Copper Kitchen Pizzeria — Restaurant in Black Hawk

An Unforgettable and Deeply Disappointing Dining Experience

Recently, my wife, sister-in-law, and a few friends and I went out to a restaurant for what we hoped would be an enjoyable evening. Although the food took around 30 minutes to arrive and some of the orders were incorrect we didn’t complain. We simply sat, ate, and enjoyed each other’s company.

After our meal, while waiting to pay, I stepped outside for a few minutes to admire the beautiful mountain scenery and surrounding town. When I returned, I went to retrieve my card and rejoined my group. While we were talking, a police officer walked in, greeted us with “Hi guys,” and stood by the door. We didn’t think much of it until four more officers entered and began blocking the exits.

Shortly after, the officer who had approached the cashier returned to our table and asked, “Who paid for the meal?” I told him I did. He then stated that the restaurant owner had reported the card used to pay was stolen.

I was shocked. I calmly explained that the card was mine, and it had my name on it. The officer asked for my ID, which I provided. Upon returning to the cashier, he confirmed that the name on the card matched my ID confirming I had done nothing wrong.

The confusion stemmed from a recent situation involving my bank. Due to fraudulent activity over $2,000 being scammed the bank had advised my wife and me to close our cards. Bank of America issued new ones, and unfortunately, both the debit and credit cards are the same color, which likely led to the wrong card being flagged and blocked by mistake.

This entire situation could have been easily resolved with a simple, respectful approach. For example, the staff could have come to our table and discreetly asked for ID to verify the card a basic act of customer service. Instead, they chose to escalate it by involving law enforcement.

What made it more troubling was the presence of five police officers for a card verification issue. It felt excessive and, frankly, humiliating. I couldn’t help but wonder: would this have happened if we looked different? Was this reaction based on our appearance, our complexion?

I was raised in a Christian home and have never been accused of theft in my life. I’ve worked hard to build a good name in my community one known for honesty, respect, and integrity. To be falsely accused in such a public and dramatic manner was not only embarrassing, it was deeply hurtful. To make matters worse, after realizing the mistake, the restaurant attempted to offer two slices of cheesecake as an apology. I do not accept handouts. I’ve always worked for what I want and take pride in earning everything I have. And after being disrespected in such a way, I would never feel comfortable eating anything else from that establishment. As my parents and grandparents used to say, “Trouble doesn’t set like rain” meaning you don’t always see it coming, but it can hit you suddenly and unexpectedly. Had we known we weren’t welcome, we would have simply taken our business elsewhere. But to sit, enjoy a meal peacefully, and then have five police officers show up over a card that belonged to me was completely uncalled for. This experience has left a lasting impact on me not just because of the accusation, but because of how easily a situation can escalate, even when you’ve done...

A new spot with potential, but not quite there yet

I had high hopes for this new pizza place — the space looked promising, and I was excited to give it a try. Unfortunately, the experience fell short.

I ordered a simple one-topping pepperoni pizza, and while it wasn’t bad, it wasn’t anything special either. The crust and sauce were fine but lacked character, and the overall flavor just didn’t stand out. The staff seemed a bit disorganized, and the atmosphere felt more like a diner than a cozy pizzeria.

The biggest disappointment, though, was the price. I spent about $33 for a single pepperoni pizza and one beer, more if you include tip lol — with the beer alone priced at $8.25. At those prices, it’s going to be hard for this place to build a loyal following, especially when there are already plenty of great pizza options nearby offering more value.

To top it off, after I paid, they mentioned they offer a local discount — but then said they couldn’t apply it because the payment had already gone through. A small thing, but it added to the overall feeling that the place just isn’t running smoothly yet.

I really wanted to like it, and maybe they’ll find their stride with time — but for now, it’s hard to justify a...

The pizza was good, but that was the only positive.

The service was rough. It was like they had no table numbers, so when food came out they just walked around asking if this was your pizza. Tables ended up with other tables orders, it was chaos.

The wait time was insanely long. Like 20-30 min for appetizers and over an hour for pizza. The crazy thing is, the restaurant was only like 15% full.

Somehow, someone else paid our check, and it took forever for them to figure out what to do. After being there for way too long waiting for our food, this was unacceptable. Our waitress blamed it on another waitress in front of my mom, which was wild.

Honestly, the whole thing was a Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsey vibe. I doubt they will have any repeat business. Also, $36 for 12 wings is...