Lustre Pearl Brings a Taste of Texas to RiNo

In many ways, RiNo’s new Lustre Pearl (LP) is a lot like Texas itself: spacious, laid-back, and welcoming. The bar, which opened two weeks ago, is the third location of LP, and the only outside of Austin.

First things first: LP is a bar, “not a restaurant,” says general manager Matthew Weinholt. Yes, the crew does fire up a smoker on weekends to sling brisket and pulled pork sandwiches, but the only food you’ll find on the daily menu are $1 bags of chips or peanuts.

The bar menu is relatively straightforward, too, with a mix of time-tested cocktails imported from the Texas locations (like the $8 Ranch Water, with Milagro silver tequila, orange, Cointreau, and Topo Chico) plus a slew of new cocktails developed just for the Mile High City outpost. There are $6 beer-shot combos and approximately 15 brews on tap, many hailing from local brewers such as Fiction Beer Company and Upslope Brewing Company. Head up the stairs (playfully inscribed with“Stairway to Heaven” lyrics), and you’ll find a cozy room with two TVs and a dedicated mezcal bar.

The lounge-y space may be sparse on decor, but its distressed walls already have a beloved, worn-in quality and the neon sign perched above the bar, which reads “Ici tout est bon” (Here everything is good), hints at the rollicking vibe LP intends to deliver. Live music (check out Sam Pace and the Gilded Grit on October 20) and games projected on a large screen above the bar no doubt make LP a popular Denver hangout.

1315 26th St., 720-508-3948