Cities are exciting places to live and Denver the past fifteen years is no exception.

Bike lanes pop up seemingly overnight, parking lots have transform into skyscrapers, and an unassuming brick building near 14th and Blake, once home to a forgettable dance club, now hosts what might be the most scenic dining experience in Denver’s lower downtown theater district.

Băo Brewhouse can deceive you upon entering. The downstairs “Tap Room” features a busy open kitchen, compact counter seating, and glowing neon signage within every sightline—allusions to the bustling Macau street food culture that inspires the cuisine.  The menu features a number of approachable renditions of southeast Asian street food: Lettuce wraps, skewers, cheese rangoons, soup dumplings, and numerous offerings of the restaurant’s namesake—Gua Bao.

 

The Cantonese-style sandwich, traditionally assembled with slow-cooked pork belly, mustard greens and coriander, ground peanuts, and pressed between a steamed bun, can be ordered on the Tap Room menu with soft-shell crab, tofu, and pork variants both sweet and savory.

Most notable, perhaps, might be the In-N-Băout (named after the California fast-food staple “In-N-Out”) Roujiamos, a cheeseburger-style bao variant featuring grilled onion, American cheese, and a spicy aioli featuring a hint of lime.

Băo’s downstairs offering is perfect for a quick business lunch or happy-hour hors d’oeuvres if you can manage to squeeze into a couple of bar stools among the movers and shakers descending from office buildings or travelers wandering over from the nearby luxury hotels.

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Head upstairs to take it to the next level

All the commotion downstairs might lead you to overlook the staircase in the corner. Upstairs the restaurant transforms its bustling street-food concept into the “Tea Room,” a more intimate and relaxed dining environment featuring a stunning two-story Chinese lantern centerpiece. All along the back wall are spectacular silk-partitioned tables that provide just enough seclusion to enjoy a private night out with a group of six to eight.

 

The Tea Room features an expanded menu—eschewing volume and variety for high-impact entrées designed to be shared and savored, rather than be devoured on the way to a Nuggets game or show at the Denver Center for Performing Arts.

The ingredients will feel familiar if you’ve only been downstairs, but a number of showstopper dishes clearly elevate the experience. Start the evening with Kobe dumplings or a Băo Brew Salad, a delightful arrangement radish, cucumber, and greens dressed with a truffle tamari vinaigrette. Order a Mongolian fried rice for the table or the Short Rib Spicy Noodle, a garlic-ginger flavor explosion featuring Thai basil, pistachio, and Lup cheong sausage, or keep it light with the Wagyu steak or Maple Miso Sea Bass. If you’re feeling really adventurous, attempt the Whole Fried Snapper or Whole Peking Duck—both of which can satiate your entire table if you get too excited about the appetizers.

All of this flavor and spice packs a quite a punch. But the drink menu offers a number of ways to wash it down. Nearly 25 loose-leaf teas are available, including many exotic fermented varieties you won’t find in many downtown establishments. If you’re looking for an adult beverage, you’ll find an expansive tiki-themed menu featuring twists on classic staples and a handful of niche spirits and ingredients reflecting the Băo’s Asian fusion theme.

So many downtown restaurants try to be everything to everyone. Băo Brewhouse might not be a great place to bring small children or someone who isn’t interested in spicing up their life before a night out. But it’s a spectacular setting and food that won’t allow you to forget about it anytime soon.