Border Burger Bar ~

First visit: Jul 2021 (Colorado Springs - closed)

The review below was for their location in Colorado Springs, which has now closed. They are still open in Manitou Springs and El Paso, Texas. If I get to either of them (Manitou more likely...) then I'll update at that time.

Saw this restaurant recently while driving up and down Academy doing the routines. It's your classic craft burger tavern, and those were the RJG's favorite places pre-pandemic. Time to get back into some bad habits. Walk in, and you can take a booth, table, or sit at the bar to your right. I took the latter, since I was by myself. Out comes a very large burger menu, and a nice selection of Colorado craft beers to choose from (about 9). Mostly from the Springs, but a couple of others from the state. So I selected one from our very own FH Beerworks, and then chose The Coloradoan. This burger's distinctions include green chile (hear that, did ya Wienerschnitzel?), Swiss cheese, avocado, tomato, spring mix (arugula, etc...), onion slices, and lemon zest aioli. Yea, it's pretty chef-fy, but I'm all for a local burger. I passed on the avocado, as I really wanted to savor the green chile - which is mixed into the ground beef + they add a sliced Anaheim pepper. I asked for truffle fries as well. Basically fries with truffle oil and parm cheese and parsley (excellent BTW). They don't mention it, but this burger comes in a potato bun. The burger was cooked medium well, since I didn't specify. All very good, though I didn't get as much chile flavor as hoped. But given that they have 20 different options, I'll be sure to try something else next time. Overall I was most reminded of an old RJG favorite back in DFW called Jac Mac's Swill and Grill (which you can find in these very pages). Perhaps not quite as beer focused, but the menu certainly is geared similarly. Friendly counter service as well. Great place - we'll be back for sure.

Border Burger Bar is a very small regional chain. They started in El Paso, Texas (hence the name) with only one location there before branching to the Springs area, where they also have one in downtown Manitou Springs - a perfect fit for the tourist foot traffic they receive.

7/9/21 (new entry)

Wienerschnitzel ~ regional chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Jul 2021 (Colorado Springs - Austin Bluffs)

First visit: 1983 (Lubbock, Texas)

Not proud to admit that Wienerschnitzel at one time made up a good portion of my daily bread. Especially after I left campus and lived in an efficiency apartment at the end of my college tenure (1987). When they opened up in the DFW area, Mrs. RJG, The RJG's official Mom, and myself gave it a try (2004) and it was as I remembered it. Good. Not great. 

I was watching them convert this quirky building (not sure what its original function was, but it last served as a cigarette store - see below photo (courtesy of the Gazette)) - as I drove by on my weekly visits to a nearby thrift shop. When they opened, they had the In-N-Out effect, and there were (I think unexpected) long lines along Austin Bluffs, that got them in hot (dog) water with the city. The novelty has already worn off. With In-N-Out, even though they've been open since late November, the lines are still incredibly long. Once the second location opens here, the demand should begin to disperse. And over time, it should be like any other fast food restaurant. This is what we saw in DFW as well. Anyway, back to Wienerschnitzel. Obviously I just had to try it one more time.

Walk in, turn left, and order at the counter. I had done some online prep work, and was excited to try their green chile hot dog. It warned that it was only available at "select locations", but of course Colorado Springs would be one those. Right? Wrong. Huh. Oh well, I settled on a chili cheese dog - and chose the all-beef option. I wanted to still be alive after finishing my meal. Also grabbed a chili cheeseburger and a small drink. Sounds like a lot of food, but their portions are small, and that's reflected in the price. The drink machine has a lot of taps, but only one diet option. Wienerschnitzel is obviously a Pepsi customer, which is also reflected on their website. Oh - I got there as they opened, and the floors were still wet - and oily. So I literally skated around the store in my Columbia hiking shoes. Fine for an agile runner like me, but incredibly dangerous for others. They really need to prepare to open. In any case, I put my drink down, and went to the bathroom to wash my hands. Sink was crashed on the floor. Literally. C'mon guys, it's only a month old! Oh well, grabbed some sanitizer and washed up that way. 

Out comes the meal. Started on the chili cheeseburger. Pretty good, The burger tastes like the kind you can buy at Sam's Club. Like Pierre lol. The chili is pretty good. The all-beef hot dog was certainly good, and it has the chili and cheese loaded on top. It sounds like an unhealthy meal, but honestly it doesn't feel that way. My body is good at telling me what to eat and what not to. I wouldn't recommend eating too much of it though. I didn't bother with the Tastee Freez, but it doesn't take much imagination to know what it's like. While most people use the drive-thru, I purposely wanted to eat inside, and chili dogs are too messy for the car anyway. They utilized the space very well, and it feels comfortable. So will I go back? Probably not. I did this strictly for nostalgia. But it's certainly as good as I remembered it.

Founded as Der Wienerschnitzel in California in 1961, the chain is still somewhat regional to the West, and seems to be poised for yet another comeback. There are currently 7 locations in Colorado, all but this one in western Colorado (esp. Grand Junction). I've read they plan on opening two more in the area. Hopefully they saved some of that opening month cash - could help pay for a new sink too....

12/26/04; 7/2/21 (new entry)