Dark Horse

Stopped in Dark Horse after hiking nearby since we heard such great things about this dive bar. We absolutely loved the vibe of the place - so cool and everything being self serve was nice too. I got a cheeseburger and it was okay. Not bad, not great. The fries were pretty bland and the ranch wasn’t my favorite. My friends got the chicken wings which they absolutely loved. It was very inexpensive which I appreciated. If I ever found myself visiting Boulder again, I’d consider trying something else!

I've been eating here since the 1970's when I was a student at the University of Colorado. Food and music 🎶🎶🎶 are great. The people waiting tables and behind the bar are friendly and helpful. Especially if you are trying to find the bathroom 😜😜😜 (inside joke, you have to go there to see it). One of a kind place, the is a must see when in Boulder ❤️❤️❤️🦬🦬🦬.

Why on Earth any of these building developers would demolish this place out blows my mind. This has been a boulder staple forever and it is truly amazing and unique. Especially with the Sundance film festival coming to town, This has the perfect movie-like environment.

World famous and I can see why! This place was filled with interesting, bizarre, strange, and very interesting things to look at. It reminded me of a slight version of Meow Wolf as being a visual interactive experience. My husband and I were looking for a place to get a burger, play some pool, and have a beer and genuine good time; and boy did we find the right place!

Wow! First time here. Loved the atmosphere. You place your food order and you are called once the food is prepared. Table service is available Monday through Friday 11am to 3pm. Kitchen and bar self-service. The food was prepared very quickly and was great portions. Definitely will be back.

This is just my experience, through my eyes. The Decorations look like for about 300 years anyone who had a piece of crap they couldn't stand to part with,they brought it here. And like any Yard Sale, you have your treasures and your junk. Don't get me wrong,I'd love to paw through all this stuff. It's undeniably fascinating. But all this junk, with spinning wheels behind the bar, a confusing layout, a confusing ordering system,kids running around, dinging flashing pin ball machines, even going to take a piss is confusing, due to the way the doors are painted. All this just created a Fire Storm of Anxiety. I could never actually Drink here. The Burger was average. Curly Fries had no salt, under done, and below average. This place maybe use to be something awesome. Right now, it's running on past reputation alone .

I had Ham and Provolone on Rye sandwich. She had Turkey Bacon Avocado on Sourdough. The TBA might be the best sandwich we have ever had, anywhere, and we are “well seasoned”. It’s the very definition of “melts in your mouth”. Great atmosphere too. Tons of cool stuff on the walls, hanging from the ceiling, and upstairs too! Highly recommended! Make sure you pay attention to the rest room arrows or you’ll be surprised!

One of our frequent 'go tos' in Boulder. Some of the best burgers 🍔 we have ever tasted. Our favorite is the 'Jiffy Burger', which is a unique combination of peanut 🥜 butter, provolone cheese 🧀, onion🧅 & bacon 🥓.  We were skeptical at first as well .. but trust me when I say it is amazing!! Be adventurous & give it a try! The bar is eclectically decorated with vintage and bizarre antiques. The bathroom 🚻 doors still confuse me. 😂 My last visit, a patron at thr bar 🍸 saw my hesitation & told me, "The women's restroom is on the right .. remember, women are always right." 😉

Dark Horse, where have you been? Clearly right under my nose for 50 years and I was just made aware of your folklore and legendary Boulder status. If you know me, you know I love a dive bar as much as anything. Dive bars are for the people. For all walks of life. Where tempers flare, where breakups occurs, where you have one too many, where you meet a random stranger that overshares their life story, where you have meaningful conversations with those closest to you, etc. Dives are Americana in a nutshell. Though a transplant, I consider myself to be someone who learns local history to get to know the place I inhabit. How did Dark Horse fly under the radar when I've been to many of Colorado's longest running establishments? Who knows?! But I'm so glad a friend recently suggested a drink here. From the moment I walked in I was obsessed. It's a dive bar, but calls itself a bar and grill since they serve food. The building is decorated top to bottom in over-the-top and funky decor and antiques. Plus, the building is massive! There are multiple rooms to set up shop, each one stranger than the previous. It's eclectic as can be. To me, it was 5 stars the moment I walked in. Hell, all I had was a beer on draft and I felt like I was treated like a king. This is a newfound favorite for me in Boulder. A college town institution if there ever was one. Maybe I'll go tonight and get myself in trouble...here's to you, Dark Horse.

vibes are good. lots of people on thursdays and fridays. lack of gluten free options :( fries are mid not salty enough. chipotle mayo is smoked which we did not love. trivia was too male centric and slow. i did get free pickles though

Only my second time here. First time since 2013. Came here on 2/28/24. We were in town for a CU Basketball game. This place was pretty busy. Wouldn't even want to see it during a football game. Friendly bartenders. We sat at the bar. Ordered drinks at the bar. Then you have to go to another stand to order food. Had a chicken burger, sourdough burger and onion rings. Good for bar food. Atmosphere and ambiance are crazy. So much stuff on the walls and ceiling. Cheers!

First time visiting this place. As a newbie with no nostalgia attached I found this place obnoxious. Super loud PA system that shouts names because you order your food from a window. The food I ordered, which was a cheeseburger and fries, was tasteless and the fries slightly cold. There is a reason it's only $10. Will not return as this is a place for drinking and just loose talk with pals.

We usually love this place but we don't want to come back because there's a dude who works here who's really rude. Blonde with brown eyes worked the kitchen and bar tonight gave my boyfriend a hard time for taking me and my girlfriends out and confronted my partner insinuating he was doing something wrong for taking care of all of us and buying all of our drinks. We were charged for tap water too which has never happened here before--when it's this hot outside--that seems wrong. We weren't told until we got the bill either. We'll go somewhere that's not charging for tap water next time.

For those readers who are from Tucson, Arizona the Dark Horse is the Bum Steer only with a different name? The menu is the same, and of course the interior is organized chaos. For those of you who have never been to the Bum Steer or the dark horse. It's definitely a must to see. Not only will you have ample amount of time trying to figure out what's inside this place, but the menu also provides some great choices in food . They have a large open bar on several layers. If you're in Boulder, and you have some time to kill and you're hungry, check out the dark horse. You will not be disappointed.

This place is DOPE like the inside is decorated in every crack and corner and it is so cool! Their drinks are great, the staff is nice, and the drinks and food are reasonably priced. They have an awesome "starving student" deal that includes a burger, fries, and a can of beer (or soda if you prefer). The burger was mid but it was cool that they had a veggie burger option too! The food came out quickly so we were super satisfied. The appetizers we got: jalapeño poppers, onion rings, and veggie quesadilla, were all delicious. I would definitely return. I would have given five stars, however, the self service kitchen and bar were a little annoying at times. Otherwise, really cool!

Burger King is better. Think about that. Also just because the place is filled with amazing nostalgic movie memorabilia and decorations out of this world does not mean that the food can be so lousy. I get it, it's a sports bar, that caters to stoned college kids, but it's also a landmark, so it should be cared for and respected by its owners. Don't go here looking for decent fries, which surprised me most, because fries are so easy, how can you screw that up?

Had a fun night here with a group of friends and definitely wasn't too crowded for a Saturday night at all. Music wasn't too loud and we could actually hang out the whole night. The food is also very good and bartenders were quick. Super cool spot and loved the decor. Bathroom was also very clean.

The menu is fairly limited, but the drinks were excellent and the ambience is pretty crazy and worth checking out!

This place was great!! Love the atmosphere and the staff was so friendly and patient with us. We had 12 people in our group so we ordered quite a bit of food and needed lots of refills. The bathrooms confused all of us. We couldn't tell if it was a joke pointing or not. 3 people in our group went to the wrong one. So you definitely need to go to the one it's pointing at NOT what is listed on the door Everything was delicious. We ordered a variety of things and everyone loved it. We will be back again!!

Really has gone downhill. 1 hr wait for a chicken sandwich. Staff was rude. Tables were filthy.

Everytime I come here it's a great time. Great vibes, fast service and lots of food options. Was very sad to hear they are possibly being bought out? Cannot confirm that though.

Dark Horse is the diviest dive. Service is pretty hands off, but that's a part of the appeal. The food menu is a decent size but the standouts are fish n chips and the burgers. The fish n chips was a first for me and it was crisp, fresh, and delicious. The burger my partner had was juicy and well made. Word to the wise, pay careful attention to the bathroom doors! I almost got a surprise, haha!

There are many things that make this restaurant unique. You place your own orders and must go to the bar to order drinks (alcoholic and nonalcoholic). Depending on time of day, they may have 1 or 2 bars open. The restaurant itself is pretty massive, with multiple rooms and an upstairs. Being across from a cluster of CU housing units, I imagine it gets very crowded with college students when there are CU football games being streamed. The decor is unlike anything I've ever seen. There are Large objects hanging from the ceiling along with a wide array of interesting things adorning all the wall space. There's no lack of conversation starters. All the food was delicious! I highly recommend trying one of their burgers (about 12 to choose from). The wings are crisp and massive. The fries are well-seasoned and the onion rings are perfectly crispy (they go great with the house buttermilk ranch).

Never been here before last night and I gotta say it was a very cool and fun experience. I think this is the best place to watch a football game in Boulder hands down. Such a cool vibe inside, tons of quirk decorations and oddities. Laid back place to have some drinks and watch sports, don't expect quiet, go for the experience and the drinks, then devour some good American food!

One of the greatest college dive bars there is, one of the greatest there ever was, and one of the greatest there ever will be. Don't believe the hype; they aren't closing any time soon. But go try their wings, as they are quite good.

This is my third time here and it's usually a good experience but this time was horrible the servers had a horrible attitude and couldn't even keep up with the table. Food is usually enjoyable but this time was not it.

One of the best spots in Boulder! Great prices, free darts, and a stellar garden burger. The service is as prompt as can be, even during peak hours, and the atmosphere is unbeat!

Quirky atmosphere and ordering drinks and food are different (you need to go to the bar and order drinks and place a food order at a central register). The drinks are good - they use call liquor as their well offering. Bloodys were good and spicy. Bartenders were patient and fast. A lot of TVs. It was a Saturday morning, and the place was packed.

Tucked back into a little corner off Baseline in Boulder lies this little dive bar. Upon first glance at the outside, you would never know the fun that lies inside. Everywhere you look inside, there is something to see. It is deceptively large inside. Room for crowds of people and then some! Standing and sitting room was readily available. The food gets ordered in one space and then there were multiple bar areas to go for drinks. They had an impressive tap selection for beer lovers. Shots were 2 for 1 when we got there so we grabbed a kamikaze. It was well made and perfectly balanced. I ordered the world famous wings with Carolina BBQ sauce with a basket of fries. My friend grabbed a patty melt. The wings were 3 joint wings, flavor was exceptional. I will say I have never seen 3 joint wings before. The basket of fries was large and plenty enough to share! Crispy, salty and delicious when you dipped them in the ranch that we got with the wings. The only miss for me was the cleanliness of the bathroom. I am used to the graffiti etc of a dive bar but cleanliness is still important to me. All in all, this was a very fun experience and we will be back to check out their offerings and continue to look at all of the fun decor!

Great food, great ambiance. A real, unique experience. A real fun atmosphere. I have been going there regularly for 50 years, and it never disappoints. Nebraska fans own the Dark Horse when they come to town.

Just happened to be up in Boulder and wanted to catch the last half of the KC game. I'd never been to the Dark Horse before but had heard of it from people in passing. The Dark Horse is loud, divey and just my kind of place with lots of people enjoying the various doings and having a good time. The only thing I didn't like was I couldn't actually hear the game since they didn't have the sound on, due to the many different sporting broadcasts they were showing.

Classic sports bar. The only main issue is their abuse of the PA system to call food orders. Very annoying.

Morning Hike in Flatirons, then a cheeseburger, fries, and Coors Draft at Dark Horse. Annual Pilgrimage. Plenty of "Craft Ale" houses in Boulder that are carbon copies of every place on the planet with "Gourmet Burgers." Take a break from pretentiousness and try a real bar.

The food is great and it's such a fun place to hang out. Brought a whole bunch of college students with me and they really enjoyed it! Wings are on point.

Worst dining restaurant experience in Boulder! Kitchy setup they have, cool inside however, the service was absolutely terrible. The bartender was very rude and pushy. Maybe they were having an off day but I didn't appreciate how I was treated. First and last time going. Save yourself a trip and go to illegal Pete's or something instead.

Local bar with western flair. No table service after 3 so place drink orders at the bar, seat yourself and then place food orders at another location. They call you name when ready over the intercom. Bar fare with a biggest selection of burgers. Good is ok... curly fries very seasoned are the fries. There are pool tables on one side. Parking & restaurant behind Sprouts so back behind a shopping center. Fairly dark and loud. It did look like the rings are very popular!

The food was good, but not for the first time there was a cold draft under the table. I had on sandals so eventually took them off and put my feet on the seat of the booth. The waitress ce by and said it was a health violation. I looked it up. Big lie.

Depends on what you want. This place is great as a sports bar. Food was greasy and the veggie bean burger with fries was...just ok. Felt like a dimly lit grungy college bar. Saw the reviews and expected more. I think I'm just too old for a greasy dive. The bathroom doors and general Bathroom cleanliness are worth mentioning. Doors were confusing - stood outside and watched several People go into the wrong side. Inside - looked and felt and smelt like a dorm bathroom...

The eclectic decor makes this a must see. You feel like you are back in the Wild West and Buffalo Bill is about to walk in the door. Burgers are very good. The curly fries are very tasty. My order of fries however was mostly tiny bits from the bottom of the bowl. Beer selection is great. A big negative is that there is no table service during our visit. It is cool how they call your name or a made up one to pick up your order. But, I worried about dropping my food on the way to our booth. It's annoying to order food in one place and then drinks at the bar. I'll be back for the novelty but there are better burgers elsewhere. Meal prices are very reasonable and a good place to feed the family. There is table service M-F 11-3 Warning: choose wisely when you use the bathroom.

We came here for a little valentines pre dinner drink and I am so glad we did! Ambiance/vibe was on point and happy hour pricing was an amazing deal. Husband accidentally went into the wrong bathroom- always gotta watch out for those signs at dark horse! We will be back soon for those infamous wings

Absolutely the best burger I have had in years. And get this! You can get a burger with fries in Boulder for $10!! GF friendly! Amazing, unique, never a dull place to look kind of ambiance! Cooks, Bartenders and everyone else - so freaking friendly!

Oh my gosh.. The dark horse is an experience like none other... It's an eclectic Boulder institution that one must just go to enjoy the ambience. The beer and the cocktails are ice cold but you must go to the bar to collect your cocktail yourself. There's a little station to order your food and you have to listen closely when they call your name ..."Kim Kim order for Kim Kim" My husband and I love to come up here for their burgers, they are just epic... Nice and juicy and reasonable in price. But everything on the menu is well worth the effort.

First time in, came in middle of afternoon an sat at bar by the pool tables waited for 8 minutes, two people came behind the bar an no one acknowledges me. Finally I call the restaurant an tell her I'm sitting at the bar. She comes just to tell me the bar is closed an it's self service to the front if I want a beer. Worst service ever will NOT be back. I heard the service was awful prior to me coming. Wanted to find out for myself. Guess they were right. I'll go somewhere where they want my money

If you're looking to be transported into another world, step into this bar. As you walk through the mazy house like structure, you'll see "this and that" hanging from the ceiling and just think, "What in the... this is wild!" It's very Topsy's house from Mary Poppins Returns but with beer :D It's SUPER FUNKY, and flat out neat. Grab a beer here, for sure.

Fun place and atmosphere. Good food and great place to take kids for lunch. Pay attention at the bathrooms.

The manager is an idiot. He confused me with someone else and asked me in a rude tone," do you have something you want to say to me"? What a loser.

What a vibe! I was in Boulder for a wedding in July on a Saturday night and most of the places were closed but we found this place and it amazed me. It's such a beautiful vibe and those horse carriages on the ceilings-- so cool! I wanted hot chocolate and don't think they had but I still got hot chocolate. Staff was really nice. I'd go back if I'm back in Boulder. It was so alive and bustling with people at 12am when the whole town seemed asleep. Loved it.

Had a pretty solid sandwich with curly fries. Fries were especially great. Also really liked the unique ambiance and decor!

This was an interesting place. It's really more of a bar (complete with obviously local it it's day-drinkers) with a decent food offering, but even he seating areas "feel" like a bar. The food service requires you to walk up to a window, place a food order, later which they call you up to retrieve, if you want a drink, you'll have to order that separately by walking up to the bar. The food options were nice, but this place doesn't even try to be restaurant-like. I ordered the Royale burger. Topped with ham, provolone. It was a decent burger for sure.i had coleslaw on the side which was acceptable, but nothing special. This place seems to have a reputation, I think it was worth the visit foe the experience, but not sure I'd go out of my way TBH, the food was good, the environment was what it was, and the lack of cohesive service was odd.

Apparently this guy claimed to be the owner and he got a male bartender to make me leave so they could gain up on me in the parking lot for spilling a guys drink because they were bullying me and trying to grab my ass, ya. It was great. Sorry I tried to stick up for myself. My bad. Sucks being a women trying to watch sports.

WHAT A UNIQUE PLACE!! Oh. My. Goodness! Got to be one of the tastiest burgers I've EVER had!! And their French fries?? Absolutely heavenly!! They season their fries absolutely perfect. One side of the place is more booths and tall pub-style seating while the other is a stage, dance floor and surroundings tables. Soooooo much to LOOK at all around too!! Upstairs has some more funky seating and things to do. They ONLY accept cash which is a loss of a star but I understand that with the college students the owner needs to protect his assets. On a side note; the place needs a deep cleaning!!

Great bar in Boulder, Colorado. We stopped here after driving in from Denver after our flight. We were starving! Pretty busy for a Wednesday afternoon. We both had grilled chicken sandwiches, cold beer, and excellent service! My toddler had chicken tenders and fries, he almost finished the whole basket! Our waitress was very nice, even after my toddler spilled a whole glass of ice water! I started to clean the mess up but the waitress was persistent on cleaning it for us. I saw a few other tables with Burgers & Wings and they looked excellent too!

Fuck the manager Sean, very vague as to when the bar turns 21 and over and who can come in. Not a "bar" but a restaurant/bar.. Not clearly stated anywhere on their site and he could not clarify! Being the top dog and not knowing shit, know wonder (3.7). I like the spot to chill and have a drink but shit's not cleary spelled out on their website and he did a shitty job at explaining it. Acted like he owned the spot, not even close. Own some shit before you act like you're the shit!! Just a peon in Boulder!

The food and atmosphere was good. The waitress and hostess on the other hand were bad. I honestly felt as if I was a bother / inconvenience to them for wanting to come to the restaurant and order food. Probably won't come back because of the service alone.

This is a college dive bar and for that it rocks. Good service, lots of seats, better than bar food. The pulled pork was good, coleslaw excellent. Burgers good. Nice beer selection. There's a big outdoor seating area carved out of the parking spaces. We sat inside

Big fan of this place. Unfortunately got yelled at for trying to look at the merchandise when the case was already opened. Word of the wise: don't bother looking at the shirts/sweatshirts or the angry elf will get mad at you. Merry Christmas.

Classic dive bar, always a fun hang. It can be raucous and chaotic at times, the PA that lets you know your good is ready works except when it doesn't. Can be very crowded at times. Nice selection of beers, good local options, and a full bar, tasty burgers. Is it a good restaurant? I mean, not really, but I always have fun and I'm always happy to go back there. Not a ton of places I'd say that about.

Very interesting and eclectic decor. The food tasted great, and the food serving size is large enough for just about anyone. There's multiple bars to get your drinks at a good price.