Durango’s New Hot Spot: Balcony Bar & Grill
On the Northwest corner of Main and College Ave., up a flight of stairs, and across a little bridge, you are going to find some pretty tasty fare partnered with excellent live music. The Balcony Bar & Grill opened earlier this spring at the location formerly occupied by El Patio- at 600 Main Ave. Two Durango families- The Walls and The Kitchens- just happened to be at the right spot at the right time. They saw an opportunity to take over El Patio and continue offering great food and live music.
The Walls and The Kitchens were inspired by their own experiences in the food industry. Previously, both Jeff Walls and Brooks Kitchens were chefs at Lady Falconburgs and Dogwood Cafe in Pagosa respectively. Coming together to open The Balcony seemed to be their easy button. “So far, it’s going really well,” says Walls. “What we really want is to provide the community of Durango great food at great prices in a nice environment.” And that it is, from The Balcony, guest have awesome views of Smelter Mountain and Historic Downtown Durango. It’s a great spot to enjoy a night out on the town.
The menu offers a little something for everyone. Try their in-house smoked meats like turkey, pulled-pork and sausage or go for the New Orleans style Po Boys made with catfish, shrimp or chicken. They offer burgers made with James Ranch Beef, salads, and sandwiches too. Oh- and kids are welcome here- they offer a great selection for the wee, or not so wee, ones too.
On any night, you’ll also find great live musicians playing at The Balcony. They have someone booked every night in the month of September. Bands like Milk Drive, Tumblin’ dice, and The Scrugglers as well as local favorites like Terry Rickard, Pete Guiliani, and The Robin Davis Duo. A number of others will be performing too. You can check out their calendar of events, and their menu, at balconybarandgrill.com.
The Balcony hopes to stay open through Halloween weekend. It all depends on the weather. That gives Durangoans a couple of months to give it a try, if you haven’t already. “We hope to see you down here,” exclaims Walls. The Balcony is open from 5pm-9pm every night of the week.
