Appaloosa Bar and Grill Still Making Music on 16th Street

Before Denver boosters started wringing their hands over downtown, before COVID, before 16th Street's renovation was even a proposal, there was Appaloosa Bar and Grill.

Established by now-Senator John Hickenlooper during his restaurateur days, Appaloosa — which is commonly referred to as "The Horse" by regulars — was founded 25 years ago in the historic Denver Masonic Building. The restaurant has served up food, drink and live music for decades. It's a survivor, the last mom-and-pop business on this stretch of 16th Street.

Johnny James Qualley had been working for Hickenlooper at the Wynkoop Brewing Co. when Appaloosa opened, and decided to make the move there. "I wasn't a big fan of the 16th Street Mall in 2001. It just wasn't nearly as cohesive as it is now," he told Westword on the mall's thirtieth anniversary. "This neighborhood down here was kind of all waiting."

Qualley and Adam Hill, both members of the rock band Oakhurst, purchased the restaurant in 2005 from the Wynkoop group and gave employees the opportunity to buy an interest in the business. From "pretty hard times" to training the next generation of Appaloosa leaders, Qualley says it's been quite a journey.

"We've done seven different expansions within the building," he notes. "Rather than trying to create more Appaloosas, we figured we just make a bigger, stronger, faster one."

From the start, when Oakhurst performed in a "little dinky corner" of the place on New Year's Eve 2001, to live-streaming performances during the pandemic, music has been the backbone of Appaloosa. But there are other undeniable assets that make Appaloosa a "unicorn" on 16th Street, Qualley says: the 1850s bar, team members who educate visitors about local hotspots, the second-floor Wright Room that hosts private events, an established bison program with Rock River Ranch, and a kitchen that serves until 12:30 a.m., with a menu that now includes some new items in honor of 16th Street's upgrade.
"You can walk into any place on the mall, but I don't think any of them might feel like our place," Qualley says. "I don't think there's really anything like us, especially on the mall. We hear it all the time from our guests."

General Manager Heather Delaney has been friends with Qualley and Hill for over fifteen years; she considered Appaloosa her "home bar." After quitting her cooperate job, she joined the team and helped Appaloosa weather the mall renovation and come out stronger. "There's life down there again that I haven't seen in a couple years. We're just happy that we're still here," Delaney says.

After all, the Hard Rock Cafe that used to offer live music left the Denver Pavilions years ago. While buskers again line 16th Street and the Downtown Denver Partnership has been booking bands for outdoor sessions all summer, Appaloosa is the only spot that makes music a regular part of its menu.

"I love being in that spot that's a little different," Delaney notes. "We're a hidden gem. Once you find us, you want to keep coming back."