Monarch Pizza: Wood-Fired Pies in Uptown Denver

The Space

Urban Cowboy has a specific personality — it leans into a cowboy-meets-historic-Denver aesthetic that could easily feel forced, but inside the old Schleier Mansion it actually works. The bar area where Monarch operates has high ceilings and the kind of worn-in character that newer builds just can't replicate. The wood-fired oven is the centerpiece of the room, and you can feel the heat from it. This used to be the Little Johnny B's space, so if you've been in before, you'll recognize the layout. The new concept fits it better.

What I Ordered

The menu rotates weekly based on what Freeman is sourcing from local farmers' markets, so what I had may not be exactly what you'll find. That said, the Margherita is a consistent anchor on the menu and it's a good benchmark — the char on the crust was real, not decorative, and the balance was right. The Fungi pizza was on during my visit and that one stood out more. Earthy, not heavy, and the wood-fire actually added something to it rather than just being a marketing detail.

The side dishes are served with tableside descriptions, which sounds like it could be a little much, but it wasn't. It felt more like the server was genuinely interested in what they were bringing out. Whether that holds up on a busy Friday night, I can't say.

What Works and What Doesn't

The rotating menu is the right call for a kitchen sourcing from farmers' markets — it keeps things fresh and gives Freeman room to work with what's actually good right now. The downside is that you can't really plan around a specific pizza. If the Fungi was what made me want to go back, it may not be there next visit. That's a real tradeoff.

The 700-degree oven does what it's supposed to. The crust had that blistered exterior and enough chew in the middle that it didn't feel like a cracker. Pizza at that heat lives or dies on timing, and nothing I had was overdone.

Parking on Grant Street can be a little tight depending on the time. Street parking exists but fills up. The neighborhood around 17th and Grant has plenty going on — Steuben's is a few blocks away if you're making a night of it in Uptown — so plan accordingly if you're driving in.

Worth Going?

Monarch is a legitimately good pizza spot, and the setting makes it more interesting than most. It's early days — they just opened — so some things will probably get sharper over time. If you're already in Uptown or Capitol Hill, it's an easy yes. If you're driving across town specifically for pizza, I'd say give it a few more weeks and let them find their footing, then go.