Happy fortieth birthday to My Brother's Bar

On January 12, 1970, Jim and Angelo Karagas opened my My Brother's Bar, which forty years later is still one of this town's best watering holes, despite having never had a sign out front. When the brothers bought the building at 2376 15th Street, it had already been a bar...

By Patricia Calhoun

January 11, 2010

Audio By Carbonatix

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On January 12, 1970, Jim and Angelo Karagas opened my My Brother's Bar, which forty years later is still one of this town's best watering holes, despite having never had a sign out front.

When the brothers bought the building at 2376 15th Street, it had already been a bar for close to a century. According to historian Tom Noel, since the 1870s there's always been one saloon or another operating at this address -- some more legally than others (Prohibition put a damper on the pub business), some with more famous customers than others (there's a letter on the wall of My Brother's from Neal Cassady, asking a chum to take care of his tab at what was then known as Paul's Place), but none turning out a burger as delicious as the JCB at My Brother's.

So make a note to stop by My Brother's tomorrow to soak up some history (and beers), and toast a true Denver landmark.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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