Golden Europe Restaurant

We've struck GOLD at Golden Europe!

Serving the Denver Metro area for more than 20 years, it is no surprise this establishment has been in business for so long.  Nestled along busy Wadsworth Parkway, you have probably passed this restaurant on your way to some random pizza place or typical chain restaurant.  We encourage you to stop in and discover this amazing Colorado find.

We think it is important to explain that neither of us are die hard fans of this type of food. We had been scarred by horrible canned and over cooked krauts and vinegary meats so when we drew Golden Europe from the bucket we experienced a strange mix of excitement and fear similar to the feeling you get after receiving a dare from a friend. We are not Czech, German, or Polish food savvy; therefore, discovering Golden Europe was truly an unexpected delight.

Getting There

The Golden Europe Restaurant is located between 66th and 68th Streets on Wadsworth Parkway in Arvada and shares a large parking area with a few office buildings. Parking was easy and of course free.

The Atmosphere

This restaurant has a very clean, everyday festive European ambiance.  It is welcoming and warm and has almost a cabin type feel.  There are beautiful beer steins decorating the shelves and culturally authentic music plays in the background at a level that does not overpower your conversations at the table.  In warmer weather, The Golden Europe Restaurant has a patio which would be a great spot to enjoy a meal and an ice cold German beer.

The Eats

Thankfully a good friend of ours joined us for dinner. It is always nice when we can get multiple people on these outings to add more variety to our dining experience. We ordered something from each of the "regions".

Fresh baked rye bread is served with the meal.  It was so fresh and so flavorful that we went through two and a half baskets during the course of our meal.  We also started with German Potato Pancakes served with a side of sour cream and applesauce.  The greatest test with food is if it is tasty enough to stand on its own without the aid of sauces or extra added seasoning.  These potato pancakes passed the test with flying colors.  They were crispy, served at a good temperature, had a great texture, and were flavorful.  They were wonderful by themselves but even better with the applesauce and sour cream.

Each meal is served with a choice of soup or salad.  The soups offered that night were Chicken and Rice and Liver Dumpling Soup.  We had to be brave and ordered some of both.  The Chicken and Rice Soup was excellent with large pieces of chicken and rice.  A great choice for a snowy night.  The Liver Dumpling soup consisted of a beef broth with a single dumpling containing chicken liver.  It was not bad at all.  It tasted like a meatball although one of us could taste the liver and couldn't get past it. 

Now for the main courses!

Our friend chose the Roast Duck for his dinner.  Now, none of us are fans of duck because we find it overly fatty and a little bit oily; however, this was perfectly prepared.  The skin was crisp and the meat was still moist and juicy.  It just fell off the bone and was just fantastic.

The Polish Kielbasa was juicy due to the fact that they cross hatch the meat to release some of the fat.  It was flavorful without being to intricate and complex.  It was a simple Kielbasa without any fanfare and stood on it's own.  Definitely a favorite at the table.

We also ordered the special of the night which was the Beef Stroganoff.  It was truly amazing.  Hearty, flavorful, rich, and tender to the point of being able to cut with a fork.  It was like a pot roast with a creamy, rich gravy.  We actually found ourselves fighting over the final few bites like cavemen. 

The final dinner item we ordered was a Jager Schnitzel (Pork cutlet served with gravy and onions) it was crispy without being soggy, the onions were slightly caramelized which was a good contrast to the richness of the sauce.  Also, you could taste the flavor of the pork even with all the gravy and onions.  Very, very good.

We strategically ordered almost every side dish on the menu. The Czech Potato Dumplings were a little plain but paired with the gravy of either the Stroganoff or the Schnitzel it really came alive. The Cucumber Salad was fresh and crisp and not overly sweet with a wonderful hint of dill.  The Red Cabbage was a sweet, beet infused cabbage that was crispy and flavorful. The German Potato Salad is traditionally served warm and was sweet and vinegary. It was served as chunks and not slices which was different than other German Potato Salad's we have eaten in the past.  Spaetzle was served with the Stroganoff and had a soft, delicate texture which mixed perfectly with the gravy. Now, let's talk about sauerkraut, people.  Sauerkraut.  Nobody who went to this dinner is a fan of sauerkraut but since it was a European restaurant, we had to try it.   To our surprise, it was really, really tasty.  The reason it was so good was because it was homemade.  It had a perfect balance of vinegar, caraway seeds, and cabbage.

Desserts!

We ordered one of everything as it is our way.

Cream Puffs = Amazing!  Homemade whipped cream inside a flaky, delicate, light pastry that is made in house.  Excellent and tasty without being a huge hunk of dough.

Apple Streusel also made in house.  Once again, we are not "apple people" BUT this was very tasty.  Cinnamon and spices mixed with ice cream and whipped cream all contained within a delicious pastry.

The Tiramisu was the only item on the menu not made in house; however, it is made at a local Colorado bakery.  This was great as well.

The People

A wonderful young lady named Bella was our server and was very attentive and knowledgeable. Please be sure to request her when you visit.  The owner/manager, Joe stopped by our table and had a nice chat with us.  We love visits from managers.  It is always a nice touch.  He told us the history of the restaurant and let us know that his wife does much of the cooking for the restaurant.  In fact, many of his family members work there as well.  Everybody was so friendly and happy even though it was snowy and freezing outside.  We felt very welcome.

Thank you Joe and staff for the warm reception and wonderful meal.

Summing Up

Absolutely and without question, we award The Golden Europe Restaurant the coveted golden spoon.  This is a restaurant you MUST try.  So many people overlook cuisine from this part of the world.  The Golden Europe Restaurant needs exposure and a new generation of fans.  It is simply incredible.  Grab some friends and try it.  You will NOT be disappointed!

December's dinner pick is The Plimoth

The Officially Unofficial Voting Legend
Take it with a grain of salt, we're not professionals.
	Awesome place, we’ll shovel more food in our face!
	It was okay. Not our favorite, but we’ll take another stab at it.
	Didn’t make the cut.