Why Colorado Springs Is a Brunch Town

Ask anyone who has lived here a while and they will tell you, Colorado Springs is a morning kind of city.

Between the hikers heading out before sunrise, the military families running on early schedules, and the afternoon storms that roll in most summer days, locals have learned to make the most of their mornings. And nothing rewards an early start quite like a good brunch.

Here are my go to spots for a slow morning done right.

Downtown Favorites

Two spots worth building a Saturday morning around, both just steps from each other downtown.

●503W | 503 W Colorado Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80905:

Housed in what used to be the Dutch Mill Tavern, this Asian fusion gastropub has been a west side staple since 2014. The open kitchen lets you watch the chefs work while you wait, and weekend brunch runs Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. until just before 2 p.m., late enough for an actual lazy morning. Order the buttermilk biscuit benedict piled with ham, avocado, and poached eggs, or the pork belly hash if you want something heartier. Save room for the goat cheese shrimp cakes, and do not skip a bloody mary from the bar, it has built its own following separate from the food.

●Odyssey Gastropub | 311 N Tejon St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903:

Tucked into a cozy, exposed brick space on Tejon Street, Odyssey built its reputation on a globally inspired menu that does not take itself too seriously, right down to the map printed tabletops. The signature brunch dish is a cornmeal and bacon waffle topped with buttermilk fried chicken, hatch chili peach jam, hot honey, and bourbon maple syrup, sweet, spicy, and completely worth the mess. Bottomless mimosas make it an easy pick for a birthday brunch or a slow Sunday with friends. It is locally owned, right down to the happy hour specials that run seven days a week.

Classic Local Favorites

The old reliables locals have counted on for years.

●Jose Muldoon's | 222 N Tejon St, Colorado Springs, CO 80903:

A Colorado Springs institution since 1974, Jose Muldoon's has been serving Tex Mex out of downtown Tejon Street for more than five decades. Sunday brunch here comes with a built in perk, three dollar house margaritas with the purchase of any brunch entree, served from eleven to two. The breakfast burrito, stuffed with eggs, chorizo, and potatoes and smothered in green chile, is the dish locals order on repeat. If you want something different, the breakfast enchiladas and tamales both come loaded with that same green chile locals swear by.

●Good Neighbors Meeting House | 505 Columbia St, Colorado Springs, CO 80907:

This neighborhood cafe sits on the corner of Columbia and Corona, right in the heart of the Patty Jewett neighborhood, and it lives up to its name. The bacon avocado waffle has become the dish people specifically cross town for, and the green onion waffle topped with queso fresco is not far behind. Five rotating taps pour beer from Colorado Springs breweries like Red Leg and Goat Patch, so brunch can easily turn into an afternoon. The patio sits next to a small playground, making it one of the more genuinely kid friendly brunch spots on this list.

Iris Insight 💡

I always tell relocation clients, the brunch scene here is one of the fastest ways to get a feel for a neighborhood. Sit at a busy local spot on a Saturday morning and you will see exactly who your future neighbors might be.

A Brunch Worth Getting Dressed Up For

For when you want to turn brunch into a full morning event, not just a quick stop.

●The Broadmoor Lakeside Terrace | 1 Lake Ave, Colorado Springs, CO 80906:

The Lake Terrace Dining Room's Sunday brunch has been a Broadmoor tradition since around 1970, when it started as a single buffet line priced at about six dollars. Today it has grown into twelve chef attended stations, including a raw bar and a carving station with slow roasted prime rib, all served alongside a pianist and views of Cheyenne Lake. This is the brunch locals mention when they want to impress an out of town guest or mark something worth celebrating. Reservations are required and the dress code is dressy resort attire, but regulars will tell you it is worth planning around.

An Unexpected Setting

Proof that a great brunch spot does not have to look like a typical restaurant.

●Patty Jewett Clubhouse | 900 E Espanola St, Colorado Springs, CO 80907:

Built in 1898, Patty Jewett is the third oldest public golf course west of the Mississippi, and its clubhouse has been serving food with a view since 1910. The lobster benedict is the dish people talk about most, though the chicken fried steak and eggs has its own loyal following. Grab a patio table and you can watch golfers come up the eighteenth hole with Pikes Peak and Cheyenne Mountain framing the whole scene. It is proof that some of the best brunch in Colorado Springs does not come with a downtown zip code.

Iris Insight 💡

Out of town guests are always surprised by how many of our best brunch spots come with a view, whether it is a golf course, a lake, or the mountains themselves. It says something about how this city thinks about mornings, they are meant to be enjoyed, not rushed through.

Why This Says Something About Life Here

A city's brunch scene tells you a lot about its pace of life. Here, mornings are not something to rush through on the way to somewhere else, they are the main event. Slow coffee, good company, and a table with a view.

If that kind of unhurried Saturday morning sounds like the life you are picturing, I would love to help you find your place here. Reach out anytime.