Oliver's Delicatessen ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Apr 2025 (Rockrimmon)

First visit: May 2023 (Red Leg Brewing campus)

Founded: 1983

As noted on the High Rise Pizza visit, the original plan was to go to Oliver's but it proved to be too crowded. On this dreary Friday, I arrived earlier and there was no crowd to speak of. Let's get a summary going:

Location: Neighborhood strip mall setting. Inside it looks like an old fashioned deli and is very homey. Counter serve.

Food: I ordered exactly the same thing as last year: The Conquering Hero. The photo doesn't do the sandwich justice, as it's piled high. My description below remains true. One of the rare sandwich places where you will feel stuffed when leaving. It's also quite expensive and they ask for the unearned tip (counter serve!) which is really annoying. Love the pickle.

Drink: Their fountain drinks come from Real Sugar Soda Colorado which is a nice touch.

Overall: Definitely a Rotation place but given the cost and other factors, it's probably a once a year occasion.

---4/20/24 update

As noted below, my next visit to Oliver's was to be at their main location off of Rockrimmon. And nearly a year later, here I am. You walk in and order at the counter. They do ask for the unearned tip which is unfortunate, and the only demerit I can give them. I went for their Conquering Hero which is salami, ham, bologna, Swiss cheese, lettuce, and tomato on French bread with Italian dressing. I left off the tomato and added Dijon mustard. Comes with a yummy pickle spear. I added chips and a drink (they also use the local Colorado soda company which is a plus). Once the sandwich arrived, I knew I was in business. This was what I was looking for in Atlanta! A mountain of meat stuffed inside delicious French bread. I think the dressing was drowned out by the mustard, which was unfortunate. It wasn't sloppy enough for me to call it a Hero, but it was delicious all the same. And super filling. They have plenty of other sandwiches that I want to try. I'll be back. Probably in a year's time, but maybe before who knows.

---original 5/15/23 review

As noted in the Red Leg entry, I tried the deli option which is Oliver's. Their primary location is off of Rockrimmon near the original Zapata Taco Shop, but we haven't been. I'll need to make an effort to do just that, since this location only offers a limited menu with four sandwich options (plus breakfast). But one of those choices is their Oliver signature sandwich which contains hot corned beef on marbled rye topped with coleslaw, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing. I passed on the slaw and added a complimentary pickle slice. Piled high, it was a perfectly executed sandwich. Tasty and filling. I certainly want to try some of their other sandwich options at their flagship store. Adding to the RJG rotation.

5/15/23 (new entry); 4/20/24; 4/18/25

Wade's Cafe ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Apr 2025

First visit: Dec 2021

This is only my second visit to Wade's. I was way ahead of schedule and found myself further north than usual for an early lunch. Let's see how it goes.

Location: Just off of North Academy at the intersection of Carefree. Standard issue free standing diner restaurant. In addition to plenty of tables, they have a few solo counter stools, so I grabbed one on this visit. I should mention that I've been here twice since my last visit but both times they had a waiting list, so I moved on. It's a popular place. I think with today being Wednesday that helped.

Food: Breakfast appears to be the main draw and since I had a bird's eye view to the kitchen that is mostly what came out. But they have a hearty lunch menu of sandwiches, burgers, and even entrees like liver & onions. My dad would have liked this place since he loved that dish! I went with the chili cheeseburger this time, doused in green. See for yourself. Came with fries and fixin's. I figured it would be a knife and fork affair, but I was able to eat it like a traditional hamburger. One reason for this is the thick bun they use. I didn't even slop on my cream colored shirt. Amazing luck! I thought it was excellent though could have gone for more spice in the chili, as noted below. Next time I must try their Philly cheesesteak.

Drink: I indulged in a caramel macchiato, since they have a full range of high end coffee drinks. Machine made but pretty good. Very sweet. They have the usual diner selection of juices as well.

Overall: Both of my visits to Wade's have been very satisfying. This is one of those "Best Of" establishments so it remains very popular. I've tried to get Mrs. RJG over here a couple of times but she doesn't want to go, for reasons unknown. I'm adding into the rotation. It's really just a matter if I'm here during breakfast or lunch when doing the rounds. I figure that should happen at least once a year.

---original 12/6/21 review

I had Wade's circled to go to earlier in the year, but it was still during the pandemic, and there was a long wait so I tabled it for a future day. And that day has arrived. And joining me on this venture is none other than business associate, and good friend, Tampa Pound who last graced these pages in early 2018. As it turns out, he too is now a resident of Colorado Springs, so there's always an opportunity for a quick get together. I arrived early, and stated there would be two of us, but they only seat you if the whole party is already here. Which makes sense for a popular place such as this. He arrived about five minutes later, and we were promptly seated. Wade's has an extensive menu of breakfast and lunch items (they typically close at 2:00p), so figuring out what I wanted was a challenge. We were there at 11:00, so I could have gone either way. I decided on breakfast, as it's always hard for me to resist a Breakfast Burrito smothered in green. These also come with "3 dollar pancakes". I was starving so the egg burrito had little chance of surviving the ten minute onslaught. The green chile had an excellent flavor - definitely not that spicy for those who are sensitive to such things. As is often the case, I could have used more chile, as it was pretty dry by the end. Maybe I should stop eating it by itself on the side of the plate? I can't help myself. The Tampa Pound ordered the Farmer's Omelet which he devoured with glee. I then attacked the pancakes as if they were dessert, slathering all the butter they gave me, and dousing it in maple syrup. A perfect way to close off the meal. 

Complaints? Sure, why not, gotta complain about something I s'ppose. I wanted coffee but they didn't have flavored creamers, which is pretty standard these days. Oh well, I went for the hot chocolate instead, which was also excellent. So I won for losing. So much for complaints. And service was very prompt, something very rare these days.

Definitely need to get Mrs. RJG over here. The primary thing with her has to do with the hot temperature of the food, and I have to give credit to Wade's here too. I too prefer it as hot as possible. Nothing worse than warm or cool food - at least for food that isn't supposed to be that way! 

12/6/21 (new entry); 4/16/25

Zapata Mexican Taco Shop ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Apr 2025 (Voyager)

First visit: Dec 2019 (Rockrimmon)

Locations: 3, all in the northern part of Colorado Springs. 

A little bit later than usual for a our first visit of the year but all went well. We had the same order as last year and it was delicious. Didn't see the spicy green this time and I think they did raise the prices some. Not sure they had a choice. Can't be cheap renting in this shopping center.

---2/15/24 update

Out first visit to Zapata for the year was nothing but a success. We ordered to-go seven tacos, a mix of pollo asado and carne asada. Everything was perfect. They've also added a super spicy green sauce to their repertoire. Absolutely delicious, maybe the best one yet! Zapata has even kept their prices in check. They remain the best taco shop in Colorado Springs, at least of the ones the RJG has been to.

---3/5/23 update

After the mediocre visit to Brakeman's, Mrs. RJG and I decided on a tried and true classic: Zapata. We ordered exactly what we always do when together (three pollo asado tacos and three carne asada tacos), and everything is as excellent as it always is. The medium red, green, and super spicy chile de arbol sauces are still on offer and are delicious. We probably go here about six times a year, though it's been less in recent times. Mostly that just has to do with my work and personal schedule. Zapata maintains its excellent status, and we're super glad it's right across the street!

---1/13/22 update

Back for the annual review, and happy to say that Zapata passes with flying colors, and it earned itself a badge in the process. Had four tacos, a pair of pollo asado and carne asada. Each loaded to the top with meats, and the carne asada includes the beans as noted below. The salsa bar is up and running after the pandemic eased, and they feature five salsas. A medium green, a medium red, and a super spicy red (these three are what we usually get). There's also a mild avocado and a medium roasted chile, the latter I passed on this time. Our local location has a nice spacious feel, and is comfortable to dine in. However, since we only live about three minutes away, it makes for a perfect to-go meal, especially since they open early at 8:00 am. Zapata remains our favorite taco shop in the Springs. We're going to look for others to challenge it.

---original 1/30/21 review

Some of you might remember the RJG waxing on about how great Taco Fiesta is in Baltimore. Yea, Baltimore. We could never find a place in DFW that matched its greatness, which is insane. I'm sure there were some, we just didn't find it. And please don't throw out hipster joints like R Taco and Torchy's. Yea those places are cool and we dig them yadda yadda, but we're talking something different here. After trying a few places here in the Springs, we came across Zapata. YES! This is what we were looking for. Loaded double soft corn tacos with great flavor and excellent salsas. After trying their Pastor (heavily seasoned, but needs the spit - no, not that kind of spit) and Carnitas, we have settled on a regular diet of Carne Asada and Pollo Asado. The steak tacos come with whole pinto beans and is a very welcome addition. Their charbroiled chicken is also fantastic. Of course they come street taco style with chopped onions and cilantro. They have three salsas, a mild red, a medium tomatillo, and a hot red. The latter can often times be nuclear, but not always. The green and hot red is what we always get. On this front, they do lose the battle with Taco Fiesta, who offered five to seven salsas, and very unique at that. A small gripe.

Zapata was one of the very few places we'd eat at during the pandemic, as most folks took their food to go, but it was too far for us to do that - and eating in the car didn't seem like such a good idea given the powerful smells. However, in what has to be considered the best news all year for the RJG, Zapata moved practically across the street! Well now, there's a game changer. Zapata Taco Shop is now a regular occurrence, and it takes all of three minutes to bring it back home - still sizzling hot. Not much to celebrate these days, but this made us very happy! 

12/1/19; 2/2/20; 7/25/20; 1/30/21 (new entry); 3/5/23; 2/15/24; 4/15/25

Hamburger Stand ~ regional chain : Aurora, Colorado

Latest visit: Apr 2025 (Havana St.)

First visit: sometime in 1994 (Colorado Springs)

Locations: 12; Denver area (6); Tucson-AZ (3); Yuma-AZ (1); Casper-WY (1); El Centro-CA (1)

I saw a nice looking estate sale up in Denver on this fine Thursday, so I decided to "work" the city. I keep putting work in quotes because it's just me digging for inventory or my personal collection. Pure retirement hobby activities. The location of this sale was right next to where I used to live from 1995 to 1997. This is at the time I met Mrs. RJG, Rude Dante, Old Boss, and others. I haven't been to "the old neighborhood" in years, so it was great to be back. I lived in the fancy schmancy "Breakers", which now has a different name apparently. It was a very nice apartment / condo complex set in a much more modest area of town. Best of both worlds as far as I was concerned. So many great little divey restaurants nearby, though I was spoiled to live in a very nice one bedroom apartment with my two cats. It was to be the end of my bachelor days. Haha - long ago. In any case, I was at the sale for probably two hours and was starving afterwards. Oh my, look what just came up on Google Maps? Gotta go for the memories.

Personal history: Before I moved to Denver I lived here in Colorado Springs (1993-1995). That's when and where I was introduced to the The Original Hamburger Stand. I believe they were off of Powers back when it was a two lane road. I remember making a long journey to get there from my apartment off of Woodmen. After moving to Denver, I had this exact location very close by as noted above. I probably only went once a year, and I doubt I made any effort in '97. When we had the summer townhome in Denver, which also wasn't that far away, I went to this location one more time in a nostalgia fit. Just as I'm doing now...

Location: Havana is such a classic old school Denver area avenue. A mix of old and new and should be forgotten and hopefully never forgotten places. The apartments that line the street are either multi-thousand dollar a month modern structures or rundown brick sh*t holes that remind me of Chicago. Gentrification has taken hold but there's still plenty of 1960s Denver to absorb here. And 1990s which was my experience. This Hamburger Stand looks like it always has: Fast Food 101.

Food / Drink: So here's the deal with Hamburger Stand (fka The Original Hamburger Stand). They were started by - and continue to be owned by - the same group that runs Wienerschnitzel. Hence the co-branding. Says "since 1982" but it seems more like "since 1952". Apparently it was their attempt to capture the fast food burger market. It's just cheap fast food honestly. Foodstuff. The needful. Look at that photo. The only thing missing is the copay card. Cheap burger, cheap hot dog, and cheap fries. But for $10 bucks including a giant Coke Zero that lasted me all day, not too bad a deal. 

Overall: I wouldn't suggest anyone goes here too often for health reasons. I really have no intention of coming back, but it seems every 15 years I get nostalgic about it. I would imagine any dietician would agree. Maybe never actually, but it's good to set off your immune system every once in awhile.

1994; 1995; 1996; 8/12/10; 4/10/25 (new entry)

The Green Line Grill ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

First visit: Apr 2025

I've had The Green Line Grill circled for a few years now as a place to try. I even thought when I served on jury duty last year, I'd give them a shot then. But it became apparent it was too far a walk from the courthouse. Wednesday is usually my day to "work" Colorado Springs, and if I stay on schedule, I should be near downtown for lunch. And that was the case on this day. I didn't realize how close The Green Line was from my usual thrift stop, so let's finally give it a try.

Location: Off of Wahsatch just east of downtown. Looks and feels like your classic dive bar. Checkered floors, booths, pool tables, etc... I believe you can park at the restaurant for free, though I saw meters on adjacent parking lots. It's pretty far off the beaten path and paying for parking seems silly. Order at the counter.

Food: The Green Line Grill is known for their "Onion Fried Cheese Burger". I'd never heard of such a thing, but I'm trying it! Apparently it's a regional delicacy from Oklahoma. I love regional foods! Essentially it's a hamburger with thin sliced onions heavily crisped and laid atop the burger. Doesn't that look good? It is too. I heard them cooking my burger, way beyond your usual fast food joint. Though I stated I didn't want fries, I received them anyway! No charge. That was good of them. They were excellent too. Mrs. RJG would like this place.

Drinks: They have a full bar with three taps. All of them from our local Goat Patch. I stuck with water as I still had a full day ahead.

Overall: Definitely coming back and The Green Line Grill is now part of the RJG Rotation.

4/9/25 (new entry)

George's Drive Inn ~ Walsenburg, Colorado

Latest visit: Apr 2025

First visit: Jan 2024

Both of us had wanted to return to George's Drive Inn after last year's visit. As you can see below it seemed more like we ordered the wrong thing versus a restaurant that wasn't for us. This time we did go for lunch as noted below.

Location: Easy access on and off of I-25. It's a bit hidden, and they don't advertise, but Google Maps will quickly show you that George's is convenient. It's also the exit for La Veta, and that's where we usually go after lunch anyway, as we did on this day. The restaurant itself is a throwback to the simple American diner, though no solo stools. It seems to be always crowded too. They're a breakfast and lunch place only and closed on Sun / Mon.

Food: Eclectic American diner fare, with a focus on Mexican and even Italian. The latter is a feature of this part of southern Colorado and you see similar in Pueblo and Trinidad. Likely a vestige of an industrial past. On this visit I ordered the Italian sausage sandwich and substituted fries for a small bowl of green chili. Mrs. RJG zoned in on the Philly Cheesesteak. Both of us enjoyed our meals immensely. This time we did order the right thing. The chili was the right temperature and very spicy. Much better on its own than as a smother. I'm not sure who makes the Italian sausage in this region or if they all create their own patties, but whatever the case, I'm happy to have it. The Philly Cheese was exceptionally good and you could really taste the seasoned beef. Homemade fries were hot and excellent. Even the oyster crackers were different, coming straight from Chicago.

Drinks: Standard diner fare of juices, sodas, etc. We just had water.

Overall: The perfect "road food", a term that was more popular 20 years ago. Let's hope for a comeback. Only misstep is that I was only to pay an upcharge for the chili since I substituted the fries. They charged me full price. I mentioned it but went unheard. I didn't sense it was intentional. Big deal, so we're out two bucks (the upcharge cost), I'll live. In any case, we're sure to be in this area for lunch at least once a year if not more, so George's Drive Inn goes into the RJG Rotation.

---original 1/27/24 review

Just as Westcliffe is our first winter daytrip destination of the new year, La Veta has become our second favorite place to go during the snowy months. And they received a whopper of a storm on Thursday dumping 18 inches of snow. Yesterday was relatively warm and we here in the Springs saw a nice melt off, so we presumed similar down south. We had perfect blue skies, and warm temps today. It was an absolutely perfect daytrip. While we saw quite a bit of snow up here in the northern reaches of Colorado Springs, the southern part of the city received very little. And Pueblo was dry as a bone. I was disappointed until we kept going south and then we saw nothing but a sea of white - fields, valleys, mountains, all against a crystal clear blue sky. Stunning really. La Veta sits in a perfect setting, but as stated last year, there really isn't much to do there - especially in the winter. So our activities revolve around Walsenburg, with a pretty drive to La Veta. We then walked around the town. We wanted to try the ice cream at Charlie's Market but they close down that section of the store during the winter. Last year we went to the brewery there, but I wanted to revisit the one in Walsenburg this trip. Those posts are coming next.

Which gets us to George's Drive Inn, our first stop on the journey. It sits right off of I-25 before you venture into Walsenburg proper. It's an old school diner (though no solo bar stools) that first opened in 1977. We arrived at 10:30 and were offered only breakfast menus, though we really wanted lunch. I was willing to inquire but Mrs. RJG said that breakfast sounded good to. I was also fine with it. 

I had the breakfast burrito, smothered in green chili and served with fried potatoes. The twist here they use homemade spicy Italian sausage as the meat, which is super. I thought the chili was good, but not sensational. I would have preferred a bit more spice and flavor. Mrs. RJG inexplicably went for a boring breakfast of pancakes and eggs. But at least she had the foresight to get the Italian sausage patty as the meat choice. That was the only part of the meal she really enjoyed. The rest she bemoaned was boring and flavorless (that's what happens when you purposely order the wrong item). Followed by "I really wanted a cheeseburger and fries". Sigh. By 10:50 they were asking patrons if they wanted lunch or breakfast. So I'm sure we could have gotten lunch just 20 minutes prior. Oh well, c'est la vie.

I do like George's, and we're definitely coming back (for lunch). I prefer George's slightly more than Tina's Cafe that we dined at last year, but they're both very good. Service was good and the prices reasonable for this day and age. Lots of regulars were there, and the workers referred to them by name.

1/27/24 (new entry); 4/8/25

Fat Shack ~ national chain : Thornton, Colorado

First visit: Apr 2025 (120th Ave)

Locations: 30 total. Fort Collins is where they started and Colorado has the lion's share at 10, including two in Colorado Springs (see below). Texas has 6, but nothing really in the vicinity of NE Tarrant. Fort Worth in the TCU area being the closest.

Mrs. RJG and I had a family event in Brighton (NE Denver suburb) the night before and stayed in a nearby hotel. The next day we decided to hit some thrift shops before lunch. Now we're hungry, where to go? We were in the Northglenn / Thornton area, so not an area we are familiar with at all. That's when Fat Shack popped up. Looks exactly what we're after. Let's give it a shot. As noted in the Locations section, they have two locations here at home. If I had known that, I would not have come here. I'd never even heard of Fat Shack before. And honestly I thought it was an independent all the way up until I started researching today.

Location: A little dive place inside of a hidden strip mall center, next to a tattoo parlor. These are clues...

Food: They specialize in creative hot sandwiches (no deli meats though), along with chicken, wings, hamburgers, and Philly cheesesteaks. I had a cheeseburger and Mrs. RJG ordered the Philly. I figured based on the price, mine would be a bit bigger than it was. I would say they "do the needful". It's a pretty boring burger save the sauce they use. We also got one order of fries and they were definitely hot temperature and delicious. This time it's Mrs. RJG that won the prize. The Philly was great. Hot to the last bite. At first she thought it might be mushy, but they use the right kind of bread - chewy and tasty. Similar to Amoroso rolls (and could very well be them, though usually restaurants mention it). The meats and cheese were mixed perfectly. She loved it.

Drinks: Soda fountain and milkshakes. We didn't dare try the latter. I'm sure they would've been great.

Overall: So I saved the conclusion to the end, but if you follow the clues above, it becomes clear what Fat Shack is: Fulfill the Munchies man! Their tagline is "Late Night Done Right". It's not as stoner themed as Cheba Hut, but they definitely cater to the college and young adult crowd. And if you look at where their locations reside, that tends to be the theme. I would say their locations look a lot like a Democrat Party blue pin map. When we left I didn't think it had a chance for the Rotation because I'm rarely up this far north in the Denver area, and if I am, I'd want to try other places. Now that I know they're here in COS, we'll go back sooner rather than later. Certainly for the Philly and perhaps other options. Skip the burger though.

4/6/25 (new entry)

Daddy's Chicken Shack ~ national chain : Colorado Springs, Colorado

Latest visit: Apr 2025 (Voyager)

First visit: Apr 2024 (Voyager)

HQ: Castle Rock, CO (founded in 2018 in Pasadena, CA)

Locations: They were to expand rapidly last year, but are stuck on 6 locations. Looks like Colleyville closed. For Colorado they also have one in Littleton. Texas gets one each in the Houston and Austin metro areas. Phoenix and Orlando round out the total. Very disparate locations. This is a tough time for the restaurant industry.

Almost precisely one year later, I'm back at Daddy's Chicken Shack for the second visit. This time armed with a coupon offering a free sandwich. No strings attached even. I hope this isn't a sign they're struggling for business. In any case, can't pass up this deal. And Mrs. RJG and I had to go to the Denver area for a family dinner event, so this will make the perfect lunch. Grabbed two chicken sandwiches and brought them home.

Just basic Nashville Hot Chicken this time. I was pleased, and really enjoy the heat factor. And a good time to note that the temperature of the sandwiches were still hot even after driving them home. Mrs. RJG wasn't as thrilled saying they put on too much sauce and felt the bread was "mushy" because of it. She doesn't like sloppy sandwiches. No matter, stays in the RJG Rotation. Not sure if she'll join me next time.

---original 4/6/24 review

Chicken is hot - in more ways than one - so add Daddy's Chicken Shack to the list of up and comers. They very recently opened up near our house and a little bit outside of Mega Chain Valley. Today Mrs. RJG and I decided to try them for the first time. This locale used to be one of those modern salad places. Probably not the best area for one of those. Architecturally interesting with a high ceiling, spacious with limited seating, and full of natural light. You can order at the counter or from the two rather large screens on your left. I chose that for us being the IT kinda guy that I am. Knuckled our order in, and we awaited our meal. They had the audacity to ask for a tip - it gets more ridiculous each place we go. Soon they'll ask for a tip just because you walked in the door. Of course you're not getting one...

We waited longer than expected, but that's OK if they're cooking our meal, and it appears that's what happened. Out came two very hot (temperature) chicken sandwiches. I went with the 303, which includes Denver's own Santiago's green chile (featured in this blog) along with bacon, cole slaw, and remoulade. Really like the brioche bun and the chicken texture - thick and juicy. The chile didn't penetrate at all, and the spice was mild. It looks like that's only going to be a local option, as I didn't see it on the Colleyville menu for example. I prefer feature items, but I'll definitely go for the Nashville Hot option next time. Mrs. RJG went with the more basic Pressure Cooked Simple Daddy. She really enjoyed it. She had the meal deal so we also tried the seasoned fries which were excellent as well - and a bit spicy surprisingly. They have Diet Dr. Pepper as a fountain option so we didn't want to pass that up, and they mixed the drink properly. 

Daddy's Chicken Shack has now been added to the RJG rotation. I'll probably get it to-go for lunch some workday while watching a movie or a show. It's only five minutes away.

4/6/24 (new entry); 4/5/25

High Rise Pizza Kitchen ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

First visit: Apr 2025

I was in the Rockrimmon area for an estate sale, and afterwards was starving. My original plan was to head over to Oliver's Deli. However it was packed on this particular Friday. Good to see old fashioned crowds like this, but unfortunately it drove me away as the line was too long. Right across the parking lot is High Rise. Let's go see what they're all about.

Location: Strip center location at Rockrimmon and Delmonico. Was mostly empty when I arrived.

Food: Pizza obviously is their stock and trade, and it would appear takeout and delivery is their primary business. However they do offer plenty of seating. Most importantly they offer slices! They rotate three options every day, and on this visit, I went with one pepperoni and one cheese (maybe these two are static I'm not sure). You get a free drink if you order at least two slices. So for $8 bucks that's not too bad in this day and age. No soda fountains, but they have cans in the fridge, so I grabbed a Diet Coke. The slices came out hot and the crust is very good and perfectly pliable. Definitely in the New York style. Not enough sauce but that's a common complaint from me.

Drink: Just various non-alcoholic beverage cans in the refrigerator as noted above.

Overall: Adding to the RJG Rotation. Not the best NY slice in town. That trophy still goes to Joey's, but in the running. And I need more fast food options such as this while I'm out there digging. Don't always have time to sit down in a traditional restaurant.

4/4/25 (new entry)

Rudy's Little Hideaway ~ Colorado Springs, Colorado

First visit: Apr 2025

Location: On South 8th Street, tucked away on a small hill. Cool spot that recalls the DIY aesthetic of New Mexico.

Food: Mexican is their primary fare. We started with chips and salsa. The chips are homemade, crispy and very good. The salsa packed a lot of flavor though it doesn't have much heat. Mrs. RJG and I each tried the enchiladas. I had the ground beef and shredded chicken and she had carne asada. Both buried in Christmas. Pretty good, nothing overly distinctive. The green chile being the lone exception, and would want to have this included on any future meals.

Drink: They seem to specialize in margaritas, though we just stuck with water for this lunch visit.

Overall: Decent Mexican option though it didn't capture our imagination enough to add to the rotation. Certainly wouldn't reject coming here again and will sample other dishes and possibly a margarita. They're mainly a breakfast and lunch house with dinner from Thu to Sun.

4/1/25 (new entry)