Crystal Park Cantina — Restaurant in Manitou Springs

The “salsa” tasted like marinara sauce… what? Never mind the Alfredo sauce monstrosity they have on the bastardized menu and them putting mashed potatoes on their allegedly authentic dishes. This is supposed to be a Mexican restaurant, not Italian or whatever they think they’re doing over here.

$19 for three tiny steak tacos and $13 and 10+ minutes for the most watery sad excuse for queso I’ve ever tasted in my life. At least it was better than the cup of pasta sauce that immediately told me this place was an actual joke😭 not to mention that the plates were still semi-encrusted with old food the kitchen couldn’t be bothered to take two seconds to scrape off.

If you couldn’t already tell by the restaurant’s responses to the very warranted (and true) bad reviews, this place is unprofessional. Not a good look. Especially considering they’ll happily serve you off-brand non-carbonated soft drinks and charge you brand price — until you point out that your soda doesn’t taste like what it’s supposed to. Only then will they reveal their scheme, which is insane, because anyone who’s ever been to an ACTUAL Mexican restaurant or even interacted with any Hispanic person knows they will always have those Coke products on deck. Not that RC Cola trickery. With the amount of money they’re making, they can afford to have name-brand, but no; customer satisfaction clearly comes second to profit maximization.

There is such an obvious lack of intention for or care to the food they’re serving. Mexican food is among some of the easiest to make, there’s no excuse for this laziness. It is actually so insane to me how this place is in business, seeing as there are plenty other good Mexican places in Springs that don’t rely on tourists’ ignorance and the majority of the population’s willingness to concede to the shenanigans they mistakenly get themselves into. The gross lack of transparency and the extreme sensitivity and projection on part of the owners is actually so insane.

This place’s continued existence is by sheer luck, I fear. The fact that I’m actually sitting here, hours later, and writing this is only testament to that — because I never...

This place was great despite the wait. We got there on a Saturday at around 5 pm. Which I would consider primetime for being busy. There really is no waiting area inside the restraunt. Everyone just sort of hangs out around the outside of this small establishment. You have to climb a set of stairs to get to the entryway. Just thought you should know this, cause not everyone can make it up a flight of stairs. This small eatery is nestled back against the foothills in Manitou Springs among the local residential areas. Parking is on either side of the road. Just make sure you're not blocking one of the neighbors' driveways. After we waited about 50 minutes, someone came out and called our name. We walked in, and we were seated on the first floor by the bar. We wanted to eat atine if the outdoor tables, but the wait would have been even longer. Our seats were not bad, though. From where we sat, you could see there was another seating area about a half a flight of stairs up. That also led to the two outdoor seating areas. After giving us a few minutes, the waitress asked what we'd like to drink. I ordered an alcoholic beverage, I can't remember the name of it, but it had wine and some hard liquor in it with salt on the rim. It wasn't a margarita, but it sure was delicious! She took our order. Then we sat and waited. It took another 40 minutes of waiting to get our food. I had the chicken burrito with their jasmine refried beans. Oh the taste was delicious. It's the best Mexican food I've had in a long time. Well worth the wait. I definitely recommend this small quaint restaurant. It's so good, and like I said we went during dinner on a Saturday night, so I'm not surprised about the wait, nor was I upset. It was well worth the wait. Our waitress was also very friendly and prompt. The prices on their menu items were actually very reasonable. The plates were around $13 and up, and yes, they had a child's menu too. Give it a try. A local favorite that...

Title: A Quaint Surprise - Crystal Park Cantina, Denver, Colorado

Review: After an invigorating hike in the Garden of the Gods, we stumbled upon Crystal Park Cantina, a charming little restaurant tucked away in the vicinity. We were instantly drawn to its quaintness and welcoming ambience, which felt like an oasis after our extensive outdoor adventure.

Stepping inside, we were greeted by a comforting interior that felt both casual and inviting, giving off an unmistakable homely vibe. However, our experience was slightly marred by the evident understaffing issue. With only one or two servers to cater to a bustling crowd, service was inevitably slow. We found ourselves waiting longer than usual for our drinks to be refilled and to catch a server's attention for additional orders.

Moving onto the food, the taste was unquestionably delightful, embodying the zest and richness we've come to associate with Mexican and Latino cuisines. However, the portion sizes were a bit disappointing, especially when considered against the relatively high pricing. We've enjoyed better value-for-money experiences in terms of taste and quantity at other establishments around Denver.

In short, Crystal Park Cantina offers a pleasant dining experience with a lovely ambience and tasty food. If hunger pangs hit after a visit to the Garden of the Gods, it can serve as a convenient stop. However, if quantity and value for money are your primary concerns, it might be worth exploring other Mexican or Latino eateries in the Colorado Springs area or even venturing towards Denver.

All things considered, while we enjoyed our time at Crystal Park Cantina, it's not a place we would necessarily return to. There are other eateries in the area that offer more satisfying experiences in terms of both quantity and price point. I hope this review is helpful for your future culinary adventures in Denver, and thank you...