The Best Happy Hour in Your Denver Neighborhood

For dollar oysters and half-off beers, look no further than these spots for boozy deals.

Published on 10/07/2019 at 09:55 PM

Oh, the coveted few hours each day where the drinks are cold, the food is fresh, and the prices are just too good to resist. Denver is an adult playground for happy hours, where you can find margaritas, specialty cocktails, and wines by the glass, plus bites from bruschetta to tacos to freshly shucked oysters for the same price as a trip through the Starbucks drive-through. While this list contains just a few of the best happy hours in the city, it’s separated by neighborhood in hopes you’ll find one close enough that stumbling home (intoxicated only on having scored an epic deal), is only a few steps. And make sure to also check out these essential Denver bars while you’re at it.

Uptown

Revival Denver Public House
When: 3 – 6 pm daily
Fairly new to the happy hour scene and giving other Uptown bars a run for their money is Revival. With the goal being an “approachable demonstration of American cuisine,” the menu is simple but more than worth the trip if you’re not within walking distance. Find reds and whites by the glass for $5, standard well drinks for $4, and special wells for $5, $3 beers (or a shot and a beer for $5), and tasty, hit-the-spot snacks like Broiled Chorizo Butter Oysters ($13), Hand-Cut Fries ($3), and a cup of Buffalo Gumbo ($6).

Cheeseman Park

Ritual Social House
When: All day Monday and Tuesday through Sunday 3 – 6 pm and 9 pm – close
Come for the warm mountain taproom vibes and stay for the impressive food and drink deals. We’re talking $1 off draft beers, $4 wells and house wine, and $6 bubbles, sangria, and mules, plus a few other tempting drink specials. Use them to wash down $5 Parmesan Fries, $7 Calamari, or splurge for $25 and get a bottle of wine and your choice of meat and cheese board or one-topping personal pizza.

Capitol Hill

Your Mom’s House
When: 7:30 – 9 pm daily
While the main draw here is the live entertainment, fans love this (often rotating) happy hour. In the past, it’s been $1 wells and tall boys on weekdays and $4 drafts, cans, and call drinks, but Wednesdays’ Ladies Night remains a constant for free drinks within the happy hour window (usually with the purchase of an event ticket). While word-of-mouth maintains that the specials here are unparalleled, your best bet is to buy a ticket to a show and see for yourself.

RiNo / Five Points

Los Chingones
When: Monday through Friday, 3 – 5:30 pm
In addition to being a popular rooftop spot, this place is also known for having one of the best happy hours in RiNo. Known as $5 weekdays, everything on the menu is that or less, with snacks like chips and queso (or guac), Borracho Street Corn, or a pair of tacos along with single margs, beers, and single house sangria for the same price. If you’re going with a group, margarita carafes are only $25.

Baker

Postino WineCafe Broadway
When: Until 5 pm daily / Mondays and Tuesdays after 8 pm
All Postino locations are loved for their daily $6 until 5 pm glasses of wine and pitchers of beer, but the real gem here is the Board and Bottle deal. Show up anytime after 8 pm on Monday or Tuesday for a bottle of wine and a very shareable bruschetta board for just $25. (Bruschetta flavors here.)

Central Business District

La Loma
When: Monday through Friday 3 – 6 pm
Sure, there are a ton of good HH spots downtown for the many working folk, but when it comes to a worthy food menu to sustain, La Loma is where it’s at. Definitely don’t miss the scratch-made house margs for $8 (with your choice of flavor) and well drinks for $7, but good luck deciding among the Chile Con Queso ($6), Tacos ($8), and Mini Rellenos ($8) for bites. Only kidding-you can order the Happy Hour Combo for just $9 and sample a Relleno, Chicken Flauta, and Chicken Fajita Nacho and leave feeling like you got away with something. (You did, it’s called a great bargain).

Wash Park

Blackbird Public House
When: Wednesday through Sunday 3 – 6 pm, Wednesday through Saturday 9 pm – close
You might’ve driven by this cool-but-subtle-looking spot before, but next time you should definitely stop by if $5 wines by the glass and $8 cocktails pique your interest. In addition to your drink of choice, enjoy bites like freshly shucked oysters ($1.50), Tuna Tartare ($9), or for $25, a bottle of wine and 12″ pizza or charcuterie board.

LoHi

LoHi Steakbar
When: 4 – 5 pm daily
Well-loved for its happy hour, LoHi Steakbar making the list isn’t really a surprise. The drink specials are par for the course by way of $5 house wines and well drinks and $7 cocktails, but the bites are definitely noteworthy. Snacks like Loaded Potato Skins ($6), Fried Pickles ($5), or the Mini Steak Sandwich ($6) will satisfy like a full meal would at prices that will have you doing a double-take when the check arrives.

Speer

Angelo’s Taverna
When: 3 – 6pm and 9pm – close daily
With locations in Speer and Littleton, Angelo’s is a fan-favorite across the board, probably partly because you can catch happy hour twice in the same day. Drink specials are on-par with most, like $1 off draft beer, $2 off wines on tap, and $5 well drinks, but the food is where you’re really making those dollars count. From $3 sliders (meatball, sausage, or caprese) to $7 personal, one-topping pizzas, there are a few different budget- and tastebud-friendly options here. And, if you’re craving oysters but not craving the usual ticket price, satisfy your needs with $1 raw oysters of the day and $2 of the chargrilled variety.

Union Station

Tavernetta
When: 4 – 6 pm daily
If you want a fine-dining experience without the crushing tab, head to this sister restaurant of Boulder’s award-winning Frasca. Work your way through its selection of cicchetti (aka small bites), appetizers, and meat and cheese selection while sipping $7 wines by the glass, apéritifs, or $6 beers. The lighter snacks include Marinated Olives ($7) and Polpette (beef and pork meatballs, $8), while larger apps like Cacio E Pepe ($15) offer a little more to satiate.

Cherry Creek

Blue Island Oyster Bar
When: Monday through Saturday 2 – 6 pm and Sunday 11:30 – 6 pm
It’s got “oyster” in the name so obviously that’s part of the draw (as is the four-hour window to score these deals), but there’s more to this happy hour than bivalves. In fact, the sheer number of food options boosts this place to one of the best. Small snacks like a cup of chowder ($8), Togarashi Fries ($6), and Smoked Trout Dip ($9) are available alongside various sliders and tacos for just $6 or a Mini Lobster Roll Slider for $19. Wines by the glass are all 40% off and please, do an Oyster Shooter with vodka and chipotle bloody mix. For us.

Lowry

Officer’s Club
When: Monday through Friday 4 – 6 pm and 8 pm – close, Saturday 3 – 6 pm and 8 pm – close
Now firmly settled into the neighborhood, this spot’s classy, retro vibes and sizeable happy hour options make it a local’s dream. Enjoy $2 off well drinks and beers, $1 off wines by the glass (including reds and whites for just $6) and $7 – $8 cocktails. Hungry? Good. The food menu means business with offerings like warmed New England Cheddar Biscuits ($5), Grilled Cheese and Tomato Bisque ($13), and a half order of Southern Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders ($10.50), just to name a few of the dishes that feel like total steals.Sign up here for our daily Denver email and be the first to get all the food/drink/fun in town.

Molly Martin is a freelance writer in Denver, Colorado who loves researching happy hours. Follow her Mile High adventures on Twitter and Instagram.

Erica Buehler is a Denver-based freelance writer. Follow her @e_buehler on Instagram and @e_buehler_ on Twitter for more updates on Denver food and other Mile High shenanigans.

Denver

How to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Denver This Year

For a successful St. Patrick's Day, hit these parades, barcrawls, parties, and festivals.

By erica buehler

Published on 14/03/2023 at 08:50

Grab your green and your Guinness-St. Patrick’s Day is around the corner, and there’s fun to be had. In addition to being the first big celebratory holiday after New Year’s, St. Paddy’s is also a signal of spring; more hours of sunshine, T-shirt temps, and filling Blake, Market, and Larimer with drunken revelry make up a particularly Denver type of equinox. However you plan to celebrate-with family friendly activities or for those over the legal drinking age only-there are parades to be watched, playful drinks to be sipped, and a whole lot of shamrock-ing to do.

Dance a jig or two at Mile High Spirits’ Shamrock Shenanigans

March 17
If you’re ready to put your dancing shoes to good use, wiggle your way on over to Mile High Spirits-doors are opening at 12 pm and there’s no cover ‘til 10. Enjoy MHS’ drinks, big dance floor, and even bigger outdoor patio for all the Irish pride and shenanigans you can handle.

Whip up steak for a St. Paddy’s Date Night

March 17
Cook Street’s special St. Paddy’s Day class involves making the perfect steak while sipping on Irish whiskey. On Friday only, learn about proteins, cooking methods, and choosing side dishes carefully while cooking up traditional Irish cuisine.

Crawl around town. You know, figuratively…

March 17 – 18
Is it a drinking holiday in Denver if there aren’t a handful of bar crawls happening? Probably not. St. Paddy’s Day is no different; you can start crawling from a number of bars, but a few in particular have everything plotted out for you (for a small fee). Start at the Ginn Mill and receive a map of over 10 pub locations you’ll be crawling to either Friday or Saturday, plus drink special vouchers. There’s also a crawl departing from Nola Jane (Friday only) with its own food and drink specials, plus a scavenger hunt and some St. Paddy’s merch, too.

Visit one of Denver’s Irish Pubs

March 17 – 18
If you can’t think of a better place to spend St. Paddy’s Day then at a local Irish pub, we salute you-just be prepared to throw a few elbows making your way to the bar. Denver’s got several good ol’ pubs from Broadway to Larimer Square that’ll be in full swing this weekend, pouring fresh pints as far as the eye can see. Check out Scruffy Murphy’s, Nallen’s, The Irish Rover, Finley’s, The Celtic on Market, or the Fainting Goat for that SPD revelry you know, love, and trekked out for.

Photo courtesy of The OG/McGregor Square

Sip and savour St. Paddy’s themed bevvies

Through March 17
Everyone pulls out the green food dye and mint flavouring for St. Paddy’s, but there are some other creative drink specials to sample, too. The OG’s got a boozy milkshake for the occasion, aptly named “Who’s Your Paddy,” a mix of vanilla ice cream, Crème de Menthe, Tullamore Dew, Bailey’s, and whipped cream. BEZEL’s Irish Matcha Man is pretty unique, with Teeling Small Batch whiskey, lime, thyme-infused honey, and matcha powder. And then Slater’s 50/50 takes it to another level (unsurprisingly) with its Lucky Mint Green Shake: mint-flavored ice cream in a frosting-rimmed glass with Lucky Charm marshmallows, rainbow stripe sour strips, whipped cream and green sprinkles. Other notable specials can be found at Poka Lola Social Club, Dairy Block’s Moo Bar, and Seven Grand.

Sing along and cheers to live music

March 17
Denver’s The Monkey Barrel is known for its regular live performances, and this St. Patrick’s Day you can tune in to Elijah Petty & The Part-Times and other musical guests if you’re in search of a chiller spot to sip your Guinness. Or, have one of the best burgers in town while relishing the shenanigans and live music of Cherry Cricket Cherry Creek this St. Paddy’s Day. Food and drink specials will also be available through the holiday weekend, so leave extra room or wear your stretchy (green) pants.

Show your St. Paddy’s spirit by… running?

March 18
Feeling restless? Or maybe you’re itching to get a few laps in before hammering down several pints this Saturday? Either way, Highlands Ranch is hosting its St. Patrick’s Day 5K where finishing the race gets you St. Patrick’s Day merch, an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast, and of course, a complimentary pint courtesy of Living the Dream Brewing.

Drink and do good at Holidaily Brewing Co.

March 17
This St. Paddy’s Day, Holidaily and the Gluten Intolerance Group are putting on their Raise a Pint, Lend a Hand fundraiser. A special glitter and green Firkin tapping is happening at 4 pm at both taprooms, with special (and gluten-free) treats available at the Golden location, thanks to Farmhouse 5280 and Waive the Grain bakery. 10% of all St. Patrick’s Day sales will be donated to the Gluten Intolerance Group.

Party at a local distillery

March 17 – 18
Talnua Distillery is hosting a St. Patrick’s Day bash to remember this year, featuring food trucks, live music, special themed cocktails, and more. Limited bottles of Talnua’s exclusive Olde Saint’s Keep whiskey will be available for purchase, which you can hang onto while you dance along to pipe bands or eat a brat or two from El Jefe’s.

Watch some Irish step dancing

March 17
Head on over to Stanley Marketplace to witness the talent and skill of the students at the Wick School of Irish Dance at 12 pm, and follow it up with a green cerveza at Cheluna Brewing Co. Of course, plenty of tasty lunch and dinner options are available around the marketplace so you can soak up a bit of that beer.

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Erica Buehler is a Denver-based freelance writer and editor. Follow her @e_buehler on Instagram and @e_buehler_ on Twitter for more updates on Denver food and other Mile High shenanigans.