oak at fourteenth

fantastic food. friendly staff. this will be a new regular place for us. even the kids meals were top notch.

definitely try the shrimp and grits. it’s to die for.

lovely place. waiters were a bit pushy. burgers were good but cooked more than the medium that we ordered. recommended cocktail was excellent "french 75". taters tots were different and awesome. fried pickles excellent. chopped kale salad was refreshing.

food is excellent and with better service i would have given it a 4.5 or 5. the bone marrow was excellent and probably the best part of the meal. i went with the halibut for the main course and was really impressed. prices are i think fair, although i think the beer prices are a little over the top.

i really like oak. it will always be a nostalgic favorite as it was the first date venue for my sweetie and i. that aside, it is pretty tasty albeit pricey.
let me first say get an "across the atlantic". it will be one of the sexiest drinks you'll ever have, it's manly and dark yet sweet and perfectly vintage. it mellows and flowers as the snowball-sized hand chipped ice sphere melts while you eat your fried dill pickles with creamy green goddess aioli. don't let them take your aioli away.
the donuts are amazing as well, do get one; especially if it's chocolate anything.
salads are ok, overpriced for what it is, unimpressive salad-usually kale. the chicken and dumplings lacked flavor. they compose sandwiches really well and anything from the wood fired oven/grill is smoky delicious. we ordered the shillelagh-like chunk of bone in ribeye with onions and potatoes to share and it's succulent. i like their bone marrow (not love, see the brasserie review). i love their shrimp and grits, cauliflower, chicken and pork belly. i do think the quality has declined a little bit in the last year to year and a half but i won't stop going. and like many of my favorite restaurants, they have the bathroom feel thing going, but with more warmth and lovely antique floors. i think they may have the most beautiful subway tile i've ever seen in my life. the bitters and bartenders are outstanding here. bartenders can be a little persnickety. i'll also add that i think their bussers are markedly more attentive and polite than their waiters. they might want to think about doing an employee flip-flop in that department. if you're chilly on a cold boulder night, sit by the oven, it is delightful...but don't talk to the person manning the grill.

we generally only get to oak for special occasions, work dinners, or (our favorite) the late night menu! on thursday, friday and saturday they have a different late night menu starting at 10 pm through midnight that is full of great deals and food. the menu changes often, but usually includes tater tots, double cheese burger, kale salad, wings and more. my husband and i like to go for the burger and salad, usually with another side of tots, and we split a bottle of red wine, which is only $20 as it is bartenders choice! 
if you're sitting at the bar at around 10:30 pm, you'll also get a free, homemade pretzel! i've never eaten one (since i'm gluten-free), but many people come in just for the pretzel!
their lunch and dinner menu also changes daily, as it is seasonally based and dependent on local farmers. i've never had a bad meal here, and love anything they make with pork belly.

with the exception of a very good crispy pork belly dish, food was a major disappointment. we have tried oak three times now, since they keep making it onto the 5280 best restaurants list, but enough is enough. the food was just not that great. elegantly plated, but flavors were lacking, again with the exception of the pork belly which i highly recommend. the main issue for us is service and ambiance. our waitress was ok but overall service is random, pretentious and off putting with floor managers determining who is worthy and who is not. we are done with oak.

special accomodations. we had wonderful food, creatively prepared with great consideration for special dietary needs...waiter was correct to inquire regarding insulin sensitivity vs. full celiac.
also very helpful with our handicapped guest.


-----27 mar, 2015-----

consistently excellent food and service. i love taking out of town guests here for exceptional food and service while not being stuffy or overpriced.
i do think it is a bit funny when we order the uber healthy kale salad and then top it off with a home made doughnut though!
thanks again!
boulder foodie

foodie's delight!. our table of 3 enjoyed a seafood saffron risotto, a ravioli and the sole with kumquats (pictured). each was savory, impeccably prepared and immensely satisfying. the staff was prompt, professional and tended to our needs beautifully. we were just a bit late for our reservation, due to 2 traffic accidents on the way over, but a call to inform them resulted in a very understanding and accommodating response. it was a delightful evening out!

had a wonderful lunch at oak, food was delicious and staff solicitous. i had a reuben sandwich which was above my expectations, everything was fresh nicely warm and full flavor.

good food but for a place called oak kind of fussy...

you know it fussy when they require 6 yo boys to wear bow ties

second time i've visited this place i thought they might have been able to turn their service around but unfortunetly was met with an annoying and unhelpful wait staff and hostess that was rude. the menu looks good but the service ruins it.

great food, loud, too many waiters and a bit pricy. the food is interesting in a very good way. the rest of the dining experience was much less impressive. the place is packed and very loud. at times it was difficult to hear the wait staff. i was annoyed by the number of different people on the wait staff touching the items on the table. the value was just not there.

i think it's amateur and does not meet the standards they are attempting to acquire. my experience was less than positively rememberable.

oak at fourteenth is without a doubt one of the best places in boulder. i've been there a number of times for midday snacks and cocktails, but just went last night with out of town guests who were, like me, in the mood to try a number of shared and small plates. we had fried pickles, braised meatballs with burrata, roasted cauliflower, rock shrimp, roasted brussel sprouts, shaved apple and parmesan salad,the pear and treviso salad, and some wine. not only was every bite of food fantastic, the service was impeccable. the staff at oak pay attention to every detail of your dining experience and make it worth coming back again and again.
also, as a predominantly vegetarian diner, i enjoy the vegetable options on the menu (which changes weekly). oak is a restaurant with a menu just big enough to have something for everyone, and everything is worth trying.

eat. here. good.