The Senate Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Pueblo

an open letter to the owner/administrator of this establishment.

to whom it may concern,

i was in attendance last night. i was having a lovely time with my wife and friends. the beer selection was top-notch. the music was decent by all accounts and the place smelled like chicken wings...but in like a really good way. this all changed when i happened to glance at a young man in a way he did not appear to enjoy at all.

the reason i glanced at this particular young is that i saw him grab the wrist of the young lady who was working as our server. the server was caught off-guard only a moment and then immediately slipped the young man's grip. the young lady went on to immediately wave a blue light as she left the area to seek help; for which i am proud of her and thankful to her.

this young man saw that i had witnessed this encounter. i turned my head to ask my wife if she had seen the encounter. in the next moment, i realized this young man had sat down in the seat adjacent to mine. my wife and i were cornered and there was only my body between this young man and her.

i immediately informed the young man that he head not been invited to and was not welcome within our personal space. he refused to leave. i repeated myself. he refused to leave. i repeated myself loudly. he refused to leave.

this circuitous exchange continued circuoting to the point where i felt the need to resort to screaming for the staff and for the young man's friends to come take young man away. away from me and my wife. please. just please take him away.

at this point, a muscular young man wearing the exact same white t-shirt as the original young man that invaded my family's personal space. it appeared they were friends. the muscular one came back after depositing the loud one with identically-dressed cohorts. he apologized for his friend. saying his friend was drunk. i told this peacemaker that it was ok. i am just glad he had left. who hasn't been young and foolish?

i was admittedly frazzled but i collected myself and got back to my night. it was a christmas party, after all. and a good one. i assumed the young man went home. i assumed that he might wake slightly worse for wear. i secretly hope he would have a good look in the mirror, pick up a phone, and get in touch with a good mental health professional.

i was thinking these things and a million others as i turned back to my very cold and refreshing glass of excellently curated beer. i was thinking this until i saw the young man pacing up and down the aisle connecting to our table. now he was glaring into my eyes as he predated our table. he had been allowed back in. he just had to put a t-shirt over the white group-t he had been wearing before. this ruse appeared to have exploited some hitherto unknown and altogether unforeseeable oversight in the until-recently seemingly impenetrable phalanx of trained professionals as the door.

still, this moron had been allowed back into the building to stalk and harass paying customers and staff as he pleased. i cannot speak to the reason why. in point of fact, i cannot speak to any reason within the entire experience. i am...notwithstanding the foregoing...at a loss.

to the owner(s)/executive(s):

you have a wonderful establishment. you should be proud. your staff are competent, focused, and motivated. they have character and pride in what they do. you have a good eye and you appear to be in good hands.

regretfully, my ultimate opinion must be that you are lacking on security protocols. the metal detectors and security staff were efficient and effective, sharing the same zeal and skill for their duties as the wait staff. but the simple fact is that a person, who from my own fallible perspective, was allowed back into your establishment after: -assaulting one of your staff. -harassing and, i am unashamed to admit, terrifying paying customers

the responsibility of this grave oversight of customer and staff safety must fall entirely upon you...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Great Food & Atmosphere — Just Needs a Bit More Spark in Service

The Senate in Pueblo is a solid spot with a lot going for it. The food is consistently good — flavorful, well-prepared, and served in a great atmosphere that feels both stylish and laid-back. It’s the kind of place that works for a casual night out or a fun gathering with friends. The vibe is modern, and they’ve clearly put thought into the space.

That said, the service could use a little tightening up. The staff is friendly, but the speed and attentiveness can be hit or miss, especially during busy hours. It sometimes feels like you’re waiting longer than expected for drinks or check-ins.

Speaking of drinks — while the cocktail menu looks great on paper, the pours are a bit light for the price. A little more generosity in the mix would go a long way in taking the experience to the next level.

Overall, The Senate is still a place I’d recommend and return to. The potential for greatness is definitely there — with just a little more attention to service and drink value, it could easily be a 5-star...

I wish every small town had a bar like this one. My sister and I came in with 2 large service dogs, which we never know how it’s going to go over. John and Danika were amazing. John brought both of our boys little treats from the kitchen! If my dogs happy, I’m happy. Danika made us wonderful cocktails and did a great job of upselling without making it feel like she was pushing us. We were a tad bit hungry, the meatballs were to die for. We had samples of the chili, which is a green hatch Chili. I thought the flavor was amazing, as did my sister, but we both agreed that it was more of a soup/stew consistency and not the normal chili (ground beef, tomato base, beans) we were used to. I would’ve ordered a bowl but I was stuffed. We got the mozzarella sticks who’s cheese pulls went on for miles. My sister got the pepperoni pizza bread and she said she really liked it. Also to mention; this place was by far the most well priced in the area. I will definitely be going back, and wish I could put this place in my pocket and take it...