The Burrowing Owl, Colorado Springs

According to Wikipedia, the burrowing owl is a small, long-legged owl found throughout open landscapes of North and South America. It is one of only two owls that are social, hence the name of this cute, new, vegan bar in Colorado Springs called The Burrowing Owl! With such a cute name, how could anyone pass up the chance to eat and have drinks at the Burrowing Owl?!

The inside of this place had so much character. The tables were shellacked slabs of wood with big wood benches and there was a hodgepodge of differently colored barstools at the bar. The drink menu is extensive with everything from cocktails in jars, shots, shots, wine, and beer. Me and my friends tried a couple of cocktails. I went for an odd one -- Squash Yo Beef! It was made with Benchmark Bourbon, Squash, Cayenne, and Agave Nectar. The squash made it interesting. The best drink we had was The Mother made with Benchmark Whiskey, Apple Cider Vinegar, and Agave Syrup; oh, and a cute big ice cube. Delish!

The menu is simple bar food with many items being a variation on others. Everything is vegan so no worries here. One of my friends is allergic to soy, gluten, and many other things. I was so impressed with how nice one of the owners was in trying to identify what she could eat. We started with the Dips with Seasonal Vegetables. This came with watermelon radishes, purple beans, pears, and carrots with kale walnut dip, spicy peanut dip, and white bean rosemary dip. I loved the kale and white bean dips the best. There was also a lovely jalapeno jam!

After that, I orders The Slopper. This was an open-faced sloppy joe made with beans, chili, relish, queso, mayo and red onions. It was bar food and I enjoyed it.

My friend got The Messy Sloppy - yet another sloppy joe with Worcestershire mayo, pickles, queso, and slaw on a gluten-free bun.

My friend with the allergies had a wonderful Potato Soup.

More than anything though, it was the fun atmosphere and being in a vegan bar with friends that made the night. Other options include nachos, salad, tacos, and burritos. When I asked why the menu wasn't posted, they said they were still trying to figure out what to keep as they were still new. Everything is around $5-$8, even the drinks, so you really can't go wrong.

The Burrowing Owl
1791 S. 8th Street
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
(719) 434-3864

Adam's Mountain Cafe, Colorado Springs

Beautiful Colorado Springs, Colorado -- the land of mountains and crisp, clear skies. Unfortunately, it is not the land of vegan restaurants or even vegan options! I had to reach far and wide to find them and Adam's Mountain Cafe was one of my best finds.

Nestled in a stone lodge, was a quaint, warm restaurant. With a very old-school feel, the restaurant's decor was cabin-like with large wood beams across the ceiling and old-school wood furnishings. Me and my friend were seated near the bar. We were warned that Adam's is all about slow food rather than fast food -- real food cooked slowly. That sounds like my cup of tea. The warning came from someone who was insinuating that it may take a long time to eat there. But, it actually didn't.

I started with the Tree Line Martini made with small batch whiskey, Three Pins Alpine Herb Liquor, fresh lemon, house ginger simple syrup, and bitters. It was good, but not fantastic.

For dinner, there were a few items marked as vegan on their small menu like a spicy curry. I went with one of the "favorites" -- the Sengalese Vegetables. This dish was huge. Served over udon noodles was a mix of snow peas, carrots, onions, celery, cauliflower, and potatoes in a thick peanut sauce. And I added sesame crusted tofu. I found it to be very, very filling and a good hearty meal, but there was a bit too much peanut sauce. I think it needed some fresh herbs for some oomph.

Where this restaurant really shined though was with its dessert menu!  A menu that changes regularly is printed on a blackboard. There were three vegan options on this day including a rice pudding. But, I ordered the Vanilla Bean Cake because it looked most interesting. The super moist vanilla cake was topped with a lavender anglais and served with cashew cream ice cream. It was spectacular!

All in all, of the few options in Colorado Springs, this is one of the best. The main dish was filling and fresh and the dessert was truly spectacular. The service was so-so as the restaurant was very busy. And the prices were high with my main dish being $18 alone. With two drinks, a main dish, and a dessert, my total with tip was about $60.  But, hey, that's what you get in this small mountain town. I'd recommend giving it a try if you are in the hood.

Adam's Mountain Cafe
26 Manitou Avenue
Manitou Springs, CO 80829
(719) 685-1430