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)