Ace Eat Serve runs out of a converted garage at 501 East 17th Avenue in Uptown Denver, a modern Chinese kitchen bolted to a ping pong hall and a long outdoor patio bar. It is the rare spot where you can order a craft cocktail, a plate of dumplings and a paddle in the same breath. The bar holds its own next to the food.
This is a group spot first and a quiet drink second. It comes from the same team behind Steuben's next door, per Westword, which tells you the kitchen is serious and the bar is not an afterthought. You come for the patio, the pong and a cocktail, not a hushed nightcap.
The space is built around play. Indoor and outdoor ping pong tables sit beside high tops, and the patio stretches out under string lights with its own bar service. One note for anyone chasing the listing: this is a patio and garden bar, not a rooftop, whatever the directories say.
The cocktails lean bright and Asian-accented, built to cut through chili oil and soy rather than sit pretty. The list rotates with the seasons, so ask the bar what is fresh and order toward the table's food. A cold beer and a paddle is the honest value play, and the patio is where it all makes sense.
The kitchen is modern Chinese done with care, from dumplings to noodles to shareable plates that pair better with a round of cocktails than most bar menus manage. Tripadvisor and Yelp reviewers, across more than 1,000 reviews on Yelp alone, circle the food and the patio more than any single drink. Come hungry and split everything.
The crowd skews young, social and loud, with after-work groups midweek and a full house on weekends. Tom's read: this is not the room for a first date that needs quiet, but it is a strong call for a birthday or a crew that wants to drink and compete in the same evening.
Regulars across Yelp and Tripadvisor say the same thing: come for the food and the ping pong, stay for the patio. The cocktails draw steady marks without topping anyone's list, which is fair, since the kitchen is the headline act. The common gripe is noise on a packed weekend, so book ahead or come early if you want to hear your own table.
Who it suits is easy to call. It is a birthday room, a dinner-then-drinks room, and a warm-weather patio session waiting to happen. Skip it if you want a quiet cocktail bar or a screen for the match, because the pong tables and the buzz are the whole personality here.
Hours run Tuesday to Sunday, closed Mondays, with late closes Friday and Saturday at midnight and weekend service opening at 11am. Best time is a warm weeknight on the patio before the weekend crowds land, paddle in one hand and a cocktail in the other.
The patio earns its keep on a clear Denver evening, when the garage doors open and the ping pong games spill outside. It is the kind of place where one round of drinks turns into three because nobody wants to give up the table. Pace yourself and order food early.
Getting there is simple. It sits at 17th and Pennsylvania in Uptown, walkable from the restaurant strip along 17th Avenue and a short rideshare from downtown. Street parking is the norm, so plan to circle the block or leave the car at home.
This is the bar for a group that wants food, cocktails and a game in one place, not a quiet session. For more, see our guide to the best cocktail bars in Denver, the full Denver city guide, and our roundup of the best bars in Denver.
Sources: Ace Eat Serve official site · Westword · Yelp (1,072 reviews) · Visit Denver
