BBQ near Manitou Springs. Where to eat after Penny Arcade.
Manitou Springs is the touristy walkable village six to ten minutes west of downtown Colorado Springs. Visitors hit the Penny Arcade, the Pikes Peak Cog Railway, the Manitou Cliff Dwellings — and then look for food. Manitou Avenue is restaurant-dense and BBQ-poor. Here is where to eat real wood-smoked BBQ within ten minutes of the village, written by a chef who works two of the four pits in that radius.
Two pits, twenty-two minutes, one chef.
Stage Stop BBQ’s Old Colorado City cart at 38.8454 lat / -104.8616lng is the closest real wood-smoked BBQ to Manitou Springs — about 3 miles east of Manitou Avenue, Thursday through Sunday, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Cantina flagship at 6620 Old Stage Rd. is the sit-down option for dinner, about a 20-to-22-minute drive south into the Cheyenne Canyon foothills. Same chef. Same smoke. Same sauce-on-the-side default.
We’ve been a Colorado Springs family ranch since 1993. Chef Eve Natasha writes every recipe at every location. No gas assist, no liquid smoke, fourteen hours on the brisket, six on the ribs. The smoke does the work.
Stage Stop OCC cart. Lunch after the Cog Railway.
Our Old Colorado City cart is a wood-fired trailer parked in the historic district on the westside — about 3 miles east of Manitou Avenue. The drive is the easy part: Manitou Ave. turns into Colorado Avenue right after it ducks under I-25, and Colorado Avenue runs straight into the OCC historic strip. Most days that’s a seven-minute drive. On a packed summer Saturday with tourist traffic, call it ten.
The menu is the same one we serve at every Stage Stop: the 14-Hour Brisket on post oak, St. Louis Ribs on pecan, Pulled Pork, the Burnt-End Mac Bowl, and the $4 sauce flight so you can taste Carolina Gold and Alabama White side by side. Sauce on the side by default. Always. If the family just rode the Cog Railway up Pikes Peak and back, the brisket plate with smoked beans is the move — it eats heavy on purpose, which is what you want after four hours at altitude.
The cart is a walk-up window. There’s outdoor seating and a covered patio. It’s dog-friendly — useful if you brought the dog hiking up in Manitou. Family-friendly during the day. Karaoke runs Friday nights after 8 p.m. and the crowd skews older then; lunch is the family window.
Old Colorado City itself is worth the stop. The historic district is six blocks of brick storefronts — bookshop, coffee, a couple of cocktail bars, an ice cream window. The cart sits inside that walkable loop. Eat, then walk the avenue. If the kids are tired of Manitou crowds, OCC is the lower-key version of the same walkable-village format.
The Cantina. Full bar, indoor seating, the long table.
If you want to sit down with a beer after a full day in Manitou, the Cantina at 6620 Old Stage Rd.is the call. It’s our flagship — the mothership where the recipes are written and the sauces are batched. Full bar. Indoor seating. Live music Saturday nights. Open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
From Manitou Avenue, head east on Colorado Avenue, jump on I-25 south, exit toward Cheyenne Boulevard, then climb Old Stage Road up into the foothills. Most days that’s about a 20-to-22-minute drive. The drive is scenic — you’re climbing toward the same mountains you’ve been looking at from Manitou all day. We recommend the Cantina for a 6 p.m. dinner after the Cliff Dwellings and the arcade, when you want a real meal and a chair you don’t want to leave.
The Cantina menu includes the full Stage Stop line plus three Cantina-only specials Eve rotates monthly. Eve hosts a Pit Master Tasting the first Tuesday of every month — ticketed, limited seats, and the only night the Cantina opens on a Tuesday.
How long to each pit.
All times measured from Manitou Avenue (the main drag in Manitou Springs). Add a few minutes on summer weekends when tourist traffic backs up between the arcade and the Cog Railway parking.
| Spot | Drive | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Stage Stop OCC cart Old Colorado City · historic district | ~7–10 min | Wood-fired trailer. Post oak + pecan. Thu–Sun, 12p–9p. The closest real-smoke pit and the lunch pick. |
| The Cantina 6620 Old Stage Rd. | ~20–22 min | Stage Stop flagship. Full bar, indoor seating, the sit-down dinner pick. |
Times are typical-day estimates and depend on traffic. Manitou Avenue itself has restaurants for every meal except this one — if you want real wood-smoked BBQ, it’s a short drive east. We won’t pretend a pit exists in the village when one doesn’t.
Parking, kids, dogs, altitude.
Park once, ride the shuttle.
Manitou Springs runs paid lots through the village and a free shuttle from the west-end lot on busy weekends. If you’re hitting Penny Arcade, the Cliff Dwellings, and the Cog Railway in one day, the shuttle is the sanity move. After you’re done, drive east 3 miles to OCC where parking is free on the street.
Parking in OCC is easy.
Street parking runs the length of Colorado Avenue between 24th and 27th. One block north on West Cucharras Street there are public lots off 24th, 25th, and 26th — metered on weekdays, free on Sundays and holidays. After Manitou’s paid-lot shuffle, this part feels generous. We’ve never had a customer say they couldn’t park — even on a Saturday night.
Dogs are welcome at the patio.
Penny Arcade and the Cliff Dwellings are not dog-spots, but lots of visitors bring dogs along anyway. The Stage Stop OCC patio is dog-friendly so your dog doesn’t have to wait in the car. Bring water — Manitou sits above 6,306 feet and dogs dehydrate fast at altitude.
Kid-friendly during the day.
The OCC cart works well for families during the day — outdoor seating, walk-up window, a relaxed line. Penny Arcade burns kid energy; the cart refuels it. After 8 p.m. on Fridays the cart shifts toward karaoke and the crowd skews older. For an evening with kids, the Cantina is the better pick — indoor seating, kids’ menu, full bar for the grown-ups.
Altitude is a real thing.
Manitou Springs sits at roughly 6,306feet. The Cog Railway summit at Pikes Peak is above 14,000. If you’re here from sea level, you’ll feel it — headaches, slow recovery from hills, alcohol hitting harder than it should. Drink water with the meal, not after. Our brisket is heavily seasoned on purpose and that works in your favor up here. Save the brewery beer for the Cantina that night, not the Cog Railway afternoon.
FAQ.
What is the closest BBQ restaurant to Manitou Springs?
Stage Stop BBQ's Old Colorado City cart is the closest real wood-smoked BBQ — about 3 miles east of Manitou Avenue, roughly a 7-to-10-minute drive depending on tourist-season traffic. It's open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. For a sit-down dinner, The Cantina flagship at 6620 Old Stage Rd. is about a 20-to-22-minute drive south.
Is there BBQ on Manitou Avenue itself?
Manitou Avenue is restaurant-dense — coffee, breakfast, pizza, ice cream, a little of everything — but no real wood-smoked BBQ pit. The closest pit is the Stage Stop Old Colorado City cart, 3 miles east. We won't pretend otherwise.
How do I get from Manitou Springs to the Stage Stop OCC cart?
From Manitou Avenue, head east. Manitou Ave. turns into Colorado Avenue once you cross under I-25 — keep going east on Colorado Avenue and you're in the Old Colorado City historic district inside of ten minutes. The cart is parked in that walkable six-block strip.
Is the BBQ near Manitou Springs kid-friendly?
The Stage Stop OCC cart is family-friendly during the day — outdoor seating, walk-up window, dog-friendly patio. Karaoke runs Friday nights and skews older after about 8 p.m. For an evening with kids, The Cantina has indoor seating, a kids' menu, and a full bar for the grown-ups.
Where do I park in Manitou Springs?
Manitou uses paid lots downtown — the Hiawatha Gardens lot at the west end of town runs a free shuttle into the village on busy weekends so you don't have to circle. If you'd rather skip the parking situation entirely, drive 3 miles east and park free along Colorado Avenue in Old Colorado City.
Does altitude matter when I'm eating here?
A little. Manitou Springs sits at about 6,300 feet and the Cog Railway summit at Pikes Peak is over 14,000 feet. Dehydration hits faster up here than visitors expect. We salt brisket heavily on purpose — it works in your favor at altitude. Drink water with the meal, not after.
See you at the cart.
Order online and skip the line, or just walk up. Brisket gets pulled at 11 a.m. The good cuts go first.