The Boulderado’s conflict-averse middle child, it strives to bridge the considerable gap between the more interesting, innovative Q’s across the lobby and the more interesting, darkling Catacombs in the basement. As an unabashed house joint for the headlining historic hotel in which it’s embedded, the Corner Bar can rightly claim to be weighed on different scales than, say, Sushi Zan Mai two doors down or new-guy Shug’s half a block South.
Fair enough. We’ll stack it up against the Ship Tavern at the Brown Palace and Cascades at the Stanley and report here that the fare, the vibe, and the service do indeed rise to the same captive audience standards set and met there. Taking the Corner Bar at its modest word (“the ideal location for a quick lunch, a lively Happy Hour, a great late-night meal or a perfectly poured Martini”) we’ll offer a shoulder-squeeze and a head-pat, but warn against the dangers of complacency in the absence of stretch goals.
For locals, it’s fine for a sip and a nibble now and then (or every Summer Friday if you work for the County,) though there is little on the menu or behind the bar to merit a protracted visit, particularly with the sparkling galaxy of food and drink alternatives within a three minute walk.