Restaurants like Tag are what make Restaurant Week great. My boyfriend and I both had a meal that was fresh, carefully crafted, unique and left me even more so than physically- it left me emotionally satisfied. Our three course meal was crafted with unexpected ingredients (kangaroo), fresh ingredients (brussel sprouts in another dish), and ingenious pairings (white chocolate parsnip puree). The service from beginning to end was warm, courteous, and prompt. From the water glasses never being less than half full to the extremely thoughtful, hand written thank you note, TAG is one of the few restaurants I've been to lately that is a joy to dine at after a fourteen hour day.
Review Source:Headline: Hip Small Restaurant in Lodo gives good Restaurant Week Food
It's Restaurant Week here in Denver, which is absolutely my favorite culinary week of the calendar. Â I've got a friend in town (Hi Sean), so we head for TAG which is on Larimer Street, so you know it's going to be pricy. Â Not so fast, my friends. Â A limited menu (3 options for appetizer, main course and dessert) for just $26.40 per person + tax and tips. Â Each course is paired with a wine, so you don't even have to think about this. Â They do have some of their more popular items on the back of the menu for their regular price, and they are giving away a $10 coupon to entice you to come back outside of restaurant week.
I started with the Genghis Khan Style Kangaroo. Â I've never had kangaroo before, and was severely disappointed. Â As a game meat, you expect it to come out medium rare - not cold. Â We were sat right in front of the main entrance, and the dishes were cold when they arrived. Â The raspberry parsnip puree underneath didn't really taste of raspberry. Â There was a sauce that was mildly and pleasantly spicy. Â Also, I got the wine that was paired and it just didn't match. Â Sorry - not all red wines pair with red meat.
For my main course, I opted for the Rocky Mountain Trout, with lump blue crab and fried baby artichokes on top and a potato chowder underneath.  First the complaint - I could not have thought of a more impractical dish to server this in.  Clue, people!  If you are going to server something that people need to cut, put it on a plate, not in a dish.  Now taste.  Tasty, Tasty, Tasty.  I loved the food  The chowder was smooth and creamy.  The trout perfectly done and the artichokes nice and crispy.
For dessert, I opted for the Tiramisu Panna Cotta, which was meant to be a macarpone panna cotta on a small espresso cake with chocolate sauce. Â The panna cotta itself was awesome - nice and smooth. Â However, I didn't really taste any espresso, which left me wondering - why is this called a Tiramisu Panna Cotta again? Â Still a nice dessert - just not as advertised.
Yes, I'm going to go back outside of Restaurant Week. Â This is a solid restaurant - not quite as good as Rioja (which is on the same block), but certainly the vibe and food have given me an excuse to return.
A client took me to lunch here recently.
The service was outstanding. The atmosphere is good. The menu was enticing. I was glad I was not paying, as my fish tacos were fairly meager - with no sides - and overpriced at $15. They were certainly good, hot, and tasty, but just not a good value.
Their house made ginger ale was outstanding. My dining companion had a healthy portion of well-cooked salmon with a quinoa salad that she seemed quite happy with.
I realize that the challenges of being on Larimer can create some unique facility issues - but having to take the elevator to the restrooms seemed a bit odd.
So my fiance and I decided we would try this out for a late Valentines dinner. I was amazed that we actually got a table without reservations--just was bummed that even with the curtain in front of the door our table was so close to the door that we both wished we hadn't given up our coats (maybe this was the 'no reservations' section.) Â Still, our server was knowledgeable and seemed to be really passionate about the food and the concept of what TAG is.
He knew all the specials well and when we were looking for wine he was quick on that too. It made us feel comfortable when I have to admit I was a bit lost at first.
I do have to say though that the couples on either side of us were rather annoying (of course, this has nothing to do with the quality of the restaurant itself, but it was rather funny). The couple to our left should never go out to eat again since they couldn't find anything on the menu worth not complaining about (I think they sent something back from appetizer to dessert). The couple on our left looked as though the man was more concerned with how important he was than the fact that his date's only concern was when the meal would be over so she could do something more interesting--like watching grass grow (I was falling asleep and I didn't even have to listen to him)
Anyway--on to the food!
The sushi rolls were an interesting Japanese-Hispanic fusion, that blended so well, the Lamb shanks were heavenly and while my fiance and I were rather disappointed by the octopus initially due to the fact that the only flavor was the char on it and seemed a little more chewy than others we've had, the combination of the octopus, ponzu, rice and other seasonings it was transformed into something so delightful.
I have to say that when we are looking for a nicer meal we'll come back for the actually entree's--especially since I think we ate our way through the appetizer menu.
Made reservations for a New Years Eve 4 course dinner with wine and drink pairings and it was FANTASTIC... our waiter was excellent as well... fast and efficient service on a very busy night... cool space... well worth the money... awesome location right in the heart of downtown and Larimer Square, which is one of the coolest places in all of Denver...
Review Source:Been three times. Â I keep coming back because of the Groupons. Â Without them, it's a little out of my price range. Â I have such mixed feelings about this place. Â It has a really cool atmosphere and some unique food, like kangaroo (which was really tough and chewy). Â For the most part the food is good. Â Some things are really good, and some things are OK, so I will just go with good. Â Service was OK. Â Drinks...horrible!!!
OMG, the drinks are not cheap and the bartenders look like they are really serious with their vests and handlebar mustaches (I think one of them had a handlebar mustache..maybe I imagined that).  Anyways, between my fiancé and I we have had about five different specialty drinks and finally the last time I gave up and got a long island.  I just don't get it.  I shouldn't have to chug a cocktail to avoid feeling like i just wasted $10 or $12 on a drink.  So if the drinks were just average, I would probably bump up to 3-1/2 stars.
Won't go back without a groupon and even then, who knows....
Fantastic from start to finish.  Our group of 4 dined on the $75  chef choice  menu - Omakase. Each and every detail was so delicious and beautifully presented. Our waiter, Dave had a great sense of humor and truly seemed to enjoy his job...and the fact that we were all also having such a great evening!
The entire staff, from the hostess to the manager that stopped by the table were very professional and friendly. Â Can't wait to go back!
I feel like with the recent spike in popularity in tapas restaurants, there is such a rush to conform that there is little fore thought in all-around culinary design. This place is alive in both cuisine and atmosphere. Just adore it. So... if this place is not fantastic I have no idea what it. An incredibly urban feeling that transports you from the chilly streets of Denver to a chic restaurant in the heart of Georgetown... as long a you're upstairs. Â
Here is my warning: there is a seriously creepy basement. If you get stuck down there, I'd leave the restaurant. I peeked down there and the humidity and smell made you feel like you were literally in an aquarium. No, no, no. Not good. That's worth the star reduction.
This is a very urban-feeling restaurant, kinda tight, loud, chic decor and a diverse crowd. Lots of energy going on here, which I like when I want a night out downtown. Their menu and cocktail list reflect this setting with their inventiveness. Â
How inventive? Well, have you ever had pop rocks and sashimi combined? Purposefully, of course! Well, it's called "flash seared kampachi" and it happens to my favorite dish so far. If you like the jalapeno sashimi dish at Sushi Den then this will be a winner. Along with the pop rocks it is flavored with yuzu, soy and jalapeno.
My second favorite was the "matador roll: yellowfin ahi, hiramasa, avocado, dynamite aioli, fresh jalapeno, cilantro." It had just the right amount of creaminess from the aioli and avocado, but the jalapeno and cilantro gave it a nice fresh bite. Such a great, clean combination of flavors.
Another delicious roll, the "california love" was number three on my list. It's a twist on a cali roll with spicy crab, avocado, masago and citrus aioli. It was good, but not as good as the first two. If I were sharing with a group I would order again. If I were just ordering for myself I would get the sashimi and matador all over again. I'm craving it right now, actually.
My least favorite items were the tuna tacos and the tag tartare. I probably liked the tacos better, because they had awesome guacamole and the tuna was wonderful. The tartare was skuna bay salmon (which I love), crispy rice cake, avocado, tobiko and sweet soy. I like everything in the dish, but for some reason it just didn't do it for me. It could have been that the flavors in the other dishes were so strong that they overpowered this dish. If you decide to order this, dig into it before the others or you might find its milder flavors lackluster.
We did not have dessert since we planned on drinking our second course at the Green Russell. The service was very attentive, not obtrusive. I will be back!
Food- was ok. Seemingly typical Asian fusion. Vegetarian/vegan limited. Edamame was superb!
Ambiance- it lacked direction. Under scale lighting and awkward continuity.
Bathroom- scary basement!
Dessert- Â banana cream pie a plus.
Drinks- only ok. There are at least 3 better on the same block.
Staff- average. Tried to shift us to other location through we made it clear we did not want to go there.
Would I go back- no.
My friend took me here for my birthday and I was blown away. Â The food alone would have impressed me, even if the service or ambiance were lacking -- but they weren't. Â It's a trendy, upscale place with a friendly and savvy staff who seem like they work together and watch each other's backs, which always gives a place a good vibe. Â It's a great place to let your guard down and try some new things.
Review Source:It is really 4.7 stars and the reason is we were sat at the first table by the door. Friendly advice to TAG, you have 3 bars you could hang another set of curtains to keep the patrons at your first table warm.
Food and service were great. We ordered the confit hash, um, 64 degree egg, muff said. Seared hamachi, pop rocks, 'sup.
Dinner was the Strip that was cooked to perfection. And probably the best steak I have had in quit some time. Good work chef!
Banana cream pie, um, yeah.
Been here 3 times and nothing is consistent except consistently a great meal.
I was really looking forward to coming here but was not impressed one bit. Â First off our reservations were at 10 and were not sat down until around 11:15. Â The bartenders were rude. Â Our wait staff clearly wanted us in and out. Â They did finally give us 2 cheap bottles of prosecco for waiting (because we mentioned something). Â The food wasn't amazing by any means. Â I wish we had left with our party of 12 and had pizza at a whole in a wall instead. Â I bet we could have been much more appreciated.
Review Source:Not too excited about this restaurant. I'd have to say that it was mediocre at best, and overpriced to boot. Linger is way better.
The Kobe beef sliders had dry bread, though the meat was tasty. The potstickers to start were good, though 4 is a small amount. I did have the special, of risotto, and that was tasty. But overall, nothing spectacular.
Nothing to remember.
The food and ambiance is great. Â Ask for the the bar tender to make you what ever their specialty is and they won't let you down. Â The sushi tacos are amazing if you have the taste for a little seafood. Â Trust the waiter if you want to try something a little different and they will make sure you have a one of a kind culinary experience. Â Enjoy!
Review Source:I came to visit my best friend from Orange County,CA and we were able to enjoy the happy hour assortment.
-Kobe beef sliders (never can go wrong with juicy tiny burgers)
-Seafood Pot stickers (probably the best pot stickers I have had, and I am Asian-that says a lot!)
-Arancini (two meatball size fried risotto/cheese filled balls of goodness)
-Drinks (Margarita) perfect strength, just enough to get a little warmth when it was so cold outside.
Overall, a disappointment. We came here on a Saturday night and even with reservations had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated. We were in the middle of several other tables. The whole place it was crowded and very loud. We got two rounds of appetizers, one main each and split a dessert. We also got drinks from the bar first.
Apps included the pot stickers (3.5), the butterfish (4.5), a special duck tortellini (5), and the sashimi with pop rocks (4). Drinks were also good.
Main dishes were steak and miso black cod. The steak was basically raw inside and charred outside. The flavor was bland at best. The fish was cooked but that's all I can say positive. The plate was served with raw vegetables, the fish had no flavor, and overall it was unpleasant. These were a 1.5-2.
For dessert, we got the sticky toffee cake. The ice cream was bad - we couldn't even figure out the flavor. Â The cake itself was good though so overall a three.
For apps and drinks, worth stopping in but avoid for dinner. Overall I give it a three but barely.
To start, AMANTE PICANTE (CABO WABO SILVER, FRESH LIME, CILANTRO, JALAPENO ) cocktail  to start.  Using this cocktail to fuel my taste buds for Asian fusion part of the menu.  Had to have the taco sushi.  Thanked the sous chef (in my mind) who had the patience to make the teeny tacos.  The food was fantastic!  The waitstaff were stellar and engaging.  A great experience gastronomically and otherwise.
Review Source:FWIW, I've only been here once with my wife while we were staying in Denver for our anniversary. Â Our experience was great all around - food, service, settings. Â I had the Bison Steak, which was sweet and tender and amazing, and my wife had the Hangar Steak, which had a delicious balsamic sauce on it. Â Both were cooked quite well. Â For desert we tried the Sticky Toffee Cake. Â It came out hot and spongy, soaked in a raspberry-toffee sauce and topped with ice cream. Â It did not last long.
Our server was very attentive and friendly. Â He recommended some nice places in the area to go out after dinner. Â The restaurant settings were well-lit (unlike some other modern/trendy places) and cozy, although it was a little weird that I had to take an elevator to use the bathroom. Â It's a shame we don't live in Denver, because this place would certainly be one of our regulars.
I've been to Tag several times and this place always impresses me. This last time, I called in late for a reservation and they were able to fit me in next to the kitchen. The lady on the phone described it as the "energetic" part of the restaurant which concerned me but it turned out to be fine when we got there. It really isn't noisy at all and the dull roar of conversation around you is much louder than the noises coming out of the kitchen.
The prices here are high, no getting around it. However, I think it is totally worth it. The menu is quite unique and food is awesome. Some thing on the menu surprise you like the appetizer with pop rocks but I advise you to try out the things that look most bizarre to you as you will probably find them delightful. I was told the menu changes ever so often so you may find kangaroo on the menu one time, some opah another time. You really can't go wrong here from what I've experienced so feel free to explore the options.
To give you an idea, a dinner for two ran me $105 before tip. This included 2 appetizers, two main courses and two deserts.
I have an undying love for TAG. My, how I wish I could work here and enjoy their deliciousness everyday.
We started out with a couple of drinks... I had a seasonal pumpkin concoction that was an alcoholic pumpkin pie shake in a pint glass. Yummmm.
We stared with the edamame, which is always one of my favorites, and the matador roll, which was out of this world. A punch of flavor in your mouth.
The boy ordered the black cod, which was by far the best thing I think I have ever eaten. Definitely my favorite part of the whole meal. It was buttery, melt in your mouth goodness, and I could eat that everyday for the rest of my life and be happy as a clam. Or a black cod.... Anyway... I had the goat enchiladas, which I was a bit tenative about ordering, but boy were they good. Perfect amount of spice, and a good portion of avocado to cut through it. Yum!
For dessert he ordered the chocolate peanut bar, which was good, but VERY rich, and reminded me a bit of my chocolate peanut butter protein bars. I had the bread pudding which I have continued to dream about since it first touched my lips. My favorite dessert, hands down, in Denver.
GO HERE. You wont regret it.
Tag rocks...except for the fact this is my third time here and the third time they have run out of Oxley gin. I was introduced to Oxley at Ocean Prime and have been enjoying Oxley martinis ever since. The juniper notes soften this dry gin and it would pair beautifully with the duck duck or the incredible taco sushi...but once again I was forced to go with Sapphire.
On another note, the food was awesome!
The appetizer with burrata and arugula had great flavor but pretty hard to cut. I guess if I want Burrata, I will stick to Osteria Marco. Or maybe you could cut the toast into pieces. The service was slow but super friendly, everyone was personable and knowledgable. It took several minutes to be served water but once it was, my glass never went empty and was refilled by at least three different people.
I'll def be back but please let me drink Oxley or I will be forced to go to some other faves on Larimer Sq instead.
Well, my wife and I were really looking forward to dining at TAG. Â The menu looks amazing and of course, this was one of 5280's top restaurants again this year. Â There were elements of the experience that were certainly worthy of that honor, but overall, the experience did not fully meet expectations.
For atmosphere, we were seated in the "underground." Which really feels more like a dungeon - they've got to figure out how to make that space more inviting. Â If we were upstairs, the rating would be better, but in the dungeon it was 1 or 2 stars at best.
The service was good - a solid 4 stars. Â The wine list also hits the mark with a similar rating. Â Starters were equally strong; we had Kobe sliders, the Matador sushi roll, and heirloom tomato salad. Â The sliders and duck fat fries were definitely the hit of the night!!
Then came the entree.  We split the pork tenderloin - it comes with a potato, bacon, veggie hash and some puréed winter squash.  The pork was good - but of home cook complexity.  The hash was kinda pathetic, the bacon and potatoes were undercooked so they were like a cloud of disappointment for the entire entree.  2 stars here.
So, TAG was good. Â But for the experience we had, it's overpriced and I'd rather spend my evening somewhere else.
I was really looking forward to this meal, since TAG is supposed to be one of 5280's best restaurants time after time. My fiance and I visited at 8:30pm on a Sunday night, which may explain some of our experiences.
Overall, the restaurant was good, and some pieces were exceptional. I will say that the starters were by far the best part - we really enjoyed the kobe beef sliders and the edamame - both very addicting! Our entrees were good, but not great, and definitely not the standout of the meal. We shared the charcuterie toast and the steak (we're not seafood eaters). The toast was nice, and the steak was good, but was overcooked (it was more like medium well than medium) and a bit chewy. For dessert, we had the sticky toffee cake and the peanut butter bars, both of which were yummy, but again, not the best I've had and not the standouts of the meal.
My biggest criticism is that they were out of the one thing I had my heart set on - the mushroom risotto - which was brand-new to the menu and sounded amazing. We also heard them tell the tables to either side of us that they were out of the pork and the banana cream pie! It seems like this restaurant is pretty consistently packed, and I've seen other reviews that said that they ran out of food, so isn't this something that should be planned for? I think that's pretty unacceptable of a restaurant of this caliber.
My other criticsm is that although I like the hip, narrow space of the restaurant, the space can be loud, even when not fully packed, and the tables along the wall are too long to be able to hear your companion well - you can hear the people next to you better.
If I could give this 3 1/2 stars, that would be my grade. We probably won't make a strong effort to go back, and will probably visit Euclid or Mizuna instead.
Very happy to report dinner was much better than lunch, at least for me. When I sat down at 8:45 pm on a Sunday night, my impression was still "small menu, big price" and couldn't help but roll my eyes when got told they were out of bone marrows (which wasn't on the menu anyway but I kept seeing photos pop up on Yelp!!!) and Banana Cream Pie (could be it was late?!?). So, my boyfriend and I settled for the seafood potstickers (which we were told during lunch time the other day that it wasn't available), let's say I'm just going to stick with pork fillings from now on.
The caramelized butterfish app was VERY good, melts in your mouth and the mushrooms were just really fun to eat. Because it's an appetizer, it's so tiny, I wish they expand it to be an entree which I don't mind paying more bucks for.
We ordered another fish dish to share (it was late, didn't want to stuff ourselves): the Rocky Mountain trout. At first it looked like salmon (lol) but as soon as we tasted it, we were not skeptical anymore. It was so fantastically smooth that it made me wonder if their salmon dish would be vastly different from other restaurants' salmons which are usually dry. The sauce, oh the sauce, it made the fish skin taste so good that I couldn't stop eating it (I normally dislike fish skin as it's usually slimy, but this one was real crispy!).
When the dessert came out (we had to switch to the Sticky Toffee Cake since they were out of pies) and we had a bite, we actually felt happy that they made us switch. Wow, it really deserved the best dessert award in 5280. The contrast of the cold ice cream and the warm cake was extraordinary. And the sticky toffee sauce at the bottom of the cake? Every bit as buttery and savory. I appreciate that they didn't try to make the cake itself sticky if you know what I mean.
If the seating situation in TAG can be improved, I'd feel more like my money well spent here - people kept bumping into each other, or chairs and tables and waiters kept dropping things, or almost. The high tables and chairs were so close to each other I think it made all diners uncomfortable. (and because of that, I didn't relax enough to lick the serving spoon on the Trout dish, lol, the sauce really was that good!)
Another takeaway for that night, when going to this type of hip restaurants with the big-named chefs and pretentious portions of food that are $$$, best to go later at night so you're still fulfilled and get to really savor their offerings.
Been here twice now, once for lunch and once for dinner. For lunch we had the cheeseburger, veggie sandwich, and the taco sushi. The cheeseburger was very good! Good quality meat and cooked the way I wanted it. The taco sushi was good but not as awesome as it looks. Not sure whose fault that is. The veggie sandwich was lame, but I am not a veggie person. For dinner it was during 5280, everything was great and tasty but like most 5280 places I was still quite hungry at the end, increase your portion size people, its only for a two weeks! Helps your place out when talking with people afterwards.
Great atmosphere and the servers are great. I would recommend for a unique downtown restaurant.
TAG's food is above average, the decor is very modern and upscale, and reservations for our mutual birthday dinner were a breeze, but this place doesn't hire women, and it's the most subtle but extreme sexism I've ever witnessed.
My dinner date and I noticed the obvious lack of front of house women present (hostess excepted, a very gracious, kind, pretty blonde female). I asked about it, and while basically everyone in the restaurant apologized, the reasons made me so embarrassed and hot with anger that I couldn't pay the bill and leave quickly enough. They varied:
-"Women just don't apply here." Really?
-"We don't get any qualified female candidates." REALLY?
-"There aren't really women in fine dining." Oh my god.
-"In the past, female servers can't really handle the pressure working here. It's really hard work." You must be kidding. You aren't? You're SERIOUS? THIS IS WHAT MEN THINK ABOUT WOMEN SERVERS?!?
Well, get me pregnant, slap my ass and put me back in the kitchen... if women can't make it at TAG, they might as well forget working altogether. Eye roll. Boo on you, Tag.
Tried to find another different place to eat dinner at since I try not to eat at chain restaurants when I am out of town and I was happy to find this place.
They have a huge list of  specialty drinks, but I don't like all the fruity and mixed drinks. The bartender made me some kind of drink with all the ingredients being spirits, no added juices or mixers. It was strong but not overwhelming.
I ordered 2 appetizers for dinner, the first one being the special which was Ostrich Sliders with Duck Fat Fries. The sliders tasted fresh, and had just the right amount of juice coming from the meat so they were dry but you didn't have grease running all over the place.The fries were super crunchy and had a great flavor from the duck fat. My second appetizer was the Taco Sushi, it sounds weird but it was amazing. The fish in the taco was super fresh and the "shells" added a nice crunch to everything.
Yelp gave us free tix to La Cage and we happened to have a Living Social deal for TAG...so viola the perfect affordable night out!
I loved this place. The service was good, our waiter was really knowledgeable, and everything we ordered was great.
We started with the sliders which were really good but the stars of the dish were the fries. I know it sounds ridiculous to go to TAG and rave about french fries, but seriously, the best french fries I've ever had. We had the flash seared kampachi (pop rocks on sushi... surprisingly tasty!), Â the matador roll (more sushi rolls should include cilantro), and the in-n-out roll (more traditional and still yummy). Â The three rolls and appetizer were the perfect amount of food for the two of us. Without alcohol the bill came to $56. We had the $50 living social deal so it was cheap but I'd say that even the full price is worth it if you're celebrating or having a special night out (or maybe you don't work at a nonprofit and therefore have a slightly larger dining budget that I do...either way).
Overall: this was great, I think we'll be back.
Tag is definitely one of those places where things add up quickly but it is worth it. The must order drink is the amante picante. It has Cabo Wabo silver, fresh lime, cilantro and muddled jalapeno. The amante picante is spicy but the fresh lime makes this ice shaken drink refreshing. Â
For dinner we shared 3 small plates: pork belly buns, taco sushi and flash seared Hawaiian kampachi. The pork belly was overcooked, the hoisin sauce was overpowering and it was overpriced for the quality and portion. Both the taco sushi and the kampachi were exceptional. The taco sushi had charred ahi, sushi rice, fresh guacamole topped with mango salsa. The ahi was of great quality, the rice cooked perfectly and the guacamole and mango salsa were a nice twist. I LOVED the flash seared kampachi! The yellowtail was complimented with yuzu, jalapeno, soy and the plate garnished with baby tatsoi. What really brings this dish to life is Pop Rocks! Â I have had similar dishes other places (well, minus the pop rocks) and was left underwhelmed, at Tag this dish really works.
I loved the atmosphere and the service was excellent. Despite the pork belly I was impressed enough that it was still a 5 star experience.
Note: if you come here on the weekend be sure to make reservations. We were lucky enough to find seats at the bar as there was a 2 1/2 hour wait on a Friday night.
Really enjoyed celebrating my birthday at TAG. Had to walk past it twice to find it but eventually did.
Shared 3 different apps, the pop rocks were really fun and had the lamb meatball special. Good lord were those meatballs spot on, really moist and a ton of flavor. Reminded me of my time in Greece. For the main I had sea bass, which was also a solid choice.
It's pretty tight quarters, can get a little loud, and has an odd bathroom location but I would love to go back sometime soon.
TAG is a damn fine restaurant for Japanese fusion. It has a great vibe and the waiters are awesome. i came to tag for a business dinner.
I ordered:
taco sushi / charred ahi, sushi rice, guacamole, li-hing mango salsa - Â this is the only dish that i could pass on because it tastes just like it sounds, a small taco shell filled with a lump of rice and topped with some marinated ahi.
skuna bay salmon tartare / hijiki seaweed, bubu arare, gala apple, ponzu - awesome.
flash seared kampachi / yuzu, jalapeño, soy, baby tatsoi, myoga, pop rocks  - awesome
the matador roll / yellowfin ahi, hiramasa, avocado, dynamite aioli, fresh jalapeno, cilantro - awesome.
california dreamin' / spicy crab mix, masago, cucumber, avocado - awesome.
lobster roll / salmon sashimi, avocado, gobo root, tangy citrus aioli  - awesome.
all of it was very well done. again this is more of a fusion than a hardcore sushi joint.
tag has some of the best signature cocktails that i've tasted. my favorite was: brother cohen / hendricks gin, sake, domaine de canton, gala apple, fresh jalapeno, cucumber .
its lightly sweetened and has a bit of a tamarindy fired kick. it reminds me of mango in chili sauce.
I was so incredibly disappointed by this place. Â Here are a few of the reasons:
- We had a reservation at 8:00 on a Thursday and didn't even get seated until 8:45 (what's the point of the reservation again?) Â
- While waiting for the table we had a cocktail at the bar - both of our drinks were completely mediocre. Â I'll pay $10 for a cocktail if it's mouth watering. Â These left us both disappointed and deciding on a different drink for the next round.
- Service was SLOW. Both the bartender and our waiter (once we finally were seated). Â I mean VERY SLOW. Â Multiple periods of time when I was looking for our server and could not figure out where he went. Â
- Waited a really, really long time for our food to arrive. Â By then it was 9:45 - that was quite a bit later than I was expecting for the evening's first bite of food with 8:00 reservation. Â
- To top off the lousy experience was the background music. Â I'll pass on Bon Jovi and Steve Miller Band while trying to enjoy my dinner. Â Thanks.
- If you are unfortunate as we were to sit at the tables in the back good luck being able to carry on a conversation across the table. Â Not a good atmosphere for a date. Â
There were good things about it though! Â
- our server was very nice and personable. Â
- The steak was good (what doesn't taste delicious drenched in butter?)
They need to either charge less for their mediocre food, or drastically improve their food for the price you pay. Â My beet salad looked like a couple beets from someone else's dish fell onto my plate. Â Next time I'm in the mood to treat myself to an expensive dinner it will NOT be here. Â There are so many other restaurants in Denver with incredible cocktails and delicious food. Â What a disappointment.
FOOD: 4 stars
5 stars: Black cod in miso glaze was heavenly. Â Fairly expensive for black cod, but the portion was quite generous, and the fish was cooked to perfection. Â The accompanying "salsa" was not at all what I expected, but it was delicious and worked beautifully with the fish. Â Complex and satisfying. Â One of my top 10 meals this year. Â I'd order it again at that price.
3 stars: Homemade ice cream. The flavor was amazing (pea, mint and choc. chip) but the texture was closer to ice milk than homemade ice cream. Â My boyfriend can pull off much, much better in his Donvier. Â I suspect that either it wasn't very fresh, or someone skimped on the cream...
DRINK: 4.5 stars
The Mambo Italiano hit the spot where many house specialty cocktails miss - strength and proportion. Â This vodka-grapefruit-lime-basil-domaine de canton drink was perfectly balanced, refreshing, and totally buzz-inducing.
SERVICE: 4 stars
Service was nearly perfect, but for some reason, it took an eternity to get my dessert. Â I'm pretty sure it was at least 20 minutes (and it was ice cream?) Â But my server did apologize for the wait. Â I went for a late lunch, and I think he may have been the only server. Â I think his tables may have been too spread out for him to cover perfectly, with guests on the patio as well as the main dining room.
AMBIANCE: 3.5 stars
I didn't love the decor, but that's more of a personal taste issue. Â There wasn't something specifically wrong with it, it just wasn't really my style. Â I guess I'd say that it was trying a bit too hard.
VERDICT: 4 stars
Good value for price point if the quality of food and service is consistent. Â On my visit, I feel like I got a good value.
Hands down, favorite splurge dinner night restaurant in Denver. Â If I think back to the memorable dishes I've had in Denver, so many come from TAG. Â The menu changes seasonally so while I'm usually sad I can't relieve my last dinner, like the pork belly app or the salmon with edamame sauce (which we added to everything on the table) or the bison spacial from this past winter, I know I will try something new and amazing.
Sure it's trendy, yeah the wine selection under $60 is very limited and I've encountered more than one snotty hostess but here are the goods:
The bartenders are entertaining and make the most complicated drinks (but don't take forever to do it) so sitting at the bar for drinks and apps is a great option.
I've always had friendly knowledgeable wait staff.
Duck Fat French Fries, yeah I know not everyone drools at the thought, but taste them and you will.
Sushi Tacos- I have dreams about these. Mini crispy taco shells overflowing with ahi, sprouts and on a heap of guac. Â If I were a less reserved person there would be a rated X review of how these make me feel.
I know a lot of people don't like ordering chicken out at restaurants but I guarantee you don't make chicken like this at home.
This weekend I had szechuan pork loin with Israeli cous cous. Â I'm still smiling thinking about it. Â
If there is a group-on on a living social for TAG, I will judge you, defriend and mock you for not getting it. Â If you are celebrating or just want a nice evening out with a little splurge, GO!
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