Lazy Dog Dinner

I know I mentioned a little while ago that we don’t go out to eat much while at home, Azul Fuego and yet, here we are out to dinner again; twice in two weeks. This time we met up with one of Larry’s brothers and some friends he used to work with, one of whom was visiting from out of state. We went to Lazy Dog in Westminster.

I don’t normally feature chains in my blogs, as I prefer to focus on small and/or family owned businesses. But every rule has an exception. My exception this time is Lazy Dog.

There are 48 Lazy Dog Restaurants located in 8 States, including California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, Texas, Illinois, Georgia and Virginia. Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar is an American casual dining restaurant chain. The restaurant’s name was originally going to be Rocky Mountain Cafe. However, Lazy Dog Cafe received its unique name because Chris Simms, its founder, believed that the restaurant was “too serious” and wanted to make it more “kid-friendly”. Chris Simms’s father and partner in the business, Tom Simms, founded and later sold the popular restaurant chain Mimi’s Cafe. (I used to work at a Mimi’s Cafe in California. I think I worked there 8 years.) The restaurant’s seats have dog prints so that “kids would feel welcome”.

Though Lazy Dog is a chain restaurant, they still focus on “made-from-scratch American food that uses seasonally inspired ingredients, as well as crafting memorable moments for every guest who steps through our doors“.

Because we had two people who were new to Lazy Dog, an order of homemade garlic potato chips was delivered to the table for all of us to enjoy before we ordered. This was a very nice surprise.

We ordered our drinks, and then ordered our food choices. I had a Moscow mule, which I love. Lazy Dog even makes their own version of ginger beer (non-alcoholic) that made the mule really good. I had something that was called a “Moscow Mule” a couple of weeks ago, at another place (I will keep the location unnamed), that was AWFUL. It was not a mule at all. But my mule at Lazy Dog, was delicious and very refreshing. A Moscow mule is a cocktail made with vodka, ginger beer, and lime juice; garnished with a slice or wedge of lime, and a sprig of mint. The drink, being a type of buck, is sometimes called vodka buck. It is popularly served in a copper mug, which takes on the cold temperature of the liquid.

Though the restaurant was very large and spacious, it was also very warm and welcoming. The staff were all very friendly and helpful. And the food was delicious. We all ordered something different, and all of us were very happy with what we ordered. The portions are VERY generous. Once again, Larry ate more than half of my meal, as well as his own. As good as it was, there as just NO WAY I could eat it all.

I ordered the fish & chips. The fish was light and crispy and cooked just perfectly. The fries were very good too.

Larry ordered shrimp and broccoli with brown rice.

And the other dishes ordered were:

Slow-cooked poblano pork

Lemon chicken

Thai noodles

and a vegetarian option, a spinach enchilada casserole.

We ordered a representative sample of what the menu had to offer and we all enjoyed our meals.

Sauces were brought to the table as well, again, all of which were made in house, from scratch.

We thoroughly enjoyed out time at Lazy Dog. Good food shared with friends and family. Life doesn’t get much better than that. 🙂

As I said above, there are 48 different locations spread across 8 different states. But if you are near the Westminster, CO location, you will find them at 14618 Delaware Street, in the Orchard outside mall. You can just go in, or call for reservations, especially if you are going to have a large number of people, at (720) 459-5613 or order online at http://www.lazydogrestaurants.com. However you decide to visit, Lazy Dog will take very good care of you.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay cool, stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.