Wingnuttz Eatery and Saloon

Wingnuttz Eatery and Saloon
Photo: Annie Lopez

Wingnuttz Eatery and Saloon

724 E Kiowa Ave
Elizabeth, CO 80107

303.646.3289

Several restaurants have come and gone in the Black Forest community of Elizabeth, Colorado, leaving only redundant Mexican fare in their wake, however, Wingnuttz Eatery and Saloon offers a welcome deviation from this trend. What began as a kiosk, side-of-the-road, smoked wing stop has transformed into a warm and welcoming restaurant where a local can chat with a friend for happy hour, or join in some karaoke on a Saturday night. It's also a great place for a traveler on Highway 86, headed to Limon, to stop for a tasty pulled pork sandwich, topped with crisp, fresh slaw, mounded on cloud of a kaiser roll, served with salty hand-cut fries, to see him on his way. The decor hints of the locale and the vintage t-shirt on the wall that boasts, "Rocky Mountain Oysters Sack Lunch" is priceless.


Wingnuttz' particular specialty is cherry wood smoked meats, and, obviously, wings. Platters, sandwiches and salads feature their sweet-smoked, carnivorous fare, although I imagine all salads could be made vegetarian. Burgers are also served topped with options like pastrami or their from-scratch Mac n Cheese, which surprises with a hint of a bite. The Mac n Cheese can also be ordered as a side dish and is a bit dry for my taste and lacks any creaminess. We are hoping to try their yak burger on our next visit, which they serve when available. The meat comes from  a yak ranch just down the road, the same yaks mentioned in Seeds to Savor.

A part of the Wingnuttz Menu
Photo: Annie Lopez

Smoked wings and
Colorado brewed 90 Shilling
Photo: Annie Lopez 

The sauces offered are varied and all house made. Their smoked wings are served with their house Signature Sauce in varying intensities and many other sauces accompany their unsmoked wings. The menu touts "Voted Best Wings in Colorado 2010" which I always wonder about when no source is credited, though their wings are certainly unique and flavorful and deserve consideration in any wing competition. They are as messy as any wings and, while a roll of paper towels on the table is a completely acceptable form of napkinry in this restaurant genre, the thin, flimsy towels available on the table fall apart into useless shreds quickly, which is annoying when eating something in a sticky sauce with your fingers. When we asked, we were given packet of moistened towels, which was much better. The grilled catfish was served in their sesame ginger sauce and, while a bit lonely-looking on the platter, was juicy and delicious. Salads are also topped with flavorful, house made dressings.

Dessert offerings include a homemade bread pudding, which our server highly recommended, and, while we usually listen to our server's recommendations, Luna was intrigued by the OMG Cheesecake, a chimichanga-type concoction of a flour tortilla wrapped around cheesecake filling, deep fried and topped with local, Colorado peaches. The warm cheesecake filling is a nice change from a chilled version, though my personal bias is that dessert should always include chocolate!

When we asked for to-go containers, we were presented with styrofoam, which is always disappointing since all phases of producing, storing and disposing of styrofoam include toxic waste. Many restaurants are moving toward more environmentally friendly to-go containers, many which are compostable, and end up feeding our next-year's gardens. Even if the up-front costs are higher, the long-term ipact is considerable.

A great addition to the neighborhood, Wingnuttz is well worth a drive to the country. Their careful craftsmanship of food is well-expressed and they are a welcome deviation from more bland local fare.

Zoka's Restaurant and Bar

Photo: Zoka's 

Zoka's Restaurant and Bar

7 Miles South of 285
Pine Valley Rd/Hwy 126
Locally Owned and Operated

The perfect place to begin our Colorado Kamikaze Adventure is in the heart of the Rockies, with a restaurant where everyone you encounter clearly loves food, loves their part in bringing you great food and loves the amazing creations Chef Christian Hawks produces. 

We Kamikazied Zoka's when we were driving through the mountains to take in the beauty of Fall in the Rockies. The Aspen were just beginning their change from green to gold on an Equinox weekend, so we drove a visiting family member up Guanella Pass, cruising past breathtaking 14ers Mt. Evans and Mt. Bierstadt. (Breathtaking in a somewhat literal sense, as my East Coast cousin acclimated to the altitude!)  . 

Guanella Pass is accessible either from I-70 through quaint Georgetown, or from Highway 285 west of Bailey, Pine and Conifer. After showing off legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater, we wended our way up the mountain on 285 with a plan to return via 70. Around Pine we decided to search for a place to kamikaze and dine. 

Zoka's looked promising.

Photo: Annie Lopez

And it most certainly did not disappoint. The restaurant lies nestled in a lovely pine valley facing a curving mountain highway favored by competitive bicyclists. The wrap around porch allows for unobstructed views of peaks and pine forests; a peaceful place to enjoy a Colorado craft beer on a sunny afternoon. On the rather chilly day we first dined there, however, we appreciated the warm tones of the decor and the even more measurable warmth of the stove in the dining room. We felt well cared for as we were seated near the stove in consideration of the chilly day and our host turned up the heat.

The language of the menu made it clear that these people love and appreciate food and where it comes from. Fresh greens are grown in the greenhouse next door as were the squashes used in the vegetable medley. The menu also sported game meats and local favorites including Elk, Venison and Bison. Their burger creations, including Bison, are unique and served on a soft-as-silk brioche bun that presents the perfect texture to complement the juicy burger. The Reuben sandwich features in-house cured corned beef served with a choice side of purple potato salad tossed in a vinaigrette dressing complements the creaminess of the potatoes. Hand-battered onion rings complements any lunch choice. Panko battered, golden and crunchy, they are accompanied by an amazing house-made chipotle dipping sauce. Tangy and creamy, it was one of the few dipping sauces served with onion rings I have really enjoyed. 

Our first visit begged for an encore, where we could dig into the dinner entree menu. Again, we were greeted warmly. This time we sat in the bar area and enjoyed the artwork and murals depicting Colorado themes. The mural of the mountain climber in the bar is quintessentially Colorado as is the collection of Aspen paintings in the dining room.

Photo: Annie Lopez

One item on the appetizer menu particularly caught our attention: a savory Bleu Cheesecake. Intriguing. We were told by the Sous Chef, Craig, who stopped by to chat, that it was the savory pastry's debut night on the menu, but that it had been well received and that we were enjoying the last piece. 

This was a magnificent creation! With a crust of bread crumbs and crushed walnuts and a savory cheesecake filling with a bleu cheese base, the wedge was served on a granite cheese board with caramelized walnuts, house-made crostini and Granny Smith apple slices. A creamy and savory delight we will not soon forget. A sirloin cut entree came topped with Brie which was a flavorful, creamy complement to  mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables which included fare from the on-property greenhouse previously mentioned. 

We completed our meal with a tangy, 3-ingredient Key Lime Pie that provided a taste tingling finish to a supreme meal. 

Though Zoka's Restaurant and Bar is tucked away on a semi-remote Rocky Mountain highway, it is a sumptuous side trek well worth the time.