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I have been at Fado many times and on different days of the week. But I try to go there Monday's night every time I could to enjoy a drink, good food and Irish music session with wonderful people around to chat.
Every Monday night they have a Traditional Irish Session, when people get together to play Irish music. I have not seen many people on winter time, but that does not make the place less enjoyable. Just the opposite, really nice people who enjoy Irish culture and music.
My last time there a friend of mine ordered fish and chips. That one was ridiculous tasty and very well prepared. The portion was so huge, we were three people to eat and everybody was very satisfied. Guinness to complete the party.
This is one of the places I use to go when I need to get my spirit lifted and enjoy few hour on a happy atmosphere.
I have never been a fan of this place but I most certainly won't even be a patron at all any more.
Their trivia sucks, not because of the TJ, but because the quality of the sound system and set up of the restaurant for this type of event. There is not a room for the trivia, you sit wherever all over the bar. And, since the sound is crap, you can't hear anything. So, just give up and drink.
In general, there is Irish beer. If you are not a fan, the non-Irish beer selection is pretty slim pickins. I dig the occasional Guiness, but prefer my wheat brew. This is not Fado's fault, they are an Irish pub, I should go elsewhere when I want my wheat beer. So, I will.
What IS their fault is waiting until the huge group went outside for a photo op to clear the tables. WTF? We had 4 full beers on our table which all conveniently disappeared by the time we returned from the photo, requiring us to buy more. When we asked about where our beer had gone, our server gave us a shrug and ran off, acting like she had a really important order to put in the computer.
There are SO many better places to go in this area. I'll be taking a pass on Fado's in the future.
Irish Disneyland. That's all it is.If this place is Irish, then I'm Nelson Mandela.
I appreciate the fact that they show rugby and football games but here's the thing, When I show up and understand that there is a cover to watch said football game I'm cool. When the satellite is out for 70% of the game and you still charge everyone full price, that's shady bottom line business.
The food is what you'd expect and it's good once it gets to you. The staff while friendly, wanders around like Ray Charles with plates in their hands with no idea where to go.
It's expensive...that's the worst part. I don't mind paying a fair price but it's like a corporate game of dare. "I dare you to see how much you can charge the masses before they stop coming in."
Not a fan, and as I have been to Ireland a number of times, it's laughable and they pray on naive and the youth.
This review is long overdue. I am not much of a fan of beer, but this place is pretty cool. I went there on a trivial night, but unfortunately I didn't know anything. They DO have some good American food and a good selection of beer, which is not listed on the menu for some odd reason. It's all in the waiter's heads.
My favorite place to go when you want to order a beer, sit at the bar or outside and not have to explain your choice in good beer. No one is there asking about Bud or Coors and everyone knows what Boddington's is all about.
Love the staff. Always helpful and always willing to offer you something even when you don't know what you're craving. I love the food too. As long as you're not trying to order things that are low fat- you'll love it!
I've been here dozens of times and whether it's a large group or just me and my husband- we always leave happy!
I recently went back to Fado for some Confederations Cup action with a couple friends, and absolutely HAD to update my review.
I want to like Fado. I want to love it, really. But time and time again service is so slow I'd swear that there's no one actually working there. The staff is friendly enough, if completely oblivious to the fact that they're slower than death at slinging drinks and bringing food, but they're either understaffed or just unwilling to provide for requests in a timely manner.
I showed up at 11a, had a beer, and all was good. My tab was at the bar, not with a server, though I was not sitting at the bar. Not a big deal, I don't mind walking to and from the bar to get a drink. However, he brought me another patron near me a beer at one point, and when I asked the waitress to transfer my tab, he overheard me, and said he'd get it for me. 35 minutes later I had to walk back to the bar, wait 10 minutes at the bar just to get his attention, and then get it from him. And it was poorly poured at that! (it was a guinness, after all.)
One of the people at a table near me, ordered an Irish Breakfast at 12:30 or so, just as the USA v. Brasil match was getting under way. After reminding the server three times, his meal finally arrived at 2:30. I ordered fish and chips at 2:10 ish, and by the time I tabbed out at 3:00 they never arrived.
I'm sick of this place not taking itself seriously. it is indeed a bit of a theme park of an Irish Pub, but they're understaffed, lazy, and have no interest in improving. It's a great pub atmosphere, if a little kitschy, but that doesn't make up for the fact that if there are more than 50 people in the bar, it's going to take you an hour to get food and 20 minutes to get a drink. I've been to establishments with much higher volume that handle their service so much better.
I don't think I'll be going back to Fado.
I've been to Fado many many times and there are two things I don't like.
The crowd and the Price.
I…
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OK I know Fado is a chain, but it doesn't have a chain feel to it. Maybe that's why I like it so much. My husband and I checked out this Fado location before going to the Diamondbacks/Rockies game on Monday night.
We sat inside at the bar, where we were waited on by two very friendly and attentive bartenders - Lauren and Tyler - who we chatted with a bit. We shared the cheese dip and wedges which is our favorite item on the Fado menu. Some of the wedges were tad on the crispy side, while we perform them on the softer side. But we still ate every bite. We each had one drink (me: Harp; husband: Smithwick's) which ran about $5.50.
The close proximity to Coors Field makes it a good option if you want good beer before or after the game. Plus the large patio is a great location to knock some back on a nice day.
Thanks to all of the people who suggested that I check out Fado as a place to watch the World Cup Qualifiers. Fado is a great place to watch soccer and enjoy a brew. The people are friendly and the pub atmosphere is very nice.
I also happen to think they're pretty special for hosting the annual St. Baldrick's hair cutting event (to fight kids' cancer). I just found out about this the other day.
I will be back!
How happy we were to find out this is also the Cal Bears bar! Was surprised to see the staff wearing Bears' Tee's and find out the manager had them made for the staff. They had programmes, and special promos just for us - and our own room to watch the game. You have to love a bar that goes out of its way to make its customers feel at home, and doesn't just take your money. I am really, really impressed with the service at this place and highly recommend them for any special event you might be planning at a bar.
OK, I admit that I am a sucker for a bar that shows rugby games - combined w/nachos that use potato… Read more »
Fados is like a crappy theme park of an Irish Pub. How so? Well aside from being a bottom-line, corporate-minded, national chain...it's often packed with folks and over-charges for everything. Also, on each occasion I've been here, they've seemed to pride themselves on non-existent service. The staff are nice-enough...when they finally get around to your table. Then go ahead and order Shandy (that's half beer and half ginger ale). Fados uses Sprite, which is sacrilege enough, but it's $5.50. Mind you...it's half a beer. AFter you've wrapped your mind around that, order food and you'll wait just as long for that as you did to get a server. We were here on trivia night and the kicker was, the bar even left us waiting forever for our prize.
I realize this suits the non-discerning, downtown element just fine, but if you're reading this, I imagine you're looking for some modicum of goodness. Don't be like others and give the Irish a bad name by assuming any place that claims to be an Irish Pub and serves Guinness is worthy of praise and patronage.
When I lived in Denver, I would spend many Wednesday evenings at Fado enjoying a black and tan and listen to live Irish music performed by the Clancey's.
I love their Ruben sandwich on marble rye bread and their chips are very delicious. If you don't like crowds, check the place out of lunch. I never had bad service when I went there, and I was a regular for two years.
Well, you see I'm a geek who drinks, by association. In all fairness my guy is geeky and drinky, and I tag along to reap the fun. Every week my yelp Friends and I go to a different bar in the Denver Metro area to have a geeky good time. I've decided that Fado is my favorite place. Yes, I've only been there three times but here's why my vote is Fado.
They have an incredible location. It's so cool and historic and even visually stunning. The patio is amazing. Huge, and cozy, and has speakers and wait stations right out there, it's like another room of the bar, but sunnier with a better view. The bar itself is rustic with lots of woodworking details and several separate rooms. It's big.
The food is pretty good too. It's got to be some of the best bar food we've had while touring the geeks locals.
Yes, I'm a fan, of Fado Irish Pub, and an even bigger fan of Geeks Who Drink.
If you are in the mood for an Irish pub, go to a real one. Fado is a corporate chain stamp out - the antithesis of what an Irish pub should be. Fado is not unique, it's not quaint, it's not awesome.
They have strategically covered off on all things Irish to be authentic...but failed.
I will say that Fado's location is totally prime - especially during baseball season. So If you go for that reason and not to partake in the "Irish Pub Experience" - I won't be mad at you. If this is your top spot to go to for St. Patrick's Day - you are lame.
Other than being impossibly loud and full of 22 year olds, "Irish Disneyland" as one of my friends quipped is a fantastic place. The ambiance is out of this world; after a few hours and 10-12 Guinness in one of thier little nooks, you are sorely dissapointed to discover, upon stepping outside, that you are not in Ireland. The music is fantastic, it would be better if you couldn't hear it from Ireland, but hey, its a Denver nightclub.
Not many people realize that Fado is open for lunch, and thier food is "Guinness Good"... and that is high praise indeed.
Hubby and I have been here multiple times and Hubby even had an event here.
The staff is always great, be it serving dinner or serving our drunk crowd in the back room! Always a smile and always a full glass - beer or water!
The food is great! I went with the Rueben the first time - OMG yummy, and this time I did the Guinness BBQ Chicken sandwich. Very yummy. I have never been on a game (baseball) day, so I can't describe what happens when it is beyond crowded! They do open for lunch directly at 11:30, so don't come early!
There is a wide variety of beer and a full bar and trivia on one of the nights by Geeks who drink! Fun place where you aren't rushed!
If you're homesick for Dublin yard sales, you've come to the right place. Or if you enjoy Guinness drawn properly, even better. I've heard there's better Guinness in Denver, but I haven't had it yet (although Nallens could be a tie). After viewing a 'Guinness workshop' here, it was clear this is a pub that takes pints seriously.
Typically quiet during afternoons and early evenings, it can become an overly festive gathering later on weekends or during evenings with live music. There's also a decent selection of whiskey and scotch, and one of the few bars downtown where the servers know what Setanta is.
If you make it to the menu, start with the smoked salmon or the light serving (but excellent) of sliders. The corned beef and chicken pie are great pub choices here, and the curry is not bad. Finish with the black & tan brownie, their signature Irish coffee or more Guinness! No, nay, never, will I play the wild rover no more.
Still deciding whether or not I like this place.
On the positive side, I thought the food was good. I had one of their Guinness BBQ Chicken Sandwiches. The chicken breast was very juicy and their bbq sauce (which you couldn't tell if their was Guinness in it or not.) was good, really good. The type I would buy on a normal basis if it could be purchased in a grocery store.
Since I enjoyed their food, I will have to try their wings the next time I go there. I fought so hard not to get them that night, but I had trivia and didn't want to be too preoccupied with eating and not paying attention to the game.
Other than the food and the fact that I had a great time with my fellow Yelpers, theirs not much else that I have good to say. The service wasn't that great. Actually it was the speed of the service that bugged me. Before the place had got packed, the waitress took some time to deliver our first drink order and then after giving us menus to order food, she again took her time in taking our order. It did seem as though there were not a lot of staff on hand that night, but still. Not our fault and nothing was mentioned to that fact, so how were we to know it would take some time to get our meal.
They have an okay selection of beers, from what I saw. Which was fine as I was their for a (couple of) Black and Tan. I was denied from the previous place we went to for GWD and was happy that I wasn't here as well.
Overall Fado is an okay place. Easily a nice place for tourists/locals who happen to be in the area, for a baseball game, but not a place I would got to on regular basis.
My experience at Fado was a mish-mash of occurrences. Since I'm a glass half-full kind of girl let's talk about the positives first.
They have pretty decent food. I had a pear and blue cheese salad that I would easily eat again and again. We also shared a giant sampler that had quesadillas with a tangy sauce that I really enjoyed.
They also have a lot of beers on tap that I like. I particularly like that I can get half Guinness and half Cider. Even if I call it a Snakebite and they call it a Black Velvet. As long as it's what I want then that's fine by me.
There is a giant patio and tons of seating so it's great for large groups of people. And the trivia is super fun.
As for my complaints, it was really only one - the service. It was weird. Our server didn't give us any attitude, she even happily split checks. But, she so rarely came around that we often just got stuff for ourselves. Half our group started ordering from the bar. And occasionally she'd come by and take drink orders from 1 or 2 of us and then leave before anyone else could ask for anything. It got kind of ridiculous.
The highlight was when someone at our table knocked over a full beer and broke the glass. We all had to use our napkins to wipe everything up, even going to the bar to get more napkins, (By the way the bartender just looked at us with that "It's not my job to clean up your table with broken glass, it's your server's," gaze. But, our server was gone from our area for so long she never even realized we had broken a glass or spilled a beer.
I'll bet we could have drank twice as many beers if she would have paid a little more attention to us. Considering some of us only had one beer it wouldn't have been a lot more attention required.
The place is okay, but honestly I can't see myself going back here on my own suggestion.
This is one of those times I wished Yelp allowed half stars. I would happily do 2.5 stars.
So I have been here before just not in a while and it all came flooding back as I hung out to play trivia.
S-L-O-W service. Now I been to trivia nights a bunch of other places and not had too much trouble getting my iced tea refilled or others at my table getting a beer. I will say I did see our waitress running around a whole bunch so I would say this is more of a management problem than the waitress. Hello? On busy trivia nights you might need more than one waitress for the whole place. Just an idea?
Food. Just meh. I had the corned beef, potatoes, and cabbage. Large portion. Expensive. Not a lot of flavor and I don't cook much, but I think I could have spiced this up better than they did. Sad. It also gave me a tummy ache later that night. Boo.
As for the trivia that was the best part of the experience. Our team came in 3rd. Would I go back? Only for trivia. I wouldn't eat there and I would be sure to bring my water bottle.
Monday's night are insane at Fado's!!! Crowd was good, the place was packed and they have live Irish music every Monday starting at 8pm, which is a lot of fun!
I actually had some food this time, tried their corned beef and cabbage, whic was very lean and a huge portion. It was good.
I spent New Year's Eve at Fado on my first visit to Denver in 2006. My friends and I blamed the lack of patrons on the snow storms (to which I said, dude, I'm from southern California and I'm out ... I thought Coloradans were known for cowboying up!) . That experienced sucked hard and I really questioned whether or not I wanted to move to what I perceived to be a very boring and tame city.
Well, in moving here, I learned Denver is anything but.
But Fado still sucks. We went there for a friend's birthday on Saturday night and it was STILL dead. Where is everyone? Where's the energy? Where's the personality? So incredibly bland and tame. It's a great structure, but no soul. Not a fan in the least.
I recommend against going here, unless you're content with a bland, tame and soulless Irish pub.
I had a great time here! There was some 80's band that didn't really fit the whole Irish theme but they were outstanding! The food here is pretty good, I had a "chicken boxy quesadilla".... it was an irish quesadilla, hell yea!! I mowed that bad boy down. The Guinness flows like a river here but the whiskey list doesn't have very many options. I was especially dissapointed with the whiskey because that is the indicator of how great a pub is... it was proof that Fado is mainstream. I'm surprised I made it to Fado considering they are located next to Sing Sing (PUKE BLEH)... I thought the smell of axe body spray, bachelorette parties and lame might bleed into Fado but I think they were able to install some kind of invisible Sing Sing Idiot blocker at the front door... GREAT JOB FADO!!! Thank you for keeping me out of trouble.
I noticed the bar tender (male), helped me out before some cute girls that were standing there before I was, haha. I told the bar tender to help them out and he gave me the thumbs up wink...? I guess he does this on purpose, connecting guys with these types of girls... It really would have worked if I was interested in something other than my Girl Friend.
I noticed a couple of things... 1. There are women everywhere 2. There wasn't too many douchebags.
I know there was a douchebag named "Gary" at Fado... only because my friend was getting hit on by him. Seriously, he failed... haha, he called my friend a Nissan (The one he was hitting on) then said he hated Nissan's... while he was trying to talk to her... I was lost. I think the funniest part about Gary's skill was the fact that he had a friend with him who didn't really say anything, maybe he was supposed to be the bouncer...lol...so we named him "Ace"... At least we could brand them appropriately, Ace and Gary = Ambiguously Gay.
Well, let me tell you, I was entertained by Fado and I think they did a great job of keeping the idiots away. They get 4-stars for being great and they lose one because of how predictable this pub is.
in the not even pretending to be healthy category, the "wedges and Cheese" freakin rock! I had the fish and chips once too, ok. Nothing to write home about.
Friendly staff, and so long as you don't need a projector, meeting are cool there.
Typical chain Irish pub vibe but set up like a TGI Friday's - in that it is a sprawling series of rooms and has a bunch of junk all over the walls.
Did not eat - hard to screw up a half&half and it was the one place I got a nice patio seat in Denver during the DNC, which was excellent for drunk-people-watching.
Somewhere i'd read that Fado was a soccer bar, in the event i needed one a couple years ago while in Denver. Turns out, the other night, we were in fact seeking one, hoping to watch the US team's world cup qualifier. While walking in the general area, we noticed it across the parking lot and said hey, i think that's a soccer bar--they'll put the game on for us.
Sure enough, they had EPL highlights on, so we knew we were in the right place. They were also helpful in trying to find obscure college football games for the other folks i was with.
They also poured decent Guinness and really pretty great food; i had a chicken sandwich with Guinness barbecue sauce that was awesome. The sauce, that is. i employed the french fries in the cause of sweeping up every drop.
And as an added benefit, we weren't even the only ones watching the soccer game, and could hear clapping across the room for the goals.
Plenty of worse ways to spend an afternoon besides eating, drinking, and watching soccer, and this is a fine place for that kind of thing.
Honestly, I was a little disappointed, but wait...let me explain about what! I've visited Fado in both Chicago and Seattle and they are usually pretty hopping places with a busy crowd.
I went to Fado Wednesday and despite the wonderful and awesome Brian and Brendan Clancy playing traditional Irish music, there was hardly anybody there.
I stopped in again Thursday night and while the patio was packed, there was again barely anybody inside and that persisted until the bar closed. Maybe it's because Denver people would rather be enjoying the rooftop patios up on the Blake bars, but despite the patio always being full...the inside was usually dead.
I returned Friday night hoping that the situation would change, but when I showed up around 9pm, I was again disappointed. I took off soon after so I can't say if it picked up or not but maybe it's just a summer thing... *shrug*
Besides the odd lack of an inside crowd, I have nothing else negative to say. Good 'ol Fado delivers again in its accurate decor.
Poor Fado's seems to be getting a bit of a bad rap.
Yes, it's gimmicky, but that's par for the course if you're an Irish pub chain, yes? It 's as if someone bought an authentic Irish pub then couldn't decide what they wanted to decorate it with, so they used EVERYTHING they could find.
However, I recall several fun bands playing there (good backdrop stuff to kind of dance to) and they have all the requisite beers on tap. Also, the proximity to Coors Field makes it a great place to hit after a game. It's big enough that even when a crowd floods in you can generally snag a table, or at least a stool.
If Disney made an Irish ride at one of their theme parks, this is what it would look like.
Old fireplaces with chimneys that go nowhere, old accordions laying on tables covered in dust that has been painstakingly glued on, some pictures of the ol' country hanging about... everywhere.
I was only in this place for about 1 beer, before I had to get outside for air. Between this place and Sing Sing, there is really no reason to be in this area. Ever.
This is a cool place to go on a thursday night after work, or before a rockies game. Its across the pedestrian bridge from Coors Field, so its a quick walk, plus the food is a lot better here than at the ball park. On thursday nights they have pub trivia night. This is a lot of fun. Tons of teams playing trivia for bar prizes and money off drinks. Got to love that stuff. The only down sides are that sometimes the service is a little slow, and it can be hard to find( just look for the chop house, its next door). But for a good pint of Guinness its a good place.
This is a cool Irish pub, big and loud and packed on the weekends. I am not sure how authentic it is, but it is fun. Good food, great beer and the staff is usually pretty cool. They throw a great party for St.Patricks day, just watch out for the hundreds of drunk people. I would rate it a little expensive but not awful, definately worth a try.
I couldn't stand Fado when it first opened. I thought it was full of the swarming poseurs that flood any new LoDo nightspot while it's still trendy. There was actually a LINE to get in on the weekends. I so do NOT do lines, unless they are literally giving away buckets of money inside. I wanted to try it because I love pubs, but I fled after one Guinness.
But that was a long time ago. Now, when I'm in Denver, I like to stop into Fado. The crowds have died down, and it seems like the patrons are people who actually like good beer and Irish music. It's got that dark, woody look of pubs that I find soothing, and they have Guinness, Smithwicks, Harp, and Strongbow Cider. I could happily drown in any combination of those liquids. The food is fine. I had the chicken pot pie, and my friends had fish and chips, bangers and mash, and shepherd's pie. All the dishes were tasty.
They lose a star because it's still kind of hard to find seating and the band, though very good, was so loud that it basically killed all conversations until they took a break.
Though I've never been able to manage it, they have U.K. soccer on the telly at 6 a.m. on Saturdays. If you're a hard core fan, it's a good place to get an Irish breakfast and watch a match.
My family & I ended up here as we were just in Denver for the Frozen Four, and we caught a Rockies game as well.
I have to resist the urge to give this place more stars than I just did.... because it would solely be based on the fact that I was STARVING when we got in here to eat. We'd flown into with my only having cereal and some fruit, checked into the hotel and arrived downtown about an hour before the baseball game started. I wolfed down my grilled cheese & chips and I'm sure it tasted amazing to me because I was so hungry. Still.... it was good, and our waitress was super nice, and the food came quickly (which was highly necessary).
As far as how it stands as an Irish pub, well, obviously my fare wasn't Irish (but my parents and brother all ordered the Bangers and Mash, and all enjoyed it).... so, yeah. They played Irish music, it's dimly lit, overall not a bad place to be, and as has been mentioned, it's a great locale for the walk from the train to Coors Field.
The interior at this sprawling Irish pub in the heart of LoDo was built in Ireland and shipped to Denver. Blarney, you say? It's true. It's all a bit overdone -- and you certainly won't be fooled into thinking you're anywhere near Killarney -- but it's apparently authentic enough for the rambunctious barful of lassies and lasses who congregate at the bar to devour pints of well-poured Guinness and traditional Irish grub like corned beef and cabbage and fish and chips.
If the sun is shining, snag a seat on the patio, preferably one that gives you a direct view of the fast-talking scalpers hawking tickets to the Colorado Rockies baseball games.
Been here a few times now and I have always had an decent time. You will find very authentic Irish cuisine along with some more American items. The service was attentive and friendly, the food was very good, served hot. Consistently the best Black and Tan I have ever had and that includes trips to London. I would recommend Fado Irish Pub to anyone for a unique and fun outing.
Ehhhh... totally agree with Damon C's review. I also have been to the Fado of Seattle & Chicago, and this one is really tame! It could have been a Chili's as far as I am concerned. And it has a fab location next to where the Colorado Rockies play. But yet... not so much. Only had beers here, and there were good...but you gotta have a plan B.
They have a GIANT patio... so if you want to save your stomach and not eat at the park, and then scoot over here for some pub grub, it would be a good call.
There's more to life in Denver than Fado sadly enough.
If they could play some good Irish Drinking songs....and make a black and tan a little better - this place would be a blast.
But...so some other reviews have stated "the Disney of Irish Pubs" - that is the impression that I received from this bar.
On the flip side - the inside of the bar looks REALLY nice...but there was only about 15 people there and they were playing some Top 40s pop...
This is the place to go for St. Patty's Day. I've gone on other random days and always have had a pretty good time.
There was definitely plenty of seating, but other than the decor not much seemed Irish about the place. I stayed for one drink and decided I probably wouldn't be back.
An ok pub, with pseudo Irish overtones. I liked this place a lot better when my friends worked there. Now, it's just a convenient spot to grab a beer before or after a Rockies game...
If you're looking for a real Irish pub, head over to the Snug. Seems like this place was trying to pull of a small bar feel while still being large enough to handle big crowds. They didn't do a very good job pulling this off and it just comes across as confused.
Neighborhood: Southwest
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Lodo
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Northeast
Category: Irish
Neighborhood: Southwest
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Northwest
Category: Bars
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