Known for cheap drinks and one of the better Thursday night wing specials in town, the Pub on Pearl is a popular neighborhood watering hole, gathering spot for Iowa Hawkeyes fans, and a respected stop on a stretch of dive bars on South Pearl that includes the Candlelight Tavern and Kentucky Inn less than one mile up the road.
"It’s with a heavy heart that the Pub on Pearl will be closing on Sunday after 35 years," reads part of an August 6 Facebook post. "Every moment serving you all over the years has been cherished, from Thursday night wing nights to Iowa Hawkeye games and every day in between. The Pub would not have been as special of a place without all of you and our wonderful staff! To our loyal regulars, we’re going to miss you extra! There are not words for how much we value your patronage and friendships. The relationships built at the Pub are truly one of a kind, and we are forever grateful to you all for being a part of that."
The Pub on Pearl will stay open until midnight on Sunday night, according to staff.
Eric Gruneisen
Thursday's bottomless wing nights at the Pub on Pearl and its sister bar, the Pub on Penn — which is still open and holds wing deals on Wednesdays — may have been on the medal stand of Denver's best bar deals. For $5 to $6 with the purchase of a drink, you could sit there all night, watch a game and enjoy the crowd, four wings at time. (What'd you expect, a full basket? You need to earn all-you-can-eat specials.)
After the COVID-19 pandemic and food prices increased, bottomless wing night at both pubs became 50-cent wing night, which is still respectable. But anyone who lived here in the 2010s remembers the golden days.
According to public records, the property that houses the Pub on Pearl is also home to five other businesses, and is owned by Ken Fukayama, who bought it for $1.9 million in 2019. However, BusinessDen reports that Fukayama listed the building for sale "several months ago."
If Pub on Pearl is the last bar to occupy the space, the staff is ready to go out with a bang this weekend, serving up until midnight Sunday.
"We’re going to need your help drinking all this beer and booze," the Facebook post continues. "We will be operating as usual this week, closing one last time Sunday night at midnight. Thank you all again, and we hope to see you this week for one last round!"
