El Chapultepec Too

Kind of seedy place. If you come for the music and a drink, and you can over look some of the imperfections, you’ll enjoy this place. I think the crowd this place attracts can vary based on the band that is playing, (if a band is playing) so its kind of hit or miss in that regard.

Maybe I came here on a bad night with my brother, but I wasn’t at all impressed with this dive bar. Someone was fixing what looked to be a scooter on the main stage, so there wasn’t any live music. The place was filled with regulars, none of whom seemed to be having much fun. The bartender/​waitress was very friendly and nice, so that was good. I probably need to come back again when they are playing some music to get a better sense of the place, but on first impressions I have little reason to want to come back. The light beer was cheap, probably the cheapest I’ve ever paid at a bar, so that was a plus. I guess you need to go at night to be entertained by something other than the mechanic working on a piece of machinery.

good music! the blues are alive and well in Denver. A Memphis boy is impressed.

Wow. Totally unexpected! Not sure what to say.
Local dive, Jazz/​Blues bar.
Super friendly staff. Not the cleanest spot. But it’ll do. They have live music every Friday. The band that played when we were there was great! The girl that was singing with them could really wail! That said, I don’t think it would have been as much fun if the band wasn’t there.
They don’t have a very large menu and when we were there you couldn’t order half the stuff on it??? We settled on the tacos, 3 for $ 5. They were under seasoned, but decent. Drinks were strong and fairly cheap. I had a fun time and would check it out again.

Despite them having… erm… «interesting» karaōke, I just can’t give them more than 3 stars. If it weren’t for the karaōke, I may not even give two. Then again, I probably wouldn’t have gone were it not for karaōke, and if a tree falls in the woods… you know.
Well anyway, there is something about little divey-​dives that feature karaōke that ALSO feature way overpriced, way weak, way crappy wells (crappy for a wells – take my word it’s possible). And that do NOT offer drafts, drink specials, or the acceptance of plastic. Oh, good. I get to pay a $ 2.50 service fee on top of my $ 6 well because I had to use the ATM to pull cash to cover the drink cost. And I can’t karaōke on just one drink (especially the drinks there), so I’m pulling out all the stops…
I’m drinking…
oh god…
Coors Light.
Because it’s the cheapest thing I could figure out to drink and it was still $ 3.25 a bottle. Can’t you buy a sixer of that garbage for like $ 5? But I digress. Surely I will try the karaōke scene here again, but NOT before pregaming (and mid-​gaming out in the parking lot). Oh, and don’t be misled by the «FOOD» ad on their marquee – it’s nothing more than a vending machine with chips. Nothing but class at the El C-​Too.

Super nice staff. Family owned. I like it!
Came here for one last drink before heading home on Fri night. Myself, my boyfriend and my friend decided on the taco, burrito and tostada as a late night meal after 1:30am, I believe? Ummm, yum!
Food is really appetizing and fast. The burrito almost burnt my lips off (spicy) but the tostada and hard shell taco are where it’s at.
Also — they kept experimenting with some pineapple drink/​shot and we were happy to taste test! Will be back to hear the music I’ve heard so much about!

I had my eye on this bar after I saw the sign on the roof proclaiming happy hour starting at 6 or 7am. Now this is a place that must be full of some happy hour loving people like myself! To start that early and then do it all again in the evening, that is dedication. Funny thing is… I’ve never been here during happy hour! And I like it enough to keep coming back no matter what time it is. Anna is a wonderful, sweet bartender who helped me arrange a birthday party here for my husband last fall. We did it up just how he wanted: beer pong, pitchers of PBR, Frogger, pong on the big screen, Journey on the jukebox. Does this sound like your worst nightmare? Well, don’t judge based on this alone. The flip side of this cool dive bar is the live jazz that draws in more than just a neighborhood crowd. They also show movies on their big pull-​down screen at different times on Sundays. There are many types of infused vodkas in the center of the bar too. I first happened across this place on a Friday night bike ride with friends, and unexpectedly this turned into a regular stop on the Highlands Cruise. I spent a wacky Christmas Eve here too and though the regulars weren’t there and some unfriendly folks were, we still had a blast playing Christmas music on the jukebox and watching the yule log burn on the tv screen. If you live nearby and haven’t checked it out, I definitely would — you won’t find a more appreciative and friendly staff.

Great little dive bar/​blues club in the Highlands!
Small stage, but really good acoustics. Went there to see the Jack Hadley Band, my boyfriend played the drums, and had a great time! If you do get board you can play vintage video games on the big screen, watch sports, or play ping pong! (Random, yes… but fun!)
It wasn’t packed, but the mix of people was great. I broke down and tried the chicken wings… and I must say, while they took longer than usual, they were awesome! I don’t usually eat ‘bar food.” I was glad I made an exception this time. «Blackie», the cook, makes a mean wing! It was a seriously substantial wing with tons of flavor. He told me he makes his own batch of hot sauce, and it definitely rivals Franks! In fact, it’s better!
Hats off to you EL C TOO…

Dive Bar? YES!
Smell of beer? Check!
Adorable elderly regulars sitting around the bar? Hells yeah!
Cheap drinks? AFFIRMATIVE
Accommodating super sweet staff? Damn right.
Convenient for getting drunk and getting home safely??? Yes, if you have a bus pass or live in the neighborhood…
I dig this place. It’s the kind of place that you park in the parking lot and wonder if it’s really open. and if it is why there are only 2 cars. It’s like Snooks (a now defunct dive bar in Thornton) and the people who keep it running are you standard average Joe’s who need a decent Happy Hour. Long live Average Joes!
I think they also have live music here, but I’m just assuming from the sound system and miniature stage… not experience.

SOOOOOOOO much better than the original joint over in Lodo. I’m sorry, but a bunch of whiny elitist snobs does not a jazz bar make. I’d much rather have a discussion with a crazy drunk local about metaphysics than listen to another yuppie turd try to impress me with his ability to recite John Coltrane’s life history
Whew, good to have that off my chest.
Now the place is small, the sound is nothing stellar, but as previously mentioned you MUST go for the jam sessions. I’m really not all that keen on listening to covers of the classics, I like when they just let loose and play what they feel. On to the cash issue… yes its annoying, but when you frequent the place as much as I do, you get over it and adapt.
The bar has a unique mixture of the middle-​class highlands crowd and the Hispanic locals which is great. I’ve come here many times by myself and sat for hours talking at the bar with random strangers and never have I felt uncomfortable. And the owners? Just about the nicest people you will ever meet.
So if you want to feel inadequate and have some dick with a goatee snub you because you don’t know the complete works of Benny Goodman then by all means, go to the one in Lodo. But if all you want to do is just listen to some good local jazz without needing to feel superior, this is your place!

This place used to have one of the best Jam sessions in the state on Wednesday nights, sometimes people came all the way from Greeley just to sit in on a few tunes! Since they canceled the jam sessions, I’ll have to go elsewhere to play music w/​other jazz players.
It is a cash only bar, and there are no beers on tap (bottles only).

They finally have the sound figured out a little better with the speakers mounted over the stage. I like that this place is still a mix of the neighborhood people pre and post gentrification of north denver. The owners are as nice as can be and do all that they can to keep music and more specifically jazz music happening in someplace other than downtown. I don’t know if what little they can afford to accomplish to the interior will be enough to appeal to the new north denverite but I like the changes I see every time I go to hear music here. I’m still rooting for them to succeed.

Oh boy. I showed up a little too early I guess — the local happy hour crowd was still in full force at 8pm and I was targeted for conversation by a «drinking-​since-​7am» regular. His opening line was «Hey bud, not to offend you but you look like a realtor.» I’m not. Then a few moments later, «Hey bud, not to offend you, but did you know you are in a thug bar?» I pointed in the direction of 3 ladies in their 50’s that walked in and asked «What gang are they in?»
The bartender was apologetic saying «we really are a jazz bar, this is just the happy hour crowd which is totally different». Whatever, not the end of the world. I held my own in conversation and made a new, if inebriated, friend. Regardless, the place is a bit of a mess and the group I saw wasn’t very solid. The sound is bad. The building itself looks ragged and unmaintained. I’m not sure if they get better acts at this place or not. I’m probably not going to go out of my way to find out.

I decided to have a ramble around my new neighborhood, heard music playing inside this club as I walked by, and decided to drop in.
I was glad I did!
Turns out the Denver Jazz Orchestra plays there every Monday night at 8:00. I stayed for almost four hours.
The music was great, and so was the company. Friendly locals at the bar to buy you drinks and tell you where to get a good pizza, serious jazz enthusiasts to tell you where to catch the best shows in town. The band members themselves were very friendly and chatty with the crowd during their breaks. Even the owner, an elderly navy seal named Jerry, sat down at the bar to enjoy the show.
The prices were moderate. Five dollar wells.
I didn’t try any food from the kitchen, so can’t speak to that.
Overall, pretty awesome. I’ll be back on Mondays, and probably a few days in between.