Dinner and a show is always a good time. But when you’re in the mood for an active night out and want to stoke some friendly competition, “eatertainment” venues can help level up your plans like Mario with a super mushroom.
The eatertainment trend—a mash-up of the words “eat” and “entertainment”—has been growing in popularity over the past couple of decades, building on the core memories that millennials cherish from their days romping around in the ball pits and game dens of places like Chuck E. Cheese and ShowBiz Pizza Place.
Luckily, fun is on the menu at several Denver area spots, with entertainment options ranging from the classics (how’s bocce ball in a beer hall sound?) to the inventive (like golf simulators in a decommissioned flight tower). Add in leveled-up bar food and craft cocktails, and you’ve got yourself a winning night out.
Here are seven eatertainment spots in and around Denver where you can eat, drink, and … throw tech-savvy darts, play pickleball and even get slimed in a hazmat suit.
Play Pickleball at Newcomer Chicken N Pickle
The pickleball craze shows no signs of slowing down: The paddle sport remains the fastest-growing sport in America for the fourth year in a row, according to a 2025 report from Pickleball USA. Here to feed the craze is newcomer Chicken N Pickle which opened its first Colorado location in June in Thornton. Pickleball players can reserve indoor or covered outdoor courts ($20 an hour from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; $40 per hour from 5 p.m. to close Monday through Friday and all day Saturday and Sunday).
The complex also hosts pickleball clinics, adaptive pickleball with onsite wheelchairs available and private lessons.
The fund doesn’t’ stop on the courts: This eatertainment complex also has yard games like cornhole and giant Jenga blocks to strategically stack.
Ninety-six percent of everything that comes out of the kitchen (the chefs’ kitchen—that is) is made in-house, and includes chicken sandwiches, wraps, wings, and, of course, fried pickles to dunk in ranch. 14225 Lincoln St., Thornton
Beat the Bomb (or Get Slimed)
Beat the Bomb is another newcomer to Denver’s growing eatertainment scene, and those up for the challenge will feel like they’ve stepped into a live-action video game with the possibility of getting blasted with slime, foam, or paint if you fail to “disarm the bomb.”(If you were expecting to emerge with a crisp white jumpsuit, consider these odds: Only 21% of teams beat the paint bomb mission; 16% come out on top during the foam bomb mission and a slim 5% win the slime bomb mission).
Assemble a team (4 to 6 players; minimum age is 8), suit up in hazmat jumpsuits, and then prepare for your mission, which includes stealthily dodging lasers and cracking codes and strategically working as a team to maneuver through five rooms.
Afterwards, retreat to The Bomb Bar for snacky things.“Multi-player” apps to share include pretzel bites and warm queso and loaded fries or tots. The bar also serves pizzas, Texas Dawgs loaded with chili, queso, jalapenos and Fritos, and cocktails including a lineup of boozy slushies. 3863 Steele St., Unit 1273, Denver
Share Punch Bowls and Play Games at Punch Bowl Social
An OG in the eatertainment space, Punch Bowl Social is a fantastic spot to gather with friends or to take a date. My own group of South Denver friends love to start a Broadway bar crawl here.
The space is packed with things to do. Hit a few bowling lanes, try your hand at auto-scoring darts on the Dartsee boards, or keep it classic with old-school pinball and Skee-Ball. One of Punch Bowl’s standout features? Private karaoke rooms, making it one of the few places in Denver where you can belt out your favorite hits in style.
Plus, there’s always something happening here. Think all-day happy hour on Mondays, music bingo on Tuesdays, Sunday night trivia, and plenty more events that keep the energy up all week long.
The menu also has lots to choose from, including all-day chicken and waffles, charcuterie boards, burgers, steak frites and more. On the drinks side, you’ll find frozen watermelon margaritas, espresso martinis, fancy shots, and a seasonal summer spritz menu. But the power move? Go big with one of their large-format namesake punch bowls to share with your group, like the Main Squeeze, which is made with a cucumber vodka, passion fruit liqueur, pineapple soda, and more. 65 Broadway, Denver
FlyteCo: A Funplex inside a Former Air Traffic Control Tower
When it comes to fun, the sky’s the limit at FlyteCo Tower, a brewery, bar, restaurant, and entertainment hub that took over the former air traffic control tower of the defunct Stapleton Airport.
At this 25,000 square-foot playground in Denver’s Central Park neighborhood, you can play a round of mini golf on the patio and then sip on aviation-themed cocktails or a refreshing spritz flight featuring the classics like Aperol, Campari, Hugo, and Lillet Rosé. Inside, you’ll find ping pong, arcade games, and indoor bowling lanes.
Head up to OverFlyte, the tower’s third floor, and test your lumberjack skills with axe throwing, or try your hand at high-tech golf simulators that also offer virtual soccer, football, baseball, hockey and more. High-tech dartboards keep score for you.
The food menu is expansive, too, with burgers, pizzas, wraps, salads and more. 3120 Uinta St., Denver
Throw Darts at the British Fairground-Inspired Flight Club
Darts at a bar might be nothing novel to dive-bar regulars, but Flight Club Denver reimagines the classic pool hall game with its gorgeous eatertainment space and faster-paced, higher-tech multi-player ways to play.
The Union Station darts destination blends British pub charm (dark leather banquettes juxtaposed with floral-upholstered bar chairs, curated antiques, and patterned wallpaper) with Victorian fairground (there’s a rotating line up of sugar-spun cotton candy poufs).
Come for weekend brunch, when your group can enjoy an espresso martini tower (!) or bottomless flatbreads and mimosas ($45 per person). Or, make a reservation for later in the day or the evening and enjoy dishes like lobster elote and poke tacos. Groups up to 12 can book an oche, which is your space from the throw line to the dartboard. The cost is $15 an hour during non-peak hours or $17 during peak hours for 90 minutes of play. 1959 16th Street Mall, Denver
Try a Fun Spin on Miniature Golf at Puttshack
This indoor putting playground in RiNo bursts with a rainbow of color and reimagines putt-putt by weaving in additional challenges that go beyond your short game (think: trivia questions and fast-moving targets). The holes are also themed like one where you need to shoot into ramps that lead to oversized red plastic cups, a nod to Beer Pong.
You’ll move through the 9-hole course in about 30 minutes. No need to pencil in scores because the balls have proprietary “Trackaball technology” that keeps a running tally.
Puttshack is anchored by a large bar, where you can pre-game with cocktails like spiced pineapple mezcal margarita garnished with a jalapeño popsicle and candied pineapple wafer. Food-wise, the global-inspired menu includes everything from Greek gyro sliders to Korean barbecue bao buns.
Putting is $14 per person and $9 for those 12 and under. Puttshack runs and all-you-can-putt deal on Sundays for $25 per person and $15 for those 12 and under. 2813 Blake St., Denver
Play Bocce and Drink Beer at Rhein Haus
Cornhole is synonymous with breweries, but for a change of pace head to Rhein Haus to play some bocce ball on the smooth, indoor courts. There’s plenty of bar tables and bar rails to place your mug of beer. Chow down on German dishes in between throws. The menu is packed with schnitzel and spatzles as well as housemade sausages and giant pretzels.
Bocce is $5 per person per hour and is available on a walk-in basis only. A measuring tape on the bocce court helps you determine whose ball is really closest to the pallino (the smaller target ball). 1415 Market St, Denver
