Entry No. 30 — the Fort Collins file — filed under: speakeasy
Speak Cheesy Lounge
Beneath Slyce Pizza Co. on Mason Street, owner Jeremy Tand converted a century-old basement into a speakeasy-style lounge with no exterior signage and hidden entrances on the Mason Street side of the building. The concept was inspired by Tand's work on Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and the deliberately intimate space is designed to preserve mystery rather than pack in crowds. Draft beers from local Fort Collins breweries anchor the drinks list, and a short hidden menu — including nachos unavailable upstairs — can only be ordered once you're in. The name is a pun: "speak cheesy" collapses speakeasy and cheese into one Old Town joke.
The story
Upstairs at 120 South Mason, Slyce Pizza Co. runs a standard counter-serve slice operation. But duck around to the Mason Street side of the century-old building, and you will find a door with zero street-level signage hinting at what lies beneath. Push through, and you descend into the Speak Cheesy Lounge — a basement drinking hole owner Jeremy Tand carved out of an old cellar.
Tand pulled inspiration for the space from an unlikely former job: working on Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Instead of blowing out walls to maximize seat count, he kept the room tight, dark, and low-ceilinged to preserve the feeling that you stumbled into an off-limits stash. The name might be an unashamed pun collapsing speakeasy and cheese, but the setup takes its low-profile layout seriously.
Down below, draft handles lean heavily into local Fort Collins breweries, and the kitchen runs a short off-menu list reserved strictly for people in the basement. You cannot order the lounge-exclusive nachos from the pizza counter upstairs, no matter how politely you ask. Slyce cheekily calls it 'the 3rd nicest basement bar in all of Fort Collins,' which hits the nail on the head: self-aware, compact, and invisible from the sidewalk.
What it's like
Finding the door requires scouting the Mason Street exterior of the Slyce building until you spot the unmarked basement entrance. Inside, low ceilings and dim light settle over a small collection of tables. Because the footprint was kept intentionally tight, the space fills quickly on weekend nights; hitting it on a weeknight is your best move if you want to sit right down. Grab a local draft beer, settle into the quiet rumble under the floorboards, and ask for the off-menu nachos before someone upstairs realizes what they're missing.
The move: Start with pizza upstairs at Slyce, then hunt for the unmarked Mason Street entrance to the basement together. The low-lit, secretive atmosphere and local draft beer make it an easy spot to linger and talk without the noise of a full bar crowd.
📍 Before you go No signage marks the entrance — look for the Mason Street side of the Slyce Pizza building and find the basement door yourself. The space is intentionally kept small and low-key, so it can fill quickly on weekends. Hours are tied to Slyce Pizza operations; check the Slyce website or Instagram before going. Hidden menu items like nachos are only available inside the lounge, not through the pizza counter upstairs.
- 📍 Fort Collins
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 120 S Mason St, Fort Collins, CO 80524 (basement of Slyce Pizza Co.; entrance on Mason Street side, no exterior sign)
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Social Underground Cocktail Bar — Make it a subterranean double feature by walking a block over to hunt for the underground cocktail bar hidden behind a street-level grandfather clock.
- Pinball Jones — Continue your basement-hopping tour of Old Town by walking a block over to drop quarters in a subterranean pinball arcade.
- Fort Collins Ghost Tour (Old Town) — Pair your basement brew with a night walking tour that explores Old Town's historic alleyways and underground tunnels.
Good to know
How do I find the entrance?
Look along the Mason Street side of the Slyce Pizza Co. building at 120 S Mason St. There is no exterior signage, so you have to locate the basement door yourself.
Can I order the secret menu upstairs at the pizza counter?
No. The hidden menu items — including the basement nachos — are exclusively available once you are inside the lounge.
What drinks are served downstairs?
The bar anchors its selection with draft beers from local Fort Collins breweries alongside a full basement bar setup.
What are the lounge hours?
Hours are tied directly to Slyce Pizza Co.'s schedule, so check Slyce's official site or Instagram before heading out.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: slycepizzaco.com · nocostyle.com · downtownfortcollins.com · dfccd.org · coloradoan.com
last checked: 2026-06-11