Wednesday 28th of December 2011 09:16:34 PM

link
Rock Bottom is a chain of (as of 2011) 34 brewpub restaurants across the US. They consistently produce a good variety of high quality beers, and while the franchise shares a core standard offering of beers, each location's brewmaster is free to create unique recipes too. A typical sampler at Rock Bottom includes: light Kolsch, crisp Gold ale, relatively mild Belgian White Ale, robust Red Ale, Brown Ale (usually Molly's Titanic), Milk Stout, Pale Ale (names vary), and hoppy India Pale Ale. Also, Rock Bottom celebrates Oktoberfest with a seasonal "Rocktoberfest" marzen and special menu of German cuisine. I visited the downtown Denver location in 2009 & 2011 as appetizer prior to the GABF. I love this location (the original RB), conveniently situated on the 16th Street Mall, with easy public transportation options. Catering to beerhunter crowd, this RB crafts some seriously bold beers. I was very impressed with their remarkable Baltic Gnome Porter (8.9%), "Go Hop Yourself" Double IPA (8.5%), and Old Thumper Barley Wine (9.6%). They crafted a memorable Lil' Dickens Cider (at an incredible 12%). They are also true masters of barrel beers, and I have sampled three (3!) heavenly barrel-aged creations: 5W30 Imperial Stout (11%), Battle Stash Barley Wine (13%), and Woody Bomb IPA (10.6%). Delightful, must-visit location.

Monday 21st of June 2010 03:55:18 PM

link
The outdoor patio area looks pretty nice, overlooking 16th St, but the night I was there couldn't get a table outside. The backroom bar had seating, but the TVs were old tube TVs (I guess I'm not used to seeing a bar without flat screens.)

The beer was OK. Not bad, not great. Food was just OK as well. The downtown Milwaukee location is still my favorite Rock Bottom Location by far, so every other location is measured against that one. Not the worst Rock Bottom I've been to, not the best. If I was walking outside it I'd stop for a beer, but if I were planning a trip it wouldn't be a must stop destination.

Wednesday 6th of January 2010 02:17:26 AM

link
The first Rock Bottom location and the site where the name was coined. The building currently has an AT&T sign on it but it was once Prudential so the pub was at the "Bottom of the Rock". This is also a very convenient pub if in downtown Denver being on the 16th Street Mall with its free shuttle.

Most of my visits have coincided with times when the place is packed. One thing most people either don't know or forget about is that there is a second bar in the back near the pool tables. Service has slowed down at these peak times but it's generally acceptable.

Food is so-so with other Rock Bottoms being slightly better.

The beer selection is usually pretty good but I have had a clunker on occasion. The most recent visits have shown an improvement though.

Monday 12th of October 2009 11:36:13 AM

link
I visited twice on a recent trip to Denver. Both times they were really crowded.

The first time I got a seat at the bar and had 3 beers and some dinner. The food wasn't quite as good as I have had at other Rock Bottom's, but the beers were interesting and pretty tasty. I was expecting bad service since they were so crowded, but the two working bartenders were pretty good.

I came back a few days later and they were also really packed. We were able to find a two person bar table and we also got pretty good service. If I were in Denver and I only had time to visit one brewpub, I would probably go to Wynkoop, but if you have time for some beers and you're on the 16th Street Mall, I suggest you stop and squeeze in at the bar.

Both of my visits were during GABF week, so I bet the selection was better than during the rest of the year. But there were at least 15 beers on tap and there was something for everyone from the light lager drinker to the barrel aged or sour drinker.

Thursday 16th of April 2009 01:01:38 PM

link
I've been going here since they opened up back in the 90's. I'm guessing that Rock Bottom is one of the first "chain" brewpubs.

This place gets very crowded after work and on weekends. Especially when the weather is nice. Despite the crowds, service is good. I haven't had a bad experience yet.

Inside the place feels a bit like a chain restaurant. A little too sterile and corporatist for my tastes. That doesn't really bother me much since the food is good and the beers are above average. I'm a big fan of their IPA. The food menu isn't particularly daring, but there is nice variety to be had.

Overall, this is a nice place to go. Rock Bottom gets bonus points for being right down the street from where I work. Not a bad deal in my book.

Saturday 28th of June 2008 11:16:05 AM

link
The place not to go in Denver unless you are with your parents. The quality of the beer was horrible and pretty much undrinkable on my two visits there, years apart. The location is fantastic, right on the 16th Street mall. Easy to get to on the mall shuttle. Atmosphere was clean and corporate. You can tell that this is a corporate place and not a family wned place as there was no feeling of pride by the employees who seemed to just be interested in turning tables fast in order to make more tips.

Thursday 27th of September 2007 10:51:17 PM

link
the only place to get beer that i found on the long trek of shopping on 16th street. the rootbeer was good, the service was friggin terrible. the beers were OK, but the ambiance of seeing people dig for food in the trash cans near the patio was a little disturbing. i guess this is what friday's would be like if they brewed beer, or maybe i had a bad experience. stop in if you're thirsty, and you might prove me wrong.