Lion's Lair

Great service, perfect neighborhood dive without any fuss or drama. Demi and Tony and the rest of the staff pride themselves on truly welcoming everyone, and know lots of Denver history. They have a beautiful well margarita and affordable prices. As an added bonus, I’ve spent many nights here and can say I truly feel safe here as a woman.

Bartender LITERALLY took my art work and lit it on fire, and the goons cheered him on. It is the most ratchet yet pricey bar I’ve ever been to.

Great downtown dive bar that hosts tons of local musicians. If you want to support local, visit Lion's Lair. Photos from set by Adrian Garcia on Feb 10, 2022.

Classic. Always a good time. Please support these local venues that still put live local bands on stage and create the heart and spuld of Denver.

The worst. Used to be a sticky Divey bar with decent vibes but now it got hella infiltrated with hipsters. Good luck smh

Cool venue with friendly staff. Drinks are affordable and the parking wasn't too bad either. Also owned by the same guy that owns the ogden. Saw some dope bands there. There is a photo booth. Definitely want to go again or make it a spot. AND right next to EOD, where I got my first tattoo.

Tony the owner, shouldn’t be behind the bar. He’s only got so many hands and moves as slow as molasses.

I went to see a friend's band and this wasn't a bad place to see them. it's intimate enough that if you want to get up close to the stage it won't be a problem but it's big enough that if you want to find a corner and talk to someone, that won't be a problem either. they have a $10 minimum on c.cards and there weren't any drink specials to make you smile (a pint of PBR was 5 bucks) but the vibe was right. I'll be back next time a friend is playing out.

I mean this with the utmost respect. Talk about a dive bar that has been a colfax mainstay for several years. Open to all walks of life available for all to have fun especially if being served by PJ. He was very personable and ensured your cocktails are drinkable or he'd make you another. They also have a variety of events happening there for late night entertainment.

Great karaoke. Fun staff. Grungy, dive bar vibes. What more can you expect? Well I'll tell you just what you'll get. An eclectic mix of personalities on colfax. A few unsolicited individuals may walk in and groove to the music. Wednesday's you may sing with a live band. There's the longest open mic in the city here. Definitely a barflys must. If you want tasty, stiff drinks, and a crowd that'll embrace anyone who walks through that door-so long as they're respectful. Sound quality and vibes is what sets the karaoke apart. The variety of events they have throughout the week...from live small cover shows..to just down right raw karaoke. Check it out. Tony is the owner. Sweet guy.

Lion's Lair wins on service and cost, both of which at phenomenal. However, this is not a place everyone will enjoy. I found Lion's lair as I was looking for places with live music in Denver. They do indeed have live music, it seems they skew towards the Alt/Punk-Rock crowd. When we first walked in the opening band (of 3 total playing that night) was ear bleeding loud with absolutely no musical talent. Thankfully for us they were on their last set as we got there. The other bands were MUCH better and played at a loud but reasonable volume. The bar staff were attentive and friendly. Quickly remembering our drinks and on top of refilling our libations with a quick head nod. The price of our drinks was also surprisingly cheep. A couple of other cons, they have very limited seating and room so if there isn't room at the bar be prepared to stand, also there is no parking to speak of so it is best to Uber or walk. TL:DR - Great staff, awesome drinks and live music, but aimed at a very specific crowd.

Today, Denver did its best Nick Lachey impression and decided to pull a 98 degrees on me and my boy. Thus, we were in dire need of some refreshments. We pulled up to Lion's Lair like Timon and Pumbaa all jolly and trusting, and the big boy wise bartender went full Simba on us. Despite the lack of AC and the muggy atmosphere, he persevered with an exquisite recommendation of a Chicago handshake. He went old style on us with a moco dripping down his beard and served Malort like nothing he'd ever feared. It ain't fair that lions lair takes the fare of bar owners that are unaware of being an extraordinaire!

Great dive bar! Bartender was friendly and drinks were tasty! Definitely a fun place to sit at the bar and look at all the random sh*t on the walls. Looks like they do live music as well. Probably pretty fun.

Lions Lair rules especially for comedy night with Anthony Crawford as the MC. Every Monday is open mic comedy plus on two (2) Tuesdays of the month Anthony does The Gong Show....which brings this whole other dimension to comedy.... You got to see it !!!!

Ummmm yes please! Rather not yelp this so people stay away. Stage for live music and open mic night. Parking is off Colfax as so might be a little difficult but then again, was there on a Saturday night, the street was empty so parking might not be an issue! Definitely give this place a shot!

Always fun to see live music punk bands on the weekends or drink anytime of the week at this place,

Very old venue that I believe dates back to the '30's or something close to it. You can tell that there has been a lot of drugs done in this place over the years once it became a bar/music venue. We went on a quiet night (only 3 other people there). For some reason the heat was turned up to 80 degrees. I'm sure the place is much more fun during an event, but wasn't the best to hang when it was empty.

sweet place! love the vibes and the drinks were very affordable. The bands they had playing on the thursday that i went were A W E S O M E!

Not going to leave a review until I can actually drink here! Google, Apple Maps, the website, Yelp ALLL state this place opens at 3. I have been there twice now and they don't open until at least 6. Only posting this in hopes it helps the staff change things! Hope I can finally get a chance to have a beverage or two here shortly

I was definitely not a fan of this place. I went to see a friend of mine who's band was playing there, or else I probably would have never set foot inside. I am not a dive bar kind of person, just to make that clear. I just don't get the appeal. The drink I had there was decent, and the prices weren't terrible. However the place is really tiny, and very dirty. The first band that played that night was quite literally a skinhead band I think and they kept telling the crowd to go f*#% themselves. While I enjoyed my friend's band....the rest of the experience was pretty bad. Only redeeming fact was that I was hungry and could walk one block to Pete's Kitchen for dinner.

Somewhere in between Middle Earth and Hell resides the divey-est of dives aka Lion's Lair. And if you enjoy weird, questionable adventures like me then, well, something is terrifyingly wrong with you. (So we can be friends.) Upon entering, you'll have that sudden urge to retreat out the door, so repress that fearful intuition of yours. My inner voice? It screamed, "Run, Jon. Run back to the hotel and go to sleep on that fantastic king-sized bed." But I told my North Star, or whatever was inside of me, to shut the heck up because I had two goals in mind that night: 1) Dranks! I need them. 2) Will I see peanut butter wrestling at Shotgun Willy's? Motivation, yo. Mo-tiv-a-tion. **** The interior of Lion's Lair doesn't go the whole nine when entertaining the King of the Jungle theme, unfortunately. I mean, aside from the homage to a circus and lion in the front, the inside just has one lion head painting hanging on of their walls. Oh, and they have LEAPORD PRINT curtains on the stage. (It was such a disappointment.) However, they do redeem themselves with their illuminating Pabst sign, sketchy bathrooms with urinals covered in stickers, and throwback wood paneling. Regarding their drinks, as anyone visiting a dive would expect, they don't hurt the good ole' wallet, but they do hurt da brain. They're plenty robust and help with rocking out to metal renditions of Miley Cyrus, which I, maybe, liked. (I mean, I'd follow the guy on Spotify if he had one.) I banged my head to dem jams and got enough blood pumping to head to Denver's best strip club. The only thing stopping you from getting a drink is that your bartender might be temporarily absent since he'll probably be smoking a cig outside for long periods of time. (At least, that's what he told us.) Thanks for a memorable time, Lion's Lair. I'll have to get some blood work done in the future, to check for any diseases I may have contracted there, but fuggit. I had fun. Cash only.

Bouncer is the biggest douche. Horrible service, everyone was so rude. Smells like cigarettes.

The one at the bar!!! Can I believe that? She asked if I wanted to open a tab. I said yes. Then when I wanted to close out, she said yes that was fine. Nothing stank too bad here. I tip big time but that's not why I'm here. This bar has beer but not just any... LONESTAR. Unbelievable. Can u believe that? My only deal is can we please put some switchfoot on the 45? I call it that because I know about music, I'm an artist. I'll be back when I make the time

Super cute place. Weather was perfect and so was the service & drinks. One of our fav stops in Denver so far.

Even for a dive bar the music here is pretty amazing! We have been back each weekend for the past three weeks and were pretty amazed. I would recommend.

Great dive. They didn't have live music when I came. Just a few people at the bar. The shows sound awesome though. Friendly bartender. Super cheap drinks. $2 PBRs. My Redbull & vodka was like 3 or 4 bucks. Bathrooms were surprisingly hospitable. I'd just say be careful of the area. I went early in the evening and had a male friend with me. Saw a lot of sketchy characters and homeless folks when walking from another bar down the street. I was previously warned about Colfax as well. Just be aware when planning your evening outing.

When I think grungy dive bar, I would expect it to look a lot like the Lion's Lair. This place is so hard to miss. Why? It's large AF neon lights outside saying "Lion's Lair". For how big those lights were, I was expecting the inside to match. I was wrong. The inside is fairly small. It's got black walls with very little lights. There's a small stage in the corner, a big rectangle bar smack dab in the middle, with a few booths and hi-top tables surrounding the area. There was a small area in front of the stage that I assumed was reserved for dancing. My friends and I grabbed a seat at the bar right next to the makeshift dance floor so that we were right in front of the action. On the night of my particular visit, we were lucky to experience a metal artist who covered popular pop hits. You bet he sang T.Swift and Miley Cyrus in a loud metallic tone. As for drinks, once you find the bartender, the drinks are great. Cheap, strong, does exactly the trick. This ain't no place for fancy cocktails, get yourself a vodka soda, tequila shot or a beer, and keep it simple. It is a dive bar. Cash only, friends! Even though my visit to the Lion's Lair was short, I made sure to rock my head to the metallic pop-cover wonder, take a few tequila shots, and pull out a few dance moves. It was an experience well spent.

If you are looking for a dive bar, which I usually am, this is dive bar heaven! I have been here a few times now.. I played here back in 2008 and maybe in 2010, and I just recently went for a night cap with some work buds while in town! The place has not changed much since my last couple visits! But if it ain't broken don't fix it... am I right! Now when we got there the bartender was no where to be found, out smoking I guess, but when he did show up, he was sweet and took our orders over the loud rock and roll escaping from the stage. 4 drinks 13 bucks and smiles all around! You can tell this place bleeds rock and roll and has had thousands of bands over the years!, Stickers all over the walls of the names of the forgotten rock and rollers who tried to tame the Lion's Lair from the small corner stage that leaves about 10-15 feet of dance floor for busting a move! I love how the bar is in the middle of the room and in a rectangle shape. It's a unique space for a rock club! I remember playing here being really fun, and they hooked the band up with cheap beers for cheap and if the room fills up it's got a great vibe in it! The other night we showed up around midnight, and caught some wild and crazy older fella rocking a drum machine guitar and singing pop hits in a very ZAPPA-esque scary mode, but I Kinda loved it! If you dig rock and roll, cheap beer, years or history, and don't mind sitting at a table that may or may not be clean, this is your dream...bar!

Great little music venue, and a clean dive bar with tons of character. Bathrooms were not scary! Beer on tap- standard domestics and hipster swill. We saw Kiddoo and the Dude from Austin. Sound was good. The bartender was nice, cant wait to go back here and see some more bands.

This was a great place yo stop in for some drinks and laughs on a Monday night. Open mic night and it was funny to hear these amateurs but i see a great future in these comideans

This place rules, it's super divey but the service and the selection of booze is great. The Live music is super fun also

Super cute bar. Just moved to denver - this place was just right down the street. Great/ fast service!!!

Went here on Halloween night to see my husband's band play. I was a little alarmed about going to a dive bar on Colfax on Halloween night, but it was totally cool and non-threatening. It was pretty small, so wherever you are in the bar you will be able to see and hear the band (this also means you will not be able to escape the band to have an actual conversation, but hey either enjoy the music or step outside). Drinks were cheap -- our friend ordered a soda (designated driver) and they gave it to him for free. Cool. I hear the men's bathroom is really god awful, but the woman's bathroom was serviceable. I would definitely go back.

As much as I'm one for democracy and tolerance and kindness toward strangers, I'm a huge fan of the surly bartenders here who make people who order drinks with peach schnapps really uncomfortable. Quite frankly, you can drink whatever you want and we all have our secret utterly un-punk-rock tastes (yea, I love me a top shelf craft cocktail - just don't you dare tell anyone at Lion's Lair). And the whole "whiskey and cheap beer" fascism can get old. But take one look at the Squire and other rocker bars undergoing face lifts and LoDo invasions and you may also just find yourself coming to the dark side with me. So belly up to the bar, know ahead of time what you want, order a shot and a draught beer, and you'll be fine. Don't try to be clever or charming or buddy-buddy. You will have to earn those stripes. Then grab yourself a stool and catch a local show on their tiny tiny lovely stage, surrounded by layered stickers on the wall and retro clocks and strung christmas lights. Lion's Lair is an historical stronghold for Denver's local and national rocker scene. Come in and be reverent, my friend.

I love seeing the bad reviews of people of this place and places like it. The term "dive bar" does not mean super clean bathrooms, a cozy environment, clean everything, nor A+++ service. If you are seriously upset that the place smells like stale beer, the bathrooms needing a heavy dose of bleach, and staff that seems a little out of it (tipsy probably, likely a little stoned too), then you are mentally challenged. If you want a cheap beer or six, an entertaining band, competent staff, and just a place to hang out and enjoy the vibe, this is a damn good place. If you're looking for cleanliness, high-end cocktails, good a/c, and a non-interesting crowd, don't be a dumbass and come here. If you're into people watching over a few drinks with some friends, you MUST come here.

Lion's Lair is a very famous Denver bar with a sordid history and a true dive bar at that so immediately this place gets 5 stars from me. My friend and I came in here early, around 5PM on a weekday so we were the only ones at the bar. Except for the owner and his friend who were working the phones, placing orders. The owner is named Tony and he has run this place for almost 20 years. Tony is one very cool dude. He is a member of local favorite band Lyin' Bitch and the Restraining Order. The name of the band comes from a hilarious true story that I don't want to give too much detail about on Yelp but let's just say...if you get the chance to meet Tony just ask him about it. While my friend and I sipped PBR's on happy hour Tony told stories of being in his band and of the history of Lion's Lair. Lion's Lair originally opened in the 1930's/1940's era as Playboy bar where the likes of Billie Holiday supposedly played but when Hugh Hefner created his Playboy empire in the 1950's they had to change the name. The name Lion's Lair came to be around the time of the rise of punk so it is only fitting that even today a lot of the bands that come to play the small stage are punk influenced. Lion's Lair is a true rock and roll/punk/alt country bar. I told Tony I was from Austin and he entertained me with great stories of sleeping in his van during the SXSW festival which his band has played before, along with stories of being on the road with the band in other states. Tony has great stories. Lion's Lair doesn't have a patio so the no smoking ban passed in recent years has put a slight dent in business but not its spirit. The good news is that you can come enjoy an amazing live band, drink cheap beer or if there isn't a band playing find great tunes on their jukebox. It is dark, seedy, and perfect.

I haven't seen any bands here lately but they do have John Doe playing here this month. Yay! My recent visits have been on Saturdays for their Kooky Kitsch sessions with DJ Franklin Bell. He plays a variety of eclectic music from 5-8pm. The last time I was there, the original Wonder Woman pilot was airing on a background television. It just adds to the ambiance. This is a dark, no frills bar, with hard working staff and cheap drinks. Stop by some time. Oh and they do take credit cards now.

alright, I suppose I finally have to post a not so great review... I've only been here a few times, but man.... miserable place to see music, terrible sound, too small, bands are always cramped... It's a decent place to get hit on by colfax's finest who are either twice your age or simply look it... Dirty, yes... cheap, moderately... punk? well not any night I was there. Coming from the east coast part of that scene was community... The lion's lair certainly didn't have that when I was there... it had meandering drunks who could careless about the music or anyone else in the establishment... ...now, due to the other reviews I'm going to have to go back and try it again... The reviews make it sound like a place i'd like, right up my alley... or maybe down it and around the corner... but everytime I've been there...

The bartender kicked me out after I handed a dollar to a bum and he abruptly handed me a beer before I had time to do ANYTHING about it. Yes, it was not the smartest to bring a b into the club BUT I was tryin' to help a brotha out and he returned the love by givin' me sum golden. The bartender was not down. She practically leaped across the bar to rip the beer out of my hand in a screaming frenzy. Then she kicked all of my friends out. We had to return to Bulder without seeing our friends perform. And I have not returned to the Lions Lair. No hard feelings, except for t o the bartender who almost clawed out my eye. I think she needs Xanax.

Alright punk/whatever dive bar. Nothing life changing but decent actual dive bar. Quote from vancelot " one of the few brave bars without a touchtunes jukebox l"

Apparently, I'm a beer snob. I ordered the porter on the menu, cause I only drink stouts and porters. "We're out." says the bartender. "Do you have any other ones like that?" "I don't know beer. That one smells like cologne, this one tastes like armpit.." (etc etc.) I realized, eventually, that he was making fun of me. "Whiskey on the rocks." The women's bathroom was out of toilet paper, but someone had stuffed some in the broken part of the door. Maybe I was out of my league??? Nah. This place is awesome. Drink liquor, try not to pee, rock out. Bring cash. I'll be back.

The Lion's Lair is not a beginners dive, its a great place to drink on a Wednesday afternoon. The bartenders are friendly but not really in the mood to take any garbage from annoying people and the drinks are cheap and at the ready. Don't listen to the haters that talk about the Colfax crowd wandering in, if you want a hip beautiful crowd, take your ass to Broadway, Lodo or Lincoln and stay the F off Colfax rook. I've been to Lion's Lair for a number of shows and I really can't think of a more intimate place in Denver to see a band. Most recently Jonathan Richman. Funny Lions Lair story about Jonathan, I recently went to a show in LA and had a chance to meet Jonathan, I mentioned that I had seen him at Lions Lair and he asked if people liked that venue because he thought it was small and hot and wasn't quite sure about it. I assured him that people did (based on the number of people ranting and raving about how great the show was and my own experience at the show) and mentioned that Lions Lair is a pretty storied Denver bar and whatya know he came back for a show that was twice as good as the first! I mean, I'm not trying to take credit or anything for the second great show but.... Ha. I kid. Point of the story? Well there isn't one really, just a great place to see a band and have a drink while doing it. Anyway, bring cash and don't feel the need to dress up, it is Colfax after all. This is a great place to drink and one of my favorite bars in Denver.

It's exactly as you would imagine. No one has ever gone to Lion's Lair because they read about it on Yelp first. They go there because they just lost their job and paid the little savings they had left on alimony and they didn't have enough money for another tattoo so they just decided to visit the Lion's Lair for a while until their band gets discovered. It's a Denver "must see". A movie should be filmed there. Are you listening, Tarantino?

What's so hot about this place? Just cause you gotta play there before you can open for a venue like Bluebird? Place smells like really cheap stale beer and puke. And the local drunk giving the Devil horn salute to an open stage really added to the (putrid) atmosphere. I love to check out the local music scene, and love to hear new and upcoming groups. But, Please, someone run a fire hose over the interior and wash it out once in a while. Poor seating, parking on Colfax, at least it's in walking distance of Pete's Kitchen.

Really cool joint. Punk. Rock. Cheap. Dirty. And a great layout to see some smaller punk shows. Been twice and thoroughly enjoyed myself both times. Some cool patrons. Dirty. Cheap. Punk. A good stop. They need some friendlier bartenders who don't act like they are constantly getting slapped by satan, and a better booze selection.

Lion's Lair is the punk rock dive bar staple of Denver. It's definitely dark, seedy, and dirty(which I have always suspected, but it's so dark you can't tell... great! I don't wanna know how dirty this place really is. lol) Lion's lair is a tiny venue but it's awesome to go see a good show... I've seen a mix of bands everyone from UK Subs to The Red Elvis's at the Lair and local bands like Lyin' Bitch and the Restraining Orders often call this place their old stomping ground.

Dive Bar Alert! And easily my favorite in Denver. Live shows every night. A little of this and a little of that: 400 Blows, The Go, John Doe, Lyin' Bitch & The Restraining Orders, Turbo Knife Fight, Porlolo, the Dwarves, Detroit Cobras, UK Subs, Boss Martians, Sons of Hercules... Open Mic Comedy night. 3 drafts: PBR, Miller Light, and Old Style... A pretty decent bottle/can selection. Full bar: Jack/Jim/Johnnie, Stoli(s), Captain, Petron ...etc... A functioning Jukebox with old country, blues, classic rock and tons of Punk... A few archade games; F-14 Tomcat (pinball), Mrs. PacMan/Galaga, and an old Bowling arcade game. Best of all the Bartenders are perfect. No bullshit, no attitude, no chit-chat. Just "What can I get cha". They don't serve food, but don't mind you bringing your own. I usually bring in some Bourbon Chicken or Nicolo's and wash it down with a few Old Styles. I love this place and if you're a kickback, low maintenance kind of person, you'll love it too. Check out show Schedule here: http://www.myspace.com/lionslairdenver

Awesome dive bar! I was in town to help a friend move and we decided to do visit a few Colfax bars on a Thursday night in Denver. We randomly walked in and everyone was super friendly/lively. Drinks were cheap and there was an great bluegrass band playing. This place epitomizes all that is awesome about dive bars.

Smells like the Tornado. You know? 5 dollar Pibber Big Mouth. So good. Right? Bathrooms like the Buffet, right? Ceiling sorta like Tee Yee, right? Good B-tender. Like the stage. Good sign(s). Stay away.

The staff were cool as hell. That nugget is the only thing positive I've got to say about this place. Couldn't even finish my beer, the place was so rank. DENVER: Explanations are in order. A Dive bar does not need to be a DUMP or a HOLE with multiple health code violations to be "divey". Get your shit sorted! Dammit!!!

I played bingo at the Lion's Lair last night. Some furry, funny guy was spinning a lottery-type device and calling numbers off of the balls it spit out. His girlfriend won, so I'm not sure how above board it was. I also enjoyed some inexpensive bourbon. Whoever quartered the jukebox had great taste, and an even better butt. There's not much that can be said about the Lion's Lair that hasn't been said already here. It's a dark, awesome dive bar. I like to stop in every few months. It's good for the cute hipster girls to see what their boyfriends will look like after ten more years of debauchery.

Just an awesome place. Music is hit or miss but that's cool. Staple of the music scene and a wonderful nar for cheap drinks.

Saw my cousin's band at the Lion's Lair last night and had a blast. Most of the reviews are spot on - cheap drinks, loud music, dark interior. A dive bar at its finest. Bartender (who's name I unfortunately forgot) was SUPER nice and attentive, and the other patrons were all friendly too. Everyone was there to have fun. Definitely a really good night of booze n' tunes. Plus, my oh-so-chic outfiit of jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers was fancy enough - and that, my friends, is awesome.

I'm back in Denver after being gone for over ten years, and am pleased to find the Lion's Lair alive and well. Nice darkness there. Go. If you dare.

Cool 'dive' bar. I don't think it is really that dive barish though. Maybe because from up in Wyoming where I come from the bars are not just dives they are skeezy and not in a cool way. The punks that go here make for int resting people watching and there are good bands that play live here as well. Definitely a cool bar and worth taking a peek!

Excellent Acoustics, well stocked bar and excellent selection of local bands. If you like old arcades, short wait times for alcohol, and really good music come to the Lair. Mr. Atomic is one of the better bands to come through and while enjoying one of the 10-15 beer options they had to offer we had a great time. Just remember parking near colfax between race and vine st is your best bet and bringing cash for cover is easiest.

Colfax has sooo many great dive bars and eateries... Lion's Lair is no exception. It's a cool little underground place with black walls and dirty floors. It has PBR and Old Style and campy lion art all over... It's a total dump of a bar and that's why I think it is so kick ass. All types of folks here. Don't be afraid of the goofy exterior and the bum outside. It's worth popping in for a show or just a can of beer. Cheers.