Is Denver's Native American Restaurant Worth The Hype? TOCABE Review

[@jessef.81]

Nice UA! I’m Native and I appreciate you spotlighting this restaurant. If you’re ever in Phoenix, please visit the Frybread House. Just remember that a lot of these dishes served at restaurants represent contemporary dishes. Frybread was a result of government food rations and Native using what they could to make tasty items. Unfortunately, there are debates within Tribal communities because even though frybread tastes good, it’s very bad for you and represents desperation during the government rations era.

[@chordsofgratitude2073]

Maria's Frybread and Mexican in Phoenix is also good.

[@dustymcdust825]

Are huarache authentic?

[@chordsofgratitude2073]

Hope's Frybread in Mesa, AZ is outstanding!!! It's a must try, I went out of my way and absolutely loved it!!!

[@chordsofgratitude2073]

@@dustymcdust825 there native to Mexico, not continental USA. But, they are native to indigenous people.... If that helps

[@dustymcdust825]

@@chordsofgratitude2073 Actually it makes a lot of sense. Thank you. I was at a Mecha and Aim event about 30 years ago when I was in college and I was able to try some of the foods that were supposed to be authentic and indigenous. I was a national award winning executive chef and spent lots of time in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and I lived in Colombia. I also had nutrition as my science requirement in college. I learned about how the indigenous knew how to use lye to open up nutrients in corn (homony) when going through food history. Even my professor who was a certified PHD dietitian asked if I knew how they knew, we were both dumbfounded. How did they know these things? If they had not known how to do that they could not have survived. I just want to know how they knew centuries ago. My great grandmother was full blood Black foot. That’s where I get my lighter skin, how I wished that I could have spoken to her.

[@TheFuneralPyre]

I'm a Native and a Native Coloradan! I'm so glad you're putting Tocabe on the map. It's so delicious!!

[@ParkerHughes-bc2we]

Namaste

[@Ozai75]

The Bison is *super* less fatty than Cow. That's why the ribs are quite a bit tougher than cow/pork ribs. They're basically all muscle.

[@applepie9786]

Either they wanted the ribs to be that tough or they just aren't cooking it right. You can make any lean, stringy, tough piece of meat tender if you cook it low and slow enough.

[@jamesquirk8656]

Yeah I was surprised to see bison ribs on the menu. In Jersey there are diners that serve bison burgers, and it's mostly done as a "healthy" option because the meat is very lean. How it's served in the taco is a perfect way to go IMO.

[@QuickStrikes84]

Wow! this is only a couple miles from my house! Will definitely try it. Thank you for letting me know!

[@tonystrades8007]

I must say this is the first video ever seen about native American food great video these must be seen more

[@uaeats]

I agree, I wish more people had opportunities to be exposed to Native American cuisine

[@johnmalerba804]

@@uaeats That was the Chipotle version of "Native American Cuisine" That was embarrassing

[@aznantboi]

@@johnmalerba804it does look that way. a restaurant with set dishes might seem more authentic

[@SafeEffective-ls2pl]

@johnmalerba804 Most people would not eat traditional Native American food. They didn't have spices and seasoning

[@PaulOPeezy]

I was thinking that. I didn't even know that was a thing!

[@nicnac518]

Hey man, if you ever find yourself in Tampa, Florida.. you must check out a coastal-Native inspired restaurant called Ulele, its on the Tampa Riverwalk! no lie one of the best meals I have ever had. We sat outside on the patio and the food was outstanding. I recommend trying the Native Chili, its a unique blend of alligator, venison, bison, duck, chuck, cranberry beans and it's just really, really well done. The service was also very warm, welcoming, engaging and highly professional. Ulele is a gem and a must try!

[@jholly5747]

Hey Yui, great video! I can’t remember if I’ve ever seen a KZbinr eating Native American food. Great exposure to this Native American cuisine. I’m sure once people have seen your video they may venture out to Denver Colorado just to check out this restaurant.

[@stephenfarrell6794]

We buy ground Bison at Costco and use it mainly for burgers. I don't find it to be gamey at all and it's quite a bit healthier, supposedly. Good video!

[@blepnir]

Native American is one of my favorite foods that is often hard to find, even here in the US. I went to a state fair when I was a little kid back in the 1990s, and had the best food I ever tasted, which was Native American cuisine. I've been chasing the taste ever since, but nothing has ever measured up. Thanks for the vid, will definitely check out this place next time I'm in Denver!

[@uaeats]

Wow, that spot you went to in the 90s must have been amazing!

[@JMSoloBassist]

Tocabe has been a favorite of mine for years. When I took my girlfriend (who is from Mississippi) there on a date, I tried to explain that she can't puck it up like a taco. Being the sassy southern belle she is, she took that as a challenge. I have photos of her all dressed up for a night out, shoving her dinner in like a "regular taco". Lol. Plus, I got her hooked on Native cuisine.

[@Ozai75]

UA we have Native American days here in the midwest and one of my *very* favorite foods is when they take a turkey and dig a huge hole in the ground, line it with hot rocks and then bury it and let it cook for hours. Man when they bring it out it's just amazing.

[@AussieAngeS]

This restaurant is so interesting to me, I am from Australia and we don't have anything like that here. food looks delicious

[@dos3622]

How is the kangaroo meat?

[@MrWhiterunGuard]

The fried bread reminds me of something I used to have as a kid in Mongolia called Boortsog, in fact it looks identical to it. Boortsog is usually eaten with syrup or even condense milk as a desert. But you can also eat boortsog with rice congee.

[@JayJayFromAZ]

Being a member of the Navajo tribe id would like you to come to the Navajo Rez and try the tacos. 👍🏽

[@uaeats]

I'd love to someday!

[@denisegleason4895]

Definitely!!

[@malcolmdean6899]

Is there a great Navajo restaurant in the northern Arizona area? If so I'll stop in on my way down to visit my parents.

[@ski9600]

Glad it was a success for you, I remember seeing it on DDD a few years ago and I wasn't sure but the Indian Taco looks great. I really like ribs, but maybe bison is too lean to cook that way, like you said.

[@bobdrago69657]

Been eating fry bread tacos for years. Special occasions only. The Smithsonian has a great Native American restaurant. We have a great NA restaurant in the Bay Area too.

[@dan4500]

Havasupai tribe near the Grand Canyon area, super good fry bread! I loved the Native American tacos there!

[@425superRocket]

Fry bread is awesome. First had it 40 years ago. My girlfriend's older sister made it. She called it Dough Gods, this was in Superior Wisconsin.

[@samthesuspect]

Bison is much more lean, you can replace any form of beef with it, I did while living in Montana and I miss it.

[@BrockSamsonite]

Wow that's very different than what I ate when I was there... Didn't even know about tocabe. Great video will have to check it out on my next visit because I'm definitely going back for a second pass of moewwolf denver

[@alexrekzu4079]

Nice to see that an underrated cuisine is being spot lighted

[@lorifreeman1746]

I'm glad you broadened your taste buds the taco looked amazing ❤

[@shosmyth1454]

You’re Great! Love your Videos

[@christinas8782]

loving the frequency of the uploads 😊

[@mancaveveteran4975]

They closed the southern Denver area site on Arapaho! We tried to visit one time and they were occupied by some kind of other business. We had been there a few other times before and the food is great! Good to see the other one up north is still around. A must try place.

[@marctowersap8018]

yeah I was bummed about that, just started working in the Denver tech center again, and... no tocabes on Arapahoe... sob

[@Grovel007]

I’m surprised there are not more Native American restaurants.

[@uaeats]

Me too!

[@marctowersap8018]

hoping tocabes starts a trend! most of us get our fixes at native American events like pow-wows

[@tngdrczp120]

Bruh that bread looks just like Tibetan bread called Woeshang Balay. The native American food looks wonderful, can't wait to go and try it.

[@gregoryjmorris9878]

UA Eats drinking game: Every time UA says, ‘Why don’t we?’ Chug!

[@aznantboi]

@gregoryjmorris9878 UA Drinks why don't we

[@k3sh1a21]

Haven’t been here in a minute! Thanks for the reminder

[@tyrannosauruswrecks5904]

Greetings from Denver! Funny you mentioned the fried bread is like 油条. It reminded me of the Chinese 油饼 which is more like a round fried flat bread instead of a stick like 油条.

[@flydude1063]

Been to Tocabe many times. We love the bison ribs. The sauce makes a big difference. It's a blueberry BBQ sauce.

[@tinytt854]

Where's the meat? I see mostly bone.

[@fryerlawrence]

Less talking and more VO. You let your food get colder/tougher (bison) I myself went to Tocabe years ago, and I was not disappointed… those Blackberry bison ribs were THE bee's knees! The fry bread was on point and they had sauteed vegetables like I'd never had my entire life. So melt in your mouth delicious! I can't wait to go back for those ribs!

[@Italonino]

Sitting Bull as an Avenger? Bison burgers are absolutely delicious.

[@fday1964]

Marvel did a Lakota dub of The Avengers. Will be on Disney+ in a few weeks.

[@HeyokaGirlSpeaks]

As a Denverite, this place is unique and amazing and the owners are great people! ❤

[@marlies7444]

When I lived in Aurora I went there twice. They had a dessert frybread that was pretty good. I also had a taco.

[@Bert_Wayfarer]

Frybread tacos 🌮 so yummy glad your colorado trip has been amazing

[@jmason61]

Very cool! I'm from the east coast & totally like the idea of a "local" food place in Colorado being.. When I first had a Buffalo burger years ago I loved it

[@CasualTeeOfWar]

I first tried this place in 2017 and it was sooo good!!! I make sure to go back any time I'm out in Colorado.

[@nowzthetime]

If you want those to be tender those ribs you need to put a little tiny bit of beer in there with some of that sauce wrap it tightly and foil and let it cook in the oven at 325 degrees for like 2 hours

Hey bro, let me educate you a little bit!!! The man who started this restaurant, Ben Jacob’s, his family is originally from Oklahoma (Oklahoma, land of the red man) more specifically northeastern Oklahoma and are members of the Osage Nation!!! The Osage. Nation is the ONLY OFFICIAL NATIVE RESERVATION IN THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA! Tocabe means blue in the Osage language, hence the color blue which is prominent in the restaurant!!! 🤔

[@emilyracanelli4509]

Are you still here?!?! Have lots of recs for you!

[@alanledzep1967]

Best Bison Burger. Notable. Bowness Road NW. Calgary, Alberta, Canada. You’re welcome.

[@Tomahawk2387]

My man, you’re supposed to dip that smaller fry bread in some protein like a spoon or preferably soups of sorts. That’s how us Natives do it in Oklahoma. Like some corn soup lol. That Indian taco looks beast.

[@impoppypanda]

LOVE corn soup! I had growing up & miss it.

[@F417H]

Under rated for certain 🍁 Great reviews 🏹

[@g.davidtenenbaum8563]

Unique or not unique. There are no degrees. Otherwise, you are the best food reviewer on youtube. Please keep them coming.

[@aznantboi]

@@DustyKid75you forgot pastrami. he's kind of an expert on that

[@andic8287]

Awesome UA! Keep it up!

[@MarcoFD]

interesting pairing those ribs and the sauce, but if you think about it, fruit and meat go together really well, just take melon and serano ham together for example. right now im working in austria for the winter and they pair their wiener schnitzels with this thing called preiselbeeren, which is also basically a cranberry compote with a few herbs added, really tasty as well.

[@jonathanorta1797]

Ayee came across yo channel. I fuck with you my boy ! Good vibes

[@shenanigans17100]

I wish I had seen this video before I went back to Denver a few weeks ago. This will be on my Denver cuisine list the next time I go back home to visit the 303.

[@Iampatrix]

I've never had bison but I'd wager a guess that people enjoy the ribs for the chewy texture, like tendon and cartilage in Asian cuisine. I have eaten a lot of fry bread though, my grandpa would make it when he'd visit. A simple sort of hack is to buy frozen dough, just let it thaw and proof on the counter, cut it into pieces and fry it up.

[@ErikaWilson-f8x]

so cool you came to Denver

[@Sandoldman]

That sauce looks like chokecherry. Ty for putting this Native restaurant on the map ❤

[@dorianvick8932]

This place is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!! THE FOOD IS GREAT!

[@Crazycoyote-we7ey]

Those are Urban Native Americans You need to go to The Navajo Reservation for The Real Navajo Tacos Mutton stew frybread and Mutton Ribs

[@BakiSmaki27]

I had bison in a burger recently and it was excellent in that form. Ribs wouldn't have been something I expected considering how lean bison meat is.

[@jimmy2thymes916]

I've never had fry bread but I am down with the "taco" concept. Those bison ribs looked super tough. I just don't see how a restaurant can offer "fast casual" and smoked meat at the same time. Your comment about smoking practices hit spot on. Good BBQ has no place in a fast casual concept.

[@-EchoesIntoEternity-]

actually most great BBQ is precisely fast casual. when you arrive as a customer do you expect to wait a long time for your meal or need to dress up wear a jacket attire? yes the cooking preparation process takes a long time, but not the dining experience.

[@stephencodekas3745]

Someone hates dickeys BBQ lol

[@chrissimpson1183]

I love that place I have eaten there lots of time and I have had their food at the Denver Powwow..

[@matthewfreeman33]

UA if you're ever in Ballsack Kentucky you have to try the lemon pepper rotisserie chicken we have at the local Food Giant.

[@JackSprat201]

Thanks so much for another excellent video. As you expand your food boundaries, we grow as well. I know nothing at all about Native American food. I do suspect, however, that in some cases the foods here were not altered to meet mainstream American taste, but in fact were created just after Indians lost all their independence, were forced onto reservations, and encouraged to adopt the agricultural patterns of the European colonizers. Fry bread sounds suspiciously like something created to utilize wheat flour, refined sugar, and lard, which would have been given to the Indians as something of a compensation for being moved onto agriculturally unviable land and having the bison practically exterminated. Corn, pumpkin, gourds, squashes, so much of our food today owes so much to the Native Americans.

[@frankb1]

Funny that you are in Denver. I'm going there in two weeks.

[@imnotchikao6317]

Enjoy! Also prepare to have a headache for the first 1-2 days due to the altitude 😂

[@rick5346]

Actually one my favorite places to eat, the bison is pretty good. Fry bread is delicious…..miss Tocabe now that I have moved to Texas. Looking forward to eating when we visit again.

[@jacobmccorry125]

There's a restaurant/store in Windsor Ontario Canada called Native Wonders. I recently visited in February and it's so well worth it.

[@soddyboys2929]

The best frybread is made by mom or grandma.

[@fday1964]

Interesting...I have the bison ribs at least once a month, and it's always been very tender. Tocabe means blue in the Osage language, as it was the favorite color of the owner's grandmother. This restaurant offers a variety of toppings that go beyond a typical indian taco you would get at a pow wow. The bbq sauce is a spiced up blueberry item called wojapi, a lakota / dakota dish that is usually made with chokecherries.

[@haruruben]

Oh man, that fry bread looks amazing.

[@quasar8898]

Boil fresh ear corn in water with a little salt/sugar. Cut corn from cobs with a knife. In a bowl, add the cut corn, Grease (Bear is best, Bacon works, or lard)- mix well. Add broken up walnuts, maple sugar- mix again. Heat a bit. Serve. Delaware Nation style corn.

[@karencunningham214]

I could be wrong but the Fry bread to me looks like they used a yeast as leven .In original fry bread we use Baking powder as leven. 4 cups flour 1 tblspoon salt 2 tablespoon Baking powder and warm water to make a soft dough. Lat rise for 20 minutes . then fry make pieces very thin. I sppreciate you !!!

[@matthewetheridge4535]

What did the buffalo say to his child when he dropped him at school? Bison!

[@Rhaspun]

That taco looks very tasty. Looks like a nice blend of different flavors with those ingredients.

[@solomonkane102]

In Portland they have an indian gathering around fathers day at delta park. You can get indian tacos and handicrafts there. The tacos are 🔥

[@JessicaRupinski-up3jn]

I wish there were more Native American restaurants, criminally underrated!

[@GreyOk-p5s]

I need to try this!!!!

[@henrygomez4410]

Great video 😊

[@SantiAgo-eg5to]

We have some amazing fry bread in AZ. My fav is a simple ground bison, cheese and hot sauce. Or honey and butter.

[@BalaamsAss]

huh... I'm from the South Denver Metro Area and I've never heard of this place. Gonna have to stop by sometime!

[@treysiebel7096]

Ok one of your better videos in awhile , I felt like I was there , and what different choice of foods

[@Eric-bt7ee]

You have to get their hot sauce that they give you in a container and also drizzle it in honey. Makes a big a difference with a little sweet and their hot sauce is kind of tangy. They both were on the counter before Covid but now you have to ask

[@1TieDye1]

I used to live up the streeth from there, growing up. I enjoyed it the couple times I went

[@swissarmyknight4306]

The bison being stringy isn't the cook's fault. Its just inherently like that. I don't know if its possible to get bison to "fall off the bone". That is the reason it is usually served ground; I've only ever had it ground. Its like a leaner ground beef with a bit more of a gamey flavor, which I like.

[@ypw510]

Different cuts of bison may be relatively easy to find. Ground bison is actually quite easy to find, and as some noted, most Costcos have it. Steaks might be somewhat easy to find at certain retailers - especially specialty markets. Finding bison ribs is probably not that easy, and this place says that they buy directly from a specific rancher. The other issue with bison is that there's almost no chance of farmed bison being purebred bison. Even in the wild, a lot of bison has domestic cattle genes, where maybe a few herds in Yellowstone National Park are known to have zero cattle genes. A lot of farmed bison has been deliberately crossbred with domestic cattle.

[@JasonSutherland-p6h]

Try the fry bread warmed up, slathered in butter and cinnamon sugar, or butter and honey.

[@flydude1063]

Oh, and you need to put honey on the fry bread. So delicious!

[@afroabroad]

Why did I get recommend your channel. Interesting though chill personality too.

[@WebberWebbies]

I grew up in the Choctaw Nation. Commodity Cheese was its own food group in those days.

[@AldenRogers]

I was disappointed there weren't more authentic native foods or derivations of.

[@chrislillback8462]

You got the Dad jokes down!

[@nuggz720]

This place is really good its just really large portions so i recommend going with someone and sharing one dish

[@nuggz720]

really good vegetarian options if that is for you (i'm a part time veg)

[@TheSinjas]

In canada frybread is more often called bannok and is usually served with butter or jams and indian tacos is usually bannok, chili and cheeze

[@SquidFox9]

Tocabe is awesome. Used to live in that neighborhood and it was a go to on occasion.

[@superdoonz1]

But if you wanted the best ribs it was "The Ragin' Hog" BBQ just across the street in the Safeway plaza.

[@TehCorbzor]

I live in a Denver suburb, and this is the first I've heard of Tocabe. I'll have to check it out though. Also Bison isn't that uncommon here, every grocery store i go to has ground bison right next to the ground beef.

[@WilliamKShank]

YUM!!! 😋😋😋😋😋 Safe Journey! Yellowbird Blue Agave Sriracha!!!

[@nuggz720]

if you come back to CO you have to go to a spot for green chili. That is what CO is known for and it goes on everything here and is delicious. maybe illegal petes as its a hip cool fast casual spot this spot

[@EatingAmerica]

DDD great episode

[@thecashman8924]

Nice never had Native American food love to try it I’ll look around in Phoenix Arizona 😊

[@stalesnail146]

looks like you hated it but didnt want to say anything

[@Glitterfarts970]

Amazing review. Fry bread is greasy. Great observation.

[@VuTang858]

Everything looks good to me. I don’t like my ribs too tender, takes away the texture and flavor. And of course Bison will be tougher than beef, it’s mostly muscle. And the fry bread does not look greasy at all compared to the Chinese donut.

[@jh3]

I've eaten here several times and ribs most of the time. The ribs are not fall of the bone but they are definitely not tough like what you got that day. I always get them because they are tender and tasty

[@dustymcdust825]

Bison is pretty popular here in Denver. I was a federal food inspector and worked in bison slaughter here. Also bison was so much cleaner than cattle. You don’t see all of the abscesses, disease and parasites like you do in cattle.

[@vinylrock570]

Check out Casa Bonita