In Denver's Berkeley neighborhood, Little Wolf, a single-malt whiskey bar, quietly pulled a fast one this spring and flipped its whole food program into Flip & Howl Burger Kitchen. Chef Chris Odde leaned on Reddit's r/denverfood for in-the-moment feedback, then rebuilt the kitchen around cold-smoked Colorado Wagyu smashed burgers with tight, stripped-down toppings. The goal: give that big whiskey list a friendlier, more affordable food lineup that can still hold its own without the booze.
As reported by Westword, Flip & Howl replaces Little Wolf's earlier "chaos cuisine" menu and operates as a sub-brand inside the same four walls, so guests can chase burgers with single malts from either side of the operation. Odde converted an old sliding fridge into a cold smoker that holds at about 37.9 degrees Fahrenheit and bathes the patties in smoke for roughly 45 minutes before they ever see the griddle. Westword also notes the team moved at sprint speed, closing the kitchen on a Sunday and reopening as Flip & Howl the following Wednesday.
What's On The Menu
Flip & Howl's lineup sticks to its theme: cold-smoked Colorado Wagyu smashed burgers. The online menu on Little Wolf lists the "Vintage" with Cooper Sharp cheese at $9. That same menu shows multiple burger variations, hand-cut fries, and a $2-off-burgers promotion that makes the whole thing feel like a deliberate value play rather than a splurge. Vegetarian options and other entrées remain on offer, a sign that the bar's food program is still trying to cover a range of tastes, not just burger obsessives.
How Reddit Helped
Odde told Westword he went straight to r/denverfood to workshop ideas and paid attention when commenters pushed for smashed patties, simple toppings, and prices that would not scare off neighborhood regulars. Redditors even suggested specific ingredients, including a bun from Harvest Moon Baking Company and Cooper Sharp cheese, and the team folded several of those picks into the opening menu. According to Westword, Flip & Howl's first basic burger came in at $9, then moved to $10 after the switch to Colorado grass-fed Wagyu, while a stripped-down $8 option is still on the board.
What To Expect
Flip & Howl runs out of the same building at 4408 Lowell Boulevard, with separate hours for the burger operation and the whiskey bar listed on Little Wolf. The burger kitchen generally serves from around 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., while the bar opens later for whiskey service and a happy hour. The vibe is casual and walk-in friendly, and burgers can travel freely: you can eat them on either side of the space or take them home.
The rapid pivot is a tidy case study in neighborhood survival: a clear concept and community buy-in can matter just as much as a glossy, chef-driven idea. Flip & Howl may have traded chaos for comfort, but the real experiment is in how closely it hews to what locals asked for before the first plate ever hit the pass.
