The Bar Car

When Leigh Jones – of Horseshoe Lounge fame – bought the Recovery Room a decade ago, she overhauled it completely. The resulting Bar Car looks a little nondescript, but the rustic interior, with its old-timey railroad theme, is a pleasant surprise. Also pleasantly surprising, given Colorado Boulevard’s penchant for chains, is that the Bar Car […]

Bar Max

Max Hopewell-Arizmendi and Yuki Koyama founded Cafe Max in 2013 and transitioned the airy, European-flavored bistro to Bar Max in 2016. Now owner Marshall Smith is behind the bar, and the Denver native is offering a rainbow of possibilities that allow guests to design the custom cocktail of their wildest dreams. The Flavor Wheel and […]

Bar Nun

The former Capitol Hill Tavern was resurrected in 2020 when Bar Nun opened in that space, with irreverent decor (think a painting of Jesus with Juggalo face paint and plenty of nun imagery) and a staff that will make you feel like a regular immediately. Whether you’re pounding pickle shots on the enclosed patio or […]

Bar Red

Cliff Young and his son, Zach, opened the doors of Bar Red in late 2013. But beyond those doors was a stunning renovation of an old stone building at 437 West Colfax Avenue, just around the corner from CY Steaks, which Cliff also ran until 2018 (he passed away in 2021). More than just a […]

Bar Standard

Once the home of Serengeti and Shelter, Bar Standard is an Art Deco-themed, modern-day speakeasy. While the name and look may have changed, the club, housed in the former Jonas Bros. Furs building, still brings in some of the area’s best DJs — who spin house and dance music — as well as more high-profile […]

Barker Lounge

A self-proclaimed “stray bar,” the Barker Lounge attracts a wide variety of patrons — even if the disco balls hanging from the ceiling and Madonna tunes blaring from the jukebox suggest otherwise. The humble interior at 475 Santa Fe Drive (where it moved in 2012) is similar to that of its old South Broadway location: […]

Barolo Grill

Since 1992, Barolo Grill has served upscale Northern Italian fare in Cherry Creek with charm and sophistication – and a generous amount of vintage wine. Ryan Fletter, who worked there for nearly as long as it’s been open, took over from Blair Taylor as owner in 2015 and quickly installed executive chef Darrel Truett in […]

Barricuda’s

The main attractions at Barricuda’s, a quintessential neighborhood bar, are the prices and the atmosphere, which is laid-back and friendly. The food is greasy-spoon and the menu is expansive for a bar; there are plenty of vegetarian options, and the Sunday brunch is popular and offers just the right type of breakfast spread for fighting […]

Bastien’s Restaurant

With its iconic sign, sunken bar and mid-century aesthetic, Bastien’s is a holdover from times past – and we wouldn’t have it any other way. The family-run business dates back to the 1930s, but the current restaurant was constructed from scratch in 1958. That sign outside the Googie-style building touts the famed Bastien’s sugar steak, […]

Bella Vista Mexican Restaurant

Yes, the view is lovely from this longtime Mexican restaurant perched above the eastern edge of downtown. But the most beautiful sight may well be the menu, which offers a vast array of choices, including breakfast served all day; combinations of the greatest hits; steak and seafood dishes; and daily specials – the best of […]

Benny’s Restaurante y Cantina

Benny’s is a Colorado classic, a Den-Mex restaurant that serves fat-ass burritos, enormous nacho platters, free chips and salsa, and (allegedly) 350 gallons of margaritas every weekend. This is a favorite go-to place for a side of chicharrones (crisp and hot and greasy as hell) and a bowl of green chile (indubitably Coloradan – thick […]

Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs

Biker Jim, aka Jim Pittenger, a former repo man who slings Denver’s best wieners from his polished stainless-steel carts, knew he’d struck culinary gold when acerbic food mouthpiece Tony Bourdain declared publicly, to a full audience at the Temple Buell Theater, that he’d “been to the mountaintop and found enlightenment” at Jim’s stand at 16th […]