The nineteen pubs of the big-thinking Little Pub Company

By Jenn Wohletz Thu., Aug. 16 2012 at 10:00 AM

Categories: Cafe Society, Follow That Story

The wall of beer at The Cooler.

It's the brew-soaked dream of any drinking-age guy -- or gal -- to own a great bar. And to own close to twenty of them? That's a drinking dream come true. Since he foundedThe Little Pub Company in 1994, Mark Berzins has collected nineteen Denver area bars, including The British Bulldog, which I review this week. And like the Bulldog, which occupies the former home of the Punch Bowl, many of Berzins' establishments have been local watering holes for longer than Little Pub has been around.

Wyman's No.5.

Today Little Pub Co. owns and operates an eclectic mix of nineteen different bars in very different neighborhoods. Some of these bars were longtime landmarks when Little Pub acquired them, others were created out of thin air. But all of them continue to do business with their nearby neighborhoods in mind.

Here's a quick rundown of the different Little Pub pubs.

1. Icehouse Tavern
Located two blocks south of Coors Field in an actual, and historic, Icehouse, at 1801 Wynkoop Street, this is a sporty-sport-sports bar with an outdoor patio, over a dozen flatscreens, and $2 Coors Lights on game days.

2. Patrick Carroll's Irish Pub
This pub at 3963 Tennyson Street, smack in the Berkley neighborhood, features pool tables, darts and the Scottie Burger -- a beef patty smashed up with A-1 sauce, bacon and cheese.

The Old Man.

3. College Inn
This spot at 4400 East Eighth Avenue is a relatively recent acquisition, but it's an old bar with a full menu of American and Mexican favorites, "Fish Fry Fridays," and late-night happy-hour drink specials from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.

4. Gibby's Sports Saloon
Located at 1555 South Havana Street in Aurora, Gibby's is a rustic-ish sports bar with a full menu of American and Mexican favorites, including the "Sloppy Burrito" -- exactly what it sounds like -- and karaoke on Thursday nights.

5. Salty Rita's
Little Pub created this bar at 200 Quebec Street to serve the thirsty Lowry community. It's a margarita-slinging spot with a menu of Mexican favorites, lunch specials during the week, and a large, twenty-table patio.

6. The Irish Hound
A downhome pub at the edge of Cherry Creek at 575 St. Paul Street, the Hound features homemade chips, "Pork Thursdays" -- you wish, but that refers to meat to eat -- and $3 microbrew drafts on Mondays.

7. The Elm
This hipster oasis at 5001 East Colfax Avenue has retro décor, outdoor pool tables, a digital jukebox and "Chicken Tuesdays" -- still food, guys.