8 NOVEMBER 21-27, 2024 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | great drinks. Along with offering a weekend brunch and regular happy hour, the Gold- fi nch regularly hosts a wide range of DJs. Lincoln’s You’ll have to work to fi nd the entrance to Lincoln’s, but that’s half the fun. The space, outfi tted with plenty of comfy seating, opened…somewhere inside the Ice House building near Union Station in August 2024. Owner Mark Ohlson was over overpriced cocktails and set out to create a different kind of bar experience. He debuted the fi rst Lincoln’s in Portland, Maine, then added a second in Burlington, Vermont, before bringing the concept — a hidden, cash-only bar where all the simple mixed drinks, beer and wine are $5 — to the Mile High, and we’re happy to be privy to the secret. My Boy Tony 4280 Tennyson Street myboytony.com There have been a lot of changes on Berke- ley’s Tennyson Street in recent years, includ- ing the closure of BookBar after a decade. That’s when Eli Cox, owner of Berkeley Supply, stepped in to make sure the space continued to be a community gathering place. In November 2023, he opened My Boy Tony, a warm, welcoming and beautifully designed bar where friends and neighbors greet each other with smiles over cocktails, mocktails, craft beers and an impressive natural wine list. The Night Owls 14500 West Colfax Avenue, Lakewood prismajic.com Tucked between a Burlington Coat Factory and the Yard House inside Colorado Mills mall is an unexpected cocktail destination. The Night Owls is a bar connected to Prisma- jic’s Shiki Dreams, an immersive art installa- tion, though you don’t need a ticket to step inside for a cocktail. The space is fi lled with forest-like touches and many forms of owls, including a large, magnifi cent one that pre- sides over the back bar and, like much of the decor, is made from recycled and repurposed materials. This spot’s not just nice to look at, either: Both the food and drink menus are approachable and fun, with surprises along the way, much like the art installation itself. Pretty Neat 114 South Broadway Xanthus Be Dell and his wife, Cristy, moved to Denver in May 2021 after years of running large-scale beverage programs for music festivals and other events while based in Los Angeles. With Pretty Neat, which debuted in November 2023, the goal was to offer well- made, classic cocktails — for just $12 each. The formula has been a hit on South Broadway, where the place has quickly become a staple for regulars who just want to enjoy a good drink for a good price — and that’s pretty neat. The Saint Mary Bar 58 Broadway thesaintmarybar.com When longtime dive bar Barry’s on Broad- way closed after a two-decade run, regulars mourned the loss and fretted about what would become of the place. As it turns out, there was no need to worry, because veteran Barry’s employee Becca Roman and bar pro Melanie Brush took it over, giving the space a nice — but not too nice — facelift and a new name that pays homage to the people who supported their careers. Here’s to keeping this part of Baker’s evolving bar scene intact! The Scapegoat 3801 Osage Street In late 2023, the owners of a favorite LoHi watering hole, the High Lonesome, pulled off something that takes a certain type of expertise: They opened a new dive bar. The Scapegoat may be less than a year old, but the camaraderie among regulars who belly up for cheap drinks and friendly banter among the eclectic art and taxidermied goats makes it feel like an old favorite. Come in for a cold beer and a game of Buck Hunter, and you just might end up staying for hours. Traveling Mercies 2501 Dallas Street, Aurora travelingmerciesbar.com Chef and restaurant owner Caroline Glover opened her second concept in December 2023, just steps from her fi rst restaurant, Annette. This cozy upstairs lounge that’s hidden from the crowds at Stanley Mar- ketplace is one of the best places to catch a sunset. The menu is concise — just a hand- ful of thoughtful items with a special focus on creative rum-based libations, carefully curated wines and coastal bites like shrimp cocktail, anchovies and East Coast oysters. The W 5001 East Colfax Avenue thewdenver.com This Park Hill space was formerly home to the Elm, a great Boston bar. It’s been other concepts since then, but nothing has stuck — which we hope changes with the W. The place is a passion project for husband-and- wife team (and longtime Park Hill resi- dents) Ernest and Carrie Wigglesworth, who brightened up the place but paid homage to the building’s past, using milk glass from the old pharmacy that once operated here to create the bar. Burgers are the focus of the food menu, while imbibers can choose from house cocktails or the impressive wine and beer lists. THE CLASSICS Watering holes that have stood the test of time (open fi fteen years or longer). Arvada Tavern 5707 Olde Wadsworth Boulevard, Arvada arvadatavern.com The Arvada Tavern opened in 1933, not long after the repeal of Prohibition, and was is- sued the fi rst liquor license in Arvada. A dive for decades, the tavern received a facelift in 2013 under new ownership while still holding on to the building’s vintage charm. More upscale now, it serves a variety of vin- tage cocktails and Colorado beers, and the menu includes comfort eats such as pierogi and schnitzel. Upstairs (through a phone booth with a false back wall) is Bernard’s Tiki Room, a hidden tiki bar with live music every Friday and Saturday night. Bannock Street Garage 1015 Bannock Street bannockstreetgarage.com In 2004, this former Volkswagen shop was refi tted as a bar with a massive garage door at the front, cement fl oors and a large, open patio. Since then, its divey vibes have made it a neighborhood favorite where crowds gather for First Friday. Whether you shoot a game of pool or play darts, or just settle in at the bar or a heated table out back for a bucket of Mon- tuckys, this is the kind of low-key standby where you’ll quickly become a regular. Brewery Bar II 150 Kalamath Street brewerybars.com The original Brewery Bar opened in the old Tivoli brewery — which is now the Auraria Campus student union — and moved to Ka- lamath Street while Nixon was still in offi ce (hence the II in the name). The bar is decked out with sports memorabilia and is host to a crew of regulars who gather not only for the strong pours and camaraderie, but also for the classic Den-Mex cuisine, including a spicy and tomato-heavy green chile that’s one of the best in town, especially when smothering a crispy chile relleno. Bull & Bush 4700 East Cherry Creek South Drive, Glendale bullandbush.com Step inside this dark, cozy English-style pub and you’ll understand its staying power: It turned 53 in 2024. Now run by second- generation owners, “the pub you’ve been practicing for” (as the motto goes) serves a long menu of England-meets-Colorado comfort food, including French onion soup, bangers and mash, and green chile-smoth- ered mashed potatoes, as well as both inno- vative and traditional house-brewed beers. There’s also a Scotch list to warm the cockles of your heart. Candlelight Tavern 383 South Pearl Street candlelighttavern.com This friendly neighborhood bar is beloved by residents of all stripes in the Wash Park area. Once a seedy, smoky dive, the place has been spruced up over the years — but consistency and simplicity are key. You can count on no-frills, tasty pub grub, including a great basic bar burger. The warm glow of the Candlelight’s vintage sign still illuminates the way to one of Denver’s oldest and best bars. The Castle Bar and Grill 6657 South Broadway, Littleton castlebarandgrill.co The Castle rules in south Denver. Yes, the building even looks like a castle, and the sunken bar is sided by captain’s chairs that make for a royally fun day or night of imbib- ing. The vibe is relaxing and unpretentious, as are the patrons. Snag a twenty-ounce personalized mug for $20, good for a lifetime of twenty-ounce pours for sixteen-ounce prices. The fare is simple but tasty, with budget specials such as ten wings for $10 every Thursday and buy-one-get-one-half- off burgers (among the best in town) on Tuesdays. With karaoke, bingo, trivia and chatty regulars of all stripes, you’ll never be bored when you storm the Castle. Charlie Brown’s Piano Bar & Grill 980 Grant Street charliebrownsbarandgrill.com Colorful characters from Denver’s past are rumored to have bellied up to the bar at Charlie Brown’s, which has been open since Prohibition ended. A sprawling spot with nightly piano sing-alongs, it lives up to its slogan: “Something for everyone.” Couples, friends, tourists, young professionals, senior citizens, college kids and even celebrities en- joy the stiff drinks, huge food menu, enclosed patio and free drinks for revelers celebrating their birthdays. Cruise Room 1600 17th Street theoxfordhotel.com/eat-drink/ the-cruise-room As Prohibition ended, this bar inside the Oxford Hotel was designed to look like the lounge on the Queen Drink Here continued from page 7 continued on page 10 The Scapegoat is a Sunnyside escape. MOLLY MARTIN
