The Pioneer Bar

Started coming here a couple of months ago. Staff is always attentive and fun! The food is delicious and comes out quickly. When I come here, the GM Kerry is pleasant and remembers me and says hello. Feels like a good spot to call home.

Certified awesome. Took the family here for a World Cup game and lunch and left full and happy. This place is old and worn, but in the absolute best way. Part college dive bar, part Irish pub, part outdoor dining, all ambiance! The food and beers are the best way to enjoy the DU area and all it's drunken history. Can't wait to go back!!!

Pioneer has the best bartenders around. Brian taught me how to successfully invest in the stock market and now I’m a millionaire; Eva lovingly and willingly hand-feeds me tacos because I was born without arms; Bret (with only one T) lets me win at putputt (with two Ts) every time; Jason personally saved my entire family from a burning building (that he set on fire); and Hailey is just crazy hot. Highly recommend!

Stayed at the Sonder across the street for 4 weeks and this place quickly become our favorite place to eat in the city! The tacos are the best tacos I've ever had! I tried the rice bowl it's awesome as well but if ur a taco fan .. . .it's where you wanna be! Great atmosphere and awesome staff!

Jason hand delivered my first child when my water broke on Taco Tuesday. Funny enough, it turns out it was actually Wing Wednesday, but he honored the taco Tuesday deal anyways. Pregnancy brain amiright?! Anyways, I named my baby Pioneer and I hope one day he can become a great and stylish bar tender like Jason. Olive Garden has nothing on Pio, because when you’re there you’re family. Lil Pio’s first words were “draft margarita”! I couldn’t be more proud.

Food is surprisingly good for a college dive. Drinks are beer, margs, tequila, and mixed drinks, though service does rounds frequently, so your glass won’t stay dry for long. You will be attended to every five minutes, but that’s not a detriment. You'll get your booze and a burrito when you need it. Definitely check out the awesome rooftop (with its own bar!) on a nice day. It’s spacious, breezy, and the company is good. Again, the food is surprisingly good. Don't pass on it for a lunch option.

Went for a rooftop birthday party. The bartenders were the best. The night was a little chilly but the fire pit was perfect. Can’t wait to go back.

My wife and I spent Saturday afternoon here shooting pool and reminiscing of our first date we spent here in 2015. The tacos are still A+ fantastic, and the beer was cold! We love the rustic bar feel here, and it's fun choosing songs to play from our phones through the jukebox. Plenty of room to socialize and move around. We can't wait to visit again on the roof! We even got a Pioneer hat! Affordable drinks and food!

Very cool. Vibes. I have come now on a Saturday while school is out so can't speak to a "busy day" but the ability to sit inside or outside is awesome

Had a great experience here last night, drinks and chicken nachos, friendly helpful staff and a chill atmosphere sitting at the bar!

Parking may be difficult to find. Only a few spots available on site. The ambiance inside is beautiful. With the music and variety of people talking, it's too loud inside for my taste. Upon arrival, the greeting was lackluster for a first timer. The customer service we experienced was below average. I was disappointed in our female server with long brown hair on this Wednesday evening. I had to wonder if she was high on marijuana. The food was enjoyable. We shared chicken nachos and buffalo wings. We also had two spicy margaritas that were enjoyable. I doubt we will be coming back for another visit. They had pool tables inside. The decor really is outstanding. I really think the disappointment in customer service is a reason to avoid any future experiences here. However, the female server that was helping the table next to us appeared to have a positive spirit. She had short hair and conducted herself like a manager.

This old favorite neighborhood bar keeps slipping. Instead of opening or acquiring more restaurants, maybe focus on maintaining the old ones. Since 2020 when the cook of the evening was throwing pots and pans across the kitchen (which you could see from the bar) and we had to ask the bartenders to please go talk with him because it was so violent and uncomfortable, this place has never been the same. From watery queso with a couple of nuggets of chorizo in it (which apparently doesn't even exist on the menu any more) to burnt tostada chips, to tonight's horrible presentation of the once famous, delicious, stacked chicken nachos. I mean these were the best nachos in town. I have been eating them since 2012! Each individual chip was loaded with beans and cheese and chunks of chicken. There were 4 pieces of chicken on this entire batch, unmelted cheese (not even room temp) and brown guacamole. And why is there no bottled hot sauce anymore? The bartender comped, nice, but what would have been nicer would have been those nachos from years past. You can't blame a new cook, you have to have management who cares to train and watch what's going out of the kitchen. So disappointing.

A fun place. I mean, the ambience is primitive, but that doesn't bother me in the least. It adds to the charm. It's Mexican bar food but with a bit more attention paid than just throwing some chips and salsa in a pile. The sauces seem homemade, the tortillas have a nice fresh texture and the meat is properly cooked and well seasoned. Look at the drizzle of crema in some other pics! Props for using crema. Don't use a 13 year old reviews of the fish tacos. One last thing--are the staff young party people? Maybe! But I am here to party so that's not a problem at all. Enjoy the funky vibe and the well made food and have a tequila for me.

I'm conflicted about this place because service is good and when it's slow it's great to play pool there but overall the vibes aren't incredible. I don't like their offensive 'boone' mascot on the rooftop but it's alright overall, margaritas are good.

Some of the male bartenders seem to have one gear, regardless of how busy they are. I thinks the name of this gear is "glacial pace," which exists somewhere between neutral and first. Additionally, all of the bartenders pour some of the the weakest drinks in Denver. This seems to be a universal theme - and an odd business model.

This is 100% the worst bar I have ever been to. I went with a bunch of friends to the bar and they denied me with a vertical ID even though I am 21 years of age. I know that sounds suspect but yes they denied a legit 21 year old because my ID was vertical. What a waste of an establishment. It's like they don't want business. DO NOT GO HERE

I went here with some friends on a Friday night. The atmosphere was lovely and the staff is very friendly. But I ordered an ice water along with my food and I didn't get any water. The food was pretty good, when it did arrive. All of my friends got their food before me, even though I got the same thing as one of them. The buzzer they gave me to let me know when my food was ready went off before my food was even done. Think I waited 45 mins. was a bit ridiculous. don't think I'll come back unless its for drinks.

Nice little spot near University of Denver campus. Decent range of music. Will definitely be coming back during my visits to Denver.

The Pioneer has been a favorite for years so I was sorry to see its quality has taken a nose dive recently. They've done away with waitstaff presumably because of difficulty of finding people to work. In itself this would be tolerable but they've also shrunk the menu and service was slow even when we went to counter to order. I doubt this matters much to college kids who go to the Pioneer to drink beer but we used to go there with other patrons of Newman Center concerts. We'll probably look for somewhere else now.

The food was great, we had 6 folks who join us. The recommendation is more chile on the Chile rellano please and the tells is we're so crispu.

Good quality, variety, and affordability of drinks. The food is not authentic Mexican, and the salsa is mild. The Chile relleno is good. There are two quarter pool tables, that will eat your dollar bills without warning (not labelled broken). Neither pool table have working dollar receivers, or rather they take your dollars and then do nothing to release the balls so you can rack your game. The juke box has a huge selection of music that you can play from an app on your phone.

People really gotta go renew their ID after they turn 21 just to drink here??? That's what they expect with the no Veritcal ID rule. The fact that I could get into a Vegas Nightclub with a vertical ID and not the pioneer is pretty ridiculous. Ambiance is solid, but getting kicked out when you're 21 isn't.

We've been coming here since it opened--our kids grew up here, and I most always order the nachos. Tonight, the food was awful. Take the nachos, burned chips, a smattering of cheese on part of the chip, super over salted guacamole that was inedible. I love this place--please fix it, or you have lost us. Soooo sad.

Great neighborhood spot! Always a great experience with good company, tasty food and good drinks!

Nice thing about the establishment around college town is... no frills value pricing and Pioneer fills in nicely. Most menu items are around $10. Also got plenty of open air seating. 2nd floor is even better with view of the sky, neighborhood and also bar and lots of seating. $5 for craft beer is awesome

Tacos are alright, a little too expensive. The pool table shorted me 2 balls, and then ate the cue ball on a scratch.

I have to be honest, I had low expectations.....it is a "dive bar" with acid rock playing too loudly and loads of kids playing pool in the bar. I couldn't hear myself think. But these are some of the best tacos and fresh dishes I've had in a long time. The chips and dip were fresh-made, my mahi-mahi taco was perfect in every way. Superior service...attentive, timely and typically Colorado-friendly. I'll be back for regular take-out orders. Thank you for a truly great meal. Candice and the other gals get cred for great service.

After coming to the Denver University area for yeeears now we finally mixed up our pre/post game routine and brought it to The Pioneer. I must say: I'm not even sorry! SPACE: At The Pioneer they have a LARGE upstairs patio/deck space. There's a bar, tons of seating, a fire "pit," and a sweet statue of the infamous Denver Boone! There's pool tables, arcade games, and a covered patio space downstairs. While parking is limited; there is plenty of street parking available. DRINKS: There's a decent selection on tap including several IPAs for those who enjoy them. I will go ahead and break the news that they don't serve pitchers here due to their close proximity to DU. Boo! EATS: My bestie and I chose to nosh on a plate of chicken and steak nachos during our last visit. They were tasty! Each chip is coated with shredded cheese, meat, jalapenos, and pico! Yum! The chips are a little on the thick side too! Nice for when you get to the last few. SERVICE: Eh, about what you'd expect near any college/university area. Nothing super impressive. Perhaps it's because we're usually in late or during a Broncos game. All in all, my needs are met with little wait time - so I can't complain. Def glad we gave The Pioneer a shot! Can't wait to come back for breakfast tacos and bloody's on that fantastic upstairs patio!

I have been incredibly disappointed by the management and slow downhill spiral of this bar. They recently fired their best bartender for "stealing" when it was abundantly clear that I had told her to adjust our check because the GM poured us the wrong drinks. The GM, who is constantly here drinking or drunk and picking fights with patrons. They have slowly phased out all of their bartenders who actually care about the establishment and knew what they were doing, and replaced them with people who continue to mess up drinks/orders. Used to be a regular here along with all of my friends, but I'll happily go elsewhere. So sad. Oh and the queso hardens into a brick.

While I can see that this is probably an iconic spot for the college folk to drink and carry on at night, our lunch wasn't anything special. The restaurant felt as if it wasn't even supposed to be open during the day - everything was geared towards opening that evening and we felt like we were just in the way. My husband and I both ordered tacos that were very bland and felt thrown together. They were inexpensive and filling and our service was just fine. It worked out but I wouldn't make this my regular spot or anything.

This place used to be a hidden secret for food, especially the Nachos. Sad to report their nachos suck. Small portions and very little cheese. This used to be my neighborhood go too, not anymore

This is where the cool kids from Denver Law go after class... I've visited Pioneer Bar twice now and it's a solid choice near campus. It's gotten very popular lately because they have quite a bit of outdoor seating available and that's crucial during COVID times. I recommend the Mexican Mule with the chicken nachos. Classic, simple and comes out pretty quick. Note that customers must abide by social distancing guidelines and wear masks until they are seated. And to help out the staff, customers should bus their own tables. Nothing crazy, just common sense stuff. I'm sure we'll be heading over here again if the snow stops!

The margaritas aren't amazing but damn are their tacos delicious! They also have wonderful and kind service. I recommend this place for tacos & a quick drink if you're in the area!

I wish I could give some form of an informative rating . But unfortunately, I stood by the bar for 20 minutes waiting for service and never got it. The bartender literally walked past me 3 times, I looked dead at him to get his attention and he just kept walking. Looked like he was in a pretty bad mood too, probably cause he was the only bartender working. What a shame, was really looking forward to trying out some of their menu items

i love it! it is sooo clean. the queso is to die for. the people are amazing. pio 4 life! love, izzy + molly

Fun bar, always a easy place to get drink's with coworkers after a long day. We always end up eating tacos after a few drinks.

Poor service No utensils served with food. They forgot to place some part of the order Table was sticky not wiped Waited over 20 mins to only pay our check ! Food was good though

I've been coming to the pioneer for the last 3 years since I moved to the area. Never once have they disappointed. It's the perfect spot for an afternoon happy hour drink, a great taco or a night cap beer. The staff is all extremely friendly and happy to serve you. Make sure you get the chips and salsa and the chicken taco when you stop in, you won't regret it.

The steak burrito bowl is one of the most disappointing things I've ever paid $16 dollars for.

Favorite place to go to. RJ Jason and Mike always showing love to their customers. Great place to do homework during the day and hang out during the weekends!

This used to be my go-to for great margaritas and burritos. Sad to say in the past year almost every staff member I've ordered from has been rude or just kind of mean. I don't know what changed but I don't recommend this spot anymore.

Awesome place to hang with friends. Cheap, tasty drinks. We enjoyed the margs, Mexican mules, and boat drinks on their spectacular patio. The chicken nachos were a favorite, and I was pleased to see their vegetarian options. The cauliflower burrito was great! Our bartender / server was awesome. Super sweet, friendly, and quick. We'll definitely be back!

We stopped by on our way home from puppy school and were happy with our choice! During covid, they have a dog friendly patio that was previously their parking lot. The drinks and food were good but will be happier when their regular menu is available (vs the covid menu but I get it). The people watching was pretty entertaining as well! Haha! Where else can you find people dressed to the nines (not really what I'd call it) on a Wednesday at 6PM mixed with overpowering pachuli, see thru dresses with stilettos and 21 yr old getting trashed? Oh yes...a college area! Fun!

I love that it's 100% open air and you can choose upstairs (more of a bar feel) or downstairs (more of a restaurant feel) I also love that they have a small parking lot of their own and street parking as well. They have happy hour and tasty food! (It's mostly Mexican food, but they also have pulled pork and burgers and sandwiches and salads) Where they went wrong: awful service. We came around 6pm on a Friday and we're able to find a table upstairs. My boyfriend and I both ordered drinks from the happy hour menu and we switched spots after ordering as a table opened up. They came by to refill his beer, but when my margarita went empty there was no one around. When 7:01 hit (the end of happy hour) someone was there to ask if I wanted another, how convenient. It's only a dollar difference, but I found it rude and made me feel unimportant. I also was without water for the majority of my meal until I flagged someone down. If you're ok with iffy service, but good food and a cool place to hang this is your place. If service is big to you, beware.

Awesome place. Michael is a great bartender. He is on it. Pool table good music. Rooftop with great view. This is the town bar and grill. Love it. I'll be back. :)

Service was terrible, they opened late and made us wait outside for 30 minutes when we had reservations. They denied me from drinking while I'm 22 because I have a vertical Id while they served my 18 year old sister alcohol. They did not give us any reasoning behind it and the manager was extremely disrespectful to me and my family. Worst establishment I have seen in awhile I do not recommend it.

We've gone here a handful of times in the past few months. It started out great, food was delicious, service was on point. This last time was the most disappointing to date. Our ordered was messed up, and didn't taste great.

Bar food? Not even close! Their food and specialty drinks are fantastic! Chili rellenos and Paloma (tequila + grapefruit) cocktail, are my absolute favorite. Highly recommended!

This is the first bad review I've ever given for a restaurant and it's not like I haven't had some things come up. So the manager was completely unprofessional, and I would not recommend this establishment to anyone. The vibe was terrible, service was horrible, and customer service was worst case scenario. Don't give them a dime or you're time!

Amazing best bar/food in town! Truly love this place!!! I cant sace Money even if I want to.

This place sucks! We used to love going there all the time and loved it! Not now! While it's finally open the waitstaff sucks. My daughter went and asked for a glass of water and the waitstaff interrupted her and said I'll be with you in a moment they weren't doing anything! Before this my wife went up and asked for 6 waters, 6! She said oh I can't carry all of these and the waitress gave her a tray instead of the waitress helping! My friend got about 3 pieces of fish on his tacos, TOTAL! The only thing that was good was the nachos! And finally they over charged us by 2 times the amount it was! Never going back.

I have been a customer of the pioneer since it opened. I have supported them during COVID as well. That's why I'm very disappointed to arrive home with our order of guacamole and chips for $8. The guacamole was in a tiny container 1/8 of a cup not even a whole avocado ! The chips were stale and tasted like old rancid oil. I will not be eating at The Pioneer Bar ever again.

Great little dive bar with a nice rooftop patio! The margaritas at happy hour were a bit weak but service was friendly and quick and we enjoyed our nachos. Good place to meet up with friends for a low-key hang if you're in the area.

Sweet rooftop and classic dive bar. Food was very average to horrendous. Got the nachos and what you expect, but the wings couldn't even finish. We got the lemon pepper dry rub and they stung your lips because it was pure salt and loads of lemon. I've eaten many wings in my day and this is the first plate I was unable to finish or even eat more than 1 of. We only finished two because we had to have our entire table try a bite to understand what we were talking about.

Went back for these pretty and delicious nachos- I was alone and learned: you can get a half order! And as of today, they're using blue corn chips. Still delicious ,and now even prettier!

I went as I'd read in West Word they have the best chicken nachos in Denver. As you can see in the picture, there's 6 ingredients. Crispy house made tortilla chips, chicken, white cheese, green onions, a drizzle of sour cream and a large scoop of guacamole. No salsa. I shared them with 5 other people. One person thought they were great, two said very good, the other three of us thought they were good but too bland to be "the best" (I like them better at Baker's St Pub). But the chips and guacamole are good and when I got a side of chipotle salsa, it was delicious. The margaritas were nothing special though. Just Suazo tequila, water and margarita mix. The beer selection is small but they do have Upslope IPA and Lager from Boulder. A college crowd but also a mix. Hard to find parking as it's by the University. One pool table. When you walk in, there's picnic style benches and tables. Go upstairs and they have a nice rooftop patio with a hearth.

With how many years I've been coming here, I'm shocked I haven't given them a great review yet! The service is always a crap shoot - sometimes attentive, other times you wonder what happened to your server (and thus your food). Last night was a good service night. I've had everything from chicken burritos to carnitas tacos to nachos. It's all been great. However, the nachos are out of this world. They make sure each chip is covered in cheesy, black bean, salsa, and fresh jalapeño deliciousness before arranging it on a large platter (2-person meal, enough to be super filling too). The margaritas are strong too. It's a bit divey but since redoing the patio a while ago and having a covered outdoor area downstairs, this place is a winner. I'll definitely be back!

I came here with a few friends to hang out. The vibe was super fun, and the specials were great. I really enjoyed my margaritas, and they had a nice range of local draft beer options. For food, we had the queso and the chicken tacos. Both were quite tasty and had a nice kick. I will definitely keep it in mind for future nights out.