Wayback Burgers ~ national chain : Woodland Park, Colorado

Latest: Feb 2025

First visit: Mar 2024

HQ: Cheshire, CT; Founded in 1991 (Newark, DE)

Locations: Wayback is nationwide, but lightly populated. It's difficult to calculate how many total they have. They have 2 stores in Colorado, the other in Englewood / Denver. Looks like they have 5 in DFW (one opening soon) with north Fort Worth being the closest from our old home in Keller. 

If there's a restaurant Mrs. RJG has been craving, it's Wayback Burgers. She threatened to go to Woodland Park alone multiple times just to have that Cheesy burger I enjoyed last time. It never happened (as I predicted below), so I knew that Woodland Park needed to be our first "mountain incursion" of 2025, much later than usual (the wedding in Mexico is why). It's a very cold Tuesday around 11:30 when we arrived. Restaurant is empty though we saw two patrons on the way out with a to-go order. We each ordered (of course) the Cheesy along with one order of fries and two milkshakes. She got the Pistachio and I got the Chocolate Brownie. 

I think our respective orders totaled 10,000 calories each if I calculated right (see to your right). First the shakes came out, mine was wrong but they fixed it straight away. Oh yea, this is good stuff. Too good really and I need to stop having them. Then out came our cheeseburgers. Perfectly cooked double patties, hot to the touch, with toasted reverse buns. Delicious. You can really taste the beef. I just realized that last year I added lettuce and mustard. I should have done that again to balance the flavor a bit more. The homemade fries were also excellent and hot. Everything was as good as we remembered.

On the downside, Wayback Burgers is very expensive for a counter serve restaurant. $38 is a tab I would expect at a sit down full service establishment. Since we only go annually (though Mrs. RJG continues to insist we go more), it's a splurge meal. We've enjoyed the experience to date, so we'll definitely go back. Only one other to-go order showed up while we were there. But it was a slow Tuesday in the middle of winter, so we're not drawing too many conclusions from that. Maybe we should go in the middle of July to get a true assessment of how their business is going.

---original 3/9/24 review

Back on home turf, and Mrs. RJG and I decided a short drive into the mountains would be in order. Especially on this cold, crisp, beautiful clear blue sky day. Woodland Park is our closest true mountain town, and it makes for a nice getaway. I had heard that Wayback Burgers were going to open there, and it appears they did that five or six months ago. Apparently they used to be here in the Springs at some point, but I don't remember the name, and this is my first experience with the restaurant. The chain started as Jake's Hamburgers and I had wondered if it was the same brand that we knew in DFW. Nope, that's a different setup (Jake's Burgers and Beer). Perhaps that's why they changed their name ("rebranded" in corporate speak). There's no alcohol here, strictly a family oriented fast food joint. This is one of those chains that attempts to regain the "the way things used to be." As my dad always appended "...and probably never were."

Wayback Burgers sits in a strip center, with a very confusing parking lot situation. Once you get settled, walk in, and order at the counter. I went for the Cheesy with lettuce and mustard. And a Pistachio milkshake. Mrs. RJG got a single cheeseburger with cheese, lettuce, pickles, onions, and mustard. Plus fries and a drink.

I have to say this is one of the most flavorful hamburgers I've ever had. The meat is extremely tasty. If you get the Cheesy as is, it comes with two oversized beef patties and extra slices of cheese. The bread is served almost Patty Melt style with two flat topped and toasty buns. I received plenty of envious stares from Mrs. RJG, whose hamburger was more standard. She stated the same as me though, that the flavor of the burger was insanely good. She asked for light mustard and they squirted too much on there, but otherwise she was happy. The hand cut potato fries were excellent as well. The pistachio shake almost seemed more like a vanilla shake with chocolate whip cream. It wasn't very green nor pistachio-y in flavor. But I still enjoyed the heck out of it :-). Mrs. RJG even boldly declared she was coming to Woodland Park on her own during the mid week to have them for lunch again. She probably won't, but we for certain will be back next year, if not sooner.

3/9/24 (new entry); 2/18/25

Red's Sunset Grill ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

First visit: Feb 2025

It's a cold and dreary winter Saturday, and I didn't have any sales to go to. Mrs. RJG had some family business in Denver (we're two ships passing in the night apparently), so I was on my own for lunch. Why not pick a place nearby to the house that Mrs. RJG hasn't shown enthusiasm for. Well that would be Red's Sunset Grill that just opened a couple of months back. She doesn't often like to try places unless I've reconned them first. Happy to perform my spousal duty...

The establishment here prior was Beasts & Brews, a miserable place that I wrote a scathing review of (since removed). I can deal with a lot of issues, but I can't handle restaurants that deliberately try to rip you off. And they did that with their self pour beer tap system. I suggested they needed to change that business model pronto or face going out of business. And no truer words were ever written... Good riddance.

Red's Sunset Grill has completely remodeled the (very) large space into a sports bar but with an "elevated" menu (I'm getting good at these new terms, eh?). Essentially it's a gastropub. It looks almost identical to RJG favorite Back East Bar & Grill. And I'll be damned, it's the same owner. And I had no idea they also owned Abby's Pub along with two other distinct restaurant concepts. They are apparently Colorado Springs' version of the Lettuce Entertain You group of Chicago. Hey - that's awesome. More power to you. They have money and it shows. They also have uniformly friendly help and are clean as a whistle. In an era when most restaurants struggle to bring in patrons, all their restaurants seem to be packed. When I arrived there were only a few customers (I was early), but it started to fill up. I'm sure at nights they do great. And when there's an event at the nearby Ford Amphitheater, then good luck in getting a table.

Shall I talk about the food? That would be good of you Mr. RJG. Their beer list is somewhat perfunctory, so that's another major break from their predecessor. I stuck with water, since I have a full day of activities, including typing this review out 😊. I went with the Wicked Spicy Burger which they describe as thus: "Charred jalapeño, bacon, habanero cheddar, blackened chipotle aioli, brioche bun." Yep that's got my name on it. And substituted the fries for Mac-n-Cheese for $2. There it is to your right. I started with the Mac, and it was super hot temperature, creamy and absolutely delicious. Love that the mac is actually penne plus the parmesan cheese and panko crumb addition. For the burger the first thing I notice is the crispy bacon. Mrs. RJG would love that. I ordered it medium well, but I'd say it was more medium. Fine with me, but something to remember with the Mrs. The bread was just a tad mushy on the bottom, another Mrs. RJG no-no. None of this deters me and I was excited about the various spicy flavors. Excellent burger. The pickle was great too. I also have to say that I was completely full and struggled to finish it. This after a three mile run and nothing else to eat. I was starving upon arrival with my stomach growling an hour before. I can't remember the last time I felt that way about being stuffed.

Into the RJG Rotation Red's Sunset Grill goes. I'll see if I can get Mrs. RJG here as well. It's less than a five minute drive away.

2/15/25 (new entry)

Chago's Mexican Food ~ Centennial, Colorado

First visit: Feb 2025

I decided to go digging for inventory in Denver on this sunny and warm Friday morning, which later turned cloudy and rainy. After having great success at the first sale, I was hungry, considering I hadn't eaten anything and I had run three miles in the morning. I was in the mood for a Mexican breakfast likely a reaction to our recent visit to Hermosillo. The sale area I was in is where Mrs. RJG resided while we were dating in 1996 and early '97.  It was simply part of Aurora (or SE Denver) back then, but is now part of the Centennial carve out. I have no go-tos here, so let's find the first Mexican restaurant nearby that is open at 10:00 am. Chago's came up, reviews looked good, so let's try it.

I was expecting more of a restaurant like setting. As I arrived, it became clear this was a taqueria with counter service. No problem at all. They had tables and chairs strewn about, but it appears takeout is their primary business. As long as there's a place to sit I'm good, because I refuse to eat in the car.

I went about ordering three tacos: Carne Adovada, Grilled Pollo, and Carne Asada. They all come street style with onion, cilantro, and double wrapped in corn tortillas. For salsas they have a red and a green, and the friendly lady at the counter suggested they were both very spicy. I'm now getting excited.

When the Styrofoam container came out (to your right), I couldn't even handle the tacos they were so hot to the touch. That only makes me happier. After about three minutes of waiting for the cool down, I started on the adovada. OMG! Is this delicious or what? I can't even remember the last time I had such a great adovada. So much spice and extremely flavorful. I poured some of the creamy green, which looks like a mild but is anything but. Really nice flavor and kick. Then I tried some of the "red", that was really orange which indicated habanero most likely. Even more spicy and delicious. And both had the perfect texture to pour on tacos. Then I tried the chicken. Oh gosh, this is awesome too! Meaty, chewy, and filled with flavor. The Carne Asada, comparatively, was a bit less dynamic. Certainly was good, and maybe I should have tried it first, as I was struggling to get the steak flavor. Of course my mouth was on fire, so it's probably my fault. Should also mention the tacos were loaded and very filling. I met Abuela afterward, and told her it was muy rico. I presume she was the cook, or at least had a hand in the recipes. 

This goes right into the RJG rotation, and I'm sure I'll be in this part of town at least once a year. 

2/14/25 (new entry)

Chile Colorado ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

First visit: Feb 2025

Alrighty now that the wedding in Mexico is over, I hope to give more focus here to Colorado and beyond. I'm expecting 3 to 4 new restaurants (or updates) a week. I'll get the Instagram posts gathered when I get a chance. And it is this Thursday we begin our journey.

Downtown Colorado Springs now is in play, as there's a thrift shop I frequent that allows for free parking (I absolutely despise paying for parking). I've had Chile Colorado circled since they first opened, but didn't have the time to get over here. It sits right across from the courthouse and I'm now realizing I blew my chance when I served on the jury last year as noted on this blog. It sits somewhat isolated from where most of the other restaurants are. Almost like you're in a small town. That's a good thing.

Walk in and you'll be warmly greeted by the friendly waitstaff. They sat me at one of the comfortable booths by the window. The restaurant is colorful and brightly decorated. Very clean too. After reviewing the menu, with a few questions for my patient waitress, I made my order: Chile Colorado (as part of the combo, which is different than the individual menu item) and a chicken enchilada smothered in Christmas. I meant to order chips but forgot. I'll be sure to do that next time.

Out comes my very hot plate (see to your right) and I dug right into the chili. Oh yes! Great flavor, thick and meaty, and it packs a punch too. Considering the only thing on my palate up to that point in the day was my accompanying water. Then I quickly tried the enchilada. The chicken is better than usual, not the shredded rooster we often see. Tasty with cooked ingredients. The green chile packed even more heat than the chile. I couldn't really tell if I did get Christmas or just the green. If so, the color deviation is very light. But I did notice a different flavor. The tin foil is housing the hot grilled flour tortillas, and they too were great. Excellent across the board. Into the RJG Rotation Chile Colorado goes. 

While recapping my day with Mrs. RJG during our Happy Hour, she simply stated "take me there". So we'll be back soon I think :-)

2/13/25 (new entry)

Buqui Bichi Brewing ~ Hermosillo, Mexico

First visit: Feb 2025

Once again we had no plans to fill the day. At least for us guys. So after our meal at Santo's Grill, the three ladies who were with us had appointments to get their hair and makeup done. Mrs. RJG and Denver Sister were not too keen on unleashing Mr. RJG and the Ghana Ambassador out into the wilds on the wedding day. Denver Official Niece the Young had her boyfriend, but she could care less what he was up to. And Denver Official Nephew is 23 and free as a bird, so he was game for anything. There was talk of driving to San Carlos, a beautiful town some 90 minutes away. But the ladies were terrified we'd get caught up in traffic and miss the wedding. That sounded good to us guys! lol. After some deliberation, Oldest Sibling agreed to take us dudes around Hermosillo and we'd figure something out. OK, sounds like a plan.

It somehow became our mission to get a sombrero. Funny how these things become the target when it was never discussed before. Since Oldest Sibling knows the city pretty well, he took us to a place in hardcore Hermosillo. Clearly a very poor area, nonetheless we all felt completely safe. And I have to say that throughout our stay, I felt safer in Hermosillo than I do in Denver. We're freaking in the middle of cartel land, way off the tourist beaten path, and the streets at night felt safe. And in the day too. That's a sad commentary on our current situation here in the States. Only boyfriend bought a hat and then we ended up at the mall since Oldest Sibling had to visit the eyeglasses store. It's a very nice indoor mall, named the Galleria which is a clue. The stores are just like the stores back home. And so are the prices, so it's very expensive for the locals. After that we started to enter the cerveza drinking hour. We were under strict instructions not to get drunk. We wouldn't anyway, but we're not going to waste this opportunity either and drink tea.

We settled on Buqui Bichi, beers we were familiar with from the hotel bar. What a wonderful "space" as the young 'uns call it. We had a blast. All of us enjoying two to four beers each (exceptional). And we agreed we needed to eat something too, as the wedding reception would likely be way late. And not very good. All prophetic as it turns out. So I enjoyed the beautiful taco you see in front of you (carne asada and green chile). Best one of the trip. And we all got to bond with Oldest Sibling even though the poor fellow got stuck with us all day and doesn't speak much English. And none of us spoke much Spanish. It was a wonderful "moment in time". And I credit Buqui Bichi for creating that atmosphere for us. And Boyfriend paid for everything (note he gets a capital B now), raising his stock with Uncle RJG and Uncle Ghana Ambassador. Prices were great as was the norm in Hermosillo.

I wish I could share photos of our group, but must stay anonymous. We're all below that cropped photo, but it does give you a slight idea of the interior. The windows were open and there was a nice breeze coming through.

The beautiful Mrs. RJG looked like a knockout coming out of the makeup session. She usually does anyway, but this was next level. She's 51 but still looks like she's in her 30s. And in perfect condition. All of our niece's look up to her as the example of who they want to become. I'm serious about that.

And that ends our trip. As noted in the Guero entry, that's where we had our Sunday breakfast before going to the airport. Arrived in Denver at halftime of the Super Bowl. Listened to the 3rd quarter on the radio on our 75 minute drive home to the Springs. And caught the rest of the game in the house. So nice to be home again...

2/8/25 (new entry)

Santo's Grill ~ Hermosillo, Mexico

First visit: Feb 2025

Finally - the day of the wedding. Oldest Sibling, having been upstaged by 90 year old Official Mom the day before, insisted on taking us out again. This time it was just him and seven of the Colorado 9. The other two were involved in the wedding (one as the husband) and stayed in a different hotel.

Another excellent choice, Santo's Grill is clearly a cut above. Something like an independent First Watch. This would be a good time to mention that we found the service in Hermosillo - at every restaurant - impeccable. People were happy to have their jobs and were professionals at all times. High minimum wages have killed the restaurant industry in the States (California going so far as to pick on the industry itself). I think that's going to be POTUS' biggest challenge in tackling inflation. And he has Union support, making it that much more difficult to do what needs to be done. 

As openers we had coffee, pastries, and little sopas (or something similar) filled with cheese. The latter was absolutely delicious. As were the pastries - sweet, fluffy, and tasty. And the coffee was much stronger than what they served at the hotel restaurant.

I ordered the Tri-Color Enchiladas with chicken, which came with rojo (red), verde (green), and blanco (white) sauces. Along with beans, very similar to what I had at Guero (I forgot to photo the dish, only the outside building). And they were very similar, and excellent. The enchiladas are similar to some of the regional Mexican restaurants we get here in the States. The white is like a cheese / cream sauce, the verde was tangy, and the red slightly spicy. The chicken was good not exceptional. I found it very good, though for certain I would love to dive into their menu further. Their dinner selections were not available this early. Of the restaurants we went to, this felt the most comfortable to me. I would certainly come back if ever in Hermosillo again.

2/8/25 (new entry)

Palominos ~ Mexico regional chain : Hermosillo

First visit: Feb 2025

Other locations: Mexico City, Guadalajara, Mexicali, Tijuana

Friday was yet another "no plan" day and we had no events scheduled for the afternoon. After breakfast, while sitting near the hotel pool (in the shade) many of us bemoaned the fact that we should have come a day later. But we also knew the Colorado winter was unpredictable so leaving on Thursday was "insurance". And yea, it was friggin' hot while we were in Hermosillo. Temperatures hitting close to 90. In early February! It rarely gets that hot in the Springs at the height of the summer. I don't miss DFW one bit, and summer heat is the primary reason.

But Friday evening was definitely a planned event. It's the rehearsal dinner. Only one of the Colorado 9 were in the wedding party. This would be the Denver Official Niece the Elder who incidentally got married herself in the San Diego area three years ago (and documented in the RJG). But the bride and groom insisted on a larger event because so many of us traveled too far to be excluded. That was very nice of them. Groom is making bankola, and he's very generous. Our niece does well for herself too.

Palominos is a place your average Hermosillo citizen cannot afford to go. It would be a $$$$ restaurant here in the States. An upscale steakhouse essentially that has a large event room for a bunch of drunks like us. As with any dinner such as this, the food was pre-arranged and brought to us on platters to share. Drinks are of a high quality, and I enjoyed some craft beers as well. We were brought large pieces of crispy tortillas, which were to be broken up and dipped into various salsas, all uniformly excellent. Much of what was brought out didn't really appeal to me much (I enjoyed the pork, but not as popular with my crew), and I was starting to fear another bad diet night. Mrs. RJG just reminded me the cheese fondue was a highlight. At the end, though, came out sizzling platters of steak. OMG - was it great. Ghana Ambassador (he's something of a gourmand) and I both stated that it was some of the best steak we've had - in YEARS. It was hot temperature, tender, and flavorful. And maybe best of all, plentiful. I couldn't stop myself. I needed protein like that so badly. I felt rejuvenated.

I forgot to take a photo of the outside. And since there wasn't a "main entree", I didn't take any food pictures either. But I did have plenty to drink. You think that may have something to do with it? Naaaa.

And we closed the evening back at the Hotel Lucerna bar. This trip was working out OK after all...

2/7/25 (new entry)

Güeros ~ Hermosillo, Mexico

First visit: Feb 2025

Our stomachs were all a bit rocky after our bad diet day on Thursday. We needed a good breakfast to get on track. Enter Oldest Sibling, resident of Hermosillo. After 29 years of marriage / dating, I know almost all of Mrs. RJG's extended family. But after all these years, I had never met the oldest brother. He's 67. Mrs. RJG is the youngest (of nine) and she's 51. But on this Friday morning, that goal of meeting all the siblings has finally been met. Also met for the first time his wife and youngest daughter (who is 24). Yet another beautiful niece. Hope she's not getting married soon. Or find a nice place in the USA to do so...

He recommended Güeros, a whopping $1.50 Uber ride away. They identify with mariscos (seafood) but honestly I saw it as another Mexican coffee shop with more options for seafood. That didn't sound appealing to me, but that appealed to Mrs. RJG and her sister (call her Denver Sister for this trip). First I wanted a stomach settling drink. And I found the perfect elixir: Lemonade Mineral. Essentially lemonade mixed with sparkling water. I remember getting that at a restaurant in Denver (Garcia's) long ago and it was so delicious. I should make an effort to look for that again here in the States. Just what I needed. They brought out chips (in small sealed bags) with a few salsas, all of them excellent. Mild to spicy, with unique flavors.

For breakfast I settled on the Omelette Mixto. The mixto consists of ham and beef sausage. It was really quite good. And those beans you see were delicious as well. I laid off the salad, just something I tend to do when traveling in third world countries. That glass you see is the Lemonade Mineral. 

I think 10 of us were there for breakfast (the younger contingent of the Colorado 9 woke up later and didn't join us, so it was only Mrs. RJG, Denver Sister, Ghana Ambassador, and myself from our core group). Everyone really enjoyed it and Mrs. RJG went for a more traditional Mexican breakfast after all. And for an encore Mrs. RJG's Official Mom picked up the tab - first time ever since I've known her (close to the beginning of our courtship). She's 90 years old. She would have done that much more, but she didn't have any money. Finally she received much overdue pension from Mexico last year, and feels "rich". It was wonderful to experience.

So much so, that we went again for breakfast on our last day (Sunday) before heading to the airport. We had six of the Colorado 9 this time. I stayed boring and ordered the same thing. I think Mrs. RJG did feel like seafood on this visit, but she didn't really enjoy it much. Denver Sister said it wasn't as good as last time. But I'd go back if ever in Hermosillo again.

2/7/25 (new entry)

El Leñador ~ Hermosillo, Mexico

First visit: Feb 2025

And we have arrived. Thursday was a pretty brutal day for the eating routine. We had to be at the Denver airport too early for a normal breakfast and we had a short layover time in Phoenix. Though it turned out we had more time in PHX due to unknown delays - which the airline didn't even mention until much later. How about Make Flying Great Again? MFGA. Trump's approval ratings would go through the roof if he could pull that off...

In any case, we're talking snacks throughout the day. Chips, cookies, etc... Great diet. After we all finally got to the hotel, it was time for dinner. As I knew before going on this trip, no one took the lead on planning. I had no intention and since we had native speakers among us, I had hoped someone would have emerged. Wishful thinking. But mentally Mrs. RJG and I prepared for chaos, and that's exactly what we got - chaos. I was determined to "go with the flow" no matter what. I put my road warrior consulting hat on essentially. There were nine of us family members coming from Colorado (we all get along great and travel well together), and we know dozens more from Arizona and Sonora itself. There were promises of "great places to try" and yet that list never materialized. Eventually we did things the old fashioned way - grabbed a recommendation from the hotel. El Leñador (Lenador if searching in English) was that place.

We grabbed various Uber rides, plus some of the folks from Arizona drove down and the locals had their own set of wheels. Let me tell you something folks, in case you didn't know: Uber is dirt cheap in Mexico. At least it is in Hermosillo. Rare is the ride that costs more than $3. We would usually tip more than the cost of the drive.

I really liked the look of this place. It reminded me of my childhood traveling around with my dad in the 1970s. The entrance has that old motel feel, and this would have been the adjoining coffee shop. And essentially that's what this place is - a Mexican coffee shop complete with desserts and with an extended dinner and drinks menu. At any one time, there were probably 20 at the table, with the "Colorado 9" intact.

A lot of narrative for how we got here, but won't have much to say about the food. I ordered three tacos, a ribeye, another ribeye with green chile and bacon, and arrachera. I had meant to get the chicken breast and / or sirloin instead of the plain ribeye, but I was hungry / tired and prone to make mistakes. Unfortunately the ribeye was tough, chewy, and fatty. A good flavor though. I didn't really like the green chile much either - seemed a bit old. The arrachera was my favorite. I didn't know what it was, though Mrs. RJG and her sister tried to explain it to me. They used the word "dry". Looking it up just now, it means "skirt steak". It was delicious and it wasn't really dry. I think the photo indicates dullness, and that's pretty accurate. Though it was at least very filling. The salsas weren't noteworthy either.

The beer selection was boring, full of Mexican macros. Our heavier alcohol drinkers weren't impressed by the tequila. So overall it was a decent start to the trip, but not a great one. Fortunately this would be the weakest meal of the journey (other than the wedding reception, but that's typical of wedding catering unfortunately).

After this we went back to our hotel. The Colorado 9 all stayed at the Hotel Lucerna. It's like an old Hampton Inn with a nice lobby, restaurant (that Mrs. RJG and I didn't eat at, but others did), and a bar area. It rates higher than the nearby Marriott outlet and Hotel Ibis. If somehow we have to come back to Hermosillo, we'd stay here again. Oh, and the bar was great. Finally got to try some Mexican craft beers.

2/6/25

Bent Barley Brewing ~ Centennial, Colorado

First visit: Feb 2025

As noted in the latest Mama Louise update (Feb 2025), I stated that Mrs. RJG and I only had one glass of house chianti each. And that was because I wanted to try a new brewery (to us) before we closed off the evening. I figured I'd choose one randomly between Mama Louise and the airport hotel we were staying at. What I didn't know is there is a brewery only two doors down! What? Well that made the decision easy...

Walk in, and the bar is right in front. Nice strip center setting with plenty of seating and nicely decorated. A very comfortable place. The lighting was too bright though (as my first photo indicates). A little more mood lighting would have been preferable. Not a big deal. I enjoyed two beers and Mrs. RJG had only one (she had to fit in the fancy form fitting dress before the wedding event you know...). My two are documented in the Bier Reise. One more excellent brewery from the Denver area.

2/5/25 (new entry)

Mama Louise ~ Centennial, Colorado

Latest visit: Feb 2025

First visit: sometime in 1998 (when they first opened)

And we begin the first RJG journey of 2025, and our first trip for retirement! It was planned before I retired, as one of our Official Niece's is getting married (yet another one...). However for a variety of reasons they needed to have the wedding in Mexico, and since Mrs. RJG's family roots (and the groom's family roots) are in Sonora, then its capital city Hermosillo is where the wedding was to be held. They both live near Prescott, Arizona, so it wasn't convenient for them either! Not an easy place to get to, and we needed to take an early morning flight out of Denver to make a connection in Phoenix, the one and only flight to Hermosillo per day from the USA. A perfect excuse to spend one night in Denver before heading out! And if I'm getting an open night in Denver with Mrs. RJG, then Mama Louise rises high in the charts as a dinner option. As noted below, we have a long history with the restaurant. And we were able to catch up with the owner, as he always remembers us from the early days when we dined here often (at their original location off of Arapahoe). And yes, he confirmed that 1998 was the beginning per my memory. He's likely to retire himself in the next couple of years. Will someone take over? I hope so, but the restaurant business is tough right now, so hard to say if conditions will improve by then for someone to be tempted.

We displayed absolutely no imagination with our order, going straight for the chicken parm. Still comes with a soup and salad. I supplement mine with the Pasta Louise sauce (see fresh photo to the right), and Mrs. RJG goes with the normal marinara. All of this is described below. And it's as delicious as the first day we went here some 27 years ago. I don't think I'll add it to the RJG Rotation as it's not likely we'll be here every year together for dinner (and that's the only time they're open now). 

On this visit we only had one glass of house chianti wine each, as I had other plans for the rest of the evening. To be continued...

---8/28/22 update

So I received an email from one of the non-business hotel chains I frequent. They informed me that I would forfeit my points unless I did something on the account. Some of you may remember our visit to Prescott Valley, Arizona a year ago February to tend to Mrs. RJG's Official Mom. We stayed the week at this chain that I don't use for business - because it was a much better deal. A fine hotel too. It was too much investment to let the points go, so I suggested to Mrs. RJG that we should make a date of it, and eat, drink, and spend the night in Denver at one of their hotels to maintain status. No family allowed!  So that day happened this weekend. It has been over three years since we last visited Mama Louise. Pre-pandemic. It could have been 24 years since we last went - and absolutely nothing has changed. Thank goodness. In an era when the restaurant industry seems to be in a tailspin, it's comforting to know that Mama Louise still exists in a romantic past. We both ordered the chicken parm, our favorite dish from here. Mine with Pasta Louise sauce, hers with their house red. It still comes with a simple house salad and minestrone soup. Absolutely delicious - still the best Italian restaurant in Colorado. And with Pietro's closing in Dallas, maybe in the country. Obviously we haven't been everywhere, but this is the competition for us. We also ordered a nice bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. One difference we noted is it seems we got more chicken than in the past, and less pasta. You would think it would be the other way around! Not complaining at all - though more pasta would have been nice. I can eat those noodles without any seasonings and still love it.

The overall bill was expensive as was expected, but they were never cheap. Also they now add a surcharge if you use a credit card. Not happy about that. Cash only may make sense for $20 and under, but not for $100+ meals. Oh well - we don't go enough to warrant attention to the criticism (we didn't say a word of course). But Kent still remembered us - all these years later! Love this place.

---original 7/11/13 review

Continuing with our favorite Denver area restaurants, here is our go-to Italian place. We first started going to Mama Louise not long after they opened in the Tech Center (Arapahoe and Dayton) around 1998 or so. Prior to this there was a burrito place - I believe it was called Jalapeno's that we had eaten at a couple of times. After about a year of infrequently visiting, Mrs. RJG and I became regulars. Rarely would a week go by where we wouldn't venture up from Parker (The Pinery really) for a dinner. Usually on Friday night. Even on snow nights, we would go. Not long after we relocated back to DFW, owner Kent moved his establishment east to the Piney Creek area of Aurora (later known as Centennial). I can remember going to the original DTC location as recent as 2004 on a visit, so this must have happened shortly thereafter. The new location is a wonderfully decorated restaurant. Kent has been there since day one, and he's always pleasant and glad to see you. For years, his Mom would be by his side ensuring all was running smoothly. Apparently she had knee surgery not long ago, and is now traveling the world. So you won't see her anymore! :-) The family originally had a restaurant in Highland as far back as 1978 (I can't remember the name - but I don't think it was Mama Louise) and closed down. Kent is the son of the founder and restarted the tradition in 1998, as stated above.

I can only use the term "best" or "favorite" in relation to the places I've frequented. But what makes it so special for the RJG? Because they have the best chicken parm I've ever had. Anywhere. In the world. I like my parm crispy, and that's what you get at Mama Louise, along with an incredible seasoning mixture unlike anything I've ever had. Make sure you ask for Louise Sauce with your pasta. It's a spicy concoction made up of Italian sausage, ground beef, and tomato sauce. It's extremely flavorful and comes with a nice kick. Each meal starts with a minestrone soup, which I quite like, though it's not a traditional recipe (it's more like a noodle / bean soup with celery). This is followed by a cold iceberg lettuce salad, that is pleasantly simple with an excellent homemade Italian dressing. And they have fine desserts as well. And a decent wine list. This is also Mrs. RJG's favorite, and in a rare case of solidarity when it comes to food selection, she also loves the chicken parm. Excellent all around.

1998; 1999; 2000; 2001; 12/27/02; 7/14/04; 7/9/10; 4/17/12; 7/11/13 (new entry); 5/14/14; 7/31/19; 8/28/22; 2/5/25