As someone who both lives and works downtown, it’s often difficult to find time to make it to places outside of my usual area. I frequently see interesting posts from breweries and restaurants just outside of Denver, and I put them on my mental “to-visit” list; but after a long day at the office or an afternoon of running errands on the weekend, that list seems to grow much faster than I can keep up with.
Quite a while ago I started hearing a lot about Parry’s Pizzeria & Bar and its excellent tap list, along with seeing numerous tempting photos of its food and fun events. So last year I decided I finally needed to get to Parry’s and check it out myself. I hopped on I-25 North, and 15 minutes later I was at Parry’s in Northglenn. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about that visit, and I’d been thinking about the yummy pizza ever since. And last weekend, with visions of pizza and beers inundating my mind, I went back for more.
Parry’s was founded in 2007, its mission “to give the suburban residents a place to call their own that feels like downtown, but instead of an Uber or Lyft ride, it’s just around the corner.” And it clearly does a great job at doing just that at all of its nine locations. Each Parry’s has a minimum of 100 beers on tap, friendly service, and a food menu that, while pizza-focused, has something for everyone including plenty of salads, calzones, pastas, sandwiches, wraps and more.
Upon arriving for lunch last weekend, my first mission was to tackle the gigantic beer list. Parry’s Northglenn has a whopping 120 beers on tap! Parry’s offers so many awesome local beers as well as beers from renowned breweries all over the country, so decisions can be difficult. Being all about Colorado beer, I of course went with one of my all-time favorite beers from our state, Mexican Chocolate Stout from Copper Kettle Brewing Co. While some may think of it as a dessert beer (and it can definitely be that!), it does just fine for me as an aperitif.
Ready to eat, my guest and I browsed the food menu and decided to start with the Polo Grounds Parm Bites (note: this menu is specific to Northglenn; see the homepage for Parry’s Pizzeria & Bar for information on all locations). I expected the bites to be really dense, doughy and filling. But they’re actually quite airy and light, which I loved, as I was able to eat a ton of them while waiting for my pizza. And there was no lack of Parmesan, making this cheese addict very happy.
Parry’s has just one style of pizza crust; there is no thin or deep dish. The crust is somewhere in between: midway between thick and thin, their crispy crust is just the right consistency for a pizza lover like me.
The menu has around 20 signature pies ranging from basic cheese to meat lovers’, mac & cheese to BBQ chicken, and everything in between. As I’m a picky eater, the first thing I typically look for is a build-your-own pie, as I appreciate the option to customize my meal. Parry’s has it! The next thing I hope to see is my favorite topping, yet one I don’t find at many restaurants: green olives. Again, Parry’s for the win!
I was having a hard time deciding what beer to order next; I had it narrowed down to Dragon’s Milk Reserve: Salted Caramel Stout from New Holland Brewing Company and Bligh’s Barleywine from Dry Dock Brewing (another of my faves from Colorado). I went with the Dragon’s Milk while my guest ordered the barleywine, so I got to sip on both.
While I’m typically too stuffed to splurge on dessert, the cannoli was the perfect size for two full people to split. We opted to add caramel sauce—which I didn’t even know was an option until our server gave us the choice of 4 or 5 different sauces! Best decision ever. It was absolutely delicious!
I was so pleased with every aspect of my visit, from the welcoming atmosphere and stellar service to the fantastic food and extensive tap list. I highly recommend checking out (or revisiting) a Parry’s Pizza location today!
Pro tip: don’t miss Parry’s Big Ass Tap Takeover with Avery Brewing on Saturday, April 28th:
Participating Parry’s Pizzeria & Bar locations will host the Big Ass Tap Takeover. These locations include:- Castle Rock (5650 Allen Way, Castle Rock, Colorado 80108)
- Greenwood Village (5970 S Holly St, Greenwood Village, Colorado 80111)
- Highlands Ranch (9567 S University Blvd., Highlands Ranch, Colorado 80126)
- Johnstown (4874 Thompson Pkwy, Johnstown, Colorado 80534)
- Longmont (1232 S Hover St, # 100, Longmont, Colorado 80501)
- Northglenn (100 E 120th Ave, Northglenn, Colorado 80233)
- Northlake (6851 North Lake Mall Drive, Charlotte, North Carolina 28216)
