A delightful “local gem” in the truest sense of the word, Latitudes Bar & Grill in Denver has been offering a warm, intimate setting for sharing great food and friendship since 2019. Owners Patti and Steve Merkel have happily blended amazing cuisine and community camaraderie – and a fun experience with their personable crew is always guaranteed!
A savvy restauranteur and bar owner for the last 30 years – 22 of those years in the Lake Norman area – Patti’s vision was always a neighborhood bar and grill with a tropical vibe and incredible service. The Latitudes team shares a goal of creating a super fun place for locals to dine, drink and mingle.
This favorite Denver spot is also in the midst of its biggest promotion of the entire year, with an enchanting celebration of the season that definitely finds folks ready to mingle – but with an extra added touch of holiday jingle!
Patti shares details of the magic that happens at Latitudes from November 24th until January 6th.
“Our Christmas Pop-Up Bar is appropriately called “Miracle on Highway 16,” she explains. “We describe it as an over-the-top Christmas-themed bar and restaurant setup with holiday decorations, drinks, food and music.”
Besides beautiful craft cocktails and a festive food menu, the holiday season at Latitudes also includes Christmas Trivia Nights, Christmas Pajama Night, Ugly Sweater Night, Karaoke, Grinch Night (that’s an invitation to wear your best Grinch or Cindy Lou Who ensemble) and even a horse-drawn sleigh ride! For your youngest family members, their Kids’ Outdoor Christmas Movie Night is complete with a hot cocoa bar, campfire and Christmas movies on the outdoor movie screen (with kids wearing their pajamas, of course)!
“We will also have Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 2nd and Saturday, December 16th from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.,” Patti adds.
You may recall that Latitudes Bar & Grill was featured on the reality TV show “Bar Rescue” in June of 2023.
“Our menu has always been American, with an island flair,” Patti explains. “But, along with our existing menu, the chefs from Bar Rescue created a delicious ‘Island Menu’ including Rasta Pasta, Jerk Chicken Pot Pie and a Caribbean Seafood Plate for our episode last summer. These are dishes created just for us, so you can’t find them anywhere else. For drinks, we also have a ‘Risk It for Hibiscus’ and a ‘Banana Rum Old-Fashioned’ created by Bar Rescue’s Mixologist Mia Mastroianni. In-house, our manager, Travis Sloan, created a Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita to spice up the drink options!”
The full Latitudes menu offers crowd favorites including pasta, salads, wraps, seafood and burgers, (which are half-pound certified angus beef), along with immensely possible “shareable” appetizers such as Blackened Mahi Bites, Thai Chili Shrimp and Buffalo Chicken Bites.
Latitudes also offers wine tastings the third Monday evening of every month, which will resume again after January 6th, and a fabulous Sushi selection is served every Friday and Saturday night from 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. where Sushi Chef Josh does an amazing job rolling sushi to order!
While every day in the restaurant business brings something different to the table, Patti and her growing team at Latitudes are inspired by being able to gather people together with good food in the most relaxed setting possible.
Patti and Steve hope you’ll stop in with friends and family to enjoy some holiday cheer, return often in the New Year and make Latitudes Bar & Grill one of your go-to gathering places!
Located at 2495 S. North Carolina Highway 16 in Denver, NC, Latitudes Bar & Grill also offers full-service catering for your events year-round. Reach them at 704.966.1434, at latitudesnc.com and follow them for menu specials and event updates on Facebook and Instagram @latitudes_denvernc. Hours are 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m Monday through Saturday.
