Poka Lola Social Club in Denver, Colorado Review
Location
Poka Lola Social Club is located inside Dairy Block in downtown Denver. Dairy Block is a fun hotel and hangout area with food, lounge area, and boutique stores. Poka Lola is conveniently located near the Colorado Rockies baseball field. This trendy lounge opens at 4:00 PM every day.
Type of Restaurant
Poka Lola is a hip and trendy social club. The intricate and symmetrical art decor invites you in as you climb the small set of stairs. Sleek mint leather couches and booths add a pop of color and pair well with the contrasting black and white tile floor. Poka Lola’s bar is absolutely stunning with emerald green and white stained glass. It is a fully open bar with open liquor shelves and seating around. The modern marble and gold round tables create a small dining area to enjoy food and drinks. The service by Jacquelyn was amazing! She was a one-woman show running the bar and food for the lounge.
“Poka Lola reinvents the everyman’s cocktail bar, with a nod to turn-of-the-century American soda fountain culture.”
– Poka Lola
Cocktail Menu + Bites
Poka Lola’s menu offers small bar bites and cocktails. The cocktails are fun and unique. I was very tempted to order their Summer cocktail. The Summer Cocktail is similar to an Aperol Spritz but with a gin and strawberry twist. I think their Dealers Choice cocktail is super fun and inventive. You choose your type of alcohol and the bartender does the rest. The food menu offers handheld bites with burgers, sandwiches, and fries. The meat and cheese boards are popular amongst the Poka Lola guests.
Poka Lola Happy Hour
Poka Lola has a great happy hour from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM Daily.
Cocktails
$6.00 Dairy Block Punch No. 5
$7.00 Ketel 1 Botanicals Highball
$6.00 Old Fashioned or Manhattan
Wine & Food
$7.00 Rose
$3.00 Pork Slider
What I Ordered
Drinks
Clos de Los Siete Red Blend – $12.00
I love a glass of red wine and when I saw Poka Lola offered a red blend from Argentina I was sold! This was a great wine that was well balanced and had a nice depth of flavor.
Tom Collins – $3.50
A Tom Collins is a classic cocktail consisting of gin, lemon juice, sugar, and carbonated water. This is a refreshing cocktail that quenches your thirst.
Marinated Olives and Garlic Roasted Nuts – $8.00
One of the best dishes of the night was the marinated olives and garlic roasted nuts. The garlic roasted nuts were deliciously addicting with a subtle hint of spice. There was a nice mix of almonds, whole cashews, and macadamia nuts. I am a big fan of olives and these marinated olives packed a punch of flavor and spice. The spice was a bit overwhelming, but the orange peel added nice acidity and a hint of fruitness.
BBQ Pork Sliders – $8.00
The braised pork sliders were disappointing. There was way too much bread and it was hard. The chipotle BBQ sauce was overwhelmingly spicey. The cabbage slaw was great but there was not enough of it. The braised pork was moist and tender but unfortunately, the sauce overwhelmed the entire dish.
Dry Aged Beef Cheeseburger – $13.00
The dry-aged beef cheeseburger was your average burger. I didn’t find anything special about it. I did, however, enjoy the hint of bacon jam but there were only two bites where you really tasted the salty sweetness. Similar to the pulled pork sandwiches, there was a bit too much bread. The burger was juicy and the pickles added a nice touch of acidity.
Root Beer Float – $9.00
The root beer float was the best bite of the night! I love a good root beer float and this one fulfilled all expectations. The classic diner glass added the perfect ambiance and tied the soda shop theme to the retro design. Jacquelyn brought the can of extra Mug root beer just in case I needed a bit more soda.
Espresso Martini – $13.00
“A caffeinated Classic”
The Espresso Martini is a fan favorite amongst Poka Lola visitors. This was the perfect drink to finish off the night. The martini had a strong espresso flavor and mixed well with the Brown Butter Family Jones Vodka. A hint of vanilla bean was mixed in and added a nice warm finish.
Rating
Thank you Poka Lola for the lovely evening! Your Social Club is absolutely stunning and the drinks were delicious.
Another stylish Cocktail Lounge in Downtown Denver – Room for Milly
