Last Call for the Squeeze Inn, a Great Denver Dive

Denver's best dive bars are an endangered species, and the city just lost another one: The Squeeze Inn. This was a classic dive, a tiny, single-room lounge with checker-tiled floors and red vinyl seats, set at the back of a large lot with a barely visible sign. And now it's...

By Westword Staff

October 25, 2016

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Denver's best dive bars are an endangered species, and the city just lost another one: The Squeeze Inn. This was a classic dive, a tiny, single-room lounge with checker-tiled floors and red vinyl seats, set at the back of a large lot with a barely visible sign.

And now it's lights out for the Squeeze Inn. The bar got its start as the Hill Top, then turned into the Squeeze Inn over two decades ago. But longtime owner Carolyn Butterfield passed away earlier this month, and the building at 5395 West 48th Avenue was sold on October 6 for $575,000.

No word yet on the bar's future — but in the meantime, we're looking for a replacement on our list of the town's ten best dive bars.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.