Charlie Brown's Bar & Grill

Charlie Brown’s Bar & Grill sits in the northwest corner of the storied Colburn Hotel at 980 Grant Street in Denver. The Colburn Hotel was built beginning in 1925 under Judge Ernest A. Colburn, a former county judge turned mining magnate. It opened its doors in May 1928, boasting modern luxuries of its era: circulating ice water, steam-heated garage, and a rooftop garden with sweeping mountain views. Its second “South Tower” was completed later (1931–1936), though a planned third tower was never realized after the Great Depression tightened finances. Though the building was a hotel, a bar has occupied part of it since at least the mid-1940s. Prohibition in Colorado began early — Colorado went dry at midnight December 31, 1915, preceding national Prohibition by years. After repeal, the Colburn’s bar pursued a liquor license, but the city resisted for years until a ruling by the Colorado Supreme Court granted it. In 1964, under new owners, the bar was christened “Charlie Brown’s” — a name chosen simply because they liked it, and it has stuck ever since. Over the decades, Charlie Brown’s has cultivated a reputation as Denver’s “Cheers” — a piano bar, neighborhood grill, gathering place, and refuge for a broad clientele: couples, regulars, students, professionals, even celebrities. Among its colorful past, beat-generation figures like Neal Cassady, Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac reportedly visited the Colburn Hotel and frequented its bar in the 1940s–1950s. Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando are also said to have stayed in the hotel when filming Westerns in Colorado. In 1990, George Andrianakos purchased Charlie Brown’s, and under his stewardship the bar has maintained its vintage charm and enduring appeal. Its nightly piano sing-alongs have become a signature draw, and the bar frequently wins local “best of” honors — including Best Patio, Best Late-Night Happy Hour, and more. Though the Colburn Hotel ceased functioning as a traditional hotel by the late 1980s, the building was transformed in recent years into residential use, preserving much of its historic character. Meanwhile, Charlie Brown’s remains a lively, independent bar & grill — still blending food, music, history, and community under one roof.