Bar: Nob Hill Inn
Address: 420 E Colfax Ava, Denver, CO 80203
Score: 8.6/10
Denver is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S. From coffee shops, bakeries, and apartments popping up left and right, it is a city that has lost some of its character, or its true identity. Sure, some change is for the best, but character is what makes a good city in my book. I have been on record saying the dive bar scene in Denver sucks. A recent trip has slightly changed my outlook.
One of the bars that is a true test of time, is Nob Hill Inn. This bar is located in Capitol Hill, an area that I heard some locals describe as a “flip of a coin”, meaning you don’t know what you’ll get. I think that perfectly encapsulates what I felt about Nob Hill Inn. From the outside, the pink pastel facade seems like this bar was supposed to be in a city of the likes of Charleston or Savannah, but no it was in Denver, CO. Before I walked in I may have seen some questionable illicit drug activities occurring in an alleyway near the bar, but I have seen far worse, and it adds to the experience.
When I walked into the Nob Hill Inn, it was a sunny day, like most in Denver. Then I walked into the bar and it was pitch black, which is what I prefer in my dive bars. The bar itself had some of my favorite features for dives, a great bar top, lined with leather forearm padding, a feature that is lost on modern bars. Giant red booths that seemed like they came right out of a 1970s mafia movie, and finally one of the most unique features I rarely see, stained glassed windows.
Yes, Nob Hill had all their hits that I like to see in bars, but this is not what made the place stand out to me. Anytime you have a bar that has been around since the 1950s in an area that has radically changed, they are doing something right. That something is being a reliable neighborhood bar. A bar where they give the patrons the aux to play whatever music they desire, a bar where patrons dogs can just roam freely, a bar where you can shoot the shit with anyone like you have known them for decades. Nob Hill had all this plus some. To top it all off they had a bartender with a personality larger than life. From the second I walked in with two other people my age, she was giving us so much shit for being at the bar. I guess we did not fit the status quo. She messed with me when I was drinking my beer slow, in her eyes (something I have never once been called out on before), and consistently called us out for being on our phones. All this was fun though and you know, she is right. Being present in a bar is the best way to walk away having a good experience. After some heckling through my whole visit, she gave me a tour of the bar. Mainly just showed me articles about how they are rated the best dive in the city, and talked about how great of a guy the owner was, which I appreciated. To finish off my visit, she gave me a free beer.
Walking away from the Nob Hill Inn, I was blown away with the hospitality and welcoming feeling that the bar and the patrons gave us. Truly a memorable time.
Price: $5 for a pint of Coors draft.
Decor: Some odd artwork on the walls, some large mirrors, and only one TV. Not a whole lot.
Service: As mentioned, the service was stellar.
Atmosphere: It was an odd time when we went, but everyone in the bar was nice.
High Life Bottle?: No
Bonus Points: No.