Boulder Restaurants: The Med — A Classic Boulder Mainstay

boulder restaurant the med

As far as Boulder restaurants go, when you’ve got a large amount of people in town that you need to get in one room and you want tasty food at a fair price, it’s difficult to find a better choice than The Med. The Mediterranean Restaurant (referred to by most as “The Med”) is located in the heart of downtown Boulder and offers a wide range of (yes, you guessed it) Mediterranean style cuisine.

Most popular for their tapas menu, particularly the happy hour version, The Med gives diners a wide array of choices, from hot to cold (“frios y caliente”), savory to sweet, meat to vegetarian. The actual menus are huge and when you sit down to a table and the server hands you one, it’s a bit overwhelming at first.

Once you pick up a pencil from the table, however, and start marking off what you want — one of this, two of that, etc, you’ll find yourself building out the perfect series of bites just for your taste. With prices under $6 on the happy hour menu, you can feel good about grabbing at least a few options and a drink without breaking the bank.

If I had to pick 3 choices for my perfect happy hour, I’d go with a glass of the house red and:

  • Datiles Con Ajillo – dates wrapped in bacon and baked. Fatty, creamy, sweet, savory goodness.
  • Insalata Caprese – A caprese salad to keep things bring and fresh. Somehow, they manage to keep fresh tomatoes and basil on the menu year round and the mozzarella is delicious.
  • Pinchon Miruno – Skewered, grilled, local Colorado lamb with tzatziki & pita. I always feel like I am getting away with robbery when I get this. At $3.95 per plate, this is a great deal.

Those who might be looking for a bit more substantial fare can order from the dinner menu which offers a selection of salads, entrees, pizzas, paellas and more. My personal favorite off the dinner menu is and always will be the Speziata Pizza. When I first got it, I thought, “Wow, The Med does pizza?” I gave it a try and I am hooked. The Speziata is topped with roasted garlic, grilled chicken, roasted jalapeños, cilantro, avocado and fontina cheese. The avocado really makes this one pop.

The Med can host fairly large groups, however you will always want to ensure you have a reservation well in advance. Despite being one of the largest overall seating areas in downtown Boulder, The Med is always packed and if you try getting in without a reservation, there’s a good chance you’ll wait at least 40 minutes. Don’t tempt fate. Get a reservation.  Bar area seating is always available with a shorter wait, but some folks just aren’t big fans of sitting the the bar area. Understandably so.

Service is pretty solid at The Med and despite always being extremely busy. There seems to be an abundance of service staff available to help you at all times. I’d say the overall theme of The Med is consistency. They’ve identified a tapas experience that their customers love and don’t try to reinvent the wheel beyond that. No wonder they’re one of Boulder’s most loved go-to restaurants and will likely continue to be for years to come.

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James Moreau

James Moreau

James is a relative Boulder newbie, moving here in 2010 instead of moving to Asia on a multi-year adventure. Currently he is the marketing guy at a Boulder startup, on the board of a life sciences startup and enjoys writing on niche subjects including Brazilian jiu jitsu, hunting and sailing. Tweet with him @jrmoreau.
James Moreau

James Moreau

James is a relative Boulder newbie, moving here in 2010 instead of moving to Asia on a multi-year adventure. Currently he is the marketing guy at a Boulder startup, on the board of a life sciences startup and enjoys writing on niche subjects including Brazilian jiu jitsu, hunting and sailing. Tweet with him @jrmoreau.

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