Bars and Clubs in Denver

5707 Olde Wadsworth Blvd. Arvada

303-690-6269

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The Arvada Tavern opened in 1933, not long after the repeal of Prohibition, and was issued the first liquor license in Arvada. A dive for decades, the tavern received a facelift in 2013 under new ownership while still holding on to the building’s vintage charm. More upscale now, it serves a variety of vintage cocktails and Colorado beers, and the menu includes comfort eats such as pierogi and schnitzel. Upstairs (through a phone booth with a false back wall) is Bernard's Tiki Room, a hidden tiki bar with live music every Friday and Saturday night.

6 articles

The Bar Car

819 Colorado Blvd. Central Denver

720-524-8099

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When Leigh Jones — of Horseshoe Lounge fame — bought the Recovery Room a decade ago, she overhauled it completely. The resulting Bar Car looks a little nondescript, but the rustic interior, with its old-timey railroad theme, is a pleasant surprise. Also pleasantly surprising, given Colorado Boulevard’s penchant for chains, is that the Bar Car is defiantly neighborhood-focused, offering a list of draft beers that’s heavy on locals. Patrons are local, too, whether they’re stopping by for the daily happy hour or the not-so-secret secret food menu, checking sports scores or just soaking up the warm surroundings late at night.

20 articles

The Bitter Bar

835 Walnut St. Boulder

303-442-3050

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Cocktail culture has thoroughly inundated America, but in 2011, when Boulder’s Bitter Bar opened as the late-night speakeasy alter-ego of the now-defunct Happy Noodle House, there was no other game like it in metro Denver. Bartender James Lee built a quick following with his precise drinks — be they long-forgotten classics or inventive creations — and bought the place outright in 2014. He continues to work obsessively toward creating the perfect cocktail for every customer, as well as maintaining Bitter Bar’s position as one of the best venues in the state for a cocktail.

14 articles

Bol

141 E. Meadow Dr., Vail Mountains

970-476-5300

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Buffalo Rose

1119 Washington Ave., Golden West Denver Suburbs

720-638-5597

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Smack in the middle of downtown Golden, the Buffalo Rose offers more than just good drinks — it offers a great experience. The mid-sized venue continues to grow in popularity with its intimate setting, excellent sound, huge dance floor and great local and national acts. The music is a grab bag of styles, ranging from blues to funk, hip-hop and rock, then back to indie, country, reggae and much more.

21 articles

Cactus Jack's Saloon

4651 Highway 73, Evergreen West Denver Suburbs

303-674-1564

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This saloon is a popular spot for music, imbibing and patio-sitting - and while you're soaking up the sun or knocking one back, you're bound to get hungry. Fortunately, Cactus Jack's has a solid menu of bar food, with a Mexican plate or two for good measure. Taking center stage are the dozen-plus Widespread Burgers, each named after a different Widespread Panic song and featuring toppings that range from fried eggs to Hatch green chiles to regular ol' bacon and cheese slices. You can order the Widespread Burgers with half-pound patties of all-natural, seasoned Anderson beef, marinated all-natural chicken breast or even Boca burgers. And that's not the end of the feel-good food: The establishment uses wind power and green products wherever possible, and it's been recycling bottles, cans and paper since back when "green" only referred to a color.

1 event 2 articles

Casselman's Bar & Venue

2620 Walnut St. Downtown Denver

720-242-8923

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The last word of the name Casselman's Bar & Venue really tells you what you need to know: This is a venue, above all, and a huge one, located on a warehouse-y stretch of Walnut Street in the Ballpark neighborhood. While the venue brings in an assortment of acts throughout the week, the space can feel a bit cavernous on an off night. Still, the long bar up front is always welcoming, flanked on one side by couches and pillows under drawings of Mos Def, Jay-Z and other artists. If there's no live music to move you, you can swing on a giant tire swing or play beer pong. And if you need some sustenance to sop up all that beer, Casselman's has a small but serviceable menu, full of burgers and sandwiches, appetizers and a few Mexican specials.

116 articles

Caveau Wine Bar

450 E.17th Ave. Central Denver

303-861-3747

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At their worst, wine lists are pompous, stratospherically overpriced, ridiculously long, awkwardly categorized and full of overexposed, yawn-inducing labels. But at Caveau Wine Bar, the 75-bottle list (55 are available by the glass) is an easy-to-navigate document of new discoveries, small producers and familiar but not overrated labels. The polished yet easygoing staff is well-versed in wine education and just as enthusiastic about pushing a $30 bottle of vino as a three-digit one, which is a welcome change to the rigorous sport of upselling. Those prowling for deals know to show up at 4 p.m. for the daily happy hour.

4 articles

The Clocktower Cabaret

1601 Arapahoe St. Downtown Denver

303-293-0075

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The Clocktower Cabaret has been delighting audiences for more than eleven years with its beautiful European-style decor, variety entertainment, and top notch hospitality. Located in in the heart of downtown Denver, the variety nightclub is nestled beneath the historic Daniels & Fisher Clock Tower building. Denver's showcase venue for live performances and your destination for fun, the nightclub boasts a full bar and a selection of appetizers, snacks and desserts. The main attraction is the entertainment, offering a diverse array of local and national acts including music of all genres, comedy, burlesque, drag shows, and more. Depending on the night's entertainment lineup, the dimly lit, intimate club can be an ideal spot for dates and anniversaries -- or a raucous bachelorette party. Generally, there are shows Wednesday through Saturday night.

129 articles

The Cooper Lounge

1701 Wynkoop St., Denver LoDo/Ballpark/Commons Park

720-460-3738

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When Union Station was renovated a decade ago, the mezzanine was turned into one of the most enchanting bars in town: the Cooper Lounge. In 2024, the elegant drinking destination got a refresh of its own that somehow made it even more lush. It’s a great place to meet up with friends from out of town, but it's also become something of a favorite with locals, particularly on full-moon nights, when you can sit on a barstool sipping a martini and look over 17th Street bathed in moonlight. The view is magical. And you might need to be a magician to secure a spot here: There's sometimes a two-hour wait.

6 articles

The Dam Grille

8000 E. Quincy Ave. Southeast Denver

303-779-0805

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Situated in a strip mall not far from Cherry Creek Reservoir, the Dam Grille is pretty damn serious about sports, boasting more than a dozen HD TVs and a 100-inch projector screen within its confines. There's a horseshoe-shaped bar in the good-sized room, along with plenty of seating for those watching a game. That bar has 24 beers on tap, and the food menu includes appetizers such as quesadillas and bacon-stuffed jalapeños as well as soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches and Mexican dishes. The Dam also brings in live music occasionally.

1 article

Denver Beer Co.

1695 Platte St., Denver LoDo/Ballpark/Commons Park

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Like its name, Denver Beer Co. is simple and straightforward. The owners, Charlie Berger and Patrick Crawford, aren't trying to reinvent the wheel; they just want to make great beer. But you'll rarely find the same beer there twice, as Berger and Crawford are constantly coming up with new recipes for a wide variety of styles, all of which they make in their seven-barrel brewhouse. Also on the menu at the 3,400-square-foot spot, which includes an outdoor biergarten with long tables: big Bavarian-style pretzels with dipping sauces.

202 articles

El Camino Community Tavern

3628 W. 32nd Ave., Denver Highland/Lower Highland

720-889-7946

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The atmosphere at El Camino is fun and welcoming, and so is the food. While the board is too heavy on things like molten cheese and too light on things like intestines to really sate a craving for authentic Mexican food, it's also not hip like the menu at one of Rick Bayless's upscale Chicago joints. Instead, the food here is unpretentious, pulling from all regions of Mexico — simple fare, influenced by the desires of American palates, that pairs well with El Camino's killer margaritas. They're some of the best in town, as are the nachos.

17 articles

Garfinkel's

536 E. Lionshead Circle, Vail Mountains

970-476-3789

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Garfinkel’s (or Garf’s, as it’s known around Vail) has been a prime bar and grill for locals and tourists since 1992. Located in Lionshead, at the bottom of the mountain, it’s a lively après-ski place as well as a great spot to watch skiers come down the hill. The massive deck, with its many picnic tables, is the perfect place to catch some rays or enjoy a meal: Garf's is one of the few places in the area that serves late, with a menu that includes homemade soups and chili, salads, burgers, sandwiches, ribs and steak.

The Ginn Mill

2041 Larimer St. Downtown Denver

303-295-0706

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When the owners of the Ginn Mill opened the place in 2007, they set out to resurrect one of the town's famous "ginn mills" of the late 1800s. The bar sits on one of Denver's oldest and most historic blocks, and its decor reflect a different time in America's history. Nostalgia lines the walls of the popular Ballpark neighborhood spot, further evoked by the half a Model T truck sitting above the bar (the other half is on the roof above the patio). While the Ginn Mill is fairly low-key during the week, business is usually booming on the weekends.

17 articles

The Gold Pan Saloon

103 N. Main St., Breckenridge Mountains

970-453-5499

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Dating back to 1879, the Gold Pan Saloon is the oldest bar in Breckenridge and still retains a lot of its vintage charm. A favorite spot among locals, the laid-back, casual bar also attracts a number of visitors who come for its food, cocktails and entertainment, including live music on Thursdays and DJs on the weekends. “The Pan” serves breakfast all day and lunch seven days a week, with menu items such as huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos, burgers and sandwiches.

Golden Moon Speakeasy

1111 Miner's Alley, Golden West Denver Suburbs

720-638-1155

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In 2007, when the U.S. government finally allowed absinthe to be made and sold in this country, distiller Stephen Gould was ready. By 2008, his hobby had become Golden Moon Distillery, which has since expanded to an eclectic lineup of liqueurs. In 2014, this tasting room that doubles as a destination for classic cocktails opened in downtown Golden, in an alley just off the main drag. All of the booze on the back bar comes from the distillery, which is located across town, and the skilled bar staff excels at showing it off in a variety of libations.

10 articles

Govnr's Park Restaurant & Tavern

672 Logan St. Central Denver

303-831-8605

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If you've ever had fantasies of throwing away everything you've got and moving to some small town in the middle of nowhere, Govnr's Park is just what you'd want the one bar in that town to be. It's the kind of place where, if you're having some problem (be it psychological, marital, political or just a broken-down motorcycle), odds are pretty good there's an expert in the house. It's the kind of place that will celebrate the presidential inauguration with as much enthusiasm as the football playoffs -- complete with drink specials, extended hours and dirt-cheap grub ranging from burgers to tater tots to Mexican fare to slightly more substantial and upscale grub from the grill.

25 articles

Great Divide Brewing Co.

2201 Arapahoe St. Downtown Denver

303-296-9460

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With seventeen Great American Beer Festival awards and five World Beer Cup awards -- not to mention a number-seven ranking in Beer Advocate's 2009 All-Time Top Breweries on Planet Earth -- it's quite clear that Great Divide knows a few things about making great beer. And there's no better way to experience one of the brewery's many beers than getting it right from the source at the Great Divide tap room.

148 articles

hi-dive

7 S. Broadway South Denver

303-733-0230

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The bars at these conjoined spaces are two sides of the same coin — both a little worn and gritty, but still good for quick shots or planting yourself for the long haul. Since 2003, the hi-dive has been a refuge from crass commercialism and bland bars catering to the masses. Cheap, stiff drinks and a revolving door of creative talent have kept the music venue ahead of the game. Sputnik, on the other hand, offers a mid-century vibe, along with plenty of meatless fare.

19 events 494 articles

Jerry's Bar and Grill

130 N. Main St., Brighton North Denver Suburbs

303-659-3788

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Located in downtown Brighton, Jerry’s Bar & Grill is a friendly neighborhood joint that welcomes everyone. A no-frills bar, Jerry’s attracts a fair amount of locals, who come in for the happy hours or a late-night bite, as the kitchen serves food until closing time. The menu includes standard bar fare as well as Mexican dishes such as posole and menudo. Jerry’s, which is done up in vintage decor that includes license plates from all fifty states, also brings in live bands and DJs from time to time.

Kentucky Inn

890 S. Pearl St. South Denver

303-778-9600

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The Kentucky Inn, one of the oldest bars in the West Wash Park neighborhood, closed in July 2017 for a remodel and the installation of a new kitchen. Inside, decades of cigarette-smoke stains were scrubbed away, new floors and wood paneling were installed, and a billiards room was added at the back. The original Kentucky Inn never had much of a kitchen, but the expansion brought a menu of bar favorites and a few Southern specialties to match the Kentucky theme, including the award-winning KY Cuban.

12 articles

La Rumba

99 W. 9th Ave. Central Denver

303-572-8006

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With cove lighting illuminating the brushed-steel front and back bars and sweeping color kinetics, La Rumba resembles a liquor-filled laserium. Add to that the award some great club nights - Latin on Fridays and Saturday's Salsa night -- and this Golden Triangle treasure becomes one hot tamale.

5 events 51 articles

Lansdowne Arms Bistro & Pub

9352 Dorchester St., Highlands Ranch Southeast Denver Suburbs

303-346-9136

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Located in Highlands Ranch, Lansdowne Arms is essentially a modern take on a traditional Irish pub. The moniker was borrowed from Lansdowne Road Stadium in Dublin, the oldest of the international rugby union's grounds, hosting Ireland's matches since 1878. The pub serves updated versions of traditional Irish favorites, like shepherd's pie and fish and chips, along with American dishes such as prime rib and burgers. The main-floor patio and the 3,000-square-foot second-floor deck both offer stellar views of the Colorado landscape.

5 events 1 article

Lucky Joe's

25 Old Town Square, Fort Collins Northern Colorado

970-493-2213

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Lucky Joe’s, in Ft. Collins, could be seen as an Irish pub wearing a western shirt. Part pub, part saloon, Lucky Joe’s straddles the line quite well. It’s one of the more jumping spots in Old Town Square, and can get crowded and rowdy, especially when school is in session. Singer-songwriters and rock acts play there four nights a week, and there’s an acoustic open-mic night on Sundays. The joint offers a wide-ranging selection of beers and a menu that includes Irish and American fare.

Lulu's Inn

33355 U.S. 36, Watkins Eastern Colorado

303-261-9672

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1 article

North Shore Restaurant & Bar

7444 W. Chatfield Ave., Ste. D, Littleton Southwest Denver Suburbs

303-972-8611

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Located in a Littleton strip mall near the north end of Chatfield Reservoir, North Shore Restaurant & Bar is a friendly neighborhood joint that serves fairly cheap drinks, hosts weekly karaoke nights and has live music on the weekends, when the place gets especially lively. It's a good place to watch a game, throw darts and play pool or trivia. There are video games and a decent-sized patio, as well. The menu includes standard bar fare with a selection of appetizers.

Platte River Bar & Grill

5995 S. Santa Fe Dr. Littleton

303-798-9356

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For more than two decades, the Platte River Bar & Grill has been a fixture among bikers and cyclists alike. The Platte’s massive outdoor seating area, which can accommodate more than 300 folks, has prime views of the Front Range and the Platte itself, which is a stone’s throw away. There’s live music on the patio every week during the warmer months, and occasional live entertainment inside during the rest of the year. The menu includes a wide variety of appetizers as well as wraps, burgers, Mexican favorites and salads.

1 article

Pourhouse Bar & Grill

124 E. 4th St., Loveland Northern Colorado

970-669-1699

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Pub on Colfax

7785 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood Northwest Denver

720-612-7279

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Punch Bowl Social

65 Broadway Central Denver

303-765-2695

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The original Punch Bowl Social opened on Broadway in 2012 as a premier fun zone for adults. The newer Stapleton location, at 3120 Uinta Street, continues the tradition in a breathtaking space built into the former airport’s control tower. Bowling, karaoke, vintage video games and shuffleboard are just a few of the diversions, but both locations boast multiple bars for those just there for the drinks. Founder Robert Thompson has built a nationwide Punch Bowl empire over the past several years, spreading the Denver brand far beyond Colorado’s borders.

94 articles

RISE Comedy

1260 22nd St. Downtown Denver

303-578-0079

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RISE Comedy (formerly Voodoo Comedy Playhouse), which opened in 2011, bills itself as Denver’s only improv comedy bar and theater. The venue, which has a full bar stocked with local brews, boasts a variety of original improv and sketch comedy five nights a week and offers classes in improv and standup. In addition to comedy, RISE also hosts occasional karaoke nights.

87 articles

Rock Bottom Brewery

1001 16th St. Downtown Denver

303-534-7616

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This is an upscale but comfortable brewpub with gourmet pub grub and plenty of chic atmosphere to spare. The food is above average, the beers are good, and the servers are just as likely to sit down and chat with you as they are to wait on you.

18 articles

Bars and Clubs in Denver

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