DENVER — Downtown Denver may be the most popular place to watch the AFC Championship if you don’t have an actual ticket to the game.
“It’s going to be a party man, it’s going to be a party,” said Nick Pauley with Lodo’s Bar and Grill.
And the party, no matter where you go, will likely be packed.
“Anywhere from 600 to 800 people in here I’m guessing,” Pauley said. “If I was a betting man, that’s what I would put it on.”
And if you want a good seat, don’t plan on calling ahead for a reservation. Most bars downtown are not taking them because it can be an unpredictable strategy. Instead, plan to get there early.
“First come, first served,” said Maggie Burns, with Nallen’s Irish Pub.
Because the game starts at 1 p.m., most bars are opening early. Nallen’s is opening at 11 a.m. Some other bars are opening even earlier. Most plan to get there early.
“Order some wings, drink some beers and get ready for the Broncos to go crazy,” said Broncos fan Gary Migues.
“I’m suggesting, you know, get here when the doors open, get your spots and get your water in before you start the booze,” Pauley said.
Even Patriots have a bar to watch the game downtown, The Pour House, has been a New England bar for years and expects a big crowd on Sunday.
“It’s a good feeling to know that there’s a contingency of support here in Denver deep in the heart of Broncos country,” said Michael Long, a Patriots fan who traveled from Rhode Island.