First visit: Jun 2022
Other location: Monument
---1/21/26
It had been my original intention last year to add Back East Bar & Grill to the RJG Rotation. As I thought about it though, it doesn't really fit the model of a focused annual event. But if the opportunity arises, then it rises to the top of the list. And that event happened today, as Dr. Boom and I had some serious record business to attend to.
It occurred to me, just before going into the doors, that perhaps I should lose my Denver Broncos cap and switch to something more neutral. Why is that? As noted below, they are the official Buffalo Bills headquarters in Colorado Springs. And last week's playoffs created a controversial game between the Bills and the Broncos, to which the home team won. Yea, let me put that cap on the right seat of the car.
As for lunch, I jumped on the Horse and Dragon Hazy IPA, and then ordered their Chicken Parm sandwich. And no surprise here, if you read below, the chicken was crisped to perfection. Good bread and hot temperature as well. For a side I went with the Spanish Rice, as I learned they make it onsite. Excellent flavor with a bit of hot spice. Dr. Boom stayed with the basics and had a Bud Light and a Turkey Wrap with fries. He indicated it was good.
For a Wednesday at lunch, there was a decent crowd, especially around the bar. Good to see they're still doing well. The food quality has much to do with that.
After further consideration, Back East does make an excellent lunch alternative, so in the Rotation it goes.
---10/24/24
Back again for my annual visit to Back East Bar & Grill. It's a Thursday night around 5 and the place was hopping, not a sight we see too much these days. The guy next to me at the bar stated that Thursday nights are popular here, though no reason was afforded. Nonetheless I found a spot, grabbed a beer, and ordered the chicken parm again. I think it was even better than last time. The chicken was a thick cutlet, breaded and baked to perfection. That's all I needed for a perfect dinner.
---7/31/23
Had the chicken parm this time on a dinner visit. Crispy breaded chicken, delicious slightly sweet red sauce, on top of al dente capellini. Large portion - perfect.
---6/26/22
I'd had this placed circled for years and finally made it over for lunch. It's a classic sports bar / tavern with television screens everywhere, a sizeable bar area, and lots of tables. It's a very large space overall. The separator here is the focus on New York / New England styled food, and apparently it's the official Buffalo Bills game watching place here in town. In my mind, that means both an Italian and seafood focus. I stuck with the former, though they also had some fetching Colorado looking items as well. But for the first visit I went with a meatball sub with a side of tater tots and asked for "dragon sauce" to dip them in. About the best meatball sub in the area these days is Trivelli's Hoagies that we've written about. Their heritage is in Philadelphia, but the owner has long sold out and it's now run by Asians. It seems they've maintained the recipes, but it's not the real deal. Not like the old Vermont heritage Friendly's Subs that we reminisce about on occasion (now South Jersey Subs, and not the same). Well we now have a new champion: Back East Bar & Grill. Four big thick meatballs doused in a delicious tomato sauce, gooey cheese, on a wonderfully textured bread. The meatballs are delicious on their own, but it's the sauce that makes the difference. Not sure when Italian restaurants forgot how to make a decent tomato sauce, but that's not a problem here. Makes me want to try something more pure Italian for dinner. And I must try a pizza at some point. I'll get tater tots any chance I can over fries, and the Dragon Sauce is indeed their hottest blend. I loved it. Superb service on this visit as well.
6/26/22 (new entry); 7/31/23; 10/24/24; 1/21/26
Comments