For those needing a pick-me-up heading to or from Rocky Mountain National Park, skip the mediocre food and touristy madness in Estes Park, and pull into the lively Oskar Blues in Lyons.
Oskar’s is a curious combination of blues club, brewpub, biker bar, pizza joint and Cajun restaurant. Not surprisingly, it doesn’t do all these things well, but it’s such a comfortable and welcoming local establishment that it’s easy to overlook some of its shortcomings.
As we sat at an outdoor table on the lower patio, surrounded by Harleys, their leather-clad owners greeted us warmly and charmed our daughter and fellow diners.
As anyone with a 1-year-old can attest, when you bring your toddler to a restaurant you want to order quickly so you can leave quickly if your kid has a meltdown. Unfortunately, the waitress would not take our food order with our drink order. “I have my routine,” she said.
Keeping to her routine, we ordered a couple of pints of Dale’s Pale Ale, one of Oskar’s signature small-batch brews. Strong, yet still refreshing on a gorgeous late-summer day, Dale’s has won many awards. Unlike most microbrews, it’s available to take home in cans, not bottles.
I couldn’t resist ordering the Beer Can Chicken, which is my dad’s specialty and a family favorite. A can of beer is inserted in the cavity of a whole chicken and then cooked so the hot beer infuses the bird with hoppy flavor. Oskar’s version is drenched in a thick, tangy barbeque sauce; it was enjoyable but drowned out the beer taste.
For another bite of barbeque and $2.99, Oskar’s lets you try “Just One Rib.” Perfect, because one fatty rib is all you’ll need or want.
Sticking to standard sandwiches and burgers seems the better route. The Burger Blue, with blue and swiss cheeses, and the Satchmo, with pepperjack, guacamole and salsa, are tasty brewpub fare. Order them with the Texas Toothpicks, a deep-fried treat – batter-dipped onion and jalepeno sticks served with a red pepper aioli. Yum.
Pizzas come with a crust that isn’t thick or thin, crispy or chewy – just doughy. The sauce and toppings are above par, but what makes a great pie? The crust, and it’s just not that appealing at Oskar’s.
What rocks is the club downstairs. Oskar’s brings in some of the best blues talent around, and the music strays beyond blues. Once I was there and looked at the table topper with the night’s lineup and Tito Jackson was playing. Tito! But as we worked to change our evening plans to see Michael’s big brother, we were crushed to learn that a bus mishap had kept him from Lyons. Alas.
Tonight the 4am Blues Band plays. Saturday features Women in the Blues with Delores Scott from Chicago. Check out the website oskarblues.com for the latest.
Staff writer Rebecca Risch can be reached at 303-954-1913 or rrisch@denverpost.com.
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| Oskar Blues Grill & Brew
American|303 Main St., Lyons. 303-823-6685|$3.99-$16.99|11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Front burner: Check out the retro video-game room, with old-school faves like Frogger and Dig Dug.
Back burner: Parking can be a headache if you don’t arrive on a motorcycle.
