Nightlife in Grand Junction has always been faced with mixed emotions. Some people love it, some people hate it, and depending on the weekend, it could be both.

However, there is no denying the growth in our community and the bar scene along with it. In just the last few years, nearly a dozen or so new bars have popped up in the area, but do they offer anything new to the community? Let’s dig in and take an updated look at the nightlife in Grand Junction.

At first glance, The Feisty Pint is a type of bar that is exactly what Grand Junction needs. A self-serve tap, a good location and a nice selection of drinks. So, what’s missing here? Well, a crowd first of all, but more than that, the bar is missing a reason to go in the first place. An expensive selection on the self-serve and a 12 am close is more than enough to keep out a young, vibrant crowd. It’s a fun place after work, but after 9 pm there is not a whole lot to offer.

The Goat Tavern is a fun place if you want to grab a drink with your buddies. Like the Fiesty Pint, it doesn’t draw too many students, but there is definitely a nice mix on the weekend. It isn’t too rowdy, but that’s kind of the point with this one. The Goat is one of the more mature bars downtown with a nice selection of food and craft beer. While this isn’t necessarily a “college bar”, I would check it out if your looking for a more lowkey type of night.

The Handlebar is the closest thing to a rooftop bar here in Grand Junction. While the location isn’t ideal for students, I like to go there after a hike or bike ride. Although I wouldn’t technically classify this place as part of the nightlife in Grand Junction, it’s definitely a cool bar for an afternoon drink.

Ok ok, I know what you’re thinking; I realize the last three bars weren’t exactly the perfect fit for a wild night on the town. However, students come in all shapes and sizes and if you’re looking for more of a thrill, there are plenty of old places to frequent. Twisted Turtle is probably the most reliable. While I’ve personally stopped going, I’ve had my fair share of drinks there. Thursday nights are admittedly a decent time, while the rest of the weekend is a coin flip.

Quincy’s is my personal favorite. It boasts a fairly large bar and a decent sized dance floor. The bar is like if you took 100 random people off the street and put them all under one roof. You can usually find a decent college crowd on most nights mixed in with a very lively bunch of individuals.

As for the rest of the bars: Wrigley’s is fun on Wednesdays, Cruisers usually has live music and drink specials and Volleys is a highly underrated sand bar that is definitely worth a look.

Oh, and I guess Mesa Theatre is alright too. My biggest issue with Grand Junction is the lack of consistency in quality and the diversity between the set of bars. Varied drink specials and changing layouts don’t exactly give you a unique experience between bars. There’s nothing in my opinion that really sets one place apart from the other.

I’ve had equally terrible and great times at nearly every place downtown, it all just depends on the night. For me, the word “average” sums up the Grand Junction nightlife. I don’t think it’s as bad as some people may think, but I don’t think you’ll experience FOMO (fear of missing out) for missing one night on the town.