Howie's Ralston Lounge

This is a neighborhood bar where you can get a bucket of beer, play some pool, eat pizza & wings and just gather with friends. This is one of my favorite Free Comedy venues in Arvada. Every Saturday night there is either professional stand up comedy, an open mic or both! Howie's is in a strip mall with plenty of parking. It's not visible from the street, but is across from Rockabilly's, around the corner from the liquor store.

So, I had been going to nearby Rockabillies (for live music and trivia) for quite some time, but had never noticed this little gem hiding just around the corner in the parking lot. No offense intended, but Howie's almost makes Rockabillies, look fancy :-) The drinks here are very reasonably priced. I appreciate that they always have a big, cold, frosted mug for my draft beer consumption. I also think it's cool that somebody built a claw game machine full of empty white claw cans where you can win a full white claw :-) (very meta) It has all the TVs you would expect at a small sports oriented establishment. I always run into locals and regulars sitting at the bar when I come here. They come for the companionship, the cheap drinks, and local denver sports teams. However, sometimes on a Saturday night, they may be in for a pleasant, or unpleasant, surprise ... The main draw for me here has to be the Saturday night comedy. They have an open mic night at Howie's most Saturday nights. I am fairly addicted to this particular open mic. I've seen people here who have barely ever done comedy. Some of them are amazing, and some of them really need the practice. I've seen up and comers. I've seen diamonds in the rough. I've seen comedy veterans trying out new material. I've seen visiting comedians, who just popped in to do some time. Dylan Kantor (Cloudy Eyed Comedy) puts on a great show. Aside from this, they do on occasion have planned shows, where they bring in a curated panel of Joke-slingers. I think the last one I went to for West Arvada Comedy night had Jacob Rupp as headliner. It was a great (and free) show. Yep, you can catch comedy at other places, but West Arvada is very convenient for some people, the parking is ample and free, and there's no cover charge. All the funny AND affordable booze??? Count me in.

Oh boy. So THIS is the vibe of West Arvada. I came here with a friend one Saturday night to check out a weekly stand up comedy show. The show itself was a blast. Lots of lizard and gun jokes. Not enough lizards with guns jokes. Selection is very limited as far as food and drinks go at Howie's, but I love how many regulars there were. Definitely a local neighborhood staple. Maybe I should come more often? Apparently I need to try the wings!

I've been going here since I was in high school. The people are super nice, the music is good, and it's a fun pool house. Most of the drinks are really really good, and you can order from many of the food places nearby (Blackjack Pizza, Silvermine Subs, DQ)

Where do I begin. This is a dark, seedy hole in the wall. I'm pretty sure I was the only person under 40 but I didn't care. So we put a few bucks in the jukebox, picked some great songs and had a blast as we threw back cheap drinks and have some laughs. I must say the bathroom was surprisingly tolerable. There were a couple pool tables and what appeared to be a karaoke machine, though no one was singing on a Sunday night. Akshully, not true. We sang along with the jukebox. Kinda forgot about that... until now... What else do you find in a hole in the wall? Creepy old men. The wander over with their salt and pepper balls and cradle robbing tendencies. Maybe if I had a few more decades added to my age but that certainly doesn't stop them from hitting on you. Please don't put your arm around me. I just want to down my gin and tonics engrossed in girl talk. DO NOT WANT kthxbai! That's when someone in our group got hungry. There were some chips behind the counter she was eyeing. Then the bartender chimed in and said "we have pizza! And its good too!" I was astonished. I saw no menus. I saw no kitchen. I didn't even see silverware wraps. Just lots of liquor. He dashes into the back and reappears with a smaller and a larger plastic wrapped disc. Frozen pizzas. I giggled on the inside a bit. Regardless, she gets a small one. I can picture him in the back throwing it into a toaster oven. At least it wasn't a microwaved Mama Celeste. Served on fine china from far off places (the cardboard packaging), she eats it and I wouldn't expect it any other way. This is def one of those places you are torn as to how many stars to give but I couldn't help but award them 5 just because it was such an awesome night, the bartender was cool enough and the place seemed to fit the mood perfectly. Just watch out for those balls...

The service was great and the owners are amazing people. The bar had a comfortable laid back atmosphere. Great little neighborhood bar!!

It's exactly what I expected it to be. Which was low based on other reviews. Ordered an Old Fashioned. Which I absolutely expect a dive bar to make a decent one. However, no bitters Ok. Martini with a twist? Dude says I'm in the wrong bar. Fair enough. But I'm not really a Jack & Coke guy. But he made me a decent Gin martini with a twist anyway. Was better than I expected, so that's cool. It was stiff though!I may be a bit snobby for this joint but that isn't their fault. At least I got to watch part of the Avs game whilst chugging my martini from a rocks glass

Great service, wings, and ambiance. Be sure and try the Howie's hot and pickle shots.