El Rancho Bar

El Rancho Tavern has been my favorite bar in Durango!! There are some other places in town that are fun too but not like El Rancho. It does have the funny smell of old smoke/barf and spilled drink but that adds to the charm. El Rancho had a crisis in October 2006 and has had a renovation. You will meet people there from all over the country. This is where the locals go to party. It can get really, really crowded though. Show up on a Sunday morning to watch sporting events on the big screen while eating your breakfast from The Durango Diner. This is a one of a kind place in the heart of Durango!! Pros: service, cheap drinks and good people Cons: can get really crowded more

Ive partied from Manhattan to Santa Barbara,and this place is right there with the swanky spots.Coolest staff yet,patrons weren't pretentious at all.Got to recommend it Pros: patrons Cons: space,no buss boy more

We recently were told by the locals to check out El Rancho if you want a late night drink - and told to beware, it's definitely not a 5 star lounge and has a funny smell. It's got a lot of charm of the ""old western"" and is definitely an old-style bar/tavern, but it's just too ancient for my taste. They could definitely use some remodeling, while still retaining the charm of their bar. It seemed dirty and smelled like a mix of old/smoke/dirty water/regurgitation, we actually almost gagged when we walked in. The drinks were nice and strong and definitely nice on the pocketbook. The staff was nice and we got to sample a couple of their beers on tap. I probably wouldn't go there for an evening of drinks, it was just too dirty and grungy for me. Pros: Location, good service Cons: Needs remodling, stinks, dirty more