Reef Piano Bar & Grill

Elite '08

306

315

Alexandra F.

Denver, CO

My friend Dan met his girlfriend here about four years ago, and she is psycho.  I kind of hope she somehow gets forwarded my review from a mutual friend because she wont let me and Dan be friends anymore because she thought that we were talking too closely :(

At first I respected her jealousy and thought Dan would make the right decision, realize how protective she was and leave her, but he just never answered my calls, emails, or texts and so now, now I lost a friend. :( That's all we ever were.  I can't go to Reef without getting sad... Not because I miss Dan, but because the place is so depressing!

Dan took me to Reef way before I even lived in Denver and it was crazy with dueling piano players and screaming women who must of already been drunk at 6:07pm. The women gallop towards the stage and slam a $10 bill into the can, and then the hyper women jump up and down when their song gets played.  It's entertaining.

It is pretty exciting if you like to watch women jump up and down, and I know that I am asking for trouble with that comment.

Bar food is ok, service was fine, location is central, but you don't come to the Reef for socializing... You come to the reef to bounce up and down and get excited over songs that you might only recognize one out of seven times.

I would suggest that this is a good singles scene... Not to say that you will automatically get someone psycho, but girls usually come in groups, and usually, when girls go out in groups, a majority of them are single.  

Strategy: Men, if you are into the dating scene and want to check out the bouncing excited women, then make sure to check out The Reef... But don't come alone, make sure you have your wing man. Women get wigged out by single men at a bar by himself... well, single men at a bar watching them jump up and down.

* Star one is for a cute a fun theme
** Star two is for the jumping up and down women
*** Our final star is for The Reefs central location and nice layout

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22

189

Amanda W.

Boulder, CO

My first piano bar experience was at Jake Ivory's in Boston, arguably one of the  best piano bars in the country. Jake's set the bar high and the Reef sails right under it. The piano players aren't as amazing as they think they are, they tend to be really rude to the audience and unless your song request comes with at least a $20, forget about hearing it.

The drinks are good, if a bit pricey. Never tried the food, but it doesn't sound as if I'm missing much. For some reason most piano bars are magnets for bachelor(ette) parties and intoxicated people, the Reef is no different except that the drunks and revelers are largely college age, and well, we all know how fun it is to hang with drunk college kids.

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1

1

Emily D.

Denver, CO

I went to a wedding on Friday night in Boulder at the St. Julian hotel. They made the music stop at 10p.m. So my boyfriend and I asked the clerk where we could go. They recommended the reef dueling piano club down the street. Ends up the entire reception, bride and groom included, came with us. The place was a blast and a perfect end to the wedding day. We stayed until close and the piano players were so cool with all of us. The newly weds were dancing on stage and on the dance floor. Plus, the parents and grandparents were having fun til late. They requested an old Sinatra song and the entertainers new it! So cool. Then they would do new stuff. Amazing. I'm from las vegas, and oddly enough one of the piano players was a guy that I saw at New York New York performing. So awesome to have had that in Boulder Colorado!

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4

13

Cheeky B.

Oakland, CA

Ah, the Reef.

+2 stars for: $2 service industry night. Would you like to get very, very sloppy drunk? Yes? Hello, Reef.

-3 stars for: Would you like to watch a very large group of wasted late 20's/early 30-something white people sing to a piano rendition of Outkast? Yes? Hello, Reef.

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Elite '08

61

380

Lori M.

Denver, CO

Sing us a song, piano man.

Oh, make it three men, then, which is exactly what you'll experience at this Caribbean-themed restaurant and bar in Boulder that features a trio of snappy, witty, and somewhat talented dueling pianists, all of whom satiate the drunken college crowds with old favorites and new hits.

Practice your high notes (or just listen) while noshing on an expansive menu of crab cakes, sweet potato fries, conch fritters, seafood skewers, and a whole litany of sandwiches and burgers.

The food is nothing to write home about, but you're not coming here to eat. Of course not, you're here because you think you can sing, in which case Wednesday's open mic night is probably right up your vocal chords.

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40

403

Dustin G.

Denver, CO

So if loud and annoying dueling piano guys who crack the same jokes over and over again are your thing? This is your bar.

Personally, I know better pianists, and personally I know more personable and funnier comedians. I suppose its hard to find people both these talents, so there we go.

The Reef's drinks are somewhat over-priced, especially for the bar-heavy area of downtown Boulder, and the food is nothing special.

Not much going for this place in comparison to everywhere else, so I would avoid it.

But if you want to try out your singing or listen to the same piano bridges over and over, well ok.

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Elite '08

41

128

Jenn S.

Denver, CO

eh, i like the whole piano bar concept. it can be fun at times. but, yeah, it gets old after a while. definitely not a place i wanted to go to on a regular basis. drink specials were few and far between. you usually had to pay a cover and the place was always packed to the walls with people. finding a seat was near impossible. not really a bar i miss.

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