It's Showtime: A Revamped Ophelia's Reopens for Concert Tonight

"Don't call it a comeback," the marquee on Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox read last year. "I been here for years." It was quoting LL Cool J’s "Mama Said Knock You Out," of course. But apparently, it was Ophelia’s plan to reopen late in 2021 that got knocked out. All the way into 2022.

But finally, after a number of plans were foiled by the realities of the pandemic, Ophelia’s is reopening for an April 7 concert with Aron Magner of the Disco Biscuits, and the shows will continue all weekend. The restaurant portion of Ophelia's won't reopen until April 13, though. Earlier this month, Justin Cucci admitted he didn't "have a solid 100 percent on anything yet."


Cucci is the man behind super-cool eateries all over Denver; besides Ophelia's, his brand includes Root Down, Linger, Vital Root and El Five. Given his experience, he was reluctant to give any final word on the opening date "until we finish inspections," he said. "It's like naming a baby before it's actually born."
Despite this responsible stance, however, Cucci couldn't help but express his excitement for the reopening; the last show at Ophelia’s was the Goonies in March 2020. When patrons walked out into the crisp air of 20th Street, no one knew it was going to be the last concert there for over two years. "We're incredibly excited to get Ophelia's 2.0 back open, and get back to rocking out with our socks out," Cucci said.

Ophelia’s, much like most of Denver’s unique venues, has been greatly missed during its closure, only partially for its storied history. For years, the Victorian brownstone Airedale Building hosted a brothel, a sex shop and a peep show before finally becoming Ophelia’s, at least on the main floor and basement. “If these walls could talk, they would moan,” says the venue's website.

These days, Ophelia’s still styles itself as a sex-positive sort of place, choosing to celebrate its sultry past with “gastro-brothel fare” and “fresh kinks on classic cocktails.” It offered a drink called the Dirk Diggler during its popular weekend brunches; for dinner, it served up Brothel Chicken Sandwiches and Big Mike Sliders.

Whether any of these favorites will be on the new menu after reopening is part of the excitement of coming back again. Not only will the menu be revamped, but the space itself will see some updating. Not too much, cautioned Cucci — mainly moving some booths and tables around the space to enhance views of the stage and maximize traffic flow. "We worked hard to leave the soul of Ophelia's intact," Cucci said. "And we were careful not to tinker too much. But we used the opportunity to find any and every way to make the experience better for the music, and thus the fans of Ophelia's."

Now the Ophelia's faithful will get to check it out for themselves.

Update: This story has been updated to reflect the restaurant-reopening date of April 13; the shows will go on as scheduled. For updates, tickets and more information on Ophelia's, see opheliasdenver.com.