Restaurants
The dining scene in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak region is surprisingly eclectic and quite sophisticated at times. You might think of it as a steak-and-potatoes kind of town, but the city has always been culturally aware and a diverse influx of ethnic groups has provided it with equally diverse cuisines.
There are more than 1,200 restaurants in the region, serving roughly half a million people. That means when you go out, any night of the week, you can expect other diners to have the same idea. Some restaurants, especially along heavily traveled corridors, are busier than others. Better restaurants take reservations and it’s always a good idea to make them!
Local restaurants will make steak-eaters happy, to be sure. Beef is a big industry in the West and many locals want nothing more than a good hunk of beef when they go out to dine. There’s even a signature brand of Callicrate beef, grown nearby in Kansas and sold directly to customers here at a store called Ranch Foods Direct. Several local restaurants serve the extra-luscious, organic, humanely raised beef. (You’ll know, because they’ll brag about it on the menu. Also see the Shopping chapter.) Burgers are so ubiquitous, we almost didn’t include that category. You can find one almost anywhere, but we did give a nod to a few places favored by the locals. Forget the chains—none of them hold a candle to a locally made Colorado beef or bison burger.
But there are also a lot of other local flavors on area menus: bison, trout, Colorado lamb, and other tasty entrees native to the area. Several local restaurants even specialize in exotic meats (or “wild” game).
The strong military influence—soldiers returning from overseas with immigrant brides—has laid the foundation for great German, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, and other ethnic restaurants. And, of course, being in the Southwest, you’ll find an inordinate number of Mexican and New Mexican restaurants. But be aware that Mexican regional cuisines represented here can be as far apart as regional American cuisines and vary considerably from one eatery to another. You’ll find a number of little tacqueria stands around town, some mediocre, some pretty good. A bunch of crepe places have sprung up in the past couple of years—we’ll see if they remain or are just (pardon the pun) a flash in the pan.
City: Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Restaurants
Address: 15 S. Tejon St.
City: Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Restaurants
Address: 4605 Centennial Blvd.
City: Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Restaurants
Address: 8850 N. Union Blvd.
City: Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Restaurants
Address: 5670 N. Academy Blvd.
City: Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Restaurants
Address: 14 S. Tejon St.
City: Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Restaurants
Address: 121 S. Tejon St.
7. The Peppertree Restaurant
City: Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (719) 471-4888
Address: 888 W. Moreno St.
Description: Perched on a hill overlooking the city of Colorado Springs, the views here at night are worth the price of dinner. But they’ve also served upscale American and continental cuisine since 1983 and know many of their regulars by name. The personal service makes the signature pepper steak taste that much better. The atmosphere is very formal and is popular with the Colorado Springs social set. They pride themselves on “tuxedo service,” and many dishes are prepared table-side. Beloved by locals are the steak Diane, lobster Thermidor, rack of lamb, and chateaubriand. They sometimes feature other seafood dishes, as well veal specialties. There’s a full bar and wine list. Closed Sun.
8. Walter’S Bistro
City: Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (719) 630-0201
Address: 146 E. Cheyenne Mountain Blvd.
Description: Local restaurateur Walter Iser has had several dining venues in Colorado Springs, but his self-named venue in Country Club Corners is the one that has endured. He opened it in 1999 in the Broadmoor area to serve his most loyal, and upscale, clientele. Recently renovated, the elegant decor matches the cuisine he favors. Specialties of the house include pan-roasted Chilean sea bass, sautéed Muscovy duck breast, and a grilled yellow-fin tuna (recommended rare). And the lobster bisque is a classic—as rich as any dessert you could order. The wine list includes varietals from all over the world.
City: Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Restaurants
Address: 306 Canon Ave.
10. Craftwood Inn
City: Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (719) 685-9000
Address: 404 El Paso Blvd.
Description: Originally built as an English Tudor mansion and coppersmith’s shop in 1912, the Craftwood Inn has been one of Colorado’s premier historic restaurants since 1940. It was serving regional Colorado cuisine before it had a name. Creative, innovative game dishes feature bison, elk, venison, pheasant, wild boar, and antelope. Some favorites? The Rojo Peach Roasted Wild Boar Tenderloin—char-grilled plum-wood-smoked wild boar with their Sweet Heat Cherry-Peach Chutney—and the Sweet Basil & Butter-Roasted Halibut with Tomato Ginger Relish. Creativity doesn’t stop at dessert: If you’re adventurous, try the jalapeno white chocolate mousse. You’ll either love it or hate it!
City: Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Restaurants
Address: 733 Manitou Ave.
City: Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Restaurants
Address: 28 S. Tejon St., Suite B
City: Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Restaurants
Address: 702 S. Cascade Ave.