APPALOOSA GRILL - a.k.a. THE HORSE

ESTABLISHED 2001 OWNER OPERATED

Excerpt from The Rocky Mountain News -- by:  Dave Flomberg  --> Originally published 11/30/07
It's easy to root for the little guy. The lunch-pail guy. The one who laces up his boots and heads into work every day and drives an American car and eats apple pie. When that guy wins, we all feel a sense of triumph - especially when he carves his niche the old-fashioned way, by working and saving and eventually having enough to, say, buy one of the mayor's bars and dedicate it to maintaining the same quality of food and drink, but make it more their own by adding a nightly roster of live music and still packin' in the crowd.

That's pretty much the story of the Appaloosa Grill, once a feather in Hickenlooper's cap, now a 16th Street Mall Asian-meets-American eatery cum hoppin'-nightspot-focused-on-live-music. The scene here is unique in that it's not a LoDo dance club, throbbing with Red Bull-and-vodka-infused anxiety and on the verge of boiling over the closer it gets to 2 a.m. It's also not a typical Denver rock club, stacking four to six bands a night, each lucky to get enough to cover their first round while trying to squeeze as many of their "best" tunes into 50 minutes while "gaining exposure" and "building their fan base." The bands performing at Appaloosa are working musicians, guys and gals who've paid their dues and can play a three- or four- hour set - reading the crowd, knowing when to break out a cover, where to squeeze in that edgy new original, when to kick it up a notch and when to slow it down. Bands like Go Go Lab and Big Wheel and Cocktail Revolution. And, of course, Oakhurst - the band that also happens to own the bar.

The stage is small. There isn't a sound system - if you're playing there, you're schlepping in and out your own board and speakers. It doesn't take a lot to fill the space, although it does take a little more than it used to, since Appaloosa finished its expansion and it looks like they've pretty much doubled the size of the joint. On the other hand, the stage is right by the door, which gives people walking by on the 16th Street Mall a chance to listen in before they decide to come in for a spell. First they have to face the zealous door guy, who takes his job very seriously and also solicits donations for the band. Which is awesome, because, while Appaloosa pays better than any of the rock clubs, your drummer's not gonna make rent off of it (and all drummers struggle making rent, right?).

Appaloosa has that formula down pat. - ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

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"Growing Up" - Update from Johnny James Qualley - June 23, 2007
Well we have really put ourselves on the spot now. Since we married this place we couldn't seem to stop assessing it's shortcomings. Having operated the joint for so long it wasn't hard to identify the things that caused us the most pain.... The back room was a coffin like seating area that was only desireable when the place was full. The heat in the winter and the cool in the summer were not adding up. The bathroom situation, was a year round problem as well. Our kitchen was  a sweat shop and we were the only joint on the mall without a patio. What to do... E X P A N D ! ! !

So we did. Wasn't fun but we put all the walls in the right places and got a few helpful nudges in the right direction from some old friends (Thanks Wynkoop, STILL FAMILY!). So off we go into the future with the beautiful additions of a new patio, new kitchen and an office that more than one normal sized human can stand in.

"Taking the Plunge" - Update from Johnny Jams Qualley - March 6, 2006

It has been eight and a half months since we took the joint over and as planned we have changed a few hats around the owners table. Tim Erwin, my main partner is now the Front of House Manager. Our long time Sous Chef Marsey Gibson is now Executive Chef. While Adam and I are taking the plunge and doing what we have dreamed about for years. Becoming full-time musicians. We have all the faith in the world in Tim, Marsey and our beloved staff to keep our long held standards high. In fact it will be no surprise if the Horse is taken to new heights.

Please read on and find out more about our history, it's an unlikely and beautiful one.

My intention is to play music full-time, not run a restaurant," says Johnny James Qualley. "But I love this place so much that when the opportunity arose, I just couldn't pass it up." It's a bright Monday afternoon between the lunch and dinner rush at Appaloosa Grill, an upscale but casual eatery housed in Denver's Masonic Building, at the corner of 16th and Welton streets. As Dub Side of the Moon tickles its way through the sound system, Qualley, is discussing how he evolved from waiter to bar manager to GM to primary owner of one of Mayor Hickenlooper's crown jewels. Seated beside him in a burgundy upholstered booth, disheveled and drinking a Red Bull, Adam Hill, Qualley’s bandmate and business partner, flashes a big smile. And why not? This summer has been something of a coup for the members of local roots rock outfit Oakhurst -- as both musicians and budding restaurateurs. Today the two are happily acknowledging their one-month anniversary of acquiring the Appaloosa from the Wynkoop Brewing Company. Despite the new responsibilities and high overhead, Qualley and Hill, along with Wynkoop Controller Tracy Gonzales and Chef Tim Erwin (bassist for the hardcore band I See Spies), are quickly adjusting as the Grill's new proprietors. In addition to a lunch and dinner menu that merges Asian and Southwestern fare with bar grub, steaks and seafood, Appaloosa boasts live music seven nights a week (Oakhurst takes the stage every Thursday evening). The colorful, ghostly history behind the Masonic Building, gutted by fire in the early '80s, adds mystique to the venue. "It's said that someone died here," Qualley says, referring to the building’s corner space. "The Archdiosese of Denver came in and did an exorcism with palm leaves and holy water and the whole bit."

However the tunes materialize, Oakhurst certainly gives a crowd ample reason to cut a rug in a live setting ("You gotta bring your dancin' shoes -- and your hollow leg," Qualley quips). For Hill, though, the straight dope is derived from the simple joy of the songs themselves. "Music should have been free from the get-go," he concludes. "Nobody's in this to worry about dollars. We just try to deliver the party every time. People clappin' and jumpin' and dancin' and hootin' and hollerin' -- that's all we ever asked for."

Well, that, and maybe a full house at the Appaloosa Grill every Thursday night.

THE ORIGINAL STORY: (APRIL 2001 - JULY 2005)

John Hickenlooper must have a recipe for success.

The Mayor of Denver and entrepreneur responsible for Wynkoop Brewing Company, the Cherry Cricket, Red Room, Goosetown Tavern, and Wazee Supper Club has again struck gold with Appaloosa Grill. Located near the Denver Pavilions on downtown's 16th Street Mall at Welton Street (two blocks north of the Convention Center and Buell Theatre). Appaloosa attracts a diverse mix of diners; and former Wynkoop Chef Tim Erwin offers a menu to match. Appetizers range in influence from Southwestern (Carne Asada Platter) to Asian cuisine (Thai Salad) Appaloosa's entrees appeal to a broad range of appetites and include steak, ribs, pasta, salads and seafood. Appaloosa also uses all natural locally raised Heritage Highland's Beef from Great West Cattle Company and King Canyon Ranch Buffalo.

Appaloosa's General Manager John Qualley is  also a musician with a lot of talented friends. As a result, the Grill has evolved into the only venue in town that offers live entertainment every night with no cover charge. Shows start at 10m nightly and only the top acts in Colorado are hired to perform. NEVER A COVER. But the door man does take donations in support of the musicians.

The Appaloosa Grill is a fusion of food and ambiance that is both upscale and casual.Warm cherry woodwork,burgundy-upholstered booths and elegant lighting make Appaloosa Grill popular for business lunches, while an antique bar with blazing candles and modern light fixtures offer dinner guests a classy, moody atmosphere. Appaloosa Grill opened in April 2001 to provide a unique. dining experience for Downtown Denver's visitors, habitants and workers. It is located on the ground floor of the nine story historic Masonic Building which was first constructed in the early 20's and renovated in 1983, and is signified by its large brown sandstone bricks.

Appaloosa Grill is proud to carry this moniker usually associated with such a colorful and unique breed with abilities and beauty thought to be more than just skin deep.