Fans Pour Out More Memories of the Dark Horse

The beer and memories were flowing as Boulder’s world-famous Dark Horse went dark last month. The property where the 51-year-old restaurant stands is being redeveloped, and many locals who opposed the plan hope the Dark Horse will gallop off to another location.

In the meantime, some of the bar’s memorabilia is now up for auction. Bidding is open until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14, and items must be “paid for and removed without exception” by 4:45 p.m. on April 16, according to Roller Auction, which has been tasked with managing the sale.

But fans of the Dark Horse don’t need memorabilia to be reminded of all the good times, and they’ve been sharing their memories in comments on Westword Facebook posts about the bar’s closing. Says Martha:

Oh, the memories! And the nights I don’t remember. And the things I remember but can’t share with the reading public! (I don’t want to think about what I might have done to that burger guy) Adios, Dark Horse.

Recalls Theresa:

A sales rep friend from England took me there for a late lunch about 1977.  He asked the waitress for a wine list. Blank stare.  He then asked what wines were available.  She cheerily replied, “White, red, and rose.”  His reply was, “I didn’t mean the color, dear girl, but rather the vintage.” Another blank stare from our waitress. We ordered Coors beer.

Adds Reid:

My most distinctive memory was the first time I visited in the late ’70s or early ’80s, and was fooled by the signs on the bathroom doors pointing to the other bathroom. Having had a few adult beverages, I saw the sign but not the index finger pointing to the other door, and went into a stall not realizing there should be urinals. Did not fully realize my mistake until I came out of the stall to see a young woman brushing her hair. We both were a little startled   I apologized and quickly returned to the bar. Good times.

Offers Jeanette:

The Dark Horse was the last of the Grand American Fare restaurant chain. It was started by a group of Western Airlines pilots in 1964, and at its peak had 34 restaurants across California and Colorado, with one each in Arizona and Nebraska — all filled with movie props, confusing bathroom doors and memorabilia galore. I can find stories on the individual restaurants closing: Washington’s in Fort Collins, No Frills Grill in Denver, Meadow Muffins in Colorado Springs, The Armory in Greeley, the Oar House in Santa Monica, PO Pears in Lincoln, Nebraska — but a story on Al Ehringer and the rise and fall of the GAF chain would be an interesting read. I’d never heard of Paddy Boots in Englewood or the Lakewood Inn, though I’d been in all the other Colorado locations before they were closed. You can find Great American Fare 25th anniversary coins (’64-’89) for sale on ebay and Etsy.

And then there’s this from Andrew Hudson:

I played with a local Boulder band called Chucky and the Cyclones.  We played at the Dark Horse regularly. The guitarist/leader, Chuck Hughes, was a terrific entertainer. He’d seen a video on MTV where a guitarist swung his guitar around his shoulders and then caught it in perfect timing to hit the next chord. You needed a wireless contraption so the guitar cable didn’t strangle you with this crazy move, which Chuck had. Chuck practiced this move all day in his backyard.

We were in the middle of “Sweet Child of Mine” when the moment came for him to swing his guitar over his shoulders. Unfortunately, there was one fatal flaw in the plan, a little thing called ‘strap locks,’ which are designed to hold the straps securely onto the guitar.  You typically have to have these installed, as they don’t come with new guitars. So as he’s swinging his guitar, the guitar straps break off the guitar and the guitar goes flying across the stage and crashes into the keyboard, making an enormous cacophony!  

I’m playing bass and I look at the drummer and we are both completely in shock as to what happened!  But the Dark Horse crowd goes absolutely nuts, as if we had planned the whole thing. Chuck has a second guitar, grabs it and we finish the song. 

The crowd thought it was the most amazing thing they ever saw.  And our keyboard player’s electric piano, other than a few dents, was still in playable form.

What do you remember about the Dark Horse? Will you buy anything from the auction? Post a comment or share your thoughts at editorial@westword.com.