Food, Music and Community: Puerto Rican Social Club Opening In Denver

Among the many scenes of Puerto Rican culture on display during the much-watched-and-debated Super Bowl halftime show was Bad Bunny doing a shot served by an 85-year-old woman. 

That was no actress, but Maria Antonia “Toñita” Cay, owner of the legendary Caribbean Social Club in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It’s one of the last surviving Puerto Rican social clubs in New York. 

And now, Denver is getting one: Brooklyn native Christy Rivera, along with husband Ben Oakes and friend Terwanda McMoore, are co-owners of Aguanile, a social club that will celebrate its grand opening on February 27. 

Aguanile Brings a Taste of Puerto Rico to Denver

“The goal was to create a space where Puerto Rican people came and felt at home,” says Rivera. “Where do you go to be around your people, have your food, listen to your music? There was none of that in Denver, and in talking to other friends and finding other Puerto Ricans around here, the prevailing idea was that there’s no space for us. And so my goal was, if no one else is going to do it, then I’m going to do it.”

Aguanile sits in a relatively small space at the corner of the Cortland Alameda Apartments complex at the Alameda light-rail station that in the past has housed a brewery, a coffee shop and a cocktail bar. The part-lounge, part-restaurant, part-clubhouse now boasts a small bar, a few tables and a sitting area, all designed to offer what Rivera calls an “immersive dining and social experience rooted in Puerto Rican tradition.” 

That includes serving such dishes as a house-roasted half-chicken; pernil, a slow-roasted pork dish made according to Rivera’s family recipe; and tripleta, a three-meat sandwich that Aguanile is serving slider style. For drinks, there will be Puerto Rican cocktails featuring rum and a variety of mixes. 

Rivera is quick to note that Aguanile is more than just a place to eat and drink. Rather, it’s designed as a gathering place that will feature a regular series of special events and performances, as well as everyday expressions of Puerto Rican culture. 

A Space for Puerto Rican Food, Music, Culture and Community

At the grand opening, for instance, the Flamboyán Theater group will perform music, poetry and dance. Going forward, the club plans to have regular open mics, domino tournaments, live bomba drum sessions and more. 

The timing couldn’t be better: The Bad Bunny halftime show has generated a surge of interest in Puerto Rican culture, driving Rivera and team to work double-time to get the space ready to open. 

While the space is small, it’s packed full of little reminders of this theme. Behind the bar is a multi-colored portrait mural depicting famous Puerto Rican musician Héctor Lavoe, a singer widely regarded as the godfather of salsa; Aguanile is named after his most popular song. Similar murals depict actress Rita Moreno and, of course, Bad Bunny.

“Aguanile is our love letter to Puerto Rico,” says Rivera. “This isn’t just a restaurant, it’s a piece of my heritage, my family, and my story. I want people to walk in and feel the love, the pride, the music, the sabor and the Boricua spirit the moment they step through the door.”

Aguanile’s grand opening starts at 5 p.m. Friday, February 27. The social club is located at 415 South Cherokee Street, Suite 125. Find hours and other information at aguaniledenver.com.