Haystack Burgers and Barley

I had a burger with a gluten-free bun. It was a really good bun.

Not sure where to start this review, so I will start with their sister location on 75 and Beltline...I haven't eaten there in a number of years, and I only ever ate there by myself, but I remember the burgers were great and the stuffed jalapeno poppers were better. Ok, snap to today. The Arapahoe location is relatively new to the area. The whole Arapahoe & Meadow Creek corner has been completely revitalized over the past few years with more to come. I have enjoyed more than several Haymakers (alcoholic drink) on warm nights since they opened at this location. It is a nice, kid friendly area to chill for a bit. Tonight was the first time I actually ordered off of the food menu. I was definitely expecting the same quality dining experience that I have enjoyed at the other location. Let's start with the positives. Friendly service, warm atmosphere, and very accessible. I ordered a Haymaker and it was dyed green for St. Paddy's day, and it lived up to what I am used to. My wife ordered the Hibiscus Lemonade (alcohol drink), and she really liked it. We started with a gluten free appetizer of chips, queso, and salsa. The chips were stale but edible. The queso and salsa were meh. Both items tasted like what you might expect from grocery store aisle Tostitos jars that were microwaved right after we ordered. The garlic Parmesan fries were hot and very tasty. Burgers were exactly what we ordered and they were just fine. Meat was not juicy and basically tepid at best. Burgers were not bad, but certainly not what I was expecting from past experience or for what we paid for them. Again, the gluten free bun, according to my Celiac daughter, was not up to par in comparison to other local burger joints. Their beer menu is pretty decent, and I have tried most of them. I don't remember if they do the jalapeno stuffed poppers at this location, but I will definitely look for them the next time I visit. Overall it was a pleasant dining experience, but way too expensive for the quality of food. In the future, I will probably stick with a cold drink on the patio. I would say one thumb up and one thumb down.