Colorado Springs

Hi Everyone,

I'm off to Colorado springs with my mom and brother for a weekend at the end of September and was hoping I can get some great suggestions for food out there. Nothing too fancy, but something more casual with real good food. I've actually never been out there and no very little about the area, so please offer anything.

Thanks in advance

Well, all I know is you MUST go over to nearby Manitou Springs....a magical little town at the foot of Pike's Peak....hippies, artists, bikers, musicians and cowboys exist peacefully together.....no place like it.....you will want to return over and over (as we do!)...

As far as food, nothing really stands out as amazing (although the Craftwood Inn has a statewide reputation...but we've never been)

Amanda Fonda is a fantastic place to have a margarita(s) (food is so-so, but decent)......but you can sit right next to a babbling creek, and watch the deer wander through the rustic old lodge across the way as you wile away the afternoon......special....

For better Mexican, try the Loop in downtown Manitou....or Jorges in Old Colorado City (which is our favorite)....again, nothing gourmet, but very very solid basic Tex-Mex...

Finally for breakfast, you should hit Manitou Pancake and Steak House for the buffet.....I usually hate such things, but this one is truly great...and also for the sassy grey-haired sister waitress duo that have been working there together for years, who insist you eat til your ready to burst....and argue with the grumpy old ranchers that sit at the counter....

Finally, if you have not made hotel reservations yet, consider the El Colorado Lodge in Manitou.....perfectly preserved old-style cabin motel (from the 1920s)....most with working fireplaces....defines Colorado cozy!

Have fun!

Rosie's Diner in Monument, CO; 1 minute off of I-25 at the Monument exit just north of Co Springs.

One of those rare diners where the food is as good as the decor is over-the-top. Based on my family that lives nearby, the folks I've steered that way and my experiences, the menu is solid from breakfast to dinner.

Great place to hit if going to or from Denver as well.

Rosie's Diner
411 Highway 105
Monument, CO 80132
(719) 481-3287
http://www.eatatrosies.com

Hope this helps,
Dave

BadgerDave wrote:Rosie's Diner in Monument, CO; 1 minute off of I-25 at the Monument exit just north of Co Springs.

One of those rare diners where the food is as good as the decor is over-the-top. Based on my family that lives nearby, the folks I've steered that way and my experiences, the menu is solid from breakfast to dinner.

Great place to hit if going to or from Denver as well.

Rosie's Diner
411 Highway 105
Monument, CO 80132
(719) 481-3287
http://www.eatatrosies.com

Hope this helps,
Dave

Wow, I wish I had known this a week ago. Just drove my son out to school in Colorado Springs and was looking for something beyond the Red Lobster, Red Robin and Texas Roadhouses' of the world. I will mark this down for my next trip out.

We had a very good meal at Uchenna, an Ethiopian spot in Old Colorado City. The food was good but the hospitality provided by the owner, Maya, was awesome. I loved her house-made halvah and normally I don't even like halvah. I'd go back here in a heartbeat.

=R=

Uchenna (web site)
2501 W. Colorado Ave.
Colorado Springs, CO 80904
(719) 634-5070

Hi Forumites! Any recent recs to add to this list? Headed there for the first time in a few weeks and need to get some dinner reservations on the books. Thanks!

Phantom Canyon Brewing in downtown Colorado Springs has both good beer and food. Saigon Cafe for Vietnamese. I also recommend walking around Manitou Springs, a very cute small town just outside of Colorado Springs.

The food wasn't unique, but I did find a Chicago sports bar last summer when we watched one of the Stanley Cup games called Overtime. They have Vienna beef products and the owner has his own (decent) deep dish recipe. Very nice guy and I enjoyed what I had overall including a Hawks win. It's typical sports bar food with tons of choices - even cheese curds.

Overtime Sports Bar & Grill
2809 Dublin Blvd
Colorado Springs CO 80918
719-531-6032
http://www.otsportsbargrill.com/

For my Colorado Springs guilty pleasure, I give you a chain called Black Eyed Pea. They have five locations along the Front Range. I really like their specialty - chicken fried steak (Texas style with cream gravy - jalapeno gravy available), but the meals we've had at their locations over the years have been surprisingly good. Right off the bat you get a basket of yeast rolls and cornbread just to get things (and your waist) going.

Black Eyed Pea
Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Castle Rock, two in Denver
http://blackeyedpeacolorado.com/