Campus Lounge
Bar & grill · Washington Park ·
Classic sports bar with New American comfort food & cocktails
Classic sports bar with New American comfort food & cocktails
"Opened at the corner of University and Exposition Streets in 1976, Campus Lounge has been a hangout for coeds and denizens of the Bonnie Brae and Wash Park neighborhoods for decades. Thanks to a remodel, it meets at the intersection of dive bar and upscale pub. The nearly windowless neon-lit interior is everything you want from a favorite watering hole, while the menu features leveled-up bar fare. Fans gather to watch their home teams from a plush booth or at the bar, while noshing on burgers, nachos, and enchiladas (bonus: there’s even have a weekend brunch)." - Rebecca Treon
"I'm told the currently shuttered iconic 40-plus-year-old bar in Denver’s Bonnie Brae neighborhood is getting new life: the owners of LoHi’s Recess Beer Garden have leased the classic bar and plan to reopen it in mid-December. If the Recess team follows through, it would be the third time the Campus Bar has reopened under new owners since Jim Wiste closed it after 40 years in 2016; the last two iterations lasted less than a year each. The Recess owners, who have roots in the Bonnie Brae neighborhood, plan to convert the bar’s back room into a game room with pool and arcade games and to incorporate a 1970s camping vibe, and they say the menu will focus on steaks, sandwiches, and daily specials; it’s possible the team may not be able to use the Campus Lounge name for legal reasons." - Paul Albani-Burgio
"Although new owners took over the south Denver legend last September, they're already calling it quits: the bar’s website announced, "Campus Lounge has closed for business. We appreciate your support along the way." Eater Denver explained that in 2018 a Colorado father-and-son team, Dan and Jeff Nickless, planned to reopen the Bonnie Brae standby sometime in October, hoping to bring it back to what it once was by adding TVs to screen sporting events and a menu that included green chile and burgers. Longtime owner Jim Wiste, who died earlier this year, ran the Campus Lounge for more than 40 years; Dan Landes revamped it in 2017 but kept it open only five months. The Nickless family, who previously owned the Esquire Market and were frequent visitors, also supplied meat for the bar." - Erin Perkins
"The second revamp of this 40-year-old former hockey bar is worth the trip back to Bonnie Brae. Customers can still slide into a vinyl booth, order green chile or burgers, and watch a game on the reinstalled televisions." - Josie Sexton
"After multiple closures and brief reopenings, Campus Lounge— the Bonnie Brae icon that closed after 40 years in 2016 and reopened for five months last year—has another chance under new owners Dan and Jeff Nickless; I noticed it has TVs again, lots of sports memorabilia, and menu items like chili cheese fries and nachos, and the new owners are longtime customers who previously supplied meat to the neighborhood sports bar." - Josie Sexton