Founder Drew Ryan and partners Eric Pirritt and John Caprio announced the opening of Maine Shack Boulder, a riff on a coastal Maine seafood joint, at 2010 16th Street at Pearl Street. The Boulder Chamber hosted an official Ribbon Cutting on Friday, November 3, followed by the restaurant’s official opening. A portion of proceeds from the opening weekend at both Boulder and the Denver LoHi locations were donated to Lewiston-Auburn Area Response Fund to help the victims of the recent Lewiston, Maine, shooting.
Maine Shack Boulder features ingredients sourced directly from the Gulf of Maine, including lobster, shellfish and a rotating catch of the day flown in fresh multiple times a week. Maine Shack Boulder also offers a full bar, extended tap beer program and an outside patio as well as large-screen TVs for catching Colorado and New England sporting events. The 59-seat dining room features bespoke interior décor sourced from New England and handcrafted from Drew’s childhood friends, Ryan Eldridge, Ashley Morrill and Jedi Baker of Maine Cabin Masters, the TV show on the Magnolia Network.
“We’re grateful for the support of the Boulder and CU communities and look forward to sharing a taste of my native New England heritage and the Maine Shack menu and experience with the city’s dynamic restaurant scene,” says Ryan in a statement.
“I moved to Boulder in 2000 because I loved the community and it was such an integral part of building my life here in Colorado,” says Caprio. “I have been blessed to be part of The Fox Theatre family for seven wonderful years and now to have the opportunity to be part of the community with Maine Shack is a great honor.” Adds Pirritt, who started his career in concert promotion at The Fox Theatre over 20 years ago, and most recently was the President of Live Nation’s Rocky Mountain Region, “I couldn’t be prouder to partner with Drew and John and the rest of the Maine Shack team to bring the freshest and best lobster and seafood to downtown Boulder. It’s an honor to be a part of this.”
Maine Shack Boulder’s menu of New England specialties includes a variety of Lobster Rolls, like the signature Maine Shack Lobster Roll; Lobsterado, a butter poached lobster tail on top of a brown butter lobster roll garnished with chives; the clarified butter Connecticut Lobster Roll; Slider Trio, offering a choice of three 2-oz lobster roll sliders with coleslaw and fries; and more.
Other menu items include Whole Bellied Fried Clams; North Shore Roast Beef Sandwich; made-from-scratch Sides, including Cole Slaw, Lobster Mac & Cheese, Clam Chowder and Steamed Clams. Seafood Bouillabaisse, with lobster, scallops, clams, shrimp and haddock cooked in tomato broth and served with crostini, is currently offered exclusively at the 16th and Pearl Street location, with additional New England specialties and Boulder-specific menu items to follow this fall. Classic desserts like Blueberry Hand Pies and Whoopie Pies round out the menu.
Eight taps with a variety of Maine and New England-style beers include Maine Beer Co., Narragansett, Oxbow, DownEast, and a proprietary Maine Shack Beer brewed by Denver’s Diebolt Brewery, along with a full bar of specialty cocktails, including a Lobster Bloody Mary, with house-made Bloody Mary mix garnished with a Maine lobster tail, lemon, celery and olives; Cape Codder, accented with smoked sea salt to add a coastal spin to the traditional Cape Cod cocktail; and the Maine Mule, with vodka, simple syrup, ginger beer and Maine blueberries.
The Maine Cabin Masters team sourced buoys, driftwood, lobster traps that have been fashioned into lighting fixtures, vintage signage and more from Maine and New England for the interior décor. “Maine Shack brings the best of Maine to Colorado, from decor to dining. We traveled up and down the coast sourcing products and materials for Maine Shack’s authentic design to create decor from repurposed materials including buoys, nets, lighting and lumber,” says Jedi Baker. “When Maine Shack asked if we could design something for Boulder, I immediately knew I wanted to incorporate lobster buoys and driftwood. I’m always looking around the shore for unique pieces of wood for projects and adding the lobster buoy hangings gives the restaurant some pops of color and an authentic Maine feel,” says Ashley Morrill.
“The Maine Shack Boulder project is one that we will always remember. Being a part of our life-long friend’s dream, thousands of miles away from home, was an amazing experience,” adds Ryan Eldridge. “Carrying suitcases full of stinky, still-wet driftwood and buoys from the Gulf of Maine, through a weekend in Boston, a short stay in Denver and then up to Boulder, is a story in itself. We are proud to be a part of it.”
Maine Shack Boulder (2010 16th Street at Pearl Street) is open Sunday – Thursday, from 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Maine Shack operates a full-time location in Denver’s LoHi neighborhood (1535 Central Street). Maine Shack is available on the East and West Club Levels of Empower Field at Mile High during Denver Broncos’ home games and at Coors Field on the First and Third Base Sides of the Club Level during Colorado Rockies’ home games. Maine Shack also operates at Celebration Park in Naples, Florida and Fenway South Jetblue Park during the Boston Red Sox spring training.
