About us

About us

In 1954, Sam Colombo and his wife Ann opened a little Italian restaurant on Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock—back when the neighborhood was still an Italian community, and everyone knew everyone by name. What started as a neighborhood spot quickly became something more. The red leather booths filled with regulars. The bar became a gathering place. And the kitchen kept turning out the same honest Italian-American cooking that Sam learned from his family— steaks, seafood, and pastas made the way they were meant to be made.

Walk into Colombo's today and you'll find the same dimly lit dining room that's welcomed guests for seven decades: the red leather semi-circular booths, wood-paneled walls, iron chandeliers, red velvet drapes, and vintage paintings hanging in gold frames. Some call it old school. We just call it home.

Today, the restaurant is run by Vic Parrino, Sam and Ann's nephew, who grew up in these dining rooms and learned the business at his aunt and uncle's side. The recipes haven't changed. Neither has the feeling when you walk through the door.

The Music

For decades, Colombo's has been known for live jazz. It's as much a part of the restaurant as the red booths and the Chianti. Over the years, our small stage has hosted pianists, vocalists, and quartets who made Colombo's their musical home.

From solo vocalists on piano to full jazz quartets, the music has always set the mood—intimate enough to talk over, memorable enough to stay for another round.

People call Colombo's 'The Melting Pot of Eagle Rock.' We've hosted birthday dinners, anniversary celebrations, first dates, and wakes. We've seen three generations of the same families come through our doors. Strangers have become friends at our bar. That's just what happens in a place like this.

'My family has been coming to Colombo's since I was a kid in the '70s. My parents celebrated their 25th anniversary in one of those red booths. I proposed to my wife at the same table. Now we bring our grandchildren. The world changes, but Colombo's stays the same—and that's exactly why we keep coming back.'

We don't take reservations. We never have. Just walk in, grab a seat at the bar if there's a wait, and let us take care of you.