Evergreen restaurant — Restaurant in Colorado Springs

*Owner response perfectly encapsulates my critique A façade of excellence with the prices and attitude to match. I don’t take giving a mediocre review lightly to a new venue, but this is was a frustrating establishment to experience. Located in the old La’au’s location near Colorado College, the new ownership has done a fantastic job in renovating the space and creating a solid European atmosphere both inside and on their vast patio. Menu at first glance is exciting from an offering standpoint until you see the prices and actually experience the dishes. We tried a number of breakfast lunch items at the table, but my wife and I tried the omelette and crepes with salmon along with coffee and tea. Presentation was illusory and they clearly spent a pretty penny on dinnerware and glassware.

My omelette was more like a frittata as it was quite browned, dry and not tender like a typical French preparation. The accompanying toast and side salad were fine. but I was still hungry and for the price I was hoping to be a bit more satiated (I didn’t realize I could have chosen some hash browns and wasn’t given options by the server). The salmon crepes were.decontructed and bland, the paltry amount of salmon and again relatively small size to price ratio just did not match up.

I inquired about the coffee and was told they have it shipped across the world which was a big red flag as that indicates it is anything but fresh. Anyone who knows coffee understands time, oxidation, humidity and temperature are the enemy and you have very little relative time to brew roasted beans before their quality diminishes significantly. With so many great local roasters in town that could deliver a far superior product it was surprising considering the charter of quality they profess and the amount of money they spent on good brewing equipment. Along those lines the drink pricing borders on highway robbery. I didn’t get the receipt as our friends were buying our meals but as I recall it was around $8.00 for each brewed beverage, which is lunacy for what we received. This is where the ownership arrogance starts to come through and get the better of them. Service was a bit slow and cold, which could actually work with the theme if everything else was top notch as that is very European.

Before leaving I took a closer look at the dinner menu and was a pretty surprised to see a plate of spaghetti with meat sauce for $24.00, a 4 cheese flat bread for $21.00 and Carbonara for $23.00. Those prices are literally 30-40%% higher than you would pay in Rome or Florence for a superior dish (and that includes tip…).

When our friends received the check they exhibited disappointment with the overall cost vs what we had received. We collectively agreed while the feel of this establishment hits the target the food, drink, service and associated cost do not currently measure up. We travelled through Europe in some of the more expensive cities this summer and experienced multiple bistro’s like they are trying to emulate here and spent a fraction of what they are charging here in Colorado Springs with execution that was significantly better and dish quantities that didn’t leave us wanting.

I thought it might be a great place to sit on the deck and grab a glass of wine or aperitif in the late afternoon before heading to a dinner destination, but we won't will be rushing back for a meal anytime soon, especially after the sarcastic response from ownership. You can do so much better in the...

Part 1 REVIEW . We have visited this restaurant twice, and both experiences were negative enough to warn others.

The first issue: we were double charged on our credit card. When we called repeatedly during business hours to resolve it, no one answered. The only way to fix it was to go through our credit card company and force a reversal. That should tell you everything you need to know about how they operate.

The second issue: the food is grossly overpriced for the quality. But worse than that, when you raise a concern during dining, the owners — who also work the floor — become instantly defensive, rude, and retaliatory. They don’t just ignore feedback, they attack the messenger.

Many people, ourselves included, try to give restaurants the benefit of the doubt. But when customer service crosses the line into hostility, that goodwill disappears. We’ve eaten everywhere from strip-mall hole-in-the-wall gems to Michelin-star restaurants, and the one thing they all have in common is a willingness to listen. Evergreen is the rare exception: they treat customer feedback as a personal insult.

It’s worth noting that even the best restaurants — the ones with excellent food, service, and reputation — statistically fail within a few years. When you have a restaurant like this, with inflated prices, defensive ownership, and open hostility toward customers, the outcome feels inevitable.

Be warned — if you criticize them, expect retaliation, not resolution. Based on our direct experience, this is not just poor service, it’s a recipe for disaster.

We are ourselves in the hospitality business and we know how hard it is to be successful but - the customer is always right !

Part 2 , Edit 1 : ( addendum to review, rebuttal to owners response ) Your response contains several inaccuracies that don’t reflect our actual experience at your restaurant . “We never received any calls from you” — This is demonstrably false. Multiple calls were placed during business hours, and no one answered. We were left with no option but to dispute the charge with our credit card company. If you truly “resolve issues on the spot,” then why didn’t anyone answer the phone? “The owners do not work in the restaurant” — Another misrepresentation. The very people serving and interacting with us identified themselves as the owners. When we raised concerns, they responded in a defensive, hostile, and retaliatory manner. To now claim the owners weren’t present is simply dishonest. ( Or even worse… if the owners response is true : then the staff here are identifying themselves as owners ) “Our menu is online and guests can choose other options” — This completely sidesteps the issue. Yes, the prices are listed — we are not dumb. What is appalling is the total discrepancy between the prices and the dismal quality of the food served. The problem wasn’t just cost, but the combination of poor-quality food, mishandled transactions, and openly hostile treatment when feedback was provided. When I order a MacDonalds quarter pounder - I get a quarter pounder. When I order a 6 oz filet at Del Frisco - I get a 6 oz filet. Not here !

Finally, we are posting the owners’ response here because they have a tendency to quietly revise or delete their bombastic replies after the fact. Guests should pay close attention to how the owners choose to respond to criticism — that alone gives you a very clear preview of the kind of “service”...

IF I COULD PUT 0 STARS I WOULD. Never have I ever been treated with such disregard and disrespect. The lady who served me was treated me like I was homeless and had no right to be in the restaurant. My husband and I are from out of town. We drove up for our anniversary and we're so excited to try these fruit pastries that were featured on the menu however I had no idea what would come next. The minute the walked into the restaurant we were judged and asked if we were here to buy the fruit pastries. We said yea and she said only two. Thats all I will sell you. She came off rather rude but we didn't mind we understand everyone has busy and hard days so we continued to be kind to her. I then told her I would like to have the raspberry fruit pastry and the pumpkin one. She had 3 pumpkin ones left and one was without a stem. She grabbed the one without the stem and put it in the box. I figured since we drove all this way might as well have the one with the stem but I guess that was too much to ask. When I asked for the other one the lady snapped at me telling that she reserved that for "PAYING PATRONS" I couldn't believe she would act so petty over something so small. I had been nothing but kind and was asking something so small but she blew it out of proportion completely. We were paying customers too paid 22 dollars but i guess i had to spend 100 to make it count. She glared at me the whole time i checked out and didnt even say thank you or come again as she handed us the box. She just gave us the box and took off to handle more important customers. If you come to this restaurant I hope you're prepared to be disrespected and shamed if you don't choose to dine in. I wouldn't wish the expirence I had today in the restaurant in my worst enemy. After this incident took place I was so in shock and sick to my stomach by how rude this server was I couldn't even eat my pastries. I cried for an hour in my car feeling so hurt that someone could treat someone with such disgust. If the person who treated me that way is reading this I hope you realize just how sick of person you are and you choose to be better. I hope whoever was serving me today gets the day the truly deserve. Thank you for ruining my entire evening over something so small. And anyone else reading this i hope you take this as a hint to what kind of business they run and how they treat their...