Entry No. 1 — the Denver file — filed under: speakeasy
Lincoln's
There's no sign, no ads, and the owner flat-out refuses to tell you how to get in because 'that takes the magic out of being a hidden bar.' Find the unmarked glass door, take the stairs down into a sprawling basement, and every single drink — beer, wine, spirits neat or with a simple mixer — costs exactly $5, tax included. Cash only (there's an ATM inside). It's the third outpost from the guy who started the original in Portland, Maine, and it opened here with zero fanfare on purpose.
The story
Lincoln's is the third outpost of a bar that began in Portland, Maine, on one deceptively simple idea: every drink costs exactly five dollars, tax included. Beer, wine, a spirit poured neat or built into a simple mixed drink — all of it, five bucks flat, no mental math and no tab-shock at the end of the night. In a downtown where a single cocktail can run fifteen, that's less a gimmick than a small act of defiance.
The other half of the idea is the secrecy. There's no sign, no advertising, and the owner will flat-out refuse to tell you how to get in — because, in his words, that would “take the magic out of being a hidden bar.” The place opened here with zero fanfare, entirely on purpose, and finding it is meant to be the first drink's worth of fun.
It hides beneath the IceHouse building, a 1903 former creamery and cold-storage warehouse near Union Station — fitting, because you go underground to reach it. Down the stairs is a sprawling basement room that fills fast on weekends. One catch that trips up first-timers: it's cash only. There's an ATM inside, but it's worth arriving with bills so your five-dollar rounds don't stall at the bar.
What it's like
Getting in is the puzzle. The street address points at Wynkoop, but the door isn't there — look to the Wazee Street side of the IceHouse for an unmarked glass door that reads like an ordinary office lobby. Step through, find the plain industrial door, and take the stairs down. The basement opens up bigger than you'd guess: a low-lit, sprawling underground room where everyone orders at the bar rather than waiting on table service, so expect to stand, mingle, and drift. Come after dark — it's a night spot — and on weekends get there early, before the room packs in.
The move: Make finding the door the first challenge of the night — wander Wynkoop/Wazee until you spot the unmarked entrance, then split a round of $5 cocktails in the underground room and see who can guess the most off-menu spirits.
📍 Before you go It hides in the IceHouse building (a 1903 former creamery) right by Union Station — but the entrance isn't on Wynkoop where the address points: look to the Wazee St side for a glass door that reads like an ordinary office lobby, step in, and find the unmarked industrial door with stairs down to the basement. It's a night spot, so come after dark; weekends fill the sprawling room fast and all ordering is at the bar, so expect to stand and mingle. You're in the heart of LoDo — easy to pair with Union Station's Cooper Lounge, nearby Poka Lola, or a Wazee/Wynkoop stroll on either side of the visit.
- 📍 LoDo / Union Station
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1801 Wynkoop St, Denver (inside/beneath the IceHouse building near Union Station; unmarked glass door, stairs down to the basement)
Hours: Evenings; cash only, ATM on site. No published address by design — confirm current hours via Yelp/Instagram before going.
Pair it with
- Crawford Hotel Lost & Found Wall — A three-minute walk into Union Station's Crawford Hotel, where a wall displays a century of objects guests left behind — a quiet, strange warm-up before you go hunting for the door.
- Oxford Hotel Room 320 — Denver's oldest grand hotel is a block away, and Room 320 is its resident ghost story — a fitting nightcap after the basement empties out.
- Cat Alley (Alley Cats by Kelly Monico) — Near Larimer Square, a hidden alley painted end-to-end with cats — an easy, photogenic detour on the walk over.
- Wynkoop Brewing Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout — Two blocks up Wynkoop, the brewpub that dares you to try a beer made with bull testicles. Order one before your first $5 round for a properly weird one-two.
Good to know
How do you get into Lincoln's?
There's no sign, and the owner deliberately won't publish directions. The entrance is an unmarked glass door on the Wazee Street side of the IceHouse building near Union Station — not on Wynkoop, where the address points. Go through it, find the plain interior door, and take the stairs down to the basement.
Is Lincoln's really cash only?
Yes, it's cash only — though there's an ATM inside if you get caught short. Bringing bills is smoother, since every drink is a flat $5.
How much are drinks at Lincoln's?
Every drink is exactly $5, tax included — beer, wine, or a spirit neat or with a simple mixer. No hidden fees and no math at the end of the night.
Is Lincoln's a good date spot?
A great one if you like a little adventure. Finding the unmarked door together is an icebreaker on its own, and the cheap, no-fuss rounds keep a first date loose. It's a stand-and-mingle basement, not a quiet table-for-two, so it suits an energetic, exploratory night.
When is Lincoln's open?
It's an evening spot — come after dark. Weekends fill the basement fast, so arrive early if you want room to move. Because it keeps a low profile by design, confirm current hours on Yelp or Instagram before heading over.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Westword · Yelp · kdvr.com
last checked: 2026-06-07