Most sports bars are happy to sling frozen patties and whatever beer the distributor is pushing.
The Public House went the other way, building a Colorado-proud menu around local beef, local chicken, local bread, and as many Colorado brews as they can fit on tap.
It’s the kind of place where you can grab an award-worthy burger, wash it down with a Colorado craft pint, and still feel like you’re just hanging at your neighborhood pub. 🍔🍺
How they won local’s hearts
The original South Side Public House opened in 2013 with a clear mission: be a real pub for locals, not just another bar off the highway.
They built the menu around Colorado-sourced beef, chicken, bread, and seasonal produce, then backed it up with 31 beers in-house and 12 lines devoted to draft.
Once people realized they could get scratch-made pub food, local beers, and genuinely friendly service in one place, it became a “post-zoo” and “after-hike” tradition spot almost overnight.
Expansion didn’t dilute the concept, it amplified it.
At Red Leg Brewing’s 2.5-acre facility, their PH Burger Bunker serves the same burgers with mountain views and an outdoor music venue as the backdrop.
Then the Alexander location added a historic downtown vibe, pairing elevated pub food with on-site spirits from BlackHat Distillery and 30 local taps.
Through it all, the Colorado-only sourcing stayed central: if they can get it from local farms or breweries, they do.
Everything except the bread is made from scratch, which means the Mountain Burger, Fire Burger, and Green Chili Mac taste the same across locations and on repeat visits.
That consistency is why regulars slot The Public House into their weekly rotation and Reddit threads shout it out during “best burger in the Springs” debates.
Food Highlights
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Mountain Burger: A house-favorite build that shows up in dozens of reviews juicy Colorado beef piled with mountain-town toppings that earned its local reputation one plate at a time. 🍔
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Bourbon Shroom Burger: A rich, savory patty topped with sautéed mushrooms in bourbon sauce deep, boozy flavor that can convert even mild mushroom skeptics. 🍄
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Fire Burger: Jalapeños and heat-forward toppings over a fresh, cooked-to-order patty reviewers describe it as flavorful first and spicy second, not a gimmick burn-out. 🔥
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Green Chili Mac: Creamy mac and cheese laced with Colorado-style green chili comfort food with a slow-building kick that keeps showing up in “must-order sides” lists. 🌶️
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Buffalo Chicken Wrap: Crispy chicken tossed in buffalo sauce with just the right spice, cooled off with ranch and crisp lettuce multiple guests call it out as a sleeper favorite. 🌯
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Pub Chips: Hand-cut, seasoned potato chips or wedges that get love in review after review, especially when ordered loaded alongside a burger and a cold pint. 🥔
Atmosphere
The south Cheyenne Mountain Blvd location looks like a strip-mall sports bar from the outside, but inside it’s a true pub big bar, lots of seating, and a relaxed, tavern-style feel.
Dog-friendly patio seating brings in locals with pups, while families, bar regulars, and post‑zoo visitors all blend into one easygoing crowd.
Between the 31 beers (with a heavy Colorado craft focus), TVs for the game, and scratch-made food, it feels like a place you could easily settle into for a long evening with friends. 🍺
Bottom Line
The Public House figured out that leaning hard into Colorado-sourced ingredients and local beer makes burgers and pub grub that generic sports bars simply can’t match.
The Mountain Burger, Bourbon Shroom, Fire Burger, and Green Chili Mac prove that when you start with Colorado beef and real scratch cooking, the results speak for themselves.
Hit it after Cheyenne Mountain Zoo or make it your destination either way, 31 beers and a proper Colorado burger will be waiting. 🌟
Address:
The Public House
445 E Cheyenne Mountain Blvd, Unit G, Colorado Springs, CO 80906
📞 (719) 465-3079
🕔 Daily: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM
Dog-friendly patio available | Multiple locations across Colorado Springs | 31 beers including 12 on draft