4 New Bars to Watch the All-Star Game in Denver

Experiencing an MLB game from the stands at Coors Field—one of the league’s most beautiful stadiums—is hard to beat. But cheering on your favorite team with like-minded fans at a sports bar can be an equally enticing and more affordable endeavor. For the (many) who couldn’t nab an All-Star Game ticket, we’ve scoped out four new bars—plus five compelling spots to check out—where you can watch the game.

New Bars

Stoney’s Cantina

This month-old spot is the newest addition to the beloved sports bar family encompassing Stoney’s Bar and Grill and Stoney’s Uptown Joint. Rather than serve the wings, burgers, loaded fries, and other pub staples its two predecessors are known for, Stoney’s Cantina on South Broadway is the first of the concepts to offer a menu focused on Mexican street food, Tex-Mex, Southwestern-style bites, and tequila-forward drinks. Nibble on a tlayuda, a wood-fired tortilla pizza that’s traditionally eaten in Oaxaca (go for the al pastor version with achiote and pineapple) while you take in play-by-plays on 17 70-plus-inch TVs. Craving a livelier sports-viewing scene? Venture to Stoney’s original location on Lincoln Street, a spectators paradise with nearly 60 TVs.
What to drink: An 18-ounce Grande Margarita, a big-as-your-face sipper that will only set you back $6 during Grande Hour (Monday through Friday, 3 p.m.–6 p.m.)

Tom’s Watch Bar

Tom’s Watch Bar debuted in McGregor Square on June 14, bringing a two-story, 14,000-square-foot sports castle to LoDo. Dubbed the “Official Sports Bar of the Colorado Rockies,” Tom’s is the brainchild of Tom Ryan and Rich Schadan, the duo behind Smashburger and Tom’s Urban (the predecessor to Tom’s Watch Bar). The best features for baseball fans? There isn’t a bad seat in the house: The bar has a glittering, 165-inch outdoor viewing screen, as well as 115 other TVs. And while the All-Star Game will undoubtedly be on the main sound system, those who want to watch other sports—the bar airs everything from soccer to competitive Russian face slapping—can listen in on the game of their choice via the Tunity app. Bonus: Whenever the Rockies play, everyone receives a free shot when the team hits a home run.
What to drink: A Colorado Native lager from the first AC Golden Tank Room, where brews are poured from copper-clad tanks, resulting in crisper suds, untainted by a tap system

The Rally Bar

Three-month-old The Rally Bar figured out how to merge swank with sports. Tucked inside the new Rally Hotel, and just steps from Coors Field, this smaller, more intimate addition to massive McGregor Square offers a chic spot for All-Star action and people-watching alike, with four large TVs and Tom’s Watch Bar’s giant outdoor screen just around the corner. Centered around an eye-catching, Colorado “C”-shaped chandelier, you’ll feel like you’re under the stadium lights as you hear the crowd roar next door. Upscale cocktails and fare inspired by classic ballpark bites drive home that mix of elevated taste and easy-going, game day vibe. (Fact: The bar’s name is a nod to the rally cap—the superstitious tradition of turning your baseball hat inside-out or backwards to help your team with a come-from-behind win.) Whether you opt for the charcuterie board and beet tartare, or a crisp Coors on tap with the all-beef Johnny Dogs, your lucky (unwashed) jerseys are always welcome at this posh outpost.
What to drink: The Rally Up, a bright violet infusion of local the Family Jones vodka, St. Germain, butter pea tea, lemon, and grapefruit or the Golden Sombrero, a take on the spicy marg featuring Ancho Reyes Chile Poblano Liqueur and fiery bitters

Tight End

As baseball fans of every creed make their ways to the Mile High City, they should know that Denver’s only gay sports bar welcomes them all. The two-month-old East Colfax outpost (formerly home to beloved punk bar, Streets Denver) has quickly become the post-game hang for local rec leagues, and beckons as a safe space for any sports enthusiast in town with its nine TVs, open-air and outdoor seating, beer and cocktail selection, plus fresh pizza by the slice from its adjoined neighbor, End Zone Pizzeria. Grab a huckleberry vodka lemonade for easy midsummer sipping—better yet, during the daily happy hour from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. for $2 off any drink—and round out your All-Star Week festivities on the darts-lane-turned-dance-floor, where a football-shaped disco ball (and, usually, a Dua Lipa bop or two) spins overhead. Don’t forget to do your part by getting a shot—a “Pfizer,” “Moderna,” or “Johnson & Johnson” shot, that is. Select from these fruit-flavored shooters that are far from the life-saving vaccines they’re named after, but promise an antidote for any spectator in need of a boost.
What to drink: Any of the aptly named Sporty Sporty Sport Drinks curated by the bartenders themselves, like the Man to Man D, a mango vodka soda balanced with just the right amount of sweet

Pregame and Postgame Destinations

Wynkoop Brewing

This 33-year-old LoDo stalwart is a classic place to grab a craft brew and catch a few plays on the TVs situated above the bar or in the expansive pool hall. We recommend fried chicken from the Coop, the brewery’s pandemic-born pop-up that will reopen as a permanent restaurant later this summer. Until then, selections from its menu are available at the brewery.
What to drink: A hoppy Mile High Pale Ale or Patty’s Chile Beer, a Wynkoop favorite named after Patty Calhoun, Westword’s co-founder and editor

Blake Street Tavern

Five rooms equipped with 65 TVs, a roomy beer garden with plenty of umbrella-shaded tables, and a killer brunch menu make the Blake Street Tavern a year-round home base for all types of sports aficionados—but the pub’s proximity to Coors Field ensures it’s particularly bustling during baseball season. Thanks to lifted COVID-19 restrictions, the 18-year-old bar is open until 2 a.m. again, so you can continue partying long after the All-Star Game ends.
What to drink: An ice-cold bucket of your favorite cans or bottles (no judgment if you want the mix-and-match White Claw) and a vodka lavender lemonade popsicle

Brass Tacks

Brass Tacks’ low-key ambience makes the spot a hidden gem for baseball fans, who can check the score on four TVs while enjoying stellar cocktails, including 10 options on draft, and elevated pub fare (try perfect-for-snacking chicken chicharrones and sweet-and-savory corn beignets). While the bar is closed on Tuesday, July 13, during the Midsummer Classic, it is a prime pit stop for those basking in all of the pregame festivities the weekend prior.
What to drink: Brass Tacks’ signature paloma, a mix of tequila, Aperol, lime, grapefruit, and Squirt

Denver Central Market

What Denver Central Market lacks in TVs (it will only have one big screen showing the game), it makes up for in tasty specials, available Friday through Tuesday, July 9 to 13. Highlights include an All-Star Ice Cream flight for $7 with proof of admission to the game from High Point Creamery; hamburgers, hot dogs, and brats priced between $5 and $8 from the Local Butcher (not available on Friday, July 9); and a pizza/garlic bread combo from Vero for $23.
What to drink: Curio Bar’s rum-forward Painkiller, a potent tropical elixir that’s sure to please the senses no matter which team you’re rooting for

Rhein Haus

Rhein Haus’ Bavarian-themed food, drink, and vibe draw crowds of both jersey-clad and plainclothes patrons on game days. On Saturday, July 10, the beer hall will host a bocce ball tournament starting at 5 p.m. for the chance to win prizes, like bar tabs and an All-Star Game replica jersey (sign up in person the day of to be one of the 16 competing teams).
What to drink: $5 half liters of Breckenridge Avalanche Amber or Juice Drop Hazy IPA, Stella Artois, or Kona Big Wave Golden Ale—available throughout All-Star Week