Get Comfy

A family room–style vibe beckons you to dine and stay a while 

By Rainbow Shultz.  Photos by Darren Burton Photography

What do you get when you blend a warm space laden with earthy colors, rich woods, supple leather seating, and vintage accents with the convivial, third place atmosphere? Well, you get Longmont’s tasteful and tasty The Den on Eleventh, a neighborhood gathering space that is familiar and comfortable, but that also feels cared for and attended to. Just like your grandparents’ family room, which they nicknamed “the den,” The Den on Eleventh lovingly evokes the spirit of a neighborhood family room. 

The Den on Eleventh opened in mid-2024 on the unassuming corner of Eleventh and Francis, across from Longmont High School’s football field. Owned by brothers Beau and Taylor Raffensperger, the restaurant pays tribute to their Lefthand Canyon childhood home, where their father made the barn on the property into their family’s den. They’ve hung their actual childhood wood-framed prints and photos on the dark wood-paneled pub walls, set against a backdrop of an antique punched-tin ceiling and romantic table lamps. The breakfront bookcase in the bar area is a suggestive wink to the last century, but sits among an otherwise traditional and well-stocked bar. 

The brothers’ actual childhood den was a place where records spun and warm lights lit bookshelves decorated with pheasant feathers and fish-themed artwork. In The Den on Eleventh, music in the background and an attentive bartender set the scene for a comfortable upscale dining experience. The family room vibe turned upscale restaurant signals to guests that, dressed up or dressed down, there is a place for everyone here. The restaurant is actually logistically designed to host everyone: There is a dining room with proper linens, a romantically lit bar, a big table for festive gatherings, and a solid patio scene for casual meals.

Just as in any happy family, each brother has his own domain, yet they also know how to work together. Taylor runs the front of house, and Beau is the head chef. Even their sister, Elizabeth, is behind the scenes, helping her brothers with their endeavors as the restaurant’s communications specialist. Beau attended Escoffier School of Culinary Arts in Boulder and went on to open two restaurants in Michigan before returning to Colorado to open this collaborative project. Taylor has taken his turn in Boulder-area kitchens in addition to his tour in the front of house in many local eateries, but his passion lies in distilling and cocktail creation. Together, with a love for both good food and craft cocktails and an understanding of what the local restaurant scene already offers, they set out to establish their own unique offering.

The menu follows the classic American restaurant aesthetic. The dishes are mainstays, yet all are made from scratch and executed with evident mastery. With a range from lasagna (made with pepperoni!) to fish tacos, one can feel confident ordering that all the American standards will arrive just as you had optimistically imagined. It’s apparent each dish was somebody’s favorite, which proved itself worthy of the eclectic menu. The soups to start are perfection. Both the chunky, flavorful clam chowder and the bubbly French onion soup are Den favorites. They are served in the classic brown-and-white crocks that adorned restaurants in the ’70s and ’80s. The four salads offered cover the spectrum of current salad tastes, ranging from Caesar to wedge, lemony arugula to the beet and greens. The appetizers read like a list of pub classics, including chicken wings and macaroni and cheese, as well as more modern American fare such as raw oysters and burrata with peach marmalade. 

Other not-to-miss dishes—aside from the aforementioned ultimate comfort French onion soup and the indulgent macaroni and cheese—are the steak frites and the lobster risotto. The peppercorn sauce with the steak is spot on, and the side of arugula is a nice peppery complement. The risotto is a creamy, briny indulgence. The burger is another ubiquitous favorite. From cooked-when-it’s-ordered bacon to the daily house-made fries, it is a solid addition to the landscape of Front Range burgers.

Made both by and for locals, this restaurant has the potential to hold down this corner in Longmont for a long time, anchoring other businesses into its orbit. The food is cooked with care, and the drinks are just right. Time spent here feels like going to a friend’s place for dinner—always worth the trip. 

For reservations and more information, visit thedenoneleventh.com.