Shake Shack ~ international chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Nov 2023 (Colorado Springs)

First visit: May 2022 (Las Vegas airport)

HQ: New York City (Founded: 2001)

Locations: There are 331 locations in the US with 10 in Europe, 41 in the Middle East, and 78 in Asia. There are 10 in Colorado with just this one in the Springs. Texas has 27 (13 in DFW). Closest to our old NE Tarrant home would be Southlake. 

OK, so Shake Shack has finally arrived in Colorado Springs - and naturally up here in Mega Chain Valley. It took awhile to build and get through the bureaucratic red tape. I expected large lines for some time similar to In-N-Out and Whataburger. But I was surprised to find out that only one week after opening, I was the only patron inside with a few cars in the drive-thru. So it was more like Five Guys than the other two, but at least Five Guys were already here, so it was nothing new for denizens of our fine city. So on this Thursday morning before 11 am, I walked in to try Shake Shack for the first time properly. As noted below, airport locations almost don't count. There at the Vegas airport there was a huge line, but that did not translate here despite the hoopla surrounding its opening. And why is that? High prices. Yet another parallel with Five Guys. A double cheeseburger with a chocolate shake is about $17 if you don't include the unearned tip. Which I don't. Inflation and competition is going to prove tough for Shake Shack. Anyway - back to my experience. Shake Shack is very much of the modern way, so you are greeted with about eight computer screens to make your order (you can also order at the counter as well if you wish). I went with the ShackBurger, which is essentially your California burger. Removed the tomato, and remembered to make it a double (note below). And added the shake. Paid up - grabbed the number that I assigned myself, and sat in one of the booths. Not too long after my meal arrived. Service was excellent BTW.

The burger itself was very hot temperature and I enjoyed every bite (I should calculate the cost per bite, but it would be over $1 each I think - funny to think about). Mrs. RJG would have thumbed this one down though. The meat was pink and the bun mushy. Didn't bother me none however. The shake was also delicious and I added whipped cream to ensure a doctor visit would be in order. I didn't go for fries, as the shake provided enough calories as it was.

Conclusion: Almost exactly like Five Guys - too expensive but still very good. I might come back next year, presuming they're still here. Next time will be to-go using the drive-thru. I'm tempted to come back some evening - or weekend - and try their beer as well. We'll see. I fear that my next Shake Shack visit will be elsewhere. The competition is too stiff here and there's not enough dollar to keep them all afloat. For what it's worth, I drove by In-N-Out on the way home. Line around the building. Sorry Shake Shack, but their burgers are 40% your price.

---5/23/22 review

Ah... finally heading back home from the big wedding extravaganza. Same Southwest layover in Vegas, but a different gate area. And it's in the early afternoon, so more options too. I'd heard Shake Shack was coming to Colorado Springs nearby to where we live - exactly where In-N-Out and Whataburger started here as well. Well look at this, there's one here at the airport, and Google Maps tells me it's "less busy than usual". It's a date. Let's get a sneak preview of what's to come here in the Springs.

"Less busy than usual" does not mean "not busy". There was a pretty healthy line to order and even a longer one to gather up your food. We'll just stick to the basics: Two single cheeseburgers with lettuce and one order of fries to split. I also wanted to try their own handcrafted beer (made by Brooklyn Brewery) but they were out.

Shake Shack has managed to get the "hamburger cult following" tag, so it definitely thrives on reputation. It is a very good hamburger - imagine if In-N-Out and Freddy's had a baby. I know - imagining burgers having babies is weird, but c'mon, I've been typing all day here... The fries are of the Ora-Ida crinkle variety. Mrs. RJG loves those. I thought based on the price that the single would be big enough. Silly me - airport prices are insane. A double is much needed for me (a single is perfect for Mrs. RJG though) - once again Freddy's and In-N-Out come to mind here. Shake Shack is not competing with Whataburger, let's put it that way. And when they do get here, I'll have a double and try a shake. I really wanted a beer though, and had one at a nearby bar later. So there. I suspect my experience will increase once we go to a non-airport location and order what we crave.

BTW - the line to order increased tenfold as we were enjoying ours. I think a lot of people want to have a Shake Shack burger but don't live in an area where they exist.

5/23/22 (new entry); 11/16/23

Las Vegas; Colorado Springs

Shipley Do-Nuts ~ regional chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

First visit: Nov 2023 (Colorado Springs - Interquest)

Locations: ~325 based on 2021 data. There are three in Colorado (one in Aurora, the other two in the Springs area). I seem to recall one locale in NE Tarrant, but there's plenty more now.

I remember that it was a big deal when Houston based Shipley came to the DFW area while we lived there. I've never been a donut guy, so I didn't actively pursue going to one. Well, now they're here too, like many Texas chains that followed us (haha). They're located right next to Bonchon and I thought maybe we should try it too? So it's Saturday morning, and I asked Mrs. RJG if she'd like a kolache and a donut? She said sure, so off I went. I don't think I've willingly paid for a donut since the 1980s (seriously). Called the insurance company to make sure my premiums were up to date... 

Reasonably active crowd on this morning, but I was able to order right away. Ordered two kolaches with sausage (one with jalapeno), one glazed donut and another cream filled. The latter was a favorite of my childhood. Back home, Mrs. RJG stuck the kolaches in the air fryer, and a couple of minutes later we're ready to eat. We split the kolaches first. Nice flaky crust. Essentially these are large pigs in a blanket, or fancy hot dogs. But the sausage was good tasting. Incidentally the sausage with the jalapeno is a little bit smaller (to fit them both in presumably). Kolaches are quite popular in Texas. It's a Czech specialty and they're particularly well known in a town called West. We'd been there a few times. When I think of kolaches I associate a sweet concoction filling - like jelly, jams, fruits, that sort of thing. But I'd rather have the sausage for sure (of course they have fruit fillings as well). In the Czech / Slovak region, they have a street food known as parek v rohliku, which is closer to what these kolaches are. Nothing near as great as those, but not a bad substitute. One of these days I'll share my experiences roaming around Europe in the early 90s. But parek's are probably my all-time favorite street food.

We then split the glazed donut. Mrs. RJG thought it was great, while I surmised it was typical of the style. Then came the vanilla creme filled donut. Oh, now it's my turn to be super happy. I haven't had one of these in forever, and boy did it taste good! Mrs. RJG didn't like it - too sweet for her she concluded. Two hours after eating that one donut (in aggregate) I was still wired like I had six cups of coffee. I just never eat like that. But it sure was fun this one time. Do we go back? Of course! But I probably won't.

11/4/23 (new entry)

Colorado Springs

Bonchon ~ international chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

First visit: Nov 2023 (Colorado Springs)

Locations: ~114 in the US. Colorado has 5 (Denver has 4 and this one Springs locale). NE Tarrant has zero but there's a few in the DFW area. They're now based in Dallas though they started in Korea (strangely they don't appear to exist there anymore, but plenty of stores in the Philippines and Thailand).

The latest rage in the fried chicken category comes from Korea, and Bonchon appears to be the marquee name in this space. I've never had Korean fried chicken before and since they opened up near us in "mega chain valley", I thought I'd give it a try. I was a bit confused upon walking in, as I just presumed it was a fast food restaurant. But nope - it's a sit down place despite the obvious QSR setup. No problem, at least I can leave a tip that makes sense. I went straight to the heart of the matter and ordered four drumsticks and a side. It's their lunch special, and at 13 bucks it's not such a bad deal (not awesome but little is these days). I had a choice of four sauces, and you can pick two. So I went with Korean barbecue and Spicy. Seems fries are the standard side but I chose rice instead. Not long after, my meal was served (in fast food time). I started in on the latter, and they kindly provided me Sriracha to go with it (or a facsimile thereof). The rice was a bit overcooked, but I still enjoyed it. That set my palate for the chicken. I started with the barbecue. It looked sweet on top, and I feared it would be like those countless Chinese restaurants that serve sticky sweet chicken and limp crust. Nothing of the sort. Very crispy, and yes a tad sweet, but not overbearingly so. Steaming hot chicken too. The spicy was indeed just that, and also very crispy. The waiter explained that the trick is they fry it, then flash fry again before serving. Makes sense. Service was great BTW.

I definitely enjoyed it, and I think Mrs. RJG and I will come over for dinner some night, since I also learned they have three different Korean beers. None of which I've had prior. The only downside I see is that I was the only one there on a Friday at lunch time. Certainly competition is stuff, and inflation is forcing many folks to bring their lunch to work or school (there's a community college nearby). I remember seeing a line out the door when they first opened. So is it just a passing fad, or did I just catch a slow day? Hoping the latter. Adding to the RJG rotation.

11/3/23 (new entry)

Colorado Springs

Atrevida Beer ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Nov 2023

First visit: Aug 2018

And we now reach our final Colorado Springs brewery for the RJG to document (well, there's Father & Sons which seems more like a distillery with one beer on tap, but I need to try it anyway). It was a two year project. There are a couple more breweries nearby in Woodland Park and Manitou Springs that I still need to revisit, but for the city proper, Atrevida is the last one for the RJG to cover off on. It wasn't the original plan, but it seems every time I was in the area it was either too late, or they inexplicable closed, or had some special event going. They were the first brewery we went to during the pandemic, thinking we'd get crowlers to help support them while still enjoying local beers. Big mistake, as the beers went flat quickly. They didn't know how to do it. Oh well, at least we helped them financially. 

As you can imagine, the food truck El Chapin does not offer alcohol, and I wanted at least one beer before heading home. We're already deep into Mexican culture, why not cap the evening off at Atrevida? This brewery goes to great lengths to promote their Mexican heritage - especially now with Day of the Dead happening. Apparently they also recently secured a space at the Colorado Springs Airport given their minority ownership status. 

It's a cozy little place with a few tables inside and a few more out. They also have a standard food truck outside on Friday's and Sunday's (Heavenly Tacos). On this particular Thursday, they were there too! We even called ahead and they said "no food trucks on Thursday nights". What a bunch of dopes. Now I have to find where Heavenly Tacos goes next as they are looking to expand beyond just Atrevida. We talked with them for awhile outside, what a nice family.

We only had one beer each, and I was disappointed my pilsner wasn't cold enough. You can debate serving temperature on IPA's, but that's not a discussion with lagers, pilsners, etc... Perhaps not the best brewery in town, but I do enjoy going here. I don't think I've ruled out any of the breweries here yet though lol.

8/4/18; 2//19; 4/4/20; 11/2/23 (new entry)

El Chapin ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

food truck

Latest visit: Nov 2023

First visit: Nov 2021

As with Dr. Taco, our first encounter with El Chapin was their catering of the Colorado Springs Record Show. Mrs. RJG was helping me with the tables and ran outside to get us some tacos. We both thought they were delicious, but a little messy given the circumstances of handling records and customers (Dr. Taco is much better for this considering his fried chicken and fish). Even though they tasted great, I didn't feel I had a grasp on what their offering is. I never laid eyes on the truck itself since Mrs. RJG took care of the lunch for us. We vowed to visit him for a dedicated lunch or dinner. 

And that day finally happened, as we were seeking dinner on this relatively warm Thursday night. Bizarrely, as with Cogstone, my entire El Chapin experience has occurred during the first two weeks of November. El Chapin can be considered a "permanent" food truck, that is to say their location is mostly static. In fact they have something like a "food truck compound" with one dedicated to Mexican food and the other to hamburgers. And a third truck for catering which is no doubt what we experienced at the record show. You can find their location off of Fillmore not too far from El Paso. There's plenty of seating outside, as they built an awning on top of park benches and tables. Despite sitting in a parking lot, the whole setup is quite comfortable, as long as it's not too hot or cold outside. 

I tried three of their Street Tacos. And also grabbed a container of their hottest salsa. I thought the carne asada and grilled chicken were delicious, with the right amount of chopped onions and cilantro. They also throw chopped radishes and grilled onions on the side if so desired. The al pastor was a bit tough I thought. And while the sauce was blazing hot, it's a bit too thin to cover tacos and there's going to be runoff. Mrs. RJG had two street tacos (chicken and carne asada), rice, and beans. She enjoyed all of it. 

Bottom line: El Chapin goes into the RJG rotation. Many times I'm in this area around lunch time (as is Mrs. RJG), so this gives me/us another viable and tasty option. We also want to try their hamburgers.

11/13/21; 11/5/22; 11/2/23 (new entry)