Just a few days after my last meal at the Tavern Lowry, Duffy’s Shamrock, one of downtown Denver’s iconic neighborhood taverns, served its last braised lamb shank and Irish coffee.
Some recognized the closing of Duffy’s as the end of a restaurant. Others saw it as the end of an era. A few seemed to think it was the end of civilization as we know it.
But the world of restaurants is a fluid reality. Longtime favorites like Duffy’s have been closing across the country for years, as their barflies age and the business of hanging out skews younger and younger.
Local hangouts, to turn a profit these days, need more than a few friendly waitresses and a signature dish. They need pizazz.
So, braised lamb shanks are replaced by blackberry salmon salads. Pints of Guinness are replaced by shots of tequila. Character is replaced by flat-screens TVs.
And the people rejoice.
The Tavern Lowry, with its big windows, open kitchen, blond-wood bar, airy dining room, sprawling patio, and wealth of flat screens at every vantage point, shares almost nothing in common with the Duffy’s-esque taverns of old.
Except, of course, for the most important element of all: People hanging out.
Lots of them.
They’re there, mostly, because the Tavern Lowry is there. As Lowry itself transitions from a pristine housing development into a real-life human-populated neighborhood, the Tavern is there, serving cold beers and hot plates to an ever-present crew of appreciative locals.
I suspect they’re more appreciative of the drinks and friendly service than the food itself, an uninspired collection of filling, if not fantastic, dishes.
Safest bet is a burger. Have it any way you want it (cheese, bacon, mushrooms, jalapeño, etc.). Soft bun, plenty-big patty, ample toppings; this is a fine burger, nowhere near as good as the Cherry Cricket’s or Bent Fork’s, but just fine. Get it with homemade potato chips: crispy, salty and big.
You’ll also do all right with a pizza or stromboli. The list of toppings is standard (pepperoni, sausage, artichoke hearts, pineapple), and on the two occasions I’ve had it, the slices have disappeared quickly.
That said, avoid the “breakfast pizza” served at weekend brunch, overcooked scrambled eggs on undercooked pizza dough.
Also just fine is the basket of fish and chips, which was heavy on batter and short on fish, but that’s what they make Tums for.
Beyond the basics, you’re in dangerous territory. Salads were, across the board, egregiously overdressed. Wings were chewy, and the “hot” Buffalo sauce not very “hot.” Spicy chicken bites, or chunks of chicken wrapped in bacon and topped with jalapeño and jack cheese, were rubber erasers. Sesame-encrusted tuna – mealy and cold. Chicken chipotle penne – paste, not pasta.
And the Southwest egg rolls, decorated with a squirt-bottle squiggle of cilantro-lime aïoli (which tasted like neither, only mayo), make the case once and for all that wrapping stuff in a won ton wrapper does not make it better, and that squirt bottles should be banned from tavern kitchens.
Then again, that’s what you get for ordering Southwestern egg rolls at the Tavern Lowry.
Rinse your mouth out with another swig of beer, and turn your attention back to the game, or the crowd, which is what you came here for in the first place.
I like the Tavern Lowry (which also has outposts in LoDo and Uptown) best on weekend afternoons, when the flat-screen TVs are bursting with sporting events from bass fishing to horse racing to football. The faithful, decked out in college jerseys and workout gear, cheer and drink. And, despite all the televisions (or maybe because of them), they talk to each other.
It’s a great way to kill a couple of hours.
Weekends are also when they have the Bloody Mary bar set up. Here’s how it works: They deliver a glass of rocks with a shot of vodka in it to your table, then you carry your glass to the bar and add tomato juice and whatever other ingredients you want to your glass. Heavy on the horseradish for me, please, and a healthy shake of celery salt.
The Tavern Lowry’s crowning jewel is downstairs: The Soiled Dove live music venue. Upcoming artists include Hazel Miller, Jeff Daniels and Junior Brown. Hit tavernhospitality group.com for the schedule.
Is the food great at the Tavern Lowry? Not even close. Is the place as old-school cool as other great locals like the Bull & Bush and the Bonnie Brae? Nope.
Who knows, maybe, 40 years from now, Lowry old-timers will recall the days when the Tavern was new and the world was full of promise. And maybe not.
But in the meantime, while purists bemoan the continuing loss of our historic taverns and sit at home with a grudge, the bar at the Tavern Lowry is packed with revelers, having a blast.
Dining critic Tucker Shaw can be reached at 303-954-1958 or at dining@denverpost.com.
Tavern Lowry
American
7401 E. First Ave., 303-366-0007
* 1/2 | Good/Very Good
Atmosphere: Busy, noisy contemporary tavern with large circular bar, open kitchen and flat screen TVs at every vantage point.
Service: Relaxed, friendly and efficient. Your silverware will be clean and your drink will arrive swiftly.
Wine: Beer. Bloodys. Shots.
Plates: Appetizers, $2.99-$9.99. Entrees, $10.99-$17.99.
Hours: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday. 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday. 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturday. 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday.
Details: All major credit cards accepted. Reservations not necessary. Big parking lot. Great for families. Outdoor dining on nice days.
Three visits
Our star system:
****: Exceptional
***: Great
**: Very good
*: Good
No stars: Needs work
