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The Place: The Hornet, 76 Broadway, 303-777-7676.
The Hours: Daily from 4 to 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. to close.
The Deals: The early happy hour features $2.50 bottled beers and well drinks; $3 calls, house wines, and vodka cocktails; $1 off drafts; and $3 tapas. The late-night happy hour highlights $2.50 drafts; 2 for 1 shots of various liquors; and food specials for under $5.
The Digs: Located conveniently on the corner of Broadway and Ellsworth in Denver’s Baker district, The Hornet offers a spacious, clean and casual space to meet some friends and toss back a beer or ten. The place is usually slammed on weekend nights, but weekdays almost always have empty chairs and the big windows facing Broadway keep you from feeling like you’re drinking in a hole.
The Verdict: The Hornet’s happy hour isn’t remarkable or mind-blowing by any stretch, but it is what it is: a place where you can grab a cheap buzz twice a day or nosh on cheap, filling food to help you along in your adventures. Plus, the staff is pretty awesome and we’re big fans of friendly service. The fruit-infused vodka cocktails are yummy, and while the barbecued pork ribs aren’t the best we’ve ever had, the portion is pretty impressive for the price and they’re smothered in so much barbecue sauce that you can’t tell if they’re really bad or not. If you’re headed in a more kosher direction, the chicken tostadas and chicken tenders are also decent snacks.
Overall Grade: B-
