Gastronomes shall not live on great restaurants alone. Sometimes, our souls need to be fed, too. Few cities can accomplish both feeding our bodies and nurturing our souls as well as Colorado Springs, a city of incomparable beauty and endless outdoors opportunities. As a “foodie” destination, WalletHub ranked the city 70th overall from among 180 major U.S. cities (Albuquerque ranked 49th). In terms of diversity, accessibility and quality, the Springs ranked 63rd nationally. For affordability, it ranked 79th, indicating dining out and food-related costs are slightly higher than average. Colorado Springs has a rapidly expanding independent culinary scene, food trucks and craft breweries vying for guests with major chain restaurants which comprise 37% of all the cities eateries.
It surprised me to learn that Colorado Springs has never an official James Beard Foundation finalist or winner, though two local chefs have reached the semifinalist stage (and that was back in 2020). Most recently, one restaurant (Four by Brother Luck) earned a “recommended” designation from Michelin. While the prestige of Michelin and the James Beard Foundation may have bypassed Colorado Springs, you probably won’t find a more passionate local base who would put the cities up against any other city’s best restaurants. You won’t have to look far to find lists of exceptional eateries. Springsmag, for example, published a list of the 30 best restaurants in the city. I tend to take such lists with a grain of salt, relying instead on first-hand accounts by the network of food writers I’ve developed.
While neither the James Beard Foundation or Michelin seem to think much of the Colorado Springs dining scene, the Food Network–particularly Guy Fieri–appears to have a very high opinion of the city. Fieri’s flagship Food Network program Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives has visited seven Colorado Springs restaurants. Additionally, several of the city’s restaurants have participated in other Food Network shows. In 2014, Chef Eric Brenner won an episode of Guy’s Grocery Games, taking home an $18,000 grand prize then relocating to Colorado Springs where he launched Red Gravy. The mother-and-son owners of The Skirted Heifer, a highly rated local burger joint, appeared on the show’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives Family Reunion Tournament. After winning their initial round, they advanced to compete in the tournament’s finale.
Though it hasn’t appeared on any Food Network show, one restaurant consistently at or near the top of Colorado Springs’ restaurant rankings and first-person accounts is Shuga’s, a term which most commonly means sugar, spelled phonetically or used as a slang term of endearment. Shuga’s was founded in 2001 and is housed in a restored historic 1910 grocery store. Shuga’s was founded by a Pacific Northwest transplant who wanted to create a neighborhood hangout with great coffee, creative food, and cocktails that simply “kick ass.” The evolution from coffee shop to highly regarded hangout happened organically with the addition of paninis and salads. The real kicker, however, was Shuga’s spicy Brazilian coconut shrimp soup, a soup locals regard as an institution, a legend.
It’s pretty apparent the genesis of and inspiration for Shuga’s is the Pacific Northwest’s hipster culture. Take a gander at other tables and you’ll espy diners who don’t necessarily subscribe to mainstream culture and prefer “alternative fashions.” It’s reminiscent of Taos in the 1970s. Shuga’s menu of adult beverages centers around craft cocktails such as the beet shrub and ginger beer my Kim fell in love with. It didn’t even give her a buzz as other options might have, but she’s a teetotaler. Even if you don’t imbibe alcoholic beverages, the bar menu will bring a smile to your face with cleverly named drinks.
Diners will smile, too, at a menu as refreshing and interesting as any. Though not specifically listed as “starters” or “appetizers,” the first page of the menu includes charcuterie board type assemblages as the Mediterranean Fare (olive tapenade, hummus, goat cheese, grilled pita) and Mully’s Picnic (cured meats and cheeses. cumin-spiked cashews. berry-guava jam, roasted grape, English toffee, cornichons, grilled baguette). Six different bruschetta toast options are also on that first page as are several shareable plates. Soup, salad and sandwiches take up the second page of the menu.
Sunday brunch featured an irresistible sandwich and soup pairing. My sandwich choice is called Nũ Cao Bối and though it’s pronounced “new cowboy,” it actually translates from Vietnamese to “cowgirl.” Go figure. This Vietnamese banh mi-inspired creation served on French bread features a distinct blend of fresh and savory ingredients: lemongrass chicken, pickled carrots, jalapeños, radishes, cilantro, mint, greens, garlic aioli and nước chấm (Vietnamese dipping sauce). In my 39 years on Planet Earth, I’ve probably devoured eight-million or so banh mi. Although they’re invariably delicious, protein portions on banh mi are penurious. Not so with this gourmet twist on a banh mi. The lemongrass pork is plentiful and thick. So were the veggies with radishes providing an interesting addition. The tangy moistness of the nước chấm paired with the pungency of the garlic aioli to give the sandwich flavors so reminiscent of the best banh mi you’ve ever had.
Speaking of the best you’ve ever had, ask denizens of Colorado Springs what the best soup in the city is and a popular choice will be Shuga’s spicy Brazilian coconut shrimp soup (shrimp, jalapeño, ginger, coconut, peanut, cilantro, lime, black sesame). This enchanting elixir is renowned for its complexity and layering of comforting flavors. It’s essentially a restaurant-specific elevated take on traditional Brazilian moqueca-style (traditional Brazilian seafood stew) flavors. The soup delivers a distinctive blend of rich, creamy, zesty, and fiery notes in a balanced and absolutely delicious manner. Rich velvety coconut milk broth gives the soup its sweet, tropical undertone and thick consistency while plump, firm shrimp lend a light ocean saltiness.
My Kim’s sandwich choice was Shuga’s vaunted Cuban mojo (roasted pork shoulder, black forest ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickle, mustard grilled on French bread. The bright, tangy and garlicky Cuban mojo marinade features fresh garlic and citrus juice (likely sour orange). The garlic is especially prominent. The recommended “insider tip” is to dunk the Cuban Mojo sandwich directly into the aforementioned coconut-shrimp soup before taking a bite to let the citrusy, savory pork juices mingle with the sweet, spicy coconut broth. Instead of soup, my Kim had a Mykonos sunbath (watermelon, marinated tomato, cucumber, feta, kalamata olive, red onion, parsley, pita bread, Greek dressing). Both the sandwich and the salad were outstanding, one of those made in kitchen heaven. That salad alone would have made for a great meal. The sandwich was among the very best Cuban sandwiches we’ve ever had.
There are only three desserts on the menu: almond butter cake, chocolate double diablo and key lime pie. As a bona fide chocoholic, it was a no-brainer for my Kim. The chocolate double diablo is a no-nonsense brownie-like chocolate cake baked inside a thick jacket of rich chocolate ganache with a minimal amount of flour and ground almond/almond flour to keep it fudge-like rather than spongy. The key lime pie has a bold, sharp tartness with a classic citrus bite–punchy and true to real key lime flavor. Both desserts were terrific.
While its eclectic, retro atmosphere and famous spicy Brazilian coconut shrimp soup make it feel like the exact kind of funky spot you would see on a show like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Shuga’s has not actually made an appearance on the channel. It’s about time it garnered national recognition!
Shuga’s
702 South Cascade Avenue
Colorado Springs, Colorado
(719) 328-1412
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LATEST VISIT: 4 October 2026
# OF VISITS: 1
RATING: N/R
COST: $$$
BEST BET: Key Lime Pie, Double Diablo Cake, Cuban Mojo, Mykonos Sunbath, Nu Cao Boi, Spicy Brazilian Coconut Shrimp Soup
REVIEW #1555