The 6 Best Places to Eat and Play Games in Denver and Beyond

Playing while you dine is one of 2024’s hottest dining trends. Eatertainment spots—where you can feast on everything from Kobe beef sliders to wood-fired octopus and down craft cocktails while mini golfing, bouncing on giant things, playing bocce ball, and throwing darts—are popping up in Denver and beyond. That’s because competing in inflatable obstacle courses while nibbling on prickly pear cheesecake beats the whole ho-hum seated dinner thing.

Here, some of the Denver metro’s newest restaurants and bars that offer games, activities, and other entertainment, and whether the offerings and vibe are better for the kids or adults in your life.

Puttshack

Puttshack offers the coolest mini golf course you’ve ever played. The holes are bright, interactive, and unique, with some involving answering trivia questions, playing a giant pinball game, or navigating Tetrislike obstacles. Bonus: The balls have sensors to record your score, so you can walk around with a drink in hand instead of a scorecard.
The food: This is not your typical mini golf menu. Granted, most mini golf courses don’t have a menu at all, but the lamb skewers, chorizo empanadas, and wood-fired octopus (yes, really) on Puttshack’s menu are pretty non-mini-golfesque. Puttshack also has an Art-Deco-style bar and a burger that has no business being so good, especially considering it’s served next to a beer-pong-themed mini golf hole.
Best for: Kids and adults; the space is massive and includes multiple courses that will please every crowd. 2813 Blake St.

Bounce Empire

So. Many. Inflatables. There’s a lot to climb on, race through, fight over, and slide down at this indoor inflatable amusement park. But there’s also an upstairs VIP adult lounge with massage chairs and a bar and a sprawling terrace, so it’s not all kids jumping around massive blow-up courses.
The food: Adults can pick among garlic maple miso chicken skewers, local elk sausage with mint chimichurri, and loaded nachos, while the kids’ menu includes upscale mac and cheese and Kobe beef sliders. All the fare can be eaten at multiple spots throughout the venue.
Best for: Kids. Bounce Empire is trying to market to adults by bringing in DJs and hosting late-night events, but kids will probably enjoy climbing the inflatable kraken more than your buddies. 1380 S. Public Road, Lafayette

Lob

Lob is played on greens like mini golf, but instead of putting your way to the hole, you lob bocce balls toward a pin. It’s a lot of fun, and really, why don’t we just play bocce?
The food: The menu includes a lot of barbecue meats like smoked pulled pork and brisket, and the best tasting item was the kale Caesar salad with smoked jerk chicken. Lob has a really nice range of zero-proof drinks, and several of the cocktails (mai tais, margaritas, Negronis, and vodka-spiked punch) are available in carafes for sharing.
Best for: Kids during the day and friends at night. (It’s 21-plus after 8 p.m.) 1755 Blake St.

Flight Club

A class place for dart lovers, Flight Club offers digital multiplayer games, semi-private playing areas, an extensive food menu, and fancy schmancy cocktails in an upscale British-carnival-style setting decorated with antiques and carnival memorabilia. (Haven’t you always wanted to go to a British carnival?)
The food: Choices include lobster elote dip, yuzu guacamole, pork belly bao buns, and cronuts, so yeah, this isn’t your typical pub. They also have a bottomless mimosa brunch and $8 cocktail happy hour, so you’ll be well lubricated.
Best for: Friends. Besides having a lot of sharp things, this place is more about the adult beverages and sophisticated vibes. 1959 16th Street Mall

Holey Moley

The 27 jazzed up mini golf holes at this LoDo fixture have video game themes, skateboard-style ramps, and, of course, the requisite windmill.
The food: Holey Moley serves pizzas, burgers, and salads, but also more interesting (at least for a mini golf spot) dishes like Korean barbecue pork skewers and French onion poutine. The drinks steal the show, though, with cocktails served in bathtub, trophy, and unicorn glasses.
Best for: Both friends and kids, but it goes adult-only after 8 p.m. 1201 18th St.

American Ninja Warrior Adventure Park

OK, so this one isn’t really a restaurant, and they don’t have a liquor license (you probably don’t want to be buzzed while swinging yourself midair between these obstacles anyway), but this brand new gym is tons of fun, and the park has food to fuel your spider wall attempts. The pizza’s cheap and decent, and the Icees are popular with pint-sized and full-grown Ninja Warriors.
Best for: Both friends and kids, but particularly the latter. Besides the three main obstacle courses ripped almost straight from the TV show—Tilting logs! Cargo nets! Insane variations on monkey bars!—there are two inflatable areas for kids. One is for tiny tots and the other for older kids. The obstacle courses are definitely tougher for the shorter set, but older youngsters will have a lot of fun trying to make it up the warped wall. 7150 Leetsdale Drive