Entry No. 27 — the Pueblo file — filed under: speakeasy
The Hidden Handle
Walk into A Tavola, the Italian restaurant on Highway 50, and find the door that doesn't look like a door — then do it again, because there are two. Inside: 1920s glamour, handcrafted cocktails, screens running live racing so discreetly they don't kill the mood, and the part nobody expects — a state license making this one of only 13 off-track betting parlors in Colorado. Put a trifecta down between plates of A Tavola's tapas. Opened February 2026.
The story
Pull up to 1110 US-50 West—the old Rosario's building—and on the surface, you are just at A Tavola, a sit-down Italian restaurant run by husband and wife Ryan and his team. But you aren't here for a standard dining room table. You're scanning the walls for a door that doesn't look like a door, and once you find it, you have to push through a second secret threshold right behind it.
Past the double secret entrance, the strip-mall highway backdrop evaporates into low-lit 1920s glamour. But the real curveball isn't the craft cocktail menu or the dark trim—it's the state license framed on the wall. The Hidden Handle is one of only 13 licensed off-track betting parlors in the entire state of Colorado.
That means you can sit in a plush booth, order tapas out of A Tavola's kitchen—like small plates made with Pueblo jack cheese and San Marzano sauce—and slip a trifecta or a win-place-show wager on live horse races running on discreet screens. It delivers full parimutuel wagering without turning the room into a noisy, neon-soaked sports bar.
What it's like
Walk into A Tavola, act like you know where you're going, and keep an eye out for the two false doors hidden in plain sight. There is no password required, but security is strict: while the restaurant out front is all-ages, the speakeasy is strictly 21+ with ID checked before you step inside. It operates strictly on walk-ins with zero reservations, so if you want a seat without a wait, arrive early in the evening. Place a quick bet, order a cocktail, and pair it with a few tapas plates sent directly from the main kitchen.
The move: Find both hidden doors, then each put a tiny win-place-show bet on the same race — loser buys the next round of cocktails.
📍 Before you go Enter through A Tavola Italian Cuisine at 1110 US-50 West (the old Rosario's building); the speakeasy is behind two unmarked doors inside, so look for the one that doesn't look like a door. It runs walk-in only — no reservations — and is strictly 21+ with valid ID, even though the restaurant out front is all-ages. The betting is licensed parimutuel horse wagering (win, place, show up through pick-6), and the tapas come from A Tavola's kitchen, so pairing it with dinner out front works well.
- 📍 Pueblo
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: Inside A Tavola Italian Cuisine, 1110 US-50 West, Pueblo, CO
Hours: Added 2026-06-11 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Paint n Pottery — Located just two tenths of a mile away, this studio offers a low-key, walk-in creative session before you head over for evening drinks.
- Steel City Putt Glow Golf — Under a mile away at Pueblo Mall, trade the dim speakeasy lighting for 18 holes of blacklight mini-golf.
- The Clink Lounge — Double down on Pueblo's hidden bar scene by heading three miles south to drink inside a former 1940s police jailhouse.
- Colorado State Hospital Museum (CMHIP Museum) — Pair your evening cocktail-and-betting run with a bizarre daytime history trip onto the active grounds of Colorado's 1879 state asylum.
Good to know
Do I need reservations to get into The Hidden Handle?
No. The Hidden Handle is strictly walk-in only and does not take advance reservations.
Are kids allowed inside?
No. While A Tavola Italian Cuisine out front is family-friendly, The Hidden Handle is strictly 21-and-over with valid ID required.
How does the horse race betting work?
It operates as a fully licensed Colorado parimutuel off-track betting parlor. You can place live horse wagers—ranging from simple win-place-show bets up to pick-6 tickets—while watching quiet screens inside the lounge.
Can you order food inside the speakeasy?
Yes. The venue serves tapas and small plates sourced directly from A Tavola's Italian kitchen.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Yelp · Facebook · chieftain.com
last checked: 2026-06-11