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1417 Krameria St. Denver, CO 80220
720-287-0584
http://www.aqualoungedenver.com Talk about your 180s: The Mozart Lounge long held a place in the hearts of dive-bar diehards, serving cheap, early-morning beers to workers just off the job at nearby hospitals and late-night cocktails to the riff-raff and bikers who might grace those same med centers later in the evening. But now the space has been completely reinvented by the owners of the Barker Lounge as a slick, H2O-themed cocktail lounge, complete with sleek leather furniture, live entertainment, a VIP area and dim lighting. It might seem a little out of place on a block sandwiched between Colfax and one of the busiest King Soopers in the state, but Aqua Lounge is making it work. And even those Mozart regulars might be lured back by the four-hour happy hour Aqua offers each day, plus the karaoke on Thursdays and pianists on Fridays and Saturdays. More >>
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8332 E. 49th Ave. Denver, CO 80238
303-457-5900
http://www.barlouieamerica.com/home/ Long a staple in the Midwest, the Bar Louie chain has landed in Colorado. At the Shops at Northfield, Bar Louie is the perfect spot for a mid-shopping beer; it also makes a great holding pen for husbands waiting out a long run by their significant others. The menu features such bar standards as wings and burgers, but Bar Louie separates itself from other national behemoths by featuring an all-day brunch, a late-night kitchen and many deals throughout the week, especially on Sunday. With an indoor fire pit, flat screen tvs and the occasional live band, Bar Louie has something for everyone. More >>
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7301 E. 29th St. Denver, CO 80238
720-974-7350
http://www.caseysbistroandpub.com Casey's Bistro and Pub, on Main Street in Stapleton, is an Irish pub brought to us by the people who gave us Darcy's in the Tech Center and McCabe's in Aurora. The quasi-Irish pub's exterior is all shiny stainless steel and glass windows, but inside, it has a much more authentic feel -- if you can avoid the glare of the setting sun. There's the requisite dark paneling and a tap row that could easily convince you that you're actually in Ireland. Guinness, Murphy's, Boddington's, Smithwick's and Kronenberg 1664 grace the lineup, and there's nary a glimpse of their lesser American brothers. More >>
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12100 E. 39th Ave. Denver, CO 80239
303-375-9979
http://www.cleatz.com
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4400 E. 8th Ave. Denver, CO 80220
303-329-9532
http://www.collegeinndenver.com While it's easy to dub this popular neighborhood spot, which has been around for decades, a sports bar, the College Inn attracts a lot of folks who are interested in more than just watching the game. With the many flat-screen TVs around the place, it certainly looks and feels like a sports bar, but it doesn't necessarily sound like one. You don't hear the play-by-plays, the whistles or the announcers' banter -- though someone concentrating really hard might catch them. After the Little Pub Company bought the bar from the B.U.F.F. Brothers in 2010, the place got a bit of a facelift, but without stripping away all of its charm. More >>
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8246 E. 49th Ave. Denver, CO 80238
303-307-1777
http://www.improv.com Nestled in the fictional-feeling Stapleton neighborhood, Improv Denver is the premier (and perhaps only) comedy club in the northeastern part of the city. The chain brings food together with standup, offering a full menu -- cleverly sectioned off with appetizers as "opening acts," entrees as "headliners" and so on -- of everything from sweet-potato fries and quesadillas to chicken salads and tortellini, served during shows by request. The Improv's front area is dominated by large windows and a bar with a handful of tables, plus a quaint fireplace in the corner. The club's calendar features both up-and-coming and established comedians, performing several day- and week-long stints. Venue hours vary, depending on events. More >>
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5001 E. Colfax Ave. Denver, CO 80220
303-336-5763
http://www.theelmdenver.com Anyone from Boston is likely to develop an instant affinity for the Elm. Red Sox fans rule supreme here, the bar also supports other Beantown teams such as the Celtics, Bruins and Patriots. Still, this Little Pub Company-owned spot is subtle with its memorabilia and keeps it simple, with black-and-white photos hanging on the walls and a few ball caps hanging over the bar. The building was once a drugstore and soda fountain, and the Elm still retains a bit of its history with retro fixtures and a classic wood bar. The menu runs the pub-food gamut, from wings and burgers to salads and wraps. If you're looking for Denver's answer to Cheers, the Elm might be your place -- or least a place to run into someone else from Boston. More >>
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8001 E. Colfax Ave. Denver, CO 80220
303-320-6683
http://www.hangarbardenver.com It's hard to miss the Beer Can Bomber hanging over the bar when you enter this East Colfax dive. The massive airplane sculpture was made from beer cans of yesteryear, like Blatz, Hamm's, Schmidt and a host of others you may have forgotten about if you've been around since World War II. The Hangar has been around for just about that long. Opened in 1938 -- the same year as the former Lowry Air Force Base nearby -- the Hangar specialized in stiff drinks for Air Force pilots and crew until 1994, when the base closed and became a housing development. Over the years, the bar's owners have changed, as has the clientele, but the neighborhood joint still serves those stiff drinks. More >>
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8340 Northfield Blvd. Denver, CO 80238
303-373-9100
http://www.richardsandoval.com
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1200 Acoma St. Ste. 101A Denver, CO 80220
720-496-4158
http://www.madgreens.com Located in the same space as Mad Greens and Novo Coffee Bar, Mad Wine Bar rounds out the other options with cheese plates and a range of wines by the glass or bottle. The wine and cheese change often, though a few of each have earned permanent status due to their popularity. The walls here serve as a gallery for local artists, whose work is sold by the bar and rotated monthly. The space features lots of green and purple, with booths, concrete pillars and steel dividers comprising the decor. The bar would be perfectly acceptable to your grandma or your art-school friend, and you'll find them both here. The proximity to the DAM makes Mad Wine Bar an ideal place to go pre- or post-museum visit, and it often hosts art-related events, including receptions for the DAM's Logan Lecture Series. More >>
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6495 E. Evans Ave. Denver, CO 80220
303-691-3391
http://www.milossportstavern.com A steady stream of regulars come and go at Milo's Sports Tavern, where people are friendly and the server, who also acts as bartender and hostess, greets you by name. Milo's is a neighborhood sports joint with comfortable leather seats at the bar meant for sitting in for a while. Though not a very big space, the tavern makes great use of what's available. More than twenty flat-screen TVs line the top of the walls around the entire restaurant, with four more on the smoking patio, and there are more neon beer signs than beers on tap. The kitchen stays open until 1 a.m., so you can soak up the bargain booze with some mac-and-cheese or any number of other sports-bar food staples. More >>
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1624 Market St. Denver, CO 80220
303-534-1333
http://www.patscheesesteaks.com Once the home of Brendan's Pub blues club, Pat's Cheesesteaks now occupies this subterranean spot. In addition to serving up some of the best cheesesteaks in town, the spot also brings in DJs on the weekends and hosts beer pong and the Denver Poker Tour during the week. More >>
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8501 E. Colfax Ave. Denver, CO 80220
303-322-7777
This Aurora restaurant is owned by Renato Castillo, whose aunt, Francesca Ruiz, owns and operates Los Cabos II. The family-influenced menu offers a mix of coastal seafood dishes, sopas and Peruvian specialties. More than half of the menu was culled from Los Cabos menu, while the remaining plates are all Castillo's mother's recipes. Not surprisingly, the restaurant's signature, namesake cocktail is a big draw. More >>
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4958 E. Colfax Ave. Denver, CO 80220
303-320-9337
http://www.rrdenver.com The rainbow blocks painted on the door and the Coors Pride light let patrons know from the get-go that R&R is a gay bar, but it's gay in both senses of the word. It's a cozy, clean space filled with friendly interruptions and lively conversations, and you don't need a specific sexual preference to be welcomed. R&R feels more like a cocktail party at someone's house than a bar -- that is, if that person lit their apartment with black lights and had a large white Formica bar. It's also a comfortable place where patrons' birthdays are posted each month on a whiteboard and people introduce themselves as friends while critiquing the bartender's pours with a laugh. R&R hosts a dart league for its two electric dartboards and sells dart-related supplies, and there's a large vending machine stocked with chips and cigs. More >>
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1141 Syracuse St. Denver, CO 80230
303-377-2642
In a small strip mall, next to a mini-mart, is the Ready Room, or "Bethlehem's Ready Room Lounge," as it is fully named. The bar is divided by a narrow horseshoe bar into a lounge side and a game side. On the lounge side is a mishmash of features and functions, including an 8'x8' dance floor complete with a disco ball, a small stage, a sound system and about twenty white-cloth-covered tables for "lounging." The Ready Room books live bands on occasion and hosts club nights (with a very specific dress code) on the weekends. On the game side are big-screen TVs, video poker and three pool tables under portraits of Martin Luther King Jr. More >>
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4650 Tower Road Denver, CO 80249
303-307-1390
http://www.rookiessportsbardenver.com
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200 Quebec St. #300-101 Denver, CO 80230
303-344-4404
http://www.saltyritas.com
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7401 E. 1st Ave. Denver, CO 80230
303-366-0007
http://www.tavernhg.com/soiled_dove A huge improvement on its previous LoDo location, the newer, classier Soiled Dove was built from the ground up, with music as the focal point. Its crescent-shaped seating area was designed so that anyone seated in the 300-person-plus room would have a good line of sight. And while the sound in the LoDo Dove was great, the new Dove's system is damn near impeccable. Give these guys a standing ovation for building what might be the most comfortable place to see a show. Definitely reason enough to make the trek out to Lowry and hear this Dove sing. More >>
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2373 Central Park Blvd. Denver, CO Denver, CO 80238-2300
720-496-4565
If skinny British lady Rachel Ashwell, who brought Shabby Chic into the lives of upper-middle-class women nationwide, opened a salon, Sweet Life would be it. Dark mahogany-stained floors provide a foundation for light-blue chandeliers, oversized off-white linen chairs, pastel vintage doors and soft, sheer curtains in this Stapleton salon, where anything is possible as long as it involves beauty and booze. You can get a Cosmo with your manicure or an Irish creme-spiked coffee with your facial. You can also shop for jewelry and peruse local skin-care product lines. Sweet Life exclusively uses Zoya nail polish, which does not contain the harmful toxins commonly found in most brands, adding to the eco-conscious stance of the salon. It's the perfect place for bridal showers, sweet sixteens or baby showers -- though it's not just a women's club: Sweet Life offers pedicures for guys, too. More >>
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8104 49th Ave. Denver, CO 80238
303-371-8840
http://www.tgifridays.com/home/welcome.aspx
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7401 E. 1st Ave. Denver, CO 80230
303-366-0007
http://www.tavernhospitalitygroup.com/lowry
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8260 Northfield Blvd. Denver, CO 80238
303-577-8629
http://www.countrybarco.com Named after Toby Keith's hit country single "I Love This Bar," this massive, 22,000-square-foot bar/restaurant, which is housed in the former Borders Books location at Northfield Stapleton, sports an 85-foot guitar-shaped bar, a ton of Keith memorabilia and a dance floor; it also serves beer in Mason jars and offers live country music five nights a week. You'll find a bevy of tank-top-sporting, Daisy Duke-wearing Whiskey Girl bartenders and waitresses at the 650-seat spot, which can get a bit rowdy on the weekends. Keith's place, part of a national chain, also serves up down-home grub, from pulled-pork sandwiches and meatloaf to Southern-fried Twinkies. More >>
