Stanley Beer Hall — Restaurant in Aurora

POUR YOUR OWN $8 BEERS! Inconvenient, overpriced mediocrity. I really wanted to like this place. Aurora really needs a decent large tap room with a nice patio and bang on pub food. But the Stanley beer hall fails at exactly the thing that makes a beer hall great. Enjoyable Human interaction. If you want to interact with anyone, better bring them with you yourself. As soon as you arrive the first thing they do is stop you at the door and try and convince you to pay for your food and drink in advance in order to make leaving easier I guess. The last thing a business should do is annoy you the second you walk through their door. But the Stanley beer hall is one of those businesses that before they will sell you anything makes you take your ID all the way out of your wallet (everybody’s favorite inconvenience) and hand it across the cash register to them before even being seated. At which point they explain to you that you will be ordering your food through a waitress, yet servicing your own drinks from a wall of beer where you have to scan your unmarked card which can be confused with anybody else’s unmarked card and then you get to buy beer for around $.43-$.56 per ounce. They conveniently leave out whether you pay at the beginning of the ounce or the end of the else meaning if you go so much as a milliliter over you pay an extra 50 some odd cents. And if your glass of beer foams up, I hope you like waiting, to pour more because you just paid for that.

The food here is another disappointment. Although it does have some classic hits from 2006 like buffalo flavored tater tot’s as a side option. They also offer kettle chips as a side option. But the greatest disappointment is that they clearly don’t make their own kettle chips the ones I was served with my lunch today were dry and on the stale side meaning they came from a bag. The burgers were good but everything else about this place is just a little bit on the disappointing side. It really could be better they just choose to keep it this way I guess having less employees and sell any beer by the ounce and over pricing your food by 1 to 3 dollars per entrée is a great way to make sure you keep your payroll low and your profits high.

I really wanted to like this place, because their burgers looked good on Instagram. And in person their burgers were still pretty good, but not $13 good. This is high capitalism at its worst. They nickel and dime you for every little thing, and you get the pleasure of serving yourself instead of sitting at the table with your friends and family engaging in conversation or Craic. A few small changes would take this from a massive disappointment to a pretty decent place. Hire a knowledgeable beer-slinger who can tell you what you’re drinking and what sort of taste to look for in something you’ve never had. But honestly paying by the Ounce and having your employees become visibly frustrated with people who don’t know how to swipe the card and use the machine seems like a cool concept but in practice, it is not. Please stop that. Stop making people take their drivers licenses all the way out of their wallets. That’s just annoying and really is unnecessary. Most beer serving establishments in the state do not require that you do that, Stanley beer Hall is no different. This is their choice and it’s annoying as hell. Either make your food less disappointing or knock a buck or two off the price of your entrées. The burger was good today, but if it comes with chips from a bag there’s no way in hell that’s worth $13 and very few people are gonna leave feeling good about that.

In summation, I live nearby and come to the Stanley all the time so I was excited to finally try this place. But it’s pretty disappointing so I don’t think I’ll be back anytime soon. it has great potential but is squandered with a concept that goes from innovative to annoying pretty quickly. I really hope they make some changes so this beer Hall can meet...

A Local Gem with Personality, Flavor, and Charm

Stanley Beer Hall is one of those rare places that balances cool concept, strong character, and an unmistakably local vibe — and it pulls it off with style. Tucked inside the always-vibrant Stanley Marketplace, this beer hall is more than just a spot to grab a bite — it’s an experience, and one I’ll be coming back to again and again.

From the moment I walked in, the energy of the place was lively and welcoming. The interior blends rustic industrial elements with community warmth, and the open concept dining area allows for great people-watching, conversation, and that laid-back Colorado feeling that makes you want to settle in for a while. The beer wall was a standout feature — an interactive, pour-your-own system where you can sample a wide variety of local and regional brews. It’s fun, intuitive, and perfect for anyone who loves trying new things without committing to a full pint.

Now let’s talk food — because Stanley Beer Hall knows how to deliver.

I ordered the OG Stanley Cheeseburger, a two-time winner of the Denver Burger Battle, and I can definitely see why. It’s simple, sure — but that’s the beauty of it. There’s no gimmick or over-the-top layering. Just quality ingredients done right. The beef was juicy and flavorful, the cheese perfectly melted, and the bun had just the right amount of softness with a subtle toasty edge. It’s a burger that honors the classics without trying too hard — and sometimes, that’s exactly what you want. It was the kind of comfort food that makes you slow down and savor each bite.

And let me not forget the tater tots. Absolute perfection. Golden brown, crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside — exactly what you hope for when you order tots. They were seasoned just right and made for an ideal pairing with the burger. Honestly, I’d come back just for those alone.

The staff was friendly, efficient, and genuinely seemed to care about the experience of each table. Service was smooth from start to finish, and it felt like everyone there took pride in the food and atmosphere they’re creating. It’s clear that the team at Stanley Beer Hall values both quality and customer connection.

While it was a warm summer day and the temperature inside the restaurant leaned toward the toasty side, it still didn’t take away from the overall experience. In fact, it added to the busy energy and character of the space. And let’s be honest — a cold beer and good company tend to make you forget all about the thermostat.

If you’re looking for a spot that delivers solid food, innovative self-serve drinks, and a community-forward atmosphere, this is it. Whether you’re a beer lover, a burger enthusiast, or just someone who appreciates thoughtful details and local flair, Stanley Beer Hall is...

Extremely disappointed!

Upon arriving it took entirely too long to find a free seat and when we did, it was extremely squished. A busy Friday night seems like the wrong night to have so many tables reserved and what seemed like an office party on the patio. A member of our party is a celiac and was excited to see good looking gluten free options on the menu. When we were able to finally get a server's attention, we ordered the buffalo cauliflower bites to start, which are marked as gluten free. A little while later, it took almost 15 minutes to grab the attention of another server. When ordering, the second server was kind enough to tell us that the buffalo cauliflower bites were not in fact gluten free, despite being clearly marked "GF" on the menu since they were fried in the same fryer as everything else and had lots of cross contamination. When we asked why it was marked as gluten free despite having obvious cross contamination and no warning of the contamination on the menu, she simply said that the dish itself doesn't have wheat in it. She said the only thing that was truly gluten free were some of the salads. It is down right irresponsible to label foods gluten free when they are far from it! Restaurants should be far more knowledgeable about allergens and be able to correctly label food, especially in this day and age.

It is also crazy that they expect you to tip before you even sit down! The service was lousy at best. For having to seat yourself, serve your own drinks, messy tables, high prices and slow service, it is hard to be able to justify any tip.

I would like to make the following suggestions for the owner: Do not mark your food as allergen friendly when it is not. Clearly state the risk and sources of cross contamination.

Do not book private parties on weekends at "prime time" or have a better wait system so it's not so difficult to sit down after opening your tab.

Do not ask or expect people to tip before being served. Tips are typically based on the quality and speed of service, so you can not determine a top before you...