The history of both drag and brunches, stretching back centuries, surprised me. Drag’s history dates perhaps most famously to the Shakespearean stage. Brunch was a term first coined by a British gentleman tired of carousing the night before and waking up too late for breakfast the day after in the late 1800s. They first came together behind the closed doors of prohibition, which seems fitting for such a boisterous affair.
Fast-forward to today, and Denver has a thriving drag queen brunch scene. Here are a couple I was able to visit:
Hamburger Mary’s
Hamburger Mary’s (Denver) hosts a drag brunch every weekend, and they are indeed very popular. However, it is a dining establishment first and foremost, so we ordered food and drinks. To start, I ordered the Loaded Mimosa with peach which was a perfectly tasty mimosa. We ordered the Pretzel Bites as a starter while we were soaking up the atmosphere. It came with a house queso for dipping. The pretzel bites were freshly prepared and the queso had just a touch of heat. For my main course, I ordered the Traditional Benny, which was eggs benedict with a twist. The Canadian bacon was placed on top of the perfectly poached eggs, smothered in a hollandaise sauce. It was served with potato nuggets.
My dining companion ordered the bloody mary with no heat, and it arrived with no heat. For her main course, she ordered the Basic Byotch, which was a solid combination of scrambled eggs, English muffin, and two sausage patties, as well as potatoes.
The drag show at Hamburger Mary’s was a party of the first magnitude. We were offered to buy Jell-O shots as the show was getting set up, and it went uphill from there.
After the opening, Mariah Spanic serenaded us with song, as she sauntered throughout the audience. The queens did a fabulous balancing act between the two of them ensuring laughter and spectacle for all.
Saturdays and Sundays, shows at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.; call 303-993-5812 to reserve tickets; 1336 E. 17th Ave.; hamburgermarys.com/denver
Denver Milk Market
On the foundation of what was once a prominent and prestigious dairy block in Lodo arises what is now the Denver Milk Market. One of the unique offerings within these hallowed halls is a drag queen bingo show, held every Sunday starting at 11 a.m. Shirley Delta Blow is the Mistress of Ceremonies every week, joined by another queen that rotates from week to week.
For my meal, I selected from the brunch offerings (from a collection of 15 different menus). I chose the chicken and waffles. I ordered the chicken with medium heat. There were three strips of chicken breast, which were cooked perfectly. The spice level was indeed medium and delicious. There was a thin, round waffle beneath which also was prepared well. I also ordered the Bottomless Mimosas; it was a perfectly good mimosa, and someone was always there to make sure I wasn’t left dry.
My dining companion saw the lobster roll from the Albina from the Sea offerings, and it was all over for her. She also decided to try the tater tots. The lobster roll was lovingly enveloped in a creamy sauce with good-sized crab claws and crab meat, surrounded by a freshly baked roll. The tater tots were crispy, hot, and lightly salted. She also ordered a Bloody Mary which had a medium spice and was robust in flavor.
Shirley Delta Blow was a master mistress of ceremonies. Given her background as a teacher and her extensive performance experience, she gave life to the game of bingo. Some of her banter was expected, but much of it was tailored to the crowd and to her assistant queen. She was funny, warm, and inviting. Anastasia Dupree was a worthy assistant and another crowd pleaser.
Another fun component to the event was the queens taking a break from bingo to do things you might expect to see at an evening drag show: a bit of a performance, a bit of dance and a lot of mingling with the crowd. A girl must make some money!
Sundays, 11 a.m.–2 p.m.; first-come, first-serve with limited seating; 1800 Wazee St., Suite 100; denvermilkmarket.com/drag-bingo-brunch
Triangle Bar
There is one other offering I could find currently offering anything like a drag brunch, at the Triangle Bar. They are hosting an event based on a movie showing, with live singing and drag entertainment, where they also offer brunch dishes.
Sundays, 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.; buy tickets online; 2036 N. Broadway; thetriangledenver.com
