Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox

Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox is a multilevel restaurant, bar, and live music venue tucked inside a beautifully restored Victorian brownstone in Denver’s Ballpark neighborhood. Located at 1215 20th Street, the venue blends an eclectic roster of national and local acts with an intimate, theatrical atmosphere that makes it one of the most distinctive rooms in Colorado. From rock and hip-hop to country, burlesque, and stand-up comedy, Ophelia’s casts a deliberately wide net.

The building dates to 1913 and spent much of its hundred-year history as an adult arcade, bookstore, and peep-show parlor — a lineage that owner and chef Justin Cucci leaned into fully when he opened Ophelia’s in April 2015. Cucci, the creative force behind Edible Beats restaurant group (Root Down, Linger, El Five, and others), dubbed the concept a “gastro-brothel” and transformed the ground floor and basement of the Airedale building into a boudoir-chic playground. A 2022 renovation expanded the downstairs dance floor and upgraded sound and lighting systems to accommodate touring acts.

The space spans roughly 8,000 square feet across two levels. The lower level centers on a sunken stage and dance floor framed by vintage soft-core film posters, a basement bar built from Jägermeister mini bottles, and bordello-style lighting. The upper level features balcony tables that overlook the stage below, pinball machine art, vintage radios, and a large movie screen that doubles for sports on game nights. The kitchen — open Wednesday through Saturday for dinner — runs a vegetable-forward, globally inflected menu with sustainably sourced ingredients. Weekend brunch runs Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., with free live music.

Good to Know

• Ages: Most shows are 21+; select events are 18+ with wristbands and seating restrictions for guests under 21.
• Bar: Full bar with handcrafted cocktails and 24 taps of Colorado beer. Alcohol is available to guests 21+ with valid ID.
• Parking: Street parking in the surrounding Ballpark neighborhood; valet service is available on select evenings.
• ADA: Contact the venue directly for accessibility accommodations.
• House rules: Dinner reservations do not include concert access or entry to the downstairs music area; concert tickets must be purchased separately. No re-entry policy may apply on show nights.