Denver’s newest seafood restaurant opened last month in a grandiose space in the heart of LoDo. Hailing from California, Water Grill is the product of cousin duo Sam and Jeff King. With a familial motif backing the origin of Water Grill, the newest space in Denver feels industrial yet inviting — equipped with a copper bar top, large garage-style windows, giant saltwater tanks and a fireplace.
Both Sam and Jeff have followed the footsteps of their respective fathers who built restaurants together in 1945. They co-founded King’s Seafood Company and dedicated their business to providing high-quality seafood with over 75 years of relationships to source from local fishermen and lobstermen in Southern California. In turn, they provide each Water Grill restaurant with some of the highest quality seafood available.
“We are so pleased to bring Water Grill to Colorado,” said Sam. “As a family-owned business, we approach our entire operation through that lens; our team, fisherman partners and our guests are part of our community. We’re dedicated to responsible and sustainable aquaculture and we’re looking forward to bringing that experience to Denver.”
The Water Grill name is new to Colorado but has taken root in some larger cities from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Its menu features an expansive selection of seafood from wild Alaskan black cod, chilled shellfish platters, raw bar and New England lobster rolls.
Though the menu changes daily, the restaurant maintains a robust saltwater tank program, with live shellfish such as California spiny lobster, Dungeness crab and more.
Some of the most notable items are wild Spanish octopus ($24), charcoal grilled with fingerling potatoes, niçoise olives, roasted tomato, lemon and olive oil, a honeymoon oyster ($13) freshly shucked with uni roe, tobiko, ikura and quail egg and Smoked Hamachi nachos ($19) with Japanese yellowtail, yucca chips, Asian pear and toasted Marcona almonds.
With so many seafood options to choose from, Water Grill is the best choice for fresh fish and shellfish lovers in Denver.
Water Grill is located at 1691 Market St., Denver. It is open Sunday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
All Photos Courtesy of Water Grill.