American in Denver

240 Union Blvd., Lakewood West Denver Suburbs

303-989-3562

American, Fusion, New American, Best Of, Sponsor, Menu

Longevity is an important word in any restaurateur's lexicon. Every house wants to see its ten-year anniversary in the rearview; most never get there. But 240 Union -- the New American outpost founded in 1989 by Michael Coughlin, Noel Cunningham and chef Matt Franklin -- is still going strong, because this restaurant has never just settled. Food this good doesn't come from coasting; it results when the crew comes to the grills fresh every night, stepping up to each shift as though it were the first one.

9 articles

Arvada Tavern

5707 Olde Wadsworth Blvd. Arvada

303-690-6269

American, Bars and Clubs, Bars, Best Of, Sponsor, DrinkHere

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 Bitter Bar

835 Walnut St. Boulder

303-442-3050

American, Bars and Clubs, Recommended, Sponsor

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

Bars and Clubs, American, Pizza, Small Plates, Sponsor, Menu

Buffalo Rose

1119 Washington Ave., Golden West Denver Suburbs

720-638-5597

American, Bars and Clubs, Music Venues, Best Of, Sponsor

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

The Dam Grille

8000 E. Quincy Ave. Southeast Denver

303-779-0805

American, Bar, Bars and Clubs, Sponsor

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

El Senor Sol

15900 W. Colfax Ave., Golden West Denver Suburbs

303-384-3578

American, Mexican, Tex-Mex, Best Of, Sponsor

This native Colorado Mexican chain restaurant, which boasts eight locations, six of them along the Front Range, has been serving up freshly prepared tortilla chips and salsa, enchiladas, burritos and Mexican seafood dishes for the past fifteen years. El Señor Sol offers happy-hour specials, catering, online ordering and plenty of vegan/vegetarian options, including grilled-vegetable fajitas with housemade guacamole. Sol has banquet rooms available for up to 100 people at a time, and the moderate prices are sure to please guests in parties both large and small.

2 articles

The Fort Restaurant

19192 Highway 8 Morrison

303-697-4771

American, Steakhouse, Recommended, Best Of, Sponsor, Menu, Slideshow

The Fort is a theme restaurant. Sure, it's been called better things (a museum of culinary history, a gastronomic time capsule) and worse things (the fabulous obsession of one of the New West's great hucksters), but it's still a theme restaurant — part Old West reliquary, part Planet Hollywood with cowboys. The servers all wear costumes, the walls are hung with artifacts of the trapper/trader/Indian-fighter culture of Olde Timey Colorado, and the menu is an intellectual exploration of the West's close-to-the-land culinary past. On top of all this, the place itself is, well, a fort, a brick-by-brick replica of Bent's Fort. That all said, the kitchen is not to be underestimated: The Fort handles a piece of meat (be it bison, elk or beef) very, very well, and the appetizer board boasts adventurous bites such as bison tongue, raw bison liver and delectable bone marrow.

36 articles

Govnr's Park Restaurant & Tavern

672 Logan St. Central Denver

303-831-8605

American, Bars and Clubs, Recommended, Sponsor, Menu, Slideshow

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

Hopper's Sports Grill

10051 I-70 Frontage Road N., Wheat Ridge North Denver Suburbs

303-233-1331

American, Restaurants, Sponsor

Jay's Grille and Bar

7820 N. Washington St. North Denver

303-288-5297

American, Mexican, Sponsor, Menu

1 article

Meritage

500 Interlocken Blvd., Broomfield Northwest Denver Suburbs

303-438-6600

American, Restaurants, Best Of, Sponsor

Omni Interlocken Resort sits right off the highway between Denver and Boulder. But once you’ve parked your car and entered into this stunning complex, you feel like you could be a world away – especially when you’re dining at the Meritage, a casually elegant restaurant with a stunning setting. The menu features a wide range of fare with an emphasis on local ingredients; you can dine indoors by a huge stone fireplace or on the outdoor patio looking up at the Front Range. But the best time to experience Meritage may be during Sunday brunch, when the restaurant puts out an incredible spread.

2 articles

Northfield Stapleton

8340 Northfield Blvd. East Denver

303-375-5464

American, Community Venues, Retail, Best Of, Sponsor

When Denver decided to build a new airport 25 miles northeast of downtown on what was then almost-untouched prairie, people wondered what would happen to Stapleton, the city’s original airport, and the largely industrial area around it. Well, wonder no more. Stapleton has become one of the most successful new urbanism projects in the country, full of not just families but singles and childless couples (both hetero and gay) who flock to the area so close to the city, but so full of amenities. And one of the greatest amenities is Northfield Stapleton, the shopping area just north of I-70, full of restaurants, entertainment venues (including a movie theater) and stores both independent and big-box, with tree-lined streets and plenty of places to sit and chat with neighbors.

2 articles

The Old Stone Church Restaurant

210 3rd St. Castle Rock

303-688-9000

American, Southwestern, Steakhouse, Best Of, Sponsor, Menu

Still looking like the beautiful place of worship it once was, the Old Stone Church continues to be a mecca for some kind of reverence or another, whether your particular religion be food or wine. The serene, elegant restaurant offers just the kind of joyous occasion that takes the edge off the stresses of the season. Sunday brunch is the obvious best choice for the Church, which counts stained-glass windows, cream-colored walls and white linens among its glorious offerings. Sadly, the original stained-glass window of the Last Supper that once hung in the now-decommissioned building was taken out by the Denver Archdiocese because it was deemed sacrilegious to leave it, but plenty of holy reminders remain, including the much-coveted table in the confessional, which makes for some fine romantic dining. But not on Sundays, when the place is filled with families and church-goers of another sort. They're all there to commune (at a good price) over such innovative goodies as the "soup of the moment," salads, decadent baked goods and more. It's also a great choice for a romantic dinner (try the duck) or appetizer-grazing at the bar.

4 articles

The Oven Pizza E Vino

7167 W. Alaska Dr., Lakewood West Denver Suburbs

303-934-7600

American, Pizza, Recommended, Sponsor, Menu

Mark Tarbell, owner of the Oven, is one of those great chefs who understands that he's cooking dinner for friends every night. And when you're cooking for friends, you want to take care of them. At the Oven, this translates to handmade pizza dough, organic ingredients and locally sourced stock, artisan sauces, housemade mozzarella that spreads like the soft cheese it actually is, and ricotta smoked over custom-made ovens that Tarbell helped design. All Tarbell's care combines to create a friendly, fabulous artisan pizza joint.

7 articles

Platte River Bar & Grill

5995 S. Santa Fe Dr. Littleton

303-798-9356

American, Bars and Clubs, Music Venues, Sponsor

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

Poppies Restaurant

2334 S. Colorado Blvd. Southeast Denver

303-756-1268

American, Mexican, Sponsor, Essentials

A red awning over a strip mall space in south Denver marks the entrance to Poppie’s, where those in the know have been heading for classic American favorites and high-quality bar banter since 1985. Step inside and let the staff — many of whom have worked there for years — do what they do best: make you feel at home while you dig into specialties like the can’t-miss prime rib and French dip.

1 article

Reivers Bar & Grill

1085 S. Gaylord St. South Denver

303-733-8856

American, Best Of, Sponsor, Menu

What's old is new again at Reivers, a neighborhood institution on Old South Gaylord Street that's gotten a surprisingly successful facelift under owner Dan Shipp. Not only does the space look streamlined and fresh, but the food is tasty. The burger-and-sandwich roster is still big, but each item gets extra attention, and upscale bar classics like fried Brussels sprouts are an especially good deal during happy hour.

7 articles

The Sportsbook Bar & Grill

9660 E. Arapahoe Rd. Englewood

303-799-1300

Bar, American, Burgers, Bars and Clubs, Sponsor

The moniker of this Greenwood Village bar pretty much sums up the place. The Sportsbook prides itself on showing just about every sporting event on its multiple flat-screen TVs (and projection screen), whether it's football, hockey, basketball, baseball, rugby or UFC fights, and it's one of the few spots in the Denver Tech Center area where you can watch soccer games on a regular basis. The menu offers standard bar fare, including appetizers, salads, wraps, burgers and sandwiches. There's live music on Saturdays and an open-mike night on Wednesdays.

1 article

Stockyard Saloon

4710 National Western Dr., Denver Globeville

303-298-0525

American, Mexican, Best Of, Sponsor

During the annual National Western Stock Show, the Stockyard Saloon — located in a historic building in the heart of the old packinghouse district — is the hottest place in town. But this watering hole is worth a visit the rest of the year, too. The second-floor space offers an interesting view of the rapidly evolving neighborhood as the National Western complex is transformed, and the view inside is usually pretty interesting, too, since cowboys are often rubbing elbows with realtors checking out the area.

7 articles

Swanky's

1938 Blake St., Denver LoDo/Ballpark/Commons Park

720-483-9699

American, Bars and Clubs, Best Of, Sponsor, Menu

While Swanky's is only a stone's throw from Coors Field, this sports bar is hailed as Denver's home for Green Bay Packers football. During football season, expect swarms of Cheeseheads on Sundays, but once baseball season starts it's a comfortable spot to watch the game or grab drinks before or after the Rockies games. Don't miss the Curd Burger, an unfortunately named dish that belies its awesomeness: It's a half-pound burger stuffed with cheese curds.

5 articles

Teller's Taproom & Kitchen

1990 Youngfield St. Lakewood

303-237-1002

American, Bars and Clubs, Sponsor

It's no secret that Lakewood (and, while we're at it, Wheat Ridge) is a vast culinary labyrinth of chains and uninspiring independent restaurants that force suburbanites to empty their change in downtown meters. And that's what inspired Larimer Associates COO Joe Vostrejs, his brothers Steve and Matt, and Rod Wagner, acquisitions and project management partner for Larimer Associates, to open Teller's Taproom & Kitchen in a former 7-Eleven in Applewood. "We recognized that the neighborhood really needed something like this, a third place to hang out, drink great beers and eat great food after spending time at work and at home," says Steve Vostrejs. The partners completely gutted both the exterior and the interior and opened Teller's in early 2012. The space, which Vostrejs describes as "steampunk," is that and more: The marble-topped 1890s mahogany bar, which originally resided in the Lamar train station, overlooks tap handles for thirty beers, thirteen of which are brewed in Colorado, and those beers are poured in appropriate glassware, including double steins if you're ordering a domestic brew.

3 articles

Wazee Supper Club

1600 15th St. Downtown Denver

303-623-9518

American, Bars and Clubs, Recommended, Sponsor, Menu

The Wazee predates all the hipness, all the gentrification of LoDo. But the bar has aged so well, no place works better when you need a place to crash-land for a couple of hours, a couple of years, a lifetime. It's seen some famous faces (and has even been owned by one, John Hickenlooper), but has also served 10,000 times as many nobodies. And the food here, especially the burgers and pizza, is far better than you'd expect, exactly the sort of grub that goes perfectly with a beer, a shot and a long night out with friends. A major renovation in 2012 gave the place a big new kitchen and expanded the dining area in the bar, but the dumbwaiter remains, as does the down-home atmosphere that makes this such a great neighborhood bar. Here’s to forty more years at the Wazee.

42 articles

Wrigley's Chicago Bar & Grill

18200 W. Colfax Ave., Golden Northwest Denver Suburbs

303-277-1551

American, Bars and Clubs, Sponsor, Menu

3 articles

1301 Santa Fe Tavern & Grill

1301 Santa Fe Dr. Central Denver

303-996-8970

American, Barbecue, Mexican, Steakhouse, Recommended, Menu

New owners have brought a new menu along with a new cleanliness regimen to the former dark, divey Hoffbrau, now renamed 1301 Santa Fe Bar & Grill. The rooftop smoking deck and wooden floor of the dining room got a good scrubbing, and the kitchen and interior underwent several much-needed repairs. The result is a comfortable neighborhood joint, with a dark bar for imbibing those happy-hour and late-night specials, and cozy tables where crowds can order off a menu that includes Mexican, Greek and American fare.

2 articles

The 49th

5350 S Santa Fe Dr. Littleton

303-872-3978

American

The 49th, an Alaska-themed spot on South Kipling Street, opened a second location in Littleton in 2024. Unsurprisingly, elk meat makes frequent appearances on the menu. Our favorite application is in the 49th's burgers, which are made with a blend of beef and elk, resulting in a still-juicy patty with earthy notes from the game meat.

The 49th

4550 S. Kipling St. Southwest Denver Suburbs

720-255-2021

American

The 49th, an Alaska-themed spot on South Kipling Street, opened a second location in Littleton in 2024. Unsurprisingly, elk meat makes frequent appearances on the menu. Our favorite application is in the 49th's burgers, which are made with a blend of beef and elk, resulting in a still-juicy patty with earthy notes from the game meat.

740 Front

740 Front St. Louisville

720-519-1972

American

2 articles

Ace Gillett's Lounge

239 S. College Ave., Fort Collins Northern Colorado

970-449-4797

Bar, American

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema - Sloans Lake

4255 W. Colfax Ave. Central Denver

720-577-4720

Movie Theaters, American, Best Of, Readers' Choice

Nearly four years in the making, the Alamo Drafthouse is finally expanding beyond its first Colorado location deep in Littleton with a new flagship in Denver along the West Colfax corridor. The new Alamo Sloan's Lake is the first big piece of a major redevelopment of the historic neighborhood and the first cinema – complete with famed food service right to your seat and a strict no-talking/no-texting policy alongside quality programming – to ensconce itself in that part of town. Boasting eight screens of state-of-the-art 4K movie magic (but sadly no 35mm for true film cineastes), the theater is poised to welcome the many fans it gained in Littleton and introduce many more to the legend of the Alamo Drafthouse name, which has been enchanting viewers in more cities than ever before. Alongside the theater experience, the Alamo will open the doors to Barfly, its highly designed tavern that nods to the Beat poets who once roamed the dirty streets and bars on Colfax, with themed art and a special stage featuring a rotating slate of performers to keep things moving for guests before or after the film.

56 articles

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

7301 S. Santa Fe Dr., Littleton Southwest Denver Suburbs

720-588-4107

American, Movie Theaters, Best Of, Slideshow, Readers' Choice

Turn off your cell phones (no, really — turn ’em off) and leave the kids with a sitter, because the fun-loving Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, which made its Colorado debut in spring 2013 at Aspen Grove in Littleton, came with a movie-party reputation. The Austin, Texas-based chain offers a variety of programming, from genre film to cult classics to one-of-a-kind events with a local twist. And all of it comes with a tableside menu of burgers, pizzas, salads, sandwiches and brunch items, along with an extensive list of mostly Colorado craft beers – on draft and in cans and bottles – as well as wine and beer- and liquor-infused shakes. This is movie-going that makes your living room obsolete.

315 articles

Amante Coffee

1035 Walnut St. Boulder

303-546-9999

American, Coffeehouse, Italian, Tea, Coffee Shops, Menu

1 article

Appaloosa Grill

535 16th St., #110 Downtown Denver

720-932-1700

American, Bar, Bars and Clubs

When you stumble off the 16th Street Mall and into the Appaloosa, a cheerful, independently owned spot, odds are good that you'll hit a happy hour, because the Appaloosa's happy-hour schedule is expansive -- almost as expansive as the drinks are inexpensive. And you can down those drinks while listening to live music every night of the week, a rarity in this part of town. The music, which starts at 10 p.m., includes a variety of genres, including rock, funk, soul, reggae and bluegrass.

9 events 27 articles

American in Denver

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