Normally, ants don’t garner much attention, but one dashing across a table where I’ve just finished eating is disconcerting. Ants are for picnics, not restaurants, except, apparently, at the Stagecoach Inn.
The Stagecoach in Manitou Springs is one of those places I walk or drive past more times than I can count. It has a steady stream of diners coming and going; in the summer, the patio, which faces Manitou Avenue, is always filled. There must be some explanation for its longevity. Yet, it’d been years, many years, since I last ate there; I decided it was time to give it another try.
The unwieldy, Western-themed menu, with photos of the food and brief descriptions, features steaks, chicken and fish. We started with Caesar Salads, full of more withered pieces of Romaine than I like.
I opted for the Black and Bleu Steak, sirloin with a blackened crust, comprised mostly of pepper, sea salt and thyme, then topped with bleu cheese crumbles. I always order medium rare. The dead center of the cut was perfectly cooked, but the rest of the steak was overdone. My husband’s New York Strip was fine and he enjoyed the onion rings as much as I liked the baked potato: more than the meat.
We ordered dessert: bland cherry cobbler topped with mushy oat topping. Then came the ant.
My husband and I jokingly argued whether it was 20 or 25 years since our last visit; we agreed we can wait that long again before returning again – if ever.
Stagecoach Inn
Two Plates
702 Manitou Ave.
Manitou Springs, CO
The Blue Page Special 
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