In the heart of Downtown Manitou Springs, adjacent the riparian shade and burbling waters of Fountain Creek, is the taste-bud magnet known as Border Burger. The menu boasts several dozen burgers and sandwiches; all burgers are ground in-house daily and burgers, sandwiches, bratwurst and kids’ entrees come with fresh cut fries. Diners may choose to sit inside at one of the tables or bar seats or enjoy a meal out on the creekside patio.
There is the namesake Border Burger – a beef patty topped with colby jack cheese, pico de gallo, fried jalapeno, avocado slices, green leaf lettuce, and spicy aioli – and also the Incline Spicy Guacamole Burger – aptly named after the legendarily steep uphill hike known as the Incline since, like the hike, the spicy burger will have you feeling the burn in a good way. There’s also a Swiss Mushroom Burger, an All-American Bacon Cheeseburger plus the Pacific Island Surf N Turf Burger, the Japanese Ahi Tuna Burger, the Coloradan Hatch Green Chile Burger, the Mac-N-Cheese Burger – and more, so many more, from which to choose.
But there’s plenty of sandwich options if you’re not feeling a burger, like the Saratoga Club, the Havana Cubano pulled pork, the Mississippi Catfish or the California Grilled Chicken. Or if you wish for something savory but veggie-based, there is the Oregon Garden Burger.
There is also a selection of salads – like the Border Salad composed of spring lettuce mix, walnuts, avocado slices, tomato, onion, parmesan crisp bits, and homemade lemon thyme vinaigrette – plus a menu sidebar full of “small eats” including Seahorses (five whole jalapenos stuffed with cheddar cheese and jumbo shrimp, hand-battered and fried, served on a bed of lettuce with ranch) and Cannon Balls (mashed potatoes with chopped bacon, green onions, parmesan, cheddar and provolone cheese, rolled in homemade batter and deep-fried).
If you think this fare sounds like the perfect repast after a day enjoying the Colorado sunshine and all there is to do in and around Manitou Springs, you’re far from alone.
“We do monster business in the summer,” said co-owner and operator Rick Good, who owns Border Burger with business partners Todd Dorman and Sung Song.
Good said Border Burger has been in Manitou Springs for close to a decade, in its current location for about half that time, and has made “best of” lists including on MSN.com and Big 7 Travel.
Good attributes the business’ success in large measure to his philosophy of finding staff who will work hard and to Good’s high standards – and then paying them accordingly.
“‘Perfection, while it shall never be achieved, shall be strived for on a daily basis,'” Good quoted. Someone said that to him early in his restaurant career, when he worked at Cracker Barrel, and it has stuck with him through decades in the restaurant business.
Employees with a top-notch work ethic and skills to back it up are compensated accordingly, Good said, which keeps them on the Border Burger team.
In addition to paying an above-average wage to retain good employees, Good said Border Burger sources locally as much as possible, including RedBird Farms chicken based in Englewood and Elevation ketchup out of Denver, as well as 20 taps of local brews.
And, he said, Border Burger uses eco-friendly options like dissolvable sugar cane straws because he believes it is worthwhile to reduce waste in the environment.
Good said he also believes in the Manitou Springs community and invests in that accordingly as well.
Over the years, Good said, Border Burger has sponsored the Emma Crawford Coffin Races, Manitou’s famous fruitcake toss and the town Carnivale parade. They’ve provided food for creek cleanup volunteers and regularly send the Manitou Springs High School football team to away games with Border Burger nourishment.
He has provided food for service members and their families ahead of deployment, and for Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center to help with veteran outreach events. He often gives discounts to first responders and other public servants.
“I try to take care of people, because they’re out there taking care of us,” Good said.
The appreciation from those Good has supported is evident in a corner near the entryway to the restaurant full of plaques, certificates and other recognitions. There is also an array of trophies, suggesting that Good’s work ethic and competitive spirit extend beyond food service. Several awards are from previous years’ coffin races, including for Fastest Coffin and Best Coffin – accolades Good plans to bring in again on Oct. 26 when his team races a Border Burger coffin titled “Ghost Rider in the Sky.”
After the coffin races, Border Burger will host a free liquor tasting including many unique and regional offerings. Those 21-and-over can come enjoy libations and Border Burger fare along with big helpings of community spirit.
