{"id":712182,"date":"2026-04-17T03:18:03","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T03:18:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/712182\/"},"modified":"2026-04-17T03:18:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T03:18:03","slug":"12-places-to-cheer-jeer-and-spill-your-playoff-beer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/712182\/","title":{"rendered":"12 places to cheer, jeer and spill your playoff beer"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you can\u2019t get into Ball Arena, here are a dozen suggested joints for Nuggets and Avalanche fans to catch the upcoming action <\/p>\n

The upscale Gaylord Rockies Resort <\/a>has remained mostly a mystery to me for most of its existence since opening as Colorado\u2019s largest hotel in 2018. Rich, overnight air travelers would end up there, sure, but why would anyone who lives in Denver ever want to go all the way out to Denver International Airport (technically, it\u2019s Aurora) \u2026 and to do what?<\/p>\n

Then I was invited to a massive and seriously charming ice-sculpture show that brought super-sized \u201cPeanuts\u201d figures to life, including Snoopy\u2019s doghouse. More recently, I attended a remarkable boxing fundraiser featuring Aurora and Denver first responders<\/a>. Then a buddy got a job slinging drinks at something called The Mountain Pass Sports Bar.<\/a> I visited \u2013 and never wanted to leave. (Especially after paying $15 just to park).\u00a0<\/p>\n

For the sports fan in me, this was a game-changer (pun intended). The bar is appropriately defined by its gargantuan (and yes, that is the first time I have ever used that word non-hyperbolically), 75-foot screen. It apparently can be programmed to show just one channel \u2013\u00a0or be split up into a seemingly infinite number of smaller screens for a truly Vegas-style game-watching experience. The Gaylord flaks call it the largest indoor screen in Colorado. I defy anyone to prove them wrong.<\/p>\n

\"John<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an upper level with tiered, stadium-style seating. And, for those who want to play while they watch, there are two interactive \u201cTopgolf Swing Suites\u201d equipped with simulators for golf, soccer, baseball and more. Head to the bar and play Ping-Pong, hoops, darts and virtual-reality games. Hey, when in Rome!<\/p>\n

With the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche both set to begin their hopefully long 2026 playoff runs in the coming days, I\u2019m actually contemplating returning to the scene of the parking crime on upcoming game nights.<\/p>\n

\"TheThe Mountain Pass Sports Bar and its gargantuan screen at the Gaylord Rockies Resort. (Provided by The Gaylord Rockies Resort) <\/p>\n

Not that we all don\u2019t have plenty of options for playoff viewing. Today, I bring you our obligatory roundup of local hot spots \u2013 some perennial, some hopefully surprising \u2013\u00a0for you to maybe take in a game over these next few weeks.<\/p>\n

(And, this just in: I\u2019ve now learned the Gaylord offers a \u201cColorado Locals Card<\/a>\u201d \u2013\u00a0that\u2019s 10% off dining and up to four hours of self-parking. And, it\u2019s free. (A word you will not see otherwise associated with the Gaylord.) 6700 N. Gaylord Rockies Blvd., Aurora, 720-452-6900 or marriott.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"TimTim Howard and now wife Stephanie Hesse-Howard watched the final moments of the Colorado Avalanche\u2019s Stanley Cup-clinching victory at Tom\u2019s Watch Bar in 2022. (John Moore\/Denver Gazette)<\/p>\n

Tom\u2019s Watch Bar: People call this 17,000-square-foot outdoor wonderland just 500 feet from Coors Field \u201cDenver\u2019s downtown playground.\u201d (People who work there, but still!) Tom\u2019s features a 66-foot LED screen for games, movies, concerts and more. The plaza can accommodate 1,500. Check out what\u2019s scheduled for the big screen anytime at mcgregorsquare.com<\/a>. 1901 Wazee St., 303-313-6090 or tomswatchbar.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Chopper'sChopper\u2019s Sports Grill installed a 21-foot TV screen for sporting events last year. It is also now building a stage to accommodate live concerts on non-game days. (John Moore\/Denver Gazette)<\/p>\n

Chopper\u2019s Sport Grill: Chopper\u2019s is named after Bob \u201cChopper\u201d Travaglini, the legendary former Denver Nuggets trainer who opened the joint in 1996. But what makes Chopper\u2019s maybe the best place to watch sports is the new 21-foot LED TV screen that occupies pretty much the entire north wall. Chopper\u2019s is located at 80 S. Madison St., which is actually east enough of the Cherry Creek Shopping Center to not really feel like it\u2019s part of Cherry Creek at all. This is a dedicated, O.G. hangout for Broncos and Nuggets fans with its own dedicated parking lot, which is unheard of for the area. Yesterday, we told you that owner Frank Schultz is relaunching his Soiled Dove brand of live music<\/a> at Chopper\u2019s on May 9, but he swears concerts won\u2019t ever conflict with any sporting event of substance. 303-399-4448 or https:\/\/chopperssportsgrill.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"FansFans take in a Denver Broncos playoff game at Bender\u2019s in Westminster in January 2026. (Kit Kennedy)<\/p>\n

Bender\u2019s: What\u2019s not to love about a bar with a dog-friendly heated patio and overlooks an ice rinks? Bender\u2019s offers more than 30 smartly situated screens that manage to cater to hockey and hoops fans equally while affording patrons a most unusual atmosphere: You can look in on\u00a0the free skating or beer-league games going on below like it\u2019s our own little Rockefeller Center. Bender\u2019s welcomes Nebraska, Wisconsin and Steelers fans (sigh), but there\u2019s plenty of room for all among the bar\u2019s 200 capacity for everyone to get along. Bender\u2019s was long run by former Denver Post sports columnist Jim Armstrong. It\u2019s now fronted by Cathy Hooper and Zoie MaLee, who recently earned Bender\u2019s a nomination for Small Business of the Year by the Westminster Chamber of Commerce. 10710 Westminster Blvd, 720-532-1227 or\u00a0 bendersbarandgrill.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For any Nuggets fan, the DNVR Bar is the ultimate game-day destination short of Ball Arena. These are the team\u2019s most invested diehards. They come to holler and howl in harmony and afterward listen in on the live post-game podcas<\/a>t recorded right upstairs. The atmosphere has been called a constant party for fans. Also rare: Bar-dwellers are given the full, real-time game audio. (Just watch your step walking in. I split my head open on Game 7 of the 2023 NBA Finals, and I wasn\u2019t even drinking.) Take a tip and arrive early on game nights if you want a table. 2236 E Colfax Ave. 303-551-2668 or thednvr.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Ugly Dog Sports Cafe: I love to slip into this north Denver dive off Highway 36 and Pecos Street for Nuggets games because some of my friends are too scared to go with me. I think all the stories and security guards just add to the Dog\u2019s unpredictable vibe. True, there have been a string of high-profile incidents. Shots have been fired. Last August, a truck driven by a drunk 22-year-old plowed into the bar\u2019s outdoor patio. But to me, the biggest crime has been the aggressively bad live DJ karaoke on Tuesday and Thursday nights. Bright side: Pets are allowed both on the patio and inside the bar. TVs are big and plentiful. The finger foods are tasty. The staff is super friendly. And high-profile UFC and boxing PPV events are shown for free. It\u2019s home. 1345 Cortez St., 303-428-3600 or uglydogsportscafe.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Stoney\u2019s: There are now three very different locally owned Stoney\u2019s: The HQ bar and grill at 1111 Lincoln St.; uptown at 1035 E. 17th Ave.; and, now, the upscale Sloan\u2019s Lake locale at 1565 Raleigh St. You Yelpers seem to have concluded that the flagship Stoney\u2019s on Lincoln is an excellent place to watch games, particularly for its high-energy, cavernous atmosphere and plentiful number of \u201cmeticulously coordinated\u201d TV screens. Fair warning: All the Stoney\u2019s welcome Kansas and Oklahoma college teams. But, hey: Nobody\u2019s perfect. 720-485-5503 or stoneysbarandgrill.com<\/a><\/p>\n

\"DenizensDenizens of the Rock Ledge Lodge in Golden take in a Denver Broncos playoff game in January 2026. (John Moore\/Denver Gazette)<\/p>\n

Rock Ledge Lodge is a rustic Old West dive bar in Golden that is known for its wings and a projection screen in a huge back gathering room that is sometimes also home to live music. The vibe is casual, lively, loud and eclectic. 16005 Mount Vernon Road, 303-216-2895 or rockrestlodge.com<\/a><\/p>\n

The Old Man Bar has been described as the perfect blend between dive bar and \u201ccrazy cool\u201d beer garden. Located in Broomfield, The Old Man blends a gritty, authentic interior with a high-energy, dog-friendly outdoor patio featuring misters and two fire pits. The main draw is the outdoor Jumbotron projection screen for games. Speaking of games, you can play cornhole, sand volleyball, giant Jenga, giant Connect Four and pool while you watch. The scratch-made BBQ is often mentioned as some of the best in Colorado. 4381 W. 120th Ave. 720-536-4821 or theoldmanbar.com<\/a><\/p>\n

The ViewHouse has four locations, but Centennial is a particularly popular, high-energy spot to watch games, especially in groups. It\u2019s lively and loud, as it should be for sporting events. The TVs are massive, so the visibility is good from pretty much anywhere. There\u2019s a rooftop area, a full menu and courtyard games like volleyball for your pre-game amusement. Tables go quick, so arrive early on game days. 7101 S. Clinton St. (with additional locales in downtown Denver, Colorado Springs and Main Street Littleton). 303-790-8440 or viewhouse.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Olde Town Tavern and Grill: Arvada has both the (awesome) Arvada Tavern and the Olde Town Tavern about a quarter of a mile apart, but the place to watch sports is the strip-mall joint cut out of where the former Arvada Junior High School once sat on the north side of Ralston Road. The main seating area is made up of group-friendly tables surrounded by TVs that make 360-degree multi-task viewing a breeze. There are about 50 TVs and an uncommonly long bar.\u00a0 7355 Ralston Road, 720-242-9667 or oldetowntavernandgrillarvada.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Sobo 151: If I\u2019m being honest, this is a terrible place to watch a game. It\u2019s a small and crowded little dive bar in the Baker neighborhood, and the TVs are proportionally tiny. No matter. Sobo 151 is a legendarily popular Czech-themed hockey bar with a loyal and enthusiastic Avalanche fan base. They are loud and dialed in\u00a0while enjoying both traditional Czech dishes and standard bar fare, along with a solid selection of European beers. The heart wants what the heart wants. 151 S. Broadway, 303-778-1560 or sobo151.com<\/a><\/p>\n

And now this little addendum: Kroenke Sports will provide live broadcasts of all home Nuggets and Avs playoff games on a temporary, 20-foot screen at Chopper Circle between 9th and 11th streets. There will be DJs, food trucks, beer and hard-seltzer carts, giveaways, mascot and dance-team appearances. For the first two rounds of games, it\u2019s free, but a digital pass is required for entry. The Nuggets\u2019 first game<\/a> is at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. The Avs\u2019 opener<\/a> is yet to be determined.<\/p>\n

John Moore is the Denver Gazette\u2019s Senior Arts Journalist. Email him at [email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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