Complaint Leads to the End of Smoking on the Charlie Brown's Patio

Yes, smoking cigarettes is out of style — and unhealthy. But some of us (including me) still partake in the vice, particularly when drinking well booze at a dive bar. And the best dive bar for smokers has long been Charlie Brown's, the 91-year-old institution attached to the Colburn Hotel in Capitol Hill.

Back in 2003, Westword named the watering hole Best Smoker's Paradise: "At Charlie Brown's, smoking is not only allowed, it's practically encouraged. Four people settling down to dine will be provided with at least three ashtrays, regardless of their location beneath the impotent No Smoking sign."

At midnight on June 30, 2006, smokers in restaurants and bars across Colorado snuffed out their cigarettes and stogies when Colorado's Clean Indoor Air Act put the kibosh on smoking indoors — but patios were a different story.

The patio at Charlie Brown's is partially enclosed, with a roof covering as well as side panels that can be left open or shut when the weather turns cold. And ever since the CCIAA took hold, people have puffed away in the space.

In the 2023 edition of Best of Denver, we declared that Charlie Brown's had the Best Patio for Tortured Writers. "While you can't go wrong bellying up to the bar, it's the expansive patio that beckons those who are driven to scrawl prose into worn notebooks or type furiously in the glow of a laptop screen," we wrote. "Cigar and cigarette smoke wafts through the air, drinks are cheap, service is fast and friendly, and there are plenty of outlets to keep all your technology charged while you sip away afternoons that turn seamlessly into evenings at the longstanding landmark."
Last Friday, I arrived at Charlie Brown's for one of those late afternoon sessions on the patio. In June, July and August, the bar roasts a whole hog on the small, open-air part of its patio every last Friday of the month and hands plates of pig out for free to anyone there imbibing — a tasty tradition I'd somehow missed on previous visits.

The aroma of porky goodness was thick in the air as I made a beeline toward my usual table, where I was meeting a group of friends (none of whom, notably, are smokers). After saying hello and setting down my purse, I instinctively reached over to the area that's usually stacked with ashtrays...only to find it totally empty.

As I scanned the area, I took note of the clear air. No one was smoking — a rare sight. When a server showed up to take our drink order, I asked if I could get an ashtray. "Oh, we don't allow smoking on the patio," she said, before briskly walking away.

I was stunned. I've puffed countless cigarettes on this patio over the years, including as recently as two months ago. More friends arrived and I told them the news. "A pig roast? No smoking? And I just saw a woman walk in with a small child," one commented. "I don't even recognize this place anymore."

Another server stopped by the table, and I pressed him for more information. Both he and the first server I'd spoken with had only been working there a few months, he told us; several weeks ago, they were told that the health department had stopped by and said that smoking would no longer be allowed on the patio, except at the handful of tables in the open-air section (which, on this visit, was already full with patrons and roasting pig). "I do smell better after work," he noted.
"The Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act requires most indoor places — including enclosed patios — to be smoke- and vapor-free," explains Amber Campbell, public information officer for the Denver Department of Public Health & Environment. "DDPHE’s Tobacco Program provides education and outreach to ensure the law is followed in Denver. This is a relatively new program to DDPHE. It was previously housed at the Public Health Institute at Denver Health."

She continues: "One of our investigators recently responded to Charlie Brown’s Bar and Grill to follow up on a complaint that we received. This complaint was the first received at this location since the program moved to DDPHE. The investigator determined that the patio area at that location actually falls under an 'indoor area' as defined by the CCIAA (C.R.S. 25-14-203(10)) due to the fact that it is at least partially enclosed. The purpose of the visit was to bring the business into compliance with state law. During our inspection, our investigator provided the operator with additional education and information related to the CCIAA."

And so the longstanding tradition of hunkering down on this covered patio for a smoking and drinking session when the sun is too hot or the wind too cold has come to an end.

While the smoking minority mourns, it's certainly a win for the staff — and seemingly the bar itself. Many consumer reviews over the years included complaints about the incessant smoke on the patio, and as the pig rotated on a spit, the entire patio filled with patrons — a sight I've rarely seen before.

At least Charlie Brown's still has its nightly piano sing-alongs and still offers its signature happy hour deal: a round of BOGO well cocktails, select beer and cheap wine, served two at a time.