Last visit: Apr 2023
First visit: Aug 2010
Ever since we moved back to the Springs, we've been saying that we want to go back to Castle Cafe. Neither of us remembered all that well what the experience was prior and wanted to try it again. Almost a full 5 years later, we finally made it over here. This would be our 3rd visit - the first one with Rude Dante as he was about to leave for Akron, Ohio.
Castle Cafe sits in an old building dating back to the 1890s. Apparently there's been a restaurant, bar, and (at one point) dancehall in this spot since that time. There's not a lot of detail on current ownership and what really happened during the urban decay days of the 50s, 60s, and 70s but it really doesn't matter in the scheme of things. It's a cool looking building, with plenty of booth and table seating. Or you can grab a stool at the bar if eating or drinking solo.
Mrs. RJG had the "famous" Pan Fried Chicken, which they now serve all day - it used to only be available for dinner. The original plan was for me to order a spicy fried chicken sandwich and we'd split it. But they don't have that on the weekends, only for lunch during the week. No problem, I switched to The Boss hamburger with crispy bacon and a jalapeno cream cheese spread. And we each ordered a cup of their green chili to start. For this visit, we stuck with water, as the beer taps are fairly typical of the area. They also offered up free bread, which comes with honey, as a starter.
It was an auspicious start, as the green chili was received favorably by both of us. It possessed a nice spicy kick and a very good flavor - though later Mrs. RJG said it was a bit too porky. The temperature was hot - not blazing like we prefer, but certainly not warm either. As for the fresh baked bread, Mrs. RJG made a face about it being too doughy - though she picked at the edges and poured honey on it to her delight. I thought the bread was fine, but didn't want to eat too much considering we had a large meal on the way.
They warn everyone that the chicken takes 30 minutes to prepare properly, and we even timed it. More for our sake in terms of expectation versus testing them. Sure enough, almost precisely 30 minutes later came our meal.
And then the wheels came off. Mrs. RJG was bummed that the chicken wasn't very hot (temperature) and that it was bland in flavor. The mashed potatoes were cold and the veggies seemed straight from the can without seasoning. I had one piece of chicken (the breast) and parts of it were hot but it wasn't consistent. I thought the flavor was good but not distinctive. Certainly not crave worthy. My hamburger was cooked to perfection (well done) and the bacon was crispy (for once). I liked the jalapeno spread as well. The bread wasn't crispy enough for the Mrs. to try, so I ate the whole thing. I've had better burgers, but it was enjoyable. The fries were typical, but I didn't eat too many. Mainly because I needed to finish Mrs. RJG's chicken. Then she said "how come you never take me for Thai food?" lol. But I have to agree, it was a disappointment overall. Service, however, was excellent on this visit.
The truth is this: Back in 2009 and 2011, we weren't that enamored with Castle Cafe either. But Rude Dante says it's one of his favorites, and the ratings are consistently very high. They all can't be wrong. Sometimes we just have to accept that we all have different filters, and our opinion falls on the other side of the popular one. Normally that's not the case, but here's an exception. We both really wanted to love it - but we just don't. We won't go back on our own, but there's always that chance someone from out of town will want to go here - or friends and family from Denver would like to meet here since it's convenient for all of us. I'm up for trying it one more time. Obviously we need to explore the menu further if we do.
8/19/09; 8/8/11; 4/15/23 (new entry)
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