Shuga’s

This is an old house that has been converted into a restaurant. I was very skeptical at first as we sat on the patio and it was not very well maintained. The tables were dirty and there was random junk sitting around everywhere. However, the food and service was good. I had the Greek salad which was interesting as it did not have any lettuce and my husband had the Cuban.

So glad to have found this Colorado Springs gem! Thanks, Unilocalers. Last time I was in town we gorged on butter burgers and Culver’s after a hike, which was delicious, but Shuga’s is way better.
Walking in late afternoon on a Saturday there was plenty of room on the back patio. My friend and I must’ve just missed the lunch crowd. We were seated right away and ordered a pitcher of white sangria. Refreshing as heck on a hot summer day.
Sitting outside allowed for plenty of dog watching. We encountered a half Great Dane, half Lab mix as well as a shepherd with blue eyes and a little puppy. So cute. Even if you don’t have a dog you can get your pets in anywhere in Colorado.
For food, I had the phelleni = basil pesto. tomato. goat cheese. grilled on rosemary bread with a mykonos greek salad on the side. The sandwich was really, really good but the salad? Amazing. I could’ve drank the dressing all by itself, but that’d be kinda gross in public so I opted to dip my leftover bread in the ramekin instead.
Between the unique décor, a well rounded menu and very nice service, I would go back to Shuga’s anytime. Hike or no hike, it’s a destination eatery worth revisiting.

Wonderful atmosphere, the staff was very attentive during a busy Friday night. I will be back for sure sooner than later.
Kevin H.

I’ve gone back several times and have decided to upgrade my Shuga’s review to five stars. It’s really very good. Check it out.

The food and atmosphere make Shuga’s one of my favorite restaurants in the Springs! Their bruschetta, spicy shrimp soup, and sangria should not be missed.

I had bookmarked this place because of all the great reviews. I was a little worried — we had sat out back and there is all kinds of stuff that has been left out back — like a piano just sitting there in the grass. However, we had a nice lunch and everyone in our party loved their food. We just wish it had been a nicer view. I had the salmon bruschetta and it was amazing. The people in our party that had sandwiches and salads and they loved them. The side order of mac n cheese was a big hit.

Absolutely amazing! You must try a glass of the rose. I ordered the Vancouver and it was delicious! My friend got the onion, feta, and tomato quiche with the Cajun coconut shrimp soup. I tried both and it was all impeccable! The service was also amazing! Highly recommend sitting on the patio.

Amazing staff!!! Amazing food! Joe was awesome! Great atmosphere and very helpful with other recommendations for things to see!!!

Great little brunch spot. An old house converted into a bar with a small kitchen and limited but quality menu. Very hipster.
Best Mac and Cheese I’ve ever had!!! That is all.

I thought Shuga was just OK. It is a small quirky little place with its own personality. I am sure they have a big fan base that knows what to expect. Based on the reviews, I assumed it would be great.
I reviewed the menu on Unilocal and decided to go with my daughter. First thing we discover is the menu on Unilocal is not accurate. The actual selection was much more limited. And the specific item we wanted was not available. Bummer. So we settled for a sandwich and pita. Both servings were rather puny and no sides.
So, I think OK is a fair rating from me. Nothing stood out as bad. And I know many of my friends would probably love a little place like this.

Gave one star just for the look of the place…
Fiancé and I walked in the front, sat down at the bar and were never acknowledged by any employee. The employees behind the bar looked at us, and then proceeded to talk amongst each other and work on various things. One employee even walked outside to the front, gave a lady some menus and then walked right past us and started talking to his friends sitting next to us at the bar. We left after 10 minutes. It wasn’t busy, plenty of open tables and employees standing behind the bar/​in the kitchen…
When we were leaving, another group of people were walking in. We ended up seeing them walking into another restaurant as we parked. Guess they had the same experience.
I can’t comment on the food, never got the service to try it. If we are ever back in Colorado Springs, we probably won’t go back. Everyone there that was given even a meniscal amount of service seemed to be enjoying themselves though…

I love this place. Great outdoor seating options and a small but fantastic food menu. Their Brazilian coconut soup is really good and so are the sandwiches. It’s such a lovely place to spend summer evenings. The service is prompt and courteous though it could be a tad bit more friendlier. I’ve been to this place a dozen or so times but somehow it still feels a little foreign perhaps it’s the impersonal service.
Anyways great place. You should definitely check it out.

This is a place I regularly visit for brunch or dinner. The restaurant/​bar has that vibe which can accommodate both times and each be a unique experience. The design and randomness of the place makes it an adventure in of itself. I usually order one of their lemonades, along with their quiche of the day.
If you’re looking for some spirits, their bartenders are young and fun; best of all, they CAN make great drinks!

Shugas. I found this place on here and was really stoked to try it out. Here is the short and long of this review:
Atmosphere/​/​ambiance: good overall! Really cute, divy hipster pad not even 5 minutes from downtown. CO Springs.
Food: bruschetta on point — we had the apple&brie, classic tomato & mozz, and salmon with capers. All were delicious. Would highly recommend. They bring it on a tray with four large pieces that we split between six of us. My husband got the roast beef and said it was probably one of the worst he’s ever had. He said the meat was very dried out and would never recommend it to anyone. He also had the jalepeno bacon mac & cheese and loved that ((redemption)). I must have hit the home run because my turkey BLT still has my mouth watering. Highly recommend.
Service: our waitress was ok. She had very little personality and wasn’t too friendly, which is surprising for someone who use to do hair. However, these hipster places don’t normally provide the best service. She was great at refilling our water though, we can say that much.
Also– we were originally seated outside and there was an extremely drunk table behind us. I was embarrassed for them. Their conversation was not only loud but extremely inappropriate that it was disturbing our meal. My husband went in and requested we be sat inside. The manager took care of that without a blink of an eye asking another couple to move to accommodate our party of six. It was very sweet and we are thankful for it. :)
Overall: good experience, stay away from the roast beef and don’t expect the waitress to smile at you.

We grabbed some drinks here one night while we were visiting family and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. It is a pretty small place with a long bar and some tables and chairs to the left of it. The restaurant’s low lighting, trendy decorative accents, bold colors, and vibrant art give off a hip eclectic feel.
We were there in the evening after dinner to grab drinks with my fiancé’s family. I felt a little disappointed that I’d already eaten as the menu looked amazing. They are gluten free conscious so if you avoid the evil gluten like me you shouldn’t have a hard time finding something.
The drink menu had some really fun and reasonably priced cocktails on it and all the drinks our group had were made well. My fiancé’s brother had a salad that looked amazing. The menu features some posh items like a snack board with goat cheese, salami and prosciutto, smoked salmon bruschetta, and a range of other bruschetta toasts. With a long list of gourmet soups, salads, sandwiches, and desserts I can see why this is a local trendy favorite.
With reasonable prices and great service this seems like a pretty top notch place. Next time we visit it will definitely go on my dinner request list!

I decided to give this place a try because of all the great reviews. Glad I did! It exceeded my expectations.
I had the cuban — it’s as good as it can be!
The spicy brazilian shrimp soup is a must. Very delicious and has a unique flavor.
Also, try the smoked salmon bruschetta. It will not disappoint!

I’m not going to lie, this review will not fairly represent the amazing time we had at Shuga’s a few months ago. I’ve been traveling and falling behind on my reviews, and yesterday when organizing them, I accidently deleted the one I wrote for Shuga’s.
With this in mind, please be sure to look at the pictures I posted for this place. A picture speaks sooo many more words! And if you find yourself in the area and do not dine here, you are only limiting yourself to a badass experience! Its not one to miss!
A group of six enjoyed Brunch at Shuga’s last October. We picked the establishment based on location to our plans, their exciting menu found online, and of course fellow Unilocal reviews! It exceeded the table’s expectations whole-​heartedly!
Shuga’s is the cutest restaurant ever! It reminded me of a trendy socialite setting up shop in Grandma’s hip summer home. Neato décor, open layout, shaded deck, wall writing, mirrored bathrooms, and more!
A few items we recommend to you:
— Spicy Brazilian Coconut Soup
Poached Shrimp. Jalapeño. Ginger. Coconut Milk. Peanut Butter. Cilantro
— Mac & Cheese
Heaven. Cheese. Bacon. More Cheese. Jalapeño.
— Omelet of the Day
More Heaven… I feel like it was a Hash of some sort. The Chef I was with ordered it and raved about it later!
The table’s favorite beverages:
— Moxie with Vodka, Basil, Mint, Apple, Citrus
— Adult Juicebox with White Grape Vodka in addition to their White Sangria
The server was semi-​patient with us but the food & bathrooms made up for her slight tude. :)

Another place where the food is «artsy» but average. Strange variety of bland meals. No stand outs. Nothing awful, nothing great.
Except for the non-​alcoholic spritzers — those are special and delicious.
Gorgeous décor — that’s where the art truly is. Someone has a gifted eye.
INSANELY loud (both music and conversations. Brutal acoustics if you want to visit at all.)

The Colorado Springs dining scene honestly hasn’t changed to a tremendous degree over the ten years since I left (and I go back six or seven times a year to make sure that’s still the case), but one thing that’s always been consistent has been that Shuga’s is widely regarded as one of the best spots in town. I finally tried it out the other day, and while I enjoyed it, I’m not quite sure that I’m up there with those who are throwing out four and five star ratings as if it’s obvious.
Star 1: How were the service and atmosphere?
Shuga’s is an absolute gem for either lunch or a scenario where it’s nice enough outside to have the outdoor seating open, but beware if you’re rolling in on a colder evening especially on the weekend. The chairs and tables are packed in, there’s no real place for a proper line to queue, it’s very dark, and it’s quite loud. That’s not a problem if you know what’s coming, but this isn’t an ideal venue for a first date we’ll say. Fair? Having said all that, the service at Shuga’s is excellent once you’re seated and attentive thereafter. Star Granted.
Star 2: How were the portions relative to the cost?
Just about everything on the menu at Shuga’s is just shy of $ 10, which is a good deal considering these are decent portions. Opting to go a bit on the adventurous side, I ordered the daily special, which was a $ 13.00 duck confit and sausage baked stew that was a hearty portion indeed. Additionally, my ~$ 4.00 side order of Mac n Cheese was the perfect portion. Star Granted.
Stars 3 and 4: How was the food?
My stew was a very good dish. Generous portions of duck blended nicely with a sausage in a cream sauce with white beans that reminded me of a white chili, and both of my parents commented that it was the best dish of the evening.
One thing that was a bit odd is that the top was covered in bread crumbs, which, while common place in most comparable dishes, in this case were so generously thrown in that some bites had me almost coughing on the quantity of bread crumbs in the mix, but I wouldn’t say this took away from the dish to any sort of notable degree. For a tad bit more constructive criticism I would have liked to have maybe a little bit of spice in the mix (the sausage didn’t quite do the trick), but I understand that these specials need to cater to a wide audience.
The mac n cheese (and as a disclaimer I’m quite picky when it comes to my mac n cheese) was a bit of a disappointment, with a slightly chunky consistency and a lack of flavor that wouldn’t for me result in it being maybe even in the top 20 mac n cheese dishes I’ve had over the past few years. Single Star Granted.
Star 5: Would you eat here every day if you could?
I can understand why Shuga’s gets so much positive attention, and I have no doubt that it’s an excellent lunch option. However, due in part to the structure of the place, the very lunch oriented menu, and a dinner offering that didn’t exactly blow me away, I can’t help but admit that there are other dinner options that I might recommend over Shuga’s in the future. No Star Granted.

If u r ever in Colorado Springs, please pinky swear me that u will try the Brazilian coconut shrimp soup here! This needs to go into the guinness world record book as the best soup ever… I can order a tanker of this, and not stop eating, especially after having the heavenly lavender lemonade… Not to say that the bruschetta here is not good; it also has its place, high up there. After coming here for 3 consecutive nights I’m afraid I’m addicted…
Oh! Just one more thing: promise me not to die from happiness…
Ps. The service is Colorado friendly.