Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill

We took a bunch of clients here and the waiter insulted our guests. Unbelievable. We dropped hundreds and this place pissed our customer off. Thanks for nothing thirsty lion. Never, ever again.

Very unimpressed. We stood less than 5 feet from the podium for over five minutes, where a host and hostess were standing, and were ignored. Both employees were too engrossed with their seating chart to have any regard for customer service. So we left the restaurant. I called the manager to inform him of his employees behavior and he came off as not too concerned with the appalling behavior of his employees. As someone who has worked in the food service industry I would never treat any customer this way, and refuse to be treated this way at any establishment. I will not be returning to The Thirsty Lion.

This would have to be my favorite around the Union Station precinct. The food is excellent, with great variety and flavor. Come for happy hour and you don’t have to venture of the HH menu. Plenty of TV’S and a great drinks selection. Have come here a few times now and always leave satisfied.

There is an old saying in the food service industry that states; «When a customer has a good experience they tell 1 other person. But when they have bad experience they tell 10.» I am going to tell anyone that will read this review.
The restaurant itself is aesthetically pleasing, with a good deal of space and a fair number of TVs. In fact the beer list and menu are both solid. Based on these facts I would have given the thirsty lion 4 stars.
That being said the the service is inattentive, bordering on rude. Although our waitress was friendly, we waited 10 minutes for our drink order to be taken. Said drink order may never had been taken had I not talked to the hostess. When I politely (I worked in restaurants for 14 years,) attempted to inform the hostess of our dilemma her demeanor and tone, made me feel as though I was bothering her. Furthermore, I had a similar experience with a server in my 10 quest to attain ketchup. I find this to be egregious behavior from individuals in the service industry.
In closing, this place has great potentially but I will not return until I am convinced that they have amended these issues.

Great breakfast. Great service and awesome reasonable pricing. Located next to union square it offers great breakfast at a reasonable price. Their whiskey syrup French toast is a must. We also had sweet potato pulled pork has and that was excellent.

Tasty burger. Juicy and cooked to temperature I ordered. Love the ranch deessing. It’s peppery and looser than most. Lots of TVs for great game day watching. Beer selection is long and diverse. A great sports bar!

Met a friend there on Christmas Day for lunch because it was one of the few places open that day. They have a better than expected menu for a gastropub and even some decent and affordable wines. We sat at the bar and both ordered fancy burgers and a shared a bottle of red wine. Good food and cheerful service on Christmas… what more could you want?

Space was attractive and I’m sure the food is delicious… Unfortunately, we never had a chance to try it. Ordered our drinks and the bartender didn’t return until I had finished my first drink and waited another 10 minutes. Never offered us water, much less the opportunity to order. We decided to check out the pub down the street instead. Too bad for them, we initially walked in with the intent of breakfast, multiple drinks, and buying a gift card. $ 100 lost by one inattentive bartender. On the positive side, our drinks were delicious.

The food was bland. The service was ok though, so that’s why I gave it another star. If someone makes you go with them, get the bacon wrapped BBQ shrimp. That’s pretty good.
Don’t get the pizza. The crust tastes like cardboard. The salmon cakes were missing something, but the sauce was ok. The sliders were bland. Maybe it was just a bad night for them. But I wouldn’t go back for the food!

Cool space, diverse menu, good tasty food, really loud. The Thirsty Lion gastropub has something for pretty much anyone. At first glance, you’d question the seemingly random inclusion of sushi on the menu, but I can at least recommend the burgers.
The tavern burger was amazing and delicious. The peppered maple bacon was incredible and the beers on offer were diverse and tasty.
The only negative in my experience was the noise level. Not that the crowd was too rowdy, but rather they could use some noise dampening panels or roof fixtures.

I have been wanting to check out this place ever since I saw it open at Union Station. Always looked like a very fun, casual sports bar surrounded by some snooty pretentious, and pricy foodie establishments nearby.
The place was fairly busy but the restaurant space is so big that I can’t imagine this place ever having a long wait time. While some have described this place as loud, I had no issues as I prefer loud music rather than being disturbed by the conversations from the other diners nearby. I wanted something light so I ordered the prosciutto flatbread. The flatbread contains a nice mixture of melted cheeses but the best (surprisingly) part about it was the candied hazelnuts that came with the flatbread. The sweet hazelnuts combo with the salty prosciutto was excellent. The servers at the bar were very attentive and the food came out pretty fast. Definitely plan to return to try something else.

There is at least one menu item that this restaurant knows how to make extremely well, and that is the Grilled Salmon with Asparagus Risotto. The dish comes with a moderately tender Salmon, on top of a delicious Risotto.
The Grilled Salmon is cooked quite well, it has a dash of salt and is not overly dry (a common problem with other Grilled Salmon dishes). There is a nice grilled exterior with a somewhat tender interior.
The Risotto has a diverse combo of spices and ingredients that come together to make a tasty foundation for the dish. There are parts of it that are savory, parts that are slightly sweet, and it is fully delicious.
The service is standard, nothing too special here. I also had a taste of some fries and they are a bit bland. Not sure how the rest of their menu plays out, but I had a great time with my order.

Good place to come to if you want to watch some football. It’s very big so there is plenty of seating. TV’s everywhere. Literally right next to Union Station which is a great location. Service was friendly and accommodating.
The food is typical bar food — pizza’s, burgers, appetizers, sandwiches, etc. GREAT beer selection. This is definitely a place to watch sports at and/​or have some drinks.

This is a fun place to go for a happy hour. It’s close to everything. I loved the Grilled Pear & Prosciutto Flatbread! It was delicious! Topped with light arugula and with just the right amount of cheese. Definitely get this if you come here!
The Caprese salad was deliciously refreshing. Great quality mozzarella. I also loved the colorful tomatoes and the basil! They added just the right amount of balsamic to bring out the flavors.
The Scottish Eggs were on the heavier side. They’re breadcrumbs and ham, outside of egg halves. They go well with your drink, especially if you plan on drinking for a while.
I enjoyed their drink special, the Raspberry mojito was fresh and light. Perfect for a summer evening!

Review is for my particular dish, not the restaurant… «Baha Fish Tacos» overall tasty and excellent presentation, but all the goodies they add to the tacos overpower the fish, and you want FISH tacos… Could be they need more fish also… I’ve had other dishes I like better here, and I’m a big fan of the restaurant…
TIP: Definitely ask for outdoor seating on the Union Station side!

Went on a little sight seeing trip to Union Station in downtown Denver.
I asked the valet for lunch recommendations and he said Thirsty Lion was a good bet. He was so right.
By the way, Thirsty Lion validates parking right in front of Union station. $ 10. Supert deal for downtown parking.
Great service, nice atmosphere, indoor and outdoor seating galore.
I started with The Tap Takeover, a sample of six beers for just $ 10. Each sample is 5 ounces, so it’s a killer deal. They have a great beer selection. I didn’t know I could have chosen any six beers to sample, so I had six IPAs. I’m not a fan of IPA, and they were all too hoppy for me. Just know you can pick your beers for the Tap Takeover and you’ll be delighted.
The food was fantastic. All of it. I split the beer battered fish and chips with my dad. They were so cool, they split the plate for us before they served it. Very cool! Also, we had some pulled pork sliders, yes on those. Waldorf chicken salad, another winner, and the rueben sandwich delivered!
For desert we had caramel apple cheesecake. I don’t even like cheesecake, but I actually enjoyed this and so did the rest of us.
While we were dining, Randy, the manager came by our table. Great guy, hard worker, and he runs a wonderful gastro pub.

Let’s talk location! It’s centrally located in downtown Denver right next to Union Station with one of the largest patio’s in Denver. In addition, its proximity to my office makes it an easy choice for lunch or drinks after work.
The drink and food menus are both ridiculously large with something for everyone. For the food, I enjoy the Scotch Eggs, Fried Calamari, and Potato Bacon Cakes from the HH menu. They have an All Day menu, so don’t be surprised to spend closer to dinner prices for lunch.
I have a few issues with the libations at Thirsty Lion. First, I do not appreciate receiving day or two old slices of lemons and limes in drinks I’m paying $ 8+ for. When limes have a brown edge, it’s obvious they were sliced days ago and the taste is bitter and unpleasant (arg!). Please, please slice garnish the day of, it doesn’t take a lot of effort or planning. Second, I find it odd that I cannot order a double for any alcoholic beverage (wha?). Okay, no double, can I have a shot on the side — NOPE, I’ve been told that is a double! Keep getting a spiel about strict Denver regulations on booze from the staff. I do drink at other establishments in Denver (shocker) and can order a double or a shot on the side when I like with no issues — not sure what they’re talking about.
I have a few gripes, but overall Thirsty Lion is a good spot for drinking, eating and people watching on the patio.

Meh. I’ve experienced better. I’ve been here twice now, & I’m not impressed with the food. The food that I ordered could be compared to a Chili’s, because it’s really just sub-​par & nothing extraordinary. I would only come back here for alcohol, because Thirsty Lion does have a nice ambiance to it.
Also, considering Thirsty Lion is at Union Station right along 16^th Street, I expected more. There are so many other nearby options to take advantage of, Denver! Maybe I didn’t order the right entrée & appetizers, but I wasn’t impressed… at all.

Great food, awesome atmosphere and amazing service. If you’re looking for good food in a fun atmosphere this is definitely your spot.
We ordered the spicy Mac and Cheese. I had read other reviews on here saying it’s really spicy so I was hesitant on ordering it. I’m kind of a wimp with spicy food and it has the perfect amount of spice. It was totally tolerable and super yummy. It was creamy cheesy goodness with sausage and bell peppers. I definitely suggest ordering it!
I had the Caprese sandwich with French fries and it was lovely. Chicken, fresh mozzarella, pesto, along with other yummy ingredients. The fries were perfectly crispy.
My friends ordered the fish and chips and the other got the Italian prosciutto pizza. They both loved their dishes. The fish and chips were very fresh and the pizza was super yummy!
We mentioned that it was our friends birthday and our waitress got her ice cream with fresh chocolate sauce. Chantelle (our waitress) was super sweet, she even got a birthday card and had all the waiters to sign it! So personal and sweet!
I suggest getting a reservation so avoid the wait! We got there about thirty minutes early for our reservation and they were able to sit us! Super accommodating and awesome restaurant!

It was Arthur M’s first night in Denver (my current bunkmate and fellow Unilocaler) and we were staying at the Ritz that night (thanks to my flooded apt). We were hungry, and ready to throw down, so we walked down the 16^th Street Mall.
Nothing really popped out (mostly chains) at us until we got near the end. We saw a place with glass walls, propane heaters (the nice standing unit ones), and called a gastropub. It was still a young night at the time (it was about 1730) and didn’t look crowded so we walked in.
Two things I noticed immediately– the hostesses and waitresses, and the décor. They have some decent looking staff! Along for the décor, there is an open kitchen, black walls, a large bar in the center with plenty of TVs, and plenty of seating. They have booths, high tops, regular tables, and plenty of patio seating. This place is a decent size.
The first visit, we got a booth. When we got seated and were handed the menus– i was excited to see the variety. Speaking of variety, they have 52 beers on tap, that can be served in 13,16, or 20 oz glasses. Can’t make up your mind? They have a beer flight, 6 beers @ 4.5 oz for $ 10.
They also have seasonal menus, which had some stellar food– like that pork tenderloin. In fact, that night, I ordered a pretzel, a pizza, then the pork loin. It was a tough walk back to the hotel that night. If it weren’t for the fact the soap in the bathroom shot out at me like something from a porno, I would have gone back the next night.
Last night, Arthur and I planned to go to Mercantile for dinner. But not with a 2 hour wait. So we went back to TL last night. It was busy, but we got seated immediately.
I saw they still had the Winter menu with that pork; I was sold. Got the pretzel again as well. And LOTS of drinks. Thankfully I wasn’t driving! I got another flatbread for dessert. Everything was great last night. Even Arthur said the salmon he ordered was some of the best he has had– and had a nice portion.
And check this out, when I went to the bathroom, the soap dispenser changed! I didn’t have to fear for my pants having unexplainably white stains on them! That alone made my evening.
Forget the Tilted Kilt or Twin Peaks. This place has killer mixed drinks, great beer selection, the staff does’t wear goody outfits, and the food is true to gastropubbery– and it actually takes good! I will definitely keep coming back!