The Tailgate

Closing
Maybe this used to be a great place to meet, eat and drink before Pepsi Center events but those days are long long gone.
The staff knows they are closing and really doesn’t seem to care about doing their jobs till the end and it shows.
Food= over priced and noticeably lacking in care of preparation.
Sad
I plan to meet about 30 members of my Avalanche supporters Facebook group here before tonight’s game. Not expecting much as far as service and after Friday’s experience I will eat elsewhere beforehand.

Once Again, I kick myself for not listening to Unilocalers… and what a shame… This location and building is great… But the food and beer was substandard. They need an overhaul.
The menu was sparse… and basic, as if someone generates it off their home computer. I ordered a Greek Salad, but then changed my mind while the waitress was present, and asked her about the Pizza… Her reply was that it was great… Sorry,… it was terrrible!
Thats one place they can try to start their improvement campaign. Truly, DiGiorno frozen pizza is miles above this stuff.
As fate would have it, both items were brought out… so I sent the salad back… sorry for the mis-​communication. I also ordered a Dale’s Pale Ale… what came out was not Dales… Baffled at that one, I had them switch over to Sierra Nevada, but I was skeptical of that one too. Dirty Taps, Maybe…
The atmospere is dated, but that isn’t the issue… good food and drink can get you past that… They need to re-​look at how the kitchen and Bar is being run, and bring in a food expert that can help them get back on track… Otherwise, we know their fate–

Went before an avalanche game. Pizza was good. Service was terrible asked for water five times. It was uncomfortably hot in the restaurant (and I’m always cold). Had a pitcher of blue moon that was flat. Would have been better off eating at the Pepsi center.

Food was good. The selection is really small, at least from the basement.
Service was really slow but I think it was probably isolated to a single waitress but who knows? Isn’t that why you look at multiple reviews? :)

After getting some really bad service at Brooklyn’s we stumbled here and it did not disappoint. Decent selection on tap. Staff is friendly and even when the bar was slammed my barside table got good service. Good place to come watch a game or to pregame for Avs.

The only reason this got any stars was just as another review said… the AMAZING bartenders in the basement area! My last visit was after the nuggets/​lakers game and they blocked off the basement area and just had people in the upstairs… which was horrible, staff was slow and I waited about 3x as long to PAY for the 3 drinks we had and finished than the total amount of time I spent in the place. OPEN UP YOUR BASEMENT ALWAYS!

This review would have been a 1 if it were not for the amazing bartenders in the basement area. The managerial staff was unpleasant and unorganized. We called for several weeks prior to a Nuggets game in order to get space for 30 people. Numerous messages were left with no return call. We decided to chance it and went anyway while management continued to be less than helpful Michael and Adam the bartenders were amazing. Very helpful and friendly. They were attentive to our large group and made the night! Thanks guys!

Grabbing a bite before the Nuggets/​Avalanche/​Broncos game? Of course you are. Why the hell else would you be here? Lucky for you, this isn’t a bad option, and especially shines if you’re with a good sized group.
Star 1: How was the service and atmosphere?
The Tailgate is about as straightforward as they come in terms of Sports Bars. You’ve got the bar, loads of both upstairs and downstairs seating, and more TVs than you could ever imagine. Combined with relatively friendly service, a good passionate crowd and great proximity to the venues, The Tailgate is your best option within walking distance to Pepsi. Star Granted.
Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost?
You know, for as overpriced as pre-​game grub can be, The Tailgate really does impress. Yes, their menu is very, very limited (at least when I came before the Broncos/​Chiefs game on Sunday), but for $ 14 I got an absolutely massive pizza that could have easily fed me for three meals:
Star Granted.
Stars 3 and 4: How was the food?
Wow. I never expected to be surprised by a dish on a standard bar menu, but Green Chili Pizza? Holy hat. So you’ve got pizza yeah? Well now, throw in handmade dough/​crust, replace the boring tomato sauce with Green Chili Sauce, replace the boring Mozzarella with Jalapeño Jack, and make the topping Jalapenos and Chorizo. My God… this IS my perfect pizza. I’d never experienced anything like this, and from top to bottom (literally), it was absolutely brilliant. Dual Stars Granted.
Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could?
This is tough because The Tailgate is a location driven by a specific purpose. Will this be my go-​to Pre-​Game location? Without question, but outside of that there are so many amazing options along nearby Blake and 16^th Street that I can’t recommend going out of your way to come here unless you’re going to the game later. No Star Granted.

This is right across from the Pepsi Center. They are only open when the Pepsi Center is open, although they are starting to open for Broncos games, too.
This place is nothing fancy — a limited menu, but everything I have had is well done. Downstairs is open seating, with a slightly smaller menu.
They have a few salads, but their mainstays are burgers sandwiches and pizza.
The salad I had was the Bacon Blue. No iceberg lettuce (yeah!) and plenty of bacon and walnuts. The Carnitas flat bread sandwich is to die for! I can’t even describe it, but if you like smoky pork and black beans, this is a must. Finally we had the Meat pizza. Lots of toppings on a chewy New York style crust. The beer list is extensive, and the service is attentive without being intrusive.
They’ve only been open since December 10^th, and we’ve been there three times already!