Dive bar that plays metal, has amazing food, great drinks, and immaculate vibes Surprised at the amount of people that showed up on a Monday night. The bar area was basically full. For drinks, The bartender was able to use well tequila to make a delicious marg. The Gwarled Cheese is a must get. It was the best grilled cheese I've ever had in my life. There was cheese toasted onto the outside of the bread. And inside there's more cheese, pork belly, and tomato sauce. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. The tots were also perfectly crispy! read more

The Brutal Poodle - Gwarled cheese with tots - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

I ordered delivery. The brisket sandwich was good, and the mac and cheese sauce was decent. I got the Sailing the Seas on Mac and Cheese, and there was no flavor from the hot Cheeto crumbs. Additionally, the portions were very small- I'd say that the mac and cheese was a child-sized portion. One positive is that they don't upcharge for sweet potato fries. Edit: looking at the photos for the brisket sandwich on Yelp, the portion for that also seems smaller for delivery. read more

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes! Brutal Poodle has been listed in Westword's best bars in Denver a couple of times now and they are not wrong. Brutal Poodle is a fun themed bar- all metal, all the time- with some to die for dishes. Previously I have had their grilled cheese and well, it's literally the best I've had. This time, I gave their Mac and cheese a try- this was amazing as well. I don't know what they do to their green chili, but whatever it is they do, others could learn from them. Our server was very nice but also very busy. She accidentally overcharged us for a drink and it took a minute for her to see the mistake as well-all good though. Definitely will return here again and again. read more

The Brutal Poodle - Sailing the Seas of Mac N Cheese - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Food was not bad overall; with absolutely great waffle sweet potatoes as a must. The location is a convenient one with dedicated parking and then easy enough seating on a normal day. Various TVs for bar fare or a whole movie wall give you something to stare at. The worst part of the whole bar being the overbearing heaviness and volume of their Brutal music line. It works for the theme but detracts a lot to my taste. Everything else was fine, akin to a step above a townie bar. Probably good for anyone needing something out of norm. read more

Slightly above average bar food. Kind of expensive for the quality but that's all bar/grill places. I tried the brutal burger and fries as well as the 2 step: chicken and waffles. Both were not bad. The chicken was tenders and a little salty but I liked the waffle and the fluffy butter. Fries were solid as well. My main complaint is about how salty the chicken was, in the moment it didn't seem overly salty but at night I couldn't stop waking up and drank two cups of water. Our server was pretty chill and nice imo. Even if you have paper ID, they require the physical copy. read more

The Brutal Poodle - 2 Step Chicken and Waffles - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

This place is a staple for my family (me, my husband, and our 2 dogs). As elder emos we love the music and love the vibe! Very laid back and attentive staff with AMAZING food. I've eaten so many things on the menu and every single thing is an absolute know out! I love the man and cheese! I add green chili and fried chicken. Great food and drinks at great prices. Definitely come here read more

The Brutal Poodle - Dog friendly patio - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Finally, a restaurant that can cook their burgers to order. After multiple trips to this fine establishment, I've finally ordered the burger. The burger was cooked to perfection, tasty, and the fries were as good as the past visits. One downside was the upcharge of $1 per side of ranch. Our waiter was great, friendly, and on top of it. I wish she gave us her name so I could give a shout-out. The Brutal Poodle continues to be one of my favorite spots in town. read more

The Brutal Poodle - Brutal Burger - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Sweet spot!! Lots of gluten free options. I got the chicken and waffles - all gluten free of course! It came with this flavored butter that was amazing. The vibe of this place is legit. Lots of character, both by the service and in the decorations. We were just visiting Denver but would definitely make this place a regular stop if we lived here! read more

The Brutal Poodle - The 2-Step Chicken and Waffles Plate - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

5 stars, because this establishment is just my vibe! I absolutely loved the warm welcome, metal music, and fantastic pork belly wedge! The wedge salad was executed perfectly with the pork belly being crispy, the lettuce being cold & crunchy, and the dressing offering that tang! I enjoyed the service and recommendations, this is such a fun spot to meet friends! You bet I'll be back! read more

See all

This place... IS. THE. BEST. I originally came here back in 2018, the year I believe they opened. Was looking for a cool punk/metal bar for my friend and I to check out. I have since had a kid and don't drink anymore, but their food is SO ABSOLUTELY AMAZING I keep coming back. I think that even people who don't particularly enjoy the music or ambiance also frequent this spot, because the food is just that good. I definitely would recommend their Brisket Sammy. My son loves their grilled cheese, and their chicken tenders are also delicious. Do NOT skip the Holla Pena Lollipoppas, and make sure to get an extra side of the raspberry jalapeño jam to dip your tots or fries in! read more

Love the vibe here overall. Fun place on South Broadway! Great to come here before or after a show or event! Excellent metal vibes music and decor and art everywhere. The staff is fun but also professional and attentive! Helped with recommendations for us newbies. Ryan loved his marg and I got the Lars Ulrich (which was also hilarious look it up when you go) my delicious sweet and pretty cocktail! We got the brisket sandwich and fries and split that and also got the dessert which was a banana cream ice cream and bread pudding dessert with Nutella. You guys it was so heavenly. We devoured every bite and drink! Perfect for us before going to the Creepatorium for a show ! Highly recommend and will be back again soon to try their other items ! read more

See all

The Brutal Poodle is an awesome bar off S Broadway that has great drinks, great food, and most importantly blasting metal music! There are not many metal-themed bars in Colorado in general but this one does it right. As a metalhead myself, it's always nice coming here and socializing with fellow metal lovers. If you're feeling uneasy about checking this place out, you really shouldn't. Everybody is super welcoming and nice. Another reason you should check this place out is because Ben kills it behind the bar. No matter how busy it gets or how much help he has, or doesn't have, he will make sure to take care of you. They also have a decent sized patio to enjoy the nice weather outside or to soak in the weekend night air. read more

See all

Went to the nearby spooky coffee shop and noticed this place next door. As a dog lovin' girlie, I was instantly attracted to the place bc of the graffiti on the walls outdoor. We started with the eggrolls, delicious! I ordered the mean green salad and it did not disappoint. Friends ordered the brisket sandwich, devils lettuce, and the macaroni with chicken strips. We all tried one another's and they were all so good. If you're in the area, eat here! So so good :) read more

The Brutal Poodle - Mean green salad with grilled chicken - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

See all

Lots of things to look at and wild jukebox. Food has been hit and miss 1st time good and next chewy inedible steak. They comped it though so we'd give them another shot read more

Amazing wall art on the side of the building greets you as soon as you step out of your car. You are welcomed by courteous staff and a dining space with a maximalist metal theme. In addition to doing a fantastic job, our waiter was really kind to the child we brought. There were vegan and gluten-free alternatives, and the food was great. I've never had a better burger than the Beyond one! read more

Loved the food it was an amazing surprise I had a fully loaded mushroom burger with a flavor explosion, string fries. The chicken & waffles were the best I've ever tried, crispy flavorful chicken and the waffles had a nice jalapeño kick. The syrup was just the right heat to offset the sweetness. This kitchen definitely goes above and beyond for their flavor profiles Dakota gave great service and made this experience even better. read more

See all

I am here for the skewers. How cute is the skull skewer on the brutal burger. Solid burger, cooked correctly to my order (medium) with a bun that holds together. Get the tots instead of the fries. The staff are super friendly, not particularly brutal. Love this place. read more

The Brutal Poodle - Brutal Burger. The skewer is cute and the burger is great. - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Whenever I go to brutal poodle I comment that it is the one place in Denver that reminds me of being home in Chicago. They are always playing metal music and the food is always delicious. Most recently, I ordered their impossible burger and even though I was confusing and added bacon to a veggie burger, they nailed it as usual. I got a side of homemade ranch for my fries, which was pretty good even though I have a lot of opinions about what ranch I like. They have a good selection of drinks and I appreciate that there are NA options. The only thing that I've had that I didn't love at brutal poodle was the cannibal corpse reviver cocktail. In general, the corpse reviver is one of my favorite cocktails and this twist on the classic didn't quite hit the mark for me. That doesn't at all impact my overall recommendation though because I love this place and I will most definitely be back soon. read more

This bar and restaurant has a really cool vibe! Their motto is "head bang while you eat" and you definitely can with the music they play. I liked the chips and dip appetizer - we chose guac and salsa. The salsa was a little hot but not overwhelmingly so. They generously refilled our chip basket as well. For my meal I got the big kid chicken fingers and fries. I liked the seasoning on the fries but I think both the fries and chicken fingers would have been better if they had been fried a bit longer and were crispier. read more

Talk about a vibe! The Brutal Poodle is all that and more! Good food, good drinks, and a pretty good happy hour. All of that with a side of metal music! Also the day we went must have been superhero movie day LOL We had the poodle bites, devils lettuce salad, and the brisket sandwich with fries. The poodle bites were a nice little snack, and the sandwich was obviously the star of the show this meal. Yes, we know they're known for their mac and cheese, so will definitely be back to try that! Service was excellent, we can't say enough about that! So happy to have found this place! read more

Best wings I've had in a while,, even after walking home for 20 mins. They are dog friendly on the back patio, and my wings were still crispy after getting home. I'll be back and with my dog again! Great service, friendly staff. Thumbs up read more

Worst kind of establishment. Loud, dirty interior. Rude "too cool for school" staff. And very unwelcoming, aggressive patrons who will assault you for having different views from you, or for just being a straight white male. I had to file police reports over an assault I endured in their parking lot the last time I went here, 2 against the "women" who tried to break into my car, and one against BP itself. AVOID! read more

*CELIAC / GLUTEN FREE REVIEW heavy metal bar with a gluten free fryer! we got the tots, chicken & waffles, and mac + cheese. everything was yummy - the mac & cheese was just noodles in a bowl of queso basically, but still good. Staff were knowledgeable, and the menu marks options that are available to be GF. the cook on the chicken was great, and the flavors all combined very well - highly reccomend the chicken & waffles. I did not get sick! read more

Eclectic spot to grab flavorful food and jam to punk rock/metal music! Brought a group of six here on a Sunday morning around 11:30am - it was relatively slow; we were quickly seated on the back patio. The service was prompt and attentive; the drinks and meals were well-prepared. Folks tried a little bit of everything - tots, green chile, brisket sandwich, and the pork belly wedge salad. I'll definitely come back as it was a fun dining experience! read more

The Brutal Poodle - Candied Pork Belly Wedge - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

The Mac and Cheese is quite good--the hellfire could be spicier, though. The Green Chili is good. The service was good as well. The music is loud. So not the easiest for conversation. I don't know that people frequenting here mind that, though. The main hesitation for me is that they do not have many dark beer in their pretty large beer menu. read more

Outstanding food fun atmosphere and cute theme. The music is LOUD rock and roll so just know that's part of the vibe. I'm old so I could stand it to be about 2 click quieter but I love the rest of the place so oh well. My dog also looks like the "mascot" so I like that. Wish the pup could come too but not realistic I know. read more

The Brutal Poodle - My own "brutal poodle" at a brewery that allows dogs but has no food. - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Brutally good food. Visiting The Brutal Poodle was actually on our list of things to do the first time we were in Denver but never made it. So, Cassey and I made plans to visit before she dropped me off at the airport. We arrived a few hours before my flight took off and were greeted by a friendly bartender and heavy metal playing. The Brutal Poodle is a restaurant/bar that is heavy metal themed. I was so excited to eat and drink here because I love me some heavy metal and it does not disappoint on that at all. Cassey and I ordered a beer and the Brutal Burger. Cassey got hers with a side salad and I got mine cooked to medium rare. It took about 15 minutes for our food to come out and I ordered a second beer shortly after the food was brought out. One or two bites into the burger and I knew this was the best burger I've ever had. Each bite was better than the last and it was 100% juicy and full of flavor. The fries were also delicious and seasoned to perfection. After two big beers and the fat burger and large amount of fries, I was stuffed. Cassey really enjoyed her food, too. The skewers they used to hold the burgers together had little skulls on them. Very on-point for this place. Now that I am back home, I keep telling everyone about The Brutal Poodle and tell them to check it out if they are ever in Denver. In fact, I am about to order a shirt off their website to wear around town. See if you can spot it in some of the photos in my future posts. Stay brutal, crank the heavy metal, and throw some horns in the air. read more

See all

If you're into punk rock vibes and incredible comfort food, this place is a must-visit. From the second we walked in, the host was super friendly and genuinely enjoyed making conversation, which set a great tone for the night. We kicked things off with the pork green chili tots and the poodle bites -- both were packed with flavor and totally hit the spot. For entrées, we had the Gwarled Cheese and the Hot Box Mac and Cheese. Every bite was fantastic -- rich, cheesy, and just the right amount of indulgent. Between the killer food, the chill yet lively atmosphere, and the welcoming service, this spot nails it. Definitely will be back. read more

The Brutal Poodle - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Love this place! The food is great, the staff/service are amazing and everything is reasonably priced. Lots of vegetarian options and I love the vibes/decor as well. My mac n cheese even had hot Cheetos on it yum! read more

The Brutal Poodle - Mac n Cheese The Brutal Noodle - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

First and foremost I just want to say I love the idea, from the music to the decor, the pinball/video games I love the vibe, and the other patrons seemed like a fun and eclectic group of people, but that's sort of where it stopped for me. We waited for 20 minutes to eventually be sat at a table that was open when we walked in. I'm sure there must have been a reason, I'm just not sure what it could have been. We waited a long time for every step of the way from drinks, to food and then the epic wait for our check. Our waiter was nice enough but literally brought our food and never came back until we finally had to flag him down to get our ticket. I can typically overlook lacking service if the food is outstanding and I had such high hopes, but it just wasn't. It was mediocre at best. I ordered the haystack which is a Mac and cheese dish with brisket, coleslaw, bbq sauce and crispy onions. I will say, the brisket was 10/10, but the Mac and cheese was extremely dry and the onions that looked nice were greasy and soggy with no crunch whatsoever which signaled to me that our food probably sat too long before being brought out so that was a pretty big bummer. The concept of the dish was outstanding and the brisket was excellent but pretty disappointing otherwise. My guy got the Buffalo chicken sandwich and said it was "fine" but pretty dry and said a little extra Buffalo sauce could have saved it, but never had an opportunity to ask since our waiter disappeared. Short story long, it's a cool place with a cool vibe and I'll most likely give it another try, but definitely not in a hurry to run back. read more

Have been coming here for years and have always had a good opinion, today though it took me and my buddy over 20 minutes to get served while tables right next to us were getting tended to the whole time, not sure why we seemed to be treated differently but was unpleased with the experience today and doesn't make me want to continue giving my business to this bar after being a regular. read more

Atmosphere is beautiful, great metal & punk ephemera. Burgers are good, great spot to hang. Vegan options are delicious!

Gotta give this one a 5 because of creativity. If you eat in side expect it to be a little loud. With hard hitting metal and rock playing. Awesome burgers and perfect tater tots. Did the plant burger and was very pleased. Not sure why it called me at dinner, the spicy bloody Mary didn't disappoint. For you omnivores, they have so much goodness covered in cheese & bacon everyone was rocking it hard. Our waitress was super friendly and made certain we enjoyed. read more

See all

Great food and nice wait staff/bar tenders that weren't overbearing and let you just chill. What else can you ask for? Also, the overall vibe was kinda fun and metal music was enjoyable. Highly recommend. read more

Walked in on a Sunday afternoon, and the noise seems manageable (they likely crank it later). Everyone was friendly and welcoming and looking around the food on everyone's plates looked amazing making the menu even more tempting. Sat at the bar and was carded right away before getting a Mule, and some input on what is great to eat there. Ended up with a mac and cheese that was delicious and breakfasty. I will be back to try their burger and several other menu items. read more

The Brutal Poodle - Southbound Defibrillator Brutal Mac - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Foods and drinks were great. Interesting concept and sat on the porch with dogs and all the staff kept coming to say hi to them even other customers. If you're not into punk or metal it'll probably be a lot but i enjoyed it! read more

The Brutal Poodle - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado

See all

super grungy in here, but the service is quick, and the bar food is spectacular, especially the hand-cut fries! there are arcade games inside, multiple tvs playing movies (and not sports for once lol), and plenty of seating. the only thing i didn't like was the metal music playing; way too intense. read more

See all

Just dropped in for lunch, heard about the great wings. Basketball on the TV. Perfect lunch. Wedge salad and wings. Tasty!!! Best was Hunter, the server, and everybody so gracious and kind. Fast. Easy. Loved it. Will go back. (Heavy metal on the audio so if you're not into that, bring earplugs). And the desserts btw, looked amazing! read more

We wanted to try something different and this place was definitely that. The decor was funky and the service was fun, but the food was only meh. read more

The best wings I got to eat in Denver...and this is coming from someone who spent 14 years in Buffalo eating the best wings, so you should totally trust me on this one. The Brutal Poodle delivers an amazing bar menu with a little bit of a fun attitude that totally fits the vibe of this seeming alternative rock bar. Their menu features surprising items like chicken pho, along with regular bar favorites like burgers, chicken wings, tater tots, etc... So what makes a perfect Buffalo wing? - the size of the wings: they have to meaty and juicy, not those tiny little ones. - the crisp on the skin: has to be nice and crispy; sometimes it's hard to get the balance of a good sauciness with the crisp of a good wing, but the best place will be able to master both. - legit blue cheese. Ranch is not the way...and this place makes delish house made blue cheese; so make sure you get it! With that said, the Brutal Poodle delivered on the wings...and a surprisingly decent bowl of pho too. Definitely recommend it! read more

The Brutal Poodle - These chicken wings and blue cheese was so good! - Bars Near Me - Denver, Colorado