I have to give it 5-stars because I am NOT a steak person, but after having the Pepper Tree's Steak Diane....I am now! OMG!!! I want to go back tomorrow! It was that good. Service was top notch. I loved our server...he was fun, appropriately joking...delicious meal! Have already requested birthday dinner there!
(5)
Anne G.
First time in Colorado Springs and decided on the Pepper Tree based on its reviews and the view of the city. We were not disappointed. The pepper steak cooked tableside was amazing and service was above and beyond. A shout out to our funny and kind waiter Rick for driving us back to our hotel when our taxi failed to show. He had us all laughing in a not so funny situation. You can bet we'll be back if we're ever in the area again!
(5)
Ellen C.
Table-side preparation of classic steak dishes. Nice views of city below. Restaurant has very low ceilings and is a bit oppressive.
(3)
Paul B.
Plainly put, a perfect evening. Although we didn't get one of the coveted tables by the window, we sat in the very center of the restaurant and still had a great view of the city. Dinner started off with a perfectly made Manhattan for me, and a Martini for my wife... both stirred, NOT shaken -- James Bond has it all wrong. We started with the bacon-wrapped scallops, which were cooked to perfection, and enjoyed the Caesar salad for two. One of our servers then prepared our signature Pepper Tree filets table side. They looked gorgeous and were cooked a perfect medium-rare, and so tender that a knife was almost unnecessary. A bottle of the Duckhorn Merlot was a perfect accompaniment. Even though completely stuffed, we made an attempt at dessert: the Cherries Jubilee. With just a tad (a whole stick) of butter and a pinch (cup) of sugar, our server prepared for us a prefect finish to the meal. Yes, the Pepper Tree is a bit pricey, but it's well worth the occasional special night out. We'll definitely be back.
Fresh oysters on the half-shell--awesome. Barlow Salad (wedge)--excellent. Bread--acceptable. Pepper Steak, tableside with flambe & mango chutney--OUT OF THIS WORLD! Wild rice--good. Creme brule--excellent. Cinnamon ice cream with apple pie--unbelieveable! The dining room has nice, subdued ambiance with great view of downtown and Motor City lights--romantic. Wait staff is excellent; we had perfect service. The meat was prime, prime and cooked perfectly to order. Menu prices are justified by the quality. This is a great place to take your lady for a romantic meal.
(5)
Jenna W.
I would like to announce that I have been taken on a fancy date and it was FABULOUS. The steak melted in my mouth, the view rocked my socks off, and the martinis were delicious. The servers look like adorable penguins in their tuxedos. Go there. Be prepared to spend a lot, or, if you're being treated on a date, be prepared to put out. :-)
(5)
Sam L.
Without a doubt, the best fine dining in Colorado Springs. The signature pepper steak is beyond incredible, pan seared right at your table with mango chutney. Very expensive, but the service is top notch and the view of downtown from the hillside provides a dramatic backdrop to your fine dining experience. Worth every penny.
(5)
Jake J.
I have pretty much traveled all over the United States, South America, and parts of Europe and I have never had a Steak compare to the Pepper Tree. The pepper Tree has the best Prime meat, and Diane Sauce, and the Lobster Bisque is pretty dang good. My steak is always been cooked perfect here, which I order med-rare. The food is amazing and over looking the city lights. Very sexy place and one of the nicest in Colorado. It's a must go to spot. Very well priced to fit the demographics for such a high quality steak. The staff is great, and the Owner is local. The owner even talked with us for about 15 minutes despite his busy night. Wonderful people here. Warm inviting ambiance. Just a note: Makes me laugh when I saw a review/reviews on an upscale Steakhouse saying they ordered Med-rare and it came out rare. At an upscale steakhouse Med-rare is always a warm red center which means rare. I guess I'm saying know your surroundings your not at Chilli's people. Order Medium to get Med-rare. I've been here every time I've come into the Springs and I have NEVER been disappointed.
(5)
Heather P.
Overrated! First of all, it has a beautiful view of 8th street Walmart, and I was worried our car would get broken into the whole meal. Location is ghetto. And I couldn't believe the dining room! It had tiled ceiling like you do at a run-down elementary school. So the environment inside the building was terrible! It was squishy and I could hear literally everything the two other couples in the small room were saying. The service was surprisingly horrible too. They ran out of regular glasses for soda pop so I had to use small bar glasses, and I literally had to flag down the waiter every 3 minutes to refill my tiny cup. The food was pretty dang good, a little small portions for money, but the low-budget dining room killed it for us. It was like a converted garage. Bottom line is: great food, but crappy environment and poor service and location.
(2)
Billy Ray C.
Perhaps I'm just not the fine dining type. The steaks were good, not mind-blowing, $17 for the 2 scallop appetizer, good, but damn. The fancy salad with dandelions or whatever it was, made me chuckle a bit. Anyway if $150 for 2 folks to have some steak and pretentious salad sounds good to you, have at it. I'll go to the Roadhouse spend $50, then, buy some new shoes and 2 shirts and be much happier.
(3)
Mimi K.
Yum! I've been here many times and they are always constant. No one can make their pepper steaks like them. Their deserts are sooooooooi worth the calories. We have lots of fun watching them as they prepare their food table side. Our kids enjoy it too. It's also a restaurant great for groups and romantic dinners.
(5)
Nicole K.
Overall our dinner was very good here, but there were a few misses. Service was excellent, and almost too attentive, but for what they do it wasn't overbearing. Even with a table at the back wall we still had a great view of the city. Pepper Tree specializes in table side preparation of many dishes. We went for an early birthday dinner for my husband, and this was his restaurant choice. We went with the imported cheese plate...avoid, seriously. Probably the only real negative in the meal. If they mean "imported" it was from King Sooper's. Lovely presentation but the cheese selection was extremely cheap for a $15 app and embarrassing. Just take it off the menu, seriously. Even the crackers were cheap. We had the Caesar salad for two, prepared table side. We both appreciated that the dressing was slightly thicker than a vinaigrette, which made our salads light, unlike the heaviness experienced in a typical Caesar. I ordered the Steak Diane, which was prepared table side. Apparently this recipe is extremely old fashioned, but extremely delicious! And my steak was beyond tender. I only needed a butter knife to cut into it. I had a perfectly adequate potato as my side. My husband decided to go outside his norm and order the veal oscar. He said it was alright, but immediately regretted not getting a steak. We also had the NY cheesecake to split, which is my husband's favorite. I usually don't care for cheesecake; it's typically too heavy and one-dimensional. This one was light and airy and had a strange hint of smoke. But it totally worked and gave it some depth. Quite possibly one of the better cheesecakes I've had. The novelty of table side food preparation may not impress me, but Pepper Tree does a fantastic steak. I can absolutely recommend the Steak Diane, and if their other steaks are of the same quality, this place will definitely satisfy some cow cravings. Just stay away from the cheese plate.
I came here a few weeks ago, and I loved every second of the experience. The view is amazing. The service is top notch. The food is incredible. The pepper steak with mango chutney was the most delicious steak I have ever had. (And I am a steak snob). Great place for a date night!
(5)
Jason C.
I really had high expectations for this place. However, my mantra for the night was "Old People Food." I took my wife here for a date night based off of the reviews on Yelp. We started with the stuffed calamari. It was supposed to be stuffed with King Crab but all that was in it was panko crumbs. I did my best Gordon Ramsey impression trying to find some crab and none was to be found. All in all, it was just a bland dish. My wife and I found it to be very safe and was never at any time during the meal like "Wow, this is good!" For the main course I went with the Ribeye covered with bacon and bleu cheese and wild rice, my wife got the Lobster (she is Catholic and it was a Friday) and baked potato w/ asparagus. Ribeye w/ Bacon & Bleu Cheese - I ordered medium rare, I got rare. By then my expectations were already low so I just ate it anyways. I prefer underdone to overdone any day. My rice was extremely salty. I asked for an alternative and got the angel hair pasta. Again, nothing to write home about; I kept muttering "Old people food." Lobster - My wife's Lobster was prepared well and not rubbery. She asked for cheese on her potato and didn't get it. All and all, her meal was prepared well but there was no "Oh man, I can't wait to come back again" moment. For dessert we decided on the Creme Brulee. It was well made and no complaints here. We both had two bar drinks (Grey Goose and Tonic, Cruzan and Coke) and they were pretty weak pours. This whole night wound up to be a $225 learning experience. At no time was I wowed by the food as it all felt very safe (see Old People Food). Perhaps going with the signature Pepper Steak or the Steak Diane would have been the better bet but I didn't want to pay $60 for a 12oz steak. If you want to spend a lot of money and impress someone, this is your place. It just strikes me as a place that is expensive to be expensive (Think Nordstroms). I've been to tons of high end steak houses and this isn't one of them. If you want to have a better steak, better ambiance, prices aligned with reality then go to McKenzie's.
(2)
Dave W.
Friday night at the Pepper Tree. Lovely meal, not perfect, but enjoyable and delicious. The opening cocktails were solid and the salads were excellent. My wife's halibut with scallops was truly fantastic and although my pepper steak was good I thought the dish was a bit sweet. The service (all the servers rotate) was kind and timely and the total meal experience was nice. We'd go back specifically for the seafood. It's certainly worth a try in COS even if it's overall feel is a splash dated.
(4)
Roxanne B.
We were celebrating our anniversary and expecting a wonderful evening. I had heard great things about The Pepper Tree, but ended up being very disappointed with the service. My husband and I had to ask for everything, ie: menu, drinks, wine list, take our order, dessert menu, check please! I will say, when the food did arrive, it was very good. However, our wait staff was unprofessional and inattentive. Not a 5 star experience for us!
(3)
Joshua D.
All around wonderful experience. The ambiance is very nice and the veiw is fantastic. The owner waited on us. He was very pleasant an made us feel very well taken care of without imposing on our romantic dinner. I really enjoyed the pepper steak. Anytime I eat a steak anywhere I always find myself comparing it to the pepper steak.
(5)
Bob S.
We have heard primarily solid reviews from friends, and perused the comments from fellow yelp members. In regards to the comments as "old people food" and "dress code", its very comforting to find a classy location in the town of Colorado Springs. Its good to dress up sometimes, and find a place with more traditional high end New York like steaks and meats. (Maybe some reviewers never heard of Frank Sinatra) But, everyone has an opinion-waiters in tuxes abound at Peppertrees. We arrived at 630PM and reserved a window table, very professional service from the first encounter. We enjoyed a fine Italian Chard $45 bottle, and sipped wine watching the storm roll up the valley. Chili Lime Scallops ($16) very pricy for two large pieces but the chil lime sauce with pinapple chunks were delightful-oh, I forget to mention the hot crispy sourdough bread, almost the best ever! Darlink had the 6 oz pepper steak with mango chutny sauce, prepared at our table, this was impressive food-superb quality beef, cooked with butter and this melted in our mouths. ($40 cooked at your table I had the chicken with bourbon sauce, ($24) super tender, rich, and note both entrees had a delicious side salad with strong vinagrette, and large asparagus (not ala carte like many expensive places) We opted our of dessert, and just drank for a while enjoying the fine view. Waiters left us along knowing we were relaxiing and sipping while the snow started to clog up the view. Expensive for Colorado Springs, maybe, but I liked the open environment and views, comparable food to Carlos. We spent $140, with appetizer, bottle of wine, two entrees with two sides- Once a year place, but worth the money, the views are solid, food is amazing and collaberative service from a number of well dressed waiters is impressive.
(4)
Mariah C.
Wow. My boyfriend recently took me to the Pepper Tree for my birthday, and I was surprised and delighted by our entire dining experience. After living in Chicago for some time, I had resolved myself to the fact that I wasn't going to find an amazing fine dining steakhouse here in Colorado Springs. Then we went to the Pepper Tree-- which rivaled any steak I've had anywhere. I wasn't sure what to think driving up to this tiny establishment-- it's small, and upon first appearances, the outdated decor made me think that nothing had been touched since the 70s. I changed my mind when our appetizer came-- the crab cakes were the perfect combination of crunchy on the outside and meaty on the inside. I hoped it was a harbinger of things to come. The waitstaff was friendly, and they weren't pretentious, despite their tuxedos. They helped us select a great wine (from their impressive wine list), and were attentive throughout the evening. For dinner, we shared the Chateaubriand for two, and were able to prepare each piece to our respective tastes and desired temperatures. The Bearnaise sauce was dreamy. We finished up the evening with bananas foster, prepared table side. The view was just okay, but I was super excited to have deer munching on their dinners a few feet from where I munched on mine. Final note: Although I didn't pay for dinner (lucky girl!), my boyfriend did comment that he felt our meal was overpriced-- especially for the Springs. Hence my 4 stars. Definitely a good place for a special occasion! You won't forget it!
(4)
Bernadette H.
The Pepper Tree has been preparing the BEST Steaks in town since we first went in 1993. The Pepper Chutney steak is melt in your mouth delicious and the prices are very good for the quality of the steak you get. Very romantic view if you get a table by the window. A rarity in Colorado Springs. Apparently some people that go to the new Garden of Gods gourmet think it deserves to charge comparable prices to The Pepper Tree. Trust me the food quality at the Pepper Tree is FAR and Above GOTGG even though they apparently think their food justifies their ridiculous prices for over salted dried out chicken,27.00 and loud Cracker Barrel waitresses. One woman reported almost dying from food poisoning from eating at GOTGG. Good restaurants are hard to find in Colorado Springs. Let's face it, it's not exactly the world pinnacle of culinary taste buds so the few good ones we have deserve to be praised. They have earned it. Save your time and money and go to the Pepper Tree or Walter's and skip GOTGG and the food poisoning.
(5)
Ashley D.
The service was great and the food was delicious! They prepare some of the meals at the table, which is a lot of fun! The only thing is that it is pretty expensive. Definitely worth it for a special night out, though.
(4)
Kevin K.
This wasn't the Pepper Tree's finest evening for us but it was still good overall. The bad is rubbery escargot that tasted like dirt and acidic tasting French onion soups. The main dishes were on point though, pepper steak and filet with shrimp scampi. The Bananas Foster was pretty good as well. I'm disappointed because every other dinner we've had was excellent.
(4)
Sibby S.
Ok, you are going to spend some big bucks here, but this is the kind of place where it is well worth dropping $100 a head (or more depending on your bar and wine tab)! Service is exceptional - very attentive. Dining room is not too large, which gives the place a nice romantic, intimate feel. I had the best crab cakes ever here (not overly "bready" like other places). Many dishes are finished table-side. I went with their signature "pepper steak" along with flaming bananas foster for dessert. This was one of the better steaks I have had in this town. This is the sort of place you will remember months later -- highly recommend!
(5)
Stephen F.
Fine dining steak place. They even have a dress code thou who knows if they enforce it. it's the kind of place to go for special occasion. On a hill overlooking downtown CS in an unusual spot that is easy to find. The food was very good. I had the signature pepper steak which was very good thou not what some people think of when they hear pepper steak. The service was excellent but they do they table-side thing even cooking your steak that way...I hate table-side, it's pretentious. Desert was very good also. Solid place.
(4)
wei w.
This place has been the best Steak house I have ever been to. I can't even believe it's in Colorado Springs! C springs has been nothing but mediocre as far as dinning for me, but the food here is heavenly. Great place for a date if you can afford it's $40 steaks, but worth every penny.
(5)
Yolanda K.
I just recently went to this restaurant for the 1st time. I have to say, the food was excellent! The service, not so much. At least 4 times someone asked us if we wanted a bottle of wine, even after we had ordered martinis. The chef never looked up from the table side cooking, I asked the server if the air could be adjusted as we were really cold, & she said she was burning up. It took a really long time to pay, just really bad & disappointing service, from more than 1 employee.
(3)
Jack D.
The Pepper Tree uses excellent ingredients. Where the Pepper Tree fails is in the preparation of these ingredients, which rendered our evening so disappointing--to say the least. Additionally, its service left a great deal to be desired. Food: I was overjoyed to see Escargot on the menu. Having spent a few years in Paris, Escargot was one dish I learned to savour: tender snails immersed in a rich butter and garlic sauce, accompanied by a glass of dry white wine. Unfortunately, Pepper Tree snails were overcooked and thus very rubbery. Bland and thin butter with nary a hint of garlic, rendered them tasteless. Furthermore, our four filets--two ordered rare and two ordered medium--were overcooked and tough, perhaps the result of the table-side chef hastening to and fro whilst they were cooking alone, all by themselves. Service: like our table-side chef, every wait person was hastening to and fro being extremely busy hastening to and fro. When I ordered the Escargot, I specifically told the waiter I wanted a glass of dry white wine served WITH them. Although he agreed, white wine was conspicious by its absence when the Escargot finally arrrived. I hailed a different server zooming by, asking for a glass of white wine to accompany the escargot slowly getting cold in front of me. He zoomed away, but never zoomed back with a glass of anything, especially white wine. My wife advised me to start on the escargot whilst they were still warm. Finally a third server zoomed by. Hailing him, I strongly asked for a glass of white. Finally! A glass of white wine showed up. Just in time for the dinner salad. Which I had to eat on the corner of the table because no one bothered to remove the escargot dish and its charger taking up table space in front of me. Although the Caesar Salad others ordered was tasty, my house salad was not, and I only reached the dressing at the bottom of the plate after consuming most of the bone-dry ingredients. My friend and and I the same birth date. It's become a tradition for our wives to treat us to dinner. We drove to the Springs from Denver; a two-hour round trip-looking forward to table-side preparation of Steak Diane--only to discover our Pepper Tree experience was far below the standard of the two hundred+ dollars our wives paid. Never have I driven so far for so little!
(1)
Heather G.
My parents took myself and my husband here for my birthday back in December. What a treat it was. The staff was amazing, the food just as good, and the view even better. I had the steak Diane and I swear it melted in my mouth. We also had the Banana's Foster which is cooked right at the table. It was pricey, but well worth every dollar!
(5)
Rebecca S.
This is our favorite special occasion place!! Pepper steak is the BEST filet my husband and I have ever had!!! Prepared table side and cooked to perfection! We love steak and have yet to find one that tops the Pepper steak. The owner Neil also owns Swiss Chalet in Woodland Park and it is awesome too!!
(5)
K B.
Hubby and I went here for our anniversary. And we were absolutely disappointed. It had to be one of the worst meals we've ever had. Appetizer of crab cakes were decent. Hubby ordered the pepper steak. Supposedly the pride of the restaurant. He wanted it done medium. The steak they gave him was raw on the inside. He told them that and they cooked it again. When they have it back to him, it was still raw. He finally gave up asking them to cook it again. I ordered the veal Oscar. The veal was stringy and not at all appetizing. When I told the waiter that I didn't like it, he rudely implied that I hadn't had veal before. I have and that veal was just bad. No apology or anything for that. We ordered dessert hoping to have a good ending to our meal. Disappointed again. The chocolate cake was so dry. And the cheesecake just wasn't very good. I could have made both at home and it would have turned out a lot better. The wait staff knew we didn't enjoy our meal. And they did nothing to try to make it better. I've had better service at chain restaurants and a lot better food. I don't understand the hype behind this restaurant. I would never recommend them nor would we ever go back. Just a big waste of money.
(1)
Aaron H.
Wow! What a treat the signature Pepper Steak is... you pay for it but every bite is a delight to the taste buds and they cook it right in front of you :) This is a great place to take that special someone! (hint hint)
(5)
Derek S.
This is a fantastic restaurant in classic French style. The dining room is fairly small, with an even-smaller bar area on the opposite side of the establishment. Service is fantastic - these are professional waitrons, not bubblegum-chewing wage-earners like you'll find at a chain restaurant. The menu is decently sized, with plenty of variety - as well as some chef's specials that are absolutely fantastic. The night our group was there last, the chef's special app was lobster with goat cheese and a raspberry sauce - probably my favorite preparation of deep-sea bug to date. Between all the folks at the table, there were several different entrees to sample. The pepper steak that the restaurant is renowned for is not a traditional steak au poivre; the whole shebang is finished with a mango chutney spooned over top, creating a slightly sweet, slightly sour, fantastically delicious experience. My steak Diane was more traditional and perfectly cooked. Many of the entrees are finished tableside for that authentic French dining experience... as an added benefit, the cooking smell will stay with you all the way home. Instead of dessert I opted for a glass of tawny port. The wine list here is pretty extensive, ranging from $40 bottles to some that are, to put it lightly, significantly more expensive. There are desserts like chocolate mousse or bread pudding available for those with a weakness for sweets. All in all, the Peppertree is a fantastic dining experience, and I will definitely return whenever I'm able.
(5)
Wes C.
The Peppertree is classic fine dining at its best. I understand they have been there for a really long time and can see why. A very simple menu done exquisitely. Be careful though guys...I took my girlfriend there for her birthday and had roses on the table for her and she thought I was going to propose. If you are looking for a place to pop that big question, this is it. with the great view of downtown and possible wildlife sightings just outside the window, the atmosphere doesn't get any better. Not to mention the food...we had the chateau briand and it was delectable. no need for a steak knife for this...it's so tender a butter knife will do just fine. And with a decent bottle of wine we were still able to get out for less than 150 including tip. The only reason I didn't award 5 stars is I believe every place can find room for improvement but honestly I don't know what these guys could do better...maybe turn the building around to have a view of the mountains instead....lol
I was not sure about The Peppertree as I as first google'd the directions-past the new car dealers to the used car dealers, by the 7-11 and then up a hill or some such none sense. You see the restaurant as you drive up the hill and it looked nicely lit up, yet out of the way and I was expecting a great view of the auto-mile. Once inside, I put the cynicism aside, as we were greeted quickly and as we were early helped to a seat in the bar. The smelier recommended a couple wines, one of which was fantastic and the second was not what we quite wanted, so they quickly offered us a different wine-gratis. After a few short moments, we were shown to our table-I have sat in a few and always had a great few, and while I cant say there is not a bad view in the house, I can say that we have never had one. We have eaten at the Peppertree on a couple occasions and have hit the Steak Diane and the Entrecote but have found our best meals to be the signature Pepper Steak. It is by no means the standard pepper steak that its name implies, but rather a wonderful chunk o' cow served with a delicious mango chutney and brandy flambeed table side. (I agree Stephen that this is pretentious, but they do put on a good show) This steak was heavenly-so much so that we are not just repeat customers but now find that we are repeat menu item orderers. (so not like us) En tree's aside, the crab cakes were wonderful, as was the Bananas Foster, but the highlight of non-steak at the Peppertree was the staff. Every member we have interacted with has been very professional, and extremely knowledgable-so much so that it really blew us away. My wife is definitely attuned to the nuances of service in the realm of American fine dining and the Peppertree crew passed muster repeatedly. One added point was that the staff was great at knowing when to step up and when to slide away, and we never felt rushed-even when it was well after closing time! I highly recommend it-with added points if Dad or the expense account are picking up the tab! Bravo Peppertree, Bravo!!
(4)
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Address :888 W Moreno Ave
Colorado Springs, CO, 80905
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Dressy Ambience : Classy Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Dianna Y.
I have to give it 5-stars because I am NOT a steak person, but after having the Pepper Tree's Steak Diane....I am now! OMG!!! I want to go back tomorrow! It was that good. Service was top notch. I loved our server...he was fun, appropriately joking...delicious meal! Have already requested birthday dinner there!
(5)Anne G.
First time in Colorado Springs and decided on the Pepper Tree based on its reviews and the view of the city. We were not disappointed. The pepper steak cooked tableside was amazing and service was above and beyond. A shout out to our funny and kind waiter Rick for driving us back to our hotel when our taxi failed to show. He had us all laughing in a not so funny situation. You can bet we'll be back if we're ever in the area again!
(5)Ellen C.
Table-side preparation of classic steak dishes. Nice views of city below. Restaurant has very low ceilings and is a bit oppressive.
(3)Paul B.
Plainly put, a perfect evening. Although we didn't get one of the coveted tables by the window, we sat in the very center of the restaurant and still had a great view of the city. Dinner started off with a perfectly made Manhattan for me, and a Martini for my wife... both stirred, NOT shaken -- James Bond has it all wrong. We started with the bacon-wrapped scallops, which were cooked to perfection, and enjoyed the Caesar salad for two. One of our servers then prepared our signature Pepper Tree filets table side. They looked gorgeous and were cooked a perfect medium-rare, and so tender that a knife was almost unnecessary. A bottle of the Duckhorn Merlot was a perfect accompaniment. Even though completely stuffed, we made an attempt at dessert: the Cherries Jubilee. With just a tad (a whole stick) of butter and a pinch (cup) of sugar, our server prepared for us a prefect finish to the meal. Yes, the Pepper Tree is a bit pricey, but it's well worth the occasional special night out. We'll definitely be back.
(5)Sarah N.
Prices are pretty steep, but the quality of the food backs it up. You wouldn't be out of place here in a suit, but there was a table with diners in jeans. It's also nice that salad and a carb are included with the main entrees (unlike some steakhouses where those are a la carte). The soup du jour (creamy roasted red pepper) was neither too watery or too thick, and simply delicious. I was surprised yet pleased by the size of the bowl, and the servers intuitively knew we were going to share as two spoons were delivered with the soup. The house bread was perfectly warm and crusty on the outside while soft and chewy on the inside, perfect for mopping up soup or steak juices alike. The steaks here are amazing: cuts ordered medium rare got us melt-in-your-mouth, tender, juicy, and flavorful meat. My simple filet mignon was the best steak I've had in Colorado Springs (so far). It came in only one size at 8 oz, unlike the husband's signature Pepper Steak, which was offered in 6, 8, and 12 oz. I liked my simple filet better than his signature, actually. Mine came with a side of béarnaise sauce, while his Pepper Steak was cooked tableside in a pan of butter (producing an enticing savory scent that lingers over the table) and is finished with a beautiful crust of pepper. However, I found his mango chutney to be too much. It's a good chutney, but the amount is generous and the condensed sugary flavors were rather overwhelming. The dish would have been perfect if the chutney had been offered on the side, or heaped with just two tablespoonfuls. Allow the gorgeous steak to shine. We skipped dessert - nothing on the menu leaped out as any more different or innovative than anything we could get elsewhere. Nice views of downtown from the east-facing windows. The servers' tuxedo uniforms were rather over-the-top and contributed to the dated and stuffy atmosphere rather than making it feel sleek or elegant. Thankfully the servers themselves were down-to-earth and unpretentious - the entire team was friendly and took very good care of us. Overall, even though it's basically a steak & potatoes restaurant, they exceeded my expectations.
(4)JR C.
Fresh oysters on the half-shell--awesome. Barlow Salad (wedge)--excellent. Bread--acceptable. Pepper Steak, tableside with flambe & mango chutney--OUT OF THIS WORLD! Wild rice--good. Creme brule--excellent. Cinnamon ice cream with apple pie--unbelieveable! The dining room has nice, subdued ambiance with great view of downtown and Motor City lights--romantic. Wait staff is excellent; we had perfect service. The meat was prime, prime and cooked perfectly to order. Menu prices are justified by the quality. This is a great place to take your lady for a romantic meal.
(5)Jenna W.
I would like to announce that I have been taken on a fancy date and it was FABULOUS. The steak melted in my mouth, the view rocked my socks off, and the martinis were delicious. The servers look like adorable penguins in their tuxedos. Go there. Be prepared to spend a lot, or, if you're being treated on a date, be prepared to put out. :-)
(5)Sam L.
Without a doubt, the best fine dining in Colorado Springs. The signature pepper steak is beyond incredible, pan seared right at your table with mango chutney. Very expensive, but the service is top notch and the view of downtown from the hillside provides a dramatic backdrop to your fine dining experience. Worth every penny.
(5)Jake J.
I have pretty much traveled all over the United States, South America, and parts of Europe and I have never had a Steak compare to the Pepper Tree. The pepper Tree has the best Prime meat, and Diane Sauce, and the Lobster Bisque is pretty dang good. My steak is always been cooked perfect here, which I order med-rare. The food is amazing and over looking the city lights. Very sexy place and one of the nicest in Colorado. It's a must go to spot. Very well priced to fit the demographics for such a high quality steak. The staff is great, and the Owner is local. The owner even talked with us for about 15 minutes despite his busy night. Wonderful people here. Warm inviting ambiance. Just a note: Makes me laugh when I saw a review/reviews on an upscale Steakhouse saying they ordered Med-rare and it came out rare. At an upscale steakhouse Med-rare is always a warm red center which means rare. I guess I'm saying know your surroundings your not at Chilli's people. Order Medium to get Med-rare. I've been here every time I've come into the Springs and I have NEVER been disappointed.
(5)Heather P.
Overrated! First of all, it has a beautiful view of 8th street Walmart, and I was worried our car would get broken into the whole meal. Location is ghetto. And I couldn't believe the dining room! It had tiled ceiling like you do at a run-down elementary school. So the environment inside the building was terrible! It was squishy and I could hear literally everything the two other couples in the small room were saying. The service was surprisingly horrible too. They ran out of regular glasses for soda pop so I had to use small bar glasses, and I literally had to flag down the waiter every 3 minutes to refill my tiny cup. The food was pretty dang good, a little small portions for money, but the low-budget dining room killed it for us. It was like a converted garage. Bottom line is: great food, but crappy environment and poor service and location.
(2)Billy Ray C.
Perhaps I'm just not the fine dining type. The steaks were good, not mind-blowing, $17 for the 2 scallop appetizer, good, but damn. The fancy salad with dandelions or whatever it was, made me chuckle a bit. Anyway if $150 for 2 folks to have some steak and pretentious salad sounds good to you, have at it. I'll go to the Roadhouse spend $50, then, buy some new shoes and 2 shirts and be much happier.
(3)Mimi K.
Yum! I've been here many times and they are always constant. No one can make their pepper steaks like them. Their deserts are sooooooooi worth the calories. We have lots of fun watching them as they prepare their food table side. Our kids enjoy it too. It's also a restaurant great for groups and romantic dinners.
(5)Nicole K.
Overall our dinner was very good here, but there were a few misses. Service was excellent, and almost too attentive, but for what they do it wasn't overbearing. Even with a table at the back wall we still had a great view of the city. Pepper Tree specializes in table side preparation of many dishes. We went for an early birthday dinner for my husband, and this was his restaurant choice. We went with the imported cheese plate...avoid, seriously. Probably the only real negative in the meal. If they mean "imported" it was from King Sooper's. Lovely presentation but the cheese selection was extremely cheap for a $15 app and embarrassing. Just take it off the menu, seriously. Even the crackers were cheap. We had the Caesar salad for two, prepared table side. We both appreciated that the dressing was slightly thicker than a vinaigrette, which made our salads light, unlike the heaviness experienced in a typical Caesar. I ordered the Steak Diane, which was prepared table side. Apparently this recipe is extremely old fashioned, but extremely delicious! And my steak was beyond tender. I only needed a butter knife to cut into it. I had a perfectly adequate potato as my side. My husband decided to go outside his norm and order the veal oscar. He said it was alright, but immediately regretted not getting a steak. We also had the NY cheesecake to split, which is my husband's favorite. I usually don't care for cheesecake; it's typically too heavy and one-dimensional. This one was light and airy and had a strange hint of smoke. But it totally worked and gave it some depth. Quite possibly one of the better cheesecakes I've had. The novelty of table side food preparation may not impress me, but Pepper Tree does a fantastic steak. I can absolutely recommend the Steak Diane, and if their other steaks are of the same quality, this place will definitely satisfy some cow cravings. Just stay away from the cheese plate.
(4)Michael W.
When it comes to steak, the Pepper Tree nails it! I have been here a couple times, usually on special occasions, and it never disappoints. The staff is beyond friendly and always makes sure to take care of you. The decor is very nice and a nice setting for any kind of occasion. Make sure to make a reservation in advance in order to get a table, also to request a table with a view. If you are lucky, you will be able to dine while looking over the city lights (very nice). The crab cakes are very good, but I feel for the price the portions could be a little bigger. My wife loves the steak Diane, and I the pepper steak. Both have great flavor and are cooked to perfection. The pepper steak is my favorite because of the delicious mango chutney that they put on top. Drink service is very quick and priced appropriately for this establishment. Dessert items are also good, mainly the crème brûlée. This place is pricey, but if you are looking for a well cooked steak, this is your place. Great for all occasions and comes with a view. Definitely recommend!
(5)Shellie M.
I came here a few weeks ago, and I loved every second of the experience. The view is amazing. The service is top notch. The food is incredible. The pepper steak with mango chutney was the most delicious steak I have ever had. (And I am a steak snob). Great place for a date night!
(5)Jason C.
I really had high expectations for this place. However, my mantra for the night was "Old People Food." I took my wife here for a date night based off of the reviews on Yelp. We started with the stuffed calamari. It was supposed to be stuffed with King Crab but all that was in it was panko crumbs. I did my best Gordon Ramsey impression trying to find some crab and none was to be found. All in all, it was just a bland dish. My wife and I found it to be very safe and was never at any time during the meal like "Wow, this is good!" For the main course I went with the Ribeye covered with bacon and bleu cheese and wild rice, my wife got the Lobster (she is Catholic and it was a Friday) and baked potato w/ asparagus. Ribeye w/ Bacon & Bleu Cheese - I ordered medium rare, I got rare. By then my expectations were already low so I just ate it anyways. I prefer underdone to overdone any day. My rice was extremely salty. I asked for an alternative and got the angel hair pasta. Again, nothing to write home about; I kept muttering "Old people food." Lobster - My wife's Lobster was prepared well and not rubbery. She asked for cheese on her potato and didn't get it. All and all, her meal was prepared well but there was no "Oh man, I can't wait to come back again" moment. For dessert we decided on the Creme Brulee. It was well made and no complaints here. We both had two bar drinks (Grey Goose and Tonic, Cruzan and Coke) and they were pretty weak pours. This whole night wound up to be a $225 learning experience. At no time was I wowed by the food as it all felt very safe (see Old People Food). Perhaps going with the signature Pepper Steak or the Steak Diane would have been the better bet but I didn't want to pay $60 for a 12oz steak. If you want to spend a lot of money and impress someone, this is your place. It just strikes me as a place that is expensive to be expensive (Think Nordstroms). I've been to tons of high end steak houses and this isn't one of them. If you want to have a better steak, better ambiance, prices aligned with reality then go to McKenzie's.
(2)Dave W.
Friday night at the Pepper Tree. Lovely meal, not perfect, but enjoyable and delicious. The opening cocktails were solid and the salads were excellent. My wife's halibut with scallops was truly fantastic and although my pepper steak was good I thought the dish was a bit sweet. The service (all the servers rotate) was kind and timely and the total meal experience was nice. We'd go back specifically for the seafood. It's certainly worth a try in COS even if it's overall feel is a splash dated.
(4)Roxanne B.
We were celebrating our anniversary and expecting a wonderful evening. I had heard great things about The Pepper Tree, but ended up being very disappointed with the service. My husband and I had to ask for everything, ie: menu, drinks, wine list, take our order, dessert menu, check please! I will say, when the food did arrive, it was very good. However, our wait staff was unprofessional and inattentive. Not a 5 star experience for us!
(3)Joshua D.
All around wonderful experience. The ambiance is very nice and the veiw is fantastic. The owner waited on us. He was very pleasant an made us feel very well taken care of without imposing on our romantic dinner. I really enjoyed the pepper steak. Anytime I eat a steak anywhere I always find myself comparing it to the pepper steak.
(5)Bob S.
We have heard primarily solid reviews from friends, and perused the comments from fellow yelp members. In regards to the comments as "old people food" and "dress code", its very comforting to find a classy location in the town of Colorado Springs. Its good to dress up sometimes, and find a place with more traditional high end New York like steaks and meats. (Maybe some reviewers never heard of Frank Sinatra) But, everyone has an opinion-waiters in tuxes abound at Peppertrees. We arrived at 630PM and reserved a window table, very professional service from the first encounter. We enjoyed a fine Italian Chard $45 bottle, and sipped wine watching the storm roll up the valley. Chili Lime Scallops ($16) very pricy for two large pieces but the chil lime sauce with pinapple chunks were delightful-oh, I forget to mention the hot crispy sourdough bread, almost the best ever! Darlink had the 6 oz pepper steak with mango chutny sauce, prepared at our table, this was impressive food-superb quality beef, cooked with butter and this melted in our mouths. ($40 cooked at your table I had the chicken with bourbon sauce, ($24) super tender, rich, and note both entrees had a delicious side salad with strong vinagrette, and large asparagus (not ala carte like many expensive places) We opted our of dessert, and just drank for a while enjoying the fine view. Waiters left us along knowing we were relaxiing and sipping while the snow started to clog up the view. Expensive for Colorado Springs, maybe, but I liked the open environment and views, comparable food to Carlos. We spent $140, with appetizer, bottle of wine, two entrees with two sides- Once a year place, but worth the money, the views are solid, food is amazing and collaberative service from a number of well dressed waiters is impressive.
(4)Mariah C.
Wow. My boyfriend recently took me to the Pepper Tree for my birthday, and I was surprised and delighted by our entire dining experience. After living in Chicago for some time, I had resolved myself to the fact that I wasn't going to find an amazing fine dining steakhouse here in Colorado Springs. Then we went to the Pepper Tree-- which rivaled any steak I've had anywhere. I wasn't sure what to think driving up to this tiny establishment-- it's small, and upon first appearances, the outdated decor made me think that nothing had been touched since the 70s. I changed my mind when our appetizer came-- the crab cakes were the perfect combination of crunchy on the outside and meaty on the inside. I hoped it was a harbinger of things to come. The waitstaff was friendly, and they weren't pretentious, despite their tuxedos. They helped us select a great wine (from their impressive wine list), and were attentive throughout the evening. For dinner, we shared the Chateaubriand for two, and were able to prepare each piece to our respective tastes and desired temperatures. The Bearnaise sauce was dreamy. We finished up the evening with bananas foster, prepared table side. The view was just okay, but I was super excited to have deer munching on their dinners a few feet from where I munched on mine. Final note: Although I didn't pay for dinner (lucky girl!), my boyfriend did comment that he felt our meal was overpriced-- especially for the Springs. Hence my 4 stars. Definitely a good place for a special occasion! You won't forget it!
(4)Bernadette H.
The Pepper Tree has been preparing the BEST Steaks in town since we first went in 1993. The Pepper Chutney steak is melt in your mouth delicious and the prices are very good for the quality of the steak you get. Very romantic view if you get a table by the window. A rarity in Colorado Springs. Apparently some people that go to the new Garden of Gods gourmet think it deserves to charge comparable prices to The Pepper Tree. Trust me the food quality at the Pepper Tree is FAR and Above GOTGG even though they apparently think their food justifies their ridiculous prices for over salted dried out chicken,27.00 and loud Cracker Barrel waitresses. One woman reported almost dying from food poisoning from eating at GOTGG. Good restaurants are hard to find in Colorado Springs. Let's face it, it's not exactly the world pinnacle of culinary taste buds so the few good ones we have deserve to be praised. They have earned it. Save your time and money and go to the Pepper Tree or Walter's and skip GOTGG and the food poisoning.
(5)Ashley D.
The service was great and the food was delicious! They prepare some of the meals at the table, which is a lot of fun! The only thing is that it is pretty expensive. Definitely worth it for a special night out, though.
(4)Kevin K.
This wasn't the Pepper Tree's finest evening for us but it was still good overall. The bad is rubbery escargot that tasted like dirt and acidic tasting French onion soups. The main dishes were on point though, pepper steak and filet with shrimp scampi. The Bananas Foster was pretty good as well. I'm disappointed because every other dinner we've had was excellent.
(4)Sibby S.
Ok, you are going to spend some big bucks here, but this is the kind of place where it is well worth dropping $100 a head (or more depending on your bar and wine tab)! Service is exceptional - very attentive. Dining room is not too large, which gives the place a nice romantic, intimate feel. I had the best crab cakes ever here (not overly "bready" like other places). Many dishes are finished table-side. I went with their signature "pepper steak" along with flaming bananas foster for dessert. This was one of the better steaks I have had in this town. This is the sort of place you will remember months later -- highly recommend!
(5)Stephen F.
Fine dining steak place. They even have a dress code thou who knows if they enforce it. it's the kind of place to go for special occasion. On a hill overlooking downtown CS in an unusual spot that is easy to find. The food was very good. I had the signature pepper steak which was very good thou not what some people think of when they hear pepper steak. The service was excellent but they do they table-side thing even cooking your steak that way...I hate table-side, it's pretentious. Desert was very good also. Solid place.
(4)wei w.
This place has been the best Steak house I have ever been to. I can't even believe it's in Colorado Springs! C springs has been nothing but mediocre as far as dinning for me, but the food here is heavenly. Great place for a date if you can afford it's $40 steaks, but worth every penny.
(5)Yolanda K.
I just recently went to this restaurant for the 1st time. I have to say, the food was excellent! The service, not so much. At least 4 times someone asked us if we wanted a bottle of wine, even after we had ordered martinis. The chef never looked up from the table side cooking, I asked the server if the air could be adjusted as we were really cold, & she said she was burning up. It took a really long time to pay, just really bad & disappointing service, from more than 1 employee.
(3)Jack D.
The Pepper Tree uses excellent ingredients. Where the Pepper Tree fails is in the preparation of these ingredients, which rendered our evening so disappointing--to say the least. Additionally, its service left a great deal to be desired. Food: I was overjoyed to see Escargot on the menu. Having spent a few years in Paris, Escargot was one dish I learned to savour: tender snails immersed in a rich butter and garlic sauce, accompanied by a glass of dry white wine. Unfortunately, Pepper Tree snails were overcooked and thus very rubbery. Bland and thin butter with nary a hint of garlic, rendered them tasteless. Furthermore, our four filets--two ordered rare and two ordered medium--were overcooked and tough, perhaps the result of the table-side chef hastening to and fro whilst they were cooking alone, all by themselves. Service: like our table-side chef, every wait person was hastening to and fro being extremely busy hastening to and fro. When I ordered the Escargot, I specifically told the waiter I wanted a glass of dry white wine served WITH them. Although he agreed, white wine was conspicious by its absence when the Escargot finally arrrived. I hailed a different server zooming by, asking for a glass of white wine to accompany the escargot slowly getting cold in front of me. He zoomed away, but never zoomed back with a glass of anything, especially white wine. My wife advised me to start on the escargot whilst they were still warm. Finally a third server zoomed by. Hailing him, I strongly asked for a glass of white. Finally! A glass of white wine showed up. Just in time for the dinner salad. Which I had to eat on the corner of the table because no one bothered to remove the escargot dish and its charger taking up table space in front of me. Although the Caesar Salad others ordered was tasty, my house salad was not, and I only reached the dressing at the bottom of the plate after consuming most of the bone-dry ingredients. My friend and and I the same birth date. It's become a tradition for our wives to treat us to dinner. We drove to the Springs from Denver; a two-hour round trip-looking forward to table-side preparation of Steak Diane--only to discover our Pepper Tree experience was far below the standard of the two hundred+ dollars our wives paid. Never have I driven so far for so little!
(1)Heather G.
My parents took myself and my husband here for my birthday back in December. What a treat it was. The staff was amazing, the food just as good, and the view even better. I had the steak Diane and I swear it melted in my mouth. We also had the Banana's Foster which is cooked right at the table. It was pricey, but well worth every dollar!
(5)Rebecca S.
This is our favorite special occasion place!! Pepper steak is the BEST filet my husband and I have ever had!!! Prepared table side and cooked to perfection! We love steak and have yet to find one that tops the Pepper steak. The owner Neil also owns Swiss Chalet in Woodland Park and it is awesome too!!
(5)K B.
Hubby and I went here for our anniversary. And we were absolutely disappointed. It had to be one of the worst meals we've ever had. Appetizer of crab cakes were decent. Hubby ordered the pepper steak. Supposedly the pride of the restaurant. He wanted it done medium. The steak they gave him was raw on the inside. He told them that and they cooked it again. When they have it back to him, it was still raw. He finally gave up asking them to cook it again. I ordered the veal Oscar. The veal was stringy and not at all appetizing. When I told the waiter that I didn't like it, he rudely implied that I hadn't had veal before. I have and that veal was just bad. No apology or anything for that. We ordered dessert hoping to have a good ending to our meal. Disappointed again. The chocolate cake was so dry. And the cheesecake just wasn't very good. I could have made both at home and it would have turned out a lot better. The wait staff knew we didn't enjoy our meal. And they did nothing to try to make it better. I've had better service at chain restaurants and a lot better food. I don't understand the hype behind this restaurant. I would never recommend them nor would we ever go back. Just a big waste of money.
(1)Aaron H.
Wow! What a treat the signature Pepper Steak is... you pay for it but every bite is a delight to the taste buds and they cook it right in front of you :) This is a great place to take that special someone! (hint hint)
(5)Derek S.
This is a fantastic restaurant in classic French style. The dining room is fairly small, with an even-smaller bar area on the opposite side of the establishment. Service is fantastic - these are professional waitrons, not bubblegum-chewing wage-earners like you'll find at a chain restaurant. The menu is decently sized, with plenty of variety - as well as some chef's specials that are absolutely fantastic. The night our group was there last, the chef's special app was lobster with goat cheese and a raspberry sauce - probably my favorite preparation of deep-sea bug to date. Between all the folks at the table, there were several different entrees to sample. The pepper steak that the restaurant is renowned for is not a traditional steak au poivre; the whole shebang is finished with a mango chutney spooned over top, creating a slightly sweet, slightly sour, fantastically delicious experience. My steak Diane was more traditional and perfectly cooked. Many of the entrees are finished tableside for that authentic French dining experience... as an added benefit, the cooking smell will stay with you all the way home. Instead of dessert I opted for a glass of tawny port. The wine list here is pretty extensive, ranging from $40 bottles to some that are, to put it lightly, significantly more expensive. There are desserts like chocolate mousse or bread pudding available for those with a weakness for sweets. All in all, the Peppertree is a fantastic dining experience, and I will definitely return whenever I'm able.
(5)Wes C.
The Peppertree is classic fine dining at its best. I understand they have been there for a really long time and can see why. A very simple menu done exquisitely. Be careful though guys...I took my girlfriend there for her birthday and had roses on the table for her and she thought I was going to propose. If you are looking for a place to pop that big question, this is it. with the great view of downtown and possible wildlife sightings just outside the window, the atmosphere doesn't get any better. Not to mention the food...we had the chateau briand and it was delectable. no need for a steak knife for this...it's so tender a butter knife will do just fine. And with a decent bottle of wine we were still able to get out for less than 150 including tip. The only reason I didn't award 5 stars is I believe every place can find room for improvement but honestly I don't know what these guys could do better...maybe turn the building around to have a view of the mountains instead....lol
(4)Desiree R.
The peppertree- this is a hard review. I mean this is technically a nice upscale restaurant they have in the Springs with a very good wine selection. I have gone here 3 times now and the first time I thought WOW this is good, second and third time it was just alright. Their signature steak- the pepper steak is good but the mango sauce is kind of tired. Honest to goodness I think Marigold's Café/Bakery serves a better steak. The appetizers are what you would expect- shrimp cocktail, crab cakes (which are very good), stuffed mushrooms. The spinach salad is nice and lite and the desserts are good. I'm torn because technically I know this is a nice place to go and take someone special but I can't help but thinking that it's just ok... I'm going to give it four stars for the ambience and wine! Its nice/upscale/intimate and you will have a good meal but not as great as a lot of people seem to think.
(4)Brian M.
I was not sure about The Peppertree as I as first google'd the directions-past the new car dealers to the used car dealers, by the 7-11 and then up a hill or some such none sense. You see the restaurant as you drive up the hill and it looked nicely lit up, yet out of the way and I was expecting a great view of the auto-mile. Once inside, I put the cynicism aside, as we were greeted quickly and as we were early helped to a seat in the bar. The smelier recommended a couple wines, one of which was fantastic and the second was not what we quite wanted, so they quickly offered us a different wine-gratis. After a few short moments, we were shown to our table-I have sat in a few and always had a great few, and while I cant say there is not a bad view in the house, I can say that we have never had one. We have eaten at the Peppertree on a couple occasions and have hit the Steak Diane and the Entrecote but have found our best meals to be the signature Pepper Steak. It is by no means the standard pepper steak that its name implies, but rather a wonderful chunk o' cow served with a delicious mango chutney and brandy flambeed table side. (I agree Stephen that this is pretentious, but they do put on a good show) This steak was heavenly-so much so that we are not just repeat customers but now find that we are repeat menu item orderers. (so not like us) En tree's aside, the crab cakes were wonderful, as was the Bananas Foster, but the highlight of non-steak at the Peppertree was the staff. Every member we have interacted with has been very professional, and extremely knowledgable-so much so that it really blew us away. My wife is definitely attuned to the nuances of service in the realm of American fine dining and the Peppertree crew passed muster repeatedly. One added point was that the staff was great at knowing when to step up and when to slide away, and we never felt rushed-even when it was well after closing time! I highly recommend it-with added points if Dad or the expense account are picking up the tab! Bravo Peppertree, Bravo!!
(4)