Another Semi-Upscale evolution of the 80's Bennigan's concept. This developing chain newly opened location is easy to find right on the corner of Wynkoop St. at Denver's Union Station. They also have locations in Oregon and Arizona. Inside: Spacious layout with large comfy booths, Bar area and tables. Dark wood paneling is everywhere mimicking a traditional British Pub but is offset by the large windows. Food: Although I have only been to Thirsty Lion once I must say I was pleased with the quality and speed of the kitchen. I enjoyed the Peppercorn Beef Tenderloin Tips entree. About 4oz. of Tender beef seasoned well but not overly so served on top of a mountainous heap of White Cheddar Mashed potatoes and Steamed Green beans and red peppers. Granted I am not much of a sweet tooth in general- however I was coxed to attempt the cheesecake dessert. This slice must weigh in at a full lb of creamy cheesecake goodness-- much recommended! Service: Prompt and friendly but inexperienced. During the middle of a rather busy dinner time- my food arrived in less than 10 mins. Hopefully I will return to sample other menu items fairly soon. read more

Thirsty Lion - Massive Cheesecake Goodness - American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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While adventuring around the city and looking for somewhere to eat, a bartender recommended to come here. It was late on a Sunday night, so they weren't that busy. For an appetizer we ordered the crispy calamari, which was a little too crispy for my liking (I felt as if it was just mostly breading and very little calamari), but still had good flavor. I ordered the sangria, and my first sip it was all pulp that had sunk to the bottom (which I absolutely HATE), but after that it was pretty decent. For my meal I was debating between the gastropub burger and the bbq white cheddar burger. I ended up going with the later and it was delicious. Someone else in our party got the french dip sandwich and oh my goodness it was to die for! Everything came with huge sides of french fries which ended up being way too much. Our waitress was surprisingly very slow for how not busy it was, but we weren't in a rush so it was just more of an annoyance that we cold never find her. But overall the food was very good. The inside was super cute and nicely set up, and the restaurant itself is in a nice area of town right next to the union station. If I'm ever in the area again I would definitely come back here (probably just for the french dip sandwich). read more

Thirsty Lion - BBQ White Cheddar Burger - American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

My daughter and I visited this lovely place last Saturday afternoon 4-16-22. The food was AMAZING! The service was SPECTACULAR! We had Sandwiches w/ turkey and pulled pork. The sandwiches were So Delicious..the edamame was out of this world! The huge servings were so delicious that we took leftovers to our room and ate them cold for breakfast.. it was still AMAZING... no joke!!! I am picky when I eat out. It was our first meal in Denver and it DID NOT dissappoint! Please can I have the recipe of the soy, ginger, drizzle on top of the edamame? Thank you so much for the awesome experience and can't wait to return! Btw this restaurant is in/ at the Union Station! Cheers!! read more

The food...excellent. Service was great and the ambiance is chill. Very recommended. Had a bad as burger and the BBQ prawns among with a few Moscow Mules. Delicious! ! read more

Thirsty Lion - American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Don't let the swanky location, brand new kitchen and prestigious looking logo on the doors fool you--this is Chili's masquerading as a "Gastropub" for twice the price. Weak drinks, microwave-tier dishes and inexplicable seating arrangements. Fine as a sports bar I GUESS. I'd avoid it. read more

Took 2 of my clients there the other day.......Yeah, its nice.....and its trendy, but the steak salad I had didn't absolutely blow my skirt up, and the price for 3 of us with ice teas as drinks for lunch was over $70.00 bucks (including tip) seemed a little spendy...and a week later, it still does. But if your on an expense account, and want a nice trendy place to take a client, I guess it fits the bill.....On the other hand, if I'm out on a pub crawl, and want to belly up and have some good food and beer.....the hunt continues. read more

I got the pear martini and smoked turkey club and both were so so good. We sat outside and got to enjoy being in downtown and all the people watching, music, and fun that comes with it. service was fine and our drinks came out 10 minutes after our food, however, our food came out super quick on a saturday night so it evens out I guess! read more

Really good Jalapeno bacon cheeseburger. As well, great place to watch any type of sporting event. I HIGHLY recommend.

I think I'm done ordering "to go" salads from this place. they told me last time that they were going to make a better effort with their to go orders. well....I just ordered the roasted beet, chicken and arugula salad. guess what? no arugula, just mixed greens. and...the roasted beet portion is a joke. it's a $15.00 salad too. probably best just to dine in. and maybe it just happens to me. read more

Thirsty Lion - roasted beet, chicken and arugula salad. without the arugula. - American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

GREAT patio! if you're looking for a close location for lunch and you're in downtown, give this place a shot. The food wasn't too shabby - I had the stacked enchiladas which were surprisingly tasty. Not sure what the waitress mentioned in the previous review was talking about (but then again, mexican food in Colorado can be kind of gross). Service for a semi-large group (6+) was slow at first but picked up... not by much. It took us about 15 min just to put in our drink order, and another 5-10 min to get the drinks. Speaking of drinks, the beer selection, while decent, is way overpriced for Denver! if you're in a hurry, try somewhere else... if you have time to waste, at least give this place a try. read more

I had a few hours to kill before catching my train and this location seemed optimal for observing the eclectic mix that bustles around Union station. The hostess was super friendly and was patient as I reviewed the menu to make my final decision. There were several items that looked good, so I decided to try it. My seat outside was in a great spot to people watch. To start I was thinking about a simple gin any tonic, but decided to try the cucumber rosemary special they had. The first sips were good, buy about halfway in the rosemary and cucumber over powered the gin. I probably should have stuck with a plain gin and tonic, simple and delicious on a hot summer day. On the recommendation of my sever, Sydney, I ordered the shrimp tacos. They were delicious. Her service and the food overcame the drink in my rating. Keep in mind if people watching, don't stare its not polite! read more

It's times like this where I wish I could review in five parts: Location/Ambiance - 5 Ease of Reservation - 5 Management - 5 Food - 4 Service - 0 Situated in the heart of Denver's NEW Union Station neighborhood, Thirsty Lion's potential is out of this world! Flowered-line patio, huge indoor bar, lots of seating, fun music, tons of TVs, and the perk of being in Union Station will definitely help. However, and a big however at that, from the one experience we had at this place, their service definitely needs to improve. Being familiar with the restaurant industry - I want to note that my complaint on service isn't harsh, lacking sympathy for the adjustment period of a new restaurant. Our server was just terrible. Came in on a Friday night - July 25th to be specific. We were sat right away - no wait. I can't even tell you how long it took for our server to come by and greet us. When she did, my husband asks what beer they have and she responds "it's on the back of your menu, I'll be back." Seven minutes go back and she's finally back for me to ask her about wine, her response: "is house fine?" Well I mean sure, if you don't want to try to sell me into a better wine - then fine?? I went for a better wine even so. Best part: SHE DIDN'T CARD EITHER OF US. While my husband is carded everywhere he goes, I am at times forgot about. Sad face. But she didn't card either one of us! In Denver, that's just a no no! Onto the food... So, between the long waits of menu review, we finally had her attention to ask questions about the food. I ask how the Enchiladas are, her response: "Gross. Since you asked." Again? Seriously? I appreciate the honesty, believe me do I - but "GROSS"? Way to sell this new restaurant's product!! So I move on and order the Spicy Mac & Cheese. She did make one recommendation, which was to change out the Sausage for Chicken in the Mac & Cheese to calm the spiciness just a bit. Maybe 15 minutes go by and she finally delivers our beer & wine. As she was pouring my wine, she slopped a massive amount of it on my knife. Lovely, and not even an apology or attempt to clean it up! Then the food arrived, fairly normal wait, with a MASSIVE amount of Scallions on my Mac & Cheese... which I specifically said I don't want Scallions or any type of Green Onion. I'm talking Scallions Galoreeee! On my husband's Burger - the Peppercorn Bacon Burger might I add - there was no Bacon to be found... Next thing we know - the Manager stops by to remedy the situation. She didn't even try, she just sent him over! So, we were slightly shocked that he stopped by to ask about our issue. What issue? Anyway, he was SUPER great! Nice smile and pleasant demeanor. Definitely made me not want to hate this place. He brought out Bacon and gave me Sour Cream to cool down the Spicy Mac & Cheese. He was just very nice. BUT, no compensation for any of this. Something to note. We will likely give it another try sometime in the future. The food was delicious and I love the Union Station area. But this time around - the $65 we spent was a waste! read more

Thirsty Lion - Date night at Thirsty Lion! Great beer & so so wine selection! - American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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This is a fun place to go for a happy hour. It's close to everything. I loved the Grilled Pear & Prosciutto Flatbread! It was delicious! Topped with light arugula and with just the right amount of cheese. Definitely get this if you come here! The Caprese salad was deliciously refreshing. Great quality mozzarella. I also loved the colorful tomatoes and the basil! They added just the right amount of balsamic to bring out the flavors. The Scottish Eggs were on the heavier side. They're breadcrumbs and ham, outside of egg halves. They go well with your drink, especially if you plan on drinking for a while. I enjoyed their drink special, the Raspberry mojito was fresh and light. Perfect for a summer evening! read more

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WHAT A GEM! I'm from Atlanta and I accidentally stumbled upon this place. I guess the name first drew me in. From the moment I sat down Alicia (the bartender) talked to me like we were best friends. Not only did she ask my name she shared it with the other bartenders who all called me by my first name when asking me if the food was good or if they can do anything else for me. SERVICE HERE IS 5 STARS!!! Drinks--100s to choose from. I had a Yeti Stout...YUM! and then a glass of cab afterwards. Both VERY reasonably priced. Food--Normally in a Gasteropub I would order a signature dish. Tonight I was craving fish tacos. Alicia told me to go with the shrimp tacos instead (not that the fish isn't any good it's just her preference)...I'm so glad I did...The shrimp tacos were AMAZING...so good in fact that I didn't even realize I was eating the lime (rind and all). I wish I was staying in Denver longer so I could eat here again. I will be back in July and you can bet that I'll be back at the Thirsty Lion. read more

Meh. Nothing special. Super busy sports bar. Servers 2 stars acting interested but don't know their beers, they say everything is, "GREAT," on the menu. Recommendations not helpful for food or alcohol. -1 Star for gal who delivered food from kitchen like she was flicking toilet paper from her shoe. Personality to match - no eye contact. Total burn out. That's said, 3 stars for speed and quality of food. Beer selection good. read more

I don't have anything to rave about. But, I also don't have any complaints. Upon leaving, I actually remember thinking to myself: "that was lunch, alright". So, if you're nearby and hungry, they 100% serve food. I guarantee it. read more

A nice place. Good ambiance and solid food. If you're in the area and want a nice experience this is a great place. The menu has a good variety and the bar has nice drinks. read more

Hostess: 3.0 Waitress: 3.0 Food-taste/presentation: 2.5 Property-decor/ambiance: 2.8 LODO location is prime. read more

Decent menu, great wine prices - terrible bar service. Is it too much to ask to wipe down the bar or greet guests? read more

Thirsty Lion - A server and the staff brought drinks and a check - the bar was filthy - unnoticed by oblivious staff, barely making eye contact - American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Going in, my expectations were high for food, low for service. Those should have been swapped. We did not experience the slow drink or food arrival that others have mentioned. Service was very good. The only thing that was a touch slow (especially given the lukewarm temp when it arrived) was the coffee I ordered with dessert. The highlight of our meal was absolutely the bacon wrapped dates. These set the bar very high... perhaps we should have ended or meal with them. Four little sweet, salty, savory packages set around a pleasant salad. Fabulous. (Disclaimer: I have yet to encounter a bacon wrapped date I didn't like) My man ordered the filet mignon wrapped in bacon. This was a large piece of meat (that didn't resemble the nice neat cut we were expecting) with bacon sort of hanging around it, but not quite wrapping it. While I didn't try a bite myself, he did concede that the texture was nice & buttery. I can, however, vouch for the potatoes. They were creamy & delicious. I opted for the ahi tuna salad. While it was good, it was also not the best I've had. The spices in the tuna coating were so gritty, I felt like I almost chipped a tooth a couple times. I also forgot to ask for dressing in the side & the salad was swimming in it as a result. There was plenty of tuna, red pepper, and various greens (kale included, I do believe) which I appreciated. A massive heap of wonton ribbons hid most of the salad from me at first... I could have done with about 10% of those. Maybe it was the beer I had with it, but this salad did fill me up. Finally, we opted for the blackberry cobbler. This was good but not fantastic. The orange in the crust was a nice touch but overall the dessert reminded us of Christmas more than summer. A fine meal, though not one to seek out. There is PLENTY of seating with plenty of television viewing, so I can see it being a hot spot for televised sporting events. Oh, but what's with the lack of lighting out on the patio? read more

There is at least one menu item that this restaurant knows how to make extremely well, and that is the Grilled Salmon with Asparagus Risotto. The dish comes with a moderately tender Salmon, on top of a delicious Risotto. The Grilled Salmon is cooked quite well, it has a dash of salt and is not overly dry (a common problem with other Grilled Salmon dishes). There is a nice grilled exterior with a somewhat tender interior. The Risotto has a diverse combo of spices and ingredients that come together to make a tasty foundation for the dish. There are parts of it that are savory, parts that are slightly sweet, and it is fully delicious. The service is standard, nothing too special here. I also had a taste of some fries and they are a bit bland. Not sure how the rest of their menu plays out, but I had a great time with my order. read more

Fun sports atmosphere. Love the appetizers and drink specials. Parking is sometimes limited in this area but greet neighborhood bar. When pinche tacos is super busy and there's a wait I'll grab a drink and sometimes an app here! read more

Thirsty Lion - Grilled steak and spicy Mac & cheese Bday dinner AWESOME! - American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Sofia, Sofia, Sophia. You were such a great waitress. You were kind, caring and most of all funny and endearing. I want to thank you for all the care you gave us crazy girls!..... and we are crazy so thanks for dealing with us! Keep up the good work, don't let anyone tell you otherwise! You are wonderful and beautiful! Thank you again Sofia, Sophia, Sofia!!!!! Xoxo Your favorite Asian!!!!! read more

We went during happy hour and had the fried cauliflower, calamari, carnitas tacos, spicy chicken sliders.. all were perfect.

An eclectic menu that is sure to have something to fit every appetite, with a fun dining experience to match. Located right next to Union Station, the Thirsty Lion serves up offerings from every corner of the globe. I tried the gochujang pork, gastro pub burger, and French dip. Out of all those options, my favorite item was....... the fries! These babies are the golden, salty, twice fried French fries from your best dreams. The entrees were kind of all over the place, the Korean pork was a little bland.... the French dip was out of this world with flavor but most of that flavor was salt. Choose carefully! read more

Good service and atmosphere. Nice location. Patio area had good view for people watching if that is your thing. Nice watching all the people playing in the fountains. Food was pretty good. Wife's burger was a bit underseasoned. Pork/kimchee fried rice was very good. Appetizer portions were a bit small even for three people. Drinks were ok. Different selections, but nothing that stood out. Would go back and try other items on the menu read more

We were taking our littlest out to celebrate her teams 1st place win at cheer comp! Always on the lookout for a new place our SIL recommended the thirsty lion. We went in & asked if they were allergen friendly. The first hostess was super sweet but asked the other hostess (who seemed irritated we asked) & she said "well yea but if you want a brownie it already has yada, yada, yada..." I had to laugh it off as a mom of a severely milk allergic child & have severe allergies myself we pretty much don't eat (or expect to eat) pre prepared foods ;) like brownies. So on we went to be seated. The ambiance is fun & energetic but loud. I mean loud (about 3 pm on a Saturday). Also not a fan of high top tables. Although our littlest is tall it's very hard for kids. They can't reach the foot rests. Also it's simply not comfortable to not be able to sit back & rest. Especially when your meal takes a looooong time. And you're trying to catch up with family. So on to the food. A GF sensitive menu is incredibly limited but had my sights set on a tuna sushi roll. Asked our waitress about dairy (not eggs, dairy like milk based) in it. She assured me the aioli had milk. I asked her to check but she said it had it. So I chose a salad when you have allergies the last thing you want is a salad. Soooo needless to say I was bummed about this first world problem. But later when we had other servers (I believe managers because they weren't in clothes like servers) tell me there was no dairy in that roll I wanted. Irritating.... My little chose a sushi roll. Almost immediately upon eating her tummy started hurting & hurt for a few days. Which means she got cross contamination. My gut started hurting at the restaurant too. It's been a few days and it's still not happy. Thank goodness it wasn't an anaphylactic reaction. My husband said his burger was mediocre. We're big foodies & willing to pay but we weren't impressed. I will say I enjoyed a Tito's raspberry infused martini. It was super yummy (I ordered with plain lemon juice and not lemonade). read more

Review is for my particular dish, not the restaurant... "Baha Fish Tacos" overall tasty and excellent presentation, but all the goodies they add to the tacos overpower the fish, and you want FISH tacos... Could be they need more fish also... I've had other dishes I like better here, and I'm a big fan of the restaurant.... TIP: Definitely ask for outdoor seating on the Union Station side! read more

Thirsty Lion - Baja Fish Tacos - American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

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Service is a big focus here. The servers go out of their way to introduce themselves and ask your name. After 4 days of being open, they are being trained by at least one on-the-floor manager who's doing a 1-year stint out here from Portland (Katie) to get things in Denver on the right track. They have "52" draft beers with a heavy LOCAL microbrew influence, as well as outliers such as Dogfish Head and Boddington's on tap. Atmosphere is comfortable and spacious, ample TVs for sports, sunshine pouring from the east. If you're headed to a game or live in Lodo like I do, check it out. I didn't try any of the food, I'll come back for that. read more

Thirsty Lion - American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

A little expensive for what it is, but ultimately I had no complaints. If you know the price going in or if you don't care, you won't be disappointed. Frankly the food was excellent anyway so I wasn't offended by the price. I got the beef tenderloin tips with a beer. Tenderloin was excellently prepared and their beer selection was very good as well. They try to have a majority of their beers from Colorado which I appreciated, being not from the area. The deal though is happy hour. I wish I would have known about it prior. Great deal and the food is even a lot cheaper. Definitely give this place a try if you are in the area. Not necessarily worth a long trip, but definitely an extremely positive experience. read more

Thirsty Lion - Breckenridge Brewing Agave Wheat - American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

Plenty of bar seating if you don't want to sit in the dining room. Three TVs per side of the bar for sports viewing, but you'll only get sound for Bronco's games. Great food menu, nothing pretending to be something it isn't. Classic meals with some extra twists and flavors that all looked amazing. We had trouble deciding what to order. So much so that we are headed back tomorrow. Fantastic brunch menu for food and drinks, including varying Bloody Mary choices, mimosas, champagne all very reasonably priced. The bar staff were friendly, helpful, and were very willing to offer suggestions and opinions regarding the menu. The chicken club looked as good as it tasted, fresh, juicy and flavorful. Crispy, fresh fries in just the right serving size. Headed back tomorrow to watch some football. read more

Good took a while to get when we only ordered a few apps. I ordered a margarita and it was a little too sweet for me so when I asked for a remake they took a very long time to replace the marg. The food was very good. I didn't order a salad but I saw a lot of people around me who did and they looked SO YUMMY!! the waitress was nice but she accidentally charged 1 more marg then I had. read more

Food was above average. But service was less than attentive. Host staff was very friendly and accommodating, outdoor seating was very pleasant. Korean fried chicken was very good and burger sliders and salmon cakes we're good , but unexceptional. read more

A co-worker and I wanted to try this place for lunch and it was pretty busy when we got there, a little after 12:00. Sat outside in the shade thankfully because it was a steamy day! Both of us ordered the tacos which were delicious!!! Tasty fish - could have had more in the taco than the cabbage, but it was still tasty. Now our server was nice but didn't come back to check on us and we had to bug her for the check so we could make our meetings back at the office. Their outfits are a tad skimpy for the day - I could see it for the nightlife but daytime? Good beer list.... read more

Great food, awesome atmosphere and amazing service. If you're looking for good food in a fun atmosphere this is definitely your spot. We ordered the spicy Mac and Cheese. I had read other reviews on here saying it's really spicy so I was hesitant on ordering it. I'm kind of a wimp with spicy food and it has the perfect amount of spice. It was totally tolerable and super yummy. It was creamy cheesy goodness with sausage and bell peppers. I definitely suggest ordering it! I had the Caprese sandwich with French fries and it was lovely. Chicken, fresh mozzarella, pesto, along with other yummy ingredients. The fries were perfectly crispy. My friends ordered the fish and chips and the other got the Italian prosciutto pizza. They both loved their dishes. The fish and chips were very fresh and the pizza was super yummy! We mentioned that it was our friends birthday and our waitress got her ice cream with fresh chocolate sauce. Chantelle(our waitress) was super sweet, she even got a birthday card and had all the waiters to sign it! So personal and sweet! I suggest getting a reservation so avoid the wait! We got there about thirty minutes early for our reservation and they were able to sit us! Super accommodating and awesome restaurant! read more

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We came here for my birthday dinner and were treated like VIP's! Even got a signed B- day card from the staff presented to me by the manager. Very attentive service. The patio is the place to be. Enjoyed the view of Union Station and the people watching at the fountain. I had the scallops which were excellent! The HH was pretty good too- great deals on food. I think the only improvement would be to turn the music down on the Patio. Would rather listen to the sounds of the city than the muffled yet loud speakers. Easy fix! We will be back many times!! read more

I had the fish and chips minus the cold slaw (I can't with cole...just can't). The food was great and came out fast. The fish was fried crispy and well seasoned. I would recommend the fish and chips here, it's totally worth it. Also the blood orange margarita pairs perfectly with it! read more

Thirsty Lion - American Near Me - Denver, Colorado

They are one block from Ball Arena and turned off the sound to the trophy presentation after the nuggets won their first title ever. Employees were disrespectful to anyone who said anything about it. The owner / management shouldn't be in the sports bar business read more

Solid beer selection; gastropub burger was awesome; great service. Left my eyeglasses and found them next day - thanks!

This place is simpler than some of the other restaurants at union station. But it's our go to spot for a simple lunch or happy hour. They have a Lotta different selections and We prefer the booths by the window. Service is always great. It's a good place to meet anyone near the train station. read more