I'm going to write two reviews for Absinthe House because I was there twice last Saturday. Â This has become my new favorite roof top bar. Â We could've even get into the Rio's front door then I remembered the AH next door. Â It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and after a hike we wanted to unwind with cool drinks in the sun. Â
Imagine my delight when we rounded the corner on the roof and heard wonderful house beats. Â I had no idea that they set up turntables and had DJs spinning up top. Â Even if you're not into electronica you still might like the atmosphere, the music isn't too loud, you can still carry a conversation.
We had wandered over from the Lazy Dog who wasn't serving mojitos because they cannot keep fresh mint in stock. Â AH had a whole box full of mint. Â
My only complaint is that the bartenders aren't that efficient on the roof and seem to get overwhelmed once it gets busy. Â It can take awhile for a drink. Â At one point one of the bartenders was out on the floor pouring water and busing glasses. Â While's that's good service it left the other guy solo behind the bar. Â Seems like they could've benefited from a third person helping them out. Â
Also, they have life sized Jenga. Â And two chaise lounges, perfect for relaxing in after a hike. Â Much more relaxing than the Rio's roof when it's super busy.
A big number of students at CU have started calling this bar "The A-Hole". I'm not sure whether they're referring to the kinds of people who hangout there, the bartenders, or the general cleanliness that the club/dance crowd brings about. Regardless, they're correct.
Overpriced, under poured drinks. Very poorly run business. A coworker of mine used to barback there (begrudgingly) and mentioned that often his paychecks would bounce. I avoid this place like a peanut allergy.
One of the first reviews I ever wrote for Yelp was for The Foundry in Boulder. It's been 5 glorious years and now occupying the same spot is a bar called "Absinthe House."
I wish people would stop trying to reinvent a place simply by giving it a new name. They should just call this place The Foundry 2: Electric Boogaloo. If anything has changed from when it was the Foundry, I failed to notice. The beer was still overpriced and the craft beer selection was a let down. My bartender was a total sweetheart, so that's the one good thing I can say about this place.
To be fair, I went for a startup event, so the crowd was slightly older than college kids, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the majority of the time this place is still overrun with college kids who haven't quite learned how to hold their liquor and are slowly dancing on the stage and using the back wall to support themselves.
I'm really not sure why this place is called the Absinthe House. I didn't see anyone here drinking Absinthe and it doesn't really seem like a place that you would go to drink absinthe.
Eh, it is what it is and if you're looking to mack (kids still use that word, right?) on some hottie college co-eds, this is probably a good place to go.
And if you really can get absinthe here and enjoy it the way it's supposed to be enjoyed, please let me know and I'll eat my words. Or drink them.
Talk about a blast from the past. I felt so old here as it was mainly college students. It has a frat atmosphere and drinks are on the cheap. The dance floor is huge and is sunken from the rest of the place. Service is fast and friendly, mainly due to the fact that there are many bars spread out around the place.
The DJ on a Friday night was spectacular and played both current and old school hits. People were definitely coming here to meet new people. The upstairs is a chill place to hang and there is also a nice roof top above that level. No glass up there but they give you a plastic cup to poor your drink into.
I have been to this place on two occasions. The first time I went I was with about ten people celebrating a birthday. It was a weeknight and the place was almost entirely empty inside; we headed up to the rooftop, where there were about five people and a dj blasting house, or techno, or dub step, or something terrible sounding. I ordered a drink that was kind of overpriced - $6 for a Jim Beam and Coke - but it would have not been that big of a deal if the guy made it strong - he didn't. I was glad that we were trying to hit lots of places and only stayed here for one drink.
The second time I went it was with a group of my girlfriend's coworkers who were going out for drinks. I was hoping if I ordered a margarita I could pretend I was 50 feet away at The Rio. There were only a few people in the place, but we had a large group and everyone, myself included, was actually having a really good time. Â Someone ordered a round of Patron for everyone, obviously a pricy round with a group of around fifteen, when he brought the shots to us they were in these weird little plastic cups that looked dirty and also looked like they did not have much booze. She asked the bartender if they were even shots and he rudely grabbed a shot glass - since I guess they have them, but even when the place is empty and someone orders Patron they can't justify getting them out - and poured the tequila into it, it only filled it 2/3 of the way up. He then got all pissed off and added a small amount of tequila to about five of the fifteen glasses and said "that's all I'm doing." Â We took the shots and several minutes later someone tried to order another drink and the bartender said something like "I think you need to switch to water." No one had more than two drinks and we thought at first he was kidding - he wasn't. I have never been refused service in my life and find it hilarious that the first time it happened I wasn't even tipsy. Several people tried arguing but he wouldn't back down and let 99% of their business walk out the door and head to another bar.
Cool rooftop patio with an amazing view of the Flatirons and who can't love the bar Genga? Â However their beverage selection is straight up pathetic. Â Mostly crappy domestic beers like Budweiser on tap and no bottled beers. Â Perhaps they pissed off their distributor or something but they really need to up the selection of beers before I would go back.
Review Source:I like listening to Band of Horses, watching foreign films with subtitles, reading witty comics in the New Yorker, eating cornbread, drinking PBR, fingerpainting, arguing about which Miles Davis era was the best, squaredancing, frisbee golfing, narrating out loud what people are doing as they do it in order to annoy them, shopping at Plato's Closet, writing letters to Michelle Obama, going to spin class, playing badminton, and retelling jokes from Conan O'Brien monologues so I can take credit for making them up while mingling at cocktail parties. I think I'm pretty cool, and my buddy said this place was the coolest, so I went on ladies' night. Because the music was so loud, I refrained from my propensity to regurgitate blogger articles from the Huffington Post because no one could hear me. I think this also worked in my favor because my biggest obstacle is that when I'm in a conversation and I talk about myself, I can never decide what to mention first- that I'm vegan, that Julian Casablancas is my cousin, whatever my latest injury is from riding my fixed-gear bicycle, that I got bad sunburn at Coachella, or that I can do 100 push-ups in 20 minutes. The absinthe mojito I had while on the roof was pretty good too.
Review Source:Yay for the absinthe and rooftop, boo to everything else...
The music is usually some lame techno mix of radio crap or something equally irritating.
No one knows how to properly get hyhpy...
They pour some wimpy yet expensive drinks.
But if they have little girls dressed in skimpy clothes offering blue/pink/purple liquids, just take some shots...
The whole place feels Slightly trashy, like you're in ldn or eastern Europe.
Quite a spacious night club, with 2 levels and a VIP room.
Came here on lady's night, and this place was simply packed with ladies. If you are looking for college girls, and they are looking for you, come here.
Came here on Saturday night, and this place was nearly empty. Go elsewhere.
They have Dig Dug in the front! Awesome old arcade game.
This is the worst bar in Boulder. Anyone who's from Boulder remember's the Foundry which no one was sad to see go. Absinthe House is not an upgrade. The bouncers are very rude !! There has been several occasions that I have witnessed them being racist. They are not friendly or welcoming. They also try to charge cover sometimes...pretty sure there the only bar in boulder that does. I don't like this bar at all and don't think it fits into boulder. I don't recommend supporting this bar...
Review Source:Details: This review is based of one visit during the summer
For a Saturday night, this place was DEAD. Only 2 girl on the dance floor and a bunch guys leering. Very uncomfortable! The roof had a decent amount of activity, but not enough to entice my group to linger. We left pretty quickly. Maybe next time will be better.
We come here not for the nightclub scene, but the upstairs patio because of the fantastic views and there's no better spot to soak up the sun, drink, and listen to some music. Â Each time we've been here we've enjoyed the music - sometimes a DJ, sometimes just whatever's on the playlist. Â Whenever we arrive in the afternoon the patio is nearly empty - how is that??? Â
The few times that we've been on the patio - there has not been table service (but maybe that's because it's so quiet) and so we order at the bar. Â Unfortunately they have not once had the wine I want in stock upstairs and have to go down to the main floor bar to get it. Â This is not some unusual wine request either - sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. Â
I hope that they start to get some steady, knowledgeable staff, and continue to play a variety of music on the rooftop and figure out how to draw in a larger afternoon crowd.
I'll be honest - I'm still lamenting the loss of The Foundry (when it was still good). I was willing to give Absinthe House a chance, but after my experience there I'd hesitate to go back.
A group of us went a few Saturdays ago and I was shocked that the place was so empty. 6 o'clock and there were barely 10 people on the rooftop... Rooftops in Boulder are like gold mines for businesses and it was shocking that one of only a handful downtown was essentially empty - at least we had no trouble getting a seat.
It must have been trainee bartender night because the young guy behind the bar was terrible. He didn't know how to make some of our drinks (we had to tell him what was in them) and they were out of some stuff. All of the drinks we had were definitely overpriced and they didn't even comp our DD's soda ($4 for coke? really?). It took forever to get served as the staff seemed more interested in talking to/serving their friends who were at the bar. I also witnessed Newbie spill two drinks (martinis of people at the bar) and nearly destroy one of the absinthe dispenser things. I'm just glad I wasn't near him.
We were 'treated' to the musical stylings of a DJ whose sound system was waaaaay too loud - even for the rooftop. It made it really difficult to talk across a small table.
Two drinks and many longing glances over at the Rio's rooftop and we were ready to go. On the way downstairs we noticed there were literally 2 people in the HUGE main area. Again, on a Saturday evening... in the Summer... in Boulder... definitely not a good sign.
I'd for sure steer clear of Absinthe House in the future. There are plenty of other fun places on Pearl so don't waste your time (or money) here.
Despite my distaste for Euro-trance (is this a thing? Did I just coin a phrase?) dance, I somehow manage to always end up here. The first time I was here (which was relatively soon after it opened) there was a weird, thinned out crowd. Nothing about the mesh of people that night felt natural or fun (this seems to be a running theme each time I go, too.)
More recently, I noticed that to add to the trashy "ambiance" they added a giant video of a series of shadow dancing naked women that is so obscenely graphic there are body parts visible that I don't think some pornos even show... Granted, this may or may not be a negative for some bar hoppers, and even we couldn't stop watching the train wreck unfold.
The music leaves something to be desired (although this is entirely subjective, I prefer to listen to music I can dance to without 10 drinks in me, something I'm unable to do with songs that have been so heavily remixed they're virtually unidentifiable.)
And speaking of drinks, they are mediocre at best, and not always cheap. We did happen to be there night when they had cheap wells, but the other times it's been more than I care to pay for a watered down long island iced tea.
Spoiler: This review is not based on the dance club, but Absinthe House as an event venue.
What a fantastic venue!! I was here for a conference post-party over the winter and was blown away. The space is very open and fits the loft decor nicely. There's a great open space for dancing and plenty of space at the two bars in the venue. While the seating is sparse, there's a lovely space near the DJ that has some couches and chairs that are hidden at first glance but after being on your feet in heels for awhile, are so lovely to sink into and a great people watching spot as you can see all of the floor.
There's an additional room up a half level behind the DJ booth as well with another small bar and some seating, but it can get cramped fast.
The bartenders knew their stuff, right down to how to pour absinthe and giving me the pleasure of adding another joint that has ginger ale to my list. If I had an event in the area again, I'd highly consider renting this place out.
What i fail to understand is how this establishment only has 3 stars. Â Keep in mind i went during regular business hours during the day and ate near the entrance at the first bar. The guys working downstairs were amazing. I had gone with my boyfriend and my two underage brothers who ordered nachos(which were said to be amazing and looked it) and a sprite and red bull which was kept full at all times. Â My boyfriend and i ordered a couple beers and a shot of absinthe as well. i am not a huge fan of the taste of black licorice but the fact that the service was completely on point i couldnt think of anything else but geez this bartender is up there in one of my favorites. Their shirts looked cool so i bought one of those as well and threw in an awesome shot call the red death i believe. Next time i go to boulder i would love to go again. :)
Review Source:This place has a good space, a nice rooftop patio, and somewhat pricey but basically standard and fair drink prices. The music is god-awful though. Constant, inane, thumping techno. If they got a decent DJ this place would be cool. The roof is at least quiet enough to talk, although the music is still there and still terrible. The server assumed we didn't know anything about absinthe and gave us a thorough and informative introduction, although he watered down the drink more than I would have. As it stands, I'd rather go to Happy Noodle for absinthe since it costs the same at both places, and you can work your own water fountain at Happy and determine how much water is added. I would only come back here in a group that was substantially sloshed already and wanted to dance.
Review Source:This place is still the Foundry and that's not a good thing.
After waiting in a ten person line for a good ten minutes--perhaps to create the illusion that they were busy inside? They weren't-- the bouncer was rude and sarcastic about my ID. I'm 28. Once inside, we decided to head up to the rooftop and were stopped by ANOTHER ID checker at the stairs who told us to have our IDs accessible since we would be carded "a million times tonight." Then why was the carding at the door so meticulous? What good was my 21+ bracelet? Are there ways for under age people to sneak in? Why not man those doors instead? Headed upstairs to a smoke-filled rooftop with too loud music and bartenders that kept yelling, in a chorus, "TIP YOUR BARTENDERS!!" angrily. It was $5 all-you-can-drink night so perhaps they weren't making the best money but it's not a good business idea if you ask me. A lot of liability to over-serve drinkers and little to no tips for the staff? Â Not solid.
As if all of this wasn't enough to turn me off completely, we waited for a friend outside at the end of the night and watched one of the bouncers curse out and get in the face of a young person whose ID had been confiscated. The kid was adamant that it was his real identification and was not being physical at all but the bouncer, twice his size, made threatening, loud remarks and bumped his chest into the guest, pushing him out into the street.
So lets see-- super long wait for no reason, constant carding, condescending bartenders demanding tips, smoke, and testosterone-driven bouncers with egos the size of Walnut Street.
Terrible, awful, I won't ever be back.
Nice rooftop, but keep expectations low when it comes to the friday afternoon happy hour servers. They consistently seem overwhelmed and distracted even when the bar isn't crowded. Keep in mind though, new businesses have a tough time recruiting solid staff right away; so order at the bar, enjoy the sun, and relax.
Review Source:Great spot, Great music! AMAZING dance floor and AMAZING lights! If only the drinks were cheaper! Fun place to go out and they do have a great ladies night being free drinks till midnight on thursdays but other nights drinks get very pricey! If they lowered their prices more people would come to this fun club!
Review Source:What a cool spot! Â My boyfriend and I visited Boulder for a weekend trip, and we ended up at Absinthe House one night. Â It seemed a little confused about what it was going for - is it a bar? Â A club? Â A lounge? Â There was a DJ playing house music, along with a hardcore lights show. Â We surpassed this scene and headed to the rooftop bar. Â Despite it being a bit chilly out (our visit was in mid-September), the heaters on the roof kept us warm. Â Our server was very attentive and patient while we scanned the expansive menu. Â We ended up ordering absinthe (obligatory), some red wine (also good) and fondue. Â There was an awesome special on the fondue - great deal. Â The whole process of serving the absinthe is fun in itself, and the drink tasted great (if you like black licorice). Â The rooftop wasn't very crowded, which worked out to our benefit. Â If I ever visit Boulder again, I'd go back to check out the dance floor.
Review Source:Boulder has a dance club and it isn't totally vile. Woohoo!
My first couple visits to Absinthe were quite the treat. Why, you ask? Because of the DJ! I was shocked at how well house music was mixed with more contemporary hiphop-pop music. I also enjoy that the sneak attack from the back (grinding) is going out of style! At this place I really feel like I can dance and not be groped on. I appreciate that.
Drink prices aren't all that bad either. I got a super tasty fruity drink concoction that was only $4--that's pretty darn good for places like these! They also have a nice ladies night on Thursdays.
One star deduction for the DJ this past Friday. He had to be different from my first two times. Too much trance/dance and not enough mixing of more familiar songs. Not everyone is drugged up enough to enjoy that stuff. Keep it cool!
I'm not sure that too many people eat dinner here, but they should. Â I've been to night clubs that try to supplement their income by serving dinner, and they've all failed to excite. Â Absinthe House is a different story. Â Their food is actually good, and it's reasonably priced, to boot.
My dining companion and I had the fondue for two, and, at $19.00, I was pleasantly surprised by the portion size. Â Fondue cheeses don't come cheap--even in bulk--but we received enough to satisfy both our appetites. Â The cheeses were oozing together, nicely blended, and perfectly seasoned. Â That said, the bread served with the fondue could've been better: it lacked any crust to speak of and was a bit too doughy. Â A crusty french bread would have been a tastier accompaniment.
In addition to the fondue, we had the house olive blend, which was pretty good but not great. Â The $3 happy hour drafts (including a number of good Belgian beers) were a fantastic deal, although my beer was a tad warm for my liking. Â There are other happy hour drink specials that sounded enticing, but I didn't get the chance to try them. Â I'm definitely going back to get my drink on, though.
Every time I come here I have a great night. Â I can't say much about the food or the rooftop deck because I've never been up there, but the DJ's are amazing. Â Most places would charge a cover for a night of killer beats, but Absinthe House doesn't charge anything at the door. Â The only reason I'm giving it 4 instead of 5 stars is because the drinks are pretty nasty. Â I would recommend starting the night off somewhere else and coming to Absinthe around 12 or so. Â Also, I've heard of a few people getting their purses stolen here, so use common sense like you would in any other situation and don't leave your stuff unattended.
Review Source:Now, im not a big night club guy. But cmon, before this all boulder had was round midnight. Really? C'mon.
Given that, I like this place.
Sound system is great and they have cool lasers. Rooftop is a nice break from the madness on the dancefloor. And drinks are surprsingly not that expensive.
I like that they're going for the European electronic dance music angle. Biggest downside is the crowd still has a strong frat house element to it but it is Boulder after all.
I'm giving this 3 stars because of the food. Â I didn't plan on stopping by last night. Â We were on our way to The Walnut Brewery when we saw that there was a new place. So we decided to give it a try.
We sat outside on the rooftop deck. Â It was a little chilly but there are a lot of heat lamps. Â Unfortunately there was only one waitress for the whole upstairs level. Â I don't think it would have been a problem normally, but with the restaurant just opening it wasn't enough. Â Also, a lot of tables ordered the absinthe carafe (not sure of the official name). Â That took a lot of explanation from the waitress and took away from her ability to wait tables. Â Meanwhile there were about 4 bartenders for the 6 patrons that were sitting at the bar.
My other complaint was with the music. Â We had dinner around 8P. Â However, the music that was playing was techno house music. Â I can understand that type of music for the dancefloor located inside the building, but it was very distracting when most people were sitting down at dinner.
As for the food, I thought it was very good. Â I had the Lemon Dijon Pasta. Â Although a very simple dish, it was delicious. Â One of the disadvantages of eating outside was that my pasta got very cold quickly. Â I don't think this is the restaurant's fault. Â My boyfriend had the pear and walnut salad and ate every bite.
I hope this place survives but I think it's too big and has too many things going on....dancefloor....techno music....dining setting. Â I think they need to stick to one goal and accomplish it well.
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