The muckety-mucks on the LUN Board requested Snarky Mark to do a write-up on TV sports
viewing in Lowry. A qualifier – what follows are my honest, and yes sometimes brutal,
assessments of the local watering hole options in Lowry for sports viewing. Your opinions may
vary widely from mine and that’s ok. We can discuss at the bar over a drink.
Before I dig in, it must be acknowledged that the former Tavern restaurant (aka the T), which
was shuttered in March 2024, was the go-to venue for Lowry sports viewing. The basement of
the building also featured the Soiled Dove which was arguably the best small capacity (250
people), intimate concert venue in Denver with great acoustics and not a bad seat in the house.
The Tavern bar was boomerang shaped with seating for 35 people and a multitude of TVs above
the bar and on the walls. Booths adjacent to the bar accommodated the overflow crowd. The
boomerang shape allowed for interaction with patrons seated across from you without the
need to raise your voice, so the banter (or craic as the Irish call it) was always good. Every NFL
game was on at least one TV so everyone could cheer on their favorite team. And during March
Madness, the place was buzzing with college hoops fans. The Tavern is sorely missed by many
including me.
The good news is that the property was recently purchased so it will no longer be an eyesore
with the boarded-up windows. However, the new owner is converting the bar/restaurant into
classrooms and a recording studio for Rock The Stages music school … so the glory days of
sports viewing at the T are over. Thankfully, the new owner is retaining the Soiled Dove for
concerts or so we’ve heard.
My top choice for sports viewing in Lowry is Walter’s 303 Pizza (aka W; aka the Dub). Trent
(the owner) runs a pretty solid operation. The bar area in Walter’s has ten seats at the bar, a
few high-top tables and a couple four-top lower tables so the seating capacity in the bar is
about 30 people. There are only three TVs in the bar – two very large screen TVs with good
resolution and a smaller TV on the south wall – so seeing your favorite team at W can be a
challenge if your team is a non-Colorado team like my lovable losers, the Cleveland Browns.
Having said that, the food at W is consistently good. They make a very good pizza and also have
some healthier options (aka salads). If you go the salad route then order the small salad in a
large bowl – you will get a little more salad but more importantly the salad will actually stay in
the bowl while you’re eating it. Small salad in a small bowl tends to get messy with lettuce
littered on the table.
The W has a rotating selection of approximately 30 craft beers on tap so you likely can find one
that you like. My only knock on the W is that not one of those taps is dedicated to a Light beer. I’m not a Light beer drinker, but they should have one tap dedicated to Light beer for folks that
prefer to drink it. C’mon Trent get that fixed.
The W also features one of my favorite Lowry bartenders – Kristen – who can deliver and take
the snark. She’s a great bartender, always smiling and has a really fun vibe about her.
Another bonus to the W is that this is usually the venue where Bronco Barb (aka BB) watches
Bronco games. BB is a knowledgeable, ardent and vocal Broncos fan. Always decked out in
orange and blue, she intently watches the game so don’t talk to her during important plays. If
the opposing team has a big play (long kickoff or punt return for example) you will hear BB
scream, “Git ‘em!!!” much to the amusement of the other patrons. And if the outcome of the
game hinges on a last second field goal, then please give this woman some space because she
needs to pace off the nervousness before the game-deciding kick. BB can be worth the price of
admission but please stay in your lane and don’t distract her.
The other sports viewing options in Lowry are a step below W for me. Some options have
better features – more TVs or more space or menus with more variety – but they fall short in
other ways. Most are solid dining establishments but lack the sports vibe.
Officer’s Club aka the OC. The menu here is solid with a decent variety of choices from pub fare
(sliders, wings, fish and chips) to more expensive plates (Prime Rib, Salmon, etc.). The OC is
more restaurant than sports bar – so it doesn’t get very raucous – but they have four or five
smaller TVs in the bar area. The bar seats 10 people and there is a long high-top (dubbed the
Shuffleboard) that seats another 16 or so people. The bar staff here is very good.
Lowry Beer Garden (aka LBG) is a Lowry fixture and the longest tenured of the watering holes
featured here. The menu here is mostly pub fare but they have a nice selection of options
including healthier dishes and it’s almost always good. LBG has a decent selection of about 15-
20 craft beers. The bar area has three large screen TVs with not great resolution and not much
of a sports vibe to the place either. Lots of seating inside and out. Folks often bring their dogs
and young kids so LBG can have a Romper Room feel to it sometimes. Not high on my sports
viewing locales but it’s in our rotation for drinks/food with neighbors.
Hangar Club (aka HC) is a more recent addition to Lowry. HC is primarily an indoor golf
simulation facility with approximately ten or so golf bays. The U-shaped bar has about 20 seats
around the bar with several TVs overhead. TVs are also located in adjacent rooms to the bar
with comfortable sofa seating, and a fair number of NFL games are telecast here. Not much of
a sports vibe here though as the golfing noise can be distracting. I’m always waiting for
someone to yell out “Fore!” after an errant shot. Food is meh (to be fair it’s been a year since
I’ve eaten there so maybe it’s improved) and drinks are pricey, but you can play billiards for free
and watch the game at the same time which is a bonus.
North County (aka NC) has a U-shaped bar with 15 or so seats and a couple TVs but it’s almost
exclusively a dining place versus a place to watch sports. I only mention it here because I do
like their food.
The beauty of the Lowry bars mentioned above is that they are all walkable for most folks living
in Lowry which is a great perk to living in our community.
If you care to venture outside Lowry, then Chopper’s and Milwaukee Street Tavern (aka MST) in
Cherry Creek are great sports viewing venues and serve mostly pub fare. Chopper’s is much
larger than MST with many tables inside and outside and probably 40 or so TVs. All games are
telecast at Choppers. During March Madness this is a really great venue and the sports vibe is
at a high level.
MST is similar but on a smaller scale; similar to Walter’s in size but with more TVs and a more
sports-oriented clientele. The beauty of both bars is that they attract fans from many teams
across the country with most sporting their team colors so the sports vibe is solid. I would rate
both bars higher than any of the Lowry options for sports viewing. The only downside to the
Cherry Creek establishments is that you pretty much have to drive or Uber.
Cheers!
Sports Viewing in Lowry is the first article by Snarky Mark, with whom many of you in our community have probably shared a beverage. If you have a suggestion for future articles from him, please send us an email to connect@lowryunitedneighborhoods.org.