Santiago's ~ Castle Rock, Colorado

Latest visit: Feb 2022 (Castle Rock)

First visit: Jun 2010 (Castle Rock)

---original 2/21/22 review

This was only my second visit to the venerable Colorado chain, and as you can see, it's been almost 12 years since the last one. We went to this exact location when we had the Denver townhome during our NE Tarrant years. Much as changed, probably due to the pandemic, but could have been made before. Back then this was a sit down restaurant with table service. Now you order up at the counter, which would be consistent with their other Denver locale's, many of them nothing more than walkups. I ordered most likely the same thing I would have gotten a dozen years ago: A Breakfast Burrito. Spicy green is an option for the smother, so I went for it. They come in plastic to-go containers, with plastic knives and forks. Burritos are not always best for in-the-car eating, so I was glad to have secured a booth. Their green is indeed spicy, of the gravy brownish variety we often see here. So not a true New Mexico or Pueblo smother, but certainly not foreign to the area either. They're not giant like so many places serve, but they are a great deal if on a budget. And because of this, and the great flavor of the food, the drive-thru had a line around the building and out to the street. And inside many people waited patiently to grab their sack and go. Not too many of us dined in. I parked in the Burger King lot next door, which incidentally was mostly empty. Good to see the locals know better. I get the impression that BK survives on Santiago's overflow traffic.

There are 28 Santiago's, mostly in the Denver metro area, and branching out northeast from there. Castle Rock is their furthest southern location, by some distance too. Given how popular they are, I would expect them to eventually expand southwards to the Springs, as I can't imagine them not being popular here too. Maybe like Good Times Burgers, they prefer the Denver environs better. In any case, I'll try to get here at least once a year going forward, as Castle Rock is often a stop for me.

---Rude Dante update 5/16/22

2501 Ford St, Golden, CO 80401

Thursday morning, breakfast burrito with chorizo & hot green chile. Fed a whole project team on these for a couple years. Nuff said!

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6/4/10; 2/21/22 (new entry); 5/16/22 (RD)