The Kitchen is a business that has been slowly growing over the past decade. Just in Boulder, we have The Kitchen, The Kitchen Next Door, and The Kitchen Upstairs. There are also restaurants in Denver, Fort Collins, and even one as far as Chicago. This sprawl is well-noted due to both its outstanding food and the philosophy on which The Kitchen is founded. The founders, Kimbal Musk, Jen Lewin, and Hugo Matheson, opened the original ‘world-class neighborhood restaurant’ in 2004 with the desire to create a space that would help to bring the community together. Not only does it help to bring the community together through serving food, but the restaurant also works closely with like-minded farmers, ranchers and purveyors in an effort to pursue sustainability.

The Kitchen is tagged as a community bistro that is located in downtown Boulder. Just next door (as the name implies) is The Kitchen Next Door, a more casual community pub. And above The Kitchen is Upstairs, a cocktail lounge. All three of these restaurants share the name ‘Community Hour’ for their happy hour, however each one is unique and worth visiting.

The Kitchen’s Community Hour is from 3:00-5:00pm everyday. They offer ‘sips’ and ‘nibbles’ (cocktails and small plates) as well as wine, beer, appetizers and desserts. So, you can likely come here just for happy hour and get a three-course meal!

If you’re looking for even better prices then it would be wise to take a few extra steps west and walk into the Next Door. Here, the food is organized into price lists, never exceeding $5. The Crispy Garlic Smashers and the Hummus & Flatbread are a must try here! Also, if you’ve never tried Bacon Wrapped Dates, then this is your chance. For just $3, there is really no going wrong. This Community Hour also starts at 3:00pm but runs an extra hour than The Kitchen, ending at 6:00pm. House wines are $5 each, beer is $3 and selected mixed drinks are $4.

Or maybe, if you really just want to focus on cocktails, then luckily Upstairs is upstairs! Much of the menu is the same as The Kitchen, however the hours are different and some of the ‘sips’ are also different. Community Hour runs from 5:30pm-6:30pm, so if you miss The Kitchen’s or Next Door’s Community Hour then you can catch this one. If you’re feeling optimistic, you can even catch all three in one evening.

Morgan Sweeney