Editor’s note: This is part of The Know’s series, Staff Favorites. Each week, we offer our opinions on the best Colorado has to offer for dining, shopping, entertainment, outdoor activities and more. (We’ll also let you in on some hidden gems).
It’s rare to find a restaurant that serves up excellent food with a sense of place and local history, whimsical decor and outstanding customer service. School House Kitchen & Libations, 5660 Olde Wadsworth Blvd., in Olde Town Arvada, has all that and more, which is why it’s one of my all-time favorite restaurants.
Locals affectionately refer to it simply as the Old School House because part of the building was erected in 1882 as Arvada’s first school building. The bar is set in that space, called The Library. The dining room, located in an attached structure connected to the original 1882 building, is called The Home Room. Both are decorated with vintage features reminiscent of 20th-century classrooms, reinforcing the theme of celebrating Olde Town Arvada’s rich history.
When I was arranging a dinner party for 10 two weeks ago for family and friends, most of whom were out-of-towners here for a family wedding, I wanted a special setting that was uniquely Colorado. I picked the School House for its food and fun atmosphere, and was delighted to learn I could make reservations weeks in advance for a Saturday during holiday season. The service was excellent, from the hostess who managed the reservations to the wait staff. The School House never disappoints.
The classroom theme at the School House restaurant in Olde Town Arvada includes dinner checks delivered with a ruler and a "report card." The bar top has thousands of No. 2 pencils arranged under clear epoxy. (John Meyer/The Denver Post)
The bar area has six big-screen TVs, and it carries more than 2,000 whiskeys and 50-plus beers. Every time I’m in that bar, which is a great place for lunch, my eyes catch something from the schoolhouse motif that I never noticed before.
The bar top has thousands of yellow No. 2 pencils arranged in squares under a clear epoxy surface. The bar top sits on vintage card catalog cabinets.
“A lot of the younger generations don’t know what a card catalog is, or what the Dewey Decimal System was,” said general manager Andy Busold. “For some of the older generations, it brings them back to a happy memory that you don’t see anymore.”
Behind the bar is a wall made to look like an old school library, and it’s packed with liquor bottles eight shelves high. An old-fashioned sliding library ladder helps bartenders reach bottles.
Tabletops in the center of the room are decorated with the periodic table of elements. Vintage wooden classroom chairs hang from the high peaked ceiling. Roll-up maps are on one wall. There is a microscope that appears to date back to the first half of the last century; near it is a framed copy of the Declaration of Independence.
For those who remember having to stay after school and write the same sentence over and over on a chalkboard as punishment for misbehavior, there are reminders in the restrooms. The one in the men’s room features line after line that says, “I will not pee on the seat.” In the women’s room, it says, “I will not write love notes.”
The menu is extensive and tasty. I especially like the pastrami pretzel sandwich with Swiss cheese and Dijon mayo on a pretzel bun. For entrées, I highly recommend the baked meatloaf with apricot ketchup glaze, mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies.
When we were there last month, a friend ordered the Monte Cristo (waffle-battered and fried Hawaiian bread with ham, Swiss, powdered sugar and seasonal house preserves). After I mentioned I’d never tried a Monte Cristo, he cut off a piece for me to sample. It was sublime, and I immediately thought: Monte Cristo, where have you been all my life?
“It’s a huge menu that’s very customizable, like build your own, add whatever you want,” Busold said. “What I really like about it is that, at the end of the day, it’s American comfort food and there’s something for everybody, from pizza to pasta to burgers.”
Olde Town Arvada is a special place with a lot to visit, especially during the holiday season. After our dinner, at a friend’s suggestion, we walked a couple of blocks to Scrumptious for ice cream, which was delicious. Scrumptious also sells nostalgic old candy brands and hard-to-find bottled sodas.
“As I said about our menu — something for everybody — that goes for Olde Town as well,” Busold said. “There are so many different businesses that appeal to different people, so there’s always a reason to come down.”
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