In-N-Out Burger ~ regional chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Jan 2025 (Interquest)

First visit: Nov 1997 (Pleasanton, CA)

HQ: Irvine, CA (founded: 1948 in Baldwin Park)

Locations: 12 in Colorado (+3) with 3 here (+1), 8 in Denver (+2) and 1 in Fort Collins. Texas has 43 (+1) with 3 in NE Tarrant, including our two former stores of Hurst and Grapevine. Otherwise California: 280 (+5); Arizona: 38 (+3); Nevada: 23; Utah: 13 (+1); Oregon: 4; Idaho: 2 (+1). New Mexico and Tennessee are still on their radar for expansion

Back at our favorite California based chain. On this Friday for lunch, Mrs. RJG joined me for the first time at our local Colorado Springs store. A slight deviation as we both opted for the Double Double meal deal with fries and a shake. Everything came out hot and fresh, and it was as good as always. Top notch friendly service. You know I really like that they wear uniforms. I don't think I've called that out before. My dad was in that business, and it was thriving in the 60s and 70s. It gives an air of cleanliness and class. In any case, Mrs. RJG and I agreed that next time she'll get one order of fries for us to split, and we'll go back to the milkshake. Heck yea! Will it be next year? Maybe, as I only visited once in 2024 and Mrs. RJG hasn't been since a year after they opened. That's just the way it is these days.

As noted below, we did plan and execute on arriving at open. Not crowded when we got there, nor after we left. It reminded me of the DFW In-N-Outs after a few years of insufferable lines. There are a multitude of reasons for this: 1) The novelty has worn off. 2) There are now three COS locations to help feed the demand (+ one in Castle Rock which isn't too far north). 3) and yes, even inflation hits here too. A "Meal Deal" at $10 bucks doesn't have the same ring to it as $5 bucks. Even at that, In-N-Out is way cheaper than the competition. As we drive by, the lines are still steady in the drive thru, sometimes packed around the corner. So it's still very popular, just not as much as prior.

---4/8/24 update

As I noted last year: "The only fast food place where you have to schedule it on your calendar or you'll miss the opportunity". And, as such, I planned to be there at open on this fine eclipse filled Monday. And that's exactly what I did. I decided to go old school and eat inside. Grabbed a stool along the edge and devoured my Double-Double with cheese and onions (no tomato), fries, and a chocolate shake. All is good as I remember, and probably always will be. I don't usually get fries, but I was hungry and they were hot and tasty. Still the cheapest grub in town, and the lines have gone back to being longer because of it. I hear they're building a 3rd Co Springs location, which should help some. Since In-N-Out are 50% the price of the competition, it's easy to understand why. BTW, I'm sure they wish they weren't based in California anymore. They're so invested in that state, they have no choice but to accept their anti-Capitalist government rules. I can imagine their lobbyist bill is quite expensive... I think they need to break up the state myself. Let the loonies in the Bay Area and Hollywood run free, and the rest can get on with their daily humdrum, but happy, lives.

---3/31/23 update

This wasn't the original plan. I was going to get an early annual review in for Slim Chickens. As I was driving there, I noticed In-N-Out had no line. I mean *zero*. That would be the first time in history I've seen that (anywhere! California, Texas, etc...). I quickly looked at my phone to see if their hours had changed (it was about 10:45) or something else had happened. Nope. By the time I actually got to the drive-thru, two vehicles were ahead of me. That's got to be a record of some sort (only two vehicles!). On a Friday no less! I actually had planned the following Monday to go here. The only fast food place where you have to schedule it on your calendar or you'll miss the opportunity. In any case, went with my usual Double Double and a vanilla shake. Drove home (again, it's very close to where we live), watched a TV show and enjoyed each bite. I tried to eat it slow but that's hard to do. Anyway - all is well and good at our local Colorado Springs outlet.

Now for some chain news: There are 2 locations here and 5 in the Denver area. I think I read they plan on opening another one here in the Springs. In our old stomping grounds, there are 2 in NE Tarrant, and 8 in the Fort Worth area overall.  Other states they operate in are California (269 - with a whopping 146 in the Los Angeles area - how's that even possible?); Texas (41); Arizona (34 with our Prescott location still there); Nevada (22); Utah (12); and Oregon (4). Overall they have 389 stores (+31 from last year). I had to type the state name in their Location Finder to get these totals if curious.

---2/13/22 update

And now - FINALLY - I was able to step into our local In-N-Out restaurant. They opened in November of 2020. I predicted the lines would subside by February, 2021. I was a year late in my prediction. This place was a madhouse for well over a year. It wasn't until they opened up the second location off of Powers that the lines finally dwindled. So on an innocuous Monday late morning, I ventured in. Ironic in that Monday's was my go-to day when I had a steady gig in Pleasanton in 1998 (see below). Ordered my usual of a double-double, fries, and a chocolate shake (instead of vanilla this time). As good as I remembered it. Which is also to state that this is not a burger to change your world. It's very good, and I won't say different, but it just isn't worth the freakage that goes with opening in a new area. Now that the novelty has worn off, I'll be able to go on a normal cadence. Even better is it's a stone's throw from where we reside, so I'll take advantage of the drive-thru going forward. As for the dining area, it is exactly like every other In-N-Out I've been to. Spacious and clean. Very white. I like the barstools around the perimeter. Perfect for solo dining.

As noted below, the chain is very guarded about expansion, and refuse to franchise. As such, they've created a cult following. Colorado is their newest state. Humorous that I mentioned In-N-Out crowding in on Texas' very own Whataburger. And guess who is coming very soon to Colorado?

---2/19/18 update (Grapevine, Texas)

As we stated in previous reviews, the beauty of In-N-Out is their limited menu. So burgers, fries, shakes, and sodas. That's about it. All at a very affordable price. Fresh ingredients define their hamburgers, the meat, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and buns always seem if they were bought right off the farm and served up steaming hot. Their patented dressing is a Thousand Island basically. The Double-Double is their signature burger. It's a double meat (thin patties so not overly filling), double cheese, and still the best value in town. Oh, and their fries are delicious as well. There's a reason In-N-out is extremely popular. High food quality + Low prices = Success. For liquids they have great tasting shakes, even if they are machine made. Naturally, fountain sodas and water available too.

The familiar red and yellow signage can be seen on the NE corner of 121 / 183 and Precinct Line Road. And if you go through the drive through, it's like being in a car wash, as you can see the workers cooking and assembling everyone's meal (not to mention the refreshing shade in the summer). In-N-Out has a reputation for paying their workers more and better benefits, and as such, they tend to get more squeaky clean employees than the usual fast food franchise.

---1/15/13 update (Hurst, Texas)

So after much hoopla, In-N-Out has finally arrived to NE Tarrant. I waited. I didn't cheat and go to one in Irving or Richardson. We've been featuring the restaurant long before Texas was even a gleam in their eye. We laughed at the false announcement on NBC 5 a few years ago. And on our Whataburger review, we predicted that folks from Texas were going to protect their goofy little brother and attack this "unwanted" California chain. They can take their fancy fruits' and nuts' asses outta here! And bring Del Taco with ya, you ingrates! And as sure as the sun comes up every morning, it came to pass. My goodness, how silly.  As if eating at different burger places is mutually exclusive and one cannot possibly enjoy all of the above. In-N-Out Burger knows exactly what they're doing. These folks can scream to high heavens and suggest they're not going to make it here and be out of business in mere weeks. No way guys. As someone who watched them succeed in none other than the Bay Area (a polar opposite culture to Los Angeles), I'm rather certain they'll do fine in a burger culture like DFW. In-N-Out is a Southern California type place, so for me to see lines around the building for years and years at various San Francisco area locations proves to me that folks like a good tasting burger at a great price. It's a simple pleasure. It doesn't have to be the best ever to be good. Why does everything in our culture now have to rule or suck? Where's the middle ground? We've become Bevis and Butthead in our opinions. Me? I'm just grateful they're here and I can go anytime I want. It sure beats having to wait until I travel out West!

---original 5/27/08 review (Prescott, Arizona)

In both the Editorial Chains thread and the Johnny B's blurb, I mentioned In-N-Out Burger (INOB) as a favorite place to go when traveling to the left coast.

For the Memorial Day weekend, Mrs. RJG and I visited some of her relatives in Arizona. Given that it was a family visit, the majority of our meals were centered around family cookouts, and we were treated royally at that! But we did get away for one afternoon, and settled on INOB for our lunch. Naturally it's always fun to try other places while traveling, but it wasn't in the cards for this trip. This particular visit was to their Prescott store. We also visited one in Anaheim, California about two months ago.

There's not much to add from what I've already stated in the Editorial Chains section. But I'll copy here for convenience: Regional chains are cool. They typically represent an area's culture via a unique food type, or a destination defining place. An example of the latter, and perhaps the best example of a large regional chain, is In-N-Out Burger (INOB). 

When Mr. RJG goes to California, Arizona, or Nevada on business, he makes a sincere attempt to eat at INOB at least once per visit. They are what I wish Wendy's, McDonalds, and Burger King would have become. Mr. RJG once worked for a company based in Pleasanton, California. Like many Bay Area suburbs, INOB was well entrenched there for many years. Yet, no matter what time I had arrived, there was a line around the building! This is an area defined by chef-driven, high-end restaurants. Where mom and pops struggle to survive, and most homes clear the million dollar mark. And yet INOB has a huge line - always. Taco Bell and Arby's do not, I assure you. Why? Because it's damn good. Only the freshest ingredients are served. The menu is perfect: You can get variations on a hamburger, soft drinks and milkshakes. That's it! The kids that work there at INOB are a blast through a time tunnel some 40 years ago. Always smiling, and fresh faced. Everybody who works there wants to work there - and there's competition for those jobs. Why? Because they pay more and will also contribute to their college education. Think you could pull that off at a public company? I don't think so! I once asked my brother-in-law, who is in the restaurant industry, why he didn't franchise a location in Denver? When they opened the first Krispy Kreme in Denver, they had to get the police out to direct traffic for nearly a month. A Krispy Kreme for crying out loud! Can you imagine an In-N-Out Burger? He'd be rich in a week. His answer came within two seconds of my question "They don't franchise". And he added that everyone wants to open an INOB, for all the reasons I just stated. It appears they are perfectly content to grow at a snail's pace, while providing an outstanding fast food experience. They are my heroes.

I had my usual Double-Double and a shake. Mrs. RJG had a cheeseburger and fries - and a shake (she's still mad at me for the idea!)

11/10/97; 7/14/98; 1/26/99; 2/23/00; 1/29/01; 3/13/02; 4/27/05; 5/27/08 (new entry); 4/5/10; 6/6/12; 1/15/13; 6/19/15; 2/19/18; 2/13/22; 3/31/23; 4/8/24; 1/17/25

Pleasanton, California; Las Vegas, Nevada;  Atascadero, California; Irvine, California; Thousand Oaks, California; Los Angeles, California; Rohnert Park, California; Prescott, Arizona, Hurst, Texas; Grapevine, Texas; Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Mountain Brewery ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Jan 2025

First visit: Oct 2016

Founded: 2008

This is for the Interquest location. They have a second spot off of US-24 that we have not been to.

As noted on our RJG Rotation post: "They'll probably get a revisit anyway since they're so close." Not even 12 days into the year, and Colorado Mountain Brewery has received its first annual update - our 8th straight since moving back to the area (not counting 2020, a year that needs to be forgotten). We were hosting one of our Official Nephews, who came in from Denver just to visit. So that was a nice change of pace. He's 23 and just about to embark on his first major corporate job. Just as Uncle RJG retired the same week. Exciting times for everyone. We all each had one beer (and I snuck in a desert beer afterward) along with chips and salsa (excellent garlicky salsa). We were also all in the mood for a burger. Mrs. RJG and I did exactly what we did last year and had the Pikes Peak Burger sans tomato but with green chiles. Nephew had the Mt. Princeton which comes with bacon. Excellent across the board. We came for a late lunch, and the Broncos were being pummeled by the Bills, not unexpected. A good year for Denver, a team I rarely root for, but I like this version. Better than my old hometown team, the Cowboys. Ugh. In any case, people were leaving disappointed, but the restaurant still maintained a positive vibe. And the service was excellent. It's a splurge meal, but worth it. Stays out of the rotation, but I bet we find ourselves back here in 2026 for our 9th straight year.

---7/14/24 update

Mrs. RJG and I had a family emergency to attend to yesterday, and so our dinner was delayed until the evening. Once all was settled, we decided to dine at Colorado Mountain Brewery since we hadn't been this year. And it's close to our house as we were getting tired too. It's been ages since we went to dinner at 8:00, especially on a Saturday night. In the old days, you wouldn't be able to get into a place like this. But even today, we had a 20 minute wait. Primarily because, as noted below, this is really a tourist restaurant and there are many hotels within walking distance, or a short 5 minute drive. And it's the height of tourist season, and many folks are loading up their credit cards, and they'll figure out how to pay for it later.

We don't like to wait but our options were slim so we did. And then we had to wait another 10 minutes to get our beer. Ah, but did it taste good! I was desperate at that point lol. We tried their seasonal July beer of Honey Lavender Ale. For dinner we each had the Pikes Peak Burger substituting diced green chiles rather than the tomato - both cooked well done. With fries. It's the basics, but they do it very well. At a high price, nothing new there. Colorado Mountain Brewery remains a good option if you're in the far north part of the Springs.

---5/11/23 update

As luck would have it, the FNABQ's were back in town. See the La Casa Fiesta review for more about them and our relationship. Not the best timing as it was the next day after our long trip. I was afraid I'd fall asleep in the plate... nose down...

But fortunately I hung in there. On this visit I went with the BYOB (sigh - how I miss that one aspect of Texas dining). Of course this BYOB means "Build Your Own Burger". I ordered well done meat, green chiles, and bacon. With chips on the side. Mrs. RJG thought that sounded great - so make it two! Not sure what our guests had, but I was a bit out of it. Mrs. RJG loved the burger - best she's had in awhile. I thought it was great too. Had a couple of beers to wash it down with. We had a great time, and this pushes forward Colorado Mountain's timeline. What are we going to do around Christmas? lol

---12/26/22 update

In what is looking like the makings of an annual tradition, the RJG's went to Colorado Mountain Brewery sometime during the Christmas season to get in our annual review. Though Colorado Mountain is technically the closest brewery to our house, I don't consider it our "local brewery" (that would be Black Forest at the current time followed by Pikes Peak). As noted below, this is mostly for tourists new to Colorado, and their peculiar ways of eating and drinking. For these characteristics they are great! On this visit I wanted to try the pizza. They have limited ingredients, so I just went with a 7" pepperoni. Good sauce and cheese - so they get kudos for that (pepperoni is pepperoni - unimaginative). But the crust was lame and not crisped at all. Thank goodness Mrs. RJG didn't try it. So a mixed result. I also had a cup of the bison chili which was delicious. As good as the Ted's Montana version that I recently raved about. I should get a bowl next time. Mrs. RJG went with the Pikes Peak burger like last year (no green chiles this time). And once again they cooked it perfectly. She's saying it's her #2 favorite burger behind Brass Tap. So it's good to see some competition brewing in her mind - so to speak. See you next Christmas season, Colorado Mountain.

---12/23/21 update

Looks like we're able to sneak in at least one more annual review. It's been since March of 2019 that we last stepped foot into the Colorado Mountain Brewery. Nothing has really changed - same large space with beautiful views. The surrounding area, however, is growing like crazy. Mrs. RJG and I each had the Pikes Peak Burger and substituted tomatoes with green chiles, though the latter didn't really bring much heat or flavor. But the burger was delicious all the same, along with the fries dipped in a chipotle ranch dressing. And we each enjoyed one beer to celebrate the oncoming holidays.

---original 12/16/18 review

Colorado Mountain Brewery may be many folks very first experience with a brewpub, and it's a great choice if that's the case. Perfectly situated along I-25 right across from the Air Force Academy, Colorado Mountain Brewery offers excellent views along with great beers and an advanced pub menu. Yes, they have the usual burgers but also pastas and steaks, along with other inventive dishes. The RJG gives a thumbs up to both the pastas and hamburgers. The restaurant is large with a woodsy feel. A great place to take guests. Or if visiting as a tourist, you will definitely feel more comfortable - especially compared to some of the down and out breweries in the area (which the RJG loves too - perhaps even prefers). We first visited here as tourists ourselves, during one of our biannual trips to the area.

10/9/16; 12/16/18 (new entry); 3/2/19; 12/23/21; 12/26/22; 5/11/23; 7/13/24; 1/12/25

El Super Taco ~ Colorado chain : Colorado Springs

First visit: Jan 2025 (S. Academy @ Hancock)

Locations: Colorado Springs (2); Fountain; Pueblo; Pueblo West; Alamosa; Raton-NM (dba Alfonso's)

And the RJG notches the first new-to-us restaurant for 2025! I've been circling El Super Taco for many years, but just never got around to trying them. This particular location sits in the same parking lot as a thrift store I often frequent. So on this very cold but sunny Friday at lunch, I made my first visit, as I was already down this way. I believe this to be their debut restaurant and it looks to be an old Taco Bell that they repurposed to good use. 

Walk in and order at the counter (they have a popular drive through as well). I asked for a pollo asado taco, even though it wasn't on the menu. I passed on the sour cream, and substituted cheese. I also grabbed a ground beef taco sans tomato. Paid up with a credit card and they ask for the unearned tip, which they didn't get. No matter, as the ladies at the counter were very nice and professional. Then they proceeded to cook my meal to order.

A few minutes later out came my sizzling chicken taco and a wrapped ground beef taco. The pollo comes in a high grade double corn tortilla. The meat was hot and very flavorful. I tried three of their four salsas: Mild (red), Hot, and Extra Hot. They also have a mild green. The red mild is delicious, thick with ground chilis. Not spicy of course, but flavorful. Perfect texture. The hot was just slightly less textured but no less delicious. And it packed a nice punch. The extra hot, however, was too thin and it was hard to discern the flavor. The heat level was indeed the hottest, but it was my least favorite of the three.

After that, I dug into the ground beef taco. Nice crispy shell. I would have preferred a bit more spice in the meat, but it wasn't bland. The taste was more subtle. Next time I'll try for the carne asada (without pico and guac).

Overall a very pleasant first experience. We also have our first new entry from 2025 into the RJG rotation!

El Super Taco's expansion has been strictly to the south and southwest, and their market is geared towards the Hispanic population. Even though they do sport one locale in New Mexico (under a different name), I'll just leave it as a Colorado entity for now.

1/10/25 (new entry)

Leon Gessi Pizza ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Jan 2025

First visit: Feb 1995

Founded: 1974

Leon Gessi is getting an early revisit for 2025. Just like last year's update, I was in the area near lunch time, and a couple of slices sounded good. Since the sandwich didn't work out last time, I decided to go back to their pizza. For this visit I had a slice of meatball and another sausage. The ingredients weren't anything special, and they still don't use enough sauce. As for the crust, I had the opposite experience of the past - this time it was too chewy (though fortunately not doughy), but it was hot temperature at least. Seems like the slices were a little smaller too? I don't want to say they've gone downhill, it doesn't feel that way at all. But they are a bit inconsistent. I'm leaving it in the RJG Rotation, and I'm sure I'll get in at least one more visit this year. On the plus side their soda drink machine works perfectly. On the downside, they ask for an unearned tip for counter service.

---5/19/24 update

I happened to be in this part of the Springs on Thursday, and Leon Gessi offers an early lunch. It's about 10:30, time for an annual update. I've been once each of the last three years and one visit that goes back to my first tour here in the Springs. I was determined to try one of their baked subs and went forward with the meatball sub. The experience was like the below in terms of ordering, etc... Grabbed my table and waited. A few minutes later out comes the sub. Hmmm... Not quite as hot as I expected, though certainly hot enough for most I would suspect. I'm looking for bubbling mozzarella cheese, preferably charred. I wanted the bread to be more crispy. They cheated on the meatballs. I expected full homemade meatballs. What I got was meatball pizza toppings thrown inside of the bread. So no, that's not going to work. It wasn't bad of course, just not what I would want from a quality baked sub. It tasted exactly like it reads - a meatball pizza inside a sub. On the plus side they gave me a side of their sauce to douse it in. That did come out hot and it's very flavorful. I'll stick with pizza next time. Leon Gessi remains in the rotation.

---3/19/23 update

It's been exactly a full year since I last stopped by Leon Gessi, with the below review representing my last. Seems I'm in a pizza mood lately with Parry's and Walter's303 also getting some focus. As with the last visit, the slices were a bit stiff - seems a bit overdone in the oven. Though Mrs. RJG would like it this way! And because they may have been reheated one too many times, the sauce seems cooked out. On this visit I had one sausage and one meatball, and the toppings were generous. Maybe not the best pizza in town, but certainly worthy of an occasional visit. Seems if I order a full pizza, it might be better. Also eyeing their baked subs. For next time.

---original 3/19/22 review

Based on the dates above, you might think we've been long time regulars to Leon Gessi. But nope - this was only my second visit. The first was when my Old Man came into town during my first residence here in the Springs. I recall little about the experience. But I did recognize the building. It's a classic RJG styled old fashioned hole in the wall. Apparently they've been in business since 1974, and I would guess at this location. When you walk in, it looks like a Baltimore shotgun styled place. There's tables that line the window, and you order up at the counter. They give you a number and that's because there's ample more seating in the spacious back room through the hallway (again, recalling Baltimore) and there's also plenty of benches to enjoy outside. I ordered two slices - one plain cheese, the other with sliced Italian meatball. Both came out crispy and piping hot. The crust should probably have been a bit more pliable, and I never seem to get enough sauce, so it was a tad dry. I could see that changing visit to visit. Certainly a place worth adding to the annual repertoire, and probably more than that. We'll be back sooner than 27 years at the very least - we hope.

1/28/95; 3/19/22 (new entry); 3/19/23; 5/16/24; 1/3/25

Taste of Philly ~ regional chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Dec 2024 (South Academy)

First visit: Aug 2011 (Denver: S. Colorado Blvd.)

Locations: 23 total (+4 from last year); 7 in the Colorado Springs area (+1); 11 in the Denver metro area (+1), and 1 each in Loveland, Greeley, and Fort Collins. They also expanded out of Colorado to Tempe-AZ and Fargo-ND (coming soon). One of the few chains that is actually growing!

Happy New Year everyone! We enter our 18th year of the RJG! Hard to believe. And now we have our first entry of the year. It's a bit of a cheat, since technically I went two weeks ago, but close enough to get us started for 2025. I happened to be thrifting down south, so I went to our original Colorado Springs location versus the one closer to our house (Voyager). They've made some changes since I was last here a couple of years back. Gone is full service and you now order at the counter, like you do at our local store. It makes way more sense for a place like this. And they've opened a bar area. That's a bit odd, but maybe there was some demand for it. The taps are macro only, so I can't see craft beer lovers heading here. As for the sandwich, I went back to my standard Green Chile Philly, and it was excellent as always. Chewy bread, super hot temperature, slightly more spicy than usual, excellent meat. Taste of Philly remains in the RJG Rotation as we detailed a month ago. Going forward I will add that designation to the labels on your right.

---3/29/24 update

Back for our first visit of 2024, though I did sneak in a few extra ones last year given their proximity to Casa RJG. On this visit I was feeling traditional and got a philly cheese "wit wiz" as they call it. Which is backwards, as it should be "wiz wit" in Philadelphia jargon. I told them that once and was met with a blank stare. OK then, moving on. They asked if I also wanted white cheese with it and I said sure (75 cents that move cost me). I was also starving and went for the full footlong versus the usual 9 inch. Grabbed the sack to go, and unraveled the sandwich while watching a TV show (The Regime on HBO for those interested) during my lunch break from work. I supplied my own drink (Coke Zero). The size of the sandwich allowed me to pass on chips. Everything was perfect as noted below. Hot temperature, chewy bread, flavorful diced meat, gooey cheese. As reliable as they come in this day and age. We'll keep coming back.

---4/20/23 update

Alrighty finally back to our favorite Philly Cheesesteak place. But why the wait? Ah... well, they just opened across the street from us! In the same shopping center as Zapata and Zesty Thai. And what that means is more visits from the RJG. They had a soft open earlier in the year but had to shutdown temporarily due to some fire code issues. Those have been all fixed up, and we're good to go. We'd been to this exact address before, since it hosted a pizza place called Duca's. The chain still exists but in another location in Colorado Springs. I want to try again, but we didn't enjoy the one outing here (and it's not in the RJG). In any event, they reorganized the space quite well. 

Mrs. RJG joined me on this venture, continuing our win theme on experiences. Right from the get, I was happy to see they have this setup as an order at the counter versus a full serve restaurant, like the South Academy location below. This kind of food calls for quick service, even if the other wasn't slow by any means. We each ordered the Green Chile Philly. I haven't gone enough to explore the menu, but that's going to change this year I think. Wow - this is really great! Everything is better here than at the other location we used to frequent - and we loved that one too! The meat was piled high, the fries were crispy and flavorful, and the bread was both crispy and chewy, just as a good Philly calls for. Even the soda fountain drink mix was great. A+ from us. If you live far north like us, this a must stop. Go here.

Contrary to my original post, they do now seem more like a consolidated chain.

---3/25/22 update

For some reason I forgot to update this for its annual review that occurred two months ago. Well as you can see, it passed with flying colors. And while service has been a problem at so many restaurants, I had no such issues on this visit. The highest standards were met. This remains our favorite Philly cheesesteak spot in the Springs.

Taste of Philly has 4 locations in Colorado Springs and 11 others in the Denver / Fort Collins / Greeley metro areas.

---original 2/15/20 review

Over the years the RJG has covered many Philly cheesesteak places, including being a constant booster in the DFW area of places like Billadelphia's and Fred's Downtown Philly. Our first experience with Philly cheesesteaks goes back to Philadelphia itself, with business trips starting in 1999. But I have to say the best of them all is right here at Taste of Philly in Colorado Springs. Or to be more specific, this location on South Academy is our favorite. And I have to admit to veering away from Philly standards such as "Wiz Wit", though I've had that here as well. The two things that Taste of Philly always gets right - toasty but chewy bread (this is key) and sizzling hot chopped beef with grilled onions blended in (not oily and plopped on top nasty style). We've taken it even further and love their Green Chile cheesesteak - that's Colorado for you! And recently I even tried their pizza cheesesteak with some wonderful gooey provolone cheese and a piquant tomato sauce. It's sit down service or you can order at the counter to-go. One of the first post-lockdown places we visited that seemed comfortable to eat inside (i.e. no "leper table" feeling).

Taste of Philly is one of those disparate chains that doesn't share ownership and are loosely branded together. This is important to note as our first experience with Taste of Philly goes to Denver, which shares the name but not necessarily the same quality. Though we were always pleased there as well (south Colorado Blvd location - which is the original and still there). But for our pesos, we prefer this location (even though it's not even close to our cow pasture). In addition there's an ARC thrift store next door, so there's that incentive as well...

8/21/11; 2/15/20 (new entry); 1/30/21; 3/25/22; 4/20/23; 3/29/24; 12/9/24

Ted's Montana Grill ~ national chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Dec 2024 (Promenade)

First visit: Nov 2022 (Promenade)

HQ: Atlanta (founded 2002)

Locations: 38 including 7 in Colorado (-1 from our last update). They're in 16 states but not Texas.

It's time for Mr. RJG's Official Mom's birthday dinner! 86 years young, we had to miss last year's celebration as she was recovering from surgery. The plan all along was to come to Ted's Montana, and it was her special request to come here after cancelling out last year. I called ahead to see if it was crowded, given the restaurant anchors a very busy Christmas shopping center. "Not at all" the voice back assured me. So we showed up around 5:30 and were seated promptly. It was certainly a lively restaurant just not packed as it would have been every year prior. No question inflation driving many holiday dinners back home. We ordered a bottle of their house chardonnay (Bison Ridge), which is very good, and at $33 didn't seem like a ripoff. 

For dinner, Official Mom went with the Filet, garlic mashed potatoes with brown gravy, and asparagus. Mrs. RJG had the NY Strip with a baked potato and asparagus. And I had the Bison Filet, garlic mashed potatoes, and a cup of their Bison chili (see below). All of it - and I mean all of it - came out perfect. Everyone was satisfied. Official Mom ate every bite, quite an accomplishment for her age! Mrs. RJG was thrilled her steak was well done yet still flavorful. And I love the lean tenderness and flavor of buffalo meat.

At $200 including tip, it actually felt like a splurge meal that was worth the money, especially these days. I think that's what it would have cost us had we gone to Shake Shack or Five Guys instead, minus the wine of course. We're so out of whack right now. In any case, Ted's Montana continues to ignore recent trends, and offers a quality dining experience. Good on them!

---original 11/26/22 review

I'd heard of Ted's Montana Grill in my business travels throughout the US, but never actually went there, though I seem to recall one time where it was planned but we dined elsewhere (this was in Detroit circa 2007). Mrs. RJG was in the mood for a burger, and she'd heard that Ted's was one of the best in town - from a neighbor I believe. Ah, why not? So on this fine Saturday we sauntered over for lunch (not too far from where we reside), hoping not to battle the Christmas buying crowd. It wasn't too bad and we found a parking spot nearby. Walking in, the restaurant is well appointed and is made to look like an old fashioned western spot shoehorned into the main drag. Cozy booths with mood lighting enhance the effect. 

Despite having a full bar area, their taps are lacking of craft beers. They have their own beer made by New Belgium called Ted's Big Sky Lager. So I ordered that. Not too bad - refreshing, but very light if looking for more heft in your beer. Didn't think New Belgium would make something this light.

We went straight to order. Mrs. RJG asked for the bacon cheeseburger (beef) with 50/50 fries and onion rings. And I ordered a regular cheeseburger (with swiss) with a cup of their bison red chili. They brought out the latter first, topped with onions, cheese, and jalapeno's. Wow - what a great chili! The bison is soft and velvety. Very flavorful. I'm getting a bowl next time. Mrs. RJG loved her burger - perfectly cooked well done, the ground beef was also soft and tasted great. The only problem is they didn't toast the bun, always a gripe with the Misses. Mine was pretty much the exact same minus the bacon. I had every intention of ordering the bison, but for whatever reason I uttered beef. Mrs. RJG isn't a fan of the meat but I am! No complaints from me at all - delicious burger. The fries were good if not distinctive. The onion rings had a nice batter - that completely fell off the onion lol. All in all, a very positive experience. Mrs. RJG and I both agree that the Official RJG Mom would love this place. She has a birthday coming up, so we'll see. I'm sure their steaks are great too.

The Ted in Ted's Montana Grill is Ted Turner - the CNN and TBS guy. Sort of takes the magic out of the whole Montana thing, though I think he's the largest private landowner there - or at least close to it. The corporation is based in Atlanta. Nationwide there are 39 locations with 8 in Colorado, and 7 of those are in the Denver area. There are none in Texas.

11/26/22 (new entry); 12/19/24

Bird Dog BBQ ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Dec 2024 (Powers)

First visit: Dec 2018 (Austin Bluffs @ Centennial)

They have a third location in Fountain.

You won't get too far in a discussion about barbecue in Colorado Springs without Bird Dog jumping into the conversation. They generally win the Best Of awards in various magazines and newspapers. It has been precisely six years (to the day) that I first tried Bird Dog, and I wasn't overly impressed. Let's see how the second visit goes, this time at their eastern location.

Walk in and you'll see the line to the counter. On this Saturday for lunch, only old farts like me were in the place, but nonetheless their barbecue was hot and ready. I went with the Saturday special which was a brisket sandwich (or I could have gotten pork), which comes with a side and a fountain drink. I chose mac n' cheese as the side. My lunch was quickly assembled, I paid up, and grabbed a bottle of the X-tra hot since it doesn't reside on the table. Poured a Diet Coke and it's time to eat.

Hmm... not convinced this is great barbecue. Their foundation is what is known as Oklahoma BBQ, similar to RJG fave Billy Sims BBQ that is no longer in the Springs. The premise is the meat should taste like meat, not the wood. OK, I'm good with that. But it shouldn't be as tough as the wood either. OK, it wasn't that tough, but it could have been more tender. The flavor was good but not exceptional. Bread was average out-of-the-bag. The serving portion was also on the median side, could have gone for more. The three sauces were a cut above: Basic, Smoked, and X-tra hot. And they were much needed. The Mac n' Cheese is of the cheesy variety, sort of reminded me of the Noodle Co's variation. Very good. They gave me extra of that which was appreciated. It could have also been a bit hotter, but it certainly wasn't just warm. I'll tell you what really looked great was the chicken. I feel like a return visit is needed just to try it. One red flag, though, is they don't have a set price. Sort of a "market price" kind of deal. Given the fact that their "lunch special" was hardly a bargain ($12.50), it gives me pause.

Definitely not a rotation place, and the jury is out on a repeat visit to try the chicken.

12/7/18; 12/7/24

El Padrino ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Nov 2024

First visit: Apr 2019

And speaking of RJG Rotation restaurants, here's one of our last revisits for 2024. Same excellent ambiance as before as we were seated in the bar area. I went for the frozen marg and Mrs. RJG had one on the rocks. She complained to me that it wasn't that strong, and mine certainly wasn't. Doesn't make sense to skimp on the tequila, that's how you get regulars in the door! Chips were somewhat typical. They gave us two salsas, one a tomato mild and the other pretty much the same with additional chiles. Nothing too spicy unfortunately though plenty of garlic. I was in the mood for enchiladas, so I ordered the lunch special of two chicken enchiladas with rice and beans, smothered in their hot green chile. Chicken was of the dark meat variety. One major plus, like prior visits, is the dish came our smoking hot! But otherwise nothing too distinctive including a rather mild green sauce. Mrs. RJG went with the two ground beef taco plate, like below. She said it was good, but nothing great. And she needed to add Tapatio sauce for any kind of heat (she didn't like the table salsas at all). The $14 lunch combos are way too pricey for what you get.

So, as you can tell, El Padrino has fallen out of favor with the RJG and out of the rotation it goes. It's a good place, but nothing more I'm afraid. It has slipped in quality.

---4/24/23 update

I'm pretty sure I mentioned this somewhere in this blog, but there's something special about going for a Saturday Mexican lunch on a cold dreary day in Colorado. And that was, in fact, this day. Nothing has changed from our prior visits in terms of quality. Alterations this time is that I went for a draft beer (Red Leg Helo) instead of a frozen marg, and Mrs. RJG went back to boring water (I'm making progress though on corrupting her again...). They did bring out both a mild and a spicy salsa. The mild is more like a medium and the hot is more like a medium. Huh? We agree the "hot" is spicier but not by much. Both were delicious though. Perhaps this is what we received last time without realizing the difference. And we had remembered that the tacos were our favorite, so we stuck with Taco Plates this time. They serve these on a custom tin, made just for tacos (2 per order). On the plate itself were steaming piles of beans and rice. Hot temperature - yaay! Everything came out excellent to our taste and we enjoyed our return visit. Will we be back before next year? It deserves more visits, but we'll see where the priorities land.

---11/12/22 update

OK, back on home turf here. It's lunch time and I still have a hankering for our old habit of a Saturday Mexican lunch. I suggested El Padrino, and Mrs. RJG surprised me with a yes answer (see original review below). On this visit, like the others, we sat in the bar area. Rather than beer, I wanted my biannual frozen margarita and wifey had one on the rocks. Very good - tequila was present and accounted for. Chips and salsa were just as good as the last trip, though I forgot to order a spicy salsa, but the regular one has a nice kick and is very flavorful. This time I ordered the combo #1, and she had #8. The only difference is her enchilada was shredded beef and mine was ground. Both come with a ground beef taco. We each ordered the enchilada to be smothered in the spicy green. I think a wire got crossed because it wasn't very spicy on this visit. Or maybe it just wasn't hot this go round. The big hit was the taco. Mrs. RJG loved the homemade crispy fried shell, as did I. Ground beef was seasoned lightly but the salsa made up for it. No matter, the shell won her over. Rice and beans came out very hot, something we're not seeing much anymore. Yet another plus. So hooray, I think we finally won over Mrs. RJG at El Padrino. Next time we might just get tacos. See you next year if not before. 

---original 4/24/21 review

This was only our second visit to El Padrino, a place that should be our "local" Mexican restaurant. Trouble is - for reasons I cannot ascertain - Mrs. RJG doesn't like it. But I most certainly do. Walking in, you can sit in the cozy bar, or wait to be seated at a regular table. We've only done the former - a nice dark space with a large modern bar nearby. Once settled into the little booth, I was pleasantly surprised to see they have local brewery Goat Patch on tap. Not going to miss out on that! Those beers are registered in the Bier Reise (see tab above).

The chips arrived with the server, no need to ask. Nice and crispy, with two salsas - one a medium, the other a hot. Both excellent and entirely unique. Not a common recipe, which is a plus. I do believe they have cumin in them for certain, and the hot likely has chile de arbol or something hotter than jalapenos.

Good time to point out that El Padrino is everything Senor Manuel is not - that is to say, it's modernized, clean, and very comfortable for the whole family. Well, Senor Manuel is certainly comfortable, but not everyone goes for those older, dingier places. Like we do lol.

For the primary meal, I'm burying my ground beef burrito in their spicy green chile (you have the option of mild). Again, I'm lapping it up with glee - and a little sweat. Excellent rice and beans. Maybe not the best rice and beans ever, but certainly very good. Mrs. RJG seemed to be enjoying her meal as well (similar, but enchiladas with chicken). But as she'll often do - she'll tell me it's great while there, and later say "I didn't like it". Why? "I dunno". OK. That's how you stay married for almost 25 years. You say OK.

Problem with the above scenario is I wouldn't go to a place like El Padrino by myself, so it can be awhile before we give it another shot. But Mr. RJG gives El Padrino a thumbs up.

4/18/19; 4/24/21 (new entry); 11/12/22; 4/24/23; 11/30/24

RJG Rotation

I refer to the RJG Rotation often but have never really clarified what it means.

In effect it represents restaurants that I would like to return to at least once a year. As time has marched on, once a year is usually the only frequency in which I go to most of these restaurants. Much of this has to do with eating better, which means eating at home. Other factors include expense (which, as everyone knows, has gone beyond the reach of normalcy) as well as interest level. But the fire to try new places is still there! And, the purpose of the topic here, to revisit places we really enjoy.

For the inaugural entry (and I will attempt to update this annually), I will highlight what is currently in rotation, and where I plan to visit at least once in 2025. Almost all of these are in Colorado Springs just because of the logistics. There are a couple of outliers as well. I do see adding more in Denver and Pueblo soon, and I will explain why when I'm ready, but for now Denver only has a couple of places listed. This list is highly fluid, so changes happen often. I will also include the first year the restaurant (or food truck) was included. Some of these we'd been to prior but they weren't rotation restaurants. We moved to Colorado Springs in 2018, so many start there. Some followed us from DFW, so they go back even further.

(all Colorado Springs unless noted)

Schlotzsky's (1995) The oldest rotation place. Started eating there regularly in Denver and just kept going wherever we moved.

Freddy's Steakburgers (2009) Great example of the first paragraph. I went on Jan. 1, and that was my sole visit all year.

Fuzzy's Taco Shop (2011)

La Choza - Santa Fe, NM (2014) 2020 notwithstanding due to Chancellor Wuhan's dictatorship.

Del Taco (2018) They moved out of DFW only a few years prior or this would be older.

Phantom Canyon Brewing (2018)

Quijotes Mexican (2018)

Josh & Johns Ice Cream (2018)

Colorado Creamery (2018)

Walter's303 Pizzeria (2018)

Joey's Pizza (2018)

Zapata Taco Shop (2019)

The Brass Tap (2019)

Taste of Philly (2020)

Parry's Pizza (2020)

Culver's Hamburgers (2021)

Birdcall Chicken (2021)

South Jersey Subs (2021)

Sugarlump Ice Cream - Westcliffe (2021)

In-N-Out Burger (2022) - Had to wait until they opened in Colorado.

Whataburger (2022) - Had to wait until they opened in Colorado pt. 2.

Leon Gessi Pizza (2022)

Luigi's Italian (2022)

Bingo Burger (2022)

Back East Bar & Grill (2022)

Mollica's Deli (2022)

Granelli's Pizza - Castle Rock (2022)

Valentina's - Santa Fe, NM (2022)

Slice 420 Pizza (2023)

Dr. Taco (2023)

Mission BBQ (2023)

Oliver's Deli (2023)

Chiltepin Mexican (2023)

Dave's Hot Chicken (2023)

Cogstone Brewing (Pizza) (2023)

Pass Key Italian - Pueblo (2023)

Glacier Ice Cream - Castle Rock (2023)

Quincys Steakhouse - Florence (or other mountain towns) (2023)

Wayback Burgers - Woodland Park (2024)

Daddy's Chicken Shack (2024)

Tacos del Gordo (2024)

South Park Brewing (2024)

Basil & Barley (2024)

Jet's Pizza (2024) Welcome back to the Rotation! Had to wait for them to open here.

Papa's Pizza (2024)

Thai Boran - Albuquerque, NM (2024)

Blake's Lotaburger - New Mexico (2024) Lot of fits and starts with this chain, but added back.

The below fell out of the RJG Rotation in 2024

Colorado Mountain Brewing (2016-2024). They'll probably get a revisit anyway since they're so close. We started going there on our annual trips to Colorado Springs before moving here. There are better breweries here though. It's a tourist restaurant, but a good one.

Omelets Etc (2018-2024). They should be better. Never hot enough.

Dog Haus Biergarten (2022-2024). I had lost interest but they just closed our location anyway.

El Padrino Mexican (2019-2024). Slippage in quality.

Chick Fil-A (2018-2023). They weren't a rotation place in Texas. I like them, but not mandatory.

Five Guys Burgers (2007-2023). I went way too long with this chain going back to my time working in Reston, Virginia. Their prices today are more than a steakhouse. Ridiculous for a fast food restaurant.

Jersey Mike's (2005-2023). Another chain I went too long with starting back when I had an office in Las Colinas, Texas. I hold them personally accountable for the "unearned tip" idea, something they started doing back in 2016. Now their sandwiches have become a victim of shrinkflation, and their employees seem to be stoned all the time. I'll reconsider re-adding back at another time.

Trivelli's Subs (2020-2023). Asian run Philly Steak and Italian sub place. They're very good but not essential.

Senor Manuel's (2018-2023). Too much heavy food for us at this stage. Good place though. We'll be back.

Restaurants or places under consideration for annual visits

Some of these get annual visits anyway, but I don't make a concerted effort to do so.

Abby's Irish Pub; Arelita Cuban; Samich Shack; Public House; Sonora's Taco Shop; Cheba Hut; Erickberto's; L&L Hawaiian; Rosie's Diner; Front Range BBQ; East Coast Deli; Bonchon; El Chapin; Wooglin's; Rizuto's Ice Cream; Zesty Thai; Roman Villa; Western Omelette; Schnitzel Fritz; Ted's Montana; The Loop (Manitou Springs); Qdoba; Rib & Chop House; Biaggi's; First Watch Cafe; Skirted Heifer; Wade's Cafe; Parkway Tavern; Gunther Toody's; Jose Muldoon's; Old Chicago

And... just about all the local breweries lol. Not enough time for them all though. And many are closing. :-(

The list is also very long for Denver and Pueblo. I feel like next year some of these will be new for the Rotation. More to come on that.

Valentina's ~ Santa Fe, New Mexico

Latest visit: Nov 2024

First visit: Apr 2022

I forgot to mention this on the Perea's update: We found a new trail in Albuquerque too. Out east in the mountains, the Embudo Trail which "funnels" (haha) into the Cibola National Forest. We run straight uphill for about 20 minutes (huff puff), take a short break, and run back down casually. A perfect workout that allows us to continue to eat like teenagers. In case you were wondering how we manage to continue to do this... I'm 60 and don't want to give any of this up. That's the task that must be done every morning, like 350 days a year task. And with that...

We cleaned up at the hotel and left Albuquerque, and hopefully we'll be back next year as usual. The plan was to have Sunday breakfast in Santa Fe at Horseman's Haven, a place we haven't been to in many years. Mrs. RJG usually puts up resistance at the last minute. Not sure why, but she insists it isn't as good as I've documented. I think it's a misplaced memory. And sure enough, while driving north on I-25, she wanted to pivot to another restaurant. In fact, she really wanted to go back to Valentina's. Twist my arm.

By the time we got here, I was ready to eat the tires off our SUV (an interesting image...), so my appetito was huge. And some of the breakfast houses in Santa Fe are tough to get into on a Sunday morning, but that's not a problem with Valentina's, which remains something of a local secret (don't worry fans, our readership is too small to have much impact). I have to admit, Mrs. RJG was right, Valentina's was the better choice. It's going into the RJG Rotation, and while that wasn't official before, we've gone for three straight years anyway, all documented below.

We started with the chips and salsa. Oh my gosh, so so good. I love their red salsa. Mrs. RJG thinks it might be a combination of Chile de Arbol and Guajillo. The chips are real corn. Learning my lesson from last year, I went back to Christmas. I'm so glad I did. The green was loaded with chiles, and was knock-you-down spicy. I always eat half the dish, flip the plate and then the other. I then tackled the smooth red. One could argue it's better than La Choza. If not, it's in the competition. Otherwise my burrito was egg, potatoes, cheese, and ham. The latter, once again, is a ham steak cut up and stuffed in there. It's brilliant. Mrs. RJG ordered the Huevos Rancheros with whole beans and Spanish rice. Hers also came with a sopaipilla. She had most of it, but I grabbed about a quarter. Very good and fluffy, and made for a nice dessert with the honey.

Best meal of the trip. Go here.

---6/2/23 update

Valentina's is a restaurant that I was very excited to revisit. Last year was our first try, and we had a great experience. We also knew that it would be a lot of food. Having eaten sensibly the night before at The Ranch House, and getting our three mile run in, we were ready to tackle the big breakfast that Valentina's offers. And I'm happy to report everything is just as it was in 2022. Incredible chips and salsa and a monster burrito smothered in red, which was blazing hot spicy as was the salsa. With a big ol' ham steak jammed in there too. Last year I mentioned the green was more typical, but Mrs. RJG persisted to try it again and this time it was better than I remembered. And honestly burying everything in the red is just too much of that one flavor. I'm going back to Christmas. Valentina's is currently one of our favorite Santa Fe restaurants. No trip can go without at least a visit here.

If you read at the bottom of the below review, neither Sunrise nor Tortilla Flats made it to the itinerary. Just too many great places to eat in Santa Fe!

---original 4/14/22 review

Despite going to a number of restaurants in Santa Fe this week, we had yet to try something new. Our Airbnb host left a sheet behind of recommend places to try. La Choza was on there for example, so we knew the recs were probably spot on. This was the only other New Mexican place on the list. 

Oh yes, this is definitely a great recommendation!

First off, Valentina's sits in a shopping center, so there's actually a place to park. In fact it's the same one that houses Pho Kim, a Vietnamese place we enjoy but haven't gone back to in some years (it's in the RJG). Walking in, you'll see a relatively large restaurant painted in bright colors with unique art. Very much an Hispanic atmosphere pervades. 

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you'll be provided with a large menu. We ordered chips and salsa to start on this particular breakfast outing. Whoa! These are some of the best homemade corn chips we've had in sometime. And the salsa is very spicy and has an incredible chile flavor. In fact the taste experience reminded us of a place in Nampa, Idaho called El Rinconcito. It's a combination of a blazing salsa against the corn taste that just explodes in your mouth. We were regulars to that restaurant when the RJG had a consulting gig at Boise State in the latter half of 1998 and early 1999. On a return visit in 2014, it wasn't the same, and I see now it's out of business. What a shame. In any case - thank you Valentina's for ensuring that flavor still exists! Both Mrs. RJG and I remembered it exactly the same without leading the witness. Well that certainly set the mood right.

Now time for the main entries. I had the breakfast burrito with eggs, ham, and potatoes, smothered in Christmas. OK, these guys are just showing off now. This is larger than the others ones we've tried, and the ham is not just diced but rather cut slices from a fully cooked ham steak! Wow. The green was good, but rather non distinctive. It's the red that gets the shout out. A very dark variety loaded with flavor. I'll be sure to smother my next ham & eggs burrito in the red only on my next visit. Mrs. RJG went with her staple of Huevos Rancheros. Her experience was similar, though she was more favorable to the green, but preferred the red as well. She liked the refried beans, only lamenting she wished they were of a hotter temperature. We always want Abuelo's hot!

All in all, a super first encounter. With Tortilla Flats making a comeback, and now Valentina's, did Sunrise just get knocked out of contention? 

4/14/22 (new entry); 6/2/23; 11/17/24

Alien Brewpub ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

First visit: Nov 2024

The original plan was to have Italian food, but both Mrs. RJG and I weren't really in the mood for a pasta dish, and besides we really didn't see a place that caught our eye. Maybe next time we're town, we'll try one for lunch. Now what? After some deliberation, we decided on a brewpub that had hamburgers.

Alien Brewpub, which is Sierra Blanca / Rio Grande Brewing, is an old fashioned brewpub. It reminds me of Heavy Seas in Baltimore before they closed up (we have a writeup in the RJG somewhere), and many other places from the 90s and 00s. A little bit different than the historic Phantom Canyon (Colorado Springs) or Montana Brewing (Billings) that we've covered here. More of a mix of sports pub meets brewery, and the latter has a set list of beers that doesn't change much. More sports bar than brewery I'd submit. Near a large indoor shopping mall with familiar big box anchors. These places have been steadily going out of business in recent years, and based on the crowd on this Saturday night, one wonders how much life this particular Alien has left.

No matter, if the food is good, we would have succeeded in our quest for a quality dinner. And the good news is that the pride of the cooks won out on this night. Mrs. RJG had the UFO Burger with cheese and green chile strips ordered well done. Also came with regular French fries. She really enjoyed it (and the fries were hot). I had the Alien Burger which features a green chile tempura, now that was different. Like a piece of fish on top except it was a chile. I liked it. Also came with smoked applewood bacon. Also had the curly fries with a nice seasoning. Burgers were large and filling. Excellent all around. Probably not a place we'll be returning to, if it will even be around to go back to. But if we lived in ABQ, it would be in the RJG Rotation for as long as possible.

11/16/24 (new entry)

Flock of Moons Brewing ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

First visit: Nov 2024

We're slowly but surely working our way through the Albuquerque breweries. Like with yesterday, we were busy all day, this time going to antique shops and record stores, and by the later afternoon we were both thirsty. Time for a beer! 

Flock of Moons is one of those classic right-off-the-university hangouts. Lots of hipsters, oddballs, and eccentrics. In other words, we fit right in then! At least the latter two characteristics. The decoration is pure mid-century modern with hanging globe lamps and clean lines. They also sport a full patio where you can enjoy your beer with your dog. Or the dog can enjoy a beer with you... Excellent beer BTW. All good vibes. Dude.

11/16/24 (new entry)

Perea's ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

Latest visit: Nov 2024

First visit: Aug 2016

Not much chance that the RJG's won't be going to Perea's if in Albuquerque for any length of time. We missed going last year, where the focus was primarily on Santa Fe. But not this time. And all things seem normal again. Back to the pre-pandemic days of putting your name on a list and waiting. The waitresses are back. Though they had a sign saying they are short-staffed. To be noted, it seemed every single restaurant in ABQ was hiring. So if you're unemployed, you might want to think about heading to the Southwest. We started with chips and salsa, something neither of us could remember if we'd done before. Like with La Choza, the chips were on the salty side, which is fine with us. They tasted great. The salsa was a little too much on the tomato-y side, but it did possess a nice flavor and a good kick. I went with the egg and bacon breakfast burrito smothered in Christmas. The green has a unique flavor and was spicy. The red is very close to La Choza in quality, so velvety and smooth. This is a restaurant where you want both the red and the green. Mrs. RJG had the Huevos Rancheros also with Christmas. She also enjoyed the potatoes and beans. The only thing is - once again - it wasn't hot enough temperature. Once is an anomaly, twice is a pattern. And that's problematic, since we're only here once a year. Might open the door for new competition. We'll see next year how we feel about that.

---4/10/22 update

Back for our annual review. The good news is that Perea's has full service again on the weekends, though they still have you order at the cash register during the week. This seems to make a difference on the timing of the food getting to your table. On this visit I went with the carne adovada burrito. Adovada can be a dicey proposition but in the hands of Perea's it was cooked perfectly and very tasty. On this occasion the green was hotter than the red, both very distinctive and excellent. Mrs. RJG went with the Huevos Rancheros with hash browns, also smothered in Christmas. The only thing holding it back from a gold star is the temperature could still be just a tad hotter, though it was much better than our pandemic visit. Perea's is not to be missed.

---original 9/19/21 review

I didn't realize until now that I hadn't covered Perea's in the RJG. Well it's never too late. Along with Sunrise Restaurant in Santa Fe, Perea's has become our go-to breakfast house in New Mexico. After trying a few places in ABQ, Perea's made an immediate impact and now we're hooked. It's all about the chile in New Mexico, and Perea's is all aces with both the red and green. Christmas is essential here. Usually spicy but always very tasty. You can bury that chile on just about anything and walk away happy. Mrs. RJG goes with the Chile Relleno, while I stick to the breakfast burrito - all cooked perfectly. But it's the chile that makes it special. Perea's is a little family owned place (I think it was an old Captain D's), but you can usually count on large crowds. But not overwhelming like The Pantry or La Choza in Santa Fe. It's a neighborhood joint, and one that is a must stop when traveling through, living, or staying in Albuquerque. We turned Mr. Music onto it, and he goes more than us, since he journeys through on his way to see Lady Music in California. And she too now loves Perea's. 

You have no choice. If you are in Albuquerque, you have to go to Perea's. Well... you do.

8/5/16; 4/22/17; 10/21/18; 3/25/19; 9/19/21 (new entry); 4/10/22; 11/16/24

Thai Boran ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

First visit: Nov 2024

We had planned on one Thai meal for the trip but couldn't decide which one to go to. Mrs. RJG favors Thai Spice while I lean in with Thai Cuisine II. While enjoying our beer at Vision City Brewstillery, I decided to research on my iPhone what was nearby. Thai Kitchen came up first but the menu screamed American variation. Then I came across Thai Boran. Now this looks authentic Thai. Mrs. RJG agreed and off we went.

It's a relatively large space and too bright for cozy dining (they simply need to dim the overhead lamps and problem would be solved). Despite this early warning sign, we persevered. They have beer and wine, already a plus as far as the RJG is concerned. So we went with two large bottles of Asahi Dry. But oops they opened two small bottles first, so we scored an extra four ounces for free. Thank you!

Mrs. RJG ordered the red curry, and out came a large bowl that she loved. I had my usual spicy basil Thai. No need to ask for ground chicken - that's how it comes! I added a fried egg on top (of course). I ordered it hot, and that's exactly what I got. We also added some chili oil, so it definitely packed some heat. If I were home, I would go for Thai Hot, and I'm sure it would have been that much better. We both lapped up everything on the plate/bowl. Delicious. Oh the rice was perfectly cooked (and we didn't have to ask for more). Thai Boran bests any Thai restaurant we have in Colorado Springs.

We now have a consensus at the RJG household: Thai Boran is our new go-to for Thai in ABQ. And that probably will result in an annual rotation visit. Getting some new champions on this trip.

11/15/24 (new entry)

Vision City Brewstillery ~ Albuquerque, New Mexico

First visit: Nov 2024

After a full day of estate and garage sales, along with a pile of thrift shops, it was time for an adult beverage. The nearest one to where we last shopped was Vision City Brewstillery, so let's go there. It's a large space, with lots of big screen TV's. And on this day, that was important as many folks were gearing up to watch the Mike Tyson fight. Like most normal people, I had no idea Tyson was back in the ring. I thought he stopped fighting while I was still a road warrior consultant (i.e. a lonnngg time ago). It also answered my second question: Boxing still exists? Whatever the case, the space was alive with enthusiasm. We didn't stick around to see the fight - good thing based on the news clips I read afterward about Netflix's hiccups.

In any case, we each had one very cold beer that was delicious (mine is cataloged in the Bier Reise link above). We also tried their chips and salsa, and the latter was both excellent and spicy.

Good place to stop for "a cold one".

11/15/24 (new entry)