The nightly live music here is incredible! Â It's by far one of my favorite hang out places in Denver. Â The crowd here is always friendly and the bartenders are fast and on their game keeping up with everyone's orders. Â Hard core hole in the wall, divey bar. Â No fanciness here. Â Just good music, good people, and no-nonsense drinks. Â As everyone has already said, it's cash only, but there's an ATM inside, making this a non issue. Â I make it a point to stop in here for a little while at least anytime I am out in LoDo.
Review Source:Been here a handful of times, it's definitely a place that comes up after we've had a few drinks. Â They have live jazz every night of the week, and cheap drinks. Â Sometimes they draw a pretty sketchy crowd, but it could be the badly lit bar and the location (lots of homeless people in the area).
Review Source:First let me say that I, and my wife, love El Chapultepec. Â We are from New York City, and we were brought to El Chapultepec recently by a dear friend on our very first visit to Denver, Co. Â
The band playing that night was awesome, called TeraBlu, we loved them!!
Cash only wasn't  problem, we came prepared. The service was fine. We enjoyed ourselves there so much, that we decided to go again the very next night.
The reason I only give one star instead of 5 is because of what happened that Saturday night. Â We were having a good time, loaded about 5 bucks into the jukebox and had another round of drinks brought to us by the pool table, when suddenly, in the middle of our first song, the owner pulled the plug on the juke box and announced that they were now closed.
Looking up at the clock on the wall, it said 1:32am--they close at 2am. Â Okay, I can understand wanting to clean up and get home, but something felt wrong. Â I took out my cell phone and found that all the clocks there were set 30 minutes ahead. It was only 1:02am!!
The waitress said, it's not us, it's the owner, and the owner was nearby. Â So, I showed how early it really was, 1:05am. Â I told her that we love her bar, and were there from NY, just got a fresh round and put 5 bucks in the jukebox.
The response I got was she took one single dollar and put it on our table, and said, too bad.
Oh, well. We'll probably go back if TeraBlu is playing there next time we're in Denver, but be warned, check their clocks, and don't order a round and feed the jukebox after 1am! They will take your money and run!
This place is so full of win. Jazz, drinks, cheap delicious tacos.
Right next to Coors Field, we stopped in wet and cold from the stupid rain. We waited for the first set to start and were lucky enough to grab a table. Ate up tacos and drank drank drank while jamming to the excellent live band.
It is super loud and small in here, so don't expect to have a deep conversation, but expect to have a great time up close and personal with the band. Love it!
Went with my friend, Drew, since we both like Jazz but never really delved into it. We went in on a monday night as to avoid the cover, we were both poor and played pool. Loser bought the next round. $1.50 coors was nice until the band started then beers on tap were done and you had to buy bottles $4.50 and $5 for premiums I think? Not too bad plus we were there early enough to get a few rounds of cheap beers in. I think they had 3 bands and bands trading members that night. Downside is its paid jukebox music until that point.
We both got in the grove and it was good, music got me dancing between shots at the pool table. It is a pretty run down place and could use a little work put back into it but the atmosphere was part of it I think.
I think the barkeep did shortchange like $3 me since its cash-only(but who knows maybe my count was off), which slightly frustrated me since being a delivery driver myself know the importance of tips, I still tipped but rather be given the freedom to do so of my own accord. He did give us an extra round at the $1.50 price which was highly appreciated though even after it was over so fair is fair I guess.
Friend and I might make it a good occasional hangout when we are poor and want to experience more Jazz.
Don't expect candlelit tables, a gorgeous hostess, or a wide wine variety! Â What you should expect is An iconic jazz club synonymous with great music, atmosphere, and lots of history.
The alcohol is (not cheap) but affordable. Â The place hasn't been renovated since it was first built . . . there is a leather liner above the bar, circa.1970s (if not 60s).
The place is very intimate (SMALL). Â However, you want up close with the band? Â this is it.
The accoustics are great. Â The stage is small (5 band members and they are elbow to elbow.
Last night show was with the midnight train (or something like that) and they were fabulous. Â 70s and 80s funk and a mixture of other songs. Â The whole bar (literrally) was on the dance floor grooving out. Â
I have been to music clubs all over the country and this is one of my favorites for atmosphere and energy. Â Some clubs have great ambiance. Â Some great music. Â Some great fun. Â This place is a basic chicago style music venue in the heart of denver. Â No frills. Â Lots o fun!
I've been in Denver for two years now and as a Jazz/Blues enthusiast, El Chapultepec has been on my list since I read my first issue of 5280. Â So, WHY did I wait until last Friday night to give it a try? Â Sheer stupidity is my confession. Â Please, please go right now this minute to enjoy the experience of a lifetime. Â This is an honest to goodness, Chicago-quality music venue. Â SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS!!
Review Source:What a dive bar.
We only popped in once while they had jazz - it made me wish I was on the other side lol
I really wanted to try a burrito, but the bartender didn't sound impressed when I asked how they were and the menu was even scarier
However - you want a good place to sit and have a couple drinks - this is an old fashioned booze house!
A great bar. A piece of living history in Denver. Me gusta mucho.
From the red checkered floor tiles to the cash only bar, this place is pretty danged awesome. They've got three items on the menu, the music is always hoppin' and the vibe is old school cool. I love finding places like this.
Pro-tip: you might want to get there early or avoid entirely on baseball night. Once the game's over this place gets hit hard by the fans, and it's a small venue, so it gets crowded quickly.
Love all the reviews about the live jazz. I went on a Monday at 6:30PM. I walked in, there were only 2 people I could see at the bar, a perma-drunk guy with a beard on a stool, and a guy behind the bar. I walked in and pulled up a stool, and was offered a drink menu. I opted for the food menu instead. While reading the menu, I looked to my right to find a 3rd patron... a homeless guy sleeping on the back table. I ordered the smothered beef, the guy behind the counter asked me which number (out of 10) that was, I replied 4, he took my menu, stopped for a quick pulk off his bud light bottle, and was on his way. A few minutes later, he brought me out a tasty burrito with some questionable meat chunks. I ate it, it was good, and I'm feeling fine.
This place is a 4+ star joint, so not knocking, but for travelers like myself , I hope you read this to set your off peak expectations.
Oh El Chapultepec, where have you been all my life? This has to be one of my favorite dive bars of all time. I hate to call it a "dive" because it is such a landmark. Not to mention it is one of my favorite spots in Denver. But then again, I do love my dives.
I love the cheap drinks. But most importantly, I am a huge fan of the live blues music. As a true Southerner, I must admit that the blues hold a special place in my heart. Every time I've ever been to this bar, I've been able to shake my groove thang with my friends...or perfect strangers, if necessary.
This place is a staple in my book. And I plan to come back, time after time after time.
I found this place while wandering around Denver on a recent visit. Â It's definitely got that hole-in-the-wall vibe, but that's what I was looking for. Â I parked at the bar and met some friendly locals who gave me the low-down on living in Denver, and I had a few drinks. Â The band was pretty good, and the crowd was too eclectic to really pin down, which I like. Â An older couple started dancing, and since they were the first of the night to dance, unsolicited by the band, they got a free CD. Â Soon after, the place was packed full.
My only complaint was that the bartender took about 10 minutes to come over and offer me a drink, and the place wasn't that crowded. Â Even the locals I'd met at the bar thought the wait was a little ridiculous. Â Maybe she didn't see me, but was a bit hard to miss. Â As the evening wore on, both she and the other bartender who arrived when the crowd picked up were attentive to my seemingly insatiable thirst; I stumbled out later that night and somehow made it back to the hotel after accidentally scaring a group of females on their way to or from a nightclub with an overly enthusiastic greeting which might have been accompanied by some light choreography and hip gyrations.
All in all, you have to go at least once to soak in the history and get a feel for the place. Â I could see myself taking out-of-town visitors here in the future.
I am starting to go out to love jazz clubs more often. Â I tried "The Pec" a few nights ago and had a pretty fun time. Â The drinks were inexpensive and strong, the jazz was good but they have the absolute worst bathrooms in all of Denver.
My wife told me the woman's was horrid and I wouldn't recommend using the men's room unless you have to.
It's a fun little place right by Coors Field.
Live Jazz. Â Need I say more.
Ok, I'll say a little more...
Bartenders are great, drinks are very reasonable, and the place is cozy and full of the type of people that make going out for cocktails enjoyable.
It's a small venue, so don't plan on coming with a ton of people and finding seating...
Perfect.
We walked through the rest of Lo Do on a Saturday night and WOW- Denver, didn't know you had it in ya. It's a friggin nightmare down there, bro-tastic and more hair bumps than you can count.
BUT! Chapultepec! This place belongs somewhere else- somewhere blue collar and progressive and small-townish. It looks like something out of a Tarantino set. GREAT jazz, cheap prices, fantastic crowd, great fashion, lots of diversity, and diiiiiiiisgusting bathrooms.
This is a place you want to bring out-of-town company.
Two of my favorite things: dive bar and live music.
Weekends are funk/soul-eque. Weekdays, which I prefer by far, are more straight jazz. Not to mention it's a lot easier to find a seat and enjoy the music.
If you go on the weekends, go early enough to see the first set, and then clear out before the bros drunkenly stumble in from neighboring sports bars. Unless you are a Bro. Then like, have fun, and I will, like totally give up my seat for you so I don't have to put up with your drunken pawing and bad dancing.
Get there early! You want to claim your spot near the band. We went on Friday night and there was a fun blues/funk band tearin it up in there. Â We were compelled to immediately start dancing. Â
There is a pool table on the other side of the bar which is a nice distraction when the band takes a break. Â Good juke box selections too.
Cheap booze, free music, awesome atmosphere and right in the middle of it all. I used to gloss over this place while patronizing all the other bars in LoDo, but now I'm a fan.
There's definitely not much elbow room, but you can grab a seat if you get there early. And if you're nice to the bass player, he'll shift over while playing so you get get into the bathroom.
This place gets 5 stars for one reason. They are open and serve booze at 1 p.m. I found myself staying in Denver for a day.
Having nothing to do, and not being familiar with the city I headed Downtown. There was a row a bars nearby, problem was nothing opens until 4...except El Chapultepec.
For $4, you can get a Coors on tap, along with a hot dog and chips.
Also, I think this place holds the record for the most disgusting bathroom, this side of Calcutta.
If you live in Denver and you like to see free music while drinking a cheap stiff drink, the El Chapultepec is the place for you!!
Granted once you have a few drinks here (and watch out it is cash only!!) you might not be able to say the name of this place, but if you are ready for a no frills good time in a divey, old type of diner spot, then order yourself some green chile or a hot dog with your $3 or $4 drink and you will leave here full and at least tipsy for under $20!! And that $20 marker is if you have a semi high tolerance for alcohol too heh
And who doesn't like live music??? Well this place always has live bands playing. We were lucky enough to have a 4 piece band playing and singing classic songs that everyone knows the words too, so once those drinks kick in the whole bar is joining in a singalong!!
Do not come here dressed up and you might want to watch up for some "plumbers cracks" since that is basically the clientelle here, but for a good cheap time in denver complete with free music, El Caphultepec is the right choice even if it takes a little bit for your drinks and food to come. Heck, the kind of slow service is probably why everything is so cheap!
I was here last night early enough to get a booth. Â I've come here before, but I feel ready to write now.
As a baseline, I lived in New Orleans for six years and grew up in Memphis. Â The music was hothouse blues last night, but I've heard excellent jazz here as well. Â (The jazz is more often the NOLA-style funk-infused jazz rather than that West Coast stuff they play at Dazzle.)
The music is sublime. Â El Chapultepec, a business with no website by choice, survives by being cooler than the mass-manufactured converted-warehouse Polo raves found nearby. Â I regret that I have to dock it a star.
Why? Â I don't have a problem with it's small size and lack of seating. Â Just like The Funky Butt or Le Bon Temps in NOLA, it's a matter of getting there early if you really want it. Â I don't have a problem that it has to comply with Denver's anti-smoking laws, simply because it cannot be avoided. Â (But try telling me it's authentic when a similar place in NOLA would have about four different types of smoking going on.)
It's the drinks. Â I got a rocks glass full of ice water and a float of whiskey when I asked for Jack and water. Â The next glass seemed a little darker, a friend noticed. Â "That's because they put whiskey in it this time."
The drinks were consistently weak and watery. Â I'm of the opinion that a good establishment should make 'em cheap and strong and push volume, volume, volume as the name of the game.
And when I asked for a cup of water from the waitress because what conversation we were having forced me to scream and parch my throat, she gave me an "eat shit and die" look fit to beat the band. Â When she came back she snatched my weak whiskey before I had finished the last few sips and disappeared.
If I may borrow a passage to describe her, I'd call her "a spent piece of used jet trash who makes good bloody marys, keeps her mouth shut most of the time, has a little chihuahua named Carlos that has some kind of skin disease and is totally blind." Â Perhaps I presume too much.
The service needs a kick in the pants from management to get 5 stars from me, but the environment and the music itself are top notch. Â I wish other places in Denver would follow the lead set by El Chapultepec and recreate this feel now and again rather than making more discotheques.
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet, seeing as how I live right across the street!
The house band is full of really talented musicians and is really why you should check this place out. Â They are not playing my style of jazz, but I really love watching them anyway because they are so good and really love what they do.
The food is not great but it's cheap and hot and gets to you in a flash. Â The service is not always with a smile but it is equally fast and they've never gotten a thing wrong and they sure do pour the drinks right.
The pec is tiny and crowded and I love it. Â Get there early enough to get a booth or a good seat at the bar and keep ordering drinks during the set, or get the hell out so I can take your spot.
Now this was a great place to visit while in Denver! In a sea of typical LoDo bars, El Chapultepec stood right out as soon as I walked in.
My friend and I were lucky to find a seat right next to the band that was currently playing. The music was great, and so were the drinks. I usually just walked up to the bar to order, and the bartender was attentive and made my Manhattans with care.
A true asset to LoDo.
This is as authentic as it gets in Denver. It defines the perfect dive bar. They haven't changed a thing in 50 years! Great red booths, great music (Hugh Reagan on trumpet is amazing!), great margaritas - what more do you need? Beef burritos smothered with green chile served on Styrofoam plates? You got it.
I also love the diverse crowd. In an area overrun with drunk 20-somethings, El Chapultepec appeals to every walk of life and makes for a rich experience.
I hope this place withstands the Lodo gentrification unscathed.
I brought my bf here a little over a year ago, and we had the BEST time!! Â We arrived before the music started, and we even managed to get a booth. Â Score. Â Ordered a couple beers, and started watching the peeps. Â
My boyfriend's from New Orleans, and he couldn't get rid of the goofy smile he had on his face all night. Â He said on more than one occasion that it reminded him of home.
The band was awsome. Â Sorry, I can't remember the name, but I've been there on a few occasions, and the jazz is always exceptional.
If you have not gone. Go. And, go again, and again. Â It is a sacred Denver beacon.
But, not for the food. Although order something while you bask in the groovy, period dive decor, over the pour of your choice, all the while listening to some smokin' jazz and being in the presence of other like minded, groovy creatures.
Back to the food. Â It is, well, ahem, best described as an insult to so called Mexican food and served on disposable plates and flatware. What a hoot! Â Yeeha!
Oh, yeah, get there early to be anointed with a seat, if not u r s.o.l., for it is just a sliver of a joint.
The Pec what a rebel! Its all about the Jazz!
Its resisted the sell out urge and has stayed true! Its a dive and with bad drinks, bad decor, and bad food and I love it! Its truly a Iconic Jazz spot in Denver many legends have stopped in here. Back in the day I watched Wyton Marsalis stop in for a set after he did a show here in Denver.
This is a true Jazz spot, any given night you can come but get there early or your standing but the music you will hear here makes it worth it!
FYI: Cash only, Older crowd so bar flys come get some culture leave the game at home!
On my first visit to Denver, my boyfriend (who grew up here) kept mentioning that he wanted to come here. Â Hearing the name, I expected a Mexican restaurant. Â I thought we'd go to dinner and eat chicken mole at a dive-y eatery.
Imagine my surprise when we walked into a tiny jazz bar. Â It reminded me of a great club I visited in NYC's Village. Â It's a small dive with just a few booths and great musicians who are there to PLAY. Â
We heard some great music and ate some super-cheap bar food.  I'm told the ground beef  burrito with green chile sauce is a Denver staple.  It's not my cup of tea, but when the music is this good you could serve me just about anything and I'd be satisfied.
It was a weeknight, so there weren't many people. Â But that didn't stop the music. Â We had a good time.
I hope this is the right place, if this place is a block away from the Coors Field, then it's the place. If this place has the WORST bathroom in the world then this is the place. If this place has a pool room in the back, then this is the place! If this place has Mexican food and JAZZ? Then this is the place!!
We're here on a Sunday night, about 10 people in this dive bar, with a 4 piece band. Not bad jazz, really like the vibe, but the bathroom was gross and the toilet had a maxi pad stuck in there. ( I know T.M.I.)
But I must say the lovely bartender made an awesome Chocolate Martini!! Everyone else around us were drinking either Bud Light, or some crappy beer. Why?? I thought people from Denver knew good beer. Guess I was wrong.
I consider myself a casual jazz fan so when I found this place I was pretty excited, thinking I'd found a great place to hide out when I was forced to venture into lodo. Unfortunately, I was quickly disappointed. The music was great, but the vibe was very... elitist which was irritating: I may not no as much about jazz as you do, but I'm still just looking to have a nice time.
Also, other reviewers have mentioned it, but they only take cash. I don't care what anyone says, thats a big pain in the ass and a place deserves a lower rating because of it. What's next? A bar that asks me to pay by check?
This place is a hole in the wall and sometimes the bands aren't great but if you can claim a naugahyde booth you are in business. Strong drinks, good jukebox, and mediocre Mexican food complete the trifecta for this daytime alcoholic!
The only downside was I almost got in a fistfight last time I was there. Some lout kept bellowing for "Greensleeves" and when I told him to pipe down he took a swing at me. So we took it outside and I said, "Don't get your mesh tanktop in a twist, Kenny Loggins!" and showed him a few things I had been working on at the dojo.
The night did get better - after closing time I chatted up a burrito vendor on Market St named Mindy and long story short, an hour later we found ourselves locked together in a Chinese sex swing, gently dangling over a zebra pelt. Tangled limbs.. clenched hands.. agony and pleasure mixing into an erotic goulash of pain and fluid.. two moist, muscular adults.. every flick of the tongue designed to make the other groan.
What a cool place. Â If you like jazz, I would say this is definitely a good choice to drop into. Â Seating is a little limited by the band, but if you score a table you can chill and relax all night long while listening to some damn good jazz.
Bar service was excellent - friendly, sociable, and quick to serve.
p.s. Trough-style urinal in the men's room makes this place feel even _more_ authentic! *grin*
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