Witty Pork's Woodfired Pizza ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Food truck

First visit: Sep 2023 (Goat Patch Brewery)

As noted prior, the RJG has been entirely negligent on food trucks. Part of the problem is who is where - and when. We do track Dr. Taco, and now I'm keen to add Witty Pork's to the Dead Head groupie tour bus. I went simply with a 12 inch Italian sausage pizza. Ordered at the truck (only 10 bucks) and he brought it to me inside the brewery. Now we're talking. Why has pizza become so hard to make? This was absolutely perfect. Plenty of excellent tasting sauce, cheese, and crumbled Italian sausage - the latter a cut above the usual restaurant fare. I'm sure they use one of the Colorado local sausage makers. Most important is the crust was perfectly cooked - crunchingly crispy. And hot temperature. Mrs. RJG would have loved it. The harder part is getting her to the breweries these days lol. We'll keep working on that...

9/23/23 (new entry)

Goat Patch Brewing ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Sep 2023

First visit: Dec 2018

Goat Patch anchors a renovated old elementary school, that features many small business and food related items. It's a popular spot, but plenty of room to sit at the bar or grab a table inside, or a bench outside. Goat Patch has slowly risen to becomes one of Colorado Springs most popular breweries. As I continue to document all of Colorado Springs' breweries, Goat Patch ended up being towards the end since it was one of the few I visited during the pandemic.

Food trucks are often available, and I took advantage of this on my last visit (Witty Pork's).

12/7/18; 4/20/19; 6/4/21; 9/23/23 (new entry)

I Heart Mac & Cheese ~ national chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

First visit: Sep 2023 (Colorado Springs - Voyager)

Locations: Their website kind of blows, so it's tough to know how many nationwide. They have 3 locations in Colorado with two in the Denver area plus this location. Two more are on the way including one more in the Springs. There are 2 in DFW and one is in our old stomping grounds of North Richland Hills. So some of my older readers can check it out too!

I should have known this is a large chain (based out of the Miami area it appears). I happened to be next door at our favorite taco spot Zapatas when they had their grand opening. Predictably there was a line around the block. Americans just aren't happy unless they're standing in a long line to eat at a trendy place. I didn't even know what I Heart Mac & Cheese was about, but figured I'd try it when the crowds thinned out. Which happened pretty quickly since it wasn't that long ago.

Walk in and order at the counter to the right and you pay at the left. It looks assembly line, but you order from the menu. The gimmick here is mac n cheese of course with all sorts of variations. The core of most dishes is elbow macaroni and creamy cheese. I went for the Chicken Parm mac n cheese. A pretty decent sized portion comes out. Not near hot enough. I expect bubbling cheese! Of course it doesn't help that they serve the meals in hard plastic disposable containers rather than a ceramic dish. I mean it wasn't warm or anything, but these kind of dishes need steam coming off of each noodle. The chicken was laughable. Popcorn round chicken balls right out of the freezer bag. I can do 'dat! If there was an Italian styled sauce present, I missed it, though I noticed a touch of red in there. Not getting the hype on I Heart Mac & Cheese. It was filling and reasonably tasty but hardly crave worthy. I'll probably try their Cuban at some point. Or maybe not.

This isn't a chain that grew out of a small and loved independent fast food place. Nope - corporate boardroom all the way with investors and expansion plans. OK, I tried it and can now act all knowledgeable at the next dinner party that I will reluctantly be forced to go to.

9/21/23 (new entry)

Raising Cane's ~ national chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Sep 2023 (Colorado Springs - Citadel)

First visit: Nov 2011 (Hurst, TX)

Locations: 714 total; 20 in Colorado with 4 in Colorado Springs; Texas has 143 with 65(!) in DFW; NE Tarrant now has 5 with our original location of Hurst still going.

It's been 11 years since I last stepped foot into a Raising Cane's. The primary reason I don't go is they insist you get a meal-deal. Sometimes I just want chicken. Like when I go to Chick-Fil-A, I get a chicken sandwich and a 12 pack of nuggets. Take it home and I can have my soda there. And I can always add chips if I want to. I've been in the mood for chicken lately, and I was out "doing the rounds" looking for music inventory. Time had gotten away from me, and I was pretty far south of home. Since it was late, I figured I wanted to eat lighter than usual. So I went with the Three Finger deal which includes fries, Texas toast, and their famed dipping sauce. Really not much more to add to my review below. I do like their dipping sauce. But I like ketchup too. At least it's "their own recipe" so points for that. And they had Coke Zero with a soda fountain that actually knows how mix to the carbonation in. I'll probably go more regularly now, and I want to try their chicken sandwich next.

---original 11/2/11 review (Hurst)

So this represents the first entry of a chicken place into the RJG. Mr. and Mrs. RJG definitely enjoy fried chicken, but it's something we pretty much eliminated from our diet over the last few years. But we're slowly adding it back, and we hope to add a few similar entries in the next year.

A buddy of mine who used to own a franchise of 14 Taco Bells, once declared to me "the real money is in chicken!" Of course he had a front row seat to that general ledger, as Taco Bell is part of the Yum Brands, which also happens to own Kentucky Fried Chicken. And this might explain why there's a proliferation of chicken chains throughout the country. Not to mention it's incredibly tasty food, though hardly on any dietitians recommended consumption list.

Raising Cane's started in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1996, and is the latest success story in fast food. The website has a full story behind the restaurant chain, and it's yet another inspiration tale of a "if there's a will, there's a way".

As for the chicken itself, we've had better, but it's definitely good. Their gimmick is all white meat chicken fingers - so no bones to get in the way. The chicken came out hot and juicy, but I didn't detect any unique flavors beyond the usual. They make a big fuss out of their dipping sauce, but honestly it wasn't an earth mover. It's a mayonnaise based concoction with mild spices mixed in. So mild in fact, you can barely taste it with the chicken. So I dipped the out-of-the-bag Ore-Ida fries into it instead to try to discern the flavor. The Mrs. said the cole slaw was disappointing - too saucy and sweet. The soda selection is lame with only Diet Coke on offer for those who avoid the sugary drinks. Prices were reasonable, considering how expensive chicken can get.

Have a hankering for some white meat chicken fingers? Definitely give Raising Cane's a try. I doubt, however, that it will be a regular stop for the RJG. 

11/2/11 (new entry); 11/20/12; 9/1/23

Rizuto's Ice Cream ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

First visit: Sep 2023

As I was waiting for my sandwich at Wooglin's I began to plot my next move while reviewing Google Maps. That's when I saw Rizuto's Ice Cream pop up. And it's right across the street. Perfect - I know what's for dessert! You'll note that on the Wooglin's entry I didn't mention coming back for a coffee - and this is why. It's clear I've completely neglected this part of Colorado Springs, but no more.

Founded in 2005, Rizuto's offers up a very large space for families to gather. Their website brags they are rated #1 for Colorado Springs according to Yelp. A quick check has them at #2 currently, behind Josh & John's. Which is only fair since J&J makes their own ice cream. Rizuto's apparently does too, but only a small amount of flavors. I think Rizuto's gets higher marks for the environment they provide. And I was more than pleased with my server on this day, who essentially offered me the "kids" sized waffle cone, which was plenty enough for me!

I ordered my staple of coffee ice cream. Reminded me most of the flavor I experienced at Spenny's (Gunnison), which turned out to be Third Bowl Ice Cream. Not overly flavorful or creamy, but still excellent. So who does make most of their ice cream? Anne & Mann's. I was not familiar with the brand, though they provide ice cream to many Colorado establishments. Mostly here in the Colorado Springs area, but also into the mountain interior like Vail, Basalt, and Steamboat Springs.

I'll be back. Probably the next time I go to Wooglin's for a revisit. Or maybe before...

9/2/23 (new entry)

Wooglin's Deli & Cafe ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

First visit: Sep 2023

Wooglin's has been in the Springs since 1989, and has consistently been ranked among the top delis in town. I missed it in my first tour of duty here, and honestly had never heard of the restaurant until driving by not so long ago. I was reminded of Wooglin's again when they appeared in a Top 10 deli list for Colorado Springs. They're a little off the beaten path, residing on Barnes just east of Austin Bluffs. Not too far from Trivelli's and the Arc Thrift store.

They reside in a fairly large space with plenty of tables. You order up at the counter. They offer a full range of coffee drinks, breakfast, and sandwiches, and they close at 3. I was there for lunch and have been craving a high quality Italian hoagie, so let's see what Wooglin's can do. They had a pretty good crowd this Friday before a holiday weekend. Which meant I had to wait a bit for my sandwich, which is fine. Eventually it came out and it looked delicious. They make their own bread, so that definitely separates them from the competition. But beyond that, I have to say the sandwich was a bit boring. The key to a good hoagie is to make it a sloppy mess. Lots of dressing, lettuce, spices, and of course Italian meats piled high. It was none of that. Jersey Mike's gets that so I would expect a highly rated independent to do better. They use arugula instead of lettuce, and the dressing is way too light. They should probably add mustard or something similar. The meats were not piled high as the online menu picture indicates. Fairly average portion, suggesting they are subscribing to shrinkflation to combat rising prices. The addition of cut pepperoncini was helpful. I went with the homemade potato chips on the side, which were fine as expected. Overall it's a good sandwich, but not awesome or crave worthy. I'll definitely go back and try one of their hot sandwiches next time. Would like to find something that makes me want to come back often. You'll recall I have the same problem at Colonel Mustard's (also on that top 10 list).

9/2/23 (new entry)