Latest visit: Aug 2025 (Colorado Springs)
First visit: Mar 2019 (Colorado Springs)
HQ: Tampa, FL (founded: 2007)
---8/16/25 update
We haven't been to The Brass Tap this year, and so we chose this Saturday night mindlessly for our dinner choice. Why mindless? Because we weren't thinking of The Ford Amphitheater and a potential concert. Sure enough some big country star was playing that night, a name I've already forgotten. The servers just presumed we were going to the concert, so we played along, not willing to admit our mistake. Surprisingly we did get a table right away, and service was reasonably fast. Unfortunately they did not cook Mrs. RJG's burger well done as they have consistently done in the past. That resulted in a frown and a "I'm not coming back" declaration. She can be unforgiving that way. I enjoyed mine, but as the years go by, my interest in these kind of taverns is beginning to wane. It's the cost plus the beer lists have become static, taking away my thrill of exploration. The Brass Tap won't be added to the RJG rotation.
Location update: They've now fixed their website so you can figure out where they exist in the country. They have a total of 50 which is the number I came up with last year. This location remains their sole Colorado place. They now have 17 locations in Texas including the NE Tarrant towns of Euless and Roanoke (close enough). And Lubbock as noted prior.
---6/23/24 update
So after last night's meal, it was unclear if Mrs. RJG would be anxious to go out again so quickly. But she wanted a cheeseburger, and The Brass Tap has been the only consistent place for that. We haven't been this year, so time for the annual review. So on this summer Sunday for lunch we ventured in hoping all would be the same as prior. And it was! Everything came out perfectly including the 3 beers we had combined. Service was good as well. The Brass Tap remains in the RJG rotation, as infrequent as that may be.
Location update: Arg - another one of those dummy locators that only show you a select few of their locations. No researching allowed! We don't want customers except where we tell you. Colorado only has this one locale. In our former HQ, Roanoke remains plus they're adding one in Euless, a true NE Tarrant town. Hey they got one coming to Lubbock as well - really old school RJG there (1983-1987). Heck, they have to be the only chain in the country growing in the Communist state of California. For that they are to be admired. In the past I captured the following: TX (13); FL (12); CA (6); MD (5); GA (4); VA (2); SC (2); NJ (1); AL (1); WI (1); IA (1); AZ (1); CO (1). A grand total of 50 (if my math is right).
---5/23/23 update
You'll recall (as noted below) that last year Mrs. RJG was thrilled about The Brass Tap's cheeseburger. That was seven months ago and lately the restaurants have been anything but consistent. Especially the chains. So with some trepidation we went in on this fine Sunday for lunch. The result? Mrs. RJG was declaring it the best hamburger in town! And she was not shy about sharing that fact inside the restaurant (a little beer might have helped with that...). For myself I went with a fried chicken sandwich and I thought it was delicious as well. Service was impeccable on this visit, something we rarely call out - especially these days. We really need to frequent The Brass Tap more than we do. They have earned that business.
---10/29/22 update
Running a few months late on our annual review of The Brass Tap. Happy to say that everything is back to normal as far as food menus go. Both Mrs. RJG and myself ordered the All-American Pub burger (essentially a bacon cheeseburger), and lo and behold, it came out absolutely perfect! Been a long time since I've seen Mrs. RJG love a hamburger like this. Toasted bread, well done meat, flavorful. Crispy fries. All the basics that no one seems to get right anymore. And we each had a beer and a half, so good vibes all around.
The Brass Tap is based in Tampa, Florida and have locations all over the country. Which is convenient if travelling, and you're unsure where to go, since you'll almost be guaranteed some new local brews. This is their sole location in all of Colorado. From our old HQ in NE Tarrant, Roanoke would be our go-to spot. The perfect location for that really. They have many others in the DFW area though.
---original 6/12/21 review
The Brass Tap is like many places the RJG was gravitating to before the pandemic. That of the craft tavern. A place that serves hearty American fare, or international comfort food, with a healthy craft beer selection. The Brass Tap is a large place, and walking in, you can sit at the many tables / booths or grab a stool at the bar. I was on my own today, so I plopped myself in the middle of the bar, and took a look at the beer menu. Pretty consistent with the past - a large selection of beers, some obscure and local, others much more known. It's not the best tap selection in town, but they make an earnest attempt at competing. Looking around, there's flat screens everywhere indicating that The Brass Tap doubles as a sports bar. Settled on my first of two beers (each registered in the Bier Reise blog - see page above), and looked at the menu. OK, this is way truncated from the past. I asked por que? Well it appears that the food industry is still having troubles with supply chain due to the pandemic. Sounds like opportunity to me. They do have the full menu for dinner, but at lunch you get about a dozen options. No matter, a burger is what I wanted anyway, so I went with what they call a Pub Burger. Comes with crinkle fries on the side, and the usual suspects as toppings, plus applewood bacon. Ah, just what I needed, a hearty burger with flavor. Not too fat, not too thin, cooked right, and great flavor. I mean sometimes that's all you need to be happy. Good fries as well, and I asked for spicy mustard on the side to assist both the burgers and the fries. Always reliable, The Brass Tap is one of the RJG's go-to places. And it's nice to be back after 17 months. I wish they were a bit more selective on the beers, and I look forward to the full menu returning. I'm sure it will.
3/3/19; 12/5/19; 6/12/21 (new entry); 10/29/22; 5/23/23; 6/23/24; 8/16/25
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