Trinity Brewery - Colorado Springs, CO

The Trinity Brewing Company stands out simply because it does not belong in Colorado Springs. A brewery that is built around environmental consciousness, artisan beer, progressive ideas, indy rock shows, the largest micro-brew tap in the city and food that skews toward vegetarian is decidedly the weird kid on the playground, existing in a town that is known more for mega-churches and unhinged religious leaders than for beer called "Chi." As it's tagline sums up well, Trinity is the home of "artisanal beer, slow food, conscious people." Trinity is James Dobson's dining nightmare come to fruition; "the long hairs are everywhere!! It's the Apocalypse!"

Oddly located in a new strip mall development, within convenient biking/running distance of Garden of the Gods Park, Trinity has carved a thriving little niche in the Colorado Springs bar scene by creating a selection of great beers, in a very unique setting, and hosting a great selection of microbrews from throughout Colorado and the West Coast. The bar draws a decidedly left leaning crowd who have an affinity for good beer and the granola-centric setting. Long and narrow, the brewery has a number of tables for dining, along with an open area at the back that hosts large, comfy couches and provides space for the live music. Additionally, there is a patio out front that gets plenty of sun during the warmer months.

Trinity houses the best beer tap in the Colorado Springs/Manitou Springs area, rivaling some of the bigger bars in Denver. You won't find Pabst or Bud Light anywhere near this place, but you will find some favorites like Dogfish Head, Flying Dog, New Belgium and Stone Brewing, along with Trinity's selection of house made beers. The bar prides itself on presentation; with each beer coming in its own "custom" glass and served by one of the numerous, attractive, bartenders. The set up is conducive to serving large crowds, and the service while sitting at the bar is excellent. The actual bar is one of the most unique features of the brewery; running almost half the length of the brewery, the bar is made of beer bottles that have been broken down and lacquered, creating a semi-opaque, mulit-colored platform that fits nicely with Trinity's progressive, eco-friendly image.

While Trinity excels at its beer and bar service the food has managed to suffer from misstep after misstep, making it one of the biggest restaurant misfires in town. The menu Revolving around vegetarian friendly fare (ie; Vegetarian Buffalo Wings), soups and sandwiches (no burgers in sight), the food at Trinity suffers from a poorly planned menu, schizophrenic execution (on one visit, the cheese plate looked like a piece of art, and on the next like someone threw the bread and cheese on the plate while dancing a jig, while wasted on PCP) and incredibly slow service. This is a place that makes you get your own silverware, bus your own table and get your own water; You would think they could manage to at least be on top of the food. No luck. On top of the poor food execution, the wait service is horrendous. Waiters disappear for long periods of time, you're never sure which one is yours and it takes active participation to make sure everything you order comes out right, if at all; "excuse me ma'am, I'm pretty sure I ordered that sandwhich that's been sitting under the heat lamp for about thirty minutes now. Thanks." Overall, a consistently horrendous dining experience (apart from that one cheese plate, that one time).

We have some friends that have worked at Trinity, and from what we hear, many of the kitchen and waitstaff issues can be chalked up to one of the owner's over confidence in his restaurant running capabilities. Nothing kills a kitchen like an owner with crappy ideas. Here's to hoping that something or someone will turn the restaurant side of Trinity around. Until then, Trinity is a great place to enjoy great beer. If you get hungry, we recommend a stop at the nearby Chipotle.

Location: 1466 Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO 80907

Hours: Sunday thru Wednesday: 11am to 10pm, Thursday thru Saturday: 11am to midnight

Pricing: beers range from $4 to $6 and beyond, with Trinity's beers generally being the cheapest. Food ranges from $5 for the soups and salads, $6 to $7 for the appetizers and $8 for most of the sandwiches and "stuffers".