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Somewhere between Steve Wynn’s Treasure Island and the cute
“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” catchphrase, Sin City
lost some of the seedy charm that brought in the alcoholic gamblers and kept clubgoers
and the 2.5 kids crowd away. For those who repine for the days when Lefty
Rosenthal ran the Stardust and a lounge meant leisure and not decibel defying
drum & bass, there’s The Horseshoe Lounge, which exudes a certain old
school Vegas meets coolest-clubhouse-ever charm. Not to say the crowd is all
degenerates (or no-girls-allowed proponents, for that matter), but one might
feel comfortable edging up to the uniquely patterned bar. Upon closer
inspection they’d notice that those aren’t small decorative pieces of glass
making up the checkered mosaic, but rather 23,000 playing dice. And that is how
the Horseshoe rolls.
Décor: There’s a
Simpson’s episode where Homer converts his basement into the ultimate hang-out,
planning on declaring bankruptcy to fund the venture. Not surprisingly, the
plan backfires. The Horseshoe Lounge is like that…only successfully executed. On
one side, the bar. On the other, the lounge. The soft leather backed bar seats
with brass rivets make this a loafer’s paradise and the Big Buck Hunter arcade
adds a hint of hillbilly. The hodgepodge of mismatched sofas and seats in the lounge
is reminiscent of your grandparent’s den with slightly tacky fabrics, but
supremely comfortable. There are a couple leather booths and a pool table if
hunting game is not your preferred avocation. Several flat screens are viewable
from any angle and you can recline in comfort and watch the game or kick back
with the day’s paper and a cocktail. An outside patio features red sparkly
vinyl seats and two couches that may or may not have been lifted from a bum
encampment under a bridge somewhere.
Drinks: Similar
to Vegas where the drinks are free, the Horseshoe Lounge is also extremely
generous with their booze. Happy Hour from open till 7 p.m. (we say “open” as
the Horseshoe is not one of those places with time table hang-ups) is one of
the best in town with half-off drinks that translate to $2 Colorado microbrews and $2.50 wells. Once
patrons are nice and “happy” the daily drink specials kick in. If you can make
it till midnight, then there’s $1.50 PBR in the cards till close. Unlike Vegas
where the house always wins, when you leave, you’ll think you hit the sauce
jackpot.
Food: The menu
consists of subs, salad and thin crust pizzas served on those faux-wooden
plates your school cafeteria used to use. But unlike your cafeteria, these
pizzas are wholly palatable. Priced from $9-$12, the menu was not an afterthought
and the Horseshoe makes their own red sauce. Selections range from a housemade
meatball, spinach and feta pie to one with sweet chili sauce, pineapple, red
peppers and mozzarella. And,
usually considered a one-dimensional item, the creative culinarians in the
kitchen have devised several different selections featuring tater tots as the
base ingredient.
Crowd: Designed
to feel like your living room if it also doubled as a neighborhood bar, the
crowd is comprised mainly of locals of all ages, though as the night progresses
and on the weekends non-natives trickle in and the bar can loom upon capacity.
At the edge of Uptown, but not quite LoDo, Horseshoe regulars don’t get dressed
up to come in, unless they’re coming from work and even then the suit and tie
set is slim to none.
The Horseshoe Lounge414 E. 20th Ave.
Denver, CO 80205
303-832-1180
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