I wanted to give this place a two, but because of how the waiter handled the situation i gave a 3 and will consider trying again.
We came in here after a day of drinking and hanging out at Lakeside. I was craving pizza and really wanted to give this place a try. We got in ordered our drinks, then the pizza. About 10 minutes later the guy came back and said they ran out of pizza. How does a pizza place run out of pizza??? If we had known that before we wouldn't even had stayed for the drinks. The waiter saw our frustration and disappointment and kindly compd the drinks for us. Because he took fault and listened to us vent I will definitely be returning to give it another shot. That right their is the epitome of customer service and word of mouth.
This seems to be a hidden gem in Denver. Â They have delicious food that's easily shared with large groups, a great beer list, good salads, and plenty of room, not to mention birthday specials! Â Every time I go here, I wonder why I don't go more often?
This is the perfect local place for meeting up with friends when you don't want to deal with lodo/highlands/downtown crowds. Â It's a great middle-ground between downtown and the suburbs too, 44th and Federal.
Wednesday May 22nd 2013... another round of monthly-versary that both Hubs and I get to do if we have the chance to celebrate it. Â Though I cannot deny Hubs always remind me that our ACTUAL Anniversary falls in the month of September. Â Decide to come to this establishment coz by its name, it reminds me of the name of my girlfriend who lives in Boise. Â But THIS Ernie is a BOY!
Time was about 19:10hrs ish.
When we first arrived at this establishment, man this place is almost packed to the brim from other patrons, and there are patrons who bring along their families especially the young ones aka kids... Â There are tonnes of TV Screens showing all the games around this establishment.
We opt to be seated inside this establishment, near the Patio almost the Left Wing of this establishment. Â The weather was slightly rainy that evening. Â
From the Menu, we opt to have these items :
* Â Pear Walnut Salad ($9.00) Hubs Appetizer
* Â Chicken Calzone ($14.00) Hubs Main Order
* Â Crispy Fried Calamari ($11.00)
* Â Classic Chicken Wings - Garlic Parmesan ($10.00)
* Â 10" (Individual) # 12 aka Shrimp Pizza ($14.00)
As for beverages I opt to have Italian Soda ($4.00) and Hubs opt for Fountain Drink aka Coke Cola ($2.00)
Yes the items came out piping hot. Â Yes its slightly huge portions especially for the Appetizers, that you can share among 2 or 3 other of your friends... Â I like one of the dipping sauce of the Appetizers. Â If I am not mistaken it was the "spicy" one aka Sriracha Aioli that comes with the Crispy Fried Calamari. Â Those dipping sauce its SO ADDICTIVE! Â I bet they put "CRACK" in those "SPICY" sauce (Sriracha Aioli) that apparently I finish that dipping sauce before I could finish the Calamari itself.
As for the Classic Chicken Wings with Garlic Parmesan though it came out Piping Hot from the Fryer, they were just A-OKAY. Â Nothing stellar, nothing fancy. Â I cannot deny, the Chicken Wings are "Plump and Juicy" BUT LACKING that WOW-Tasty-Factor, that would made me want to order this dish again. Â *SIGH*
All in all I am pretty disappointed with my order, especially the Shrimp Pizza. Â Err, is "SHRIMP" - tiny SHRIMP as tiny as my Thumb-nail.... Â *SUPER SAD FACE* *DOUBLE SIGH* Â The Shrimp Pizza comes with Shrimp with Red Onions, Capers, Arugula and Kalamata Olives. Â Why Ernie, Why?? Â Why the Shrimp on the Shrimp Pizza is so tiny? Â *TRIPLE SIGH* Â
While Hubs is satisfied with his order be it with the Pear and Walnut Salad and his Main Entrée of Chicken Calzone.  The Pear and Walnut Salad comes with Spring Mix, Candied Walnuts, Pears, Gorgonzola Cheese and Strawberry Vinaigrette.  As for the Chicken Calzone, it comes with Chicken, Spinach, Sundried Tomatoes, Artichoke Hearts, Mozzarella and Gorgonzola. Â
Hubs Chicken Calzone order looks filling indeed. Â I had a little bite of the Chicken Calzone, I like it too. Â But both Hubs and I dont fancy the marinara sauce that comes with it. Â Its too watered down for my personal taste bud. Â As long as Hubs is happy, I am Happy for him to have a meal here. Â During our meal here, our server refill my order of Italian Soda. Â Hubs gave this establishment 4 stars while I see it as 3 at best due to the Major Disappointment of the Chicken Wings and The Shrimp Pizza.. Â 3.5 Stars for the Overall Service and our server's name that evening was Taylor.
Left the establishment at 20:35hrs ish.
@113/2013
LOVED this place. Came on the Saturday before Memorial Day, so it was kind of dead, but we had a great time. The patio is amazballs and so is the pizza, beer selections, and cocktails. We had the bacon, goat cheese and red onion pizza, add meatballs, and the white pizza with clam, garlic, red pepper flake, add arugula. After 3:30 there are great happy hour specials, I had several Italian margaritas for only $3.50, and we tried some of their vast draft beer selection as well. It's a little off the beaten track, but you get a parking lot, great food, and skeeball as a reward for your adventurous spirit. We'll definitely be back!
Review Source:The staff is ok (not bad, but certainly nothing near "wow"), the drinks are pretty tasty and they have good drink specials, good selection of beer (but certainly not impressive considering what other places nearby serve), but the food is usually pretty terrible. I've cooked in many restaurants  for many years and I understand an off night here or there, but just about anything I've had there is skimpy portions (a side of sausage is a third to a quarter of a link of so-so sausage for a $1 when it should be a full link for maybe two), cold when it shouldn't be (i.e. my chicken the other night...gross), or burned/underdone in the case of pizzas. It seems like they hire terrible cooks or they're constantly training new-hires. The proximity to my house and my lack of cable TV are the only reasons I've come back so many times.
Review Source:I don't even know where to begin. Â I have been here a handful of times since I was introduced to it a couple of years ago. Â Never not once have I had a bad experience, I love Ernie's!
Star 1 - Service. They can sometimes be a little slow at the beginning but somehow they always seem to pick up the pace and are Johnny on the spot after they get the hang of it. Attentive but not overbearing and pushy. Â
Star 2 - Atmosphere. Â It can appear to feel cramped but I think they have done a good job giving everyone just enough room so you don't feel like you are sitting on top of another group of people or listening to their conversations. Â I love the big chairs by the fireplace. Â They are super comfy and I have found myself not wanting to get up. Â TV's over the bar and a little game room off to the side to keep the wee ones busy.
Star 3 - Beer/Wine Selection. I am pretty sure they have just about anything you could imagine. Â Quite the extensive beer list, I have never been disappointed in ordering. Â The wine list is also quite extensive and with price ranges for just about everyone.
Stars 4 & 5 - The food.  Yes it is that good that it deserves 2 stars on it's own.  Everything I have had from the calamari, to salads, to the garlic knots, to the pizza is FAN-FLIPPIN-TASTIC.  I am a big fan of being able to great your own pizza and with all the topping options Ernie's offers you can't really go wrong.  they also have several other options if you don't want to create your own which are equally as good.  They seem to just know the right combos of meat/veggies/cheese that make  some of the best pizza around.  The pizza crust is just the right combination of chewy  and crispy all in the right places.  Not super doughy and all heavy as other places can be. Â
Parking can be a little tough some times especially considering the location, but that isn't enough to take away even a sliver of a star.
This was my first time coming here. I decided to come here because I've always driven by and thought it looked like a great place for a good drink. Â After doing research on the net for best wings their name came up so I figured that was a good enough reason to go. Â The wings sauce was good but not the best wings I've had. Â I enjoyed the pizza. The atmosphere was good. And the bartenders were great. I think his name was Evan and there was a new girl who was working with him and she was great too! Â I'll be back for sure. Â Lots of things on the menu I want to try. Maybe turn this into a five star next visit.
Review Source:All I can say is WOW!!!! Â Great food, great service. Â Only downside is that it's always so busy that the wait tends to be long. Â GREAT atmosphere. Â There were several of us and our waiter not only didn't write anything down (which made us nervous) but not only remembered everything on target, he separated our checks simply by observing who was ordering together. Â Wish I could remember his name... Â Like the "seat yourself" area near the bar where you share the long bench-like table with others, great way to meet new people!!!
Review Source:Outside appearance has a lot to be desired but when you walk through the doors you wonder what happened. I really love the character of the place inside though. There was a decent selection of beer to add to the atmosphere but at $7 for a draft beer was quite steep and especially when it was $6 at happy hour. Not happy hour prices!
Now, here is where Ernie's takes off. The pizza was incredible!!! I mean so incredible that I ordered an extra one (10") to take home and put in the refrigerator for the next day. That pizza never made it outside! I have to say it was intoxicating. By the time my buddy and I walked out of there though, we had an $83 bill for two pizzas, two beer ($7 each) and my buddy's boneless wings. So basically, price was rather steep. Pizza flavor alone, I would give it 5 stars though. Before I forget, the service was rather weak. We sat for much longer than I thought as the gal kept walking back and forth in front of us without taking the time to get our drink orders. The bar area really wasn't that busy either. This problem really needs to be addressed and especially after an $83 bill. I have to drop it to 3 stars because of less than adequate service for what you pay for.
We REALLY like this place. Â It's a great family restaurant as well as a date night/hang-out-with-the-buds kind of place. Â Their food is actually really good for a "bar" and I guess it would have to be cause it's been around for a long time. Â Good happy hour specials and even if you miss happy hour, their selection is great anyway.
We really enjoy their pizza/calzones and their sandwiches are pretty decent.  And one of the best things about Ernie's is  their Monday night trivia!  A lot of fun!  We always can't wait to go back.
So I really loved everything about this place. If yelp only did 1/2 a star I would give them 4 and 1/2 stars. So the only down falls were the price and the service. For a 10 inch individual pizza and 2 piece canolli dessert it was $20. The service was friendly on the slow side.
So for the good stuff. I came here after seeing the reviews on yelp. 44th is a main street by work, although Federal is some what close I don't find myself in that part of town much. So this was a special trip. I think it is one of the most beautiful places I've been to. The lighting is dim and kind of romantic with a stone fireplace, and dark furniture. They have it designed so it can be open in the warm months. I cant wait to go.
Their menu is extensive with red and white pizzas. Which is good because I don't care for red sauce. They have quite a variety of traditional and not so traditional toppings like clams amd eggplant so you can build your own. The menu also includes Entrees, pasta, and sandwiches. The pizza I ordered had a pesto sauce, Gorgonzola, and tomatoes. It was the best pizza I ever had. For dessert I had the 2 piece canollis. 1 plain and 1 chocolate dipped each with chocolate chip cream. Those too were just Davine.
One notable fact is their drink menu. Beer, wine, mixed drinks and an extensive whiskey list. I'm a bourbon girl and even though I didn't partake at this time its nice to know it's there.
I'm also a big fan that they use ingredients of other Colorado businesses. Â
One of my new favorite places for sure!!!
The best pizza joint in town! We have tried every pizza place in the Highlands neighborhood and Ernie's blows them all out of the water. Not only do they have outstanding food, but have a great selection of beer, cocktails and a very well thought out wine list. The atmosphere appeals to everyone from families with small kids to a group of guys going out for pizza and beers.
Try Ernie's once and you will keep coming back for more!!
I love this place, but I only wish it was closer to my place. Â The food is terrific, the drinks are plentiful, quick, and (usually) on the cheaper end with their specials. Â The staff is amazing from top to bottom, and is one of the few places in town that has a 100% great staff. Â I love their pizza, and their unique wings are pretty tasty as well. Â My ONLY complaint is the location: it's not close to much, and let's be honest, North Federal is not one of the nicest places in town. Â If Ernie's was near me, I'd be there a BUNCH more. Â But regardless, A+.
Review Source:Really liked this place. The ambiance is great. Dim lights and beautiful lighting. I had a gluten free pizza and it was pretty tasty. I also really like that they have substantial gluten free items. My hubby got the fettucini alfredo and he loved it. We also had the garlic parm wings as an app and they were surprisingly tasty. No complaints at all about Ernie's. Can't wait to go back!
Review Source:Solid happy hour, great pizza, and big menu of draft beers (including a bunch of wynkoop pours). Oh, and skeeball. LOVE the skeeball. The place changes a lot based on the time of day; as other have noted, it can get real "family-friendly" during prime-time, but on a Saturday afternoon or late night, it's a great local atmosphere. Â
The fried dough app...meh. Sounds better on paper than the reality of it. The stromboli is likewise really greasy. But the pizza has been great across the board.
Love me some Ernie's! Â
The first time I was here was almost 16 years ago for homecoming when it was called Three Sons.
It is WAY better now! Skeeball in a bar?? Are you kidding me?? And the pizzas are bomb-diggity! Â We definitely wouldn't have made it to the dance if we'd have been to it's current incarnation.
Fonda, the bartender, was one of the favorites at my best-est Sushi spot. Now she keeps the drinks flowin' for Ernie's. She's really nice and fun, so it's always great to see her here.
Not to beat a dead horse but, FREE BIRTHDAY DRINKS! Â Woo hoo!
Ernie's is the grown up version of bringing cupcakes to class on your birthday. Â See as my gift to you my friends, we will go to Ernie's on my birthday. They give me a $20 bar tab so you do not have to buy me drinks all night.
Overall the pizza is fine, appetizers are fine, the service is fine, and the beer selection is fine. Â $20 free birthday drinks are great!
I headed to Ernie's for Monday night Geeks Who Drink and found it enjoyable.
+ The drink specials during the trivia time are good. You can get $2 off the specialty cocktails and there were discounts on two wines and two beers. I appreciate the fact that they offered something for everyone.
+ They offer white pizzas! I'm not a huge fan of tomato based pies and while I do eat them if there is a white pizza I'll order it every time.
+ The pizza selection is pretty extensive with lots of ingredients. The specialty pies are interesting and if nothing tickles your fancy you can build your own.
+ Our server was sweet as pie and very good at her job.
+ You can get fried strip of dough with brie and proscuitto as an appetizer.
I don't know that I'll be making special trips just to eat at Ernie's - it's kind of far away for me and there are places closer to my house that I like just as much, or more - but if I were in the area I'd have no qualms about going here again.
I really liked this place the times I have been. Â This is a great little bar with surprisingly good food. Â Not only is there a great selection of draft beer, the food menu is not small either.
It kind of reminds me of a chain pizza/bar joint with a neighborhood feel to it. Â The staff is friendly and knows their stuff. Â The bartenders knew the craft beer and also were able to suggest a few new ones to me. Â They have a cinnamon infused whiskey they make in-house what went very well with a the Dry Dock Apricot Blonde. Â Kind of weird mix, but it worked ... very well.
Good place to grab some craft beer on tap and also enjoy some good pizza!
Skee-Ball! Yay! Apparently they acquired the machines from the old Elitches, so that is pretty cool. Even though they weren't working, the bartender/carnie fixed it right up and we played while waiting for our food.
We ordered a beet and goat cheese salad, which was good, but tiny. For $9, I expected a few more salad greens, even if no more beets and other stuff. My bad for ordering a salad when you can buy a box of organic greens for $4.
The gluten free pizza was tasty, but the crust was a little mushy. Just cook it a little longer, crisp it up. The toppings: prosciutto, caramelized onions, and gorgonzola-- so, so, so good!!! It is some of the better pizza I have had.
The service was excellent, too. We had service from a few different folks, but they were all very friendly. The place isn't, "too cool," either, just cool enough. Mix of folks, and you could totally take kids there.
But it is LOUD! The music is loud, people are talking loud, and then the skee-ball machine--when the balls roll down it sounds like thunder. At some points, it was actually hard to hear my partner, but we would definitely go back, and maybe ask if we could sit in a slightly quieter spot, like the patio.
The Stromboli is outstanding stuffed with house made mozzarella and Polidori Sausage. Â Great wine and beer for HH.
They unveil their new menu tonight with many more gluten free options, and I am told, that the white clam pizza will be available any day of the week -- Not Just Fridays!
This joint is a popular spot for a reason.
The pies are great, the service is cool and the vibe is nice too. It does get crowded, especially on the weekends and parking can be a little hike, but the grub is worth it.
The kids do run a little wild with the one skee ball game, but there is also a pool table available.
There is a patio, numerous tables, and a large bar w/seating. I sat/ate at the bar on my first visit and had a super weird, super yummy pizza that I LOVED. Last weekend we had a large group party and the staff was quite friendly and accommodating. If you plan a big party, go in the off hours - parking and service were prime. We had appetizers and pizzas to share and they too were delish.
There are numerous local brews on tap, but their mojitos were weak and tasteless. I like me some Ernies, it is popular for a reason!
A lazy Sunday lunch eating Tuscan Chicken.
A great roasted chicken. Perfectly cooked and moist. Sitting on a salad of greens with toasted piñon nuts and raisins. This is very Tuscan.
$3.50 for pints of Oskar Blues.
The sun outside, but not on us as we sat on the porch.
Attentive and friendly service.
I stopped by this place on my home from the airport. Â I was tired and just wanted to take some pizza home and chill with my woman. Â My dog sitter recommended it to me after I picked up my dog.
I went in, ordered a pizza to go and while I waited I sat at the bar and sampled some of their rye and whiskey's. Â The bartender was passionate and educated me on several drinks.
I went home and we tore into the pizza - it was delicious. Â I'm going back soon, this place is great!
Okay, I have to say I have been in this establishment quite a few times over the last couple years. I always sit at the bar and the bartenders are all amazing. Evan, Fonda, Arin, you guys are damn good at your job. Seriously, good cocktails and beer that is always poured properly.
I've pretty much eaten my way through the pizza menu and my favorite is the prosciutto, carmelized onions and goat cheese. Osteria Marco may be good, but you guys just get it right every time and I like the feel of your establishment better.
Overall this place is a gem. It's unassuming, and hasn't yet been run over by the new yuppy crowd that is overtaking the highlands. A good place to sit your butt down on a comfy bar stool, drink a good beer, get stellar service, and not have to worry about some pretentious hipster talking your ear off about the latest trendy book he read.
Love y'all!
FACTOID: Ernie's offers a $20 free bar tab on your birthday.......whoo hoo! (Paid for two pitchers of domestic beer - outside of HH.) - Extra star, right there.
The white pizza (mozzerella, roasted chicken, caramelized onion, fontina) was pretty "meh" for NINETEEN BUCKS. It was more like, WTF? Not recommended. Even the leftovers kinda sucked.
I don't know if this place would warrant a drive across town, but if you are in the 'hood, sure, why not........make sure and go on your BIRTHDAY!
Hmmm. Can I give them a lower rating despite the great service we had and even though I know they do a good pie here? Well after eating their roasted beet salad I feel like I should. It's partially my fault. I just had had a roasted beet salad in a neighborhood joint close by and frankly this wasn't even close. A big pile of underdressed slightly wilted spinach, a sprinkle of some un-flavorful goat cheese, and some irregularly sliced large pieces of red beet and some small medallions of yellow beet seemed out of place on the spinach pile. I think a smattering of some roasted nuts for texture or a little sliced red onion for a little bit more excitement.... something, anything! Â
For us picky eaters now watching what we eat (or veggies too) salads should be up to par with the rest of the shtuff you feed your custies too!
If you're in the mood for a-ok 'New York' style pizza, chill vibes, and a parental polarized crowd, this is a nice spot for all of the above.
In a nutshell: They have a pretty good beer selection, offer plenty of pizzas to choose from, and the service is generally quite friendly, if not a bit slow. But slow is good if you enjoy that kind of ski lodge or Midwestern atmosphere.
It's not over the top, it just is what it is. There's something to be said for a place serves alcohol that parents feel comfortable bringing their kids to.
I rarely host dinner parties. I live in a small loft like townhouse without proper seating; my guests eat off the multi-purpose steam trunk coffee table. Once back in college I gathered and fed misfit friends without funds to make it home for Easter. Ham, scalloped potatoes, Campbell's Mushroom Green Bean casserole, extra fried onions.
Heather and Jim arrived first and, as the alpha female, Heather poked her head into oven.
"Um...did you take the wrapping off this?" she asked, referring to the warming meat.
"Of course," I replied. "The little fishnet thing, right?"
"No. No...the plastic overwrap."
Who knew there was such a thing, at 22 I didn't. At 22 I didn't know scalloped potatoes existed outside the freeze dried disks poured from a Betty Croker box.
The dream dinner party would be one hosted by chef Sean Kelly. He's Superman to my Lois Lane, handling menu duties at both LoHi Steakbar and Ernie's Pizza Bar. Â
He had me at "bar."
The house specialty cocktails at Ernie's are poured strong and on the cheap. The Sunnyside Old-Fashioned (whiskey, cherry brandy, club soda, muddled orange and cherry) is an easy drinking and belly warming winner at just $5.50. Had two for less that the usual price of one elsewhere. Good too is Ernie's local spin on the classic Moscow Mule, The Denver Donkey (vodka, ginger beer and lime, served in a copper mug). All served up by a hip, happy and accommodating Saturday afternoon staff.
Split an order of the Fried Pizza Dough, lightly fried and salted then served hot and oily with thinly sliced prosciutto and taleggio cheese to pile on top. One word, damn. And the quirky, unexpected Antipasto, a mix and mélange of marinated vegetables (crispy pickled green beans and a finely chopped artichoke salad), cold roasted potato salad, crunchy almonds made all the better after sitting atop the oily pools left by hearty and chewy sliced meats, olives, hard cheese and soft blue, a crazy good and surprising salad of mandarin oranges, kalamata olives and red onions. The further you ate into the plate, as flavors mixed and mingled, the better the bites. Came with a couple of slices of hearty bread; only thing missing some good, earthy ground mustard to pile meats and cheese high. Ordered the large, the double for just $7 more would no doubt feed a small family.
Going back to try the pizza (Ernie's does gluten free pizza...and beer) and for Happy Hour and the insanely priced specials like a $2 pint of Wynkoop Chile Beer and Buffalo Trace infused whiskey shots for $4.
Found out about Ernie's from a realtor. The one who's selling me a house in the boutiquey quirky neighborhood.
One big enough for a proper dinner party.
Based on the food and the service, I'd have given Ernie's four stars... but, I do have to consider the atmosphere as well.
Yes, this place is Chuck E. Cheese early in the evening. My group was seated at the loooong table in the front room (facing the parking lot), and both groups who came and went while we were there had kids. Lots of icky kids. All the parents in the first group were failures, and their spawn spent the evening screaming, yelling, crying, crawling around under the tables... gross. The second group had competent parents, and the kids were just fine - they talked and laughed with each other, but were no louder than anyone else in the room.
Anyway, most of us had the 'bar sandwiches,' which are a couple HUGE sliders (can a slider be huge?) on rosemary bread. No sides, but you probably won't need them. I had the chicken parm, and couldn't even finish the first one. They also have a good beer selection, and plenty of choices on their $3 happy hour menu.
Like I said, the service and the food were fine - maybe it'd be more up my alley if I stop back in after 8pm next time.
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