The Whiskey Biscuit Reflects a Changing Downtown Englewood

Englewood has really blown up in the bar and restaurant scene over the last few years, with a wide variety of new additions in the vibrant South Broadway stretch that runs through downtown. One relative newcomer is the Whiskey Biscuit, which opened in 2017. The place is indeed known for whiskey — and other local craft spirits and beers — and biscuits.

Opened by friends Aaron Hatle, Brian Poyner and Alan Courtney, the neighborhood feel to the spot is no accident. Neither are the meticulously designed cocktail and drink menus; these guys know a thing or two about libations.

The vibe inside the Biscuit is definitely one that reflects the neighborhood, with lots of couples, North Face jackets, flannel and baseball caps. The high ceilings and brick wall behind the bar create an open space that echoes loudly with laughter and conversation, and big windows looking out across Broadway put the good times on display for everyone outside. There's a small patio on the front sidewalk, where a lone smoker stood out in the remnants of the recent snow. Our server told us the location used to be a mattress store, which made sense, because none of us could remember it being anything particularly notable before.

The look is definitely new Denver, or in this case, new Englewood, with semi-industrial furnishings, brown and red walls and lots of chalkboards to showcase weekly drink specials. Some notable deals include "Club Med," which gets medical professionals 20 percent off all drinks every Thursday. And a good one for this time of year, considering the frequency of bad weather so far this year, is $2 off Irish coffees whenever it's snowing. Other popular deals include $7 cheeseburgers on Tuesdays, Service Industry Night on Sundays, and all-day happy hour on Mondays; happy hour also runs from 3 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, with $2 off cocktails, wells, wines and draft beers, as well as food specials.

I rolled in with a posse of friends on a Saturday night around 8 p.m., and the place was bumpin' with people getting dinner and drinks, to the point that we had to put our names on the list to wait for a table for seven. During prime mealtime hours, the seating operates more like a restaurant, with groups being ushered in and out of the booths, high-tops and tables in the little side room off the main bar area.

So we waited at the long bar, where I enjoyed a local craft brew from the many options on the tap line (made from a refurbished metal pipe), and my friends tried out house wines and one of the cocktails, a White Trash Russian, which is a White Russian made with peanut butter whiskey.

Eventually we were seated at a table in a side room, where we went big on ordering food to share: wings, Brussels sprouts, jalapeño popper dip, fried cheese curds and chili cheese fries. And, of course, we couldn't skip the signature chicken and biscuit entrees: fried chicken and a biscuit with gravy, and the chicken biscuit sandwich done Buffalo-style. The sprouts, nice and crispy with a sweet sauce; the jalapeño popper dip, which didn't seem to have a lot of spice or actual peppers in it, but made up for it in tasty cream cheese and jelly; and the chicken and biscuit dishes all earned "legit" comments in my notepad. The fluffy, massive biscuits were definitely worthwhile and live up to the bar's name.

With the bar's proximity to the Gothic Theatre, the crowd often reflects the style of bands playing shows, and there can be odd surges in business throughout the week. Weekend brunch is a hit, with ever-popular $2 mimosas from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Whiskey Biscuit also participates in the many Englewood business district events such as the Englewood Treasure Hunt, a pirate-themed treasure hunt that raises funds for school supplies and other financial needs for Englewood High School. And this Friday, February 14, the bar celebrates its three-year anniversary party in combination with Valentine's Day, so there will be whiskey and chocolate pairings with confections from Deiter's Chocolates.

The bar doesn't stay very busy past the main dinner rush, and it had quieted down significantly by the time we rolled out at 11 p.m. In a neighborhood on the rise; the Whiskey Biscuit brings the new, but without being annoying or pretentious about it. There's something for everyone, and although the place is a bit upscale, it's not unapproachable. It's definitely worth a visit to risk it for the biscuit.

The Whiskey Biscuit Restaurant and Bar is located at 3299 South Broadway in Englewood, and is open Monday and Tuesday from 3 p.m. to midnight, Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to midnight, Saturday from 9 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more information, call 303-386-3334 or visit the bar's website.