Boulder Magazine Restaurant Profiles |
WILD MOUNTAIN SMOKEHOUSE & BREWERY

Story and photos by Michael Whiteman-Jones

Remember that pub in Boston where the food’s good, the beer’s cold and “everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came?”

There’s a place just like that in Nederland. It’s called the Wild Mountain Smokehouse & Brewery, and it’s as comfortable as that pub on the hit TV show Cheers, except that it’s got a deck with a view and it’s real. Don’t worry about finding it—you’ll smell the pork ribs cooking in the smoker long before you see the restaurant. Just follow your nose.

This isn’t another poorly lit mountain bar that sucks ’em in with cheap beer and fast food. It’s a moderately priced, family-friendly brewpub that pays careful attention to the quality of its food and drink, which is produced in a microbrewery run by a reserved and meticulous master brewer who crafts some of the finest-tasting beers around.

Cori and Tom Boogaard transformed an empty lot
into one of Nederland's most popular restaurants.

It’s obvious you’re not in an ordinary bar the moment you step into the foyer. Careful observers who look down will discover tiny handprints left in the concrete floor by Aliyah Boogaard, the 2-year-old daughter of owners Cori and Tom Boogaard. They built the lodge-style restaurant themselves and opened it in spring 2007, and it reflects their personalities: It’s bright and cheerful, with cathedral ceilings and a mezzanine that overlooks the main-floor fireplace. The walls are painted in muted shades of green and purple, and the tabletops are inlaid with colorful vintage concert tickets and other ephemera. Photographs and artwork by local artists adorn every wall. When it’s warm outside, the divider behind the well-stocked bar is raised and opens onto the elevated deck, which offers spectacular views of Nederland’s mountains.

If that sounds welcoming and homey, it is. But it didn’t happen by accident. Cori and Tom surveyed local residents and tourists to help formulate Wild Mountain’s atmosphere and menu. They learned that many Nederland diners didn’t want another party bar, but a place where they could socialize, eat good food and quaff fine handcrafted brews. “We wanted this to be the kind of place people could bring their children on Friday nights,” Tom says.

Cop- & Fireman-Tested Recipes

Tom took the same systematic approach with his menu. Although he had no previous restaurant experience, he is an avid amateur cook. His recipes were methodically tested on accommodating neighbors as well as Nederland’s fire and police departments. The results include everything from traditional, simple fare like sandwiches and hamburgers to smoked ribs and prime rib.

For starters, try the Awesome Ahi App appetizer, bite-sized chunks of seared sushi-grade ahi tuna encrusted with sesame seeds and served with a slightly spicy cucumber-wasabi sauce ($8.95). One of Wild Mountain’s most popular appetizers is the Ned Smoked Chicken Wings, which are uncommon because they’re marinated in spices and lemon juice, slow smoked, grilled and then tossed in a traditional buttery-flavored Buffalo-style wing sauce ($9.50). The hummus platter features a flavor of the week served with olives, olive oil and fried pita bread ($5.95).

Salads include the Wild Mountain Mixed Greens Salad ($4.25); the Tungsten Mine Caesar ($4.50); and the Caribou Ranch Maple Glazed Salmon Salad, which is brushed with a maple-vinegar glaze, grilled and served on romaine lettuce with citrus-tarragon dressing ($9.50).

For dinner, try one of Wild Mountain’s entrées. The Lazy-Z-Ranch Ribs are St. Louis-style pork ribs dry rubbed with a secret blend of herbs and spices and slow smoked until the meat practically falls off the bones ($12.95 for a half rack, $19.95 for a full rack). They’re served with your choice of six BBQ sauces, ranging from Texas Sweet and Carolina Mustard to Memphis Vinegar and the fiery habañero-based XXX.

There’s also The Big Cluck Slow Smoked Half Chicken ($13.95), the Ned-E-Que Platter of smoked meats ($9.95 to $18.95) and the “Like Butter” USDA Smoked Prime Rib, which is all-natural, Colorado-raised Coleman beef coated with coarse salt, black pepper and rosemary before being smoked, grilled and served with a tangy horseradish crème fraîche and jus ($18.95). Vegetarians will love the unique and tasty marinated tofu platter, which is extra-firm tofu lightly smoked, grilled and served with a Thai-style dipping sauce ($8.50).

Meet the Mayor

To wash it down in style, try one of Tom’s signature beers. He learned how to make beer while working for Boulder’s Avery Brewing Co., as well as Left Hand Brewing in Longmont and Snake River Brewing Company in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Brewing is his passion, and Wild Mountain offers a handful of seasonal selections. Currently, they include the Hop Diggity IPA (India Pale Ale), Clifford’s BIG Ned Red, Bodhi Amber and Otis American Pale Ale ($4 a pint). These aren’t watered-down, mass-market beers; they’re brewed for maximum flavor with connoisseurs in mind, and you’ll want to try them all, although you might want to go easy on the Ned Red because it’s got a 9.2 percent alcohol content. If you can’t decide which one to start with, order Wild Mountain’s BrewSki ($5.95), which includes five 4-ounce samples cleverly served on a cut-out ski.

Out on the deck, regulars Mike Hermann, left, and Ray Smith are served by Matty the barkeep.

The beer will help you make new friends, of course, and there are always plenty hanging out. Don’t be surprised if you drop in and see Nederland’s town administrator, Jim Stevens, and his daughter, Jennifer, helping brew beer in the kitchen downstairs. Lots of people regularly log 12-hour days in the brew house just for camaraderie and free samples. Others, like locals Mike Hermann and Ray Smith, drop in several times a week for lunch or dinner.

“I was really happy when this place opened,” Hermann says. “This isn’t just a bar—it’s a brewpub. I love good beer, but I have a family and I don’t just want to go to a regular bar to drink cheap beer. This has become my home away from home. The beer here is great and it was brewed by my neighbor. You can’t beat that.”

Wild Mountain Smokehouse & Brewery, located at 70 East First St. in downtown Nederland, is open 11am-10pm Sun-Thurs and 11am-midnight Fri & Sat. 303-258-9453; www.wildmountainsb.com.

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