The Soiled Dove Underground

• Review
• Tuesday, June 03, 2008

There is something about going out that will always appeal to everyone but the most claustrophobic shut-ins.    No matter how good a chef you are, it is fascinating to explore new cuisine.  Your friends might be the wittiest, hippest people in town, yet it is still fun to see a show.   Most of all, I enjoy fine hospitality; the feeling that you are a valued customer, and that the establishment will make some effort ensure a pleasant evening.  

It is with that expectation that I found The Soiled Dove Underground extremely disappointing.  The Soiled Dove was once a bar and concert venue on Market Street in Downtown Denver.    It's name was a reference to it's location, which was Denver's historic red light district many decades ago.  

More recently, the Soiled Dove moved to the Lowry neighborhood in east Denver, where they offer a venue for variety of  music and comedy acts.
Their menu is neither large, nor special in any way, so I decided to order their Buffalo wings.   When they arrived I asked for a glass of water.   I was asked if I wanted to buy a bottle of water.   As usual, I declined, as Denver enjoys excellent tap water from the Rocky Mountains that tastes as good as bottled water and is better for the environment.

I was shocked when our server refused to give me a glass of water.  To add insult to injury, I noticed that they were trying to pass off "Arrowhead" bottled water for three dollars a bottle, the kind that you get from Costco for three dollars a case.

In an instant, my wife and I went from feeling like valued customers to be treated like bums off the street looking to use their restroom.  Certain that we merely had the misfortune of stumbling upon the wrong server on the wrong night, I later contacted the management of the Tavern "Hospitiality" Group.   He confirmed that it was his establishment's policy not to serve water for free to people at his venue (I can't really call them guests).  He then offered some lame justification that had more to do with his profit margin then his customer's satisfaction.

I have visited almost every state in America and traveled to dozens of countries, yet I have never been refused water when ordering food from a table.  
Reader's of this guide will know that Denver is a very dry place with thin air, and that staying hydrated here is much more of a challenge than in other cities, especially in the winter.

There was nothing egregiously wrong with the show or the decor at the Soiled Dove, however, when an establishment fails so miserably to treat it's customer's like guests, you find yourself wishing that you had stayed home.