Less than three months ago the highly anticipated bowling alley/bar/frat basement/game center Punch Bowl Social opened in Baker. The Victorian-accented, 24,000-square-foot space designed by Robert Thompson (Le Grand Bistro, ChoLon, and Glaze) received some heated reviews for impolite staff and a densely packed bar area, but some were willing to look past its flaws in favor of soul-satisfying comfort dishes and exciting game offerings. Here's the early word on Punch Bowl Social:
The Good News: A Facebooker raves: "What a great place! Centrally located, great DJ spinning, bowling, darts, shuffle.board, diner... Lots going thst makes this venue a great addition to the Baker District." [FB]
The Bad News: A Foursquare user isn't impressed with the slow service: "This place is stupid packed and short staffed on the weekends. Go to the upstairs bar for all your drinks, if you want them within 30 minutes." [Foursquare]
The Bartender News: On Urbanspoon, a customer talks about his experience at the bar: "It was a little rough at first (like any new place) but they are coming along great. I'm a little surprised to see criticism of the bartenders. I've found them congenial and professional (not to mention insanely busy most times of the day)." [Urbanspoon]
The Nightlife News: The Denver Post gives a suggestion for getting in: "If you show up on Friday or Saturday night without reservations, good luck. But if you pop in at 4 p.m. on a Tuesday, you'll nearly have the run of the place — and it's then you realize that the Punch Bowl is a truly poignant addition to nightlife in the Mile High." [DP]
The Not-So-Good News: A Yelper feels the menu is deceptive: "The food by the way, was inconsistent. Eggs were very good, pretzel bread was amazing, but the fondue was so thin, grainy and boring. The sliders were dry, yet simultaneously drenched in mayo. The wings, by the way, were the only item left over- about 2 pounds left over in fact. The menu said "spicy cilantro" our waiter said "chipotle" but they tasted like nothing besides very spicy chicken. Not very good." [Yelp]
The Food News: Over on Facebook, a customer approves of the dishes: "Night one, girlfriend and I had Chicken smashed chicken, and fish and chips. REALLY good! Great waiter too! Thanks Wolfgang! Day 2 with my beau, he order and AMAZING burger and I had buffalo meatloaf.. the side of mashed potatoes was pure MAGIC!!! I cant wait to come back and play some games next!" [FB]
The Experience News: Blogger Sizzling Cupcake can't decide where to start: "Overall, it can actually be kind of overwhelming. There is so much to do that your mind instantly wants to do it all! And then you realize that the wait to get to just one game is incredibly long and the prices aren't all that cheap?" [Sizzling Cupcake]
The Space News: On Yelp, a reviewer evaluates the room: "This seems like a really fun throwback kinda joint. It's a very spacious venue, and makes you really feel like you've got room to have fun and maybe even make a fool of yourself while trying to play full size shuffleboard, bowling, or even while screaming at a good ol' fashioned Pac Man or pinball machine." [Yelp]
The Service News: An Urbanspoon user thinks the place could use some work: "Incredibly expensive and the service was still pretty rough when we were in. What's the service like when it's busy? Amazing concept, just needs a minute to mature and find its pace." [Urbanspoon]
— Ashley Mason
· All Punch Bowl Social Coverage [~EDEN~]
· Punch Bowl Social [Official]