DINING REVIEW: Flatiron's American Bar and Grill rattles the chains

A menu of protein-heavy salads, pub-friendly sandwiches and crowd-pleasers like ribs and rotisserie chicken show that the concept of Concept Restaurant’s newest creation, Flatiron’s American Bar and Grill, is to beat sit-down chains like Applebee’s, Outback and Olive Garden at their own game.

Concept has long been the foundation of Colorado Springs’ downtown restaurant scene with Jose Muldoon’s, Ritz Grill, MacKenzie’s Chop House and SouthSide Johnny’s. Each fills a different niche and each has thrived on good, dependable food and service. But the over-arching concept has always been to provide an alternative to the chains, which makes Flatiron’s an odd addition because it feels so chainy.

Flatiron’s sits outside downtown, just south of the Broadmoor Town Center in a former Bennigan’s. Take away Bennigan’s Irish clovers, replace them with images of New York’s iconic Flatirons building, add a few steaks and a better wine list, and you pretty much get a idea of what Flatiron’s offers. It even follows the annoying trend of requisite apostrophes and cutesy names for appetizers (Aussie-tizers at Outback, Lonestarters at Saltgrass Steak House). Here they are called “beginagains” — a nod to the departed Bennigan’s.

But lame affectations aside, the menu holds a number of surprises that distinguish Flatiron’s from its chain neighbors.

Consider the eponymous flatiron steak. This juicy cut of beef, sliced with the grain like a flank steak, and offering the juicy marbling of a porterhouse at a much lower price, is juicy, tender, well cooked, and a steal with two sides at $14.

Also worth mention is the macaroni and cheese — a simple side made with three cheeses, is creamy almost to the brink of being soupy, with a robust bread-crumb crown and fresh greens tucked inside. One day it was spinach, another — much to my delight — it was fresh tarragon. It is so good that Flatirons made it a meal, ($9) by adding shredded spiced chicken.

Not all chicken fares so well. The menu touts a half free-range rotisserie chicken ($11), which was nicely seasoned and had a delicious crisp skin, but held white meat that had been cooked until dry.

More casual items do fare well, even when they stray from the mainstream. A rather plain-sounding steak Caesar wrap ($8) filled with romaine, diced tomatoes, caramelized onions and Parmesan cheese is lofted by very good, tender sliced flatiron steak, even if the “lite” dressing is laid on a bit heavily.

The Street Tacos ($9) are a true-to-form copy of the original, supersized for the sit-down chain appetite. Three huge tacos stuffed with mildly seasoned pulled pork carnitas, freshly chopped pico de gallo and a chunky, ripe, cilantro-laden guac that tells diners it did not come from a bag. They are fantastic, if a little lacking of spice. True taco aficionados should bring their own bottle of Valentina.

Dessert is the huge slices of elsewhere-made cake you would expect to find at a place like this.

The casual menu gets a bump from 20 wines by the glass and a beer list that includes such snooty selections as Stella Artois. And the menu dabbles with haute cuisine by offering suggested wine pairings for dishes like street tacos and a “wine lovers” cheese plate.
Consequently, on most nights, the clientele falls into two schools: Broadmoor-area empty nesters eating out because they don’t feel like cooking, and young couples from more modest nearby Zip codes out at the moderately-priced restaurant for a special occasion.

Both undoubtedly find things they like. Flatiron’s is already doing steady business. In fact, it has largely achieved its goal of beating the sit-down chains at their own game, which is both a blessing and a curse. There is nothing really astounding about the menu or the place, save for good prices and reasonable service, but nothing is really bad either.

The chains have done well with this common-denominator formula. Maybe Flatiron’s will, too.

FLATIRON'S AMERICAN BAR AND GRILL
3 STARS out of 5
(Good, if chainlike)
Address: 2540 Tenderfoot Hill St.
Contact:  576-2540, flatirons.biz
Hours: 11 a.m.–close (varies), daily
Entrees: $7-$16
Vegetarian: Veggie wraps and more
Alcohol: Full bar
Credit cards: Yes