Park Tavern Closes but Promises Something New Coming Soon

Park Tavern's gone through changes before, but the latest is a big one: The longtime Capitol Hill watering hole served its last drink on July 15. But in an Instagram post, it alludes to more news to come.

"Rest assured new, exciting, & tasty things are coming in the near future. We will see all of you again soon," the caption reads.

Park Tavern opened in 1996 at 931 East 11th Avenue, in a well-worn 1970s-era building. It quickly became a neighborhood favorite for its cheap drinks, low light and divey feel. In 2017, it went through a series of renovations. The bar was redone, and new dining and game areas with shiny new pool tables were added, along with a rooftop patio.

The new Park Tavern was lighter and brighter, but it still had a solid happy hour and hosted a stacked lineup of events, including trivia and Art Night on Wednesdays. In 2020, it jumped on the golf bar trend, adding a TrackMan simulator.

But now the space is closed up, the rooftop empty — and the future a mystery.

And Park Tavern isn't the only place to close in the area. Nearby at 11th and Ogden Street, Sexy Pizza closed its Cap Hill location on July 24 after its lease was not renewed following a dispute with the landlord over inhospitable landscaping at the location designed to discourage people experiencing homelessness. It will continue to operate out of a ghost kitchen while it looks for a new spot in the Capitol Hill area. (It also has locations on South Pearl Street and in Jefferson Park.)

In the meantime, those in the neighborhood still have some solid options, including Snarfburger (one of our picks for the ten best burgers in Denver) and Potager, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary and remains a farm-to-table staple.