MacKenzie's Chop House

About MacKenzie's Chop House

The Alamo Building has anchored South Tejon Street since the city was young, and MacKenzie's Chop House has filled its ground floor and cellar since 1997. It is the steakhouse Colorado Springs reaches for when the night needs to feel like an occasion: a locally owned room of dark wood and white tablecloths, martinis at the bar, and steaks cut the old-fashioned way. It is not chasing trends and never has been, which is exactly why it has outlasted nearly everything else downtown.

The Kitchen

The kitchen runs a classic chop-house menu of steaks, seafood and prime rib. The dish the regulars name is the filet mignon, tender enough to cut with the side of a fork, with the bone-in ribeye and the slow-roasted prime rib close behind. Executive chef Espiridion "Pete" Moreno runs the range, a Colorado Springs name who cooked at Chez Pierre, The Blue Star, Primitivo and La Petite Maison before taking over here, and his hand shows in the sauces and the consistency more than in any reinvention.

The room sits at 128 South Tejon Street, downtown, in the historic Alamo Building, where MacKenzie's has cooked since 1997. Set it against our best steakhouses worldwide, browse the full Colorado Springs dining guide, or measure it with our seven signs of a great restaurant.

The Room

Downstairs is the heart of it: a low brick cellar that feels like a speakeasy, with the bar above it lighter and busier. Sound is warm and convivial, lighting is dim and flattering, and the white-tablecloth tables are spaced for a private conversation. The dress code is smart but unstuffy, and the cellar's booths are the seats to ask for. Between the two floors and the patio the room seats well over a hundred.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is MacKenzie's Chop House worth it?

Yes, if you want a proper downtown steakhouse rather than something new or experimental. MacKenzie's has held its place in the Alamo Building since 1997 on the strength of consistency: a tender filet, a serious martini and a cellar that makes a night feel like an occasion. Come for the steaks and the room; do not come for invention or a quiet meal, and it earns its long-standing reputation.

How hard is it to book MacKenzie's Chop House?

Moderately easy. Weeknights are usually bookable a day or two out on OpenTable or by phone, while Friday and Saturday and any local-event night fill the cellar fast and are worth reserving early. Birthdays and group dinners are well handled. Ask for a booth downstairs; the brick cellar is the seat everyone wants, and those tables go before the upstairs ones.

What is the dress code at MacKenzie's Chop House?

Smart but relaxed. There is no jacket requirement, and the room mixes business attire with neat casual, especially on a downtown weekend. Dinner in the cellar dresses up a little more than the bar upstairs. A collared shirt or a smart dress is always right; this is a white-tablecloth steakhouse that still wants you comfortable enough to linger over dessert.

What should I order at MacKenzie's Chop House?

Order the filet mignon, the cut regulars praise for its tenderness, or the bone-in ribeye if you want more char and chew. The slow-roasted prime rib is the move on the nights it is offered. Start with a martini at the bar and share the steakhouse sides. Chef Pete Moreno's sauces are worth the add, so do not skip the bearnaise.