School House Kitchen and Libations

Went here for dinner and enjoyed their commitment to the school theme while still serving great food and drinks. The customizable mac n cheese and the chicken fried steak were large portions and tasted good. They have a huge selection of whiskeys and wide range of craft beers too. Service was fast and the prices didn’t feel like we paid a premium for the gimmick, definitely worth a visit.

Really amazing building with so much character! So cool to be in a building with over 100 years of history that has been well taken care of. As far as food and drinks go it was interesting… martinis came in beer glasses and seemed like small portions. Old fashioned also came in one of their beakers and seemed like a not so generous portion. Might have just been optics but just something to keep in mind. We ordered the machine nachos and they had a lot of barbecue sauce which is clearly stated in the menu but was still an interesting choice. Overall, maybe I just need to try different menu items but had a good time in the building regardless.

This was the coolest restaurant! I absolutely loved the vibe they had going on. From our Luke warm welcome when we were handed menus and told to find a seat the entire experience was odd. The waitress/bartender took forever to take our order and didn’t appear to be too busy. The blackened salmon was fine but the French onion soup was honestly the best I’ve ever had. A good server can make an okay meal great, a okay server makes an okay meal sub-par.

As a former teacher this was so much fun!!! The themed menu was amazing, the whiskey selection was out of this world and the food was very good. If you’re looking for a fun evening out I highly recommend this place.

Beautiful patio on a fun street in downtown Arvada. I loved the retro style and feel down to every detail with the menus, decor, and serverware. Food did not stand out to me but it was still fun to go to!

Happened upon this place while vacationing from Houston Tx and it quickly become one of my favorite places we visited. The concept is brought to life in so many fun ways and the whiskey selection is massive. How to return again.

I'm in search of the perfect Reuben. This one scores a 9.5! The potatoe tots were the perfect combination of soft, crispy, and salty. The French dip was fantastic and so was a salmon. Great atmosphere was the perfect edition.

Great building/ decor. It's the place to go if you want an alcoholic beverage (2000 whiskies, lots of beer on tap). Food and service can be hit or miss ( depending on how busy they are). I had a delicious burger ( queso burger).

The service was fast and correct! The food was very tasty! It needs a bit of repair in some areas but the whole it's ok, after all it's an old school house. JG

Cool little spot in an area in Arvada with lots of shops and other restaurants. I really enjoyed the ambiance but the food was okay. I had a burger and it was average. I did enjoy the menus and the little things to remind you of the school days. The service is on-point and the server team is very helpful and friendly. Lots of paid and street parking available. On a Friday night we were able to find street parking that was free.

This place was great, I was a little nervous as some reviews seem all over the place but am glad I went. The drinks were solid, the burger was delicious. The atmosphere was very cute. School chairs for seats, pencils in the bar top, beaker glasses.

A fun bar area!! Such cute and fun decorations. The dining area is also nice! Parking is tricky as there's no dedicated lot. The apple chicken salad is a must, along with the sweet potato tots!! The salad is HUGE so a half order is more than plenty. Their burger was also good. Good variety in the menu.

Nestled in Olde Town Arvada on a beautiful string lights laden street Beer selection is a great mix and the food is tasty Our server was very friendly and helpful with beer selections

We have been here multiple times over the past several years. I like the school house theme- its fun to reminisce with the decor and menus bringing back memories. The food is dependably good whether sandwiches, salad or entree. The service is always friendly.

Cute little spot. I love how everything is parts of a school. Food wasn't too bad nothing to rant and rave about. Service was okay.

Loved it! Unique food, causal dining. My group felt welcome, and I was easily able to reserve using Yelp.

Funky kitchen with a school theme delicious food good service and a big indoor brewery must try this while in Arvada

First time and it didn't disappoint! It's a Wednesday night at 6pm and there was no wait for dinner! This spot was popping but this restaurant had so many areas for seating. Service was good. We were greeted very quickly and recieved our food at a fair amount of time! Food -- Meatloaf 3.8/5 -- The mashed potatoes were seasoned well! I didn't really enjoy the apricot ketchup on it as much. Salad w/ Shrimp 4.8/5 -- the salad was a great size and so were the shrimp! The only thing is that the croutons were a bit salty but it pair well with the salad! Overall, I would def come back and try other items off the menu!

Showed up at this restaurant along with our daughter while visiting from Florida. It was noon and not too crowded. Our waitress, Ana brought us waters, and explained a few items on the menu and we ordered contingent on one item being gluten free and Ana came back and said it was. My wife and I shared a Ruben sandwich with fries and it was ample enough for us to share. Out daughter chose the fried salad with balsamic and chicken on the salad. It came on a tray and it was an interesting service, and she thought it tasted good. Our sandwich was a bit crispy grilled and the fries were just ok. The kitchen took a long time to prepare the food, which knocked down the rating since others that came in after us got their food before we did.

Went for the Arvada St. Patrick's festival. Went to the outside bar for a green beer and paid cash. I was told that they didn't have any coin change but the price was an uneven amount. The waitress didn't give me any change from my purchase because of this. I know it's only a few coins but they probably served a thousand plus people that day so a couple coins for each purchase is just unethical robbery. Will not go back just because of this. Didn't try the food, if you steal my wallet I don't care if you can make a burger. Next time either have change or change the price so it ends up being an even dollar amount.

Something has changed... And I love it! The food has improved. Plates and ingredients seem purposeful and in harmony. (BRISKET TACOS = YUM!) Bloody Marys are flavorful, garnished, and don't break the pocket. This place is charming! After a few elementary-level whelmed trips to school house over the last few years , they have graduated to a place where you want to go and study the whisky selection.

A very yummy brunch! I went with my girlfriends and we had a blast. We are all teachers so the theme was on point. The bar area was really cool to look at!

Enjoyed lunch with our bike club after finishing a 20 mile bike ride. There were 11 of us that descended upon School House Kitchen & Libations in Olde Town Arvada. The restaurant/Bar is a 1982 schoolhouse turned into a bistro & saloon. We all enjoyed salads, brisket tacos and pastrami sandwiches; everyone loved their meal. I really liked their grilled chicken School House Salad with a chilled mug of Ska Modus Hoperandi IPA. The waitress' service was impeccable! She took our orders efficiently and split the tickets without us having to ask. Great service, Great restaurant!

Staff was great and did a good job, and I wanted to like this place a lot... I love the old school house idea... my wife thought her monte cristo was a bit dense while my chicken fried steak was good but the potatoes were very dry, it needed more gravy. Then the broccoli was thick with some garlic butter which was a bit too much... Over all 3.3 stars...

We went for some pre dinner drinks this past weekend. It was a great experience! We sat at the bar and got some drinks. We got: Old fashioned, green tea shot, sazerac, and a couple of non alcoholic drinks. Every drink was well made and tasty! They have over 2,000 whiskeys which is super cool The only food we tried was the queso which was okay. The service was super friendly and attentive for a Saturday busy night. The vibe was so cool. It is model after a school and the details they put into this place are so much fun! Beaks for glasses, year books for menus, tables with the period table, and much more! So fun!

Super fun spot with impeccable theming, we didn't realize that it was the original school house in Arvada and the theme was upholding history which made us appreciate it more. The food was tasty bar food at a reasonable price and came out pretty quick. It's defiantly a casual spot that may be punching upwards a bit, but a Quick Look at the menu will tell you that. We didn't participate but the bar looked busy and the cocktails looked fun. All in all a good spot right in olde town

We met some friends at School house for brunch on a Saturday morning. Let me tell you this place is super fun and cool! If you are questioning where to sit, always choose the bar as it is definitely cool. We ordered a couple bloodies, a brunch old fashioned, and the Irish coffee. All of which were very tasty... We paired our brunch drinks with biscuits and gravy, chicken and waffles, the butterfinger french toast, and a dunce cap scramble. Everything was delicious! Honestly I couldn't ask for a better brunch experience. We will be back!

Schoolhouse has a great vibe and serves as a memorable night out for dinner. I love the attention to detail in the decor...using pencils, file folders, bus seats, globes, etc to bring the school theme to life. Service was great and the food was good as well. The menu has fun flashbacks to school times, continuing the theme. The food does the trick, but isn't the highlight of the experience for me.

Such a cute restaurant- an old schoolhouse converted to a bar/restaurant. Huge selection of libations (alcoholic drinks) you could get a different one everyday for a month and still not make a dent! Old bus seats for booths, old gym floors for tables, chalkboard in bathroom, book and locker decor. Loved the vibe! Food was amazing! If you can get the Mac and cheese and ask for it with a slice of smoked Gouda!! You won't be disappointed. Also got the Monte Cristo and it was fantastic with their house made jam. Server was fantastic and friendly , great local restaurant in downtown Arvada

Went with friends to lunch. I got a BLAST with French onion soup. The outside seating is so pleasant. There are umbrellas and misters to keep you cool while enjoying Olde Town. The iced tea was brewed well and refreshing. A BLAST is bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato with swiss cheese and white BBQ sauce on a hoagie. The French onion was on point. I love that soup no matter the time of year. The staff there is great. Our waitperson answered all our questions and offered recommendations. School House continues to be a great choice.

I went here with my dad before taking the tram downtown. It's a whisky bar with a nostalgic callback to our school days. The chairs are school chairs, the bar is made of #2 pencils, cocktail cups are beakers. It was very whimsical & the bartending staff & customers were friendly. The whiskey list is very extensive so you shortly be able to find a bottle to fit your taste.

Return visit. Went for HH which is 2-5pm and includes drinks and food. Plenty of fun cocktail options. The Buffalo Juice Box is as strong as it is tasty. This Graduate Cocktail has earned its higher degree. Pulled pork tacos are a great deal at $3 each. They are full of pork but could use some spice since the only other ingredients are slaw and cilantro crema. Service was a bit slower today since there were only 2 waitstaff that doubled as bartenders. I was able to explore a little more this time since it wasn't busy. Love the president photos with interesting facts about each president's drinking preferences.

I've frequented this restaurant many times and have enjoyed my experience each time. Great vibes, decent food and my drinks were strong, in a very good way.

My friends and I came here at a not busy time so we got seated right away. I love the theme and they really commit to it! I even loved in the bathroom the "I will not pass love notes in class." Everyone enjoyed their food. I think the favorite of the group was the ravioli with the green chili sauce. I would definitely come back here!

Holy cannoli I've never seen a restaurant with this many whiskey selections. You literally will get lost in the list of selections. The atmosphere is cool. The upstairs is more intimate and the downstairs gives me a Harry potty hogwarts kinda vibe. Makes me wanna buy a wizard cape and drink bourbon while twirling a magic wand in the air. Just me? Okay, maybe it's just me. The food is pretty good. Eggplant parm was decent. I've had better but I'm a snotty about eggplant parm. Weird comment I know. The burgers looks legitimately delicious. I recommend trying those for sure. Oh parking sucked around there. Just in my opinion lol okay byeeee.

Was in town for the weekend with friends, and this place was recommended by a resident. The restaurant is themed after a school, complete with science tables and other nostalgic items. To eat, we tried a number of items as a group: The Brussel sprouts were good, crispy, and fresh. The queso was very good, nicely blended and the chips were good. The chicken & waffle skewers were a nicely prepared as well. I ordered the French dip sandwich. It was very was very good! The meat was tender and the jus was seasoned well. Fries were crispy. I also ordered a side Caesar salad (which was exceptional). All in all, I would definitely recommend this restaurant to someone in the area

To the owners, I've been coming here throughout the years as an Arvada resident. I love the concept of this place and the food. However, the service has room for improvement. My recent visit was during happy hour with potential for dinner. A group of five us had drinks and food. No one was out front to great us. I eventually grabbed a seat at the library bar since my group wasn't there. It was so hot! I mean April, 65 degrees and it was so hot inside. The bar tenders/servers never introduced themselves. We always had to wave down for more drinks or ordered food. Money was lost that evening because we ended up elsewhere for more drinks and food. I really love the space and concepts but if the service was a bit better people would stay longer and order more and come back! Drinks are light for the price too, apps were good though.

After a long drive down the range for work, my husband and I decided to stop here for a nice meal on the company! The building is absolutely beautiful in what used to be an actual school house - we sat in the bar area which features tall ceilings and a library section full of an insane amount (1,800+) of whiskeys, with the ladder leading up to the highest shelf. We grabbed a seat at the bar (very busy, especially for a Monday around 1pm), and put in our drink orders. The gentleman helping us behind the bar was extremely slow and busy talking with his coworkers, but we eventually got our drinks. A different female server came over to take our food orders - Meatloaf with sauteéd zucchini and mashed potatoes for me, a pulled pork sandwich upgraded with sweet potato tots for the hubby. The food came out relatively quickly when we were about halfway through our drinks. The meatloaf was absolutely phenomenal! Tender and full of flavor - the apricot barbecue glaze on top was sweet but not overpowering, and the entire dish was piping hot. The zucchini was perfectly cooked and caramelized, and the mashed potatoes included the skins. I ate a third of it before conceding to a box. My husband was very fond of his pulled pork, and is obsessed with sweet potato tots, so we both left very pleased. Not the greatest service from the male bartender, but the server and the outstanding food more than made up for it!

Well, my first time there and pretty disappointed. The dining room w as so uninviting! There was nothing in that room except tables and chairs. Nothing on the tables- no salt, pepper, just nothing. They could make it a bit more inviting to want to dine there. I ordered a cobb salad. Looked like a good salad, but on my 2nd bite, there was a big strand of hair. Ugh!!

Very cool place. Portion sizes are huge. Bring your appetite! Food was delicious. Wait staff was very attentive and friendly.

Food was fantastic and so is the atmosphere!! Going back with out of town family! Service was fantastic as well!!

Possibly the best selection of bourbon and whiskey EVER !! But what lets down this place is cocky bartender that doesn't appreciate the customer, they have prices that range from $4 too $400 , so u can pretty much try whatever you're heart or taste buds desire , myself a huge bourbon guy and my buddy who I brought to try this ultimate experience loved a peaty scotch, But instead we are presented with an arrogant guy called M, not caring for what the customer wants or is interested in experiencing, poor service and very disrespectful employees, that needs to be re~trained in what the concept of customer experience. I will try again but maybe check the menu before you go in and don't expect the trained bartender to help or assist you with the ultimate experience, So frustrated as this could be a money pit , for printing money andhaving the right trained people in the right positions.

Not sure why some of the low ratings. Thought this place was pretty cool! Poutine fries were to die for as were the Mac & cheese. And their cocktails were inventive and tasty. Place has a cool look and feel and was filled up. Service very good! Highly recommended.

Had some awesome appetizers and drinks. Service was really good. Always filling up waters and asking if we need anything. Ambiance was my favorite part about this place. You walk in and you're just amazed with the scene.

The menu is good. The food is top shelf bar food. I'm disabled and I have aphasia the bartenders take care of me. Meat loaf . Reuben is . The service is outstanding. I go there at least twice a week. I highly recommend it. I have aphasia and the place can be slightly noise i wear head phones.

The good: this might literally be the largest whisky collection in all of Colorado, and the prices are reasonable across the board. If you're a whisky fan, as I am, this will be your heaven. The bad: I've been here probably 5 times and it seems like this bar is always understaffed. Yesterday it took almost 25 minutes to get a bartenders attention for another drink. In addition to that, it seems most bartenders don't like or know anything about whisky, which is disappointing for a whisky Mecca destination like this. The staff is also generally unfriendly, but I'm sure this is just because of the understaffed issue and not criticizing anyone's personality!

LOVE this place however, $17 for Macaroni and Cheese (for lunch to boot) is too much!!! I will never order mac and cheese again. No reason to charge so much! Yes, $15 for the basic and $1 for each added ingredient. I will be back but rethink some of your prices!

After looking for restaurants to go to, I stumbled upon this place. I thought it was unique because it is a restaurant that used to be a schoolhouse long ago. I thought my husband would like it because he loves whiskey and this place has over 1,000 different whiskeys. This place is located in the downtown area of Arvada. It has a nice outdoor area, but we chose to sit inside because it was a bit chilly. We chose to sit in the bar because I thought it had better views and ambiance. The floor looks like it used to be an old gym floor. The room is filled with old teacher mailboxes, lunch room chairs and old maps. From the ceiling they have hanging old desks. The bar top is made of pencils. So many cute details. There are at least 4 TVs, that you can see from where you are sitting. We talked to the front office manager (Jason?), who just moved here from TX. He had only been on the job for a couple of months, but you would have thought he had been working there a couple of years. Very nice guy and knowledgable about whisky. I got their drink special and my husband got a Japanese whisky flight. The food was very yummy and came out quickly. If you are looking for an appetizer, get the queso dip...it was probably some of the best we have ever had. Some of the food comes out on lunch trays. So cute! Bathrooms are also supe cute as well! Lots of attention to detail.

Three stars purely because of the incredible theme and upbeat ambiance (school chairs, school-themed menu, decor, etc.). As a middle school teacher, I was fangirling over the idea of being in an old schoolhouse (the name is fitting). Nonetheless, the drinks were subpar and I had hoped for more options on a brunch menu for such a cool spot. My guests and I dined at the bar while waiting on food. We then moved to an outside table, where the hostess and waitress delivered waters and silverware...only to move us to a different area closer to the bar once we had all settled in. Instead of politely asking, the hostess was a bit rude and demanding. Other customers all looked at us wondering what was happening. It truly killed my vibe, as there were many other open tables outdoors. The waitress didn't really check in on us after delivering the American Grilled Salad (which was delicious, but not worth the hassle of being moved a couple times for seemingly no reason). Honestly, I really want to say I'll be back...but seeing as this is one of my rare lower-star reviews and I didn't feel that valued as a customer, I most likely won't return.

Great drink selection but as most have said, not great service. The bartender/ server was cocky and rude. And please don't tell me you can do this job "blackout drunk" !!! Cool vibe, terrible staff

It's a unique concept turning an old school house into a restaurant. It doesn't feel like a typical restaurant and I think that's part of its charm. We sat in the dining room upstairs. The comfy chairs we sat in made us feel like we were so low to the table. But it made our mouths closer to our food which was helpful. There seemed to be a lot of options for large parties, but it's always helpful to make reservations if you're planning on bringing in a crowd. The two of us got in immediately without a res. The servers were helpful and always there when we needed them. One of the servers recommended the Grüvi Rosé because I couldn't find the N/A bevs. I think it's awesome how establishments are offering non-alcoholic beers, wines, and mocktails. Grüvi makes some pretty awesome N/A options. The food was OK. Nothing fancy, but it came out quick and fresh. You'll find typical American cuisine on this menu. The French Onion Soup was good, but it's hard to mess up French Onion Soup. The Blackened Salmon Sandwich wasn't bursting with flavor but it was good enough. If we return, I'll probably ask the server for a recommendation. Always trust in the people that work in restaurants because they are surrounded by the food constantly. Lesson learned. If you go on the second Saturday during the summer months, there's live music and vendors on South Wadsworth, which is pretty fun if you want to make an evening of it! The parking is horrendous on second Saturday. The only pointer I have here is to park in the residential areas a couple of blocks from the event. The closer you get, the more difficult it will be to find parking, even in the lots.

Love me some School House. What a fun concept in general, like who knew they wanted to have a cocktail while sitting at bus seats or staring at the periodic table and are we talking about thousands of whiskeys plus??? I come here every few weeks for brunch or drinks. The Naptime chicken and waffles is no joke and thank God I live close because I usually need a nap after. the servers are always prompt and friendly. Also like here's some photos of my dogs on the patio....who doesn't love dogs???

Disclaimer - this review is based solely on drinks. We came here for an after dinner drink so I can't speak to the food, but will update when we go back. The atmosphere here is really fun with all of the decor paying homage to being back in school. The bar has #2 pencils adorning the bar top which immediately brought me back to standardized testing and the cocktails are served in little mixing beakers. Our group ordered a few different cocktails and they were all on point! We tried a few different old fashioned's but my favorite was the field day one with lavender. Really cool, comfortable bar with delicious drinks for a reasonable price. The service was also great - the bartenders were on top of their stuff and checked in at exactly the right times. Will absolutely be back.

School House is a nice little spot for meeting up with friends for drinks &/or a meal in Arvada -- if 3.5 stars was an option for this review, I'd absolutely select it. My friends and I stopped by on a Saturday and got a few drinks and food during the early part of the evening, and the restaurant was mostly empty, but I'd expect that it gets pretty packed during the peak times. One thing to note about this part of Arvada is that parking is mostly limited to street parking (free 2 hour parking around the restaurant). The overall vibe of the restaurant is fantastic, and I love the reuse of old school components (bus seats for the booths, school chairs for the chairs, basketball court wood used for various items, rulers in in the bay windows as decor, beakers as cocktail glasses, etc). It's such a fun spin on items and it's really cool to see it all come together. The drink menu is expansive (and the bar looking like a library is awesome too), there's plenty of room to explore various cocktails and there's something for every palate. I got a couple of Bourbon based drinks (spins on Old Fashioneds), and they were both solid. I'll say that the food menu is kind of limited -- maybe for the best as the food isn't really anything to write home about. My poutine was overcooked and just not very tasty, and it seemed like most folks in my group mentioned the food was "ok" -- it's not bad, it's just not great. Overall, I'd say School House is definitely worth checking out as a spot for drinks, and if you need food, there are certainly options here, but you may want to save dinner for somewhere else.

Went there for dinner. Burger was good but both the fries and sweet potato tots were unseasoned absolutely no salt at all. Servers were not friendly and lacked hospitality. One of them spilled water on my chair as he brought it to the table. He left and returned to take our drink orders but failed to bring anything to dry my chair. He acknowledged he spilled the water when it happened. They also failed to mention anything about their selection of whiskey which is why we decided to have dinner there. It's an amazing selection but to not mention that at all just doesn't make sense.

This was such a fun visit. I met a friend here for dinner and drinks and we had such a good time. We sat in the library bar and when it's a little warmer, I def want to return and sit on the rooftop bar. But... the library bar is literary awesome. So many small and large touches to create a really cool space. Our waitress was super friendly and discovered that my friend was pregnant as they chatted while I found parking. When we ordered drinks, she made my friend a mock tail to enjoy. We both ordered the sausage and onions, mine with Mac and cheese and hers with fries. We are the whole things, lol. Tasty. I can't wait to come back and explore more of this place and the menu!

Hamburger was delicious, I love the school style of the restaurant and the employees always paying attention if we needed something