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First visit: Dec 2022
It's been a year and a half since I saw my old friend the Tampa Pound (going back to 2009 when working in DFW). He's now retired since our last outing and has been scouting out the best restaurants Colorado Springs has to offer. So I let him choose where to eat, and he selected Odyssey. As you can see, Mrs. RJG and I visited at the end of 2022. I hadn't really intended on going back, but certainly wouldn't mind an invitation to do so. Our experience on this visit was a much more relaxed experience. Given that it's a Monday holiday versus a Sunday brunch outing, that comes as no surprise. I stuck with two Colorado taps throughout the meal and he had one. I didn't fall for the bottle/can trap this time. As for the meal, I referenced my notes before heading out, and after perusing the menu, decided the spicy chicken sandwich was the way to go. And it was excellent again as were the waffle fries. Even better is they brought me a "K Sauce", that made for an excellent spicy condiment for the fries. He had the Thai Curry and stated it was excellent as well. No doubt Odyssey remains an expensive date, and it's debatable if it's worth it. Good place to take out of town guests though if looking for something "local". Very friendly service on this visit as well, worth calling out.
---original 12/4/22 review
Wow - we are on a roll at the RJG. The Mrs. is anxious to try new places so I'm striking the iron while it's hot. The first meal we have where she makes a face two bites in and says "I'm full" is when I know the streak is over. But that didn't happen at Odyssey, so we march on for another week! We're back to the regular routine at home for the next 3 days. But what will Thursday lunch bring? We shall see.
Let's talk Odyssey Gastropub. Last night Mrs. RJG and I were scanning Yelp and all of their Top 10 lists. How legit these things are is anyone's guess, but many places popped up that we were unaware of. It got to the point that we asked each other "Do we even live here?". Of course most of these establishments are in - or near - downtown, and the social media hipsters are all over every place that exists there. Odyssey showed up on a few lists so it became apparent we should go. They're open for brunch on Sunday, so let's give it a shot.
The location is perfect: A renovated old downtown building. Shotgun style, very much like our favorite haunts in Baltimore. Full bar and plenty of table seating. We received brunch menus but were reassured that the lunch menu was on offer. The first head fake was the beer selection. Almost all of what is available is cans and bottles - all of which you can get in a well stocked local liquor store. They do have a few drafts, and most of those are what you see around town. I thought I was ordering a draft when a pint can showed up. Worse is that it wasn't the one I ordered, significantly less ABV, but for the same price. OK, it probably would have been close in price, not worth going on about. The second beer we had (split) was a draft which is captured in the Bier Reise (see main menu). All of this to say that I wouldn't make Odyssey Gastropub a destination for its beer selection. Of course they have other cocktails and the like - which may interest many of you.
For food I ordered the spicy chicken sandwich and Mrs. RJG had the Pioneer Burger, and then we cut each in half to split. I asked for the bowl of pork green chile as a side (+$3) and she went with waffle fries. The green chile came out hot temperature, so that's a plus. Pretty mild variation and *very* porky. Not really my style, but certainly could be considered an authentic Colorado pork green chile. The hamburger was very tasty, though it was more medium well than well done despite Mrs. RJG insisting on it being cooked throughout. The bread wasn't toasted on either side so that wasn't a plus. Same with the spicy chicken sandwich though this was met more favorably. Very crispy, juicy, and tasty. The sriracha ranch is a nice condiment for this. She enjoyed the waffle fries as well. Both sandwiches were quite large and very filling.
Verdict? Very good for sure, but way too expensive even in this day and age. Moving this to the "expense account" category. Which could happen. If so it will receive an annual review, otherwise this could be it for us concerning Odyssey Gastropub. Certainly no hesitation to go back though. I should mention that when we walked in, they had a wall full of local awards going back to 2015. And it was very crowded on this visit. Whatever our thoughts, it's clear Odyssey is where people want to be right now. I'll keep that in mind for out-of-towners.
12/4/22 (new entry); 2/19/24
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