I love the dark horse. I love that is a grungy and a little dirty. I love that you order your food(which is not expensive at all) directly from the kitchen and if you get too picky, take too long or just piss them off in general then you can expect a well deserved impolite response. The drinks are cheap and they have good variety of beer on tap. Do not be scared of the rocky mountain oysters, and anything you feel like you may want on a burger, should go on it. Great little hideaway up by campus. read more

The guy on the phone accused me of being drunk when I was reading the menu while talking to him. Claiming I was "fucked up" and refused to take down my order. When I came home from the library. First time I went I waited an hour at an empty restaurant with my friends. Terrible service and conceded employees. Wont be back. read more

I have been a regular at the horse for years. Everything about this place is fantastic. The food is cheap and horribly delicious. The decor is hilarious. The staff is friendly, but sometimes slow. It's expected in such a busy business though. There's also pool, air hockey, arcade games, and HD TVs. read more

Caters to the college crowd so reasonable prices. Cool, chill atmosphere. Nice selection of beers. Great burgers.

This is my favorite spot to grab a burger in Boulder, not just for the history, the ambiance, the friendly service, and the good food, but also for the prices that cannot be beaten (six dollars fifty for a burger, fries, and a beer from 3-8 PM? Yes, please!). This isn't your standard table-service, fixed-menu Red Robin-style burger and beer joint. It's more like the way that Irish pubs are in Ireland; you order your drinks at the bar, and your food from a little window in the kitchen, and pay as you go. They call your name when your food is ready so that you can come collect it and return to your table or stool to enjoy your haul. This allows them to keep prices low because they don't have to pay a lot of extra staff members to run around like chickens with their heads cut off just to make sure everyone's served on busy nights, and gives you a rare opportunity to interact not only with the girl pouring your pint, but the guy grilling your burger or frying your Rocky Mountain Oysters, as well. Is the burger the best in the world I've ever had? Well, no. But they're hearty, and delicious, and you can afford three of them for the price you'd likely pay for the Best Burger In The World anyway, so there's no shortage of food (and that figure includes three beers during their Hungry Student Special) for the price. The burgers are good-sized, so you won't actually need three of them, but the value cannot be underestimated. They have a good selection of fried sides and other dishes as well (anyone that serves Rocky Mountain Oysters is already top-notch in my book), so there's a good variety of tastes. The service is friendly, if somewhat bare-bones, but the lower staff-to-guest ratio is not a detractor. It's part of what makes the Dark Horse special, from the friendly interaction to how it impacts their overhead and thus, the price you pay for your beer and food. The beer selection is good, and they've got a full bar as well, so you can give yourself a good excuse to eat some good food and help absorb the alcohol. I'm definitely going to be back. read more

We were there on an EXTREMELY busy night and the staff was up to the challenge. Food was good. Guys behind the bar were speedy and friendly. All in all, a good experience. read more

The set-up is a bit weird... The people who work there are friendly enough... They could definitely use more taps/beers (Come on we're in CO, there are sooooo many options!)... The DJ for Bingo night was a bit douchy, but still kinda fun at some points, but still a douch... The food was, meh (I had the peanut butter burger, it was ok)... There are definitely better bars, though maybe not in Boulder (not a huge fan of the Republik of Boulder)... All in all this place gets 2 stars, sorry, you just didn't do it for me... But my friend REALLY likes your bar, which is saying a lot, maybe she wrote a better review, though I don't think so... read more

Laid back atmosphere with all around good food and great beer.

My wife and I with one of our friends came here on our latest trips. It is a fun place. Has a bar, a Kitchen to order from and pool tables and darts. They had a band playing as well. Lots of college students. Great food and Drinks! We will be back, we bought a shirt and sweat shirt form there as well. read more

The burgers are the best, especially for the price! It's so easy to have a great time here with anyone, even the stiffest person you know. Definitely a must-see for anyone visiting Boulder! read more

Love their wings, get 'em extra crispy all the time. I would give them the five star, but they've fucked up a few times

I love their Mushroom burger...The best I have ever had...It's been 30 years since I lived in Boulder and to this day I still crave that burger. I went as far as trying to find the recipe for the mushroom sauce they put on it. I even tried to get one of our local burger joints to make it...Not the same... read more

Get the avocado burger with the garden patty!!! Or the chipotle burger, no bacon, with the garden patty! Holy shit this place rocks. And to the negative reviewers commenting on the additional cost for a veggie burger, stick it! You live in the USA, where our tax dollars actually subsidize the wrong food industries! read more

Best burgers in town and awesome classic chicken wings. Been here several times and have always had a great experience. Very casual environment and friendly staff. read more

The food is OK, but the drink selection is lovely and the bartenders are cool. There is an outdoor patio where I can go to chain smoke after too much to drink, and the environment can be quite lively. It is the kind of place where you and your friends can tuck away in a dark corner and drink, or you can hang out in areas like the pool table, car, and patio and end up talking to new people all night. When I lived across the street I was here all the time. Going alone to watch sports is also a good time. read more

I usually love this place but last night I had the worst customer service I have ever seen. My bar tender was extremely rude and unfriendly. I also got food poisoning from the fish and chips and I called the bar today. I talked to a girl bartender and she was extremely apologetic and she put me onto the manager. He sounded unconcerned when I told him that he may want to check their fish. He did not apologize and hung up the phone on me. If this management continues I don't think this famous bar will continue much longer. read more

First off, I would like to say that I have been a big fan of the Dark Horse for about 15 years. Growing up, my dad used to take me all the time to play arcade games, I had my first legal drink there and I've stopped by almost every time I've gone to Boulder. Needless to say, I will never be back after the way my friend and I were treated today. My friend and I had just gone hiking up the flatirons with my dog and I wanted to show my friend this restaurant where I have had so many fond memories. I wasn't sure whether or not the Dark Horse allowed dogs on the patio, so I asked. When we pulled into the parking lot, there was a man smoking and on his phone. I asked him if he worked there and he said "yes," and that it was okay to bring the dog on the patio. I went through the restaurant and went to the patio to open the back gate. I failed to notice the "emergency exit" sign but the gate opened so I brought my dog in and tied him to a table. My friend sat at the table while I went inside to ask whether we were going to be helped by a server or if it was self-service hours. I brought up the dog situation to a waitress with long, brown hair. She said that dogs are not actually allowed on the patio but "if you say it's a service dog, it'll be fine, we're not busy." I told her that he is not a service dog and we can go somewhere else to eat if we need to. She proceeded to say, "we're not busy so it should be fine." I ordered and paid for our food and returned to a guy in a blue button up shirt telling my friend that dogs are not allowed on the patio. I said okay, and put my dog in the car and left the A/C running. What happens next blew my mind. After I had already put my dog in the car, another man, named "Tanner" who claims to be the manager, came out and accused me of lying. He asked if we had asked anybody about the restaurant allowing dogs on the patio, and I said yes, that there was somebody sitting outside when we pulled up that said that it was okay. He rolled his eyes and said that nobody that works there would say that. A guy sitting near us told us that he thought the manager was being rude and that I should ask for my money back. As a wife of a restaurant general manager, I didn't want to cause any problems. I was even hesitant to write this review because I know what a pain in the ass they are for managers to deal with. I probably wouldn't be writing this if they story ended there. As we were leaving, we cleaned up our food and were returning our cups to the bar. I asked a blonde bartender what the name of the manager was and she said "Tanner." When we turned our backs, she said "Was that them?" in reference to us and we heard Tanner respond, "Yeah." Then, in front of the entire bar, they yelled in unison, "Thank you liars! Byyyeeeee!" I have never been so embarrassed or appalled by this type of treatment. Even if I was in the wrong with bringing my dog onto the patio, I put him in my car when I was asked and that should have been the end of it. I know this review probably won't do much but I couldn't stay quiet after such poor treatment. It saddens me to see such a fun establishment in the hands of such disrespectful, unprofessional people. The Dark House front of house is an embarrassment to the owner. read more

Great late night scene and food too, places to sit and live bands on weekends. No cover! This bar is nostalgic, old and kinda yicky, but hey its a bar what else do you expect? read more

This place gets five stars for their staff alone. Even though it's self serve, the guys at the bar and in the kitchen are some of the friendliest I've encountered in Boulder. I'd give the atmosphere 5 stars as well. It's definitely a dive bar, but there are multiple rooms and plenty of space. TVs everywhere and good music. Happy hour prices are unbeatable for well drinks. The food is good as well. The Blu burger is good as is the Jiffy burger- although I definitely couldn't eat one by myself. I've been here twice since coming to Boulder two weeks ago, and I'll definitely be back. read more

Self service is the name of the game. There are only a few hours a day they have wait staff, otherwise you need to go to the bar for drinks and the kitchen for your food. The inside of the dark horse is very divey. It is dark and there is a lot of mismatched wood and decor. It has a certain charm. The prices are high unless you get the specials and I hear the crawfish boil is kick ass! read more

What a great place to go after a long day at work, or a long day hiking in the foothills. They have happy hour from 3 to 8pm. Which is amazing for people who work later than 5 pm during the week. I have almost always had friendly and quick service from the bar. Of course sometimes there are crowds and you may have to wait. That shouldn't be a problem if you have an ounce of patience in your body. The food is made to order and extremely reasonable prices. You walk up to a window, order for yourself, and then wait for your name to be called. I'd rather do that than wait for a slow server on a packed and busy night. Therefore, I'm really a fan of the setup. It definitely has the unique, kind of college, dive bar feel. I'm in my 30s, as our my friends, and we love the Darkhorse. read more

I've been around just a few years and seen a lot. This place gets two huge thumbs up! Way up... Awesome food, great service, and what a unbelievably cool collection of STUFF! Can't say enough! Don't ever go changing!! Love it! read more

Been there a few times for lunch during the week. The burgers and hot wings are really good and so are the prices. Had the blues burger today and it was excellent. I'm not a big burger lover and I ate the whole thing. Yeah the decor is gaudy but that's the whole idea. The regulars enjoy it so if it's not your thing go to Qdoba and get your burrito. The Dark Horse reminds me of the old Foggy's Notion that used to be by the Sports Arena in San Diego. I would have definitely spent a lot of time here if I'd gone to college in Boulder. read more

It might be because I'm from Chicago but I didn't notice that the place was overly dirty or that the staff was rude. My boyfriend and I were visiting Boulder and found this place for dinner one night. The place was packed (a lot of college students) and upon walking in I was almost ready to turn around and walk right out but the kitschy decor intrigued me, so we stayed. They had a counter where you line up and place your food order, then go to the bar for a drink. While it was busy, it didn't feel cramped or seem obnoxiously loud. Lots of fun stuff to look at all over the walls and ceiling, and after some research we found out that all the decor is apparently movie props and antiques. The food was great, the beer was great - no fuss kinda place! read more

Decent food and a little dirty, and not for everyone, but what makes this place great is the super laid-back atmosphere, good prices and the ability to just hangout as long as you want. The bartenders were friendly and we had a fun frown filled night. We stayed way longer than expected which made for an a early morning, but time flies when you're having fun! read more

This place is ridiculous. In a good way. It's the antithesis of the trendy pearl street bars in every single way. The decor is awful western memorabilia and the clientele has been known to be on the haggard side. The food and drinks are ridiculously cheap, especially during happy hour, but it's tasty. You'll always have a good time with karaoke, tricycle racing and a plethora of pool tables and arcade games. Just don't come here expecting to find a scene. read more

This is the first Dark Horse I've been to but I hear there's more scattered about the U.S. from what the bartender tells me. The Dark Horse is a very fun place to just walk around and look at all the old movie memorabilia and antiques. It's a cross between old-time Hollywood & a darkened pirate ship made of wood. Every corner holds a surprise and just when you've thought you've seen it all there's another floor upstairs that gets even freakier with mounted animal heads and furs and odd paintings that decorate the walls making it come alive. Traditional restaurant fare but with a twist. It's a self-service restaurant meaning go order at the kitchen window inside the building outside of four hours a day (11am-3pm) when a waitress will help you. But the menu is fairly large to chose from appetizers and a variety of different burgers to chicken or BBQ Ribs, chef salads or fish-n-chips. Imbibe in the most common local and domestic taps or simple liquor concoctions. It's really about the experience of the building here. It's like stepping into a Disney park ride. This place can get bumpin' on all floors and is popular with the Boulder college crowd. read more

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Not my style, but you can tell it deserves a place in Boulder. I love their burgers and appreciate they keep a decent late night menu. It's hard to describe; it grungy, but not too dirty, it's hipster, but not, it's old, classic, and rustic with a new flair. I know like 50 people I work with that are regulars and love it and talk about their special events nights n such. I'm just not a regular at any bar, so it's not my scene. But I appreciate it in the sense that's it kind of underground/hidden. read more

Moved to CO 25 years ago & Dark Horse is one of the first bars I visited. Let's say they made a positive lasting impression because I go there about once a month for awesome burgers and the best wings in CO! I've never had a bad experience in all my years....and my mouth is watering for a burger & wings even though I was there last night! read more

Friendly college town bar with great food and drink prices. Figuring out that everything is self serve and where to go take a little bit but after you finally hear your name over the speaker that your food is ready it's easy going. There is a great atmosphere and great food choices to try. read more

Such a Boulder staple in my mind. Fun atmosphere, love going to play pool, darts, listen to bands, check out the trike races, and eat the amazing chicken fingers. read more

Been in a few times since we moved into the area and I love all the crazy decor and nooks. The staff has always been great. Just check this place out. read more

I have had some less than satisfactory service from various bartenders in the past, but the burgers and other fun food coming out of that kitchen wins me over every time, read more

Good size burger for the price. Very interesting scenery with all sorts of odd stuff all over the bar. Friendly staff.

Still a very solid burger!! Would not miss this place for a beer and cheeseburger with a side of homemade ranch!

Ignore the awful review that comes up on google from 2013 that was in the Camera. I've been multiple times and service was great and the food even better. I have enjoyed everything I've tried there and the beer selection is solid. Never any bad experiences there. I wouldn't go as far as to say the best burger in Boulder, but they have great burgers for sure. read more

I used to frequent the Dark Horse in my college days. It's definitely a place with character! Dark wood floors, low lighting, that kind of old bar feel. They have wonderful Colorado brews, and others on tap, really great burgers--big portions, that college feel, and that little different feel than other places. It's been a staple of the Boulder Colorado community for many years. Always enjoyable stopping in when I am in town. read more

Used to be such a great place in Boulder and really tried to give them a chance, but the last few times I've gone I've experienced the worst service in my life (specifically from one of the general managers). I've never written a bad review and I have worked in food service so I tried really hard to be understanding. In general just was consistently rude and acted like they could care less about our experience. For example, someone in my party asked for a side of ranch when the guy who said he was the general manager delivered our food. His response was "that's not my problem you can go and get that from the bar if you want it" and then the bar made us put down a tab for the side of ranch of 75 cents. I know that's something so small but things like this consistently happened in my last few previous experiences and the attitudes of everyone in the staff in general made me feel so uncomfortable and unwelcome. read more

good food awesome bar for lunch. The place gets super busy after 3 so it turns into a real deal bier garden. IE food at the window and beer at the bar. Great place for a weekend night. I have nothing bad to say read more

Cool dive. We stopped here after hiking the Eldorado canyon trail because we felt like we deserved a good burger and this place boasts the best burgers in Boulder! I haven't tried any other burgers in Boulder but these were pretty good. The wait staff was friendly and helpful. read more