Stapleton is kind of a strange place. The northeast Denver development on the former airport site is a unique hybrid of urban and suburban living.
The suburban: tract housing, chain restaurants, big-box stores. The urban: walkable shopping areas, townhomes, public transportation.
It fits, then, that Casey’s Bistro and Pub (7301 E. 29th Ave.) combines suburban spaciousness and design with big-city neighborhood feel.
The front of Casey’s is set back from Quebec Street, one of Stapleton’s main thoroughfares. It’s part of the East 29th Avenue Town Center in southwest Stapleton, a shopping/dining/living district with condos, businesses and restaurants housed in cute, citylike construction.
Casey’s is that most familiar of watering holes, an Irish pub. It’s all here — Celtic script, Guinness, fish and chips — but with a modern vibe.
The space is open and airy with lots of windows. Exposed ventilation ducts hang from the high ceilings. In a separate dining area, high-backed, upholstered booths offer plenty of seating. TVs are everywhere, and at this time of year, they’re showing college and professional football.
Of course, as anyone who’s been to Ireland will tell you, it’s a modern country. Not every bar is a quaint movie stereotype of rustic furniture and Celtic quirkiness. Sleek design does indeed exist on the Emerald Isle. It’s just not the way most Americans envision an Irish pub.
Casey’s — named after Irish playwright Sean O’Casey — fits the traditional ideal in its large bar area, all dark wood and golden light. A small fireplace with low seats lures chilly travelers. The row of highboys is perfect for visitors looking to snag a casual meal and a pint or two.
The bar is a prime meeting place, and the part that feels the most like an urban neighborhood pub. With so many residences within walking distance, Casey’s is where people stop in to catch up with local pals and relax, even on weeknights. Having a drink with a neighbor is easy, and you get to bed earlier when home is steps away.
No matter where you live, that’s an attractive idea.
Casey’s has drink and food specials day and night — Pabst Blue Ribbon is $2 all day, every day — and hosts Geeks Who Drink trivia on Thursday nights. Visit for more information.
Keep it like a secret. Delegates from the Jewish Federations of North America are in town this week for their general assembly, and they’ve brought a special, secret guest with them.
On Sunday, Hasidic hitmaker Matisyahu will play a special acoustic set at the assembly’s “GA After Dark” party at Exdo Event Center (1399 35th St.). Though the show is primarily for JFNA delegates, a limited number of seats are being made available to the public. Buy advance tickets at — they’re $30 each. If tickets are left on Sunday, they’ll be $36.
The show is for fans age 18 and older. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
Broncos and barbecue. A wine bar is perhaps the last place one would expect to find a tailgate party, but Row 14 Bistro and Wine Bar (891 14th St.) is hosting a benefit Broncos blowout on Sunday.
An adjacent parking lot will be the setting for outdoor sports shenanigans, including a tasty pig roast and an al fresco cocktail bar. The Broncos game against the hated Oakland Raiders will be shown on an outdoor screen, too.
Tickets are $25 for adults, $10 for kids age 10 and younger, and include all-you-can-eat barbecue with all the fixins. $5 from each adult ticket — $2 from the kid tix — will go to the University of Colorado Cancer Center. Buy tickets on Row 14’s website, . The fun kicks off at noon Sunday.
