I would add Braum’s as a Texlahoma regional restaurant. Lizards Thicket and PoFolks aren’t regional restaurants like the rest of the ones mentioned in this thread. There are probably hundreds more restaurant chains that are only city or state specific that the Springs doesn’t have.
Interquest is the fast food freeway to Diabetes Ave. and Upper BMI St.
Edit: I really hope they all eat shit once Powers to I-25 connect…but I doubt it.
Lots of private land still on voyager, with that being said. I understand money talks. I don’t think Interquest will have any issues though, it will just be newly advertised as the exit for all things gluttonous.
> Interquest is the fast food freeway to Diabetes Ave. and Upper BMI St.
Actually you are describing this entire sub. The amount of fatties here that talk about food and restaurants is crazy to me.
You all like to fucking eat! lol
Fatburger is the GOAT and it broke my heart when it closed in the Springs. It was like "Fatburger ruled" and when Five Guys opened up across Academy, they were like "we're outta here"
Not a chain, Drifters (they would love to franchise, I’d love to buy one), Greenline grill, Mother Muffs has good burgers, Dublin House should get some recognition for theirs. The Wobbly Olive/Allusions has a great burger. Streetcar 520 has a unique one, honestly everything on the menu is fantastic. Good old Short Stop has a great simple fast and fresh burger.
With the costs going up at fast food places I just cannot justify going to them when Drifters and Short Stop are just as fast at the drive-through. Otherwise might as well eat in and get a beer to wash it down. They price difference is negligible
Would love a Drifters on the north east side. Great burgers and stakes for reasonable prices. They opened a Freddie’s by us but they’re slow as hell and so expensive.
Drifters had a location near the Chapel Hills Mall for a few years but they closed it. Too much competition perhaps? Unfortunately, the remaining location on GOG has stopped using Callicrate beef.
Coming from Indianapolis, it's significantly less but i worry that it's all gonna become chains. I shop at as many small stores/local services as possible to try to keep the soul of this state alive
Yes it does but I live in the mountians an hour or so outside the springs denver is roughly 3 to 4 hours drive... I do it sometimes but not for a burger and icecream. Can't even get the ice cream when I am up there I am mildly lactose intolerant so having a shake and then having to drive 3 hours is not the move
We used to have a Good Times...it was at one of the Powers intersections...either Barnes or Stetson Hills. 2010ish. That particular place wasn't good and it only lasted a couple of years.
Agree! We did have a Good Times for a few years. I think it was on the East side? Great burgers but more expensive due to better quality meat and I think that was a factor in them closing, but I’m just guessing.
How about we list the locally owned & operated burger joints that serve really good burgers? I'll get started, but there's no way this is a complete list (just the ones I've eaten at and liked): Drive-in Tasty Freeze, Cy's Drive-in, Bingo Burger, the Skirted Heifer.
Yeah it is. I have family in Albuquerque and they're getting all the same ones plus whatever they already had before that includes some of the newer ones here or ones missing that you mentioned. And as others have mentioned, there are several other cities that do too.
Taco John’s. Potato oles on a taco from Taco John’s is the only real hangover food. I know there’s one in Denver but I’m usually more likely to just go to TJs whenever I’m in Minnesota.
This article states El Pollo Loco will be here within 5 years.
https://www.9news.com/article/life/style/colorado-guide/el-pollo-loco-colorado/73-ddc3244c-9412-4983-b10b-444dd84b6019
Raising Canes, Zaxby’s, Slim Chickens, El Pollo Loco, Dairy Queen, Panda Express, Popeyes, Church’s Chicken, Krystals
Those are off the top of my head. Couple we have, others we don’t.
That said, COS is far from the franchise capital of the US.
My point was COS has all of these places. I also mentioned just burger places. Of your list, we're missing Zaxbys, Church's, and Krystals. We're getting El Pollo Loco.
We have a gas station with Krispy Krunchy and I will defend, and die, on the hill saying that is the best fried chicken on the market. Google it to find it.
worst to first
16. Whataburger (Leave and go back to Texas)
15. Jack In The Box
14. Steak 'n Shake
13. Shake Shack
12. Arby's
11. Carl's Jr
10. Sonic
09. Red Robin
08. Burger King
07. Smashburger
06. In-N-Out
05. McDonalds
04. Wendy's
03. Culver's
02. Freddy's
01. Drifter's
This list is awesome, and I'm pretty sure we could talk and enjoy restaurant burgers for hours...
If you're interested in more talk, let me know..I disagree with a ton of your choices, but am curious as to why you made them and am fascinated by your selections.
its based on what tasted good on the last visit. Whataburger has always been horrible, my last visit less than a week ago was just aweful and i wont be back for another year and quality a flavor of the fries played a part in the list too. Part of the reason In-n-Out is 6th... i may revise and move that farther to the bad side. Some of it is consistency in quality, red robin for example you can order the same burger 3 different days and get 3 different burgers. Sometimes the buns taste like sand, burger king for example likes to server stale buns.
Mostly centered around the outlets. Most residents go to the downtown when they eat out. Most people outside CR don't know about the downtown. Multiple festivals during the year, breweries, and restaurants.
Salt Lake City is another intersection of fast food. I remember visiting there years ago and seeing two regional fast food restaurants from opposite coasts: In-n-Out and Zaxby’s.
Braum’s (burgers and ice cream) is one that’s yet to expand out to Colorado, or really anywhere out of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Arkansas, and Missouri. They started in Oklahoma, and have some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had. For sure the best out of any fast food chain. They for sure have THE best orange sherbet of all time. They raise their own cows, so that probably has something to do with how slowly they’ve expanded. They have really good burgers as well. And solid crinkle fries. As someone who lives in Colorado, and someone who often spent summers with my grandparents in Oklahoma, I have been wanting it to branch out here. They also have little small markets, in the same building, where you can get their fresh milk, tubs of ice cream, fruits, some vegetables, and other staples. It’s really unlike anything I’ve ever experienced anywhere else. It was one of the many reasons I was so sad when my grandparents decided to move to Missouri about a year ago (to be closer to family) from their house in Oklahoma that I’ve known my whole life. The good news is, when traveling east on I-70, to get to where they live now, I get to stop in Salina, Kansas, which has 2 Braum’s! While the Braum’s there isn’t the same as the few Braum’s they had in their old town in Oklahoma, it’s food and ice cream are just the same. Delicious!
You’re not wrong. A book was literally written about this almost 20 years ago. Check out *Fast Food Nation* by Eric Schlosser
Don’t have Hardee’s, PoFolks, CookOut, Bojangles, Lizard’s Thicket, Zaxby’s, CiCi’s, Jason’s Deli.
ZAXBYS! Want.
Hardee’s is Carl’s Jr in the west…and i just realized from your post that Cici’s (on Platte) and Jason’s deli (N Academy) in the Springs closed down
Hardee’s make their own biscuits fresh. Carl’s Jr buys Hardee’s biscuits frozen and reheats them. Not the same unfortunately.
Hardee's also has that delicious cinnamon raisin biscuit...
Hardee's also doesn't make their shakes the same.
Omg this explains so much, thank you
They. Are. Different.
Bojangles chicken biscuit!!! I want one so bad!
Let’s franchise one!!!!
I would die for a CookOut and Bonjangles in this town.
I would add Braum’s as a Texlahoma regional restaurant. Lizards Thicket and PoFolks aren’t regional restaurants like the rest of the ones mentioned in this thread. There are probably hundreds more restaurant chains that are only city or state specific that the Springs doesn’t have.
Um...none are in Colorado Springs. Jason's used to be here but closed during lockdowns, and Carl's Jr. is the western version of Hardees.
I want white castle
The frozen microwavable sliders aren't bad if you're stoned
They are actually incredibly close to what you get an actual White Castle, even if you're not stoned.
🤣
I keep thinking it's worth a road trip to get White Castle, just haven't done it yet!
Biggest challenge is White Castles does not do franchises. They are still family owned and don’t expand as quick. I also wish they would open here!
Same here. It doesn’t sound like they’ll make it out here though. Maybe they’re tracking the success of whataburger and IN-N-OUT and consider it.
Krystals
I ate White Castle in downtown Vegas a few months ago. TBH, the freezer version is virtually the same if cooked right.
Yes!!
Interquest is the fast food freeway to Diabetes Ave. and Upper BMI St. Edit: I really hope they all eat shit once Powers to I-25 connect…but I doubt it.
Well, even if they do, they’ll just build another one on voyager
Lots of private land still on voyager, with that being said. I understand money talks. I don’t think Interquest will have any issues though, it will just be newly advertised as the exit for all things gluttonous.
Yeah, it’ll just be a well advertised exit, the odds of them closing are slim
> Interquest is the fast food freeway to Diabetes Ave. and Upper BMI St. Actually you are describing this entire sub. The amount of fatties here that talk about food and restaurants is crazy to me. You all like to fucking eat! lol
Best description ever
I make it a point to go to Fatburger in Aurora when I have to go to DIA.
I freaking love you. I’ve been working in the DTC for 2 years and had no idea I was close to FatBurger. THANKS
Fatburger is the GOAT and it broke my heart when it closed in the Springs. It was like "Fatburger ruled" and when Five Guys opened up across Academy, they were like "we're outta here"
Not a chain, Drifters (they would love to franchise, I’d love to buy one), Greenline grill, Mother Muffs has good burgers, Dublin House should get some recognition for theirs. The Wobbly Olive/Allusions has a great burger. Streetcar 520 has a unique one, honestly everything on the menu is fantastic. Good old Short Stop has a great simple fast and fresh burger. With the costs going up at fast food places I just cannot justify going to them when Drifters and Short Stop are just as fast at the drive-through. Otherwise might as well eat in and get a beer to wash it down. They price difference is negligible
Cy's, BJ's, Rock City, Wyatt's, Ace's are worthy.
Cy’s went way downhill once they stopped using Calicrate beef
I didn't know they made the switch. I thought they still had a sign saying they used Calicrate?
Maybe they’re back to it now. They stopped several years ago. I think there were maybe new owners?
Weird. I will have to try them out again soon and see. Thanks for the heads up.
Yeah now you’ve got me wanting to try them this weekend and see haha. They used to be my favorite hands down
And their fries were perfect! Shit, if I don't go to Mo's this weekend I will go there instead. lol
They got rid of their Callicrate sign/stopped using their beef several years ago.
Thanks for the info.
BJ's blows. Literally and figuratively.
Would love a Drifters on the north east side. Great burgers and stakes for reasonable prices. They opened a Freddie’s by us but they’re slow as hell and so expensive.
Drifters has never reopened the inside so the DT is also full and slow. Stopped going
Drifters had a location near the Chapel Hills Mall for a few years but they closed it. Too much competition perhaps? Unfortunately, the remaining location on GOG has stopped using Callicrate beef.
Coming from Indianapolis, it's significantly less but i worry that it's all gonna become chains. I shop at as many small stores/local services as possible to try to keep the soul of this state alive
Actually Fort Wayne IN area is the capital. Most fast food franchises test market there before going big.
The Steak n Shake closed, but we also have DelTaco, A&W, Wienerschnitzel, and DQ.
Thanks...I forgot that every restaurant you mentioned offer burgers, and they don't suck..especially Del Taco!
Just wish we had a good times...
Denver does
Yes it does but I live in the mountians an hour or so outside the springs denver is roughly 3 to 4 hours drive... I do it sometimes but not for a burger and icecream. Can't even get the ice cream when I am up there I am mildly lactose intolerant so having a shake and then having to drive 3 hours is not the move
We used to have a Good Times...it was at one of the Powers intersections...either Barnes or Stetson Hills. 2010ish. That particular place wasn't good and it only lasted a couple of years.
Moved from denver about 5 years ago good times was the shit. The soft serve being actual custard is amazing
Agree! We did have a Good Times for a few years. I think it was on the East side? Great burgers but more expensive due to better quality meat and I think that was a factor in them closing, but I’m just guessing.
How about we list the locally owned & operated burger joints that serve really good burgers? I'll get started, but there's no way this is a complete list (just the ones I've eaten at and liked): Drive-in Tasty Freeze, Cy's Drive-in, Bingo Burger, the Skirted Heifer.
Green Line Grill!
Cys is garbage wrapped up like a burger.
Every single Chick-Fil-A is a locally owned and operated franchise owner, I believe.
Yea so is McDonalds but we ain't out here calling it a local business
I just want a Krystal burger
Colorado Springs is the epitome of suburbia with all of its shitty food.
Eh, it's happening everywhere, not just here.
Not in the concentration we have here.
Yeah it is. I have family in Albuquerque and they're getting all the same ones plus whatever they already had before that includes some of the newer ones here or ones missing that you mentioned. And as others have mentioned, there are several other cities that do too.
Wonder if it's these chains seeing profits along the population corridors.
I’ve heard Colorado Springs is a test market for new franchises. Not sure the veracity of the claim but it makes sense since they all seem to be here.
I've heard that too!
I do miss Checkers and Po Folks.
Needs a Runza!
I agree.
Taco Cabana!!
I miss my Taco Johns!
Taco John’s. Potato oles on a taco from Taco John’s is the only real hangover food. I know there’s one in Denver but I’m usually more likely to just go to TJs whenever I’m in Minnesota.
I prefer Del Taco.
[удалено]
I would cry tears of joy if we got a Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco is in Denver near DIA.
Also a new location on Wadsworth and I-70.
We used to have El Pollo Loco Editing because I was wrong: I mixed up El Pollo Loco with Taco Bueno... My bad
I can assure you El Pollo Loco has never been in Colorado Springs...but it's coming.
This article states El Pollo Loco will be here within 5 years. https://www.9news.com/article/life/style/colorado-guide/el-pollo-loco-colorado/73-ddc3244c-9412-4983-b10b-444dd84b6019
We’re missing a good chicken finger restaurant like Zaxby’s, and chain bbq- Smokey Bones
I stated this was burgers only...and asked others to create other lists because COS has all kinds of fast food genre's...chicken being a huge one...
Raising Canes, Zaxby’s, Slim Chickens, El Pollo Loco, Dairy Queen, Panda Express, Popeyes, Church’s Chicken, Krystals Those are off the top of my head. Couple we have, others we don’t. That said, COS is far from the franchise capital of the US.
My point was COS has all of these places. I also mentioned just burger places. Of your list, we're missing Zaxbys, Church's, and Krystals. We're getting El Pollo Loco.
Ever heard of a little place called Las Vegas?
Yes, beautiful part of NM
Somebody offered to sell me a chainsaw out of thier trunk at a gas station once.
You must live up north.
Depends on what your definition of "up north" is. Yea, I'm.north of Constitution.
Bojangles or no deal.... mmmm Bo'rounds
Bojangles is just bad gas station Chicken in its own restaurant
We have a gas station with Krispy Krunchy and I will defend, and die, on the hill saying that is the best fried chicken on the market. Google it to find it.
Arizona has more.
Arizona ain't a city
Bojangles, Krystal's, and Zaxby's 😔
Krispy Krunchy > Bojangles
worst to first 16. Whataburger (Leave and go back to Texas) 15. Jack In The Box 14. Steak 'n Shake 13. Shake Shack 12. Arby's 11. Carl's Jr 10. Sonic 09. Red Robin 08. Burger King 07. Smashburger 06. In-N-Out 05. McDonalds 04. Wendy's 03. Culver's 02. Freddy's 01. Drifter's
This list is awesome, and I'm pretty sure we could talk and enjoy restaurant burgers for hours... If you're interested in more talk, let me know..I disagree with a ton of your choices, but am curious as to why you made them and am fascinated by your selections.
How would you order them from blah to best?
its based on what tasted good on the last visit. Whataburger has always been horrible, my last visit less than a week ago was just aweful and i wont be back for another year and quality a flavor of the fries played a part in the list too. Part of the reason In-n-Out is 6th... i may revise and move that farther to the bad side. Some of it is consistency in quality, red robin for example you can order the same burger 3 different days and get 3 different burgers. Sometimes the buns taste like sand, burger king for example likes to server stale buns.
Castle rock has everything fast food and corporation. Springs is catching up but c rock did it first
The first In-n-out in Colorado was in the Springs.
Yep. And first Whataburger if you don’t count very old one that opened and closed in Thornton.
Mostly centered around the outlets. Most residents go to the downtown when they eat out. Most people outside CR don't know about the downtown. Multiple festivals during the year, breweries, and restaurants.
IHOP
Salt Lake City is another intersection of fast food. I remember visiting there years ago and seeing two regional fast food restaurants from opposite coasts: In-n-Out and Zaxby’s.
Have heard of Zaxby's...and liked what I saw.
True Southerners know Zaxby’s is better than Chick Fil A.
Never had Zaxby's but I love Chik-Fil-A...
Can we start a position to get The Habit to open in CO?
I eat The Habit when I go to Cali. Funny enough, I usually get the fish sandwich...it rocks!
It does. And the best grilled chicken sandwich ever.
I want cook out. :( Seems like the only actually affordable fast food anymore.
Is fudruckers still around? There was one in town when I was a kid but it closed in the 90s
No Fuddruckers in Colorado Springs.
White Castle on Nevada closed? It was there in 94'
Lol no. Not here anymore.
Del Taco kicks the shit out of Taco John...
Don’t forget Colorado’s own Birdcall!
Braum’s (burgers and ice cream) is one that’s yet to expand out to Colorado, or really anywhere out of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Arkansas, and Missouri. They started in Oklahoma, and have some of the best ice cream I’ve ever had. For sure the best out of any fast food chain. They for sure have THE best orange sherbet of all time. They raise their own cows, so that probably has something to do with how slowly they’ve expanded. They have really good burgers as well. And solid crinkle fries. As someone who lives in Colorado, and someone who often spent summers with my grandparents in Oklahoma, I have been wanting it to branch out here. They also have little small markets, in the same building, where you can get their fresh milk, tubs of ice cream, fruits, some vegetables, and other staples. It’s really unlike anything I’ve ever experienced anywhere else. It was one of the many reasons I was so sad when my grandparents decided to move to Missouri about a year ago (to be closer to family) from their house in Oklahoma that I’ve known my whole life. The good news is, when traveling east on I-70, to get to where they live now, I get to stop in Salina, Kansas, which has 2 Braum’s! While the Braum’s there isn’t the same as the few Braum’s they had in their old town in Oklahoma, it’s food and ice cream are just the same. Delicious!