Top Secret Bars In Denver
RockBar
3015 East Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 322-4444
rockbar-denver.com
Located on the main level of a random hotel on east Colfax (All Inn Motel), is Rockbar. It's a punk-rock, 80's flash from the past, dancing and drinking nightclub. It doesn't look like much on the outside but inside, it's full of nostalgia. Rockbar is reminiscent of Rock Island off 15th Street in the 90s with a 80s New Wave and 70s pre-punk music. Decorations won't dazzle but the mixed tapes and mixed drinks will. Best drinks are featured shots and PBR's, and best time to go is Halloween.
Tooey's
1521 Marion Street
Denver, CO 80218
(303) 586-5075
tooeysoffcolfax.com
Former PBR rep Alissa Anderson and husband Zach opened the doors of Tooey's in 2008, Tooey's, just off of Colfax, has been a neighborhood favorite. Tooey's was actually nicknamed "The Secret Bar" for some time. This spot attracts the neighborhood crowd as well as the restaurant workers and folks heading to concerts at The Ogden and The Fillmore. Tooey's offers up free pool, great happy hours and a jukebox full of alternative music, just perfect for a secret spot just steps off Colfax.
The Garage
1015 Bannock Street
Denver, CO 80204
(303) 534-7000
bannockstreetgarage.com
Tucked away on 10th at Bannock, shadowing the Denver Art Museum complex, the Bannock Street Garage is a great spot for the casual happy hour or late night bar hopping. Make sure to check out the vending machine packed with PBR and some sort of game involving a string and a loop. You'll find both an evening and a late night happy hour.
The Hole
3877 Tennyson Street
Denver, CO 80211
(720) 379-6210
theholedenver.com
"The Hole" promises coffee, doughnuts and ... beer. The two story mural lures many patrons inside where they find espresso coffee drinks, dripping chocolate "King" doughnuts and at least 20 kinds of doughnuts but if your vice is alcohol you'll find a full bar complete with house-made infused vodkas and if you're brave, Georgia Moon Corn Whiskey Moonshine. Expect a different deal Monday through Thursday for happy hour.
D-Note
7519 Grandview Avenue
Arvada, CO
(303) 463-6683
dnote.us
Just off of I-70 and Wadsworth is the best kept secret of Denver's outskirts, D-Note. This restaurant in Olde Town Arvada serves up to-die-for pizza with tasty pies like "The Pizza Formerly Known as Prince" - basil, artichokes, roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomato pesto and gorgonzola. It's a great family place offering up Babies Boogie dance club on Sundays where the kids can burn off energy dancing while the parents relax with food and a drink.
- Sarah Carpenter lives in Littleton, where she was born and raised. She spent a decade in Downtown Denver, and its surrounding neighborhoods, going to school for writing, working in the service industry, and getting to know Denver's diverse culture. She has a passion for travel writing, local and afar, focusing the story on its people, culture and region.
