Food Options: College Inn boasts a menu full of typical bar fare with an added emphasis on Mexican items. A glance at the appetizer menu reveals typical items like nachos, chili cheese fries, potato skins, and chicken wings. They offer a sandwich section which includes burgers, clubs, and dips. The sandwiches can be served with homemade potato chips which is a tasty and unique touch. Pulled pork barbecue is another option on the sandwich side of the menu; this savory meat is is smoked at a sister restaurant – The Old Man – and served at College Inn as well as other Little Pub Company bars and restaurants. Mexican food is plentiful with every item seemingly slathered with green chili (choice of hot, medium or mild). For the health conscious and those seeking a lighter option one can find a few salads to pick between on the menu as well.
Drinks: The major beers offered at any Denver bar are also on tap here at College Inn. I did not notice any particular micro brew brands associated with the bar, but drink specials are a daily offering and will be posted on the specials chalkboard daily. Saturdays until 3pm offer $2 Coors Lights and a $3.50 Bloody Mary bar with quite a few tasty fixin’s. In full disclosure, I have never been to the place at night so I cant vouch for happy hours and late night specials.
Tastes: I have only ordered from the appetizer menu as I am typically at College Inn to watch sports, specifically the Kentucky Wildcats. I enjoy munching on these over the course of a game as opposed to dining on a proper meal. The items I have tried include the chili cheese fries and chicken nachos. Both were tasty; the plate of nachos is enormous and nearly too much for one person to finish.
Staff: I probably average 3 visits a month to College Inn and the staff makes it a laid back place to hang out. They are attentive when you need them to be but make you feel at home so you’re comfortable just walking up to the bar to ask for something extra. Dan always seems to be around during the day along with the guy in the Notre Dame hat (Mike maybe?). They will shoot the shit with you and still not miss a beat when it comes to serving your food.
Atmosphere: The building is pretty old and dated but it’ s everything it needs to be. TV’s are plentiful and hung from the ceiling all around the main room; it would be nearly impossible to miss a game from any booth or table. The bar would be the one downside to this place in my opinion. It is set up in a strange sawtooth configuration where patrons sit next to wait staff’s computers. The TV’s behind the bar are small and weak compared to the 37+ inchers hanging from the ceiling. Its a place you could go sit at the bar solo but there are definitely bars that seem more inviting. The seats are also a thumbs down. Raised bar chairs are cushioned with backs but oddly shaped so as not to allow for lazy slouching. The men’s water closet is a little on the cramped side as you would expect any dive bar to be.
Location & Links:
College Inn
4400 East 8th Avenue
There is a very small parking lot which the College Inn shares with a liquor store next door; the spaces fill up fast. On the weekends street parking is plentiful and there are no restrictions or time limits when parking on Birch St. adjacent to the bar.
