DENVER — As Colorado celebrates its 150th anniversary as a state in 2026, Denver7 has been celebrating the people and places that make the state so special. One of those places is one of the state's oldest restaurants, and the oldest restaurant in Denver: Buckhorn Exchange.
Located on Osage Street, it doesn't take an expert to know the neighborhood — and the city — has seen a lot of changes. After all, soon the new Broncos stadium is expected to be built across the nearby train tracks at Burnham Yard.
The restaurant has seen some changes too, but for the most part, since first opening its doors in 1893, it has remained relatively the same.
"I really care about the place, the history, the vibe, keeping stuff intact that we've had here for a long time," shared General Manager Anthony Perez.
Perez grew up in Denver, around the block from the Buckhorn, he still remembers what the neighborhood was like as a kid.
"It was kind of a rough neighborhood," Perez recalled. "Gang violence and stuff. I didn't want to go that route."
He was introduced to the restaurant when the "Buffalo Bill Last Wild West" show would come to the restaurant.
"I'd see all that and come and participate in the stuff that, and I thought, 'Well, that's pretty cool, I want to see what that place looks like inside,'" Perez said. "When I came in, it was, 'Whoa, there's so many different animals.' I was like, 'What is this place?'"
Perez started working at the restaurant when he was 16.
"I started bussing tables, then I dishwashed, cooked a little bit, waited tables, bartended," Perez shared. "I've done every position in this bar in this restaurant."
Over his more than three and a half decades working at Buckhorn, Perez has seen it all, from celebrities to guest reactions.
"My favorite, [celebrity] of all time — I have two — is Metallica, James Hetfield. I kicked it with him, and had a dinner with him here, so that was cool. (And) ACDC," Perez told Denver7's Tyler Melito. "It's like a museum. They walk in and they're like, 'Oh my god, what is this? What is that?'"
If you've ever been to Buckhorn, you know there is memorabilia covering every inch of the walls.
Despite all the artifacts, Perez does have a favorite.
"Sitting Bull's niece's wedding dress in that glass case over there," Perez pointed out. "That is one of the most important things I think in the restaurant."
The Buckhorn is so old, it is the holder of Colorado's first liquor license, given in 1857.
The menu at Buckhorn has always centered around varying types of meat, but there is one item that remains the most popular.
"Every time the people come, they're like, 'What, it's not oysters from the sea?' And we're like, 'No.' And then they'll try it, and actually they'll like it and they are a No. 1 seller right now," Perez said.
We are of course talking about the Rocky Mountain oyster, otherwise known as bull testicles.
To learn all about that dish, Melito went into the kitchen and chatted with Executive Chef Cesar Garcia, who has worked at Buckhorn for 34 years.
"Almost every table we've had to serve it," Garica said of the dish. "Some people think that this is a delicacy."
Garcia shared how the testicles start frozen, then after thawing, they'll take the skin off to ensure they don't get too chewy.
From there, the testicles are sliced thinly before being put into the flour mix and into the fryer.
"I let them fry for about five to eight minutes, depending on the amount," Garcia shared.
Garcia said he too has seen memorable reactions to the popular dish, but notes how after all these years, getting compliments from customers reminds him of how special the restaurant is to so many.
"I feel really happy when the customers come to me and they say thank you, and they appreciate what we serve," Garcia said. "But we try to do our best just to keep the quality."
The restaurant was first opened by Henry Zietz, drawing all sorts of characters as people moved west in the late 1800s.
"I think he'd be really impressed with what we've done with the restaurant, how we rejuvenated it a lot, upgraded the areas that we needed to upgrade. But man, the business is still doing good," Perez said when asked about what Zietz would think about the restaurant today.
Perez said from the food to the atmosphere, there is a lot going on at Buckhorn, but he encourages customers to always take it in.
"Walk around, take your time, enjoy the place, see a lot of the different artifacts," he said. "Ask your staff, ask the bartender, ask the manager, ask anybody that works here, they'll provide you with the history of certain things all across the board."
As for the key to future success, while the food gets the attention, Perez said it's the history and the people that are the main course.
"We do value the place, and we take pride in working here, because it is a historic place," Perez said.
