meet my dad here, we usually sit in the bar and are well taken care of by Maxine. She's a little over the top, but quite capable.
I usually get a whiskey and ginger ale or a fat tire. Beer and cocktails are the way to go. My dad usually gets the house red wine.
I love their french dip. Don't love how they do their vegetables on the side of their main meat entrees. I love pasta with pine nuts, but sometimes the sauce on those dishes are overwhelming. I don't often do the salmon there as it sometimes comes out a little over-done.
It's definitely quite a few steps above a comparable chain restaurant, and a good stand-by for the lacking aurora culinary scene.
I almost always go with local or small chains before the large big box restaurants. Bent Fork fills the role of underdog in fast casual dining opposed to the Applebees, Chilli's and Texas Roadhouse down the street. Unfortunately it isn't leaps and bounds above, it's just another a rung or two higher.
I ordered a salad and the salmon when I went there. Good, not great. The wine selection was just ok.
Considering the menu offering's aren't as awe inspiring as they may appear intitally, the atmosphere in this place is right on the money.
It's not as divey as a sports bar, not as pretentious as an upscale eatery, yet it still doesn't come off as "manufactured" like the aforementioned Chilli's or TGIF.
This place just works some kind of way and that's cool. I guess I can say I like this place but not for the food.
My sister and I had an early dinner here earlier this week. The restaurant is quite attractive and the furniture comfortable for a leisurely meal.
We split two items. We ordered the roasted garlic with Asiago cheese ravioli. It comes with a very tasty roasted red pepper cream sauce and a few sauteed slices of portabello mushrooms and goat cheese. There was supposed to be a drizzle of pesto but it was more like a few dots. The ravioli was definitely undercooked which made for a pretty tough pasta. I would never order that again.
Our second dish, however, was excellent. It was on the special menu -- a tilapia dish with a very tasty sauce (wish I could recall in more detail what it was as I would try to recreate it at home). the fish was cooked perfectly. It saved the meal. It came with some garlic bread which was tasty but not particularly warm.
We declined to have dessert, though several were quite tempting.
Our server was quite attentive and friendly, but not intrusive. The hostess was extremely friendly -- she was not the hostess mentioned in other reviews with the scary hair. Instead, she was a well groomed young African-American woman who made us feel quite welcomed and that our business was appreciated.
If our food had been more uniformly better, I would have given them another star. As it is, they are really just OK -- though I agree they are  a definite step above Appleby's or Chili's.
After letting the experience of The Bent Fork stew for a day or so, I'm finally willing to say it was passable.
A few coworkers and I enjoyed lunch here, however, I'm not sure I would run back for another meal. Â The venue was beautiful, the presentation was lovely, but the food wasn't anything worth the prices on their menu. Â
I tried the Ahi Tuna, which was quite delicious (although admittedly, I should've ordered it a wee bit rarer), but not as memorable as the same dish at Rockbottom on the 16th Street Mall.  For dessert, I sampled the crème brulée, and sadly, the test of cracking the top wasn't as satisfying as it ought to be.  The top wasn't as golden brown as I'd hoped for either.  *sigh*
Everyone *enjoyed* their meal, no doubt, but I don't feel that what we had was worth what we paid. Â However, I'm a cheap date and a $30 meal usually doesn't sit well with me unless the food is out of this world.
I know it's not in a fashionable part of Aurora/Denver, but it's been consistently serving up some of the best food around Iliff/Havana/I-25 for years. I can't imagine why someone would want to eat at a Chili's or Appleby's if they could eat at Bent Fork for about the same price.
Bent Fork serves one of the best salads in Denver, the Strawberry Brie salad with grilled chicken: fresh mixed greens topped with fresh sliced strawberries, spiced pecans, an amazingly tender grilled chicken breast, and slices of mild brie, tossed with a tangy balsamic vinaigrette.
Every couple weeks I go there for lunch during the work week and treat myself to the salad. Always tastes amazing -- great consistency. And with tip, it only costs me about $15 for an amazing lunch.
Service is always prompt and friendly, and the decor is cozy but modern. Its placement in a strip mall belies its charm and quality of the food.
I mostly get the salad when I go, but every person I've brought with me has enjoyed the dish that he or she ordered.
Highly recommended.
Count me in as a big fan of The Bent Fork! I had dinner here last evening and the reason I am a fan for one reason would be the atmosphere here  is simple and comfortable with a slight hint of sophistication but not in a snobbish sort of way. Dim lighting, dark furniture, with black and white photos lining the wall.
I started with the cream of mushroom soup as my starter and for the main dish I then decided on having the Rosemary Chipotle Lamb Shank with a glass of Martin Codax wine from Spain. The lamb was very tender and easy to separate from the bone with very little effort at all. The real reason I ordered this dish was for the vegetables. I know what you're thinking who orders a main dish just for the vegetables. Well I dont do it often but this time I had to. See I've never had lamb first of all before last night, and I was very happy with the lamb after all, but it was the butternut squash that I wanted to have more than anything, which was very very good.
The Bent Fork does a good job of not offering too many options with their menu and I like that as I always have a hard time trying to decide what I want to eat. Though I wasn't impressed with the slim pickings when it came time for dessert, so I opted for an Irish Coffee instead.
If I could ask for one thing for the Bent Fork to do would be to open a location downtown, then I could go here all the time.
I can walk here from my office, so I have been here several times for lunch and happy hour after work
My favorite dish is the strawberry & brie salad....I could go for one right now. The appetizers are great too. The seared ahi is one of my favorites on the menu. The sandwiches are really good to. I have never been here for dinner.
The wait staff is very quick, I believe they have a lot of people from the surrounding office complexes for lunch. They are friendly also. There is never a wait.
The Bent Fork is a nice break from the Panera's, Qdoba's and Wendy's that are in this area. It's also nice to go here after work and have a martini or cocktail before going home to laundry!
I have a hard time giving just one star, but I will give them the benefit of being on the fence here. Â The food is truly bland at best, I had a pasta dish that was not edible and the other time I can't recall what I ate, I just can tell you it was not memorable. Â The decor in this place lends itself to a nice atmosphere but they could use better servers and a more talented Chef to really bring this place up to par.
I have tried them twice and wanted to love them because they are so close to my place.
When you walk in, pretend nothing is wrong. Yes, she wears her hair and makeup like that on purpose. Just go, you'll know what I mean. And I'm not being mean, I'm just being honest. Wow.
The first person I thought when I saw the hostess was Margot Kidder, after she crawled out of a bush completely crazy. Now, THAT was mean. But honest.
Anyhow, the food is good, and fast enough. The wait staff are nice, and kids seem pretty welcome. Basically, Â a good place to go with the family, when you and the spouse want to feel like adults again but can't get a babysitter.
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