Bar
World Famous Dark Horse
2922 Baseline Road, Boulder
A repeat champion, the Dark Horse was last year’s Best Bar. It’s boasted Boulder’s Best Wings for the past three years and nabbed top three honors for their burgers since at least 2018 (we stopped counting after that). National chains (who shall remain nameless) have tried to replicate the Dark Horse’s throw-everything-on-the-wall aesthetic without success. With a pending redevelopment, there’s never been a better time to support this iconic Boulder eatery.
Silver: License No. 1
Bronze: Jungle
Sports bar
World Famous Dark Horse
We’ve already enumerated the charms of Dark Horse, the best place to cheer on (or cry about) the Buffs or sports team of your choosing. (When asked, they’ll even put fútbol on the telly for us un-American fans.) But each of these spots is a can’t miss: Red Zone is literally the go-to in Longmont; West End offers a quieter, more refined atmosphere; and newcomer The Sophomore has crisp, giant screens and juicy, tasty burgers for your viewing and dining pleasure.
Silver: Red Zone at The Pumphouse Brewery
Bronze: West End Tavern
Write-in: The Sophomore
Bartender
Kiara Demare at Velvet Elk Lounge
2037 13th St., Boulder
Demare has been bartending in Boulder for a few years. She worked at the Boulder Country Club, serving regulars like CU Boulder athletic director Rick George and men’s basketball coach Tad Boyle.
Demare is relatively new to Velvet Elk. She started tending bar there in August 2023 and has already helped build a good crowd of 20-30 regulars.
“Every show, we get different crowds in,” she says. “But we have a pretty good, loyal group of people we see every weekend.”
Demare credits her “awesome” co-workers with creating a good vibe at Velvet Elk. “It’s a really good environment to be in, it’s a really cool space. I feel lucky to be there.”
As for her own bartending skills, Demare says her love of talking to people probably helped her nab the win. She is studying to be a journalist and, in the meantime, working on her cocktail shaking skills.
“I like to stir drinks more than I like to shake them,” she says. “My shake is in an awkward spot right now. It’s supposed to sound like a rhythm, so I’m trying to improve the rhythm of my shake.”
Silver: Aaron Amha at The Spotted James
Bronze: Jay Beard at Flagstaff House
Happy Hour
Mountain Sun Pubs and Breweries
Multiple locations
Mountain Sun et al. feels like your neighborhood bar. That’s because it is, with locations in Longmont, downtown Boulder and SoBo. (Denver’s Vine Street may be reopened by the time you read this!) Not content with their daily happy hour, Mountain Sun does late night happy hour daily at its Longs Peak location and Thursdays through Saturdays at Under the Sun, and all-day happy hour on Tuesdays at Southern Sun. $1 off pints from the place that birthed Stout Month? We’ll take two.
Silver: Hapa Sushi
Bronze: The Boulder Cork
Cocktails
Jungle
2018 10th St., Boulder
They’re big. They’re brightly colored. Some of them are on fire and served in parrots, turtles or squid-wrapped cups. (Or are they octopi? We can’t tell.) Either way, it’s hard to beat the cocktails at Jungle, from the classic — one of our writers swears their piña coladas are the best in town — to the unique. Any bar that offers shareable cocktails is gonna get an A+ from us.
Silver: Bitter Bar
Bronze: License No. 1
Write-in: FARRA
Margarita
Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant
1101 Walnut St., Boulder
While the establishment next door has been through a few iterations over the years, Rio Grande has stood the test of time. Opened the same year as one Taylor Alison Swift was born (1989), the Rio’s margaritas are the OG. And much like a classic white t-shirt and red lipstick, they never go out of style.
Silver: Efrain’s of Boulder
Bronze: T/aco
Distillery
Spirit Hound
4196 Ute Highway, Lyons
BoB’s Best Distillery for nine years running, Spirit Hound’s accolades aren’t confined to Boulder County. They’ve racked up recognition internationally, too — you know your whisky is good when you win awards from across the pond. A Denver tasting room opened last year in the Highlands, but our hearts will always be with the Lyons location.
Silver: DV8 Distillery
Bronze: Dry Land Distillers
Cidery
Acreage by Stem Ciders
1380 Horizon Ave., Lafayette
The views alone are worth a trip to this East County cidery, but Acreage isn’t relying on their pretty face. Their ciders are seriously delicious, from dry to sweet and even spicy. Bonus points for their Meals on Wheels flight, a menu standard that gives money to fight local hunger. We stan a charitable business.
Silver: St. Vrain
Bronze: BOCO Cider
Craft brewery
Upslope Brewing Company
1898 S. Flatiron Court, Boulder
1501 Lee Hill Drive, Boulder
With North and East Boulder locations in an industrial building and an office park, respectively, Uplsope is a real local’s brewery. Their classic beers still satisfy, and their seltzers — with flavors like juniper/lime and tangerine/hops — were a welcome addition to a landscape lousy with sickly sweet White Claws.
Silver: Avery Brewing
Bronze: Mountain Sun Pubs and Breweries
Beer selection at a restaurant
Mountain Sun Pubs and Breweries
Multiple locations
What we love about all our best beer selection winners is the variety they offer in a town that sometimes seems like it only cares about IPAs. Not so at Mountain Sun, et al., which spends an entire month celebrating stouts. At the other end of the spectrum is Bohemian Biergarten and its Eastern European brews. Backcountry boasts 68 taps, the widest selection in BoCo.
Silver: Backcountry Pizza & Taphouse
Bronze: Bohemian Biergarten
Wine selection
Frasca Food & Wine
1738 Pearl St., Boulder
It’s in the name, so the wine selection at Frasca must be good. Then there’s that Michelin star they won last year. Journalists’ salaries being what they are, we’ve never been, but you can take our readers’ word for it that Frasca delivers.
Silver: Flagstaff House
Bronze: /pôr/ wine house
Coffee shop
Boxcar Coffee
1825 B Pearl St., Boulder
637 S. Broadway, Boulder
We were ever so pleased when Boxcar opened in Table Mesa Shopping Center after a year of staring into an empty space (RIP, Caffè Sole). It didn’t take long for it to become as packed as their original downtown spot. That’s probably due to their impeccable brews and friendly baristas.
Silver: OZO Coffee Company
Bronze: Trident Booksellers and Cafe
Write-in: Spruce Confections
Barista
Casey Wilson at Boxcar
1825 B Pearl St., Boulder
Wilson’s days start at 6 a.m. But he doesn’t mind — in fact, he’s grateful for the extra sleep.
“Our bakers have to get there at 4 a.m.,” he says.
He’s also used to it: Wilson has been a Boulder barista for a decade, starting during his time as a CU Boulder undergrad. He’s been behind the counter at Boxcar for six years and managing the downtown location for two.
“I love it,” Wilson says of the Pearl Street coffee shop and roaster. “They’ve done a bunch to support me.”
That includes helping him train for numerous coffee competitions, including three visits to Coffee Masters and a 2020 appearance at the U.S. Coffee Championships.
“They’ve helped me come up with drinks for [the competitions], they helped me train on tasting coffee, guessing which country it’s from,” Wilson says. “That’s the biggest reason I’ve stayed with them. The knowledge I get, the other shops teach you the basics but don’t go into depth on the science behind it. There’s so much about where the coffee comes from and how it was grown.”
Back at home, Wilson really enjoys making drinks from Boxcar’s seasonal menus. He says he’ll happily answer anyone’s questions — the nerdier, the better.
“The more questions people ask about coffee, the more I get into it. I’m always happy to talk coffee.”
Follow him on Instagram, where he posts Boxcar updates and food photography: @caseywlsn
Silver: Greg Lefcourt at Beleza
Bronze: Noah Durbin at Boxcar
Coffee roasters
OZO Coffee Company
Multiple locations
Spanning Boulder and Longmont, any one of OZO’s five shops is a solid choice. Our favorite is the roastery cafe in Flatiron Business Park, co-located with Upslope (another BoB winner). There’s plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the delicious aroma of fresh-roasted coffee wafting through the air (or, depending on the time of day, the scent of beer being brewed). What’s not to love?
Silver: Boxcar
Bronze: Ampersand Coffee Roasters
Teahouse
Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse
1770 13th St., Boulder
It’s hard to compete with a handcrafted, handpainted, handbuilt authentic Tajik tea house, which is perhaps why Dushanbe has been our undisputed winner for the past decade.
Silver: Ku Cha House of Tea
Bronze: Trident Booksellers and Cafe
Juice/smoothie bar
Wonder Press
946 Pearl St., Boulder
1139 Francis St., Longmont
Normally, a $10 juice is something we might roll our eyes at. But the juices, smoothies, bone broths and baked goods at Wonder Press are above reproach. We love their bottle recycling program (less waste!) and house-made syrups and nut milks. Nab a juice in every color of the rainbow on West Pearl or their new Longmont location, opened just last year.
Silver: Inta Juice
Bronze: Vitality Bowls
