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Categories: American (New), Breweries [Edit]
2 E Pikes Peak Ave
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I really wish you could give half stars on Yelp!
My brother and I hit this place our first night in town. Little did I know that the altitude messes with your tolerance and i hit the ground hard after just a few drinks. Now I'm an even cheaper drunk at this altitude.
We started with the beer sampler and came to the consensus that the Railyard ale was the best of the seven. The BBQ shrimp was literally swimming in barbeque sauce, so if your down for that sort of thing it's great, but it left me craving a thick rack of ribs--maybe that's part of their scheme to get you to order more. The broface and I also shared a side of their crabcakes, because you don't need much else when you've got a pint and good company.
Five stars for the beer (the Blonde is a delight).
Four stars for the atmosphere (it's in the very small downtown area of COS, which I appreciated).
Three stars for the food. So-so artichoke dip (though the garlic bread they gave me for dipping was delicious), nicely cooked steak, really tasty jalapeno mashed potatoes, but nothing spectacular.
Go for the beer, go for the location, but probably go somewhere else for dinner.
5 stars for the beer....then it went down hill...
This is one where maybe we were the ones who made the mistake. The thing with Phantom Canyon is that they have this amazing menu that makes you want to try all of their unique sounding exotic dishes. Then you look around and see that you are in a brewery and realize maybe you should stick to pub fare...
Well, I succumbed to the temptation of the seared tuna and it was a real mistake. My meal had very little flavor and a lot of unnecessary fluff. My boyfriend had a similar experience with pork tenderloin. We looked around and most tables seemed very happy with their burgers, chief salads and fish/chip entrees. If I were to ever return to Phantom Canyon, I would stick to the basics and order a burger and a beer.
Ambiance- 5 stars-great happy hour/dinner crowd
Service- 4 stars-tons of waiters but not the quickest to fill beverages, etc...
Food-2 (Don't make the same mistakes we did...)
Price-4 completely fair for a brewery in this area
I've been a frequent visitor since they opened the doors in 1994, I believe. The Cascade Amber has been my favorite for a long time but, since it is brewed on site sometimes it can be not as good as the other times. Since I brew sometimes myself, last nights cascade seemed like it was a week short of being completely done. I did find the Railyard Ale spot on.
The food is good and their is a pretty good variety, from Pub food to something a little fancier (I had the Ostrich last night). Nice atmosphere - in a refurbished and very old historical building.
Every time I've been here I've had a great experience - except for this past trip. And I've definitely been more than five times, so I'll let this one go... It was a case of servers wanting to close their section just as we entered for a late night dinner.
But 5 out of 6 times I've had great beers, really good brewery food, friendly service, all the good stuff. I've even been to a high-end catered conference upstairs and they handled it with flying colors. All in all a good place - just be wary of entering at 10pm on a Monday night. You may not be welcomed with the standard warmth and service.
This is quite possibly was the best brew pub I've been to and I've been to a lot of them all over the country. The IPA was outstanding -- an excellent balance of hops and malt, with a great mouth feel and served at just the right temperature. The food was great as well. I had a shredded beef burrito that was nicely prepared and my wife had a quesadilla that she said was awesome. I did think the service was a little slow, but they did have a very large crowd (even on a Sunday night).
I cam across this place while on a trip to Colorado Springs, and ended up eating here three times in two days. Both the food and beer are excellent-- their seasonal blueberry ale may possibly be my favorite beer ever. The IPA and cream ale were also stand-outs. As for the food, I loved the Iron Skillet Ahi, and the Shrimp and Lobster Spaghetti was a delicious surprise. (I've uploaded a few photos.) In short, this is a restaurant that could easily compete in Chicago, and I'm hoping to go back to Colorado Springs next year, if only to eat here again.
I met some girl friends here one night. Service was so-so. Instead of asking, the waiter assumed we were waiting for 1 other person in our party (we weren't). So, it took about 20 mins for us to find him to take our order. Then we had trouble getting him to come back for drink refills, check, etc.
I had a spinach & goat cheese quesadilla. It was pretty good for a healthier menu option. My friends had pasta dishes & regular quesadilla - no complaints.
I expected more, but I'll still go back.
They do a surprisingly good job here of offering up some fairly creative preparations of seafood and meat that you normally wouldn't expect from a brewing company.
I started out with their artichoke dip which came out a little different than what I had imagined. Normally artichoke dips are accompanied by some sort of other ingredient like spinach or crab, but in this case they did something to make it yummy just on its own.
Following up with the Rocky Mountain Rainbow Trout dish I was again surprised by how the sweet potato mash came out. I was imaging the typical mashed potatoes style of sweet potato and was so was surprised when it came out diced.
However, that was absolutely perfect when paired with the trout which was in a honey chive butter sauce. Delicious!
It seems like this place gets crowded quick and they have a decent pager system to notify you when your table is ready. I opted to skip the wait and dined upstairs in the bar / billiards section where service was prompt.
Pretty good overall meal for lunch here while in Colorado Springs for a weekend. The Hefeweizen beer was very good and the food was good as well. I'm a big fan of microbrewery type places so the atmosphere was my style. It was very laid back and casual.
The beer is good, and there are a few excellent items on the menu. But the prices are even higher than some of the fine-dining establishments in town. This is a brewpub, not a 5-star restaurant at The Broadmoor.
My friends enjoy playing pool at Phantom, so I end up going to meet them there from time to time. And every time I am appalled at the check.
I'd much rather go down the street to Il Vicino and get excellent wood-oven-fired pizza, great beer and wine for about a third of what you'll pay for the same amount at Phantom.
Granted, Phantom has history, and it's a great location in an awesome old building. (Il Vicino is technically a chain, but it only has 8 locations).
But Phantom simply has gotten too big for its own britches and is a horrible value.
Okay, I'm a fan of this place, primarily because of the atmosphere and the beers. Excellent place to get a great microbrew with a buddy and play some pool.
The only, only complaint I have is the food. Very, very good. But small portions, very limited menu, and expensive.
I still give it 4 stars, because the wait staff are still very nice and the atmosphere is very pleasant. The beers, oh the beers. Very good.
Baked Ziti! Baked Ziti! Baked Ziti!
It will give you heartburn made directly from hell fire but ooooooooooooooooooooo is it worth it!!!! I love Phantom Canyon more than Colorado itself. Everything I've ever had there has been amazing. I'm also a huge fan of their Calamari and Hefeweisen with a slice of orange. I'm hip and chill so it's awesome that I can eat bar food or a steak/rainbow trout and then go upstairs to drink some more and play some pool.
Who's that hot guy who checks IDs upstairs?
Okay, I should start this by saying that I am not a beer fan. I usually leave that to my husband, and he more than makes up for my general dislike of beer with his great enthusiasm for it. However, when I go to a brew pub where they make their own beer, I have to at least try it. I LOVED the Queen's Blonde Ale! I don't think I've ever been able to say that about a beer before in my life. It tasted great, and didn't have that bitter finish which is what I don't like about most beers. My husband was so impressed that I enjoyed a beer.
They have a kids menu, which I am always very grateful for. And, the kids menu had macaroni and cheese, which is all my kids need to be happy and content at a restaurant. The night we were there they had a steak on special, with some kind of blueberry reduction sauce, and it was delicious. The other meals ordered at the table were also very good. The desserts were huge (make sure you share) and also good, though not spectacular. Definitely a restaurant I would recommend.
This best thing about this place is the pretzel appetizer with spicy mustard and cheese sauce. It's perfect. The three beers we tried were all pretty good. The food was also good, but not amazing. I didn't really like the atmosphere. It's big and crowded. The waiter was awkwardly friendly. I'd go back though..... for the pretzels.... and the beer.
The beer here is terrible. The restaurant food is boring and uninspired.
However, I've been to two company events upstairs, and the food was great.
with such a cool building, great location and sweet name i would expect so much more out of phantom canyon. i have to disagree with the other reviewers who enjoy the beer. it's not good. if you want good microbrew in c. springs head to bristol. i order whiskey at phantom canyon. i've had some decent food here but it almost seems like they're trying too hard. i do enjoy stopping in for the pool tables. i want phantom canyon to be so much more than it actually is...and will still go with friends when dragged.
Just went here for dinner with a colleague. The place is lively for a Wednesday. Upon entrance, we had to wait several minutes for the hostess to show up and seat us. We were promptly greeted by a waiter who took our order. I had the catfish which was decent. The french fries were made from sweet potatoes so that was cool. Overall, the meal was good, but nothing to rave about. The service was inconsistent. I just don't like having to look for my waiter when I dine out and I had to do that a few times.
I'm going to add a few things about Phantom Canyon that you may not get from other reviews . . .
First, did you know you can get beer in sizes smaller than a pint? I ordered a 10 oz last night, and the waitress said they go as low as 4 oz.-- probably the size they use for the flights of beer. I'm not sure that the flights are on the menu, but now you know they have those too.
The food downstairs is good, but not great, in my opinion (minus the beer cheese soup which is fantastic), but you may not have had their banquet food, which is amazing. I've been to a rehearsal dinner and a wedding reception upstairs on the third floor. Both times the food, served family style, was incredible. I highly recommend booking an event at Phantom Canyon.
Finally, Phantom Canyon has hours more like a bar then a restaurant-- open til 12 on weeknights. Now you have three more reasons to visit.
Our server was great. She was polite and quick. Our burgers were to die for...including the scrumptulescent sweet potato fries that I got, and my boyfriend's steak fries. The place was not too loud and has great decor. Will definitely return, and often!
Maybe all that hiking and clean outdoor living just wears people out here and they just go to sleep early and that's how they stay skinny or something, but it is a chore trying to get something to eat in the Springs after 9 p.m - even fast food!.
But since just driving through the Garden of the Gods in a car left me hungry and searching through the dark empty night, they thankfully took mercy on us here and let us order a couple of minutes before the dinner menu ended at 10 p.m. on a Sunday - we were the only people in here and they didn't close until 2 a.m., so maybe we helped them as much as they helped us... (Note to restaurants: Don't ever turn away fat hungry people at night. In fact, if possible, make that your business model.)
Their food was for the most part delicious. We had a green chili soup and an ale/smoked gouda soup - green chili was excellent, but the cheese and beer soup was a miss, although it definitely tasted like it was exactly what it was. Our entrees were a fried chicken breast over mashed potatoes(that I think had garlic and beer in them?!?!?!) with a lemon-tabasco cream sauce and super buttery green beans and a grilled pork tenderloin served over a chorizo and white bean chili topped with deep fried poblano peppers.
I could eat the chicken dish every freaking week from now on if I could - that lemon-tabasco cream was the shit. The pork tenderloin was perfectly grilled, but the chorizo and beans weren't quite described as the chili it ended up being, and although it was okay, it was way too spicy for me and the chili was massive and out of proportion with the pork. The deep fried poblano peppers on top should be a bar snack everywhere - perfectly crispy fried, not spicy peppers, kind of like the consistency of those great crispy onion rings that come on steaks sometimes - super yummy.
I can't really speak on the beer. Honestly, after much trying, I have to admit that beer tastes like pissy swill. But most breweries, this one included, have great grub. The root beer was great though and our waitress ( a living doll who reminded me a bit of Chrissie Hynde) brought us a free tasting of their porter beer ice cream which was good.
I would come back again. In fact, considering my insomniackian tendencies, I guess I'd have to come back again if I was in town, as late night hunger no suit me well.
I stumbled in here because it's one of the only places open on a Sunday in downtown Colorado Springs. A good, solid microbrewery/restaurant. Their Cascade Amber was good and their food a step-above your normal brewpub plate. A nice touch was the live folk band playing right near our table.
Stopping by for more music and trying another of their beers is on my list next time I'm in town.
Great food and great beer. This is not your typical pub fare. Check out the specials as they are usually entre's you would expect to get only at a stuffy white table cloth type of restaurant. The atmosphere is very casual with a good mix of college students and older adults as well. It has become my favorite all around restaurant in Colorado Springs. Be sure to try the darker beers, they do a great job with them.
Phantom serves better-than-average pub food with solid presentation and great beer. The service is great and the crowds make you feel like you chose a great spot to be. I prefer the brews to the cuisine, though. Granted: I do LOVE the buttermilk fried chicken with spicy garlic mashed potatoes and blue cheese--the batter is perfectly fried and it's one of my favorite comfort food dishes in town. That said, I'm usually a little let down by the other offerings. The catfish my friend ordered, for example, was lovely on its own but the sauce was lackluster and made the whole plate mediocre. Another friend tried the oatmeal encrusted salmon (a special) and the three of us found the dish entirely edible but not at all memorable. My advice: find your favorite at Phantom Canyon and stick to it.
Phantom Canyon used to be one of my favorite places to go when I lived in Colorado Springs and usually go to eat there when I come back to visit once a year!! My friends tried to tell me that the food has gone down hill, but I refused to believe it... I should have listened! First of all, our waitress kept forgetting to bring us our drinks, which was irritating and then it took about 30 minutes before we got our appetizer. Our appetizer was probably the most uninspired plate of hummus and veggie that I have ever seen- I could have done 100% better at home. I was eating light, so got a bowl of green chili- worst "soup" I have possibly ever had- it was so thick, it was like syrup and tasted like corn syrup! It was served with 2 cold tortillas. I was so disappointed and will likely never return for more than just the beer!
This is one of my favorite places in Colorado Springs. They make their own root beer! I had some insane alcoholic thing made with their root beer once. See, it was so insane, I can't even remember what it was except that it was really good and must have knocked me on my ass! I love going here during the day and playing pool. It's never all that crowded and if you have lunch you get free pool (you can eat and play at the same time). They also have a bunch of happy hour specials, including a late night happy hour. Their fries are super (more like potato skins would be), but messy so you need to eat them with a fork. And their chicken strips are also fabulous and come with a yummy dipping sauce.
Makes sense that a brewery might be open late if you're looking for a cold one. What the pleasant surprise at Phantom Canyon Brewing Co. is the food. Delicious. Traveling cross-country this summer, my family and I needed to eat after 9:30 p.m. Many spots in Colorado Springs (aka The Springs) were already shut down on a Sunday night. With just 10 minutes to spare before the kitchen stopped serving its regular menu, we were welcomed into Phantom Canyon and selected two great entrees: 1) fried chicken & 2) poblano pork tenderloin. I wish I'd had more of an appetite to eat more of each. The brew I ordered was cool but not nearly as tasty as their root beer. To boot, dessert didn't disappoint either in the form of Porter Ice Cream (a beer ice cream). Topping off everything was the service we received. People couldn't have been nicer at night. If you're heading to downtown Colorado, this is a must stop for any traveler.
I've been here many times so you'd think I'd give it a higher rating but I can't because the food could be better. I'm not usually a fan of brewpub beer because even the better ones can't match so of the best beers. But I do like their handpulls especially the ales. The bar is relaxed and it is comfortable place to bring the visiting family. The upstairs bar and pool tables is fun and the jukebox isn't bad either.
Err. I can't be quite as enthusiastic as the other Ben below me, but yes, this is certainly a decent establishment. I've been by twice, once with a buddy visiting from LA for a drink and an app and once with a 20 person party from work. For work they stuck us upstairs in on the "Pool Floor" (probably 15 or so pool tables) and it was a pretty good location for a work/drinking party. We ordered tons of appetizers all of which were at least Good - try the hummus it's delicious. Anyway, the beers are all okay, although I think the Hefeweizen is actually pretty good, reminds me a bit of paulaner with the banana-y notes. yum. All-in-all a good place, but just not amazing.
First of all, I'm not a beer fan, so I may be biased. But this place sincerely didn't impress me much. The food was average (selection however was horribly limited), the price fair, service good but not exceptional.
Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Lounges
Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Coffee & Tea
Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Pizza
Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Pubs
Colorado Springs, CO
Category: Restaurants
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