T-Street Roadhouse: Redefining Fine Dining in Lakewood

The T-Street Roadhouse in Belmar is just about ready to open, and a peak inside reveals a modern vibe that's stylish and hip in a way I've never seen before in Lakewood.

With marble topped tables, Chesterfield sofas in saddle tan leather, and a long bar illuminated by Isamu Noguchi-inspired pendants, the T-Street Roadhouse would be right at home in Denver's LoHi, RiNo, or Cherry Creek.

I'll come right out and say it: if the food's as good as the decor, T-Street is going to be Belmar and downtown Lakewood's first "it" restaurant.

This isn't to say that I don't enjoy the decor in Belmar's current crop of restaurants, but T-Street is clearly going for a more designed, more contemporary look. The only space in Belmar that's as nice, in my view, is the elegant dining room at Little India, which the owners inherited in large part from the now-defunct Mark & Isabella's.

Of course, if nice decor was all that mattered, Mark & Isabella's would still be around. Service matters, as does value, and of course there's the little matter of the food.

So, will the food at T-Street be any good? We'll find out soon enough, but the owners have a good track record, and they're clearly trying to raise the bar on what qualifies as fine dining in Lakewood.