Burnt Toast — Restaurant in Colorado Springs

Looking over down town Colorado Springs, this modern twist on pop meets antique will bring more than a splash of flavor to the seeming monotony of sidewalks and parking meters. Upon first glance, it's an urban hole in the wall café, but the double take of the alluring name, bright turquoise and orange lined with stainless steel begins a shocking journey of discovery for those seeking perfect gems in the Springs. Entering this quaint eatery we were engulfed by a freeing vibe of upbeat and funky dressed in breazy and beachy. The energetic staff greeted us and we were immediately sat by the window to take in the beautiful view both inside and out. The menu was overflowing with unique ideas that tempted us to order far beyond our capacity. With each item we read to eachother we gained excitement and quickly realized we may have stumbled upon a special place that would need many repeats in our future to try it all. As employees interacted, we felt welcome and at home in their genuine diversity and down to earth vibe. The food took us by surprise. A small café with antique toasters displayed along side vegetation and bright lit colors surely wouldn't have a 5 start upscale chef working in the back? Or could they? From the drinks to the main course, fine dining presentation, layers upon layers of perfectly paired flavors, the moisture of the meat, the gluten free vegan green chili that snuck in a spice of life in each bite, the sweet and savory blend from the light pico atop a smothered burger to sugar spiced sweet potato fries, and the huevos rancheros to die for. Everything was perfectly cooked, beautifully seasoned, and so thoughtfully plated. A quick tour upstairs and we could see they didn't miss a detail in keeping the flow. I wouldn't have been shocked to find a $100 - $150 bill as our experience neared the end. However, I was yet again met with the unexpected positive energy here as the bill was delivered. Down to earth and positive in every way. I simply can not rate this place...

My wife suggested this place after hearing the word from several of her clients and I enjoy supporting local joints. We tend to venture out and try new places. On this Sunday we tried Burnt Toast. Cool place decor was on point with their display of some vintage toasters. Service for such a small place was ok. Menu small but still a variety of options.

Now the reason for the two stars….first we we sat at table as the host was wiping it down- the chair next to my wife still had spilled coffee on it…not thoroughly cleaned. We ordered the “Shark Tank” which we were looking forward to, being we are parents and didn’t have our little one with us and it’s happy hour somewhere it seemed to be a popular drink that is definitely meant to be shared. My wife noticed a clump of hair towards the middle of our make shift fish bowl of a drink that was stuck to some ice (I can only assume it may have been do to the ice maker being dirty or it could have been an accident) we brought it to the attention to one of the employees who responded “oh it had to be this one” not exact words…he kindly took it away. I overheard him talking to another employee mentioning the drink should be compensated (which they compted 10% off our total) what bothered me was there was no immediate response or apology. Fine whatever.

We got our food my wife ordered a granola now which look fine and taste ok according to my wife. I ordered “The Mess” as I interpreted the menu was supposed to be a yellow curry with scramble eggs home fried potatoes Basil cheese avocado poblano peppers and sausage. What I got was a egg and potato bowl with peppers - no curry no cheese - the curry was just yellow curry powder sprinkled to pass as actual curry….just pure laziness don’t put yellow curry on the menu if you don’t intend to make it. Will I give it a second….chance...

The service was absolutely horrendous by the hostess (which we later learned was the manager - YIKES). As we waited, we would hear her provide inconsistent wait times to each person, even if the party size was the same. Two men were waiting for a table (apparently they requested a table upstairs) and she was very brash in telling them how ridiculously long that wait would be. A group of three were about to be seated and she cut two of them off to get to the table so noticeably the man looked at the other person following him and said "omg, did you see that?". She stood at hostess station with an unlit cigarette and lighter in hand, which for a restaurant (even if you're not handling food) is disgusting and unprofessional. We requested to speak to a manager and unfortunately she came over so I asked if another team of management was available or would be available and she said she was here daily and provided no other options. We later found out an Assistant Manager was on shift upstairs and spoke to her. In addition the bartender was bragging on how much in tips were being made from alochol sales, which maybe shouldn't be discussed within earshot of customers?? A spill was left on the floor for our entire stay and one server slipped in it and told other staff members, but nobody bothered to clean it. We surely will not return. Food-wise ‐ there was tajin in all three waters, but quickly handled. The coffee was burnt and there weren't many fun coffee options, which is kind of uncommon for a breakfast place. The "fries" (actually small potatoes) were not fresh and tasted like oil. Bacon was BURNT. Meat was cold on another meal ordered. What a disappointment as we love local restaurants and...