The status of Colorado Springs as something of a destination for foodies has become cemented in recent years. If you’re looking for the sort of high-end dining experience where reservations and neckties and napkins are required, there’s more than enough to choose from.
But what about the rest of the time? What about the nights, or midafternoons, when you’re looking for a place to hang out and not break the bank or answer any complicated questions about how you’d like your steak? It’s precisely for occasions like this that the institution of the dive bar persists — even in Colorado Springs which is trending in the opposite direction and where most everyone is on some kind of high protein vegetarian diet.
What precisely is a dive bar?
It’s not just any down-market place where they happen to serve alcohol. There’s protocol, and tradition is involved. There are regulars. There may be a moment of trepidation before you enter when you wonder if you might ever emerge. Indeed, a true dive bar is dimly lit and unassuming. It has been around since forever, along with a bartender who gives you the impression they’ve been around even longer. The dive bar also includes a floor that’s a little sticky, and a jukebox containing, somehow, the same selection of standards that it did in the late ’70s.
A good dive bar is not featured in any tourist guide. The locals will tell you (or not) where the best dive bars can be found, which is precisely where we at SpringsMag.com come in. Just as regulars in dive bars tend not to be shy about offering unsolicited advice, we decided to assemble this list.
The Five Best Dive Bars in the Springs
1. Murphy’s Tavern
Murphy’s tops our list, believe it or not, for the contribution it has made to higher education. Fifty years ago, it was in Murphy’s Tavern where three professors from Colorado College sat down to discuss the future of teaching. One of them — a psych professor named Don Shearn — said something along the lines of: “Just give me 15 students and let me teach them one thing at a time.” This led to the birth of the Block Plan, which is still functioning at Colorado College and was recently the subject of an award-winning documentary in which the three profs (all of whom are now in their 80s) revisit the actual booth at Murphy’s Tavern where inspiration descended. The place has been refurbished somewhat since then, but it still retains the spirit of a hideaway where big ideas can be hatched over the kind of beverages that have been known to induce them.
2. Robin Hood
Located across the street from Murphy’s, Robin Hood is the sort of uncomplicated establishment where karaoke is an option and the pours are healthy. The bartenders here are some of the friendliest folks you’ll ever meet, and they’ll make you feel right at home. “Come in and feel like family” is actually the slogan of the place. There’s not much on the menu, but the food is appropriately priced and not cardiologist approved. If the renovated Murphy’s is somehow too upscale for you, stumble across the street to catch some of the old-time seedy Nevada Avenue vibe that once pervaded this part of town and makes the occasional appearance on America’s Most Wanted.
3. Burrowing Owl
Located at the corner of 8th Street and Cheyenne Boulevard, almost next door to a branch of the public library, the Burrowing Owl is that rarest of birds that combines a dive bar feel with a menu that is entirely vegan. The highlight here is something called “The Special” which, for just $7, combines a shot of whiskey with a side of pickle juice and a beer. It’s a winning combination, and after you’ve had a few, you feel like you are the winner. Locals know this is the place to go on your way home and the place that houses the best vegan nachos in the city. The staff is always friendly. They’re always sure to ask what’s up. And they never try to rush you out the door as you sit there nursing whatever $3 beer you ordered three hours before.
4. Tony’s
There are those who will say that a college bar can’t be a dive bar, but they’ve never been to Tony’s. The downtown hotspot combines an excellent happy hour menu and bloody mary brunch with an unassuming atmosphere that’s just right when you want to watch the World Cup or the Mets game or some other essential event that your streaming services have ruled out of bounds. Weekends it’s a little packed with students from nearby Colorado College, and on Sundays in fall, you’d better be a Green Bay Packers fan. But the rest of the time, Tony’s is an uncrowded place where you can get a pool table, a pitcher of Pabst and a bucket of wings.
5. Benny’s Lounge
Having recently celebrated its 70th birthday, Benny’s Restaurant and Lounge is a Colorado Springs institution that owes its name to original owner Benny Raviotti, a one-time minor league baseball player and local sportscaster. His eponymous bar apparently holds the longest continuous liquor license in Colorado Springs. The Westside icon gives off a little bit of a sports bar vibe, but it’s actually a low-key community place where you can order a basket of fries and a burger on a Tuesday and remind yourself that despite the breakneck speed of our digital lives, there’s nothing better than a Rolling Rock in the middle of the afternoon.
The Honorable Mentions
There are, of course, other quality dive bars around town, and these are worthy of a shout-out and stop as well.
The Point Bar and Grill
On 8th Street — Friday’s Fish Fry is not to be missed.
The Royal Tavern
A Manitou Springs favorite. Cash only — don’t say we didn’t warn you.
The Hatch Cover Bar and Grill
Located on South Nevada Avenue a stone’s throw from Fort Carson, this is where you go for a literal bucket of beers and the self-professed “best wings in the Springs.” Hard to argue with — harder to resist.
What’s Your Favorite Dive Bar?
Agree with our picks? Disagree? Who’d we miss? Let us know.
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