The Hours: Monday through Friday from 3 to 7 p.m.
The Deals: $1 sliders; $4.50-$5 small plates; $1 off all wines by the glass, specialty drinks, and well drinks; $.50 off cans of Olympia.
The Digs: Located in a former VFW space, Rooster and Moon, a funky coffee shop and bar, is a joint that you could easily miss on a day when the weather prevents patrons from sitting on the patio along Bannock. However, this bright little nook has become a neighborhood favorite since its inception in 2009, attracting a varied mix of local residents, Denver Health employees, and folks from the small offices and boutiques that dot the streets of the Golden Triangle.
The space is longer than it is wide, and the cream-colored walls are tastefully decorated. There are bar stools along the front windows, as well as around the barista's counter, with community tables and bench sitting occupying the spaces in between. By the time happy hour rolls around, the patio is shaded from the sun, and minimal street traffic makes this a peaceful place to have a beer and a snack.
The Verdict: Our workload had extended far past the stopping time of five o'clock, when we decided to pick up and head out for a working happy hour. And what better place for a working happy hour than a coffee shop that also pours liquor? Rooster and Moon combines the best of both worlds, and we were happy to take advantage of its many attributes.
Andrew Bird sang loudly from the speakers as we stood in line to order a beer. When we asked about the food, a dude emerged from the kitchen, all grin, and verbalized the entire menu with a reassuring smile. Rooster and Moon is owned -- and managed -- by two couples, who also appear to be great friends, and their banter is as lively as the music that surround-sounds the room. After the personalized menu presentation, we decided on the roast beef, Swiss cheese and Sriracha sliders and the baked brie. The sliders went down nicely with our cold beer, but we found ourselves wishing for a more generous carpet of Swiss cheese. The baked brie was served with corn chips (which struck us as a little odd), in addition sourdough toast, and was accented with walnuts and orange marmalade. For coffee shop food, it was satisfactory (we've heard the breakfast burritos are amazing).Thursday nights feature Geeks Who Drink, a weekly bar trivia contest that packed the house, while a game of cornhole -- or bean bag toss, if you've never been to a Colorado barbecue -- started on the front sidewalk as people waited for the trivia to begin, leaving us to sit happily with our beers while finishing our workday.
Overall Grade: B
