Stagecoach Inn Restaurant: Manitou Springs, CO

The Stagecoach Inn in Manitou Springs, Colorado was purportedly an old stage stop and later an inn. However, other reports say that it was built in 1881 and served as the summer cottage of Helen Hunt Jackson, author of "Ramona," poet, and activist. It was the first electric company in Manitou Springs and was also the location of the Manitou Springs Journal.

Today the Stagecoach Inn is a restaurant with a main dining room, and two decks overlooking a babbling creek. The fare served there is western themed in nature and includes such unique specialties as buffalo steak and buffalo pot roast. They have a good selection of steaks, fish, and down home favorites such as smoked turkey, smoked pork loin, and chicken fried steak.

Unfortunately my family did not have a great experience at this historic eatery. We asked to be seated outdoors, but there was no covered seating for five people, so we were seated at a table that was not covered, which was fine until it started to sprinkle. This was no one's fault. We just moved to a table indoors.

Once inside we were switched to a different server. She took our orders and brought the Stagecoach Strongbox appetizer, which we had ordered. The appetizer had fried mushrooms, fried zucchini, mozzarella sticks, and onion rings: four of each. They were steaming hot and good. Then our waitress returned with some biscuits which were delicious, but not that hot and that seemed to be the theme for our meal.

It did not take too long for the ordered meals to arrive unfortunately they were not hot. The smoked pork loin my father ordered was almost ice cold and did not taste like it was smoked. It was a bit like pressed meat. Certainly it was not worth the $12.99 we were charged.

I had a small sirloin, which had good flavor, but was a little on the tough side and yes, it was cold. The only thing on my plate that was hot enough was the baked potato and it was actually the highlight of my meal. Again, I did not think it was a $16 meal.

My mother had the Trout Almondine with rice pilaf and steamed vegetables. Both her trout and her rice were just lukewarm. The taste was good, but charging $12.99 for it was a stretch.

During this meal debacle our waitress was nowhere to be found. When we finally located her and my father sent his pork back to be warmed up we thought it was never coming back. By the time it made its way back to the table everyone else was finished eating, which made my father feel like he had to rush.

All in all it was a very unenjoyable meal with food that was not hot, poor service, and an $80 price tag.