First visit: Feb 2022
OK back on our home turf in Colorado Springs. Comfort Zone. Mrs. RJG wanted a hamburger, and since it's been a full year that we haven't been to Brakeman's, we chose to go back on this cold and windy Saturday. As you can see from last year's notes, we went twice in succession with mixed results. And I fear to say that the latter experience returned. So it appears our debut visit was the outlier. You know how Mrs. RJG is with her well-done hamburgers. And she's very clear with the waitress on what she expects. And out comes the burger medium with pink. Knuckleheads! I went with the Pueblo Slopper, which is a regional dish gaining popularity with foodies around the country. Essentially it's green chile dumped on top of a traditional hamburger. I was disappointed with their variation. It's a knife and fork dish, and the chile just isn't that tasty or spicy. Lots of tomatoes and it didn't seem blended very well. Unless the Cowcatchers come into town (remember they're train fanatics), I don't see us returning to Brakeman's anytime soon.
---3/5/22 update
Back one month later, as I wanted to try the pizza. Eh... it was OK. Crust needed to be a bit more crispy, and the pizza lacked sauce like 95% of their competition. It's not in this blog, but the best pizza ever for the RJG was in Pittsburgh in 2017. That's the gold standard. Walter's303 has days where they come close though. Mrs. RJG had the burger again - but it wasn't as good. They already lost their silver star. Maybe next year? No one was there either - has the allure already rubbed off?
---original 2/13/22 review
What a dream location. They converted an old train station that has incredible views of the Pikes Peak mountain range. And the trains still run, so it brings one back 100+ years to what Colorado Springs once was. We were there after a heavy snow fall, so on this sunny day, it couldn't have been more of a pleasurable setting. It's a very large space, including a separate bar / dining area, so finding a seat will be easier than most downtown locations. And it's out of the pay park zone, so even better.
As for the food, Mrs. RJG has a new favorite burger place! We each got a variation on the basic cheeseburger. Perfectly cooked - you know Mrs. RJG must have it well-done, with a pickle and excellent fries on the side. And toasty bread (another key to the Mrs. heart). Great flavor throughout. We had intended on getting a craft beer, and Odell makes a lager specific for Brakeman's. But they were out! The others were more common CoS offerings (good selection if from out of town though), so we stuck with water.
While enjoying my meal, and watching the chefs - oh I didn't mention this, but the cooking area is wide open and viewable for most patrons - I noticed they have a tiled coal pizza oven! We used to drive all over DFW to find places like that. I settled too quickly on the burger. Next time I'm getting the pizza, since we know the Mrs. wants that burger again! Might have to do another update before next year.
2/13/22 (new entry); 3/5/22; 3/5/23
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