South Broadway's Best Bars
Drink Your Way Down SoBo
Best known for its hipster and rocker bars and music venues, South Broadway has far more to offer than is first apparent. Yes, there are the pseudo-dive bars that pour drinks strong and cheap but there are also places where you can go for a fancy cocktail or to watch the big game along with other sports fans. This isn't LoDo, which means you won't find hopping dance clubs, but the tradeoff is a much stronger feel of community and a great local music scene.
1. 3 Kings
Doubling as a music venue most evenings, 3 Kings is much larger inside than you would expect. Rockabilly is the music and clothing style of choice for the bar, evident in the abundant tattoos and music emanating from the jukebox. The main bar is crammed into one corner of the venue, which is great during shows but makes the place feel very empty during slower times. Added entertainments of pool tables and pinball machines make the bar a blast no matter the time or crowd. Oh, and drinks are really cheap and plenty strong.
2. Sputnik
From the moment you walk into Sputnik the loud music, low lighting and throngs of scruffy hat-wearing twenty-somethings tell you exactly what kind of bar this is. It's where you go to hang out with Denver musicians and their fans, it's where you get cheap pints of PBR and it's where you go the next morning to quell the imminent hangover. Enjoy the ironic streak that has led Sputnik to install a retro photo booth and have $1 bingo nights, blotters and all. If you're hungry, slide into one of the booth seats and order from the surprisingly delicious menu before the serious drinking begins. If you're even just a bit nibbly, definitely order a side of sweet potato fries with one of the tasty dipping sauces. After the meal, head next door to the Hi-Dive, one of the best music spots in Denver.
3. The Irish Rover Pub
Far more relaxed and comfortable than most of the live music bars in the neighborhood, the Irish Rover is a great place to meet a friend or a date for drinks and conversation. During prime hours the bar can get fairly loud, especially when the jukebox is blasting music, but you can always escape to the quite of the back patio. On warm summer nights or even not-too-chilly winter evenings, this patio is a great little outdoor escape from the noise, kept comfortable by a heater and table umbrellas. If you get hungry during your visit, the Irish Rover does have good, cheap traditional bar fare.
4. Sobo 151
Sobo 151 has the bizarre mix of cultures and entertainments that can either be a total bomb or a wild success. Luckily, combination of Czech food, hockey/soccer television and karaoke singing works like a charm and makes Sobo 151 a complete blast to visit. If you order something from the menu, skip the American bar food and pick from the Czech dishes instead, they're the bar's specialty and are very delicious. Most times you won't have to fight for seating, the bar is really only packed if there's a game playing or karaoke set up.
5. Beatrice & Woodsley
Hidden between storefronts behind a door you can easily miss, Beatrice & Woodsley is South Broadway's secret upscale bar and restaurant. This isn't a place where you go to drink the night away, but instead the prelude to some other event, like a play or a movie just up the street at The Mayan Cinemas. Drinks aren't cheap, but the space, reminiscent of a romantic wilderness fairytale, is definitely memorable and a great place to impress a date. Make sure you take the chance to visit the restroom, trying to figure out its sink is the best test of drunkenness around.
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