Beyond awful. And it's not just me. Read all the other one star reviews. It's hard to know where to start, there's so much bad here. The most important thing is the sound. The singers are unintelligible. It's not their mikes. The acoustics are just awful. And the venue knows it - they've installed dozens of acoustic panels; and the sound is still terrible. The people sitting behind us made the exact same comment we did. How about the food? The portions are tiny. Worse, my wife's Korean chicken sandwich was inedible. I mean that in the most literal sense: we simply couldn't chew through this "chicken". Meow? Soggy fries. Soggy salad. Gross food. The service stank. Two waitstaff for 200 people? GTF outta here. They had no idea whose food was whose. Wrong orders. No setups. Not even a napkin. I swear it was colder inside than out. I have no idea how they managed that one. Trust me. Trust the other reviews. DON'T GO. This venue SUUUUUCKS. read more

Beware of using a credit/debit card here. There may be some mysterious extra charges on your account from your visit. I reached out and no one returned my communication to them. I 100% wouldn't return due to this. Maybe not the greatest option for service when that location is a revolving door of owners and businesses. read more

We booked this venue for our performance. On the day of the event, we were given no sound or light support, to which the owner blamed us continuously and have continued to do so in response to other patrons' reviews. This caused us to try and get the sound working ourselves on a sound system that is completely broken. They have also continued to insist that the system is not broken, though a different performance earlier that week was delayed by 2 hours due to the state of the system, and they had their own professional roadies to handle the sound. They reported a system that is unfit for professional use in its current state. What followed was the most humiliating performance as the owner walked out as soon as the show began, leaving us playing sound though one speaker in pitch dark aside for the spotlight. We weren't even shown how to bring up the house lights for intermission. We were delayed by half an hour, during which time some attendees left. During this delay, damage to the sound system was coming though at hearing damaging volume while we were running sound tests. We ran the same show at a different venue a few weeks prior and had no such issues. It is clear this is a fault of the venue and it's management. They fact they did not deliver on providing us with a functional venue and have continued to be rude and accusatory shows a frankly impressive level of unprofessionalism. Additionally, I spoke to attendees and they relayed that the waitstaff had no idea what kind of refreshments were being provided. That same waitstaff talked so loudly over the show, I could hear them from beside the stage on the other side of the room. The performers could hear them on stage while speaking. About half of the attendees left before the show ended. It was one of the most stressful and humiliating experiences I have had with any business. It is clear that the owners would like to blame us rather than take any responsibility for their failings. They have a non-funtional venue, extremely overpriced food, and undertrained and underpaid staff. There is a very good reason this venue has as many negative reviews as it does. I urge you to not attend or book this venue to save yourself a world of trouble. read more

**I would not recommend either booking your event with Dickens Opera House or attending one put on by them.** I booked them for our family event (elopement party/family gathering), and they were fantastic at first. The sales person was incredibly responsive, helping me determine what kind of contract I wanted to sign (just venue/drinks, venue/full dinner, etc). She was incredibly flexible when I told her that we hadn't decided on catering yet and let me know that we could add that later or go with an outside source. She also talked me through the open bar process as the alcohol list and an entirely open bar was a must-have for my father (who was paying). She provided the alcohol list, added "open bar" to the contract, and away we went. After I signed the original contract, that is where communication went downhill. I didn't hear from them for months, even after reaching out. My sister and I tried to schedule calls with them multiple times to either be ignored or put off. When we finally did a get a call to start working out the details of the party, we were told that 5-6 weeks before the party a "Captain" would get assigned and they would take care of these kinds of details. Ok, we weren't thrilled with that as my sister was going to be out of the country in that time frame, but we went with it. Once a Captain was assigned, I went to a walk through with him and we talked through a lot of the details. I asked for an updated alcohol list, which he provided, and we talked through a few smaller aspects of the party. I asked for a wine tasting, as the contract listed "house wines", and I wanted to ensure the house wines were something worth drinking. If they weren't, then we would've paid extra for a different selection. This is where things really got rocky. First, the sales woman informed me that they no longer do wine tastings. This was very upsetting, as we discussed this early on in the process. After several weeks of back and forth, they finally agreed to do one (which I then paid extra for). In addition to that, our captain e-mailed me a handful of times, and then stopped responding to emails. Even the email I sent asking him point blank if he was still our Captain. It is now a month post party and I still don't even know if this man is alive, his sudden absence has never been addressed either by our sales person or the owners of the venue. In addition to that, we had decided to go with an outside caterer. The sales woman pretty rudely informed us that our caterers job was to drop the food off and leave, that she was not to stay at all. That took several weeks of back and forth in order to her to understand that our caterer was in fact staying for the party. She eventually relented. Next, we couldn't get an actual response to the changes we wanted to make to the floor plan even though we spoke to them several times about it. In fact, the floor plan was wrong the day of the party and my sister had to have them fix it when she arrived a few hours before. The sales women repeatedly asked for information that had already been provided, implying that she was not taking any notes or paying any attention to our event at all. It was absolute chaos from the moment we signed the contract until even today, a month after the party. We finally arrived at party day, and my sister arrives at the venue. The tables are set up such that there is no dance floor (I made it very clear that dancing was the whole point of the party), the floor is filthy, and our Captain is nowhere to be seen. One of the owners is there and informs my sister that she is the "captain" for the night and we continue on. The catering was amazing, our DJ was spectacular, and suddenly our open bar is now only open for some level of beverages, and not for the rest (even though the liquor list that was provided to me 3 separate times had no such tiers called out), the owner tried to close the bar at 9 pm (even though the contract clearly states 1130), and then couldn't find the contract when we confronted her about closing the bar early after several folks left because they thought the party was ending. After we showed her our signed version of the contract she flipped out about how their policy is to close it after 4 hours and they were going to lose so much money. She then agreed to keep the bar open, but continued to charge people for drinks that they suddenly deemed were not included in the contract. In addition to that, they began to clean up around the guests at 1030 pm, even going so far as to remove drinks people were still drinking as they were dancing. By the time 11 pm came around the venue had cleaned up most of the tables and made it incredibly clear that we were no longer welcome. My sister came to me at 11 and asked if we could compromise and leave at 1130 rather than at our contract midnight time. Honestly, by this point in time I was tired of the drama and said ok, but I was incredibly annoyed. The owners are still ignoring us. read more

Wow! Just WOW! My youngest was invited to a Birthday party breakfast with.... SANTA! That's right, Santa Claus! Carla (momma of the birthday girl) did a fantastic job in arranging a very special breakfast brought to us my Dickens Tavern. There was Mickey Mouse pancakes, scrambled eggs plain and with cheese, potatoes, bacon and biscuits in gravy! Not to mention a fruit tray, whipped cream and sprinkles to put on the pancakes! The adults were able to access the bar for Blood Mary's & Mamosas! What a true gift for Christmas! Happy 5th Birthday, Peachy! And thank you Dickens for allowing 20+ preschools to run around wild! Santa, it was extra special for you to be there and make all of our little ones smile! Again, nice job Dickens for hosting such a great Sunday morning! read more

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The entertainment was good for the comedy night I attended but the venue does not offer table service. With no waitstaff, you have to stand in line to get drinks and then get in yet another line to get food. Everything comes in disposable containers--paper, plastic, cans and bottles. The lines for refreshments were long and many people were still standing in line when the show started. Food and beverage choices were very limited. Seating was general admission, which means you have to have someone save your seats while you go stand in line for your drinks and food. Also, the show was very short, especially considering the price of tickets at $20 each (I think the entire show was just under an hour and a half). read more

$50 for VIP seating... won't do that again! Doors open at 7, so we went down stairs to get a glass of wine, came back up.. and no glass allowed. The line was so backed up because of their ticket checkin process. Didn't have table service for the first half hour. Went to the kitchen and asked if someone was able to come to our table, and the gal was very defensive saying she just got there and we'll have to wait til she gets to us... even tho we paid extra for VIP seating. As I walked away, she totally went off with her foul mouth to the kitchen staff about how F'in entitled we are.... not impressed. I went to the bar and ordered 2 house cabernets that were served in 4 oz plastic cups and one vodka soda (house vodka, also in a plastic cup... $40. Later, we went up for some water, and it was only bottled water ... for purchase! Last straw, another round of drinks and what we thought was a chef board, was something a 5 year old could have put together in paper tray, $78. And what's with the 3% fee added for the kitchen staff.... that crap ended with Covid, and it's certainly not making the service any better. Pictures show what we got, and how they advertise it on the website. The band was very good, but if you want to see the Long Run, don't see them here. read more

Dicken's Opera House - Chef Board... disappointed for $22...with lettuce, to fill space?? - Music Venues Near Me - Longmont, Colorado

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Where is my review from yesterday? All I see here is reviews from the previous owners of the Dickens Opera House. Yes it used to be a good place. Now it is super overpriced! Services is terrible! Got a beet salad. Upstairs served in a cardboard box. $15 plus tax and tip for, less than 2 ounces of salad, you probably don't believe me, but it was under 2 ounces with no dressing! It had two slices of beet very thin slices! Virgin Mary was $13.50! Yes, no alcohol and $13.50. read more

Well I see why the place gets 3.5 stars and no one was really here at prime dinner hour. Not a lot of g-free options. Ordered the cherry glaze salmon and the salmon was fishy and dry and the sauce super sweet. Wine was average as well at $22 for a 9 ounce poor. Live music and patio were nice. Service decent but won't be back as I require better food when I spend money eating out. read more

This review is for the opera house and not the dining room. This could be a great venue. I have seen at least 5 local bands here and it is always the same thing - you must get there early and wait in line in a fire hazard stairway with rude employees pushing through. Then when you get in expect all the good tables saved by the staff for friends. Take care not to get in the way of inattentive servers at the bar or the bartender will yell at you and you will probably not get a drink all night. Service is slow so the best tip is to double your order. Sound engineering is inconsistent but usually over driven and loud. Sometimes they are spot on and other times it is so bad it detracts from the performances. The dance floor is big and usually crowded. If you get a seat along the dance floor you will likely wear your drink home. The room is beautiful and the talent is usually superb. Too bad the venue owners don't ensure a proper size crowd with appropriate service levels. I would pay a lot more to loose the circus atmosphere and hear (read properly amplified and mixed) band with comfortable room on the dance floor and attentive service. They have turned what should be a nice venue for class acts into a nightclub type atmosphere. Too bad. PS. Reserve seating would be nice so you can loose the stairway craziness and long waits for bad tables. read more

Not bad by any means but I've definitely had better wings else where. This place shines with an rather good interior for Longmont standards and an excellent meeting space for large groups trying to have an event or meeting. I don't have much to say beyond this. But the space seemed popping on. Wednesday which is a good indicator that it's somewhere people want to be. read more

So much fun! You can never have a bad night at the Opera House. Great local Denver bands travel to the Opera House every weekend. A great venue for live music, dancing, and just watching good talent. Excellent bar staff. A great place to meet people and have a good time. read more

Everything the table got was a hit! Great steak and shrimp! Great service! Love the architecture! Will be returning!

This was my first time to visit Dickens Opera house and I thought it was such a great find. My friend took me to see Wendy Woo and I was thrilled to find this gem so close to home. The opera house made you feel like you stepped back into the 1920's. They offered a nice size dance space at the front and plenty of seating throughout. The round booths all along the edge felt so quaint. They have a big bar on the side and offer typical bar grade drinks. Not great wine but oh well. Just stick to beer or a cocktail and you will be fine. I thought it was a little overpriced admission for what they offered, but the entertainment was good. I would love to visit again if they have any good concerts. read more

We recently had our wedding at The Dickens Opera House and everything went beautifully. We live in Houston and planning everything across state lines is tough. The Event Planner was very accommodating and handled everything taking a lot of pressure off of me. The facility is set up nicely with a Brides room on one side and a Grooms room on the other with the main event room in the middle. There is a LOT of character in this building creating a ambiance perfectly fit for a wedding. We arranged for a barbecue buffet that was VERY well received by our guests. Food was good and drinks (soda, tea or water) were included. The staff sat the wedding party at their main table and served us our plates which was a huge convenience. We were allowed to utilize their sound system and microphone to play our songlist and make our announcements which saved us a great deal of money. We brought all our decor to the Opera House, showed them how we wanted it and they set it all up for us. They even had an Arch for us to decorate and use on the stage, and offered the use of any of their other decor. They provided tables,chairs, linens and flatware all at no extra cost. Wedding venues are typically expensive and offer very little however the Dickens Opera House is just opposite of that. SOOOOO much was provided for the money we spent. The food was very fairly priced and there weren't any hidden expenses. Everyone told me something was bound to go wrong and not to worry about it however NOTHING went wrong...everything went off without a hitch. Lynn is amazing and the staff were very helpful. They made my special day amazing! read more

I like this place. I don't love it, but I like it. The food is good, not great. The interior dining room is very old school formal. They're going for historical accuracy from the turn of the 19th century, and succeeded, but, I'm more of a modern interior guy. The upstairs bar and stage, very nice, but, I didn't go for a show. Went for food and as a pure restaurant... It's good, a little overpriced, but good. There are better places for lunch or dinner downtown. They have real competition now. Hopefully they'll up their game before the newer places take most of their business. read more

Years and years ago I spent alot of time in Longmont and used to frequent this little corner spot when it went by another name. En route up to Ft Collins, we decided to stop for lunch and I recognized the spot. We were two of 5 people in the place, 2 of which were working there. We sat down and ordered a couple of beers and some burgers. Now, as I often maintain, a burger is a hard thing to screw up, but even harder to make very well, a middle of the road one is far too easy to find. That's what this place had to offer. It wasn't bad, it did the trick. The fries and onion rings weren't particularly special either. The service was quick, we were greeted promptly and served on time, but the overall service itself was pretty minimal. The person who took our table seemed extremely disinterested, and the other guy behind the bar never glanced our way. When it's that dead I think a little more effort is called for. I don't know if just the name is different or the entire ownership, but the fare looked familiar to me. It took care of our lunch needs, but if I were in town for an extended period of time and not just stopping to eat I'd probably venture elsewhere. read more

At Dickens earlier tonight, been there several times over years.Name kinda new.Tonight sat in bar area,Staff took great care of me.I was by myself. Very hot bartender gal sweet, professional.Tea good Green chili bowl great . Stuff pie ok but I got stuffed cheese on top best part. Bar was dimly lit, I liked, good people watching, wood decor broken in, I liked.Good parking in back,free.give it a try.. peace.....cowboy_ read more

This place is a wonderful area to grab some food and listen to good local music. There are few venues in longmont and this is by far the most unique. There is so much potential the building was built in 1881 which gives this place a great atmosphere, with good music, great people and friendly service how could you not want to stop in? This place is the prime location for live music in longmont. read more

This has been my favorite venue for dancing. As of late they began charging more and more for the bands on the weekends. A moderate to low draw will cover $10/person where a strong following will be $15 or more. The alcohol in the Opera House dance venue is more than in the bar downstairs and a local microbrew is as much as $10 and as low as $7. I don't know why the owners need to gouge the locals for higher priced food and libations. I am glad that they support live music and hope that they pay the bands well. But I doubt I will eat nor drink neither upstairs nor downstairs again. read more

Ordered the philly steak (a few chewy cubed beef pieces in lots of cheese -- it didn't have peppers or onions) sandwich and substituted the fries with sweet potato wedges. I got the bill, it was for$19.00! They said if you substitute an item it's full price -- for that item. Total BS. Very expensive sandwich. No more eating there. Too expensive. The bartender was "snotty" about it. Told me to talk to the owner. A total cop-out. They don't care about their customers. Just the money. What an f-ing joke. read more

So cool to find this place in Longmont. Nice venue and decor - pretty hip and modern. We watched a band play on a Friday night and it was great. Waitresses came around every so often smiling and friendly wanting to serve right away. I didn't feel like we were in Longmont.. more like Los Angeles until you walk out and realize you are in Colorado. Kudos to this place! read more

The venue itself is great and I had such high hopes that the new owners would actually put some effort into luring good bands and music to Longmont. Unfortunately, the owners have taken the easy way out by bringing in the same old, tired "street festival" cover bands that have been boring us to death with their cover songs for years. Bands such as Joe Cool, The Long Run, the Groove Hawgs, Mojo Mama, Hazel Miller frequently litter the stage and serve to draw very few new customers or generate any excitement. Put some effort into bringing in good bands, Dickens! We deserve much better than the same old tired retreads! read more

I'm sad to say that this establishment needs to find Jesus or some worldly marketing help. They erroneously marked us as being "with the band" (who they refused to pay) and decided to be real b-I-t-c-hes. Unbelievably incorrect assessment. We are on the best mother and daughter American experience. I had no clue that her club was having these problems. I will pray that they find an expedient buyer. The bartender was an absolute doll and breath of fresh air for that club owner. Thank you for being so cool. Cooler minds do prevail. We are proof. read more

The Dickens Opera House is on the second level above The Dickens Restaurant. The Opera House has been turned into a nightclub. There's a stage for performers, a dance floor, ample seating, and four pool tables. Longmont nightlife isn't exactly hopping, so it's nice to have a place like this in town. read more

New Year's eve 2019 party was $50 per person. "Doors 7:00 PM, show at 8:00 PM" was a jazz band and "casino night." Doors didn't actually open until 8:20, band didn't start playing until 9:00. That, I guess, is expected every once in awhile; however, the attitude of the Dickens opera house management was awful. They stated to the waiting line of people outside of the closed doors that "these things happen, we can't control if the band and the casino company is late." (The band and casino company had a parade of their equipment that they carried past the line of waiting folks; they apparently didn't even begin setting up until well after 7:00.) The Dickens management obviously didn't think it was their responsibility to manage their chosen suppliers (the band and the casino company), or respond to customers who were complaining about their experience. Their response was essentially, "we really tried, I promise, so just suck it up and keep waiting." My resolution for the new year--only give money to businesses that are managed by folks who are able to demonstrate that they care about their customers' experience, and are able to competently select, control, and manage their chosen suppliers. read more

Great venue for music. I just saw Hazel Miller there and was very impressed with the music, the space, the crowd, etc. Prices were fair, sound system was good , crowd was normal, Hazel Miller was an excellent performer. The only disappointment was that they were out of the appetizer that I ordered. I settled fo rmy 2nd choice, which was decent. read more

What a disappointment! Went there for brunch with a friend, and sorry to say, this was the worst breakfast I have ever had in a restaurant. The eggs were greasy, in fact all of the food on the plate was quite greasy. The kinda toasted english muffin tasted like it had been place on a grill where hamburgers had been cooked. My friend and I like to go out for breakfast on Sundays, and Longmont has some great breakfast restaurants, but I will never go to the Dickens Opera House for any meal, they don't put out a good quality, appetizing plate. Shame! read more

Inviting interior (especially in the bar area), great menu, good tastes, excellent ingredients, and all around very well conceived. Service can be a bit boggled by a rush of customers, but otherwise very friendly. Prices are higher than I'd expect for what you get in Longmont. read more

I came in a while ago for a B-52's cover band concert. They were great. One of the best performances I've seen. It was a nice place. The sound and lighting was good. The staff was helpful. We didn't eat there but I would like to try the food. read more

We had our wedding reception at the Dickens this past weekend 8/22 and could not have been happier! We booked it back in January specifically because we wanted to have our favorite band play, and because we already frequent The Dickens and wanted to have a local reception. Katie was SO great to work with - great attention to detail in helping us plan, always thinking of things we hadn't thought of yet so easy-going. Not your typical wedding planner, but far, far better! She was simply amazing! Countless guests told us it was the best wedding reception they have EVER been to and we have Katie James and The Dickens (and our fabulous band, Last Men on Earth) to thank for that. read more

Always good and reasonably priced. Their pub shrimp is amazing and their chili rellanos are always good

My family is gluten free (not celiac) and we love coming here. The gf gravy is awesome! But they don't have gluten free buns/bread even though there is a gf bakery right across the street! They have a great happy hour with added specials through out the week. Its a historic building with a lot of history to read about. We have only been to one event upstairs and found the same thing as another reviewer said about the up charge on the drinks compared to the dining room/bar on the main level. I'm sure it was the shady bar tender though because I watched him slip a few dollars in his pocket after ringing me out. I just went back down stairs after that. read more

We were on vacation and stopped in on a Sunday night for a bite to eat and a drink. What a GREAT FIND. Excellent band playing: Rachel and The Ruckus. Food was GREAT and we had a great time! Try the adult grilled cheese!!! Two thumbs up! Excellent music venue read more

A great, funky old stage with a variety of acts. Decent pub food, great beer.

I saw stand up comedy here and it was hilarious, the server was excellent, and the food was great. This is a great place to see a show in any town, not just Longmont. I will be back! read more

This place had all the potential to be good, yet they failed in every way. The service was horrible. I never got my drink in spite of asking 4 times. The prime rib was awful after they bragged about it being a signature item. We paid extra for a "loaded" baked potato, yet they only brought butter for the extra few bucks and called it "loaded". Really?! Wendy's does a better baked potato for a fraction of the cost. This next part isn't the restaurants fault, but the outside seating was so loud with all the semi-trucks and motorcycles going by. Very difficult to have a conversation and jarring to the nerves. Especially when your food is bad and you never got your drink. read more

Perfect date night bar. If you want cozy & romantic ask to eat in the wine vault. Food is good and priced right. Atmosphere is charming and I hope they never change it!! There are not enough authentic vintage places anymore! read more

I've been going here on and off for years. The draw for me has been to go hear live music. They have had some very good bands and the sound is good. The food I would say is very good, however pricey for what you get. The service is poor! To me that can make or break an evening. After my last couple of visits ( that have been recently) I'm not sure I'll return. read more

Best place to see a concert in Boulder County. Good food. Great service. The Opera House is a historic venue that has room for large crowds but still has that intimate feel. read more