I loveeeeee this place so much! It is everything I want in a sports bar. There are crazy weird decorations all over the ceilings and walls. There is a lot of space in here and it's divided up nicely so you can sit where you want to depending on your mood. The set up of ordering your food and picking it up is a little funky, but it works. We enjoyed our food - typical bar food... nothing too special, but it was good! Just don't get confused like me when you go to the bathroom. ;-) read more

Seriously one of the best bars anywhere, ESPECIALLY for wonderful burgers and fries! Nobody makes a long island iced tea like the Dark Horse, and the overall atmosphere and environment is just very happy place to be, especially latenight. read more

Dark Horse - American Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Our neighborhood stop for a pint! This place was literally across the street from our place. It's dark, lively, historic, and couldn't be more perfect! I highly recommend the wings with your pint since they are pretty much perfect! read more

I was a little skeptical walking into a bar for food, but the burgers here came highly recommended from a trusted source so I decided to give it a chance. Soooo glad I did. I was skeptical again when I saw that I would have to order my burger from a window by the kitchen instead of from a waitress, but then I realized because of that I wouldn't *have to* tip a full 20%. Nice. (if you have read my other reviews, you may be beginning to notice a pattern that value factors into my food enjoyment) Once I got my burger and had the first bite, however, I wanted to tip the chef. Amazing. Perfect size/thickness, perfect texture, perfect consistency and flavor, just the right amount of toppings, tasty bun and mmmmmm all around amazing burger. Way better than I could make at home, which is actually pretty rare (I make great burgers, what can I say). I even liked the fries! And I'm not a fan of fries. So, for giving me pretty much the best burger experience I've ever had, I have to give the Dark Horse 5 stars. It may be a bar, but any restuarant that does anything the best I've ever had (see Longmont Packing) automatically gets a 5 hands down. And earns it. read more

Best wings I've ever had, hands down. Pair it with a few beers and you'll be the happiest you've ever been. This is one of my favorite establishments in Boulder! read more

Two words: Trike Night. I hope they still have this famed Tuesday night staple. And yes, it involves beer and tricycles. awesome. I was never any good at the race (three times around the bar- stairs included), but boy it was a good time. And remember, follow the pointing finger to the correct bathroom or you may just find yourself in the wrong one. read more

2 words. Jiffy Burger. Juicy burger + peanut butter + bacon + provolone cheese = delightful. The rest of the reviews here pretty much clarify anything else you need to know. The menu is full of burgers, sandwiches, and other fried goodness... the nice thing is that everything is also reasonably priced. read more

Underwhelmed. That's really the only word that comes to mind when I think of the Dark Horse. Being that it was so highly touted by fellow Yelpers and Boulderites, I suppose I may have had higher expectations, but even taking that into consideration, I was underwhelmed. I like a dive bar. I like (some) kitsch. I like dark hidey-holes. But this place is ridiculous. It's as if 40 TGI Friday's worth of wall junk were tossed into every available corner, nook, cranny, shelf, socket, wall, floor, ceiling, and cubby. And it did not appear that many of these things had been dusted in the past month. (or longer.) We arrived at noon on a Saturday. Walking in, you see a "Seat Yourself" sign. Okay. We wander to a booth, where there is a lime green laminated sign: "Self Service. Order your drinks at the bar and food and the kitchen!" Ohhhhhhhkayy. Let me say that at this point, I'm still okay with this. It's a dive, it's student-oriented, and it's gotten glowing reviews. So we peruse the menu and decide on 2 burgers. The Sourdough Burger: (Touted on the menu as:) Grilled Onions, Pickles, Melted Cheddar, Spicy Mayo on Grilled Sourdough. The "Grilled Onions" consisted (literally) of 3 "strips" perhaps 2-3 inches long of a single strand of partially translucent onion. The pickles were actually larger than both the onions AND the burger patty. The patty is reported at 1/3 lb. This was the size of a McDonald's hamburger. It did not even cover HALF of the "Sourdough Toast" (We actually cut the toast in half and left a full half of empty sandwich behind. The "Spicy Mayo"? It was Yellow Mustard with Chopped Pickles mixed in. Delicious. Not. The French Fries: I have yet to ever see an establishment that can properly cook, season, and serve "Curly Fries" quickly enough to get them to the customer before that 30-second-window of Hot goes out the door. This was no different. The fries were indeed curly, but also lukewarm, somewhat soggy, and unflavorful. The Second Burger: The Dark Horse actually stepped it up a bit with this one. This is one of their more quirky house burgers, served on a regular hamburger bun: Fried Egg and Ham Burger: (Touted on the menu as:) Smoked Ham, an Egg Fried to Order & American Cheese. It arrived hot and looked larger than the other patty, probably because it fit the bun. The "Fried Egg" was a bit overdone, having hardly any "ooze" of yolk, being mostly hard-cooked. It did have a large portion of sliced, smoked ham, and a slice of cheese, all of which would have melded wonderfully if the yolk had been "oozy" enough to meld. The patty itself was cooked perfectly, however, juicy and absolutely "Medium" (Though we were never asked how we would like them cooked, and both patties were cooked differently) The burger also (surprise!) came with lettuce, tomato, and red onion. While all 3 looked fresh, I'm not sure where they quite fit in with the Egg and Ham, and they were not mentioned on the menu description. We removed them. All burgers come with a choice of a Green Salad, Pasta Salad, or Fries, and are about $7. To me, that seems expensive for what turned out to be mediocre food, no service (you serve yourself), and a dingy, dirty environment. I guess if I were a starving student, I might be inclined to brave the crowds on Happy Hour nights, where students can, for roughly $4, get a Burger, Fries, and a Drink... and sometimes watch other Drunken Starving Students attempt to ride tricycles through the restaurant. But for a hamburger? I'd skip it. read more

Dark Horse is a Boulder can't-miss and heaven for burger lovers. You absolutely have to try the Jiffy Burger. It's phenomenal. And the curly fries can't be beat. Dark Horse's atmosphere is weird and fun. A couple of pointers for newcomers: 1.) After a certain hour there's no wait staff, so you have to walk up to the bar for your drink order, and a separate kitchen window for your food order. 2.) Bathroom signs are intentionally switched to trick you. I fell for it. You'll walk into the wrong one. It's part of the charm - they're just trolling you. 3.) The Jiffy Burger requires lots of napkins. You'll destroy 127 of them. read more

One of the baddest bars in America. Darts air ball great food and awesome people. My phones died before I could properly record how are this place is. The wings are the best. Better than I've ever had. Full wings you have to rip apart. And overlooking the mountains. If you are in Boulder come alittle outside of town and check this gem out. America f@#k yeaaaaa! read more

Dark Horse - When your hammered quite confusing - American Near Me - Boulder, Colorado

Hit this place up after a concert at folsum, we beat the crowd! Had the buffalo chicken sandwich and fries... was awesome. Place is def unique that you order from the bat for drinks and order food from then kitchen. No actual staff late in the evening to take your food but def not a big deal Watch out for the reversed bathroom signs!! Cool spot to hang if you want to watch a band or play some pool read more

I went to this bar a couple of months ago when I was in Colorado for some snowboarding. As a Miami girl, I thoroughly enjoyed this bar! My boyfriend and I stepped in and thought it looked pretty small but very home-y and welcoming. We noticed people were disappearing and we weren't sure where they were going so we got up and started to explore. After walking past the bar we noticed there was a whole other area to this place! Luckily, we were here on a Tuesday and that means "Trike Night"! This meant we got to see drunk people racing around the bar on a tricycle. Some people fell, some were fast and some just didn't know what they were doing. All in all, really hilarious! By far the best bar I visited during my time in Colorado. Oh, and their selection of beers is AWESOME! Really good variety! Definitely will be coming back once I give Colorado another visit :). read more

Stopped in after a show at Fisk before heading back to Denver burgers were delicious and the zucchini fries were great too.

Haven't been here in years! Still amazing food, I ordered a bbq burger (can't remember the name now) and it was delicious to the last bite. Also ordered some wings and they were also very good, they are the bigger wings so you get plenty of meat! read more

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I love the dark horse. They have snacks, drinks and a nice divey, dirty atmosphere. But beware of the bathrooms! Great place to hang out if you're not looking for a crowded party. read more

A must eat/drink spot in Boulder! If you're in town for a game or just craving a burger, this is the place to go. Not only a great bang for your buck, but the best wings and burgers in Boulder. Customer service is fantastic and the locals at the front bar are always willing to chat ya up. The beer and bar selection has a great range of options on a student or alumni budget. Just be sure to wear your Buffs gear! Standard order: Zuchs and shrooms Basket of buffalo wings Jiffy Burger Beer of the moment read more

Big fan. Was in town for work and this was a pleasant surprise near my hotel. Uh, character-rich is an understatement. Big multi-level, multi-area college bar with all kinds of cool rooms tucked away and packed with kooky decorations. Beyond flair. Really solid cheeseburger and fries and great set of handles for beer, plus good happy hour deals. Will come back. read more

Always a great time here. Boulder is strict on having IDs because it is a college town. So it's annoying but overall it's great. There are tons of decorations and all sorts of things hanging. read more

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It hasn't been that many damned years since I was college-aged, but as prepared as I always think I am for a college bar I never am. Not ever. Dark Horse is a characteristically Colorado place, with dark wood beams and floors, affordable (but good!) Colorado ales on tap, a certain Prussian attention to detail when checking IDs, and of course Karaoke. I would come back here just for the excellent cheap beers, but the service is also friendly and fast, there are plenty of booths and an upstairs area with high tops for private conversations, and the ambience just exudes Colorado. Naturally, its proximity to CU Boulder means get ready for fashion choices you won't understand, songs in karaoke that you've never heard, and young people trying to get you to buy them drinks every time you turn around (I always do and always will haha). Makes you almost miss those days but not quite. Either way I dug this place pretty hard and will be back. read more

This is the dive bar to end all dive bars in Boulder! I've been coming here for years, and it has my favorite burger of all time! Up until 9:30pm, all ages are welcome, and you have everyone from high school and college students to families to adults of all ages. Then after 9:30pm, they kick out everyone under 21 and have events and/or live music Mon-Fri! They have really solid local brew options, and a really eclectic late-night crowd. During the summer, the patio is awesome (smoker-friendly) and they have huge crowds for Bronco and Buffs games. It's an all-around fantastic saloon, and I would recommend it to anyone who's never been! read more

I've been coming here for years and used to love this spot. However I don't stand for having my card charged after paying cash for my bill. I called in asked to speak to a manager none were available in the morning. I explained what happened and was assured my information would be passed on for a call back from the manager. Well I never received that call pretty shitty customer service! Nothing like paying over 100 dollars twice with no response back from management. read more

I'm not sure who the bigger dumbass here is, the manager for thinking a South Carolina state issued drivers license is fake or the owner for hiring people who can't verify an ID and doesn't have a way to verify an ID in their establishment when their dumbass workers have to look at one for 10 minutes and still can't tell if it's real or not. They then proceeded to try to kick every black person in the restaurant out because they had an issue with me and my friend, even though all of those people were already in there and me and my friend had literally just walked through the door. If they didn't want black people to be in there they could've just said that. So if you're from out of state just be cautious because they know what a limited amount of out of state licenses are supposed to look like so it might be a problem. The food was also bland and it tasted like they didn't like black people which was confirmed by their actions. read more

Great burgers, and staff, the place is a little tight. I had the jiffy burger which includes peanut butter and it was very delicious.

Great place to get burgers, beer, and peanuts while spending time with friends optionally playing pool or video games. The soft buns add much to the burgers, giving them them a unique texture and taste that I enjoy very much and can find only at the Dark Horse. The two stars are due to the failure of management and staff to keep the restaurant clean and maintained. Twenty year old paint on the signature bathroom doors are disappearing. Bathrooms have aged and damaged dividers and fixtures with dark gaping holes in the ceiling near the dust covered vents. I dropped my fork in the dining room and took it to a smelter instead of risking a trip through the dishwasher. While the last sentence is humor, it really captures the feeling of questionable cleanliness and quality that eating in such an establishment naturally brings. I would not bring a date, kids, or family here. The Dark Horse is on the precipice of become a dark dirty dump, if it's not already there. read more

I used to eat there every Sunday with my dad and brother. As my brother moved away after college my dad and I kept up the tradition. For ten years the only Sundays the two of us missed were for a Father's Days and one or two vacations. It might not be a family place on a Friday night but on a Sunday afternoon after a hike in the mountains the whole family will be comfortable here. The Dark Horse became so much of our family that they were even sure to send flowers to my dad's funeral! And where else can you get a Jiffy Burger. Mmmmm, peanut buttery beefy goodness! I know what's for lunch today! read more

I love this place. Their burgers are one of my favorites. My fiancé and I use to come here all the time when he got back from Afghanistan. It was right next to out place so we could easily walk home. They have a great bar and serve food till pretty late. We use to just eat chicken strips and burgers all night while holed up in one of the many little places to get away from the crowds. I'm craving a jiffy burger now just thinking about this place! Yum! Thanks dark horse for staying awesome. read more

Went there to watch a football game on Sunday. Only complaint: They had a table reserved near the screen I was watching and no one sat there the entire game. Why weren't the employees paying attention? I sat at a self serve table which I liked as no one was bugging me to order more. Had a great chef salad. Overall, the place is cool and a great place to watch the game without being bugged. I will be back. read more

place sucks, waiters were rude and the food is medium to bad. id leave no stars if I could

Wings and burgers can't be beat. Great dive bar vibes but super friendly staff and enough room for everyone. Best of both worlds. Don't let the random location fool you. read more

Great burgers, fries, ambience. Starving student meal got me through college. They hold themed events there on a regular basis. Awesome place to get shit faced out of your mind. read more

GREAT VENUE, GREAT BAR, AND MORE CRAZY CRAP ON THE WALLS THAN ANYWHERE YOU HAVE EVER SEEN IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. Just a honky tonk bar in the middle of the stix in Boulder, but plus one for the retarded amount of stuff on all the walls. I mean.. I don't like clutter, nonsense, or anything like that.... ... but seriously, the amount of stuff wins. Well done. read more

Definition of a college dive bar. Dark, dirty, simple menu. It sounds bizarre but completely worth trying the Jiffy burger: peanut butter and bacon on a burger. As someone explained it to me, think about it as a beef satay and you'll get over the idea that its peanut butter. (By the way, does anyone remember the Twilight Zone episode with peanut butter burgers?) Don't take your mom here but take your buddy who needs a beer and a burger. read more

One of our favorites in Boulder.. we've tried the burgers, fish and chips and sides ..too yummy

Best Place for Tricycle Race on the top Side of the Rocky Mountains if you dare. read more

My boyfriend loves this place, and we agreed to go for trivia night! it wasn't too crowded on a Wednesday night, the drinks were good (nothing overwhelming), and if you're in the mood for a divey bar this is the place to be! Trivia was fun, I wish it was a little more exciting though. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because my boyfriend and I were enjoying our apps and we won a round of trivia so we went up to the stage, and when we came back our food was gone. We were ready to leave so we didn't complain, but we both had about half of our food left and we were gone for a minute at maximum. The food was really good...just gone too soon! read more

Really cool place and the student meal deal is unbeatable. The wings aren't your usual wings I don't recommend them. Great place.

Yes, it's a grungy college restaurant... with the best burgers in town. Good fries, cooks yelling out when your burgers done, crazy stuff hanging from the celling; it's all amazing. read more

Been coming here since I was a kid, 23 years, best burgers hands down in Boulder! AMAZING how wings and great for football nights. Will keeping going here till the day I die. read more

The burgers were pretty good. Don't get anything from the bar. I ordered a Moscow Mule, and so did my friend. Our drinks tasted different. Mine had too much ginger beer and his had too much lime. The drinks are poured inconsistently. Another friend of mine ordered a Long Island Ice Tea... it was vodka and tea. Long Island that is not. Tasted disgusting. Later we ordered a White Russian. There was hardly any coffee liqueur in the drink, and way too much cream. After stirring it, it looked more like seamen than a nice caramel brown. The prices were pretty cheap tho. I guess you get what you pay for? read more

It's a CU Boulder staple. It's a dive. You'll never have a bad night if you come to the Dark Horse. The burgers are good, but not great. Drinks are reasonably priced. And it's usually not too difficult to find a table. read more