Lustre Pearl Brings Southern Comfort to Downtown Denver

Lustre Pearl

Address: 1315 26th St.

Phone: 720-508-3948

Hours: Open Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Husband-and-wife owners Chris Parker and Bridget Dunlap held an unannounced opening for their laid-back saloon-style restaurant, Lustre Pearl at 1315 26th St., on Thursday, Sept. 21, officially joining the flock of new faces and establishments in the River North neighborhood. Dunlap’s brainchild, Parker calls this the manifestation of her “alter ego.” This is the third Lustre Pearl location, but the first beyond the borders of Texas.

Last summer, the twosome road-tripped to Denver and, according to Parker, fell in love with the people and the town. In no time, they found a real estate agent and settled on their urban address.

Next door neighbors with First Draft Taproom & Kitchen, the 3,300-square-foot interior space adds another 1,000 square feet with a patio connected by two hefty garage doors. Hardwood floors and accents are illuminated by overhanging light fixtures with spheres of bare bulbs. Another focal point — the staircase with golden metallic handwriting on each step — brings customers to a smattering of sizes and styles of seating. Bulky leather chairs line the bar, with a cherry red sign overhead that reads: “Ici tout est bon,” translated to “Here, everything is good.”

Parker says several bartenders who worked for Lustre Pearl in Texas migrated north for the opening of the Denver location. Cocktails such as the Lustre Lemonade, a concoction with strawberry-infused moonshine, tallboys and a mix of Texas and Colorado beers make up the drinks menu, met with light snacks.

Lustre Pearl hosts its inaugural weekend barbecue at the start of October, hosting a party on the patio with live music and yard games. Meanwhile, Parker and Dunlap will draw from the design district neighborhood, bringing art and live music to their new establishment looking ahead.

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