Food

The restaurants with the  are within 10 minutes of our house. If a restaurant makes it on this list, it has something to recommend it, but those with the are those I particularly enjoy. Sally’s favorites are marked with a 

Colorado Springs and Monument

The Airplane Restaurant — dine in a Boeing KC-97 tanker

Amy’s Donuts — huge variety in a less-than-favorable part of town

Bambino’s Urban Pizzaria — Neapolitan, create-your-own pizza

Bingo Burger — burgers with Colorado chilies ground in with the meat

Bird Dog BBQ — voted best BBQ in the Springs several times

BJ’s Velvet Freeze — dipped cone or malt

Boonzaaijer’s Dutch Bakery — tasty pastries

Briar Mart International Market and Café — Mediterranean market and cafe with tasty gyros

C.B. & Potts — local franchise with excellent food

Chuy’s — popular Tex-Mex diner

Dog Haus — gourmet hot dogs, sausages, and burgers

Duca’s Neapolitan Pizza — tasty brick-oven pizza

Edelweiss German Restaurant — authentic German food with the feel of a Wisconsin supper club

Fargo’s Pizza — mediocre pizza in a kid-friendly setting decorated like an old western dance hall

Front Range Barbeque — decent BBQ, amazing key lime pie – featured on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives

Garden of the Gods Market and Café — a little pricey, but the best food in town

Golden Bee at the Broadmoor — authentic English pub

Horseshoe Donuts — huge and tasty donuts (Monument)

Ivy’s Chinese Cafe — good Chinese food close to home

Jake and Telly’s Greek Taverna — great gyros and pleasant service

Juniper Valley Ranch — skillet baked ham and fried chicken served family-style (summer only)

King’s Chef Diner — all-day breakfast, green chili, and a classic diner atmosphere

Marigold Café and Bakery — upscale restaurant with baked goods and pizza

Mountain Shadows Restaurant — breakfast with green chili, great cinnamon rolls

Old World Bagel and Deli — tasty breakfast sandwiches on bagels on the south side of town

Oliver’s Deli — good sandwiches and salads

Omelette Parlor — voted “best breakfast” in town, formerly owned by singing star Ruth Etting.

Paravicini’s Italian Bistro — Small, old-fashioned place with a pleasant atmosphere and excellent Italian food.

Piglatin Cocina — Latin American cuisine featuring pork

Pizzeria Rustica — fancy brick oven pizza with weird ingredients

Rosie’s Diner — diner fare and good milkshakes

Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q — amazing smoked meat and sides

Skirted Heifer — tasty burgers surrounded by caramelized cheese

Ted’s Montana Grill — tasty bison burgers and fresh-cut fries

3.14 Sweet & Savory Pi Bar — tasty pot pies and dessert pies

Till Kitchen♣ — locally-sourced, farm-to-table, tasty but expensive

Urban Egg — tasty breakfast place with looong waits

Bailey

Coney Island Hot Dog Stand interesting building if you’re in the area, not worth the drive just for the hot dogs

North of Denver

Bob’s Atomic Burgers (Golden)— good burgers and fries in a diner with “character”

Georgia Boys BBQ Company (Frederick) — declared best in the state by Mental Floss

Mary’s Mountain Cookies (Fort Collins) — great, and great big, cookies

Totally 80’s Pizza (Fort Collins) — decent enough pizza in a museum of the 1980s

Buena Vista

K’s Old Fashioned Burgers — old-style drive-in with pretty good food

Castle Rock

Crave Real Burgers — awesome burgers and shakes (also in Colorado Springs)

Denver and South Suburbs

The Bagel Deli and Restaurant — Jewish deli featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

Beau Jo’s Colorado Style Pizza — Not amazing by Chicago standards, but good for Colorado, with thick crust that you’re supposed to dip in honey

Blue Pan Pizza — Detroit-style pan pizza with caramelized crust

Buckhorn Exchange — great steaks in a unique restaurant that’s been around since 1893

Casa Bonita — huge, kitschy, kid-friendly Mexican restaurant

Denver Biscuit Company — tasty (but pricey) biscuits and biscuit sandwiches with several locations in Denver

Duffeyroll Café — cinnamon rolls and amazing breakfast sandwiches

Enstrom’s Candy — great toffee

Granny Scott’s Pie Shop — great ham and cheese sandwich, very good pie

Little Man Ice Cream — good ice cream, but be prepared to stand in line

Mac Nation — specializing in mac and cheese

Patxi’s Pizza — a noble attempt at Chicago-style deep dish

Florissant

Costello Street Coffee House — breakfast, sandwiches and baked goods

Idaho Springs

Smokin’ Yards BBQ — Absolutely amazing barbecue

Manitou Springs and Woodland Park

The Cliff House at Pikes Peak — good food in a Victorian hotel in downtown Manitou Springs

The Donut Mill — huge donuts

Hungry Bear — good, but basic, pancakes and breakfast food

The Pantry in Green Mountain Falls —good food in a cozy joint in a cozy town

Pikes Peak Summit House — clove donuts

Savelli’s Pizza — tasty pizza with no frills

Swiss Chalet — casual upscale restaurant with tasty meals

Uncle Sam’s Pancake House — typical breakfast place with a fun atmosphere

Palmer Lake

Rock House Ice Cream — tasty ice cream in an interesting old building

Pueblo

Pass Key — Pass Key Special sausage and cheese sandwich