The Carter Payne - Colorado Springs, Colorado

Jennifer W.

I held a brunch here for my friends and we loved this place! I was able to work easily with the staff to create a menu that suited some folks with dietary restrictions and provided a great experience for everyone there! The spacious dining area and ability to access so many different types of beverages was also a plus! We enjoyed our time here! I'd recommend for large groups as well as simple date nights!

Arin K.

My husband and I had our wedding reception at the Carter Payne and had an incredible experience. From our first conversation with Jeff, we knew we were going to be cared for. Every detail was thought through, from our menu, to the room set up, to the day of coordination (special shout out to Bob!). We didn’t want to have a cookie cutter reception and The Carter Payne team helped us craft an experience that felt just like us. Everything went so smoothly and everyone raved about the food and experience. Thank you for making it easy for us to relax and enjoy the day! I would highly recommend The Carter Payne for any event - they can truly bring any vision to life.

Scott C.

We decided to try this place for an anniversary and enjoyed the overall experience. The food was unique to the location (something special, in other words) and we love a restaurant with a little local history tied to it. We would definitely recommend it for a casual night out, especially if the weather is nice enough for you to be outside at night.

Service was excellent. We were greeted right away and the seating process was simple. The staff acts as a team and covers down on checking with customers and bussing, we thought that was great! The place operates on a tab system, meaning your first interaction for refreshments needs a card to start your bill. We liked the beer, wine, and cocktails stations and that each had their own staff member. We would have personally liked a few more simple non-alcoholic options, especially something in the realm of a hot drink.

Food was overall a good experience. This is one of the few locations that we found that serves a steak tartare. While very delicious and presented well, we personally felt the price tag of $17 was a bit high for what was brought to the table as a "shareable" option. My wife and I had to really be careful not to gobble it all up and share. Besides the bread and other items, you and another person could each have about 1 tablespoon in terms of a bite. But, it was very delicious and done very well. As far as entrees, the menu does change and is somewhat limited. I had a bison sausage campanelle and my wife had a roasted rabbit with rice and winter veggies. The campanelle dish was very delicious and filling, also with some housemade foccacia... awesome! The rabbit dish was filling but lacked overall flavor - having been cooked with honey, ale, and tamari soy sauce it was really plain except for some coloration on the dish (we used salt and pepper to overcome this). The profitoreles were definitely a "share" item and absolutely covered in chocolate, but also very tasty.

We would definitely come back and try other options as the menu changes. It's slightly expensive compared to other options (entrees average 25-30) but worth it for a unique and special experience.

Beth B.

The food was absolutely AMAZING!! We ordered the BBQ Smoke Trio, Goat cheese and Mac, and the Sanctuary salad. The salad was a meal in itself. Incredible! The smoke vinaigrette was amazing! The smoked meat was incredible as well and oh my goodness, the Goat cheese mac, WOW, just WOW!

Our waiter (Bob) was awesome! It was our first time there. He was so patient with all of our questions about the food and gave excellent recommendations on the food and drinks.

We will definitely be back! The service and food was the best, especially for the prices!! Nicely done Carter Payne!

Marlin T.

Niche establishment that works hard to deliver - wife and I called in one morning a couple of years back to see about reservations and were informed it was first come firt serve - so took our chances. Flow is a bit unconventional, but breakfast was delicious enough for us to contact friends to go back for dinner that very same evening and we've been fans ever since. They're constantly adjusting and evolving their menu items, evident by the effort and presentation of their dishes. Once you adapt to ordering food from the menu, and drinks separately from different stations depending on libation distinction - however put together in a way that ties it all together - it turns into a unique experience. Owners make an effort and take the time to interact and engage with patrons, we always enjoy bringing folks who are visiting us from out of town.

Ralitsa C.

We tried this place for Mother’s Day and had a great time!

This apparently was the first African-American church in Colorado Springs, not a restaurant.

They have an interesting concept with a food menu and three different drinks bars (stations) - one for wine, one for been and one for liquors. The beer station makes their own beer ~200 types, never makes the same beer twice. The other two stations have anything you way want also!

Their menu is great, we had the breakfast club, salmon tostadas, breakfast enchiladas and the shaved ham Bennies. All good was great with nice flavors, a slight hint of spice, but just enough to add a tickle.

The service was excellent, with everyone being friendly and attentive.

The space itself is interesting, being a church originally. As shared we were here for a holiday brunch and it was loud at the start, however as the room emptied a little bit it was great.

They also have a nice patio, which would be excellent on a sunny, warm day!

Parking is on the street and used to be free, now paid, so don’t ignore that fact or you may get a ticket. Super easy to find a spot on a Sunday!

We’d definitely come back for some sips. It’s a very convenient and pleasant place to gather!

Daniel

Have you ever wanted to please a Michelin chef, a sommelier, a brewer, and a mixologist in one spot? Well, look no further as The Carter and Payne offers the community with four passion projects under one roof. Essentially, there are three walk-up order spots for drinks where you are met with a professional who specializes in their craft. What people don't realize is that bartenders in general like to specialize. Be it wine, beer, or cocktails, you will happily be treated with a great drink. Since you are also ordering at the register, I will say this is not a traditional dining experience, so please be patient as well!

They have 200 crafted artisan beers, 60+ wines without the pretentiousness and a craftbar that have wonderful spirits and even the care of amazing mocktails. Last but not least, the mouth-watering brunch and dinner menu with some of the best upscale casual food in town.

All of the staff are not only passionate about their craft but the project as a whole. This is reflected in the food, drinks, and customer service. It is rare to witness the chef touching tables to make sure everything tastes perfect. I also talked to the owner, Jeff, where we discussed the project in greater detail.

I ordered two entrees, a chicken marsala and the bison sausage campanelle. The wrong stock was used for my marsala, so Jeff personally came to our table to let us know exactly what happened. In his care, he didn't want my girlfriends food dying in the window just so they didn't have to remake everything. He also prefaced her peanut allergy and made us feel understood and welcomed. He wanted us to have the best dining experience possible. The level of thought and care is out of this world. Thanks, Jeff, for such a wonderful visit. We will be returning patrons.

P.S. Shout-out to Ethan for being such a wonderful bartender and getting me into the cocktail scene. Cheers!

Celimar B.

Generous Portions. Perfectly cooked proteins. Unique flavor pairings and presentation. Bartenders who know their stuff! So many items on their menu sounded delicious, but I ended up trying the Thai Fish Cakes for an appetizer. Before it arrived I asked the “somm” on duty for a paring and she picked something perfect to complement the dish. So helpful! Anyways, the fish cakes were much bigger than I expected for the price, and so flavorful! You can tell the food here is made with love and from an experienced and creative chef. And when the entrees arrived ( we ordered the Brown Sugar Pork Chop and the Pan Seared Salmon), they tasted so good I almost cried. I work in the restaurant industry and haven’t been impressed like this in a long time. Do yourself a favor and try it!